Rich African cultural heritage takes over Main Street

African culture took over Main Street Thursday, as scores of people lined the road, showcasing their talents in traditional African cooking, clothing design, and craft-making.
Draped in vibrant fabrics, echoing the rhythms of ancestral drums, and proudly representing their heritage, several individuals hailing directly from Africa brought Main Street to life with a stunning cultural exposition in celebration of Emancipation Day.
Guyana Times caught up with several exhibitors and vendors who brought the spirit of the continent to life through their displays.
One Nigerian exhibitor – Joachin Ezeanokws – proudly showcased authentic products and materials commonly used in Nigeria, giving passers-by a taste of African heritage first-hand.
“If you look at my hand, you will see a horse tail and an African attire. This is what the prince, president, and security use to guide the crowd. I am from Nigeria, Africa. For five years, I’ve been offering these products in Guyana and enjoy doing this.”

He added, “We have black soaps – organic black soap. We have tiger nut, and we also have something special that we call alligator pepper. We also have a special thing called the horsetail—it is used on occasions as a symbol of blessings. I also have many clothes for men and women, and I am a designer… It takes about one month to bring these items from Africa to Guyana.”
Meanwhile, speaking while dressed in a dashiki, one vendor, Ibeh Chibuike, highlighted that the practices and spirit of Emancipation Day should continue even after the celebrations have ended.
“I’ve been doing this for about three years now, and the experience has been very lovely. I wish Emancipation [Day] came every month because it’s a time of good experiences. You see people from other countries coming here for Emancipation [Day]. During Emancipation [Day], there are crowds, but after Emancipation [Day] finishes, everyone goes back to normal life, and things don’t move as much. People need to come out – just look around. Some people have taken a look at the grand crowds, and seeing the crowds makes me happy.”
Another exhibitor, Nykia Roberts, who specialises in crocheted clothing, shared her experience: “Well, I started at the age of 11, but I made it official three years ago. It feels good because it allows you to show your creativity. I feel good putting these things out. I’m 31, and my co-worker is 17.”
The food exhibitors were not left out, as two standout vendors stole the show by demonstrating the step-by-step process of preparing authentic African-style dishes.
One of them, Euranie Tieshmak, explained, “I wake up early in the morning around Emancipation [Day] time to make conkie and pone. First, you need to get the coconut. For both conkie and pone, you grate the coconut. With conkie, you get your cornmeal and spice it up, then wrap it and boil it. For the pone, you grate the coconut, spice it up, add your essence, and bake it.”
She added, “I also had pepper pot and pone, but they finished quickly. Metem is coming a bit later today. I’ve been making these foods for several years now. Tomorrow [Friday], we’re going to the park, and we’ll have pork and other dishes there too.”
Emancipation Day is celebrated August 1 throughout Guyana.