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NOSTALGIA, FIRE, AND FUSION: Night of Legends ignites Guyana Festival 2026!
By Khadidja Ba
(Kaieteur News) – The air at the Guyana National Stadium was thick with anticipation, but by 9pm on Saturday, May 16th, it was absolutely electric. The Guyana Festival 2026 was officially underway, and if its opening salvo, the highly anticipated Night of Legends Concert, is anything to go by, the excitement is truly just getting started.
It wasn’t just a concert; it was a masterclass in musical heritage. Generations collided in a kaleidoscope of rhythm, soca, chutney, and soul, proving that Guyanese music doesn’t age, it only grows more potent.
Eze Rockcliffe and Yoruba Singers
THE YORUBA’S AGELESS MAGIC
The legendary Yoruba Singers took the stage and utterly dominated the evening with their rich catalog of original songs. Led by the iconic, Eze Rockcliffe, the band felt front and center of a cultural revival. Delivering a performance fueled by an almost supernatural alacrity, the vocal trio of Keron Richards, Kenneth Rockcliffe, and Joycelyn Rockcliffe left the crowd spellbound.
They serenaded the massive audience with timeless anthems like “Black Pepper,” “Danger Water,” and the infectious “Creakateh” craze. But it was their performance of “Masacura Man” that truly sent a shockwave of energy through the stadium, proving why they remain the undisputed guardians of our folk soul.
The legendary Sammy Baksh
The hands of time were turned back beautifully when 78-year-old Guyanese legend Sammy Baksh stepped into the spotlight. Born in 1947, Baksh proved that age is nothing but a number, performing with a raw heart and soul that put singers half his age to shame.
The crowd erupted as he strummed the chords to “To be Lonely,” his iconic 1976 hit. Hearing that masterpiece, alongside his famous “Lock Out,” echo across Providence was a poignant reminder of the golden era of Guyanese songwriting.
CHORDS OF THE GOLDEN AGE
The momentum never wavered. The “Guyana Baboo” himself, Dr. Terry Gajraj, practically stole the show. In a moment of pure showmanship, Gajraj stepped off the stage and directly into the crowd, sending fans into a frenzy of dancing and singing along to every single word.
The sweetness of the evening continued with Devindra Pooran. The celebrated music icon’s melodious voice echoed beautifully across the EBD coastline. Having won numerous awards both at home and abroad, Pooran’s flawless performance cemented his status as a true Guyanese music ambassador on the global stage.
REGISTRY OF SOVEREIGNS
The hits kept coming from a lineup that read like a registry of Caribbean music royalty. Opening the stellar run was Rita Forrester, who, with 63 years in the business, looked absolutely radiant while delivering a flawless rendition of “Set My Heart at Ease,” the Caribbean hit she recorded back in 1976 in Barbados; if anyone truly embodies the title “Legend,” it is her. Following her was Jolyon Harry, a veteran with over 20 years of singing under his belt, who took on the monumental task of channeling the late, great Johnny Braff.
Harry performed Braff’s masterpiece, a global hit from the golden age of oldies that originally helped place Guyana firmly on the international music map. Finally, Bonny Alves brought his veteran brilliance to the festival stage, celebrating a staggering 50 years in the local music industry and reminding everyone of his massive footprint on our culture, a legacy backed by over 4,000 music videos produced to his name.
HIGH ENERGY AND “DIPPING LOW”
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Guyanese party without a heavy dose of waist-wining energy. Charmaine Blackman Alves brought her trademark fire to the stage, commanding the audience’s attention with a fierce performance of her famous anthem, “Don’t Disrespect me!”
Charmaine Blackman
And then came Big Red. The dancehall and soca queen reminded the stadium exactly how to move, instructing the massive crowd to “dip, whip, and shake it” to the iconic rhythms of “Guyanese Wine.” Needless to say, the stadium complied, turning Providence into one giant, undulating dancefloor.
As the lights finally dimmed in the early hours of Sunday morning, one thing was crystal clear: the Night of Legends didn’t just honour the past; it set a blazing standard for the rest of Guyana Festival 2026.
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