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Obituary for Wordsworth McAndrew

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Obituary for Wordsworth McAndrew
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A Guyanese National Treasure BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2008 HOME GOING CELEBRATION Wordsworth A. McAndrew NOVEMBER 22, 1936 APRIL 25, 2008
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Page 1: Obituary for Wordsworth McAndrew

A Guyanese National TreasureBROOKLYN, NEW YORK, FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2008

HOME GOING CELEBRATION

Wordsworth A. McAndrew

NOVEMBER 22, 1936 APRIL 25, 2008

Page 2: Obituary for Wordsworth McAndrew

OBITUARY

Wordsworth A.McAndrew

"Those who weave color into our lives, leave us with a tapestryof beautiful memories.

The only source of comfort is our memories.Only time can heal our pain.”

The McAndrew family

Wordsworth Albert McAndrew, one of Guyana’s bestknown and most loved sons, was born November 22, 1936in Georgetown, then British Guiana. He died April 25,2008 at East Orange General Hospital, New Jersey, USA.Over the seventy-one years of his life, he distinguishedhimself as poet, folklorist, newspaper columnist, radiobroadcaster and personality, gyaaf-man, people person,family member and friend. In almost anything thatinvolved the artful use of words, Wordsworth excelled,living up to his name.

Wordsworth was the son of the late Winslow (aheadmaster, pastor, and like his son, a Scout and raconteur)and Ivy McAndrew (née Phillips, a seamstress andhomemaker). He had eight siblings, three of whompredeceased him (sister Winifred Stout, brothers Winstonand Ian Rudder), and five of whom survive him: WaveneyAllen McAndrew (England), Carmen Daly (Queens, N.Y.),Enid McAndrew (Guyana), and Nigel and WiltonMcAndrew (New Jersey).

Mac, or Scouta, as people referred to him, was the fatherof Arnold Singh (Colorado), Roseanne Zammett (NewJersey) and Shiri McAndrew (England), and grandfather ofGeorge, Mario and Ryan Zammett, Natasha Singh, LeviMcAndrew, Alexander, Alexandra, Christopher andNicholas McAndrew. He was also great grandfather ofChristian and Makaila Zammett; uncle of Carlton, Leslieand Beverly Allen (England), Terry Stoute (New York),Newell and Norville McAndrew, Neville McAndrew(Belize), Barbara Clarke (Barbados), Idalia Maxwell(Queens), Cassandra McAndrew (Brooklyn), June, Graceand Andrea Rudder McAndrew. He was the brother-in-law of Yvette and Yvonne McAndrew (New Jersey), LenaMcAndrew (Guyana), Doreen Rudder McAndrew (NewYork), and Ricky Daly (New York). Also left to mourn himare several cousins and legions of friends and admirers, inGuyana and across the globe.

Wordsworth received his preschool and primary educationat Marshall’s Prep School and Christ Church AnglicanSchool in Guyana, and his secondary education at Queen’sCollege, beginning in 1948. His higher educatio, includeda degree in Communications at the University of Guyana.But his greatest teachers were the ordinary men, womenand children of every race and creed in his native land,whose folktales, ghost stories, legends, songs, proverbs,jokes, riddles, oral histories, beliefs, ceremonies, games,foods, superstitions, holiday customs, magic, ways ofhealing and hurting, birthing and burying he made it hisbusiness to study, in infinite detail, over his lifetime. Hisposition as editor and columnist with both the GuyanaGraphic and Daily Chronicle newspapers between 1955

and 1966 (he wrote adaily column under thepen name “Damon”), andas Information Officer atthe Guyana InformationService from 1960 to1967 (under thedirectorship of poet A.J.Seymour) put him incontact with the broadrange of Guyanese whowould become his folkteachers. And aftertraining with the BBC inLondon from January toJuly 1968, he went on to

serve as broadcaster and program director at the GuyanaBroadcasting Service from August 1968 to December 1979.Over those eleven years, he created popular radio programslike “What Else” that allowed him to do what manyfolklorists never get a chance to do—educate hundreds ofthousands in the intricacies and joys of our native“culchuh.” He also educated his fellow Guyanese throughother means, as he did in the memorable Language Forumlecture on “Folk Music in Guyana” that he delivered at theUniversity of Guyana in April 1975.

Mac was also an accomplished poet, partly influenced byA.J. Seymour and the Wednesday night poetry gatheringshe hosted with poets like Martin Carter, Ian McDonald,Ivan Van Sertima, Alex Best and Henry Josiah. His poemsinclude the legendary “Ole Higue,” and other publishedbut less widely known works, like “Barriat,” and “Legendof the Carrion Crow.” Under the tutelage of CelesteDolphin, who met him at the GIS, he also went on to winverse-speaking competitions at the Guyana Music Festivalon several occasions.

Wordsworth McAndrew moved to the United States in1980. His newspaper experience helped him find proof-reading work that sustained him for more than twodecades. But he was never fully at home in the US, andfailing health eventually took its toll on him. He was caredfor in his final years by a cadre of devoted friends andfamily. Among the highlights of his stay in America,however, was a 1984 visit to the Commonwealth Center inKensington, England (arranged by poet John Agard) atwhich he read his poetry, and the creation of theWordsworth MacAndrew awards at the New York-basedGuyana Music Festival in 2002 to recognize him as aGuyanese “National Treasure” (in the words of Festivalorganizer Professor Vibert Cambridge).

Mac, the legend, has died, but his memories and workslive on. May we honor both by carrying on theprogramme he started, of studying and sharing Guyana’sfolkloristic and cultural riches.

--John R. Rickford, Stanford, with help from Roy Brummell,Claire Goring, Ingram Lewis, & Scouta Mac’s family.

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His Excellency, The Honorable Bharrat JagdeoPresident of the Co-operative Republic of

Guyana

April 28, 2008.

I join with all Guyanese in recognizing that

Wordsworth MacAndrew was an exemplary

Guyanese. Through his exploration and

celebration of the expressiveness of Guyanese

folk culture, he helped our nation to celebrate

our common roots. Through his work in the oral

traditions, literature, music, and in radio, he

helped us to visualize better futures. His work is

not for one generation. He was a member of a

noble generation. A generation that contributed

to defining what Guyana Sons and Daughters can

be! Wordsworth MacAndrew has left a model

for the current generation - seek the wisdom of

ordinary people in their creative expressions. He

will remain an example for all of us, showing the

importance of folk culture in the quest for

national cohesiveness.

