THE inaugural Guyana Festival – Sound, Soul and Taste is scheduled to be opened on August 8; and for the very first time, the fusion of the six different cultures that comprise the Guyanese tapestry will be brought together to reflect a true melting pot that is ideally the Guyanese identity.

This event is slated to take place at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence from August 8-10 2014, and the National Steel Orchestra, the Woodside Choir and Nrityageet dancers are among the line-up in a star-studded national concert that will kick-off a weekend of celebrations that are uniquely Guyanese.

The gates will be open from 15:00hrs, and the celebrations will commence with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) conducting an air show that starts at 17:00hrs.

The Guyana Festival National Concert is to be held under the theme ‘Myths and Legends…Sweet, Sweet Guyana.’ It is just one element of an action-packed weekend; a host of other events and attractions will be taking place at the Stadium, including live music, kids zone complete with Coney Island, and daily displays of art and craft.

Tourism Minister (ag) Irfaan Ali explained, “The concert is the headline event in an exciting weekend of Guyana Festival celebrations, which will ensure that the National Stadium in Guyana is the place to be!” He urged all Guyanese to participate in this event, and indicated that the festival is already attracting tremendous support.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to have attracted such a fantastic line-up. The sheer variety of performers is sure to appeal to family audiences. There’s plenty for younger concert-goers, but also acts that their parents will enjoy,” Minister Ali said.

The ‘Night of the Legends’, slated for August 9, 2014, has an exciting line-up of the best local music, bands and artistes to perform at the event. It is expected to give patrons an experience of a lifetime to witness all our Guyanese artistes belting out renditions that were only talked about.
Persons slated to perform at this event are Dave Martins, Aubrey Mann, Teddy Jones, Glen ‘Fluff’ Miller, Hilton Hemmerding, Johnny Braff, Terry Gajraj, Mighty Rebel, Devindra Pooran, Sammy Baksh, Sash Persaud, Yoruba Singers, Winston ‘Zar’ Caesar and Celia Samaroo.

The ‘Generation Next’ Concert will take place on August 10, and some of our young and energetic artistes who will be performing are Jumo “Rubber Waist” Primo, Melissa “Vanilla” Roberts, First Born, Big Red, Rajesh Dubraj, Alabama, Adrian Dutchin, and Kwasie Edmonson.

The Festival Cookout is also slated for August 10. Mr. Looknauth Persaud, head of the Festival Cookout Committee and owner of Kings Jewellery World, said all Guyanese are welcome to participate in the Festival Cookout, as this will provide the chance for them to showcase their skills. He said, “This is the opportunity for Guyanese to come out and showcase their skills. There is excitement about the event, and we want this to kick-start new businesses.”

Persaud reiterated that persons and groups interested in participating in this exciting and novel event can access the registration forms from the website www. Guyana festival.gy or visit the Facebook page: Guyana Festival.

The Guyana festival has attracted the support of corporate Guyana in a tremendous way, said Minister Ali at a past press briefing. He noted that “these companies are allowing us the opportunity to bring this festival to the Guyanese public, and their contributions reflect their commitment to fulfilling their corporate responsibilities.”

Guyana Festival passports are available for the event, and are in great demand. Priced at $3000 each, this allows entry on all three days, includes thousands of dollars’ worth of coupons, and gives holders a chance to win a car!

The passports can be uplifted from the following locations: Nigel’s Supermarket, Ashmin’s Store, Courts, N and S Mattai, Survival Supermarket, KK Gas Station (Mahaica), M and M Snackette, Courts at Parika, Churchs Chicken at Linden, Essential Care Pharmacy, G3 Building at Diamond Housing Scheme, Fat Boy Discount Store (Stelling Road Vreed-en-Hoop), the Ministry of Tourism’s South Road Office, and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) at the Sophia Exhibition Centre.
Written By Rebecca Ganesh-Ally