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Different & Dynamic. Bigga, Brighta, Betta! Volume 11 • Number 06 • March 29, 2017 • Website: www.CaribbeanGraphic.ca
Tel: 647-669-9320 • Fax: 416-292-2943 • Email: graphiclyn@gmail.com
Luncheon To Honor Dr Cheddi & Janet Jagan! The month of March is significant in regards to the rich legacy of the late heroes of Guyana, Dr. Cheddi and Mrs. Janet Jagan. The year 2017 is particularly notable: not only will it mark Dr. Jagan's 99th birthday and Mrs. Jagan's 8th death anniversary, but, most significantly, it will be the 20th anniversary of Dr. Jagan's passing. A like-minded collection of individuals and groups, the Jagans Commemorative C o m m i t t e e ( o f To r o n t o , Canada), has been established to pay homage to the Jagans. It has moved to do so through a tribute luncheon, under the caption, "A luncheon marking 20 years with
lessons from remarkable lives." The event is scheduled for April 2, 2017, at Elite Banquet Hall, 1850 Albion Road, Toronto, ON. Tickets cost $40.00, inclusive of a buffet lunch, a tribute programme, and historical displays. The event's programme will feature Hon. Samuel A.A. Hinds, former Prime Minister of Guyana and prime ministerial running mate with Dr. Jagan in 1992 and with Mrs. Jagan in 1997, as its keynote speaker. Former Prime Minister Hinds is well versed in the immense patriotism, courage and leadership that both Dr. and Mrs. Jagan embodied, and his address will no doubt feature rare insight into their larger than life personalities. Former Prime Minister Hinds' remarks will be complemented by other appropriate contributions from a wide cross-section of groups and individuals. There will also be extensive historical displays for all patrons to enjoy, set up by the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre. Additionally, any funds raised from this event will go towards the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre, a body whose indefatigable work continues to keep the legacy of the Jagans burning bright.
Farewell Derek Walcott! Derek Alton Walcott, born in humble surroundings on Chaussee Road and who mesmerised the world with his poetry, plays and paintings, was buried in his native St Lucia on March 25, one week after he died following a prolonged illness. The Nobel Laureate, who died at the age of 87, was eulogised during the just over two-hour state funeral service, as a man who gave Caribbean people an opportunity to “have dreams and have visions”. Monsignor Patrick Anthony urged the congregation to “be proud of what Derek has done for us as a Caribbean people,” saying that like other great Caribbean icons, including the late Jamaican singer Bob Marley and the athlete Usain Bolt, Walcott has allowed the Caribbean people “to lift our heads high and say we can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world. “Let us be proud of what Derek has done for us, as a Caribbean people,” Monsignor Anthony said. Governor General Dame Pearlette Louisy and Prime Minister Allen Chastanet led the local and international dignitaries at the state funeral held at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in the capital. Much of Walcott's work was used during the service and as his coffin, draped with the national flag of St. Lucia was being taken out of the Church, some of his poems were being read out. Walcott's long-time friend, Professor Emeritus Edward Baugh of the University of the West Indies (UWI), in his eulogy, said that the prolific and versatile poet, who was widely respected as one of the greatest writers of the second half of the 20th century, was “never one to blow his own trumpet”. He recalled the “canny jokes” of Walcott, “the boy of Chaussee Road” who was also “considerate of others working to promote talent where he spotted one”.
Walcott was born on January 23, 1930 in the capital, Castries and he had acknowledged that the experience of growing up on the isolated volcanic island, an ex-British colony, has had a strong influence on his life and work. After studying at St Mary's College here and at the UWI in Jamaica, Walcott moved in 1953 to Trinidad, where he worked as theatre and art critic. At the age of 18, he made his debut with 25 Poems, but his breakthrough came with the collection of poems, In a Green Night (1962). In 1959, he founded the Trinidad Theatre Workshop which produced many of his early plays. With passions ranging from watercolour painting to teaching to theatre, Walcott's work was widely praised for its depth and bold use of metaphor, as well as its mix of sensuousness and technical prowess. “I am primarily, absolutely a Caribbean writer,” he once said during a 1985 interview. Walcott received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1992 and the Swedish academy said “in him, West Indian culture has found its great poet”.