Times Arts and Entertainment

GUYANA

guyanatimesgy.com

L

ess than a week after being crowned Miss World Guyana, 22-year-old Rafieya Husain is already promoting her platform of domestic violence, and promises to build a shelter for abused victims in her native county.

In a recent visit to Region Two, Pomeroon/Supenaam, she met with Regional Chairman Parmanand Persaud and Regional Executive Officer (REO) Sunil Singh and presented her plans.

Husain is presently trying to locate the land for the building and once that aspect is secure, construction will commence.

She intends to raise funds to help in the construction. The REO congratulated the queen on her recent success which m a d e the region proud,

Darrell Pugsley - the man behind DP records

Page 2

hence, the administration will support her proposal.

Husain said it is her desire to see that abused persons have somewhere to go and are not forced to return to the situation they came from.

“Many times people are being abused, they speak out very well but [have] nowhere to go, which is sad... I want to stop this,” she said.

Husain reiterated that the pageant exposed her to lots of experiences and she is ready with confidence to represent Guyana in London where the international pageant is being staged in December.

During her visit to

Adrian Dutchin releases “Too Bad”

Page 4

Issue No. 015

Pomeroon/ Supenaam, she also met with staff of the Region Two Administration, and participated in a lunch at the Mainstay Resort. She also visited schools, with many using the opportunity to take photos of the queen.

She received tokens from the Region Two Chairman and Regional Executive Officer. The queen was accompanied

by Executive Member of Miss World Guyana Roger Gary on her trip to the Cinderella County.

Page 7

Friday, May 30, 2014

2

guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, may 30, 2014

Darrell Pugsley

– the man behind DP records “My o push t s cally is with toward i s a b l goa ork , it’s hat I w ot about me ic to the t s e t s the arti ccess... it’s n yanese mus anner u u m much s and taking G rofessional … it’s p in a blicity them about tional arena s positive pu ecord r interna Guyana win started the t I so tha about me. y artistes.” not or m label f

I

f one was to ask for a Music Producer, Arranger, Composer with any merit in Guyana, the name Darrell Pugsley is most likely to be recommended.

Lovers of Guyanese music may remember him as one of the lead keyboard players with the Brutal Jammers and Heatwave Band.

This happily married 31-year-old who attended Sand Creek Primary, President’s College and St Rose’s High operates between Manaus and São Paulo in Brazil and Guyana, and has played keyboards for and or toured with artistes such as Serani, Cecile, Kiprich, Mr Easy, Collie Buddz, Benz, Jah Melody, Louie Culture, Turbulence, Natural Black, Natty King, Rupee, Peter Ram and many other popular Caribbean artistes.

Operating out of his Mc Doom, East Bank Demerara home under the label DP Records, almost weekly Darrell churns out hit after hit that immediately invade and claim the local airwaves.

He has also shared the same stage with other international acts such as Akon, Buju Banton, Sizzla Kalonji, Beenie Man, Capleton, Beres Hammond, and Tony Matterhon, just to name a few.

Darrell offers the total package of graphic designing, video editing and audio engineering. His musical productions cover the genres of R&B, hip hop, dancehall, reggae, contemporary jazz, samba, reggaeton, soca, forro, Indian, soul and pop rock.

His work has definitely been heard, but many don’t know the face behind the creativity. The young musician/engineer/ businessman has been in music professionally for at least

two decades, having started playing the guitar as a child. He also plays bass and rhythm guitar. He came to Georgetown at age nine and happened upon music by accident and has made it his career.

He composed and arranged seven tracks on Natural Black’s album titled Guardian Angel” which was launched in Barbados and now he’s working with a host of other personalities including the likes of Mondale Smith, Tandy, Kester D, etc.

This Guyanese all-encompassing musician also owns an online radio and television station and he is also the voice behind many advertisements for most of the major companies in and out of Guyana.

With accomplishments that continue to be stacked high, he is not one to blow his own trumpet. Humbly, he stated, “My goal basically is to push the artistes that I work with towards much success... it’s not about me, it’s about them and taking Guyanese music to the international arena in a professional manner so that Guyana wins positive publicity… it’s not about me. I started the record label for my artistes.”

In studio, he has worked with all of the bigger local names such as Big Red, Jumo, Adrian Dutchin, Jory, Natural Black, Jackie Hanover, Lisa Punch and Malo.

In the gospel arena, Darrell has also produced music for Sean Sobers, Mariam Williams, Kester D, Solid Youth, Bishop Kwame and other artistes from Trinidad, The Bahamas, Jamaica and Canada.

While many producers simply have a studio, Darrell has projects that he works on as a producer at home hours. This he says is necessary for success. At present, he is working on projects with artistes from Germany, the US, Brazil, Africa and Guyana.

Darrell started producing music at home while still attending school and at Zoe Media Productions owned by Obed James and Guyana Dominion Studios, owned by Pastor King.

