By A. A. Fenty
Trouble? Mashramani? What trouble can there be with Mashramani anyway?
Trouble there is aplenty in this struggling-to-develop Republic. But for non-Guyanese and the indifferent or uninformed Guyanese, let me remind all about just what is the origin, meaning and intent of “Mashramani”. Then I’ll share a few views on the subject with which you must feel free to accept, reject, or better, consider carefully.
“Mashramani”?
Many Guyanese and other researchers do know the beginnings of this February celebration. Aware that the Forbes Burnham administration, four years after negotiating Guyana’s political independence, had taken Constitutional steps to convert Guyana into Republican Status (as the “Cooperative Republic of Guyana”), beginning on February 23, 1970, the Junior Chamber of Commerce (the Jaycees) of the Upper Demerara River, bauxite town of Mc Kenzie, decided to do something gala, but something different, to mark the grand national occasion.
Led by community personages like Herman Nobreiga, Basil Butcher, Nick Adams, Claude Saul, Jimmy Hamilton, et al, the Jaycees solicited the guidance of cultural consultants like A J Seymour, Adrian Thompson and Wordsworth Mc Andrew, outlining their vision for a celebration not unlike Trinidad’s carnival but which had to introduce unique, indigenous elements of Guyanese culture, customs and heritage.
This writer appreciates that, on occasions such as those, one need not re-invent the wheel. However that the Jaycees turned to Trinidad and gave local descriptions to T and T’s creations, might have been just one local salute to Trinidadian creativity, when the idea was to be wholly original. Anyhow, Trinidad’s Ole Mas became Linden’s Revolt Dance, Jouvert became FO-DAY MAANIN JUMP UP, CALYPSO tried to be SHANTO, QUEEN was replaced by Comrade Mashramani or “Monarch” and they allowed the COSTUME BANDS AND FLOAT PARADE to retain the descriptions and nature they had EVEN BEFORE Independence in 1966.
The name Mashramani was provided by MR ALLAN FIEDTKOW, His Arawak forebears who traversed and lived way up the Demerara at Malali and further, recalled “muster-many”. This was a muster or meeting planning a big community-wide event. That would result in hunting, fishing, gathering and culminating in the implementation of the event. THE CELEBRATION AFTERWARDS approximated to a word, which, in English, came out as “MASHRA-MANI”- a celebration after a community co-operative effort. The Jaycees needed little convincing. “Mash” was introduced into Guyana’s national lexicon – and psyche.
Well, the Linden 1970 Republican celebrations were grand. Georgetown, the capital, introduced the Parliamentary approval removing all vestiges of control from Britain; the Republic Song was introduced and the Queen’s representatives brought her inevitable blessings. But Linden’s days-long Mashramani celebration was the envy of the country. So much so, that Georgetown – and the Burnham Cabinet – “nationalised” the Republican celebrations for and in the name of the entire country.
DEVELOPMENT AND DISAPPOINTMENT
If we must “fast-forward” this backward look at the national celebration-turned-festival, it would read thus: between 1970 to the early eighties the Mashramani festival flourished – in terms of government support, private-sector sponsorship and popular participation.
The government knew it was on to a good annual “thing”. Mashramani submerged the political and burgeoning socio-economic woes. Creativity and celebration provided both spectacle and stress relief. Top-class designers, singers, musicians, dance groups and the commandeered Education Ministry ensured early sustained success. Neil Chan, David Lanyi, John Fernandes, Winfield James, Godfrey Chin, Canary, Hemerding, Spurwing, Yoruba Singers, Cannon-Balls, Fire-In-The-Land, Quo Vadis, Kaietuckians, In-vaders, the National Dance Company, are among a line-up of names which guaranteed good mas and meaningful involvement. (You decide on their respective creative disciplines).
It is this writer’s view that no matter how they tried, the later national organisers of the festival, could not hide the fact –notwithstanding grand attempts at Guyanaising the celebrations with “local” music, use of local materials and descriptions – THAT MASHRAMANI COPIED MUCH FROM TRINIDAD’S CARNIVAL, lock, stock and barrel, with the Costume Bands on the big day (February 23) always being the yardstick with which to measure the “success” of Mash.
Alas, the “Oil Crisis”, the severe lack of foreign exchange, the compulsory Mass Games and People’s Parade and, yes, the divisive politics of rigging and race, diminished many appetites for Mashramani.
And the migration of many of the country’s best creative minds, planners and performers did not help either. Came 1992/1993, a long-delayed change of government and Mash was at the cross-roads.
