THE relatively quiet Main and Quamina Streets will come alive on Thursday with rich cultural performances from some of the country’s renowned artistes and groups, as the Ministry of Education’s Department of Culture ushers in its 2017 Mashramani celebrations with the official launch. Preceding the launching ceremony, which commences at 5:00pm, is a mini masquerade and costume parade. This parade will commence near the National Library and ends at the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport’s Main and Quamina Street location.
According to Head of the Mash Secretariat, Lennox Canterbury, the ceremony will feature some of the country’s most decorated Soca, Chutney and Calypso artistes. He said too that prominent dance groups will also showcase Guyana’s multi-ethnic nature through dance. Performing too will be the National Steel Orchestra and Drummers from the mining town of Linden.
The ceremony will also provide an opportunity for the 2017 Mash theme to be announced, while the creator of that theme will be awarded a prize.
Delivering the feature address will be Minister within the Ministry of Education, Nicolette Henry, after which the official logo of Mash 2017 will also be unveiled.
Canterbury also revealed that the event will provide glimpses of a few of the costumes which will appear at next year’s float parade. The 2017 Mash float parade will be held on February 23. He noted too that the recently established Department of National Events, which falls under the Ministry of the Presidency, has been working along with the Mash Secretariat at all levels of planning. That Department is headed by Colonel Nazrul Hussain of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
And although he did not provide much detail about next year’s float parade, the Secretariat’s head said that after the launch on Thursday, details about that parade will be forthcoming. But for the time, he said that the launch is a highly-anticipated event, which is sure to provide glimpses of the mega event next year. The Ministry has advised the public that on Thursday, between 15:00hrs and 20:00hrs no south bound traffic will be allowed on Quamina and Main Streets.