"In my view, the folklore of a people is at the root of their being, and tocast it aside is to set oneself adrift culturally -an act which one performs at one's peril."

Wordsworth A. McAndrew

WordsworthMcAndrew....his work isnot for onegeneration

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF A GUYANESE NATIONAL TREASURE

Page 4: Obituary for Wordsworth McAndrew

Although I certainly knew of him as a mediapersonality before then, I got to know Mac personallyfrom about 1974 when I returned to Guyana to teachat the University of Guyana [UG] and do fieldwork inBetter Hope and elsewhere. He accompanied me onseveral occasions, joining in the interviewing aboutlanguage, folklore, folk life and culture with greatinterest and delight, and branching into other areas(like the Kali Mai Puja ceremonies at the house ofDora, an East coast legend). Some of that materialfound its way into his wonderful radio show, "WhatElse?" and into his slim but informative "Ooiy!"magazine.

Mac also participated in the "Festival of GuyaneseWords" conference we held in 1974, featuringresearch presentations by UG students and facultyand others, but with valuable feedback from non-academics whose expertise as farmers, stevedores, orjust native Guyanese qualified them to extend andchallenge our findings. He contributed a paper onGuyanese folksongs, with a short example from each"chapter" of the folksong book ("Representational,""Congo," "Queh-Queh," "Pork-Knocker," "RingPlay," "Cumfa" and "East Indian Rhyming Song,")and he helped us proof-read and sell the resultingbook on Georgetown street corners. Although he wasa gyaaf-man and joke-man in personal interaction, hewas deadly serious about work, proof-reading byreading every word backwards.

I learned a lot from Mac over the years. He had anabsolute love for Guyanese "culchuh" as he put it--and an infinite interest in every variant of everytradition (queh queh, obeah, cumfa), song, story,game, way of cooking, eating, celebrating, and so onthat Guyanese of every ethnic group had inheritedand transformed. I learned a lot from him about howto do fieldwork well, lavishing time and respect onthe people whose linguistic and cultural riches you

were mining.

As folklorist, culturologist, poet, performer, and radiopersonality, Mac was unparalleled, and his gifts toGuyana considerable. I hope his copious recordingsand notes and articles find their way into theUniversity of Guyana or a similar archive for futuregenerations of Guyanese scholars to study and futuregenerations of Guyanese to enjoy. For now, I willmerely say to Guyana's greatest folklorist, “Walkgood, my friend,” or as our Surinamese neighbourssay, “Waka bunu.”

Mac, Walk good, my friend, Waka bunu

John Rickford

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF A GUYANESE NATIONAL TREASURE

Page 5: Obituary for Wordsworth McAndrew

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF A GUYANESE NATIONAL TREASURE

To have known and worked with Wordsworth

McAndrew was at times an exasperating pleasure and

an affectionate frustration. I am perfectly aware that

these descriptions could easily fall into the category of

oxymorons. But, then that was the character of the

man. He was a remarkable contradiction: brilliant

but refusing to let his light shine; capable of great

achievement yet devoid of ambition.

His published work is already acclaimed; his

unpublished work – written in self-imposed exile

from Guyana - deserves the widest exposure. Beyond

any doubt in my mind, he was a pioneer in making

Guyanese recognise that their culture, their language,

and their folk tales, which were denigrated in the

colonial period, were worthy of exaltation and

celebration. In doing so, he gave us all a great sense

of our own self-worth.

Let us salute a remarkable brother.

Sir Ronald Sanders KCMGSir Ronald Sanders KCMG

he gave us agreat senseof our ownself-worth

Page 6: Obituary for Wordsworth McAndrew

Celebrating the Life of a Guyanese National Treasure

Wordsworth A. McAndrew1936-2008

Order of ServicePARTICIPATING SPIRITUAL LEADERS

HONOR GUARDSGUYANESE ORGANIZATION IN THE UNITED STATESGuyana Cultural Association New York/Guyana Folk Festival

Guyana Day Celebration CommitteeCaribbean Media Enterprise

Guyana Broadcasters of New YorkGuyana Tri-State Alliance

Nritya Kala Kendra International AcademyRajkumari Cultural Center

The Order of Service

Musical Prelude - Hilton HemerdingAccompanist – Dr. Keith Proctor

Worship Leaders Malcolm Hall, President, Guyana Cultural Association/Guyana Folk Festival

Dr. Juliet Emanuel - St. Johns’ Episcopal Church

CALL TO WORSHIP

PROCESSIONAL Clergy & Family

SOLO “ My Way” TrentonMack

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF A GUYANESE NATIONAL TREASURE

Host Pastor - Rev. Wesley DanielUnion United Methodist Church

Brooklyn, New York

Reverend George FrederickCalvary-Roseville United Methodist Church

East Orange, New Jersey

Rev. Rodwell Thom & Rev. PrashadPastors, Trinity Lutheran Church

East Orange, New Jersey

Rev. Dr. Evelyn R. John Pastor, The New Life Center of Truth, Brooklyn,

New York

Father Lloyd AndriesBrooklyn, New York

Imam Haji ZakirSpiritual Leader, United Muslim Organization of New York

Pandit Ramlall Spiritual Leader,

Arya Spiritual Center, Queens New York

Dr. Juliet EmanuelSt. John’s EpiscopalBrooklyn, New York

Pastor Kwesi OjingaPastor, New Life Ministries

Silver Spring, Maryland

Arch Bishop Cecil MercuriusOutreach Ministry AOC

Page 7: Obituary for Wordsworth McAndrew

PRESENTATION OF THE NATIONAL COLORS & HONOR GUARD

HYMN “Hymn For Guyana’s Children”

THE INVOCATION Rev. George Frederick

WELCOME Rev.Wesley Daniel, Host Pastor

SELECTION Moses Josiah

SCRIPTURE READING Hugh Hamilton

PRAYER OF COMFORT Rev. Rodwell Thom

SONGS OF PRAISE Winston Hoppie

“Scouta Mac, the man, his life his words” Roy Brummell

MESSAGE Ambassador Bayney Karran

READING OF THE OBITUARY John Rickford

TRIBUTES Family & Friends Wilton McAndrew, brother

Roseanne Zammett, daughterBeverly Allen, niece

Ingram Lewis, friendFrancis Yvonne Jackson, friend

Duke Lambert, friend

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF A GUYANESE NATIONAL TREASURE

Valerie Rodway

With humble hearts and heads bowed downIn thanks for each new day of toilWe kneel before Thine altar, LordThe children of Guyana’s soil.