MASHRAMANI, SINCE THE PPP/C
Unlike many carnivals and national observances elsewhere, Guyana’s Republican celebration still depends heavily on government financial support for its existence. This, of course, started from its inception. Governments have been generous, for their own reasons, but ironically, that, in part, could be “the trouble with Mashramani”.
An unfortunate dependency-syndrome has developed whereby contestants, participants, even the private sector take their cue from government’s budget and provision for the festival. Art-form proponents DEPEND on “de govament” to promote and subsidise the art-forms – dance, masquerade, steelband, calypso, chutney, (with soca being a remarkable private-sector exception.)
And when new PPP/C Education/Culture Minister REVEREND Dale Bisnauth, an open-minded Indo-Guyanese, implied that Mashramani was enjoyed mainly by Afro-Guyanese, to the exclusion of the rest of the population, a socio-political storm was sparked. There were and are those who think that Mashramani – really the celebratory aspect of the country’s Republican Anniversary – emphasises the Carnival, bacchanalian aspect too much. But I’ll return to that contention later.
Suffice to observe that Minister Gail Teixeira’s tenure as Culture Minister saw a planned rejuvenation of sorts for the festival. A National Mash Management Committee, backed by a Secretariat headed by an indefatigable and committed Lennox Canterbury, superintended renewed national interest, under her watch.
The Committee reached out to the bureaucratic– bound Regional Administra-tions; to the sometimes reluctant private sector, (Teixeira even invited then to Sunday – brunch pep-talks); to designers and to calypsonians, steel-bandsmen not known to be properly organised for their own good. The Education Ministry’s Allied Arts Department found renewed vigour and Mash and its high-point, the Costume/Float Parade, re-captured lost attention. But what is the position today?
REBELLION, POLITICS AND MASH
This writer is one who shares the view that the Republic’s Anniversary celebrations, though located in the genesis and February – month of the 1763 Berbice Slave Rebellion, never accommodated the academic or intellectual elements and underpinnings of that landmark Guyanese slave-led revolution against the Europeans.
The “trouble” is that, unlike other festivals which make sure to explain and depict the myth, origins and tradition of the event, Mashramani’s relative “newness” and emphases on jump-and-wave,/kaiso-soca sport, has rendered it mainly a carnival without having any of its authors’ rationale explained. So that more understanding and pride could be generated by the festival today.
I always remind contentious PNC types that they could still lay claim to Mash; it was “theirs”. Even though their post – 1997 politics inspired them to forge “two Mashramani’s” for two or three years. (Mash as a political object!) All must be involved!
Current Minister of Culture, Dr. Frank Anthony, still has Co-ordinator Canterbury at his side. Over the past three years he has really channelled his energies into promoting a revival of standards in the challenged art-forms that infuse the Mash celebrations. Last year’s CARIFESTA 10 was the hope of rejuvenation and renaissance of all the arts and arts-forms here. The national jury is still out on whether that objective was achieved.
THIS FRIDAY’S LAUNCH, 2010 EXPECTATIONS
The Minister is meeting feverishly with groups which are “stake-holders” in the festival’s success. He has injected new blood, brains and ideas into his National Mashramani Management Committee – led by Dr. James Rose, the still brand-new Director of Culture; people from the University of Guyana, Dave Martins, of the iconic TradeWinds, Godfrey Chin (hopefully), Reps from the Tourism Sector and so on.
This writer has asked the Minister to persuade and inspire the shy, reluctant insurance Companies Travel Agencies, Banks, Hotels and many others who never threw themselves into Mash with sponsorship or support. This writer has also pointed the Minister and Committee to study the rampant SUCCESS OF THE FANTASTIC DIWALI MOTORCADES AND THE FINANCIALLY HIGH-PROFILE SPORT OF MOTOR-RACING. WHAT MAKES THEM SO SUCCESSFUL AND MASHRAMANI SO “ORDINARY”?
They’re launching the 2010 Mashramani Celebrations this Friday. Since, for better or for worse, Mash 2010 will mark FORTY YEARS as a Republic for Guyana, expectations for an improved, inclusive festival are high. Some new elements, such as unique exhibitions and demonstrations, national quizzes and debates, folk-song competitions and re-enactments of our rituals, are being mooted. What chance of success? Obviously, Mashramani cries out for innovative national support. Will it attract that this time around?
It is planned to consider the effects of the VAT on costs; to persuade reluctant designers to offer packages to groups of small businesses; and to really sell Mashramani, through the Tourism authorities, to the GUYANESE DIASPORA.
CAN WE DO IT? YES, WE SHOULD!
