Rahul Bhattacharya in Conversation

On Friday 23rd May, Moray House Trust hosted ‘A Conversation between Rahul Bhattacharya and Brendan de Caires’. The event was sponsored by Demerara Bank Ltd. The evening began with a stirring musical performance by the Buxton Fusion School of Music. ‘Buxton Fusion’ is dedicated to preserving the oral culture in Guyana. Their music draws on African drumming patterns and incorporates Indian rhythms. Seven members (six children and one adult) performed on this occasion, with a mixture of singing and drumming. The band is available for hire and can be contacted via Deo Persaud (tel. 624 1234).

Rahul Bhattacharya is best known locally as the author of The Sly Company of People Who Care, a novel about Guyana, published three years ago to international acclaim. He is also a journalist and his first book (in 2005), Pundits from Pakistan, was a cricket travelogue. Brendan de Caires was born in Guyana and now lives in Toronto. He has worked as an editor and periodically reviews writing for various journals. Brendan asked Rahul about the nature and depth of his affinity with Guyana and noted that long before the novel a scene in Rawalpindi had reminded Rahul of Port Mourant (‘the tiniest of sugarcane villages (that) produced seven Test players’). The conversation considered different eras of West Indies cricket, the nuances of Guyanese creole, and sorts of insights that foreign observers can bring to a society.

Rahul recounted the experience of watching Shivnarine Chanderpaul bat on wet sand  – one of the homegrown techniques which shaped his style as a professional player – during his current visit to Guyana, and explained a parallel he had drawn between the batting of Virender Sehwag and Rohan Kanhai.

Canefields and cricket
Port Mourant, a small village in Berbice, produced seven West Indian test cricketers. Rahul Bhattacharya discusses this and describes watching Shivnarine Chanderpaul bat on a beach.
You Tube Clip: http://youtu.be/PzS2SluEgLM

Kanhai and Sehwag
Rohan Kanhai’s ‘roti shot’ and Virender Sehwag’s balance at the crease are some of the features discussed.
You Tube Clip: http://youtu.be/PzS2SluEgLM

Shoaib Akhtar and tape-ball cricket
Rahul Bhattacharya discusses the genuis of Shoaib Akhtar and the influence of tape-ball cricket.
You Tube Clip: http://youtu.be/ZLHbSqLGCZA

Brian Lara: Captain without a Cause ?
Brendan de Caires refers to Professor Hilary Beckles analysis of captaincy of the West Indian Cricket Team and Rahul discusses the changing role of captaincy in cricket and the changes in cricket in this clip.
You Tube Clip: http://youtu.be/pUv4C0VVsMI

Observe or Explain: the narrator’s role
Brendan discusses current writing about Guyana including John Gimlette’s ‘Wild Coast.’ Rahul describes his attempt to ‘observe and render’ as a narrator: ‘I was simply following my curiosity.’
You Tube Clip:http://youtu.be/FBlGP_dQZpQ

Guyanese Idioms
Rahul and Brendan briefly discuss Guyanese forms of speech such as ‘sun hot’ and ‘darkness catch me.’
You Tube Clip: http://youtu.be/99F6fWH3pWA