Guyanese Playlist

Music is everywhere in Guyana, and it's loud.  

Whether it’s reggae blasting out of the sub-woofers of minibuses in Georgetown, eighties power ballads in supermarkets, chutney blaring from your neighbour’s house at 5am or dancehall pumped out in between overs at a cricket game, there is almost always some kind of music within earshot.

Regardless of the setting, demographic or situation, the same music will be played. Weddings, birthdays, christenings, funerals and everyday activities such as waking up or breathing all warrant the same heady beats. The popular tracks are played by everyone. Constantly. As new songs are released, the number of times previous chart-toppers are played per day drops in frequency to perhaps only two dozen. You are forced to love them. 

If you're heading anywhere in the Caribbean some time soon and want to know what music to get au fait with, I would suggest listening to these, but there's almost no point since you'll know every word to every song by the end of the week anyway.

The title is a bit of a misnomer considering most of these songs are imported from either Jamaica, Trinidad or Brazil, but the following selection definitely sums up the soundtrack to Guyana in 2011/2012, at least for me:

Adrian Dutchin
- I am a Guyanese 
 
Banda Djavu

(- See "Pepe Moreno" comment)

Beenie Man

- Dude

- Drinking rum (and redbull)
- Give it up

Benjai

- Wine to the side

Buhwamoder

- Bend right over

Busy Signal

- Comfort zone

- Night shift

- One more night

- You never knew 

- Come over

- Bed

Bracket

- Yori yori

 Chris Martin

- Paper loving

- Cheater's prayer

 Demarco

-I love my life

Di Genius

- Bounce a gyal

Don Omar 

- Danza Kuduro

Forró Boys

(- See "Pepe Moreno" comment) 

Gusttavo Lima 

- Balada

Gyptian

- Hold yuh

Jah Cure

- Before I leave

- Unconditional love
- Nothing

Kes the band

- Ah Ting

- Wotless

Kevin Lyttle 

- Turn me on

- Drives me crazy

Ki Persaud
- Womanizer
- Single forever

Konshens

-The simple song

- Gal dem ah talk

- Gal a Bubble

La Medicina
- Zouk la se sel medikaman nou ni

Lil Rick

- Go dung

- Jones and wuk up
- Work

 Lil Wayne

- Drop the world (ft. Eminem)

- Wasted

- I'm into you (ft. J-Lo)

- I want this forever 

Machel Montano

- Bend Over

- Advantage

- Illegal 

- Fly away (ft. Collie Buddz)

- Mr. Fete

- Vibes cyah done
- Gyal wuk
- Fly so high (ft. DJ Power)
- Thiefin'

Mahendra Ramkellawan

- Dem ah watch meh
- One more for de road

Mavado

- Delilah

- One by one

- Star Bwoy

- Pepper

- Badman Place (ft. Busy Signal)

- Final Destination

- Nuh fraid a dem

Merital Family

- My money

Michel Teló 

- Ai se eu te pego

Mongster

- Glo ko ko

Mr. Vegas

- Bruk it dung

- Pum pum shorts

Notch

- Nuttin no go so

Pepe Moreno

- ABSOLUTELY ANY SONG THE GUY EVER WROTE

Popcaan

- Only man she wants

- Party shot

- Ravin'

Richie Loop
- My cup

Rick Ramotar

- Ah shoulda never ever ask you to marry me

Sean Paul

- Give it up to me

- Like glue

- All night long

Shaggy

- Bonafide girl

Shakira

- Loca
- Waka waka (This time for Africa)

Shivam Rajaram

- Radica why you leave and go

Skinny Fabulous

- 6.30

Spice

- Jim Screechie

Tarrus Riley

- Karma

- Paradise Redemption

T.O.K.

- Money to burn

Vybz Kartel 

- Summertime

- Clarks

- Badman Party

- Straight jeans and fitted

- Neva see a gyal weh me love so much

I could go on. The above is mostly a pretty accurate picture of what I've been hearing, with a few favourites thrown in. Unfortunately there are countless Zouk and Brazilian songs I've heard repeatedly but am unable to name. When I asked what a song was called I'd be told "nah, miss, dis sang nah geh name da me kno righ now, yuh firm?"