Celebrating African Fashion… Main St. Emancipation village offers clothing galore

Jul 30, 2017 News, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....ers-clothing-galore/

As Guyana prepares to celebrate 179 years of Emancipation on Tuesday, Main Street, Georgetown has been transformed into a shopping arcade of specifically afro-centric clothing and accessories.

Since last week Monday, seamstresses, craft producers and vendors erected tents to sell clothing, beaded jewellery and African-Guyanese food and beverages.

Seamstresses came out with tie-dyed and African print materials to create head wraps, dresses, skirts, shirts, pants and even swimwear to entice buyers.

There were also distinctively patterned fabrics significant to African countries on sale.

Persons who were not eager to purchase sought advice on how to create head wraps and how to secure accessories for clothing they had already.

Then there were others who purchased matching outfits for their wives, husbands and children.

Beverly, a seamstress, had some unique garments on display.

She sews the majority of her clothing and even offered to sew a top on site for a young lady who wanted something to go with a pair of leggings. The woman explained that although sales were not good, she was pleased with her efforts thus far.

Her outfits were reasonably priced. A woman could have got an entire outfit of either a dress, jumpsuit or skirt suit for $6,000.

It was observed that sellers exchanged contact information with shoppers who desired authentic garments and hand-painted fabrics.

Shoppers requested contact numbers from seamstresses just in case they required someone to sew a desired piece of clothing.

It was evident that 76-year-old Yvonne O’Donoghue was enjoying her first experience. With a bright smile, Ms. O’Donoghue, a knitter and seamstress related that she specializes in hats, tote bags, swimwear and much more.

Meagan King, the owner of King’s Creation, explained that Ms. O’Donoghue is one of her students who she began training about a year ago.

Juliana Hughes from ‘JAH Works’ had a collection of necklaces made from natural seeds on display. She said that the company is co-owned by her husband, Wesley James, and they are on a mission to make Guyana’s natural resources marketable. According to Hughes, “Natural resources are not just what are under the ground. We have a lot of natural resources that are above the ground.”

Hughes disclosed that she was out there to impart her craft to the nation and explained that some of the items she had on display were made respectively from velvet, buck bead, flamboyant, stinking toe and locust seeds.

While Hughes loves working with seeds, she said that it is much more difficult since the process involves a lot of drilling.

She however related that this aspect of the work is done by her husband.

Hughes tries to keep her work as natural as possible and said that she rarely incorporates painting.

She has also worked with natural fibres to create crochet necklaces.

“In this period it is noticeable that a lot of the choker and Egyptian collars are being worn. So I am imparting by crochet ability in that area.”

In 2010, Hughes received a UNESCO Award of Excellence for handicraft.

Most of the vendors said they were satisfied with the revenues earned and that they will continue vending during the morning hours of Emancipation Day to cater for last minute shopper

Prashad likes Africa Africans and the various Africa cultures.  Very good efforts to keep the Africa culture alive in Guyana in the face of relentless pressure from the Western creole culture of the British Caribbean to destroy it. 

East Africa foods reminds me very much of Guyana East Indian food.

Prashad posted:

Prashad likes Africa Africans and the various Africa cultures.  Very good efforts to keep the Africa culture alive in Guyana in the face of relentless pressure from the Western creole culture of the British Caribbean to destroy it. 

Bai, how can you make this statement? Have you given up on partitioning Guyana so the dalit coolies can live in peace?

Skeldon man I still believe in an independent country for Guyanese East Indians, Douglas who embrace their Indian heritage and Allies of the Guyanese East Indian people as the only way forward to grow and develop as a people but that does not mean Prashad cannot see that our Dravidian ancestors originally came from East Africa.

Prashad posted:

Prashad likes Africa Africans and the various Africa cultures.  Very good efforts to keep the Africa culture alive in Guyana in the face of relentless pressure from the Western creole culture of the British Caribbean to destroy it. 

A few years ago the Africans who lived in Guyana were laughing at this. As one said you cannot go mixing Congolese attire with that of Senegal.