Great is the task that Thou hast given:Thy will to show, Thy truth to find:To teach ourselves that we are oneIn thy great Universal mind.

But not in vain we’ll strive to buildA new Guyana great and free;A land of glory and of hope,A land of love and unity.

O children of Guyana, rise,Rise up and sing with happy tears:And bless the land that gave you birth,And vow to serve her through the years.

Page 8: Obituary for Wordsworth McAndrew

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF A GUYANESE NATIONAL TREASURE

HYMN Adaptation of “This is My Song” tune Finlandia

This is my song, Oh God of all the nations,A song of peace for lands afar and mine.Guyana my home, the country where my heart is;Here are my hopes, my dreams, my sacred shrine.But other hearts in other lands are beating,With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

Guyana's skies are bluer than the ocean,And sunlight beams on green leaves and on vines.But other lands have sunlight too and green leaves,And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.Oh hear my song, oh God of all the nations,A song of peace for their land and for mine.

May truth and freedom come to my GuyanaMay peace abound where strife has raged so long;That each may seek to love and build together,A land united, righting every wrong.A land united in its love for freedom,Proclaiming peace together in one song.

PRAYER Rev. Dr. Evelyn John

EULOGY Pastor Kwesi Ojinga

PRAYERS OF COMMENDATION Rev. Dr. Lloyd Andries Imam Haji Zakir,

Pandit RamlallArch Bishop Cecil Mercurius

SOLO Trenton Mack

BENEDICTION Rev. George Frederick

RECESSIONAL I’ll Fly AwaySome glad morning when this life is o'er,I'll fly away.To a home on God's celestial shore,I'll fly away.

Chorus:I'll fly away, O Glory, I'll fly away.When I die, Hallelujah, bye and bye,I'll fly away.

When the shadows of this life have flown,I'll fly away.Like a bird thrown, driven by the storm,I'll fly away.

Just a few more weary days and then,I'll fly away.To a land where joy shall never end,I'll fly away.

Page 9: Obituary for Wordsworth McAndrew

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF A GUYANESE NATIONAL TREASURE

Wordsworth McAndrew - A National TreasureFriends and representatives of Guyanese Organizations present flags in honor.

Guyana Cultural Association New York/Guyana Folk FestivalIngram Lewis, Roy Brummell, John Rickford

Guyana Day Celebration CommitteeCaribbean Media Enterprise

Guyana Broadcasters of New YorkGuyana Tri-State Alliance

Nritya Kala Kendra International AcademyRajkumari Cultural Center

Farewell Scouta Mac Choruses led by Winston“Jeggae” Hoppie, Hilton Hemerding,Wrickford Dalgetty

and ensemble of Drummers

REPASTYou are asked to join the family at the repast immediately after the service in the Felowship Hall.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is with profound gratitude that we acknowledge the outpouring of kindness and warmth from the friends and commu-nity at large.We are especially thankful for the Guyana Cultural Association and The Folk Festival for uplifting Mac and treas-uring his contribution to the Guyanese society.Mac has lived a unique life and has always treasured his independence, however, we have come to understand the impacthe has had on the Guyanese society and the spirit with which his quest to be distinctly Guyanese has set him apart yetidentify him as a Folk legend.We further extend our gratitude to all who, during his final years helped to sustain him and provided comfort to the end.To Ingram Lewis, we will always be in your debt for your dedication and for the love you extended to Mac.ToReverendGeorge Frederick and Dr.Corte, thank you for your intervention and generosity of spirit and also to the wonderful Guyanesenurses at East Orange general and at the Nursing Home who took such great care of Mac. To those of you who have trav-el from far places to celebrate his life, we are particularly grateful for your thoughtfulness. To the Broadcast and Journalismcommunity of which he was proud to be part, we extend our gratitude.

Thank you to the Pastor and Board of Trustee of Union United Methodist Church, to the His Excellency, the HonorableBharat Jagdeo for his words of sympathy,Ambassador Bayney Karran and to all other religious leaders present here today.We thank also all those who participated in this celebration of Mac’s life.

May his soul rest in peace...

The McAndrew Family

Page 10: Obituary for Wordsworth McAndrew

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF A GUYANESE NATIONAL TREASURE

Page 11: Obituary for Wordsworth McAndrew

I first met Wordsworth Mc Andrew about a week beforethe Guyana Broadcasting Corporation (GBS) was launchedon October 1, 1968 at Lodge and he immediately struckme as different from the other city folks.

He was informal, down to earth, and very helpful maybebecause he knew I was a country boy from Berbice ,and heaccommodated me at his Kitty home for a few months. Ihad the opportunity to work alongside him in some of hiscultural presentations mainly in poetry, music and becauseof my association with him I learnt a lot of que que, andbeing a Indo Guyanese I shocked guests at a wedding inMontserrat two decades ago, and in Tortola about eightyears when I belted out some que que songs punctuiatedwith “batto”( when changing to another )

Although Mac was proud of his African heritage he wasnot an afro folklorist, but promoted all Guyanese culture.He said in his writings that the folklore of a people is atthe root of their being and to cast it aside is to set oneselfadrift culturally.

His poem “Barriat” reaffirmed his special love for “thecolorful and symbolic weddings” of the Hindu ancestors.His famous movie was an Indian “Waqt” struggle betweenman and destiny, the outcome of which only time can tell.The movie was where three brothers were separated after adisaster and after several decades of hardship they wereeventually united. .

I took him some years ago to a “get together”at relatives inOzone Park, Queens, New York, who were devotedHindus and a discussion came up about the various HinduReligious Books, the Bhagwat Gita, Ramayan, andMahabharat and they were shocked at Mac’s knowledgeof these Religious Books and when he started to sing theIndian songs and hit the table to the beat, they were spell-bound.

The next year when I visited my relatives they begged meto invite Mac again.

Mac “douglarized” the afro/Indian music long before thechutney came into being

His work was astounding and was rightly described by Dr.Vibert Cambridge as a national treasurer Scouta as he wascalled by Vic Hall and some of his old friends, was verypractical and outspoken and he stuck to his beliefs regard-less of the consequences.

