There is a particular kind of joy that comes from meeting someone who has spent a lifetime celebrating culture, community, and simply enjoying the moment. In this edition of After the Makers: What We Carry, we meet Tamal “Tim” Hanuman, proudly known as the King of Carnival. A Guyanese-American from Berbice, Tim brings an unmistakable energy to every conversation, and his message to the next generation is refreshingly simple: enjoy life, embrace your heritage, and be yourself.
Tim’s journey is also a story of migration and community-building. He arrived in the United States in 1977, at a time when the Guyanese community in Minnesota was still very small. He recalls a community of roughly 30 Guyanese people, a small beginning that would eventually grow into a much more established Guyanese presence in the state. During those early years, Tim and others helped create spaces where Guyanese and West Indians could gather, connect, and share their culture.
Music became an important part of that journey. Tim remembers being involved in the development of the early Guyanese and West Indian music scene in Minnesota, including the formation of one of the community’s early bands. Those experiences were about much more than music. They created opportunities for people who had left Guyana to find connection, friendship, and familiarity in a new environment.
Today, Tim remains deeply connected to Carnival and Caribbean culture. Proudly calling himself the King of Carnival, he even has the crown to prove it. When asked where he got his crown, his answer was simple: he bought it. The moment captures the humor and personality that make Tim such a memorable character, but behind the laughter is a genuine commitment to celebrating culture and creating joy.
For Tim, enjoying Carnival means enjoying it fully. Whether it is Carnival or CARIFEST, he says he likes to experience everything from beginning to end, staying late into the night and joining the celebration wherever the energy takes him. For him, celebration is not something to watch from a distance. It is something to participate in.
That same philosophy shapes his view of life. When asked whether young people can be taught how to create joy, Tim’s response is straightforward: enjoy life to the fullest and make sure you have fun. It is advice that sounds simple, but coming from someone who has spent decades building community and celebrating culture, it carries considerable weight.
For members of the Guyanese diaspora, joy and heritage are often deeply connected. Food, music, Carnival, stories, traditions, and community gatherings provide ways for people to remain connected to a homeland even when they are thousands of miles away. For younger generations, those experiences can become an important part of understanding where their families come from and how their own identities have been shaped.
Tim’s own experience reflects that connection. Although he has lived in the United States since 1977, Guyana remains very much a part of who he is. His Berbice roots, his involvement in Caribbean culture, and his pride in the Golden Arrowhead all remain central to his identity.
That pride is something he wants younger Guyanese to carry forward. His message is that Guyana is not simply a place you leave behind when you migrate. It becomes something you carry within you.
“Your Guyana is in your heart,” Tim says, encouraging young people to enjoy every moment of their Guyanese heritage and to remain true to themselves.
That final part of his message may be the most important. Tim encourages young people not to become what someone else expects them to be. Instead, he wants them to embrace who they are, celebrate where they come from, and find their own way of expressing that identity.
Our conversation with Tim was recorded at Minnesota Guyana Day, hosted by the Guyanese Association of Minnesota, a registered 501(c)(3) organization. The organization was co-founded by Trevor Samaroo, Jaya Soma James, and Annet Singh.
Established in 2018, Minnesota Guyana Day was created to bring the culture, food, and music of Guyana to Minnesota while also helping Guyanese youth learn about the history of their homeland and preparing them for success in the United States. The annual gathering provides an important space for culture and community to meet, bringing together generations of Guyanese and friends of Guyana.
The story of Minnesota Guyana Day is also a reminder that diaspora communities are built collectively. Behind every cultural celebration are people who organize, volunteer, perform, cook, teach, sponsor, support, and show up. Their combined efforts create the spaces where culture can continue to live and grow.
That idea sits at the heart of After the Makers: What We Carry. The series explores the people who carry pieces of Guyana with them and the ways those traditions, values, memories, and experiences continue to shape communities outside of the homeland.
Tim carries his Guyana through music, Carnival, community, humor, and pride. His journey from Berbice to Minnesota reflects a broader Guyanese story of migration and adaptation, but also one of resilience and cultural continuity.
Perhaps that is why his final advice feels so fitting. After decades of living, creating, celebrating, and helping to build community, Tim keeps the message simple: enjoy who you are, embrace your heritage, and be yourself.
Minnesota Guyana Day continues that work by creating opportunities for Guyanese culture, food, music, history, and community to be experienced in Minnesota. More information about the event and the organization can be found through Minnesota Guyana Day on Facebook, or by contacting the organization at mnguyanaday@gmail.com.
After the Makers: What We Carry is a storytelling series from The Corriverton Co. focused on the people, communities, traditions, and experiences shaping the Guyanese diaspora. Rooted in Berbice, The Corriverton Co. documents life beyond Guyana and the stories of Guyanese people wherever their journeys take them.
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