THE thousands of patrons who poured into the Guyana National Stadium to witness the opening of the inaugural Guyana Festival were treated to the thrills and skills of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) parachuters who had set the bar very high.

With the plaiting of the ‘May Pole’ to the renditions of folk songs done by our youths, and the merging of the various styles of dancing created on one stage, the opening ceremony of the Guyana Festival mesmerised all. Our culture is not complete without the fusing of our drums that hyped the crowd to their feet.
Speaking at the opening ceremony held at the Guyana National Stadium Providence, Minister of Tourism (ag) Irfaan Ali congratulated and thanked his hard working staff and corporate Guyana, because without their support and hard work we would not have been able to enjoy the well-coordinated ceremony.
Ali passionately declared: “This is the best opportunity for us to celebrate in confidence who we are to celebrate and what makes us this diverse.” He explained that as one people we celebrate in confidence our culture and our heritage and with this we are showing the world that this diverse culture of ours is still intact and we are ready to share it with the world.
Ali concluded emphatically: “In confidence we will move Guyana forward, together all of us, hand in hand we will unite and build Guyana. Tonight we as Guyanese are confident that we want a better country and with this confidence we will ensure that we will build and nurture our beautiful country.”
The National Concert, held under the theme ‘Myths and Legends …Sweet, Sweet Guyana’ gave the audience a glimpse of the spectacular multiple entrances featuring Guyanese diverse folkloric figures such as: Moon Gazers, Mother Sallys, stilt men, Chinese Dragon, Mad Cows, Masakouriman, Fayemaid and a range of colourful human male and female costume, which were an explanation of our cultural heritage and depicted in the form of drama giving the audience a reminder of, or, an all together new experience.
President Donald Ramotar joined with the Minister of Tourism in congratulating all those involved in making this event a reality. “Man shall not live on bread alone but we need also culture, song, dance, our traditions, these are very important,” Ramotar exhorted.
He explained that our people came from all corners of the earth and that is the reason for our diverse cultures and this is a reflection that we are true to our country’s motto: ‘One People, One Nation, One Destiny.’
“We have the ability to fuse a unique Guyanese culture by building on what our fore parents gave us and this is what will define us,” he said.
President Ramotar emphasised that as our economy grows the arts will develop, our culture will develop and this is why the Government will continue to pursue many of the important projects that is presently in the pipeline to ensure that our economy continues to grow. “One of the most important of this is the construction of the hydro power plant to give our people cheap electricity, these are the dreams that the Government has for our country,” he noted.
As President Ramotar declared the Guyana Festival open, he concluded by urging all Guyanese: “Let us work together, let us build Guyana, and let us build our future.”
Written By Rebecca Ganesh-Ally