Everyone agrees that his contribution to his country wasoutstanding and I need not go into details in outlining hisgreat works, but I must say I am extremely disturbed thatdespite numerous justifiable requests by me and others forhim to be given a national award, fell on deaf ears.However, I am heartened to learn that Guyana’s CultureMinster, Frank Anthony, has described Mac “as a :culturalanthropologist and folklorist who has devoted his workinglife in Guyana to the promotion of practices and traditionswhich gave the new post independent nation identify”.

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF A GUYANESE NATIONAL TREASURE

although Macwas proud ofhis heritage hewas not anafro folklorist,but promotedall Guyaneseculture.Oscar Ramjeet

Page 12: Obituary for Wordsworth McAndrew

I became Scouta Mc's friend since 1974-1975 when he was

the editor and presenter of the Guyana Marketing

Corporation Short Story Series for radio. He loved my sto-

ries and urged me to give him at least one per month. We

spoke constantly in person or by telephone before he

recorded any of my stories for broadcast, since he was

meticulous about reading my Dartmouth (where I grew up)

creole correctly. Mc read one of my stories, "De Great

Jackass Race" so brilliantly that the story had several

rebroadcasts, and I was invited to the radio station for a

live interview. The interviewer was a female whom I don't

remember, but the reason for the interview was that Scouta

had read my story with such gusto that the public wanted

to know more about me. Needless to say, the more Scouta

read my stories, the more people thought that they were

his.

Some people have also thought that Scouta schooled me in

folklore. That's very flattering, but we just happened to be

two men who loved the oral tradition. Before Scouta

migrated from Guyana to the US in 1979 or early 1980, we

spoke a lot at his home in Kitty, mine in Festival City or a

beer shop about peculiar Dartmouth creole words that he

was unfamiliar with. In turn, I learnt lots of proverbs from

him. In fact, before he left for the US, he gave me over a

thousand. I later used several of those proverbs on my

radio show "Ganga Time". Unfortunately, Scouta never

heard any of my broadcasts but, when we reconnected in

the US, he had me give him the details of what "Ganga

Time" was about. Scouta was a stickler for details. When

his sight began leaving him, he dictated a few things by

telephone for me to write. After the dictations, I had to

read what I had written. He listened to every word and also

to note whether I had omitted dashes, commas, colons,

semicolons or fullstops.

Aside from folklore, Scouta and I talked sports. He loved

talking about all sports, but his favourites were cricket,

swimming and boxing in that order. He could talk for

hours about the West Indies batsman Chanderpaul whose

reliability he loved. (I do as well.) If I told Scouta the West

Indies played a game against any team, one of his first

questions was: "How we baai do?" If Chanderpaul hadn't

performed very well, Scouta would be unhappy.

Scouta did not quite like the US culture, and was often crit-

ical of American Standard English. In addition to him not

fitting in here, he was often suspicious of even Guyanese

people who tried to help him. His last years brought him

near blindness, broken hands and much emotional stress.

BUT SCOUTA REMAINED MENTALLY ALERT AND

INDEPENDENT TO THE VERY END! MAY THE

SCOUTA REST IN PEACE!

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF A GUYANESE NATIONAL TREASURE

Scouta lovedChanderpaulIf I told Scouta the WestIndies played a gameagainst any team, oneof his first questionswas: "How we baai do?Roy BrummellRoy Brummell

Page 13: Obituary for Wordsworth McAndrew

I first met Mac at the BBC, inLondon, where he was fin-ishing a TV course withsome of the guys from GBS,and I was doing a week’sextra training in radio before I went out to Guyana to doVSO at Broadcasts to Schools with Celeste Dolphin. As ithappened, my group shared a lounge with the Guyanesecrew, so I was introduced to them all. As I had to do oninterview project, I rashly asked Mac if I could interviewhim about Guyanese folklore and culture. How could I haveknown that that was a subject so close to his heart! Hetold me all about Queque and Cumfa, we saw a lot of eachother for the rest of that week, and I invited him to staywith my family before he went back home. When I arrivedin Guyana, some weeks later, I didn't have to be part of theusual VSO croud, as I had an open door into his world.

In Guyana, having always loved accents, I relished sub-merging myself in Creolese, and who better to pick it upfrom? He taught me to play the pan, as well, and I alsoloved spending evenings with him and some calypso singersin Albuoystown, harmonizing to Guyanese folk songs. Ilearned to cook Guyanese too, and always had ‘swank’(how do you spell that?) and other local drinks on the go.However as he predicted quite early on, I couldn’t always

keep up with him – for example at the very late nights inthe liquor restaurants where the last drop of rum had to beconsumed before anyone was allowed to set foot outside.Not being a drinker myself, I used to dread the purchase ofyet another whole bottle… And the one time I persuadedhim to take me for a walk in the country, he turned it intoa route march, in Scouter Mac’ mode. And then I dis-graced myself at the only Queque he took me to, as I fellasleep before the crucial part of the ceremony. He didn'twake me up to see it, and never took me to one again!DWD (done wid dat!) was one of his mottos, and he wasnot easily swayed!

At the end of my VSO year the plan was for him to comeover to England, but problems at work meant that hecouldn’t leave the country, so I went back, and we weremarried on March 14th, 1970.

The rumours of the famous ride to our wedding on a bicy-cle were absolutely true. I was amused, though, when Iread Ken Corsbie’s description of Mac’s ‘towing’ me, with-out mentioning the bike, as I’d forgotten that bit ofCreolese! I used to like riding on the cross bar or the car-rier! We actually moved house, once, with me sitting onthe carrier, desperately clutching piles of his treasured 78s!The worst bit was the running to leap on, with both handsfull, dreading that I wouldn’t make it, and that the pricelessrecords would be demolished. What a responsibility!

Anyway, Mac had wanted a very quiet wedding, so wearrived at his chosen venue, the Universal Church ofScientific Truth, at 7 in the morning, to fit it in before hewent to work. But unfortunately for him, one of his col-leagues lived just across the street, saw what was up, andsoon spread the word. To my amazement the bicycle storywas syndicated on Reuters.

Once we were married, joint outings were few. ‘Eh eh? AnI got a wife at home? Why I should tek her out?’ The lifeof a Guyanese wife, with the men in one room (or out else-where) and the women in the kitchen, which I tried hard tofit in with for a time, and the deputy system, which I did-n't, didn’t augur well for a sustaining marriage though, so,soon after our daughter, Shiri Ayanna was born, on June10th, 1972, we separated, and later divorced.