He focused on music seriously after a major vehicular accident landed him in hospital at a time when he was supposed to undergo brain surgery for a clot in his brain. Those clots gave him terrible headaches that caused him to bleed from his nose.

However, the young entrepreneur stated that “music literally healed me as I was gonna study medicine en route to being a medical surgeon but I couldn’t study anymore and listening to music and spending time with the keyboard kept the headaches away.” According to him it was a miracle, since he did not have to go through surgery.

The life of Guyanese Broadway actress –

Rachel Oneika Phillips B

orn in Georgetown, Guyana and raised in Grenada, West Indies, Rachel Oneika Phillips holds dual degrees in Dance Performance (BFA, Bachelor’s of Fine Arts) and Business Management (BBM, Bachelor’s of Business Management) from Shenandoah University and Conservatory, Virginia.

Her training and early performances began with impacting companies such as the National School of Dance in Guyana, The Grenada Dance Workshop and The Grenada National Folk Group. Ms Phillips has represented her island from a young age, travelling the

Caribbean and North America on cultural tours and ambassadorships.

Upon receiving highly successful results in O-Levels at the St Joseph Convent, St George’s and A-Levels at the TA Marryshow Community College, she pursued her university studies in the USA with the intention of attaining a solid foundation in both business and the performing arts.

In the United States, her talent and personal drive awarded her scholarships to prestigious US dance festivals including Bates Dance Festival, the Urban Bush Women Summer Institute and the iconic Jacob’s Pillow.

This afforded her the opportunity to work with celebrated choreographers including Doug Elkins, Elisa Monte, Renee Harris, the Parsons Dancers and Urban Bush Women.

In midJune 2013, Phillips completed the historic run of director/choreographer Bill T

(Part one)

Jones’ FELA! (Fay-la) after having joined the Broadway cast in April of 2010.

F o r m e r

G r e n a d i a n Ambassadors Desima Williams (NY) and Gillian Bristol (DC), label Ms Phillips as the first Grenadian woman on Broadway.

On Broadway, Phillips served as swing and as the Understudy to the show’s two female lead roles. These roles were “Sandra” played

by Saycon Sengbloh and “Funmilayo” played by Broadway star Lillias White, and later by R&B icon, Patti La Belle.

As a swing, she had the responsibility of learning and performing all female roles depicted on stage, at a moment’s notice.

guyanatimesgy.com

fridAY, may 30, 2014

3

Gowns of Miss World Ruqayyah Boyer

Guyana 2014 Pageant

Rafieya Husain

I

t was indeed a showcase of elegance when the Miss World Guyana 2014 Pageant was held at Atisha Gaskill Denicia Williams the National Cultural Centre on Monday last. The evening saw stiff competition among the eight delegates, especially in the evening gown segment.

With the most unusual designs and colours, the audience was wowed as the young ladies showcased their gowns proudly on stage.

Third runner-up in the pageant, Ayana Whitehead wore a Randy Madray design; second runner-up, Denicia Williams wore a design

by Teroy Scott while first runner-up, Atisha Gaskill wore a design by Terani Couture. The queen, Rafieya Husain wore a design by Frost, a company in Dubai. The other top five delegate, Cherese James wore a design by Marcia De Santos.

The other delegates: Tiffany Megnath modelled a design by Elegant Creation, followed by Gericia Francis who wore a Olympia SmallSonaram design and Rebekah London wore a Melissa Payne design. Miss World Guyana 2013 Ruqayyah Boyer looked stunning in a golden piece designed by Michelle Cole.

Miss World gowns are however, generally sexy, but are still conservative and sophisticated. Some of the designs, though creative, were not gowns that followed the general standards set by Miss World.

Ayana Whitehead

Cherese James

Gericia Francis

Rebekah London Tiffany Megnath

I

t’s all happening at Palm Court this Saturday as boys and girls get a change to practise their tasting.

The event called “Eye Candy” is promoted by Pulse

Entertainment and it is the sexiest event ever with all the best DJs, best vibes and the sexiest people.

Patrons are urged to brace themselves for an eye-popping, dance teasing, and floor pounding event that will be off the hook.

Come party with the sexy topless males, and female Pulse Eye Candy models and dancers while they serve you candies of your choice. There will also be drink specials all night long.

Tickets for the event cost $2000 and more at the door. Tickets are available at Glamour Designer Brands and Movietown DVD Club.

This is an event that you do not want to miss.

“Lick or Look”, Enjoy the glimpse of yummy eye candies.

4

&

friDAY, may 30, 2014

E

ighteen-yearold Akeila Dey attended St Gabriel’s Nursery then St Ambrose Primary and Cummings Lodge Secondary.

A final-year student of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), this vivacious young lady has already secured a job at the Education Ministry, effective in the new academic year.

She described herself as “enchanting,” claiming that she has an enchanting personality which has a positive impact on those who understand her.

With that charming gift of enchantment are her humble, compassionate and persistent qualities. She hopes one day to become a volunteer at the Sophia Community Centre which she sees as a stepping stone to becoming a potential ambassador for her community, and to a

guyanatimesgy.com

greater extent, her country.

