CaribPR Wire

CaribPR Newswire , New York , NY , Apr. 18, 2008: Experience will collide with youthful talented entertainers this year as the second annual Guyana flag raising rolls into New York City , on May 31 st from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at the Bowling Green Park , in Lower Manhattan . The event, to mark the 42 nd anniversary of Guyana`s independence from Britain, will feature veteran Guyanese singer Cliff Joseph and his daughter Coriena as well as rising chutney and reggae stars, DJ Prakz and H20 Wata Flo, respectively. Also set to move to the rhythm is the S.T.A.R.S Teen dance group of Brooklyn. Hollywood actor Marc Gomes is set to join the celebration, a brain child of Hard Beat Communications, CEO Felicia Persaud, who formed the Committee to Celebrate Guyana with support from Chuck Mohan, Ron Bobb-Semple, Allison Skeete, Roger Gary, Rickford Burke and Marina Sahadeo among others last year. The 2008 event is being presented by Western Union in association with media partners, CaribWorldNews, CaribPR, The West Indian newspaper, Caribbean Spotlight TV, GEM Magazine, RBC Radio and One Caribbean Radio. The inaugural event in 2007 featured cultural performances came from many Guyanese artists including Slingshot Drepaul, Courtney Noel, Almira Brasse, The Triad Group, the Verna Walcott, Deeraj and dance groups, drummer Akayo, poets James Richmond and Francis Quamina Farrier and musical saw player Moses Josiah. Thousands of Guyanese gathered near The Bull in Lower Manhattan to celebrate the 41 st anniversary, including Guyana ’s ambassador to Washington, Bayney Karran, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke and several other elected and appointed officials, Hollywood actor Sean Patrick Thomas, boxer Vivian Harris, Bollywood actor Kumar Guarav and movie producers, Rohit Jagessar and Mikey Nivelli. Nationals of Guyana account for the fourth highest number of the foreign born population of New York City foreign and continue to make great strides as entrepreneurs and homeowners. In one area of Queens , NY alone, their annual earnings are more than both native born black and white Americans according to the US Census’ recent American Community Survey report. Many Guyanese New Yorkers have launched their own businesses in striving communities in Richmond Hill , Brooklyn and the Bronx where they create employment for each other in real estate offices, mortgage companies, stores, restaurants and travel agencies. The median income is over $50,000. And most are homeowners, who work hard to send their children to top colleges