Guyanese-owned Club Timehri marks 27 years of Caribbean nightlife in Washington
The Adams Morgan bar, named after Guyana's former main airport, has given Caribbean immigrants and their families a place to reconnect with their roots since 1999.
WASHINGTON, United States. Club Timehri, a Guyanese-owned bar in Washington's Adams Morgan neighbourhood, celebrated its 27th anniversary on October 23, marking more than two decades of bringing Caribbean music and culture to the US capital.
Co-owner Jonathan Wells, who was born and raised in Georgetown, said the business began in 1999 to fill a gap in Washington's nightlife.
"Back then, if you wanted to hear Caribbean music, you had to leave the city or head to the edges of it," Wells said. "There was nowhere in the heart of D.C. that was authentically Caribbean."
Wells moved to the United States at 17 to attend Texas A&M University. Missing the music and culture of home, he began organising Caribbean parties before moving to Washington in 1997 and joining Club Timehri. His business partner, Shawn Ramdat, who is from Essequibo, became co-owner in 2006.
A taste of home
The name reflects that heritage. Timehri is the former name of Guyana's main airport, now Cheddi Jagan International Airport, and Wells told Caribbean Life it was chosen to create the feeling of visiting Guyana without leaving Washington.
Over the years the venue has become a gathering place where Caribbean immigrants feel at home, long-time patrons reconnect and younger generations experience the music that shaped their parents and grandparents. Wells said the atmosphere is deliberately welcoming, with comfortable seating, no dress code and affordable drinks, and likened it to a house party with professional DJs and bartenders.
Surviving a changing scene
Keeping that going has not been easy. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the club went 16 months without revenue. The owners have also faced a changing nightlife industry as Caribbean music gained wider popularity and competition grew.
"It's not like we're a captive audience anymore," Wells said.
To reach younger patrons, students and newcomers, the owners have turned to social media and event platforms and introduced new sounds, including amapiano parties. Reggae, dancehall, soca and other Caribbean music remain central to the club's identity.
"If you're asking about success, what more can you ask for than still being around and still being in business after all these years?" Wells said.