In the next five years, she sees herself as a very ambitious and successful young role model and more so, an outstanding graduate of the Cyril Potter College of Education with an Associate Degree in Education followed by a Bachelor’s Degree in Education.

She also sees herself as being on the verge of initiating a part-time career in law.

Over the years, she has been an avid admirer of Oprah Winfrey – who is known for her charitable work around the world. Another individual Dey admired was the late Maya Angelou. Dey said she “admired her because of her true inspirational thoughts on being black… She was a woman of substance and one who strongly believed in her roots. With that, Maya Angelou has inspired me to be proud of who I am,” she added.

This young lady was nurtured from the cradle and has built a strong yet gentle personality.

She is known as the most peaceful person in her neighbourhood and she is the last of five childen for her parents. She has two sisters and two brothers.

Throughout her childhood, she was exposed to several moral

T

G

uyanese soca sensation and X2 singer, Adrian Dutchin recently launched a new song called “Too Bad”, which features Charmaine Blackman, Carib Soca Monarch Kwasi “Ace” Edmundson and Jory Hector. The song was written by Dutchin and was recorded using the “Nana Riddim”.

The actual recording of the song was done by DP Records.

The song is about deejays playing the right music to hype a crowd, songs that they love to hear. The song was released on the Boom FM radio, as well as on other radio stations in Guyana.

Dutchin thanked Darrell Pugsley, the Producer of the song, the artistes who were involved and the deejays who are contributing to the success of the song as well as making it loved

b y all.

The music video will be shot shortly and will be released soon.

The Guyanese artiste, who is confirmed to perform at the New York City Jamzone event, said that he is working on some new tracks for the August holiday called “Summer Riddim”. He is also working on some other gigs that will definitely create some vibes on the local airwaves.

Dutchin will be making several appearances during the summer vacation in the US and will also be heading to perform at Caribana in Canada.

He recently performed at the US Memorial Day celebrations before a packed crowd as Guyanese overseas celebrated Guyana’s Independence Anniversary.

principles by family members.

One such principle is “contentment is better than silver or gold”. She grew up in a home where she saw her parents working hard to provide for the family. From this, she learnt to be content, appreciative and independent.

From a very tender age, she adored the idea of pageantry. Being the determined person she is, she vowed to grab the opportunity of entering a pageant even if it was once in a lifetime.

She believes that the Miss Guyana Talented Teen Pageant will provide her with a solid foundation to endless possibilities.

She intends to use the pageant to shape herself into a young woman and more importantly, to assist her in recognising her inner beauty while striving to preserve her outer beauty.

During the pageant, she expects to come into contact with delegates with different personalities. She also expects fair competition to be had and the most realistic, dedicated and deserving person to be chosen as an

he Bartica Regatta Pavilion came alive on May 18, as the Indian Arrival Commemoration Committee in Region Seven celebrated the 176th Anniversary of the Arrival of East Indians to Guyana with Ganaa Aur Nache 2.

The evening was filled with glitz and glamour as Barticians came out to witness an unforgettable evening filled with talents found among their own and from around the country.

Subsequent to the welcome by Chandra Dasraj, the organiser, Producer and mastermind behind the evening’s exquisite stage décor, the audience was serenaded and wowed with intense beauty, melodies and diversity as songs and dances from invited performers such as Natsaha, Ali, Freeman,

ambassador for Guyana. Above all, she expects a challenging, meaningful and fun journey.

Her philosophy is “when an individual is certain about what he/she wants to achieve, there is nothing the world can do to stop him/her from accomplishing that dream. By this, I strongly believe that determination and persistence can conquer all failures.”

She has a special interest in modelling and dramatic arts but enjoys listening to soothing music, reading interesting literature and social networking during her spare time. Her favourite books are Steve Harvey’s Act Like a Lady, Think Like A Man and Nancy Drew’s Secret of The Old Clock.

Bunty, Ameer, Hallema and the Nachgaana Academy of Dance entertained those in attendance.

Also performing crowd favourites “Nagada Sang Dholbhaji” and “Ghagra” were Bartica’s own Reshma Methuram, Melisa and Sunita.

The cast delivered solid and impressive performances, easily taking the audience through a range of emotions with precision and artistry.

In attendance was the Honourable High Commissioner of India, Tirath Singh, who, upon the request of the audience performed two songs on stage. His performance was greeted with loud applause and a call for an encore.

High Commissioner Singh and the Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford both congratulated IACC Region Seven and pledged their support for future productions.

The evening ended with the live beats of tassa drumming.

guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, may 30, 2014

5

for

N

ineteen-year-old Jamaican Dancehall artiste Alkaline and Bunji Garlin have been confirmed to perform for Hits and Jams’ Jamzone Summer Break, 2014 for the Regional Night.

Jamzone Summer Break, 2014 is set for August 15-24 and will feature several events leading up to the beach jam. Usually, the main attractions for the event are the Regional Night, International Night and the Jamzone International Pageant.