Mac was a unique and special person, and it is a tribute tohis extraordinary qualities that he is now being remem-bered with such affection and respect. I am glad that hewas made aware of some of this well-deserved recognitionfor the contribution he made to Guyanese culture while hewas still alive, through the Wordsworth McAndrewawards. I hope he can see the crowds of people who havecome to remember him today, or maybe log on to the myr-iad sites on which he now features on the Internet.Another more personal symbol was very moving to me.Our daughter Shiri, who now has a son of her own, Levi,the light of her life, never knew him, and he never knewthem. And yet when she heard of his death, she went outand bought a tree, which she planted in his memory. Whata tribute to him, and what a tribute to her.

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF A GUYANESE NATIONAL TREASURE

He taught me to playpan, and I also lovedbeing able to spendtime with him and hiscalypsonian and folk-singing friends, learningGuyanese folk songs.Rosie McAndrew

Page 14: Obituary for Wordsworth McAndrew

I emigrated from England at the age of 24 to BritishGuiana, as it then was, in 1961. I took up the post of artmaster at Central High School in Smyth Street,Georgetown. Before long I had been introduced, by someof his former Queen’s College schoolfriends, to a diminu-tive young man called Wordsworth Mac Andrew. At thattime I was renting a cottage , with fretwork on the porch,and “jealousies” in the gallery, in Campbellville, where“Mac” was living with his mother and brother Wilton MacAndrew. Mac called his mother “Phillips”. This smalldetail is so typical of Mac that I smile to myself as I writethis. Who else in this world would call his mother Phillips?

Mac and I got on so well together that we spent much ofour time in each other’s company. Especially I treasure thememory of our fishing together in the backdam. In factthis was only the backdam of Section K Campbellville, andmostly we fished in a small trench running parallel to theLamaha Canal, on the perimeter of the Botanical Gardens.In this small trench we got the most exciting bites, fromPatwah, of course, but also Houri and Lugga-Lugga.. Macshowed me where to get the best worms for bait, rightunder Phillips’ kitchen window, which was a Demerarawindow of sorts, with an enamel sink jutting out from thebuilding, and a window stick. All the droppings from veg-etable peeling and scrubbing would fall to ground belowthe sink, so that the ground was perpetually moist, andrich, thick, red worms abounded there. Having put themin a tin with some earth, we would jump on our bicycles fora pleasant afternoon’s fishing.

At this time Mac showed me his poem Ol’ Higue. I wasgreatly impressed and Mac told me that he wrote it withease; it was as though something else was pushing the pen.I could feel that in the writing most definitely. It was some-how perfect. Mac wanted to have it printed, and welaunched a joint venture. It was printed on a single sheet ofwhite card, folded once, with Mac’s poem inside and myillustration of Ol’ Higue on the outside.

Many copies were sold, but I regret to say that I have lostmine, and don’t know anyone who has one.

During the school holidays I went to Trinidad on a bauxiteship, and whilst there I heard that a Shango service wasgoing to be held in Laventille Success, a very poor,labyrinthine area. A taxi dropped me nearby and I walkedthrough the darkness towards the sound of drums. WhatI witnessed during that whole night made a profoundimpression upon me. I saw a young girl who had beenstanding on the outside of the crowd suddenly start spin-ning, and space was made for her to enter the “ganda”,where her convulsive throbbing to the beat of the drumwas my first sight of someone entering a trance.

Returning home to Guyana I eagerly described to Macwhat I had seen. Soon after, through making enquiries, Idiscovered that similar events were held in Albouystown.Mac and I went to these “cumfa” services and soonacquired a whole set of friends, from Boyee, the novicecumfa priest, to Nellie Burke who sold black pudding inthe street in Albouystown.

It was then that Mac’s career was born. He bought a taperecorder and made hundreds of recordings. We went in thecountry together in the second hand Austin car I had bythen bought, to West Bank Demerara and East Bank

Berbice. Eventually, because Mac worked for RadioDemerara, he started broadcasting his tapes, and the rest iswell known. For him, it was his life; for me I had other pur-suits to follow.

I left Guyana for Grenada in 1972, and regrettably losttouch with Mac. I heard that Phillips had died, Mac’s wifeRose had gone back to England with their daughter, andeventually that Mac himself had left his beloved land andgone to New York. It was only in the last few years that Isucceeded in finding someone who could tell me where helived and eventually Mac and I were able to talk on thephone. We never did get to meet again, but I am left withmemories of those wonderful early years together, and allthat Mac taught me, from the excellence of Houston’s BlueLabel rum, to the best places to buy late-night cook-up ricewith tripe and ochroes, to stories of moongazers, andalways there was Mac’s wonderful sense of humour.

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF A GUYANESE NATIONAL TREASURE

Mac and I went to“Cumfa” services andsoon acquired a wholeset of friends, fromBoyee, the cumfa priest,to Nellie who soldblack pudding in thestreet in Albouystown.

John Criswick

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join The Mac Movementfor Sustainable Living. Muriel GlasgowI had the pleasure of knowing Wordsworth McAndrewfrom the days of his open embrace of all things natural andcultural in Guyana. He must have had something in hisDNA that knew that dislodging ourselves from thingsGuyanese, things local and natural, and becoming accept-ing of things foreign, both without question and analysis,were not sustainable objectives.

At the time he was considered odd, a contrarian…after all,who would be wedded to bush tea when Lipton’s was aneasier alternative; when the oil stove was seen as progressfrom the coal pot, as we were moving into cooking indoors.Who wanted to continue with masquerade and bad cowduring the holidays, when folks were coming back homefrom overseas stints either as students or landed immi-grants with other games and stuff from “outside” withwhich to wow or to share with us at home. And so itwent…

Mac, to his credit, however, stood his ground extolling thevirtues of what we know, what we grow, what we eat andbeing a purist in all regards – insisting as well that allshould be locally driven. He was not phased by the intro-duction of technology and the improvements they couldengender to make life easier, despite the fact that we werebecoming increasingly exposed to other cultures, practices,material things through the advent of the television andtravel. Women were working outside the home more thanin the home which made them attracted to what wouldmake housework easier.

Then came the internet and technological advancements, aperiod which I believe, Mac did not even acknowledge, letalone consider as important to our lives and livelihoods.Because of this again, many thought of him as odd, a crack-pot, a crazy guy who is stuck in antiquities and time…andwe slowly began to ignore or forget the basic “rights” hestood for - depend on what you grow, what you know,what you eat.

