Monica Chopperfield, aka Lady Guymine (1932-2009) was a Guyanese calypso and cultural phenomenon. Popularly known for her hit calypso “Granny Fit” (which you can watch her singing in the clip below), she was born on July 31, 1932, in Berbice, Guyana and would grow to become “an important 20th century calypsonian.” Her performing career started in a show produced by Zelda Martindale at the roofless Olympic Cinema on Lombard Street and she went on to…
Our Sheroes
Ms. Valerie Rodway (1919-1970) was a teacher and Guyanese composer. She is best known for her national songs, which include, “O Beautiful Guyana,” “Kanaïma,” “Hymn for Guyana’s Children,” “Arise, Guyana,” and “Guyana the Free. She also put to music the famed Guyanese independence poem by Martin Carter, “Let Freedom Awaken.” Ms. Rodway was a member of one of those families whose contributions to Guyana are still evident. Her father, Newton Berthier Fraser was born in…
Born on November, 26 1930 in New Amsterdam, Berbice, Viola Victorine Burnham was the youngest of eight children of schoolmaster James Nathaniel Harper and his wife Mary (née Chin). Viola attended the All Saints Scots School from which she won a Government County Scholarship to the Berbice High School. After her father’s death the family decided to move to Georgetown where she entered Smith’s Church Congregational School. There she won a Government County Scholarship to …
Born in Guyana in January 1923, Patricia Gomes has purposefully dedicated more than half of her life to theatre and along the way has been quite accomplished in other areas. She has, as they say, “done it all” – from stage plays to storytelling to dancing her life away, much to the enjoyment of the audiences she thrilled. In 2010, Ms. Gomes was named by “Special Person” by Kaieteur News, and in an interview…
The daughter of Guyanese immigrants, Justice Juanita Westmoreland-Traore is the first Black Dean appointed to a law school (University of Windsor Faculty of Law) in Canada’s history, and the first Black Judge appointed to the Bench in history of Quebec. Judge Westmoreland-Traoré, was born on March 10, 1942 in Verdun, now part of Montreal, Quebec. She studied at Marianopolis College, and subsequently obtatined a law degree from the Université de Montréal (1966) and a doctorate…
Shirley Chisholm is the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress and the first to campaign for the Presidency. She was an outspoken advocate for women and minorities during the seven terms she served in the House. Her legacy of political and social activism laid the foundation for the rise of women and Blacks in American politics. Born Shirley Anita St. Hill on November 30, 1924, she was the oldest of four girls of…
By Vibert C. Cambridge, Ph.D. December 7, 2003 Mrs Dorothy Taitt (nee Pendelton – 1896 to 1956) is remembered as a strong, competitive woman who exerted considerable influence on music in Georgetown during her lifetime. She was a critically acclaimed contralto who was in demand for concerts. She taught singing at Bishop’s High School, served as mentor to many singers such as Rupert Hunte, who became a tenor of note in the United Kingdom. She…
Guyanese-born, Romola O. Lucas, is an attorney and budding entrepreneur. She is a founding shareholder of The Lucas Law Firm, PC, currently providing services in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania Prior to founding the firm, Romola was employed by the real estate group of a major law firm in Philadelphia, where she worked on commercial real estate financing, sales and acquisitions, on behalf on developers, REITs and major banks. Romola’s practice focuses on providing legal services…
As women, we’re used to wearing many hats and Juneann Lewis is doing just that, while living out her dreams. She is a Screenplay/Song Writer, Actress, Realtor and Motivational Speaker. As a child growing up in Guyana, business and entertainment has always been in her blood. She loved ballet and modern dance and entered every school play or recital she could. She also wrote short stories and entered many competitions and won. Juneann moved to the USA at the…
An accomplished, well-respected Guyanese Television Host/Producer, Tanuja Raghoo began her tenure in the television industry nearly 25 years ago. She is the proud Founder and President of Caribbean Spotlight Television Programming, the first full-service Indo-Caribbean Media Network in New York, launched in 1986, which airs several television programs on two Time Warner Channels, Channel 96 and ITV Channel 77. Tanuja first entered the business as a co-host with her father, Eshri Singh, also a legendary…