– Following successful hosting of Music and Arts Festival

THE recently held Rupununi Music and Arts Festival at Manari Ranch in Lethem has been hailed a success by its organisers with over 40 persons volunteering to fix up the facility that was used for the first-time.

Previously held at the Rock View Lodge in Anai, the organisers are now looking to develop the Manari Ranch to a point where it can serve as a ‘cultural oasis’ in the Rupununi that will be functional all year round.

Festival Director, Bob Ramdhani, told the Pepperpot Magazine in an interview at Cara Lodge in Georgetown, that the festival weekend saw approximately 1,400 people on site. “Moving to a site for the first time…I was pleasantly surprised that we even had an audience,” he said.

All of the artistes who performed at the event, including those from Trinidad, Jamaica, Venezuela and Brazil, thoroughly enjoyed themselves, along with the audience, Ramdhani noted.

He said each year, the festival will make a contribution to an institution in Lethem. This year, the Saint Stanislaus College Scout Group made a presentation of toys and musical instruments to the Arapaima Secondary School.

“We have a dream and a five-year plan to create something that encourages eco-tourism, environmental sustainability; and young people in sports, arts and music,” he said.
One of the performers, Gavin Mendonca, who also helped to organise the festival which ran from February 16 to 18, told the Pepperpot Magazine that it was “a truly magnificent experience.”

“I actually spent seven days living in a tent. I was on site two days prior to the festival to aid on-site preparations, and then stayed back three days to clean up and pack up the site,” he said, adding, “The energy was amazing; so many new friends were made and good vibes shared. The atmosphere was incredible, the food was delicious and the entertainment was top notch.”

Mendonca praised the Saint Stanislaus College Scout Group for playing a huge role in fixing up the festival site. “They constructed a nice gateway to the campsite, a Brynach Tower on the campsite which was used for security, a Monkey Bridge which saw many children and patrons enjoying, as well as campfires to close off each night of the festival,” he said.

He added that the successful execution of the festival proved that it is what is best for tourism in Guyana, as well as social cohesion. “All walks of life were present, including locals from the region and people from Georgetown, Jamaica, Brazil, Venezuela, Ireland, UK, USA, Amsterdam, and much more. Manari Ranch is now home to one of the most unique experiences one could ever have here in Guyana – the Rupununi Music and Arts Festival. I look forward to being there again in 2019, and to see as many people, from Georgetown especially, make the trip and have an adventure of a lifetime in the heart of Guyana,” he said.

In a previous interview, Mendonca had said that the festival is intended to bring people and cultures together. “It’s really about bringing people together, to cut out bad vibes and to encourage positivity among each other. We hope that over the years this will have a subliminal effect on the way people think; the way they approach life,” he said.

The ranch, which was developed from scratch in terms of a stage and other facilities conducive to holding a successful festival, is intended to become a fully functioning entity all year round so that it will be possible for smaller events to be held like folk festivals, Brazilian festivals, indigenous events, rock festivals, cultural workshops, etc.

Sponsors for the festival included the Guyana Government, NCN, the media, Guyana Tourism Authority, the Forestry Commission of Guyana, ASL, Banks DIH, Cara Lodge, Fly Jamaica, Giftland Mall, Rent-A-Tent, Republic Bank, Silverbait Design and TGA.