Kriol Council on Myrna Manzanares’ Contribution to Culture
Marilyn Garvin
Garvin says that a CT scan was performed on Manzanares today, the result of which she now awaits. While the other members of the council hope for the best, Garvin reflected on the contributions that Manzanares has made to the Creole culture since she formed the National Kriol Council back in 1995.
Marilyn Garvin, Interim President, National Kriol Council
“She has written enough books. She had a book about Creole games, yoh know. She has contributed with the language arm, the Bible translations. There’s a lot of documents. I could go on but that’s Myrna. She has done a lot. She taught as well so a lot of people know about her maybe from a teacher aspect. They know her from maybe doing storytelling and things like that so you wouldn’t go out without somebody at least giving her a call or a wave or things like that.”
Marion Ali
“There’s also the musical aspect.”
Marilyn Garvin
“Hmm, the music. If you hear a drum beating or so, Myrna is there. Talking about the Sambai, Myrna is there. I mean –she is THE Kriol, you understand. From the music, to the dressing, to the food, to the language, that is Myrna. For the music aspect she’s worked along with – I don’t know if you know Emmett Young – she’s worked along with him doing the drumming. There are certain rhythms and things like that, so they worked along, so when you go to Gales Point, that’s Myrna with the aspect of doing the music and things like that, so it’s a collaborative effort between herself and the actual drumming from Emmett.”
Marion Ali
“There was also a dictionary. Was she a part of that production?”
Marilyn Garvin
“Yeah, the dictionary translation along with Silvaana Udz. She was a part of that, all the translation. They formed a group of them because it’s not easy to translate. It’s a group of them who got together – the Creole Language Arm, Myrna and they went through that. They even had international supporters and assistance to do that – the Bible and the dictionary.”