Looking back now, I wish I had talked more about thiswith Wordsworth. It would have been interesting to hearhis views as well as give him some appreciation for hissteadfastness in maintaining cultural sensitivity, dependingon local manufacturing and production of food (organicbora, corila, calalou…etc) as well as stressing eating ourlocal fruits (what we now call antioxidants and cancer-fighting) such as - awara or owara, cherries, soursop,sapodilla… being touted as well as essential nutrients -coconut water, “rolled”/stick chocolate tea, bush tea; car-bolic soap for bathing…and I can go on…Mac, I would like to thank you for the torch you carried,which relentlessly shone on culture and sustainable living,and for this Mac-Effect, I would like others to considerjoining a movement in this regard on your behalf - TheMac Movement for Sustainable Living.

Thanx, Macmac, oh macbwoy yuh leff an mehstill nah geh foh record yuh

time afta timeyuh tell mehbobby, we goh do it

yuh get way an cyarryall dem words wid yuhbut yuh time hey was worth it

yuh bin a evry nook an crannieinna de lan’de same lan’ dat birt boat a we

yuh was hatchyuh was matchan now yuh is dispatch

pon yuh chubeeyuh cyarry she to churcha don tink nobody eva do dat befo

yuh liv good wid de porknockayuh liv good wid de afreekanyuh liv good wid de indian

yuh use foh tell meh“read de bhagavad-gita, meh bwoy”

your words will always resonateso thanx for the memories now innateyou are worth-y of this celebrationfor what you have left our nation

ron bobb-semple

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I well remember too, howrum tasted and felt betterserved by Mac in a dentedenamel cup instead of aglass..Ken CorsbieThe scene.. Late night and DEM TWO performing atPancho Carew's nightclub (Talk of the Town?) in Water st.Marc performing Johnny Agard's 'COCONUT VENDOR'which ends with very strong (necessary) language on ahighly religious theme - everything was on the air beforeCarlton James back in the GBS studio could throw theswitch. Two days later a letter from Lionel Luckhoo in theChronicle newspaper that it was "blasphemy" and hecould sue us, and would monitor the DEM TWO for anysimilar future utterances.. MacAndrew instantly volun-teered to be our court defender if it came to that - he wouldsite the laguage as legitimae and the only possible folk lan-guage for that character in that circumstance.

Remember that it was MacAndrew who had on one of hisbrilliant programs that peeing on a fence was also validfolk culture.needlees to say, several weeks later at perform-ances in the Theatre Guild and at the New Amsterdam cin-ema, we spoofed Luckhoo's threat to the delight of bothaudiences.I well remember too, how rum tasted and felt better servedby Mac in a dented enamel cup instead of a glass..My wife, Elizabeth, had once suggested to him that hecould/should enter a MA degree program in a Universitythat may be interested in working with documenting hisformidable and priceless archives; Unfortunately, at thattime, Mac was not ready for such an exercise.Of course, the story, true or false, of Mac towing his wife,Rose, to the church for their wedding lives on as legend.

Mac’s passing is a spiritualcelebrationMaurice BraithwaiteWhen we think and talk of FOLKLOURE the nameWordsworth is a folklore story with others such asOldhige, Jumbie Baccoo, Obeia, Etc, Etc. We relate andlaugh at the many stories told about Mac, as we would tellof other folk stories.

Mac took his title Folklorist very seriously. Occasionally Ifound myself in Mac Company traveling around theEssiquibo region looking for old retired Porknockers doc-umented their folk and life story. Or hanging with him atsome of the most serious Spiritual Services, where everyonebut us is taken away on their spiritual journey as littleJones Combo adds to the wildness of a spiritual celibra-

tion. Mac's passing is a spiritual celibration.

every time I membaWordsy water come-a meeye!Peter KempadooI got to know Wordsy very well indeed after my return toBG after years of residence in the UK. And apart from hisunique talent, what a lovely soul he was!

(You probably know that without any planning before-hand, I got into recording genuine grass-root folk-storiesfrom all around Guyana - so automatically found myself inthe field that Wordsy, more than anyone else, had exploredover radio in the ole country. And we became close friendsindeed, both professionally and socially.)

I am so very sorry that I cant make it over to be with youall for those two sad upcoming events this week. But everytime I memba Wordsy water come-a me eye!

He stirred feelings of nationhood in us, by showingus the value of traditionswe took for granted.Dave MartinsI am one of those Guyanese who grew up in a time whenour culture was denigrated, but through his perception oflife, extending into his work, Mac, without actuallypreaching the point, made us realise that there is substan-tial value in the ethos we call Guyana. He stirred feelingsof nationhood in us, by showing us the value of traditionswe took for granted. For an emerging society, it was a piv-otal awakening, and one that was developed by others, butMac must be hailed as one of its earliest and most com-mitted architects.

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The altruisticMcAndrewMcAndrew retrofitted me with creativity and the sense of belongingto the soil of Guyana, all withoutasking anything in return..

Derrick “John” JeffreyPrior to 1966 knew Wordsworth only through his radioprograms and his creative writings. I had given up my jobat the Demerara Bauxite Company and have done a num-ber of unfulfilling jobs in French Guiana, Suriname andTrinidad and Tobago. So, there I was back in Guyana,armed with a series of poems about the trials and tribula-tions of Louie, an albino cockroach, which I composedover a three-year period.

In my effort to find a platform for my poems I wastold to give them to McAndrew who at that time hadlocked horns with director of GBS over dress code. After alengthy search I found Wordsworth sitting in a corner inthe Press Section of the Government Information Service(GIS). I stood wordless, face-to-face with Wordswoth, iconof folklore, inventor of words and author of poems as hepound away on a manual typewriter..

Unassumingly and with a half-smile he looked upand said, “Can I help you?” I handed him my poems andasked him to tell me if they were worth publishing and ifhe could help in so doing. He studied my writings for a fewminutes. At that moment The Minister of Information,Martin Carter walked in on his way to his upstairs office.Wordswoth handed the few pages to Martin and did athree-seconds introduction, and asked Martin to take alook at my poems. Martin studied the poems for about 45-seconds and immediately informed Maurice Dundas to hireme as a Press Officer. So, with Wordsworth help I wastransformed from a want-to-be poet to Press Officer all inabout twenty minutes–––no application, no interview andno typing test, as my poems were written in calligraphystyle but in ink.

