The Guyanese people are people of the South American nation of Guyana. Guyanese people come from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, including indigenous, African, Indian, Chinese, and European ethnic groups. Although citizens make up the majority of Guyanese, there is a substantial number of Guyanese expatriates, dual citizens and descendants living worldwide, chiefly elsewhere in the Anglosphere.

Actors and entertainers Robert Adams (1902–1965), British Guyanese actor, of stage and screen Harry Baird (1931–2005), Guyanese-born British actor Marc Matthews (born c. 1940), actor, broadcaster, writer, and producer CCH Pounder (born 1952), Guyanese–American actress Tony Tornado (born 1930), Brazilian actor of Guyanese origin Ian Valz (1957–2010), actor, playwright and filmmaker Ashley Walters (born 1982), British actor, rapper of Guyanese and Jamaican origin T-Bone Wilson, Guyanese-born British actor, dramatist, and poet

Artists

Kwesi Abbensetts, Guyanese-born American photographer Rihanna, Barbadian singer of Guyanese descent Central Cee, British Rapper of Guyanese descent Damali Abrams, American-born video artist and performance artist, of Guyanese descent George Barber (born 1958), British Guyanese video artist Frank Bowling (born 1939), British Guyanese painter, based in the United Kingdom Theresa Chromati (born 1992) American-born painter, of Guyanese descent Victor Davson (born 1948), Guyanese-born American collagist, curator, and gallerist Ann Gollifer (born 1960) British Guyanese painter, printmaker, writer and photographer, based in Gaborone, Botswana Maggie Harris, poet, writer, and visual artist, based in the United Kingdom Oswald Hussein (born 1946), Guyanese sculptor of wood, of Lokono descent Donald Locke (1930–2010), drafter, painter, sculptor Hew Locke (born 1959), Scottish-born sculptor, raised in Guyana and based in London Leila Locke (1936–1992), English-born Guyanese painter Suchitra Mattai (born 1973), Guyanese-born American multidisciplinary contemporary artist Philip Moore (1921–2012), sculptor and painter Bernadette Persaud (born 1946), painter Ingrid Pollard (born 1953) British Guyanese photographer Lenny Prince (born 1965), Guyanese-born American sculptor and large scale installation artist Doris Rogers (1929–2016), Guyanese academic who specialized in fine arts

Athletes Martin Braithwaite (born 1991), Danish professional footballer, of Guyanese descent Shivnarine Chanderpaul (born 1974), cricket coach and former captain of the West Indies cricket team Nicolette Fernandes (born 1983), British squash player, representing Guyana Lance Gibbs (born 1934), cricketer Carl Hooper (born 1966), cricketer Rohan Kanhai (born 1935), cricketer Cyril Langevine (born 1998), Guyanese–American professional basketball center in the Israeli Basketball Premier League Clive Lloyd (born 1944), British Guyanese cricketer Ramnaresh Sarwan (born 1980), cricketer Kwesi Sinclair (born 1978), Guyanese-born cricketer who represented British Virgin Islands

Businesspeople Arif Ali (born 1935), Guyana-born British publisher, and newspaper proprietor Elizabeth Swain Bannister (1785–1828), Barbadian-born businessperson and freewoman, who lived in Berbice, a Dutch Colony (what is now Guyana) John Meredith Ford (1923–1995), businessman and politician

Musicians

Anjulie (born 1983), Canadian singer of Indo-Guyanese descent Aubrey Cummings (1947–2010), Guyana-born Barbadian musician Central Cee (born 1998), English rapper of Guyanese and Chinese ancestry Olivia Dean (born 1999), English singer of Guyanese descent Leona Lewis (born 1985), English singer of Guyanese descent Lynette Dolphin (1916–2000), musician, educator, chair of the Guyana Department of Culture Rudolph Dunbar (1907–1988), conductor, composer, musician Melanie Fiona (born 1983), Canadian singer and songwriter, of Guyanese descent Eddy Grant (born 1948), British Guyanese singer, songwriter Keko (Guyanese rapper) (born 1974), rapper, radio personality Phil Lynott (1949–1986), Irish musician of Guyanese descent, lead vocalist, bassist, and songwriter for Thin Lizzy Preme (born 1986; also known as P. Reign), Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer, of Guyanese descent Red Café (born 1976; born as Jermaine Alfred Denny), Guyanese-born American rapper Rihanna (born 1988), Barbadian singer, of Afro-Guyanese descent on her maternal side Saint Jhn (born 1986; born as Carlos St. John Phillips), American rapper, raised in Guyana Sandhja (born 1991), Finnish singer, of Indo-Guyanese and Finnish descent Sol Raye (1936–2006), cabaret musician

Politicians and activists Margaret Ackman (?–2013), politician and a founding member of the People’s National Congress Reform Andaiye (1942–2019), social, political, and gender rights activist Antony Beaujon ( 1763–1805), civil servant and politician Juan Edghill (born 1964), pastor and politician; founder and bishop of Zadok Ministers Fellowship John Meredith Ford (1923–1995), businessman and politician Valerie Hart (1933–2021), indigenous political leader from the Wapishana ethnic group and a member of Guyana's Amerindian Party Jim Jones (1931-1978), American cult leader, expatriate in Guyana, and founder of Jonestown Abdul Kadir (1952-2018), politician, convicted terrorist Edwina Melville (1926–1993), writer, teacher, politician, and advocate of the Wapishana peoples

Writers

Michael Abbensetts (1938–2016), Guyana-born British playwright and screenwriter John Agard (born 1949), Guyana-born British playwright, poet and children's writer Arif Ali (born 1935), Guyana-born British publisher, and newspaper proprietor E. R. Braithwaite (1912–2016), writer Jan Carew (1920–2012), Guyana-born novelist, playwright, poet and educator Martin Carter (1927–1997), poet and political activist David Dabydeen (born 1955), Guyanese-born broadcaster, writer and academic Wilson Harris (1921–2018) poet, novelist Roy Heath (1926–2008) Guyanese-born writer, based in the UK Matthew James Higgins (1810–1868), British writer, he lived part time in British Guiana Edgar Mittelholzer (1909–1965), novelist Walter Rodney (1942–1980), politician, activist and historian Ivan Van Sertima (1935–2009) Guyanese-born British Africanist and academic A. J. Seymour (1914–1989), writer, editor, and publisher Eric Walrond (1898–1966), British Guyanese-born American writer and journalist, associated with the Harlem Renaissance Shana Yardan (1943–1989), poet and broadcaster

See also List of Guyanese British people List of Eastern Caribbean people

References