103 years old Albertha Bell, the Last Speaker of Berbice Dutch Creole, interviewed by Jamiekan Langwij Yuunit in 2004.
Echoes of Berbice Dutch Creole
By Dmitri Allicock
“Language reflects our thoughts and knowledge is lost when it becomes extinct”
Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America, but English has been the official language for much less than the 232 years when Dutch was the main medium of communication. The actual words spoken by most Guyanese is an English base creole that is very elastic to various regions and has slight historical influences from Dutch, West African, Arawakan, and to a lesser extent Indian Languages. Berbice Dutch Creole was a language developed by the slaves on the plantation of Berbice that survived the passage of time and only recently was considered officially extinct by international language database Ethnologue. Continue reading →
New “shouts” of gold deep in wild of 1800s Guyana lured the individual gold prospector and gave birth to the legendary Porknocker. Leathery men left the comforts of their homes in Guyana and around the Caribbean for the inhospitable interior armed with only spade and battel, in search for that golden salvation of hesperides and became an unfathomed reservoir of stories, myths, legend and incarnation fiction without boundaries.
For thousands of years gold was a part of the history of the native people of the Americas and Guyana and the association of gold attracted the attention of many early explorers of written history. It was even suggested that Guyana was the source of the elusive and legendary city of El Dorado, fabled for its great wealth of gold and precious jewels. In 1595, prompted by the great riches brought back from South America by the Spanish, Sir Walter Raleigh, Captain of her Majesty’s Guard, embarked from London on an expedition in search of the city of El Dorado.
“It was written by the prophets of old
That the Messiah will come and good will unfold
He walks among the wretched who’ve sin
And cast away the demons from within
He came to save us from wickedness- yes Lord
May’s little child was blessed
And forever praised his name…”
Guyana’s famous John “Slingshot” Drepaul, a man for all seasons and his charming wife, Ingrid, continue to diligently prepare his CD, “Christmas is Family,” which could not be released for the 2013 Christmas Season as planned. Over a three-way telephone interview with Guyanese musician/ entertainer Slingshot and his wife, Trinidadian lyricist/ entertainer Ingrid, I came away at the end of the conversation with a wealth of information pertaining to the workings of a composer’s mind and perspective. Continue reading →
“The “Peanut man” grew his own peanuts downriver from Linden and carried his roasted peanuts in large burlap bags which were quickly sold out. Great conversation and enjoyable peanuts in a paper bag of lasting memories.”
Maze of crowded passageways between crude stalls, hawkers standing in the streets, goods laid out on the sidewalk, is a common sight of downtown Georgetown that extends all over the country. Here Guyanese Creole in all its uninhibited fluency is tossed back and forth between seller and potential customers as all prices are negotiable. Any item that can be carried in a bag is on sale here in the pure spirit entrepreneurship. Continue reading →
Walk along the rivershore of dreams
Reflection of memories drifting upstream
Voyager of time travel to your heart be true
Pleasant smiles paddling gently in canoe
Oh Beautiful Guyana by Dmitri Allicock 