Leave that where it is. We are a creole people with strong African elements existing within this culture. Nothing wrong with wearing African inspired attire provided that we know that this doesn't exist in Africa itself.

Prashad posted:

East Africa foods reminds me very much of Guyana East Indian food.

Virtually no one was brought from East Africa to Guyana.

Prashad posted:

Skeldon man I still believe in an independent country for Guyanese East Indians, 

Your wife doesn't believe in it though, and I suspect your kids agree with her.

THis RACIST DAAG frequently come here and talk his ignorant crap about Afro Guyanese not concern with their african heritage and that Indians are clannish. He is nothing but Afro Ian Smith and a DUMB one at that!!!!!

caribny posted:

A few years ago the Africans who lived in Guyana were laughing at this. As one said you cannot go mixing Congolese attire with that of Senegal.

Leave that where it is. We are a creole people with strong African elements existing within this culture. Nothing wrong with wearing African inspired attire provided that we know that this doesn't exist in Africa itself.

The problem is that you and your brothers don't support your culture. Look how jackass Granger tell customs to tax Indians when they bring in Indian attire.  Meanwhile a man can bring in a dashiki and even the bum on the street would not wear it.  Yall Afros fully adapted the white man's culture and abandoned your own. 

Drugb posted:

The problem is that you and your brothers don't support your culture. 

And what is my culture? Just know that there is NO SUCH thing as "African" culture.  Nigeria, one country, has hundreds of ethnic groups, all with their own cultures.  When you go from Senegal to Angola, regions from where enslaved peoples were taken to the Caribbean thousands of cultures exist.  This is what Africans are trying to tell you.

I know that Afro Guyanese have their own culture which was developed over the 350 years of being in Guyana.  A blend of many cultures all pulled together within a Caribbean context.

I feel sorry that you think that your version of Caribbean culture lacks validity that you must make yourself look like a laughing stock to people from India.  You are not and will never be culturally the same as the people of India.  I know for a fact that you aren't walking down any street in G/T dressed like Mahatma Gandhi.  You will be wearing the same western clothes just like every one else in Guyana.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-jU5l33ljg

This is for druggie.  Play this in front of people from India and guess what their reaction will be.

Druggie we are all some sort of creole.  The notion that any Guyanese of any Trinidadian maintains the ancestral culture is hogwash.  What we have is mishmash of all who we encounter.

From the red dye you know what day it was yet I see no one dressed in any attire that is different from how others dress in the Caribbean.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lEExTelTjk

Not only is there no difference in how the groups dress but it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell who is of which group from the distance if they are dark or their hair is cut low.

Cultural deviation was the norm for the suppressed who had no choice but to adapt to what we know today as the norm, ignorance prevents us from assimilating what the original customs are to be true, prejudices still prevail. Go figure.     

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJbnnmxwioU

This is for Prashad who was ranting about his Indesh where the "pure"  culture of 19th century India will be preserved.

I don't think too many people will be there.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnsy6aB5noY

I think that this will be proof that many people from India have that Indo Caribbean people are Africanized Indians.

ball posted:

Cultural deviation was the norm for the suppressed who had no choice but to adapt to what we know today as the norm, ignorance prevents us from assimilating what the original customs are to be true, prejudices still prevail. Go figure.     

It is not cultural suppression as Afro Caribbean culture was also repressed during the colonial. In fact it was BANNED and people ARRESTED. 

The reason why steel pan was invented was that drumming was banned, and in fact the authorities also tried to ban it as well, except the US soldiers that were present in Trinidad at the time (this was WWII) liked it.

Go find another excuse.

Dude I am not making any excuse, please reread what I have stated. The end

And proof that even white Caribbean people are also Caribbeanized.  Was he forced to adapt aspects of Afro Caribbean culture too?  I think not given that this is a white Bajan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I-fPehH9TI

One word Assimilation.  

Caribj, your people conformed to the European culture. You lost yours along the way and now make excuses as your ancestors turn over in their graves at not being honored by their offspring.