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WORDSWORTH McANDREW
a national treasure, a man who for the
past five decades dedicated his life to
creating, collecting, preserving, and
celebrating Guyanese folk life, died
today, Friday April 25, 2008 at
seventy two at the East Orange General
Hospital, East Orange, New Jersey after
a short illness.
THE ELDER STATESMAN OF GUYANESE FOLK
CULTURE, THE PILOT INTO OUR FOLK, IS NO
LONGER WITH US
Wordsworth McAndrew
was born in 1936 to Winslow Alexander
McAndrew and Ivy McAndrew and grew up in
Cummingsburg and Newtown, Kitty. He
attended Christ Church Primary School
and Queen's College.
A Broadcaster, Folklorist and poet,
Wordsworth has been one of the most
influential folklorists in Guyanese
history and has been an unyielding
advocate for the collection,
preservation and celebration of Guyanese
folk life.
"There are some Guyanese when you
think about them, you have to think
in special terms. Wordsworth
McAndrew is one of them!
A Mighty, mighty movement
An unforgettable, indelible movement
An essential Guyanese movement
Vibert Cambridge
2002 Guyana Folk magazine
Mac started me off on a journey that has
been fascinating and refreshing! In this
journey, I have met with our majestic
myth figures - Old Higue and Moongazer,
Dutch Jumbie and Coolie Jumbie,
Massacuraman and Kainaima, Firebun and
Bacco. Mac opened up Guyana's mythscape
and helped us to understand that our
myths carry many levels of meaning. They
tell about our fears and gives us a snap
shot into life in past times. Mac helped
us to see our common humanity in the "rago"
and the "ustaf." He gave us a vocabulary
that has helped to make clear the
difference between "typee" and "totelotipo."
The thing about Mac is that he has done
it with deliberate simplicity!
The Mac movement continues - a uniting
impulse for the future.
Thanks "Scouta Mac!"
Ken Corsbie
2002
Guyana Folk magazine
"One of the
enduring stories about Mac is that
he towed his bride-to-be to church
for the wedding ritual. True or
false, it doesn't matter, it's a
great Mac story and now entrenched
in Guyana folklore.
There should be a street or a tree
or even a rumshop named for him. His
very name WORDS WORTH describes him
well. His words were well worth the
listening.
Ian McDonald
Wordsworth McAndrew - A Guyanese
National Treasure
By Vibert C. Cambridge, Ph.D. June
13, 2004
"One thing is
sure: a few of his poems will always
find a place in any Guyanese or West
Indian anthology of poems,"
said Ian McDonald.
Eusi Kwayana
Wordsworth McAndrew - A Guyanese
National Treasure
By Vibert C. Cambridge, Ph.D.; June
13, 2004
In Gang Gang,
Eusi Kwayana identified McAndrew as
one of the Guyanese who helped to
give Guyanese creolese
respectability on the air.
Muriel Glasgow
Wordsworth McAndrew - A Guyanese
National Treasure
By Vibert C. Cambridge, Ph.D. June
13, 2004
Over the years,
McAndrew has meant many things to
many people.
"He was a fiercely independent,
proud, absolutely brilliant man,"
said Muriel Glasgow. He is also
remembered as a fierce
defender of Guyanese cuisine.
Ronald Lammy
eCaroh
Caribbean Emporium
A singular
distinction of Mr. McAndrew is his
daring identification and
celebration of Guyanese cultural
attributes.
Vibert Cambridge
When
Guyanese meet in the diaspora we
generate many ideas about how we
should celebrate our heroes.
There is no shortage of ideas about
what to do for McAndrew.
"I would love to have him
immortalized."
- "What of the
Wordsworth McAndrew Pavilion at
cricket/football?
- Wordsworth McAndrew Library in the
University of Guyana?
- Wordsworth McAndrew way (near
Bourda or Big Market)?
- Wordsworth McAndrew Cultural
Centre?
Or Wordsworth McAndrew Auditorium in
the Cultural Centre?
- We could also establish a website
which would be an online tribute to
the works of great men like
Wordsworth, those before him, and
those yet to be born."
Derrick Jeffrey
Thailand
Mc is
and will always be in the hearts
and minds of those who know him and
enjoyed his works. In so stating, he
is the recipient of the
"Living Heart Award,"
from
all his well wishers. Such award
can't be given by any government
regulated body but must be
transmitted through the positive
thought processes of the peoples'
wishes.
FUNERAL & MEMORIAL ARRANGEMENTS
TO BE ANNOUNCED
All of us at the Guyana Cultural
Association are saddened by
Wordsworth's passing. Over the years
he has been the inspiration for our
discussions on the mission of the
Guyana Folk Festival. We pledge to
uphold his virtues and continue his
work to propagate and promote
Guyanese folk heritage through the
Guyana Folk Festivals.
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