– improvement in masquerades promised
The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport on Friday launched the 2013 Mashramani celebrations under the theme ‘Reflecting Creativity, Embracing Diver-sity’, promising a larger contingent of participants and support from the private sector.
Minister of Culture, Dr Frank Anthony, predicted that Mash 2013 will see more than 200,000 persons lining the roads which lead to the National Park, to catch a glimpse of the float parade.
Anthony said the celebrations will see support from companies such as Banks DIH and Ansa McAl, which have been on board over the years, while more support has been promised by the private sector. He said that apart from the February 23 float parade, the ministry has planned a number of events to keep traditions alive.
He added that there will be some improvement in the masquerade sector, which is deemed as slowly fading from the Guyanese culture, and there will be a number of workshops dealing with this. There will also be an international drumming conference, which will invite drummers from all over the Caribbean in December of this year.
An excursion that will take interested persons to the Berbice River and Fort Nassau is also on the agenda.
Anthony also unveiled the logo for Mashramani 2013.
In a presentation on his new book called Mash: Its Origin and Development, University of Guyana Deputy Vice Chancellor Al Creighton said it is based on a research of similar national events, which are observed around the Caribbean.
The event, which was open to the public, saw spectators being entertained by a number of cultural presentations including a masquerade band from Linden, called the Torch, which dazzled the crowd, frolicking around an open spot in front of the stage which was erected in front of the ministry’s building on Main Street.
On the stage were models who displayed national birds of Guyana, which were designed by Bravo Arts.
Also on display were potential costumes for Mash 2013.
There were also special appearances by some prominent Guyanese, including Miss United Nations, Soyini Fraser, top designers and Miss Guyana Universe 2012, Ruqayyah Boyer, just to name a few.
The event which had over 200 people in attendance, seated around the makeshift stage, attracted the attention of tourists and visitors to Guyana, who could be seen inquiring what it was all about.
Stabroek News spoke with visitor Michael Bourne, who is in Guyana on an assignment. He explained that he was jogging along Main Street, heading back to his hotel, when he saw the colours and people. “I just had to stop and gaze at the people dancing on the road dressed up in their funny-looking costumes [masqueraders],” he said.
“Actually, I don’t know what the event is about. I just asked a lady and she explained that it was a carnival kinda thing that you guys have here which would be celebrated next year.”
When this newspaper asked him if he would return next year for the celebration, Bourne responded: “Of course”.