However, for the first time, Alkaline will touch down on Guyana’s soil and with his

appearance, draw the younger fan base.

The dancehall artiste comes to the fore with a bundle of hardcore rhymes, killer hooks and slick production, and undoubtedly is one of “the baddest” lyricists in 2013.

Describing himself as an “in di streets yute”, Alkaline, whose real name is Earlan Bartley, was born in 1993 in Kingston at the Victory Jubilee Hospital.

Alkaline’s first attempt at committing lyrics to paper was at the age of 14, and by 16, he was already recording and producing

Guyana Times Entertainment

Top

A

10

his own records.

While at Ardenne High, where the Jamaican teenager completed his high school studies, Alkaline balanced school and the groundwork of a solo career by recording music in and around local studios whenever he got the chance.

At Ardenne High, he copped six Caribbean Secondary Examination Council (CSEC) subjects and currently pursues a first degree in Media and Communication at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus.

Alkaline is a major Martin Luther King enthusiast and in addition to loving life and his music, he lists fashion, fishing and playing video games among his passions. His personal style is not that of a typical artiste, but

loee Blacc really is the man, debuting at number one this week with “The Man” and gaining the most ever charted votes for any artiste in a single week in <<<Guyana Times Entertainment>>> Top 10.

John Legend’s “All of Me” still remains in the top five, taking second place as he is dethroned from the number one spot for a third time.

“Happy” continues to be a jolly performer on the charts rising two spots to number three this week.

Nicki Minaj and Iggy Azaela also debut songs on the charts this week with Iggy coming it at number five with “Fancy” and Nicki Minaj at number four with “Pills and Potions”.

Also debuting on the charts this week are a Norwegian singing/ songwriting duo Nico and Vinz with “Am I Wrong”. The duo first appeared on the British music scene back in 2011 with “In Your Arms.”

With all the debuts, we will have some songs exiting the charts and those include, DJ snake featuring Lil John with “Turn Down For What”, Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne with “Loyal”, Katy Perry featuring Juicy J with “Dark Horse” and Idina Mendez’ “Let It Go”.

Remember, persons can vote up to 10 times per track and can text the name of their favourite track to 592-654-7804 or 592-687–8893 to vote.

1

Aloee Blacc – The Man John Legend – All of Me

2

Pharell Williams – Happy

3 4 5

Georgetown Cricket Club (Bourda) will be the place to be on Monday June 2, from 14:00h.

Salto Trading just starts trading with a Brazilian company to distribute Cachaca 86; the same beverage can be had in shots or in different cocktails. The most famous and popular cocktail in Brazil is the Caipirinha and the company says 15 others types of cocktails for food and desert recipes can be created using this beverage.

The concept behind the launch of Cachaca 86 in Guyana by Salto Trading is to coincide with World Cup in Brazil.

For more information about the events, persons can call 654-2630 or 658-8664.

Party to

Nicki Minaj – Pills and Potions

Arian Grande featuring Iggy Azaela – Problem

Jason Derulo featuring Snoop Dogg – Wiggle 8

9

S

alto Trading, a local Brazilian company will be launching a new Brazilian drink this weekend; additionally there will be a team of bartenders also from Brazil in the country.

The Salto Trading will promote three events in the coming week beginning on Saturday evening at the Gravity Lounge.

Entitled “The Summer Break”, the promotion commences at 21:00h with free Caipirinha at the door. Patrons will also receive a free T-shirt.

On June 1, the second promotion will be launched at 16:00h at Status Brazilian Churrascaria on Croal Street, with Caipirinha free and Brazilian live band music. The

Cry”; 2005 with “Blaze the Fire” – both songs were produced by then band member Shawn Noel (Da Mastamind) and 2008 with “Fiery”.

Iggy Azaela featuring Charli XCX – Fancy 6

7

one with a sort of urban edginess with a twist of hardcore appeal.

His tunes include “Ruin it”, “We have had enough”, “Get Gal easy”, among others.

On the other hand, Bunji Garlin has been in Guyana on numerous occasions and is known for his energetic performance.

Bunji Garlin is a ragga soca artiste from Trinidad and Tobago.

His real name is Ian Alvarez. He is of Saint Lucian and Venezuelan descent. He married fellow soca artiste Fay Ann Lyons on December 23, 2006; daughter of legendary soca singer Superblue.

Bunji has won Trinidad’s Soca Monarch/International Soca Monarch competition on several occasions: 2002 (tied with Iwer George) with “Down in the Ghetto”; 2004 with “Warrior

Nico and Vinz – Am I Wrong

Eminem featuring Rihanna – Monster 10

Paramore – Aint It Fun Keep voting.

Vote: 654- 7804 or 687-8893

C

lub Next, located at Princess Hotel, Providence, East Bank Demerara, is the place to be this Saturday evening as Deejay Stress hosts yet another 70s and 80s party titled “Ultimate 70s and 80s Party”.

