With the inaugural Guyana Festival slated to kick off next month, the Tourism Ministry yesterday launch-ed its “Generation Next” concert and also received $2M from Digicel Guyana to support the festival.
The Guyana Festival is slated for August 8 to 10 at the Guyana National Stadium and is expected to present a mixture of Guyanese traditional music, dance and local foods and arts.
The event is geared toward bringing awareness to the country’s diverse cultural heritage and also advertising Guyanese products locally, regional and internationally.
The Government Infor-mation Agency (GINA) reported that the “Genera-tion Next” concert is expected to close off the festival activities on August 10. It is aimed at promoting young, talented local artists. Jumo “Rubber Waist” Primo, Adrian Dutchin, Melissa “Vanilla” Roberts, First Born, Big Red, Rajesh Dubraj, Alabama, and Kwasie Edmonson are among the artistes that will be performing at the concert.
Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali stated that the concert will be a very exciting one filled with energy and enthusiasm. “Once our artistes are playing outside, it is the Golden Arrowhead that they will be taking with them,” he was quoted as saying.
GINA said Alabama and Vanilla expressed excitement about the event and their gratitude for being a part of the festival. Alabama was noted as saying that he loves to see the promotion of Guyanese talent.
Ali also encouraged persons to purchase their Festival passports which will allow them to enjoy great discounts at over 20 different business entities and allow them entry to all three days of the festival, GINA stated, adding that the passport holders will also have the opportunity of winning a new car through a raffle.
Ali stated that these passports were limited since only 10,000 were printed and almost half of them were sold.
These passports are available at 18 locations countrywide: Nigel’s Supermarket, Ashmins, Courts, N and S Mattai, Survival Supermar-ket, KK Gas Station (Mahai-ca), M and M Snackette, Courts at Parika, Church’s Chicken (Linden), Essential Care Pharmacy, G3 Building at Diamond Housing Scheme, Fat Boy’s Discount Store (Stelling Road, Vreed-en-Hoop), the Ministry of Tourism, and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) at the Sophia Exhibition Centre.
The festival is expected to a cook-off of traditional Guyanese cuisine with a team from Florida participating to cook Hassar Curry. The night before the concert, the festival will have a “Night of Legends” concert which will feature artists such as Dave Martins, Sammy Baksh, Terry Gajraj Yoruba Singers, Mighty Rebel, Sash Persaud, Celia Samaroo, Teddy Jones, Johnny Braff, Glenn Miller, Hilton Hemerding, Winston Caesar and Aubrey Mann.
Meanwhile, Digicel Guyana also pledged its support to the festival yesterday with a donation of $2M to the ministry, GINA stated, while adding that the company’s Advertising and Sales Manager, Alexis Longhorn, said the company was pleased to be on board with the Ministry as it is always looking at ways of giving back.
Ali welcomed the company on board while highlighting that the ministry has always received tremendous support from them, GINA said.
“This is exactly what we expect the festival to do, bringing our country together, our people together, celebrating together, dancing together, singing together, eating together, playing together, drumming together,” Ali said.