Then again when the Frank Pilgrim requestedWordsworth to head the Traveling Entertaining Group ofperforming artist to travel around Guyana as a prelude tothe first republic celebration, Wordsworth turned down theoffer but instead put forward my name. I did my best andPilgrim transmitted such information to Wordsworththanking him for the decision to send me. And withencouragement from Wordsworth I went on to win the lastDr. Cheddi Jagan Gold Medal for literature with the story,STAND PIPE.

A few months later, the History and Arts Councilrequested Wordsworth to help to reorganize the various

steel band into a viable national organization, asWordsworth was an old pan player. Again Wordsworthinformed the Arts Council that he was unavailable butstrongly suggest Jeffrey. Catapulted for the third time basedon Wordsworth’s suggestions I sought his advice and hesuggested that I should try to get steelbands into schools inGuyana, Which I did.

I remember once when I was in Bartica when a richmerchant and hotel owner asked me if I know WordsworthMcAndrew as he the merchant was an ardent listener toCREOLE MECHA-MECHA. I replied in the affirma-tive––well boy, let me tell you, I never had so much freefood and Banks beer since the opening of Pegasus Hotel.

Along with the free food in Bartica, WordsworthMcAndrew retrofitted me with creativity and the sense ofbelonging to the soil of Guyana, all without asking any-thing in return..

Farewell my friend, we will meet again.

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF A GUYANESE NATIONAL TREASURE

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I know de man, you knowde man, aal a we know de manINGRAM LEWIS(Wenty)As Mac used to say in one of his proverbs” “If ya can’t runwid de big dogs, just stay on the landin’ and bark.”Wordsy was a chihuahua in size, but ran with the bigdosgs. He led the pack with his work and his research.

There is a lot to say about “Wordsy” and each of us hasour own interpretation of him, but I know de man, youknow de man, aal a we know de man.

Let me wrap it up with another proverb of his “We can’tafford to lose CUTLASS and GUANA.” We have lost thechihuahua in death, but cannot afford to lose his legacyand what “Wordsy” stood for.

he kept the countryinformed on the formationand reformation of wordsand in use and misuse..Eusi KwayanaWordsworth Mc Andrew is no longer with us in the body.His artistic creations and the works of his vigorous andactive mind, however, ought to be available to the extentthat they are discovered. For years in his own country, he bore the triple prize ofdramatist, poet and folk florist, but he was also a grass

roots linguistic practitioner. Apart from his folklore, he may be best remembered for the way he kept the country informed on the formation andreformation of words and in use and misuse..In offering sympathy to his relatives and his close friends

I venture to guess that he will never be silent in the galleryof the Spoken Word

he was a kind and gentleperson with children, puntap ah dat.Errol BrewsterFor me, as a young primary school boy, he was a big excite-ment, a marvel, and a certainty that i was not being told thewhole truth. He seemed to be a larger part of the truth anda kind and gentle person with children pun tap ah dat.

Menes de GriotMr Wordsworth Mc Andrew, is indeed a National treasure.

May his exploits as a Griot continue to be told, to the young,and the old.

Wrickford DalgettyMac... devoid of haughty social pretensions, executed hisfolkloric and cultural art with a simplicity that could notshake complex considerations of how he achieved suchmastery. Diminutive in physical proportions, yet he willstand tall among the pantheon of gods who so tenaciouslyfought for our social liberation.

The ancestors await his triumphant entrance.

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Mac was argumentativebut allowed dissentingopinions, strong headedbut fair, and a wonderfulfriend.The Executive of CaribbeanMedia Enterprise (C-ME)Wordsworth McAndrew (Mac, as he was lovingly known)was a person of almost immeasurable knowledge. He wasour resource, individually and as a company, for topicssuch as folklore, broadcasting, grammar & syntax,idiomatic references, and just about any other topic. Macwas argumentative but allowed dissenting opinions,strong headed but fair, and a wonderful friend. We, at C-ME, as all Guyanese, and indeed the world, have lost anirreplaceable treasure. You surpassed your raison d’etre,Mac. Rest in Peace.

he gave his talent freelyEdwin AliWithout doubt Mac was an icon among journalists, broad-casters and poets. A simple individual, Mac and I sharedsome time at Radio Demerara and I remember distinctly hehad an interview with me on Ramadaan. I h ad prepared alist of subjects which I gave him so as to provide the kindof information that he would need to ask the questions Buthe put them aside and started, What is Roza, or Roja, howdid it start, how is it continuing, etc. The interview was aneye opener for me, and throughout the half an hour or so,there emerged an indiviudlal, well talented, well educatedand well versed on the different religions.He gave his talent freely, responding with alacrity to ques-tions and issues raised that were of general concern to TheGuyanese people.

he liked to size you up andchallenge you. Brent ChapmanThe late B. L. Crombie, a sportscaster who left an indelibleimprint on Guyanese listeners during his sojourn here onearth used to famously say, "Good things come wrapped insmall packages." No better example of that line thanWordsworth McAndrew.McAndrew, like many a great man, was diminutive instature but enormously gifted in his field of endeavour. Hewas a folklorist and poet whose talent was mesmerisinglyeffective because of his splendid elocution. He could dazzle

you with his masterful interpretation of the complex andbewildering world of folklore and at the same time elicitsomber resolve from its uncanny twists.He was at his best in his signature piece, "Ole Higue." I found him a fascinating study. He liked to size you up andchallenge you. When he was finished, and depending onhow you came through the tests, your future in his worldwould be decided.I am of the opinion that Wordsworth was a great inter-rogator. He had a way of setting you up with a questionand bearing down until you either battle him to a stand stillor relent. Every answer elicited a more challenging ques-tion. If you were faking it or lying, you were in big trouble.But if you acquitted yourself well in battle, you became hisfriend and would be welcome in his world. That's whenyou came to appreciate what a unique and special humanbeing he was. The most effective weapon of cross exami-nation in his armory was his eyes. They seemed to have thepower to unmask you.

I was in wonder of this manwho seemed to fear nothingor no one and expressedtruthfully and forthrightlywhatever his perspective was.Margaret Lawrence I grew up in Cummings St., Alberttown when Wordsworthlived around the block in Second St. next to WilliamsBakery and he was a great source of fun, frolic and folkevery Christmas. Masquerade Bands of all form and fash-ion descended on his house and there they ministered ontoeach other, pastored by Wordsworth. Most times his col-laborator, British-born John Crissick (spelling??) CentralHigh School’s Art Teacher, was there, soaking in this excit-ing folk culture. The neighbourhood looked forward to thistreat and would be hanging out their windows to see thebands pass (high as a kite) down Cummings St. into MiddleSt , by Graham’s Bakery and Ramcharran and Twins DrugStores.

