APPROXIMATELY 30 bands are expected to be part of this year’s Mashramani float and costume parade, which will put the spotlight on government’s agenda of promoting a “green” economy.“We’re expecting 30 – 32 bands to be on the road, that is what the average has been,” said Mash Event Coordinator, Lennox Canterbury, at a news conference last week. The news conference was held by the Organising Committee at the Ministry of Education’s Department of Culture, Youth and Sport head office on Main Street. The notion of incorporating Guyana’s green economy concept was well received by many of the designers, he said.
“What we’re trying to do is as much as stay within the national concept of a green economy. We’ve been meeting with the Mash Camps and discussing with them, use, and recycling of the costumes at the end of the day. We spoke to them with respect to activities like avoiding the footprint; and the use of local indigenous materials,” Canterbury explained.
Canterbury said too that there will be a shift from how some organisations will be displaying their bands. “A number of organisations have somewhat adjusted the way in which they want to do it, not necessarily government organisations. They are not focusing so much on having big costume bands but looking at the individual pieces, what we call the king the queen, they’re looking to focus on that because they feel they can get more mileage,” Canterbury said.
Canterbury, also touched on the change of route to the Brickdam course from the lengthier Church Street journey, noting that the pros and cons were considered and at the end of the day “some want it to go longer, some want it to go shorter, everyone has their liking”.
Nonetheless, Canterbury assured that revellers who will be out for the celebrations can expect the usual hype, and fanfare on Mash day, as well as in the activities leading up to Mash Day. Last week’s conference had followed the committee’s release of the “Mashramani 2017 Calendar of Activities” earlier this month.
The activities included the continuation of the usual cultural festivities including the Calypso competition, chutney competition, steel band concerts, children’s aspects, masquerade competition, national exhibition, and the new addition of the Indian dance competition. However, many will notice the calendar does not include a Soca competition. The committee explained that this is due to the fact that the competition’s chief sponsor, Ansa McAl could not come on board for the event this year as they were already sponsoring three other private Mashramani related events.
However, the year will not go without a soca competition, as one will be slated for later in the year.
As it relates to the other events, observed under this year’s Mashramani theme of ““Celebration with dignity, liberty and greater unity”, the activities will be done at two levels: the regional and national levels. But even a lot of the national activities is expected to be held all across the country.
“We try as much to let people understand that Georgetown is not Guyana. So what we are doing is we’re taking activities at the National level into the regions, even as much as the regions would have their own activities.” Canterbury said.
With this aim there are steel band competitions in New Amsterdam, Bartica, Region 10, and Parika; the Junior Calypso competition is set for Bartica; and there’s chutney finals at the Canje Ground in Berbice.
Canterbury, was joined at the head table yesterday by the Children’s Mash Coordinator, Desiree Wyles-Ogle and the Steel band Coordinator, Andrew Tyndall. Wyles Ogle, shared that the children’s aspects of the Mash celebrations will also reflect the regional and national aspects, with the grand Children’s Costume and Float Parade set for February 11. This year’s Mashramani activities are set to incur an overall cost of approximately $40 million.