Tag: mashramani

The children had their chance on Saturday and it was a mostly colourful, topical showcase of energised revelling.

Today, after months of preparation and millions of dollars in investment it is the day for Guyana’s ultimate Republic party. More than 30 bands are expected to hit the parade route in full and semi costumes. There will be additional contingents of T-shirt bands.

Guyanese from every corner, as well as international tourists, are expected to flock in their tens of thousands to the traditional Mashramani route from the assembly line at Camp and Church Streets.

They will follow the float parade that will be moving along Church Street, into Irving Street and along Thomas lands to observe and in some cases join in the revellery.

Officials of the National Mash committee are optimistic that it will be a good day full of sunshine and high energy. For some, from talk in the streets yesterday, it will be all out partying while for others it’s a perfect family time. They will find various spots on the Merriman Mall to place their picnic baskets filled with goodies.

Friends will reconnect and new acquaintances will be made but above all, the spectacle today will feature Guyana’s own carnival that promises to be mostly a full costumes affair of colours.

Now it’s the adults’ turn to compete for top prizes and designers for the coveted Designer of the Year title. Corporate Guyana numbering more than ten will be aiming for the top prizes for their costumes–the Individual Male and Female, and King and Queen crowns.

But the regions and other organisations will not be left out and neither will the religious bodies as this publication has confirmed that several political parties such as the PPP and the PNC as well as the AFC will be on the road in addition to the churches and the Hindu community.

The air of expectancy will be high also as thousands flock to the National Park stands as revellers participate in the annual Mashramani celebrations. At the location the competitive nature will be at an all time high too as the revellers seek to out do each other with co-ordinated and choreographed dance techniques before the final round of Judges.

After being out of the main competition last year, the creativity of the Facts ‘N Roses camp will be hot contenders through the more than 700 revellers in the GPL, and Banks DIH bands.

GPL will today be making its first appearance into the event with more than 200 revellers all focussed on promoting the use of the energy saver bulbs and the need for persons to stop using illegal connections and get back on the power grid in several individual costumes.

Designer Olympia Sonoram’s creativity will be paraded by the more than 400 revellers, individual males, and Females, Kings and Queens Floats of the Digicel and Carib bands.

The Carib band is focussed on promoting Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy and ecotourism with the message that the Caribbean Sun offers hope on the horizon through Guyana’s forest.

After four years of being out of the costume parade, Banks DIH is back in the road parade today with its 500 strong contingent that will offer a sea of red and gold costumes under that encourage all to toast to Guyana’s 40th republic anniversary and the theme is Our Country, our Life our Beer.

The Ministry of Culture, as the lead Ministry in today’s celebrations, focuses on ‘Saving the Forest’ and will share the message that Guyana is the lungs of the world through its rain forest.

The Public Service Ministry will present a contingent of 50 showcasing Minister Jennifer Westford’s vision of “securing Guyana’s present and future” in the small bands category.

The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs will focus its message on ensuring that “the forest must stay” while Region ten’s Brian Munroe’s creations and costumes will be focussed on ways to “save the planet”.

On the education front, the National Library has gone all out and will be presenting “Education to embrace our Cultural Diversity” where the Library will be presented as the Tree of Knowledge. It will also showcase the idea that knowledge is the doorway to career opportunities and the information resources offered by the national library.

The Education Ministry showcase will be one that borders on the theme of “education for all – a nation stands tall” through the integral partnership of the home, school and the community.

While the Ministry of Health’s participation remains a secret on the health front, the region three RDC will be out in their glory of shimmering colours with a message of “let’s help to prevent the pandemic rage.”
These are among the more elaborate of costumes that will be taking to the streets today.

By Mondale Smith

Today the nation’s children representing the ten regional education districts as well as Georgetown will take on each other in Calypso and dramatic poetry. Much sis expected as they focus on social commentary and youth issues through pieces penned by themselves, their teachers and their parents.

But thus far Georgetown is the district to beat following the education district’s win of most of the top spots in the dance competition staged yesterday while region 10 was the best at Masquerade.

The colour and energy was at an all-time competitive high especially for the dance segment that focussed on themes of Religious Belief, Interpretive and Legends and traditions.

The support was obvious from the screams that came in wild abandon every time the name of a Georgetown school introduced a performance and the screams were sustained  even to the end of each performance.

The various entries that put Georgetown above the other education districts yesterday included the children’s age group 5-7 age groups dance category in which St Margaret’s Primary offered a cute and convicting ‘Praise Him’ routine in the religious Belief category. They beat Region 10’s Regma Primary’s ‘Butterflies Paradise’ and Region 3’s Malgretout primary ‘Pressing forward with perseverance and endurance’ which placed second and third respectively.

Georgetown’s second win was through St Margaret’s primary this time in the 8-10 age group segment with the inspirational ‘Light to the world’ item that offered hope in choreographed moves to the soul searching “carry your candle,” gospel song.

Region four ‘Humble worship’ placed second while Region three’s display to Michael Jackson’s ‘earth song’ landed them in the third spot.

Georgetown was again number one in the 11-13 individual dance category through St Margaret student Karisha Charles religious belief dance that sent the cultural centre into thunderous applauses and her tool Whitney Houston’s competitive  “I look to you” hit.

Pujah Boodoo of region two ‘mother of light’ came in second.

While Regma Primary’s total eclipse of the heart battle of Love was a crowd favourite that got standing ovations, it was Georgetown through Richard Ishmael secondary ‘African Vibrations’ that  won the Legends and Traditions  showcase in the 11-13 age  group dance category.

Georgetown ruled over regions 4 and 2 in the 14-17 age group individual dance and the star was Shaquila Hollingsworth   of Totorial High school who’s showcase sent a message that despite your situation ‘God is the answer.’

