Under the theme “Ma’Lupa – Working together in the spirit of solidarity within Guyana’s Festival of Arts,” the Guyana Cultural Association, NY, organizers of the Annual Folk Festival in Brooklyn has announced its 2019 honorees.
The ceremony scheduled for Aug. 28, at 5 pm in the Rotunda of Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St., downtown, will recognize persons in four categories.
The GCA Youth Award recipients are Makayla Harte, Christian Mark Gibbs; Nalani Amara Mason, Tunisia Solomon, Jamain Victor, and Samuel Williams.
The GCA Award Honorees are: Dave Martins – Lifetime Achievement, Musician, Composer, Journalist, Hugh Sam – Exemplary Pianist, Composer, Music Educator; Stefon Bristol, Exemplary Filmmaker.
GCA Awards will go to Mohamed A. Amin (International Dancer Zaman) Dancer, Educator, Andrea Bryan-Garner — Media Culturalist, Paul Anthony Charles – Dancer, Choreographer, Simeon (aka Simone) Dowding – Theatre Artist, and Mildred Lowe, Music and Culture Educator.
Others are Darren McAlmont — Theatre Artist; Andrea Mentore — Folk Music Educator; Courtney Noel — Musician, Composer, Actor; Chelsea and Emann Odufu — Filmmaker, Activist; Monica Sánchez Ph.D. — Fashion Culturalist; Ovril Solomon — Steelpan Educator; Jamain Victor, Dancer — Choreographer; Kenton Wyatt — eLearning Drumologist. JAP Marketing LLC (June Persaud) Cultural Enabler, will receive the Business Partner honor.
Winners of the 2019 Godfrey Chin Prize For Heritage Journalism demonstrate outstanding creative practice on three media platforms: radio, online video, and online community newspapers.
They are Ms. Mosa Mathifa Telford, writer, will receive the 1st prize, Alex Arjoon, 2nd prize, filmmaker, and Dr. Pauline Baird, writer, Storyteller, 3rd prize.
The Awards Chairperson, Ronald Lammy, explained that the profiles of the 2019 GCA awardees provide a factual message about the substantial positive contributions of Guyanese to the post-independence development of the country.
“The elders laid the foundation and the next generations have been impacted, even if only subliminally. Our spotlight this year is on six youths and 15 adults who have an array of impressive accomplishments,” said Lammy.
