AYONG takes Guyanese Indigenous culture to the world stage

In the heart of Region Seven, where traditions run as deep as the rivers that curve through the rainforest, a group of young performers dared to imagine more. They call themselves AYONG, a powerful Arawak word that means “rising like the sun”, and indeed they’ve risen.

Today, this name feels more like a prophecy than just mere symbolism, as it now foreshadows a journey that soon stretched beyond Guyana’s borders.

Earlier this year, the indigenous group gave their first performance during the celebration of the 55th Republic Anniversary on the lawns of the Parliament building. They captivated the crowd with a cultural show that reflected the essence of their deep-rooted heritage.

In just a few months, these same dancers received an opportunity of a lifetime to further showcase the pride of a people often overlooked and on the international stage.

On a transformative journey from the lush Amazon landscapes to the concrete jungle, their dream of international representation became real with an invitation to perform at the 2025 Folk Festival in New York City.

This festival is an annual cultural event that is produced by the Guyana Cultural Association of New York. It celebrates unity in diversity while promoting and preserving authentic Guyanese heritage. A goal in line with the AYONG team’s.

The journey began back when Kristie Rambharat, the then-crowned Miss Amerindian Heritage Queen 2023, aimed to preserve a legacy after her reign. The overall vision was to create a cultural group focused on safeguarding and celebrating authentic indigenous traditions through performance.

In 2024, she teamed up with Mikel Andrews, a fellow native from Region Seven known for his extensive contributions to the creative industry.  Together, they recruited five other young performers: Jose Roberts, Novita Pawelae, Joshua Bascom, Lily Williams, and Sueann Yipsam.

The dynamic team, most of whom hail from communities such as Karrau Village, Bartica and Batavia, all echoed the same lived connections to Guyanese Indigenous traditions and carry the stories, rhythms and movement in the spirit of the first people.

With plans to expand the group further by including a diverse set of talent, Mikel Andrews explained that they have been receiving a large number of requests from people interested in being a part of this rich cultural movement.

“Our aim is to create a space that allows a wide range of performers who all share the same vision. We would welcome them with open arms, and I commend the participants for their dedication to the craft despite the many challenges”

In addition to the performance on the international stage, Mikel Andrews was also part of the Guyanese delegation that represented Guyana in the recently concluded CARIFESTA XV celebrations, held in Bridgetown, Barbados, and expressed his gratitude for the unwavering support they have received since their debut performance.

“I would like to say a special thank you to the team’s PR, Calvin Roberts, for giving his energy and showing up and also to the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism and the Office of the President.”

In the creative and cultural industry, where indigenous voices are often just side notes, these performances on the regional and international stages felt like a reclamation, as the dancers describe their participation as culturally liberating.

As Guyana celebrates Amerindian Heritage month this September, AYONG offers a timely reminder that indigenous culture not only needs to be safeguarded but also projected authentically onto the world stage.

Much like the sun their name evokes, AYONG rises daily to cast a new light on indigenous heritage in Guyana. The heartbeat of a people destined to be seen, heard and remembered. DPI