Dame Olga Lopes-Seale DAMBE, (26 December 1918 – 4 February 2011) was a Guyanese-born
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate) ...
-based social and community worker, radio broadcaster and singer.
Portuguese Guyanese
A Portuguese Guyanese is a Guyanese whose ancestors came from Portugal or a Portuguese who has Guyanese citizenship.
Demographics
People of Portuguese descent were mainly introduced to Guyana as indentured laborers to make up for the exodus of ...
indentured laborers. She sang and played mandolin and had performed in Guyana and Barbados before becoming a broadcaster for Radio Demerara (where she acquired the nickname "Auntie Olga"). In 1960, she started the Radio Needy Children's Fund. She married Barbadian Dick Seale, moving to Barbados in 1963 where she continued her radio and charity work.
In Barbados, she worked for the Barbados Rediffusion Services Limited (now Starcom Network) and was active in community work. In the 1940s and 1950s she was known as "the
Vera Lynn
Dame Vera Margaret Lynn (; 20 March 191718 June 2020) was an English singer and entertainer whose musical recordings and performances were very popular during World War II. She is honorifically known as the " Forces' Sweetheart", having giv ...
of the Caribbean". She discovered Red Plastic Bag (a Barbadian
Bridgetown
Bridgetown (UN/LOCODE: BB BGI) is the capital and largest city of Barbados. Formerly The Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael. Bridgetown is sometimes locally referred to as "The Ci ...
, Barbados.
Honors
Lopes-Seale has been honored for her work throughout the Caribbean:
* 1961 Member of the
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
* 1997 Inducted into the Caribbean Broadcasting Hall of Fame (in Suriname)
* 2002 Honored by the government of Guyana as one of 11 Guyanese Barbadians for outstanding contributions
* 2005 Dame of Order of St. Andrew (Barbados)
* 2010 Inducted into the Barbados Association of Journalists' Hall of Fame
* 2010 Theatre Guild of Guyana presented 'O' is for Olga, in tribute to the first female broadcaster in both Guyana and the Caribbean.
Cave Hill, Saint Michael, Barbados
Cave Hill, St. Michael, is a suburban area situated in the parish of Saint Michael, Barbados. It is located about 4 km north-west of the capital city Bridgetown, along the west coast of Barbados.
The University of the West Indies at Cave Hi ...