Allan A. Fenty, remembered as Guyana’s cultural icon

Allan A. Fenty, who died while asleep in his homeland Guyana on Feb. 11, at age 78, was remembered as a Guyanese cultural giant, a sage in the field of folklore, communications and public relations, by Claire A. Goring, executive director of New York’s Guyana Cultural Association, (GCA) organizers of the annual Brooklyn folk festival.

“Allan was a cherished member (GCA’s) Awards Alumni. Over the years, Allan Arthur Fenty’s pioneering spirit and writings, fully embraced GCA’s Mission to document, showcase and celebrate the multiple roots of Guyana’s cultural heritage,” she said.

She added that Fenty’s service as chief information officer of Guyana Information Services reflects the role he played as an opinion leader in the transition of Guyana from a colony to an independent nation on the international stage. “His sudden loss is a tremendous blow to the folk culture landscape and to the electronic and print media,” said Goring.

“The executive and members of the GCA extend sincerest condolences to Allan’s entire family,” she said of Fenty, broadcaster, author, folklorist, news columnist, and host of the ‘Guyana Cook-Up’ TV show.

Fenty, who began his working life as a teacher in the West Demerara region, becoming a trained educator, was described as a cultural enthusiast, who helped to produce a few publications dealing with the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy as well as others dealing with national events, according to Bert Wilkinson, past Guyana Press Association executive, and friend…

Allan was one of Guyana’s premier cultural ambassadors, who fanned the flames to keep the Guyana culture alive in all its forms. He was one of Guyana’s premier cultural ambassadors, said President of the Guyana Tri-State Alliance, Patricia Jordon-Langford.

“Some of Allan Fenty’s earlier publications are “Stories of protest,” “Guyana my country,”  “Those dark days of the Past,” “Lord Canary” and his weekly column, “Frankly Speaking” since 1993 in the Stabroek News.

“It would be remiss of me not to mention that, in my opinion, he was a patriot who served his country with distinction,” she said.

Award-winning Playwright, journalist Francis Quamina-Farrier said, “I’ve known Alan Fenty for many years, and his passing was a sad happening for me. He was the kind of person who you had to admire for his wit and love of life. I always listened to his television show, even though it was produced with children in mind. Alan made you feel like a youngster again; you wanted to learn from him. He will surely be missed.”

According to the publication Demerara Waves, Fenty, under the then People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)-led administration, served as a public relations expert for the party and a government information officer. The online paper said he was a prominent fixture on the scene with his equally inimitable style of preserving and promoting Guyanese culture in spoken and written word.

Fenty, who was a close friend of this reporter, will be dearly missed by a wide cross-section of the Guyanese community.

He leaves to mourn his daughters and other family members.