A response to racial tensions in Guyana

Sep 21, 2020 News

…Change the story

By Rehanna Ramsay

A new song has been released in response to the weeks of racial tension and violent protests which resulted from the murders of three West Berbice teenagers, earlier this month.
The song titled “Change the story,” is a collaborative piece between regionally acclaimed Guyanese artistes, Saiku Andrews, Samuel Medas and Timeka Marshall.
It is part of efforts to help address the hostility that exists between Guyana’s main ethnic groups.
According to Medas, the lyrics of the song were carefully written to educate Guyanese of the need for change. Medas noted that like most Guyanese, he was deeply moved by what happened to the teenage boys in Berbice.

The new track is available on YouTube and for download as a ringtone.

“I actually left my home and travelled all the way up to Berbice, along with Saiku and some other brothers to offer my condolences to families,” he said adding that what he witnessed along the way caused him to want to do more to address the ethnic tensions in Guyana.
“It was a very emotional time for everyone… I was moved to do something. So a friend called me and said are you coming to the studio? I was like yeah… so me and Saiku decided to go in and we started writing… And then we said that we needed a female voice so we reached out to Timeka and she was ready to help out,” Medas whose genre is gospel explained.
He noted that for him and fellow Christian singer/ songwriter artiste Saiku, putting the lyrics of the song together was more than just creating a beat with words that rhyme.
“We wanted to tell the story of how Guyana got to this place and how we can change it because racism thrives on ignorance and if people can really understand the root cause of the segregation then I believe that we would be able to move away from it,” he stated.
As such, he noted that the first verses of the song are dedicated to telling the story of colonialism and how Guyana’s two main ethnic groups were separated by their white masters, who were only interested in keeping them apart so that they (the masters) can continue to rule.
He explained that, “The song presents three scenarios; the past, present and future —-it urges all Guyanese to take a different path rather than to continue peddle the hate our fore parents were taught, we can change it.”
Like Medas, Andrews is very passionate about seeing a change in the way that Guyanese relate to each other despite their ethnic/cultural differences.
“I personally believe that there are more people in Guyana who are against racism than those that are practising the segregation but what has been happening is that the racist minority has been more vocal than the majority. And there is a reason for that; most people are scared to speak up that so they keep silent but I believe that we will see a change when the silent majority becomes vocal,” Andrews noted.
As an artiste, Andrews says that he will continue to lend his voice to the fight against racism.
“As a nation, it is time that we confront and heal from the scars of colonialism. This should not be perpetuated on the next generation. So as an artiste, I will be singing this song and sharing that message on any platform I’m called to perform,” he added.
Similarly, Marshall related that she is happy that she was able to lend her voice to the track. She explained that as an artiste, it was important for her to use her platform to address social ills.
“It was great to come together on a track that addresses racist tensions in Guyana. For me, my objective is to do something that is socially responsible with my music, so this is a start.
Marshall said that she is excited about the prospects of the song given the early reviews.
“We have been getting some really great feedback on social media; the song has been countless times since its release this week.” She said adding that it is important for people to understand and share the message.
The song is currently available on YouTube and for ringtone download via http://www.mediafire.com/…/Change+the+Story…/file. In addition, a hashtag challenge has been created by the artiste to help spread the message.

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