GUYANA | 8 Year Old calypsonian Ezeka Minty, Rejected by Gov't, Rewarded by Teachers and Civil Society

GEORGETOWN,Guyana, February 18, 2024 - Eight-year-old Ezeka Minty was kicked out of the national Mashramani Calypso Competition, by the Ministry of Education for her song “How a guh survive with 6.5?, ” because the lyrics were “inappropriate”. However, it seems as if Ezeka had the last laugh !

On Friday, eight-year-old Ezeka of Fort Ordinance Primary School, Berbice, felt the love. Some overseas-based Guyanese collaborated with the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) to reward her with trophies and school supplies.

While the government deemed her calypso song , “How a guh survive with 6.5? ” to be inappropriate, “not so !" said her teachers and other well-wishers.

The 6.5 percent calypso, which speaks to the pay increase government imposed on public servants and teachers in 2023, posed the question how could persons survive on the meagre sum, a reality that resonates with working families and forms part of their kitchen table discussions.

Government’s announcement that Ezeka, who won the Region Six competition, was disqualified from participating at the National level attracted severe criticisms that explored intolerance for the genre, creativity, freedom of speech, and rejecting the reality average workers face with the increase.

Cost of living in Guyana has doubled in the past three years and in some instances tripled for basic commodities like sugar, eggs, cooking oil, cooking gas, vegetable, rice and so forth.

These are some of the lyrics to Ezeka’s calypso which the government finds disqualifying:

“Tell me how a guh survive with 6.5?
please, tell me how a guh survive with 6.5?
I have a burning issue on my chest
ah can’t even rest
how cost of living and everything doubling
this thing troubling
how a must carry on with a seemingly one arm
Tell me how a guh survive with 6.5?”

Sir Imran Ally, Headmaster, Skeldon Line Path Secondary School, warned the Ministry of Education that it is setting a dangerous precedent for young minds and young talents by disqualifying the child because she represents the future. “Ezeka is a champion of the cause for the entire Guyana…she needs to be applauded for her calypso!”

Ally, in criticizing the government's decisions regarding the  treatment of children and teachers and intolerance for basic rights, called for an immediate end to the lawlessness and questioned if the school system cannot allow freedom of expression for the children what sort of democracy the country is promoting.

The headmaster said he sees Ezeka’s calypso echoing teachers’ call that 6.5 per cent is inadequate. Guyana’s public school teachers are presently on strike in an effort to bring the government, their employer, to the negotiation table to engage in collective bargaining for increased wages/salary and improved working conditions.

Miss Mehalai McAlmont, a 13-year teacher of the arts, speaking at the simple presentation ceremony for Ezeka, said adults’ actions can affect the minds of little children, and expression through the art form should be free.

She cautioned that no one should try to kill a child’s talent and to do that would be stifling the voice of creativity. “Teachers will not sit idly by and let it happen,” she intoned.

McAlmont also called for a revision of the rules, and an understanding of the nature of the genre which represents social commentaries and freedom of expression.

Former GTU President and headmaster, Sir Colin Bynoe, speaking at the ceremony, traced the role Region Six played in placing and elevating children’s calypso competition on the national calendar, and the region’s coveted place in carting away trophies. 

He said a family reached out to him after reading the news of Ezeka’s disqualification and wanted to do something to boost the child’s confidence. This was materialised in the ceremony on Friday.

The Union, in an earlier statement, blasted Government’s decision, stating it was spiteful and an attempt to deflate the child. The parents who donated the prizes to Ezeka made a commitment that they are going to ensure she gets her backpack (haversack), along with learning supplies, every year whilst she is in school.

The teachers said the prizes Ezeka received aimed to restore her confidence, and pointed out she met the criteria to perform at the national level. Ezeka’s mother, who is also a teacher, said the family was initially hurt but the support they have received from the public has been nothing but overwhelming. She also thanked the overseas-based Guyanese family for their generosity.

Psycho-analyst Erik Erikson said at Ezeka’s stage of development (Stage 4, which is ages six to eleven) children deal with the conflict of industry versus inferiority. During this stage, children are learning new skills.

When they are allowed to productively navigate this stage, they feel useful and develop a sense of self-worth. Conversely, if children are not supported in learning new skills, they could develop a sense of worthlessness or inferiority. Had Minister of Education Priya Manickchand and her team such knowledge and/or care they would have treated pretty, little Ezeka differently.

The following are the full lyrics to Ezeka’s calypso “Tell me how a guh survive with 6.5?