Night at the National Cultural Centre

Night touted as an Oldies Concert featuring The Manhattans and the Chilites- was in two minds but then decided to check it out.  Turns out the predominantly Afro-Guyanese audience in their 50's and 60's was the real entertainment!  Chris who sat with me said it reminded him of comments shouted out from 'Pit' during the golden years of Cinema in Guyana.

Got seats in the last row of the front section (Q) and realised to my dismay we were right under the speakers which they promptly turned up to max when the Concert finally started about half-hour late - this had the terrible effect of distorting the sound-- I turned to Chris  sitting next to me to say that even the empty seats three rows ahead would be better- he couldn't hear so I got up and charged forward, then noticing six empty seats in Row L went and plonked myself in one. Turned out to be more interesting with non-stop comments from all around, the two women in front were giggling over texts from their phone, while the man sitting next to them fascinated me with his temple constantly moving to the beat of the music! There was a loud guy to my right and two funny couples behind who were vying to make the funniest comments- the choicest one being: on first seeing the Manhattans- emerging older and fatter-- they should be the Manfattens!

Lead singer of the Manhattans

They shrieked out for Charmaine Blackman who flounced on stage and karaokied to two Tina Turner songs singing in an impossible american accent-- she even copied Tina's moves to the amusement of the woman sitting behind, however the  woman was less forgiving in the second half when Charmaine ventured out again to sing another Tina song but didn't bother to change- the woman said that things must be hard cos Charmaine coulda at least change she clothes!
The loud man on  my right, noted that the feathers were dropping off the the white feather Boa she wore and hoped that she had some white fowls in she yard to replace all them feathers dropping off - I thought Guyanese artists have to have thick skins, comparable to Shakespeare's time-  Mondale Smith managed to work in Shakespeare's name while introducing the second half but he was also trying to promote Reunite( a red wine available locally) and got a bit vulgar and the woman behind sucked her teeth and called out that he was drunk and to get off the stage.
The Show was definitely Audience participation and one of the men sitting in the row in front of me even suggested to the Lead Manhattan singer that he may not want to move to Guyana because there might not be enough food-- I thought the fat guy handled the heckling very well indeed.
Turned out that the Chilites was actually just the Lead singer karaoking to various songs as the rest of the Band were no more!