The Banchikilli songs are the intangible cultural heritage owned by the Lokonos of Moruca. Self-described as 'Spanish' Arawaks, the identity marker 'Spanish' distinguishes the group from other Lokonos of Guyana. The Spanish Arawaks trace their heritage to Venezuela, having been forced to migrate to Guyana to escape persecution from the new independent Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The Spanish Arawaks say that the Banchikilli genre was brought by their foreparents which they have preserved. Banchikilli, translated to mean 'to play with the banjo and violin', is a hybrid of the ancient Lokono melody and the indigenous Joropo, the national music of Venezuela.
A Future Generations Global Network funded project reflecting the cultural diversity within three small-scaled grassroots multiethnic and multicultural societies, Strathspey, Plaisance and Soesdyke, in Guyana.