The last 70s and 80s party saw a huge turnout and this time around, it is expected to be grand. Tickets are already released and can be uplifted at Joseph’s Music Store, Regent Street and believe it or not, they have been going like hot cakes.

Tickets cost only $1000 and with every

purchase, there is a gift including a special 80’s CD with 124 MP3 hits which will consume everyone’s time in a fun way.

It is now time to have your own collection of 80s hits and DJ Stress is giving it to you free. Tickets and the free CDs will also be available at Dave Sports Bar (Grove, East Bank Demerara).

Patrons can also buy one shot of 15 YEAR OLD rum and get one shot absolutely free or buy one bottle of 15 YEAR OLD rum and get another bottle free. As usual, there will be tight security.

In 2013, Garlin won the Soul Train Award for Best International Performance for the song “Differentology”, which features Nigel Rojas on guitar.

6

guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, may 30, 2014

T

T

he visiting guitar duo from Argentina have been creating some stir since their arrival in Guyana almost a week ago. Jorge Palacios and Jorge Martí upon arrival performed at the National Park for the 48th Independence Anniversary on Sunday evening.

This was followed by a musical performance at the New Amsterdam Multilateral School, organised by the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry. On Wednesday last, the duo also performed at the Caribbean Development Bank’s cultural evening at the National Cultural Centre.

On Thursday, they performed at the Theatre Guild at a ceremony hosted by the Argentinean Embassy, in collaboration with the Theatre Guild.

Today, the duo will host a workshop at the National Music School for teachers and students.

On June 1, there will be a “jam” session at the Umana Yana featuring Guyanese musicians.

This will be followed by a musical performance in Linden on June 2 and finally they will headline a reception on the occasion of the 204th Anniversary of the May 1810 Revolution, hosted by the Embassy of Argentina in the Savannah Suite, Pegasus Hotel, Kingston.

About the duo

Jorge Palacios was born in Villa Regina, Rio Negro in 1979. He completed his undergraduate studies as Guitar Professor at the Instituto Universitario Patagónico de lasArtes (IUPA), Gral Roca, Rio Negro, Argentina.

He studied chamber music with the recognised Professor Ljierko Spiller and guitar with professors Roberto Moroni, Víctor Villadangos and Miguel Ángel Portal. Palacios continued his guitar specialisation with such renowned Professors such as Eduardo Fernández, María Isabel Swievers, Graciela Pomponio, Pablo Márquez, Gérard Abitons and Armando de la Vega.

He later joined the Cuarteto de Guitarras from Río Negro (IUPA). He also formed the guitar duo Portal – Palacios joined the “Sanampay” Latin American Group.

In 2003 he made his debut as a guitar soloist with the Chamber Music Orchestra from Neuquén where he played “Fantasía para un gentilhombre” by Joaquín Rodrigo. In 2004, he participated in the 10th Edition of “Guitarrasdel Mundo” festival.

Throughout these years, he has been summoned by well-known artistes like Omar Moreno Palacios, a Pampas musician, the tango singer Omar Mollo and the composer and accordion player Luiz Carlos Borges.

In 2012, he edited his first CD, “Río Paradiso”, which was played in different towns in Italy.

Since 2004, he has worked as guitar Professor at Escuela Superior de Música, Neuquén, Argentina.

The other member of the duo is Jorge Francisco Martí. Born in Concepción del Uruguay, Entre Ríos (Argentina), he completed his undergraduate studies as a music and guitar Professor at Universidad Nacionaldel Litoral under the guidance of Professor Walter Heinze.

From 1983 to 1985, he worked as a guitar teacher at Escuela Municipal de Música from Concepción del Uruguay (Entre Ríos-Argentina).

From 1986 to 1989, he was Assistant Director of the UNER (Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos) choir and staged a number of performances in different cities of Entre Ríos, Santa Fe and Córdoba.

As a guitar player, he has staged several performances with other musicians: Professor Marta Schumann (1992-1994) with whom he played in different scenarios in Neuquén and Rio Negro cities; between 1996 and 1997, he joined guitarist Gerard Boggino, where they played a repertoire of original compositions.

Again, they presented their show in different provinces (Neuquén, Rio Negro, Santa Fe and Entre Ríos). Between 2000 and 2001, he joined an instrumental ensemble together with the guitarist MirtaTrillo, percussionist Claudio Oliveri, bassist Miguel Moya, flute player FlorenciaFerenza, oboist Patricia Calafate and soprano saxophonist Mario Silveri.

Between 1999 and 2001, he formed part of Carlos Aguirre Group with whom they made several performances in different provinces of Argentina (Entre Ríos, Santa Fe, Misiones, Neuquén, Rio Negro and Buenos Aires).

Carlos Aguirre group also played a concert at “Strictly, Mercado Cultural Concert”, held in Salvador de Bahía, Brasil, in December 2001.

With this group, he participated in the recording of two CDs edited by the label SHAGRADA MEDRA. The first CD was re-edited in San Pablo, Brasil, in 2002.