Georgetown also won the Group category of the   14-17 age group competition with a high energy performance that featured Soca sensation Jumo singing live to their ‘Culture Overload.’

Masquerade in peril

But while the dance routines showcase that much more time was spent on choreography and for a greater part on costumes if yesterday’s showcases are anything to go by then masquerade is heading towards extinction.

In the masquerade competitions save for a few the flouncers and bands for the most part lacked most of the steps of traditional masquerading and in most cases too, the costumes did not  bring out the colourful showcases normally associated with the art form.  But in the end Alistair Thomas of Region 2 flounced his way into the top spot as the better of the two entries in 5-7 age group.  Mackenzie primary student Shamiah Ennis was the other contender while in the 5-7 Band category region 10 was the only entrant.

Region four through Clonbrook Primary student Andre Toney got sweet revenge in the 8-10 individual masquerade category with the Jolly flouncer. Regma Primary student Joy Hinds of region ten settled for second while Georgetown settled for third through North Ruimveldt student Anthony Pitt who flounced as a northern reveller.

Amidst the heated competition there were some entertaining moments such as the mad cow dancer from Aurora primary who had to do his manoeuvres amidst grabbing his pants waist to ensure that his pants did not fall to his ankles. But in the end it was Region five’s Mahaicony ‘Primary Joy’ ride showcase that won the 8-10 age group Masquerade Band category over region 4 and 3.

Another top performer in the Masquerade competition was Aurora Secondary Student Ricardo Gordon who copped the top spot for region two in the 11-13 individual flouncing category. Region 10 ruled the 11-13 band masquerade competition over Georgetown.

The day’s competition concluded with the individual and group masquerade competitions that saw Linden copping the two top spots in both categories. Domanique Babb stand tall for his Mackenzie High while New Silver City showed that they got flounce above   Georgetown’s offerings.

By Mondale Smith

For some Mashramani is the celebration after hard work, for others it’s the coming together of the six races to celebrate as one people, and still for others it’s a time of reflecting, catching up with old friends and meeting new ones.

Mashramani is an Amerindian word which means ‘celebration after hard work’. This year it took on a different meaning, Mashramani meant coming together and carrying on in euphoria despite the recent tragedies affecting Guyana and its people. These tragedies threatened the success of this year’s activity but Guyanese pressed on and came together to make this years celebration as enjoyable as past years.
Though not as big as previous years and lacking the participation of some big bands, the revellers took to the streets, gyrating to both local and international soca songs, in their creative and colourful costumes they showed the true spirit of Guyanese, a kind people, a hospitable people, a people that would stand together no matter what. The bands were few but the hype and excitement that came with the revellers spoke volumes.

The bands and revellers weren’t the only ones contributing to the Mash spirit, the spectators both young and old, from all backgrounds and ethnicities added to the festivities. Either dressed in their traditional colours, carrying their flags high, picnicking with family and friends, or simply gyrating to the music, Guyanese were out in their numbers and enjoying every minute of it.
Mashramani is considered one of the most colourful festivals on the Guyanese calendar, this year proved no different. The Church, Digicel’s ‘Odyssey’, Concept Entertainment’s ‘Nature’s Way’, the Ministries of Health, Education, Culture Youth and Sport, among other organizations all helped in creating colour and excitement and celebrating togetherness.
The beauty of Guyana was highlighted by many of these bands through the festive costumes wore by revellers, the ease in which they came together and celebrated despite the hiccups in the country; this signals the strength evident in all Guyanese and the hope that things will return to normalcy. GT&T did not participate but remained patriotic by sponsoring a section of the Body of Christ’s Band. Other local businesses and organizations pitched in and assisted in one way or the other in making Mash 2008 the success it was.
Guyanese did not fail to showcase the beauty of their country and their personality as a people, despite the mayhem in the country; they celebrated together as a people and as a country willing to move forward.

The event was pure Guyanese, according to Adrian Dutchin “100% Guyanese from my head straight down to my toes”. Adrian Dutchin and many of our Guyanese artistes, as they prefer to be called, were out and about with the bands and revelers. Shelly G, Vanilla, Jumo, Malo and others were there to support and to add to the festivities. The artistes were not only present but their songs were played throughout the mash procession.

The celebrations ended earlier this year than past years, owning to the situation in the country many persons were afraid to stay out of their homes too late and added to that Guyana was playing in the semi- final position in the Stanford 20/20 competition so persons were eager to go home early. Cricket a Guyanese thing!
Not the youngsters though, the usual after mash lime which is usually from Texaco Service Station to Popeye’s on Vlissengen Road was in full swing. Persons were still in the mash spirit gyrating and carrying on to the music being played. For Guyanese a party is a party regardless of the negativities surrounding certain issues. The number of persons out was not as much as previous years but persons were out nonetheless. Those who weren’t chatting with friends or ‘wining’ to the music being played were glowed to the portable television in a car in front of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) showing the 20/20 match between Guyana and Jamaica.

The night wasn’t done there. The club going ‘passe’ was having a ball in either Blue Iguana who had Caribbean artistes Denise Belfon and Peter Ram or the Tunnel who simply had a soca party. Guyanese needed an avenue to collect themselves and reconnect with society and Mash did this for them. It allowed them to have a good time without thinking about the situation in the country; to go out with family and friends and to enjoy our culture as one people.

Mashramani was not only a celebration after hard work but it was a celebration of unity and togetherness for the Guyanese people in a time when they needed it most. The day set aside to honour our Republic and our culture was well received and supported. And it was indeed 100% a Guyanese thing.
By – Schemel Patrick