Dear Editor,
Guyana hosted the last round and the play-offs of the recently concluded CPL 2022 Tournament. By all accounts, well, at least by Governmental assessment, it was a very good effort by the organizers. Expectations were met and exceeded. Co-branded “Cricket Carnival”, the tournament indeed had an electrifying carnival-like atmosphere. There was heightened fervency and cricket mania that had been absent for many years, in particular the pandemic restricted years. Indeed, CPL 2022 and Cricket Carnival provided a much needed boost for Guyana; especially so in its tourism and hospitality sectors. Figures indicated that upward of 30,000 visitors arrived in the South American country in the month of September. That, according to official governmental statements, was a record. It is posited that the majority of visitors arrived mainly for the cricket and the festivities. While this success is being celebrated by locals and Guyana officials, there are calls to make it bigger and better in the next two years that Guyana will continue to host the last round and play-offs of CPL. Charles Ramson, the Minister of Sports, Youth and Culture is reported to have said, “We set an ambitious target that we wanna become the events capital of the Caribbean and there is still a lot for us to do but we’re off to a great start.”
He also tempered expectations by adding that, “There are lots of lessons that we are learning. We have to do review sessions on every event and say that there are areas that we have to improve on.”
So while the cricket was typical fever pitched events and the spectator engagement and attendance was nothing short of spectacular, it should also be noted that the Cricket Carnival events held across the country were equally well received. They were for the most part family friendly and wholesome. However, things got off the wheels at the conclusion of the tournament. If the post final concert at the National Stadium at Providence with Jamaican Dancehall artiste “Spice” was an indication, that and the Carnival the following day were anything but family friendly and wholesome. Those events, while intended to be festive and decent were anything but. They turned out to be some of the most lewd, vile and vulgar scenes witnessed in Guyana.
It was a descent into bacchanalia, nudity and debauchery with scantily clad or rather almost naked revellers, shamelessly gyrating against each other, sexualizing their every move in full public glare in front of minors, families and other innocent viewers on broadcast television. By no stretch of the imagination were these family friendly events. So if Mr. Charles Ramson is earnest and genuinely wants to improve upon this as a product, he must be honest with himself and see this year’s version for what it was. The importation of foreign artiste at the expense of local talent, the wholesale borrowing and co-opting of alien cultural practices that are detrimental to Guyanese social mores and culture ought not to be repeated.
As Minister of Culture, he ought to know that while Guyana is regionally aligned with other Caribbean Nations, its culture, though similar in some aspects is different from that of Jamaica, Brazil and yes, even Trinidad especially so when it comes to festivals and festivities. As a product and brand, Guyana’s festivities must be marketed as a wholly Guyanese experience; unique and different from other regional states. Guyana must focus on defining its own cultural practices centred upon good wholesome family values and avoid copying the degenerative practices of others.
Sincerely,
Jay Mobeen