In 1995, he was summoned by Professor Walter Heinze to participate in the recording of his CD called “De Memoria y Olvido, edited by the label REDONDEL. In 2012 and 2013, ESCORDANDO DUO was summoned to play at “GUITARRAS DEL MUNDO” Festival, in the cities of Buenos Aires and Neuquén, in the latter as host of the festival.

In 2014, Cancillería de la Nación from Argentina invited the duo to participate on a musical tour outside the country.

he stage is set for the hosting of the seventh edition of the satirical presentation, “Nothing to Laugh About 7” that is expected to keep patrons out of their seats.

The National Cultural Centre (NCC) is definitely the place to be on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday if persons are desirous of a good laugh. Tickets have been going like hot cakes and the NCC is expected to have sold out audiences on each night.

As always, “Nothing to Laugh About” has the 4-1-1 on all those little spicy stories that went down throughout the year, along with other hot issues.

The Director, Lyndon “Jumbie” Jones, promised that the seventh edition is expected to create havoc, at least in a positive way.

The theatrical presentation is set for four days and is expected to be explosive and will see a top-class cast who have been the cream of the crop including Henry Rodney, Leza “Radika” Singh, Michael Ignatius, Clemencio Goddette, Mark Kazim, Kirwyn Mars, Chris Gopaul, Simone Persaud, Leon Cummings, Alana Craigen, Gerard Gilkes, Johann David, Zoya Moore, Jermaine Grimmond, Brian Goodman, Ryan Benschop, Shantel Mc Lean, Colin Barker and other young rising stars.

Tickets for the shows cost $1000, $1500 and $2000 and can be purchased at the usual outlets: U p s c a l e Guyana

T

he Embassy of Mexico will host its 7th Movie Cycle on Wednesday and Thursday at its headquarters, 44 Brickdam, Georgetown. The viewing starts at 17:30h on both days with limited accommodation.

On Wednesday, El Sueño de Lú (Lu’s Dream) will be shown and Vuelve a la Vida (Back to Life) will be viewed on Thursday. The movies are for adult viewership only.

El Sueño de Lú (Lu’s Dream) is a 2012 film and was written and directed by Carlos Sama. It features Úrsula Pruneda, Gerardo Trejoluna and María Carmen Farías and is a suspense thriller.

About the films El Sueño de Lú (Lu’s Dream) Lucía lost her six-year-old son Sebastián to a brain aneurism. She fell victim to depression and tried to commit suicide. When she left the hospital after her failed attempt to end her life, she couldn’t find the strength to go on, even to do daily routine things, despite the help she received from her family and therapy groups.

In a moment of desperation, Lucía decided to tell a married man that he had been Sebastián’s father. After the shocking news, they decided to go to the Baja California peninsula to watch the whales on the Pacific Ocean, fulfilling Sebastian’s dream. Now his mother’s dream, it helped her regain her sense of self and desire to go on.

Vuelve a la Vida (Back to Life) Vuelve a la Vida was filmed in 2010 and written by John Grillo and Carlos Hagerman.

Hagerman also directed the film. The key play-

Restaurant and Sports Bar, Hinck Street; Giftland OfficeMax, Water Street; Nigels Supermarket, Robb Street; Gizmos and Gadgets, Wellington Street; Elegance Jewellery and Pawnshop, Durban Street; Payless Variety Store, Wellington Street; A & H Wireless City, Robb Street and the National Cultural Centre.

The event is sponsored by Upscale Guyana Restaurant and Sports Bar, Giftland OfficeMax, Banks DIH Ltd, Dinar Trading, Payless Variety Store, Elegance Jewellery and Pawnshop, Survival Supermarket and Roger Hinds Service Station.

“Nothing to Laugh About 7” is produced by Maria Benschop with actress, Sonia Yarde as Stage Manager.

ers in the movie are Roberto Balderas and John Girllo.

It is the tale of Hilario Martínez Valdivia, alias “Perro Largo”. The tale is told through the eyes of his children and widow. “Perro Largo” (long dog) is an Acapulco fisherman, who taught deep-sea diving to many Mexican and foreign celebrities, and married one of them, a New York model who vacationed in Acapulco, whom he nicknamed “Giraffe”, on account of her slender, tall body.

The story is told through the metaphor of preparing ceviche, an Acapulco specialty of lemon cured raw fish and seafood cocktail named “Vuelve a la Vida” or back to life, eaten to cure a bad hangover, and also depicts the cultural differences and peculiarities of a binational Mexican-American family.

guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, may 30, 2014

7

Sneak

Jodha says to Jalal, “I want to give you one gift”, Jalal ask, “What?”

Jodha says, “For that, you need to close your eyes”.

Jalal closes his eyes then asks, “Should I open it?” Jodha is shy and says, “No”, She comes closer to him to kiss him. (Desi-tashan.com)

M

allika Sherawat seems to have done it again – stepped right into controversy, that is. And this time, she is all set to raise the political temperature this summer with the first look at the poster of her upcoming flick, “Dirty Politics”.