I was in wonder of this man who seemed to fear nothing orno one and expressed truthfully and forthrightly whateverhis perspective was. Unorthodox was Wordsworth…whoelse who tow his bride from church on a bicycle! With theprice of fuel now, why not?

…And wasn’t he one of the GBS announcers (ask Vic or Sir.Ron) who played an April Fool prank on Guyanese byannouncing that some porknockers had “caught” a mas-sacuraman in the bush and had it on display at TheMuseum? Believe me that commentary was very real andfrightening! Anybody remember it? No one will ever forget Wordsworth MacAndrew!

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As a people, we mustmake sure a memorial iscreated and fashioned inhis memory so that thechildren will rememberand honor him.Pat LangfordGuyana Tri-State AllianceFolklorist. poet, scholar, with a nimble mind that was themaster of the creation of Guyanese descriptive vocabu-lary ,with a heart that always belonged to his country ofbirth, -Guyana. Wordsworth Mc Andrew is truly a legendand History will record him as one of Guyana.s truest sons,who has contributed to the preservation of the culture ofevery ethnic group that is the portrait of Guyana - Obeah,queh queh, folk lore .and the many rituals of the peoplesof Guyana. He did all of this with delight and a genuineinterest to understand the many Myths of our country ashe saw it through his eyes of discernment of a gloriousnation with a colorful diverse canvas that Mac delighted inexamining, interpreting, and celebrating in his own inim-itable way i.e. Old Higue. He sang with gusto from "Banda Hoosein to""Me na Dead Yet" many times chang-ing the lyrics depending on how much jamoon wine andcook-up-rice he consumed at Ma Moore or Mother Bobb's house. No Wordsworth , your name will never be deadto those who can remember and tell your story to the nextgeneration and generations to come.

As a people we should not send him "Home:" and thenclose the door, but instead make sure that his voice will beheard through the ages, his works and writings preservedand a memorial created and fashioned in his memory sothat the children will remember and honor him. We mustmake sure of this.

In spite of his passionate commitment to the Afro-centricheritage, he was also a universalist,who was fascinated by Indo-Guyanese traditions, such as,Phagwah, Diwali, Kali Mai Pujaand Mattee Koree.

Colin MooreThe Guyana Day OrganizationI knew Wordsworth as a prefect at Queens College. He wasa strict disciplinarian and unfortunately, I became the

recipient of several detention slips from the stern andunyielding Wordsworth. Upon graduation from QueensCollege, Wordsworth experienced an ontological transfor-mation. This conservative Afro-Saxon became a passionateadvocate of the Afrocentric tradition. Wordsworth was,above all, a passionate advocate of the Guyanese folkloretradition and he celebrated the African roots of that folk-lore tradition. He extolled such Afrocentric traditions asOld Higue, Moongazer, Massacoora, Baccoo, Qweh-Qweh, Dutch Jumbee. In spite of his passionate commit-ment to the Afro-centric heritage, he was also a universal-ist, who was fascinated by Indo-Guyanese traditions, suchas, Phagwah, Diwali, Kali Mai Puja and Mattee Koree.

Wordsworth McAndrew not only “talked the talk” ofGuyanese Folklore, he “walked the walk.” Like LouiseBennett, the Jamaican folklorist, he was an expert elocu-tionist of the Guyanese dialect. His reading of the OldHigue poem was simply inimitable. Wordsworth was alsoan expert connoisseur of the Guyanese cuisine. His prepa-ration of metagee, cookup, black pudding and sousse waslegendary. In the African tradition, I would like to giveWordsworth the tribal walking stick with the admonition“walk good my friend.”

He always touched theheart-beat of ordinarypeople.Ian McDonaldAs the African proverb truly says it, when such a man diesa whole library burns down -- except in his case it is intan-gibly much more than that -- as I felt when Martin died,when Denis Williams died. So long I have not been in touchwith him but he is vivid in my mind and I was one of thelucky ones who heard and saw him perform his poems andfelt at first hand his vibrant and totally commited person-ality giving out abundantly and unforgettably his deep-down love of what he was doing He always touched theheart-beat of ordinary people.

Guyana lost one of its finest sons.Sandra HarteWordsworth was a good and exceptionally talented manwho gave much of himself to the Guyanese society.

My sympathy to his family.

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“No, I have nothing to declare- except my genius”

We are also very fortunate to have had the opportunity to embrace Mac for the

last few years of his life though not entirely sparing him from that unique

loneliness that many of our seniors who have migrated to these shores

have unfortunately acceptedas life in America.

We are also very grateful that we had many occasions to say

"Thank You, Mac" through the staging of 7 Folk Festivals and

with a special tribute to Mac- in what has become Mo’s

basement project.We will forever cherish those memories

and work even harder to mitigate the hardships of life for those

who have given so much to us through their art and other

gifts and have thus enabled us to proudly say,“We are indeed

Guyanese.”

Mac walk in de corner, nuh.

Our tribute to MAC... excerpted from the Apocrypha, the Book of Sirach...

Let us now sing the praises of famous men , our ancestorsin their generations.The lord apportioned to them great glory, his majestyfrom the beginning.They were those who ruled in their kingdoms,And made a name for themselves by their valor;Those who gave counsel because they were intelligent;Those who spoke in prophetic oracles;Those who led the people by their counsels;And by the knowledge of the people's lore;They were wise in their word of instruction;Those who composed musical tunes,Or put verse in writing;Rich men endowed with resources, living peacefully intheir homes-All these were honored in their generations,And were the pride of their times.Some of them have left behind a name,So that others declare their praise.Their bodies are buried in peace,But their names live on generation after generation.The assembly declares their wisdom,And the congregation proclaims their praise.

We, at The Guyana Cultural Association NewYork., are deeply saddened by the loss of Mac.Few people in our global societiesget to have as a profound an impact on the oral traditions of any nationas Wordsworth McAndrew has had on the oral traditions of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Indeed, his impact on Guyanese language, literature and linguistic formulations is indelible. Further, he has significantly influenced many of us at GCA. Most of what we have done as an organization,and will continue to do, is rooted in the work Mac started. So, we can very much imagine Mac, in coming to America, in the vein of Oscar Wilde in 1882, when asked,“Do you have anything to declare,” saying,


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