Website developed for local musicians

Intent on promoting local artistes on a large scale, the News Room’s Richard Bhainie, a recipient of the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports’ Cultural and Creative Industry grant, has developed a much needed website specially for Guyanese artistes to advertise.

Traditionally, local artistes engage in self-promotion, but Bhainie hopes to help with this. It is because of his passion to bridge the gap between local artistes and the recognition they deserve that he used the grant to fund the website Harmony Guyana.

Bhainie is working with a local studio and contacted several Guyanese artistes to gather data which is now being uploaded to the site.

“This is a single source in the form of a website where anyone, wherever you are in the world, can access information about Guyanese music, about Guyanese artistes, their songs. You could read up on them, listen to samples of their music.

“We are looking also to get into promoting events.

“So basically the website seeks to promote Guyanese music on a global scale by having it all in one single source,” Bhainie said.

Bhainie is among 20 persons who received  grants start up projects that are focused on using creativity and promoting Guyanese culture.

“I am in contact with musicians and artistes throughout the country. Some persons I contacted directly, some persons put me on to other persons who they know – so we are in that process of gathering information.”

But this project was not done without challenges. Bhainie said getting the information required a lot of networking and sometimes persons were not very responsive.

Nevertheless, he is happy with the end result.

When persons enter the page there is a tab with the artiste, information about them, their music and news about upcoming projects.

Additionally, persons can access contact information for the artistes through the website – an added feature to ensure that not only is information provided but connections are also built.

Asked why he was passionate about the project, Bhainie said, “local artistes and musicians have their own social media pages but you can’t find information about them.

Bhainie expressed gratitude to the ministry for providing the funding for the venture and for supporting his vision.

Artistes are encouraged to reach out to him through the website www.harmony.gy or its social media accounts to collaborate in being a part of the free promotional site.