The poster shows Mallika draped in a tricolour, and has Rajasthan’s filmmaker KC Bokadia in political trouble. As he says, “workers of a political party from Rajasthan are putting pressure on me to change the tricolour into some other scrap of fabric.”

Mallika, in the poster, is shown sitting on the top of an Ambassador with a beacon, right outside the State Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan, holding a CD in her hand, but draped only in the trico-

lour.

“The poster is provocative,” admits Bokadia, and since the film is said to be based on Jodhpur’s ANM Bhanwari Devi’s sex scandal, a political party has to know about it.

And though tricolour dresses have always led to controversy for the wearer in the past, this time, Bokadia says it is not essentially an Indian flag since there is no Ashoka Chakra in the centre. But then again, its resemblance to the colours of India’s flag is sure to raise eyebrows.

But point this out and Bokadia maintains, “It has nothing to do with tricolour, nor is it any political party’s symbol. Also, there is no Ashoka Chakra, so essentially, it is just a piece of cloth in three different colours.” And regarding the

“pressure” by a political party, he says, “Sincerely, I don’t want to earn the displeasure of any political party. I have always maintained that I can be an admirer of one party, but I do not belong to any party.

I am just a filmmaker and using my creativity to put forth my point of view. As far as guidelines are concerned, the poster will be censored according to Indian Motion Picture Producers Association guidelines.

So, I don’t know why I am being asked by this political party to change it.”

The film stars with Sherawat and Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Jackie Shroff, Govind Namdev, Ashutosh Rana and Rajpal Yadav. (Times of India)

S

hekhar’s mom calls Naren and tells him that Shekhar is getting married to Pari Deshmukh in court. Naren is shocked. (Desi-tashan.com)

R

aj asks Avni not to ditch him as he loves her. Avni shouts at him to stop it, she does not want to hear this as she does not love him. There is no place for love in her home or heart. (Desi-tashan.com)

A

t a pooja, Guruji tells Seema she can see the person’s face in the water who is causing trouble for her son... it was Gunjan

(Desi-tashan.com)

I

n a unique twist, AR Rahman’s popular track “Humma Humma” from the 1995 film “Bombay” has been recreated using a range of kitchen appliances for a marketing campaign.

As part of electronic brand Havell’s marketing campaign ‘Respect for Women’, Culture Machine has created a bricolage song along with artiste Vasudha Sharma and percussionist Sarthak Mudgal. Culture Machine is a platform that offers digital video entertainment for the Internet generation.

The duo has created a unique blend of the classic hit and mixed it with the beats from the appliances, courtesy of Havells.

“We found that content featuring popular

V

eteran actress Sridevi, who made a roaring comeback with “English Vinglish”, on Wednesday left for Tokyo for the premiere of the Japanese version of the film, which is also dubbed in Japanese.

“Off to Tokyo, Japan for super premiere of ‘English Vinglish’ dubbed in Japanese,” Sridevi posted on her Twitter page.

The premiere which was set to be on Thursday, precedes the film’s release across 33 screens in Japan on June 28.

Akie Abe, wife of Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and popular Japanese singer Agnes Chan will be present for the premiere of the film, which had a worldwide release in October 2012.

It follows the exceptional success of the Gauri Shinde directorial in new markets like Hong Kong, Germany, Taiwan and Korea. As such, Eros International Media Ltd decided to give the movie a wide release in Japan.

The buzz for the film in Japan began last year when Shinde was invited to attend the prestigious Aichi International Women’s Film Festival in August 2013 for the screening of the film.

The Japanese market has already proven to be a strong one for Eros with the company releasing Farah Khan’s “Om Shanti Om” in 2013 across 14 screens which earned over US$150,000 at the Japanese box office. The banner had also released “Chalo Dilli”, “Agent Vinod” and “Student of the Year” in Japan. (Times of India)

YouTubers doing songs using everyday appliances was a format that resonated very well with the target audience, leading us to create that with our network’s talent,” Sameer Pitalwalla, Cofounder of Culture Machine, said in a statement.

The idea was to spread awareness that a women’s place is not in the kitchen alone, but it is wherever she wants to be and she could do whatever she wishes to.

(Times of India)

A

ctress Kangana Ranaut says though she is not a collector of jewellery, she has a weakness for gold pieces.

“Girls love jewellery a lot, but I have only a few antique pieces and solitaires. I don’t have much jewellery. For me, less is more,” Kangana said, while at the unveiling of the Tanishq brand’s latest collection of jewellery.

“I love small pieces like pendants and rings,” she added.

And when it comes to her favourite metal, she gives preference to gold.

“The way gold has evolved in the last few years, either from value point of view or from a fashion point of view, it has been my favourite out of platinum and white gold,” said the “Queen” star. (Times of India)

8 O

guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, may 30, 2014

ver the years, the rich traditional Hindu weddings and relating ceremonies that were practised by our ancestors have diminished, as persons adapt the culture and bring new concepts that are enjoyed by all.

