If variety be the spice of life, then from all indications Guyanese can look forward to a spicy 2021 via the music and arts industry. At only two months in, fans have already been treated to several internationally acclaimed mega hits from local musicians. As is customary for this period many new soca and chutney releases have already begun to dominate the radio, but it’s not all soca and chutney. As Guyana is characterized by its cultural diversity, the music for 2021, so far, features many different genres. In this review, we include new releases in Soca, Chutney, Dancehall, R&B, Pop, and even Gospel.

Note mentioning is Kady Kish with her patriotic Soca ‘Is We Own’ in which she sings “The Guyanese are chanting together, not one blade of grass. Tell them if they cross the border, not one blade of grass”.

In the Chutney realm, Steven Ramphal whose music is characterized by emotional depth and imagery has given us two vintage Ramphal’s songs. The first a love song to his wife ‘Never Leave You’ and the second ‘Love Is The Trend’, a plea for the unification of Guyana’s ethnically charged society.

In dancehall, the Drew Thoven and Timeka Marshal collab that is making a major impact on the music scene with a Hit entitled ‘Ahead Of Us’ the two artistes blended their voices to dispel tales featuring pop culture relevant themes such as friends with benefits, casual sex, and even fellatio.

In Hip hop and R&B, the least lucrative music markets in Guyana, Thoni has remained true to the craft and continues to produce brilliant R&B with ‘Luv’ and ‘Brand New’ where he added a little dancehall flavour in a bid to better reach the Guyanese audience.

Guyanese beauty queen and singer, Poonam Singh showed her brilliance with a pop-sounding ‘Happy Place’ the song was an overnight success and remains one of the most acclaimed songs coming from Guyana’s music industry.

As we approach the Easter celebration and season of lent a period a grave significant to the Christian Community, it is only fitting that we end this review in the religious genre. It was by pure coincidence that the gospel treasure created by a team of pass calypso and soca entertainers was discovered. ‘Safe On The Inside’ by Michelle Sylvester & Denyse Plummer tells the story of past secular entertainers choosing to give up the lights for a life of servitude based on what they describe as divine encounters. The relatable themes aside, the song features catchy rhythm and flow that made it an instant hit.

Caribbean Entertainment Hub wishes to congratulate all the hard-working local entertainers and promise to keep our readers informed as regards the developments in Guyana’s growing arts arena.

The Music:

1. Is We Own Kadykish 0:45

2. Love Is The Trend Steven Ramphal 0:45

3. Fire Man Nisha Ramsook 0:45

4. Vibez Again Nekeita 0:45

5. Safe On The Inside Michelle Sylvester & Denyse Plummer 0:45

6. Ahead of This (Project Romance) Timeka Marshall & Drew Thoven 0:45

7. Never Leave You Steven Ramphal 0:45

8. Happy Place Poonam Singh 0:45

9. Brand New Thoni & Franc Felony 0:45

10. LUV Thoni 0:45

11. SmallMan | Official video Stiffy stiff 0:45