Dear Editor,
As Guyana marks its Diamond Jubilee, I find myself reflecting not only on what we are celebrating, but how we are choosing to celebrate it.
Sixty years of independence should be a moment rooted in national pride, cultural reflection, and recognition of the people who helped shape our identity. Yet, from an entertainment standpoint, the celebrations feel less like a tribute to Guyanese achievement and more like a week of imported spectacle.
This is not to suggest that regional collaboration is unwelcome. Caribbean culture has always been shared and interconnected. However, there is a difference between inclusion and displacement. At a milestone of this magnitude, one would expect Guyanese talent to be centered, not sidelined.
We are not lacking in excellence. Artists like Eddy Grant have commanded international stages and represented Guyana at the highest levels. D’Ivan Henry carried our national pride through song onto stages such as Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall. Saint Jhn continues to elevate Guyana’s presence globally, earning recognition at the highest levels of the music industry.
These are not isolated cases. They are part of a wider reality: Guyanese creatives have proven their worth repeatedly, both at home and abroad.
So it raises a simple but necessary question. Why are they not leading our own national celebrations?
When the most visible events of Independence are consistently headlined by non-Guyanese acts, it sends a subtle but powerful message that local talent is not sufficient to carry the moment. Over time, this erodes confidence in our own cultural identity and reinforces the idea that validation must come from outside.
If we look across the region, we see a different approach. Jamaica celebrates Jamaicans. Trinidad celebrates Trinidadians. Their international guests enhance the experience, but they do not define it.
Independence, in its truest sense, should reflect confidence in what we have built as a people. That includes our music, our artists, and our cultural contributors, many of whom have carried Guyana’s name with pride long before this anniversary.
This is not a call for exclusion. It is a call for balance. A call to ensure that, at the very least, Guyanese voices are not an afterthought in celebrations meant to honor Guyana itself.
As we celebrate sixty years, perhaps it is time to ask whether we are truly honoring our own.
Respectfully,
Prattle Box
