‘Georgetown Connect’ hits home
A slice of the Rupununi! The Surama Cultural Group entertaining the crowd at yesterday’s ‘Georgetown Connect’, a precursor show to the annual Rupununi Music and Arts Festival
A slice of the Rupununi! The Surama Cultural Group entertaining the crowd at yesterday’s ‘Georgetown Connect’, a precursor show to the annual Rupununi Music and Arts Festival

Receiving a glimpse of the exurberant spectacle promised later this year, patrons visiting the ‘Georgetown Connect’ were on Saturday treated to an afternoon and evening of diverse culture, music and the arts. The Georgetown Connect show, according to the Georgetown Co-ordinator of the festival, Ronald D’Agrella, was a precursor to the Rupununi Music and Arts Festival.
The Rupununi Music and Arts Festival which has become an annual three-day event started three years ago, and in an effort to attract more persons to the event, the Georgetown Connect show was envisioned this year.
“What we are trying to do is give a slice of the Rupununi here, where persons are treated with what we are offering at the festival,” he said.
Ronald added that in an effort to showcase and promote the annual and grand festival, some of the local and regional artistes who would be at the festival were brought to serenade the crowd.

A section of the crowd at Thirst Park ground last night

However, Ronald underscored that this Georgetown Connect show was just a ‘slice of the Rupununi.’
This year, the festival which has been held at Rockview, Annai, since its origin in 2013, will be held at the Manari Ranch, Region Nine.
This change was brought about since the organisers of the event realised that a bigger venue was needed. Additionally, Ronald explained that there are long-term plans for the festival, to create a year-round festival village which will not only be used for the Rupununi festival, but all year round as an avenue for the indigenous people to showcase their talents.
Calling for more persons, especially the locals, to be a part of the actual Rupununi festival was the festival’s director, Dr. Bob Ramdhanie.
He noted that many persons are under the perception that this Georgetown Connect was just another ‘evening’ show, but he related that it is a grand exposition of culture and music and a precursor to grand Rupununi show.
He explained too that the music, craft, dance, comedy and the spoken word and of course lots to eat and drink, are merely a small part of what visitors can expect from the the Rupununi festival.
“What we’re actually interested in is getting more locals to attend this event and experience the festival which encompasses worldwide talents,” Ramdhanie said.
This festival, which was held at Thirst Park, showcased some of our finest local talents, including the renowned Dave Martin, Gavin Medonca, the Feed the Flames Band and cultural groups such as the Surama Indigenous Cultural Group and the Nachganna Dance Academy.
Regional talents were not left out. Barbados’ youngest Calypso Monarch, the “Mighty Gabby” and spoken-word artiste from St. Vincent Phil Nanton also entertained the crowd.

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