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Emancipation 2016 launched
Emphasis to be placed on Guyana’s rich African Heritage – ACDA
The African Cultural & Development Association (ACDA) has unveiled a list of intriguing activities for this year’s Emancipation Celebrations.
Batoto Yetu 2 performed at ACDA Emancipation celebrations 2014.
The Association was established 23 years ago, with the aim of educating Guyanese of African descent about their rich cultural heritage.
Owing to the fact that most Guyanese of African descent cannot trace their ancestral roots to a particular African Nation, ACDA chooses an African country each year to highlight during the celebrations.
However this year, the focus will be on Guyana, in keeping with the Jubilee celebrations. According to ACDA, Guyana has a very rich African influence, history and culture.
“Guyana will be the centerpiece that ACDA will proudly showcase during the observance of this Emancipation, as we explore our glorious past,” the Association outlined.
While many of the villages honoured by the Association with the spotlight of the Emancipation celebrations have a common history of purchase by freed slaves, but this year the African community is placing emphasis on the more mysterious origin passed down in oral history.
For Emancipation 2016, ACDA will honour Baracara, a village located on the banks of the Canje River, Berbice.
Baracara has a history rooted in the folklore, passed down to its residents for generations. The stories point to Barcara’s origination as a refuge for Guyanese Maroons or runaway slaves.
According to ACDA, the folklore tells of finding lead shot for muskets at the waterfront by runaway slaves, folk healing methodologies and folk medicine which over time have proven to be very effective.
At present, the community is poised to transition into a local government area administrated by a Neighbourhood Democratic Council, a project that is currently being undertaken by the Ministry of Communities.
Each year, ACDA aspires to raise the bar on performances in the National Park by providing some of the best local, regional and international performing groups on August 1.
ACDA promises that “this year is no different. We vow to make 2016 one of the biggest festivals in honour of celebrating the future of Guyana.”
“The aim is to bring something different every year to the festival, something that does not already exist in Guyana… The past three years we have brought a Nigerian Mime, Acrobats from Kenya, a Juggler from Ethiopia and a Ventriloquist from the USA, all talents that were fairly new to the Guyanese people.
“We have managed to continue to expand our international acts to foster the growth of professionalism and diversity within the Guyana Performing Arts field especially amongst our local groups.”
“This year we want expand on this and make this a tradition for ACDA’s emancipation coming to experience African Culture in fun and different forms of expression.”
Emancipation 2016 will kick off with Metemgee /Cook-up competitions, African Street Theatre between July 25 and July 31 and Emancipation Spiritual Tribute in collaboration with the House of Santeria (Bishop Irving), at Square of the Revolution from July 29 to July 31.
The August 1 festivities will include performances by regional and international acts such as Jamaica – born musician Luciano STEP AFRIKA (African Group out of the USA)- Electrifying Performances, Surinamese Cultural Presentation- “fire eating” etc, Brazilian Cultural Presentation of “capoeira” Guyana born Reggae superstar Natural Black and Guyanese singers Lisa Punch, Charmaine Blackman-Alves, First Born, X-Factor, Jory, Shontell Gittens , Divine Stars, Mystique, Flame of the Hearts, Young Bill Rogers.
The event will feature drumming, dancing, poetry, sporting activity, educational booths, storytelling children’s parade and fun centre.
The aim of these events is to see the youth in action demonstrating their skills in the spirit of Emancipation season. The teams taking part are from Georgetown, East Bank, East Coast and West Coast Berbice. This is ACDA’s second Emancipation during the International Decade for People of African Descent (IDPAD) which began January2015 and will end December 31, 2024.
This is also a special year as Guyana celebrates its 50th year of Independence its Jubilee. It’s Independence which was fought for by Afro-Guyanese.
Emancipation 2016 will observe on theme “Celebrating African Guyanese Achievements in the year of our Jubilee -Building Strong Families through Entrepreneurship.”
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