– Veteran Kite maker Rupert Grant reveals 15-year journey of creating Kites for Guyanese
Engineers around the world are highly respected for their remarkable creations—planes, helicopters, jets, blimps, and a myriad of other flying machines.
But here in Guyana, a unique group of individuals, much like engineers, captivate thousands of children with their own form of creation: kites. These kite makers, using simple yet skilled techniques, craft flying wonders that bring joy to young and old alike.
Some of the kites on display
One such artisan is Rupert Grant, a veteran kite maker who has been handcrafting and selling his kites at the corner of Camp and Regent Streets for the past 15 years. Amidst the steady winds of this bustling intersection, Rupert stands roadside, equipped with glue, bamboo sticks, and all the essentials needed to create his airborne masterpieces.
This publication caught up with Grant at the corner, where he shared that the tradition was passed down to him from his uncle. He also spoke about the engineering-like talent he has used for years to please the people of Guyana.
According to Grant, the feeling of unravelling hundreds of twine lines is etched into his hands, as each year he takes the time to prepare kites for people.
“Well, my uncle used to make any kite — he could’ve made any kite that you could think of, from bird kites to singing engines, you know what I mean? When I was young, he had his own customers, and he even used to make custom kites. I used to help him make the kites, and that’s how I started to learn to make them.”
“Around his time, he used to make the kites a little old-fashioned — with a pointer and a board — like, the kites used to look like boards with wings, you know? Those were the types of kites that I grew up seeing.”
Rupert Grant creating a kite on the spot at his usual kite making location
After this initial experience, he expressed that a significant turning point came when a well-established kite maker from Linden saw him making kites and asked him to join him. According to Grant, he absorbed as many skills as he could and became even better at his craft.
“I happened to meet up with a big kite maker in the area who had his own kite-making company. I already had the skills, you know what I mean? I worked with him. He used to make a lot of kites for people. But eventually, he migrated, and by then, I already had the real skills in me.”
From that experience, he chose to branch off on his own, knowing that he had the experience and teachings that ultimately brought him to the level he’s at today.
“All those years led me to where I am today. This is usually my spot, and I’ve been here for 15 years. I had partners who used to work along with me. We buy the materials in the local shops we normally get bamboo sticks, nails, and twine, and make the frame first. The bamboo is the most important part. Then you measure it — 2 feet, 18 inches, 1 foot — whatever size you’d like to make.”
The veteran stated that each year he creates hundreds of kites, which brings him no greater joy.
“Well, I paste and create hundreds of kites during the course of this weekend. One kite takes about five minutes to paste. It makes me feel good when people come out and buy. They know I’ve got the real thing for the people, and when I give them a kite, I’m so glad they got it from me. It’s like a two-day thing because we make the frames a couple of days before. But the pasting finishes in one day, and the decorations have to go on even when the breeze is blowing heavily. I normally deal with it right here in the breeze and everything.”
In fact, with the vast popularity that Grant has attained over the years, he recounted that an array of persons — even the businessman who first invited him to work — often calls him for advice on kite-making due to the attention and demand his creations have gained.
“It’s like, the guy that I met from my village needs me now. Most kite makers these days even need me for advice, because I’m the one who knows how to make the stars and everything for the kite. And if you look, you’ll see all of my stars on the kites look a particular way. I know what’s what. Now, everybody wants to see all kinds of kites, made from all sorts of things.”
“When I start making my kites, all I need is a little nice groove and motion — and then the going gets going. It’s got to groove in, and then it starts. You know, the production has to move fast… The number of things we are going to… it’s a lot.”
Grant went on to relay that he wishes that this tradition continues in the future years for the great joy that it has given him, and he knows that anyone who comes in to contact with it will fall in love with the kite making, engineering-like process.