Hindu weddings, nevertheless, remain a big celebration in Guyana as those attending are exposed to the rich culture and traditions that are embedded in the rituals that are performed.

While most people believe that the wedding is a weekend affair, preparations for a Hindu wedding begin months or even a year in advance.

It all starts when the auspicious date is set after which both the bride’s and groom’s families get down to major planning and preparations.

Most of the time, Hindu weddings are kept at the home of the bride, but, i n

some cases, the ceremonies are performed at Mandirs or reception halls. Much effort goes into selecting the right invitation card and after this is done, the list of invitees is prepared. Distribution, however, only happens a month or two before the wedding.

One of the most important aspects of the celebration is the beautification of the home followed by the procurement of wedding accessories and materials.

The bride and groom, along with family members, use this time to acquire their attire for all the events.

One of the traditions that never grow old is the gathering of neighbours and

A Hindu wedding in an evolving world distance from the house and perform a brief ritual using the earth (dirt) as they offer prayers of fertility for the couple.

This ritual is mostly attended by females and is accompanied by tassa drumming.

At the

friends t o “pick rice” (the cleaning of raw rice for meal preparation) but of recent, it has started to fade.

The week leading up to the wedding, of course, is the most hectic, as preparatory works are being finalised. And then the fun, excitement and, of course mass confusion begin.

While in most Hindu weddings, the rituals begins on Friday, some persons hold the mehendi ceremony on Thursday.

Friday is known as the “Maticore” or “Dig Dutty” night when the mothers of the marrying couple go a

end of it, the mothers take bits of the dirt and put it in their saris before heading back to the house where another ritual in which the bride and groom take part in is held.

After that is done, the bride and/or groom to be is

taken into the house where dye is applied by young girls. Dye represents a form of purification and cleansing, while at the same time, it is believed to brighten complexion. After t h e

dye is applied, the bride or groom is kept hidden until the following day.

The following day (Saturday), the marrying couple performs a “Jandhi” with their respective parents and then later that night, what we call ‘sport-

ing’ b e gins with people dancing to loud music booming from large music sets.

Late that night or in the wee hours of Sunday, relatives and close friends would decorate the ‘mandap’ or ‘maro’ as it is referred to locally.

However, these days as opposed to those of yesteryear, persons opt to have the decoration done by a professional, taking away the fun times relatives would have spent together

decorating. Persons spend exorbitant sums of money on decorations to re-create scenery out of an Indian movie.

Even before the sunrises on Sunday morning, relatives are awake and begin to cook while others do the final cleaning before the wedding ceremony. All the items that are needed for the wedding ceremony are placed in the mandap so that the pandit can have them readily available.

The groom leaves home with an entourage comprising his relatives, friends and others who wished to join. This is called the ‘barriat’ and mostly consists of males.

Upon arrival at the bride’s home, the groom and his father are welcomed by the bride’s father as they make their way to the mandap, where the wedding ceremony would be performed.

The bride is then escorted in her rich Indian attire to the mandap.

In these times, after the

ritu a l u n der the maro, the newly-wedded couple change from their traditional Indian wedding attire into western wedding attire as they prepare to leave for the groom’s home.

At the groom’s home, the newly-married couple is welcomed by the groom’s mother. The following day, as is customary, the bride’s family comes to her-in-laws to take her back home and the final part of the wedding is called the ‘second Sunday’ which is now commonly performed on the Tuesday after the wedding.

“I think I can sing” finals for Tuesday

T

h e Carib Beer sponsored “I Think I Can Sing’ karaoke competition at the Garage Bar, Aubrey Barker Road, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, has lived up to its expectations thus far.

The preliminary rounds came to an end last Tuesday and resulted in 27 persons qualifying for the quarter-finals. Coordinator

and host, Kirk “Chow Pow” Jardine said that the competition has attracted the best karaoke singers in the country including Tiny Duggan of Linden, Alex Wayne and Ruqayyah Boyer.

One fan commented that it was more like a competition show with the quality of singers and the humour that “Chow Pow” provides.

Even some of Guyana’s main-

at the Garage Bar stream artistes have graced the stage includi n g Malo, B52, Jackie Jaxx and Big Red. The contestants are competing for up to $400,000 in cash and prizes. One thing that has stood out in this competition is the sup-

port of the fans.

They have been coming out in their numbers and that’s a good sign for karaoke enthusiasts said Estwick Northe, Manager of the Garage.

The fans have been enjoying the comments of the judges and Carib beer at the low cost of $200.

While we do not have the results of the quarter-finals, we do know that nine males and nine females

will qualify for the semi-final which will be staged next Tuesday beginning at 20:00h.

The final is set for Thursday next at the same venue. Fans can also expect to see the Carib beer girls at the semis and final night and get a chance to win Carib Beer prizes. Who will win…? your bet is as good as mine.