–above and beyond all expectations
EVEN though the inclement weather prevented them from starting on schedule, the inaugural Guyana Carnival Road Parade was so phantasmagoric, it rocked the streets of Georgetown.
The four main ‘party’ trucks left the Kitty Roundabout area about 14:00hrs and travelled to the D’Urban Park before heading to the National Park at about 18:30hrs.
The massive costumes showcasing a kaleidoscope of colours were on full display, giving those who came out in support of the event a real taste of carnival.
Patrons lined the roads to witness the spectacle, but they, too, were spectacular in their own way, as some were ‘dressed to kill’.
The Guyana Chronicle spoke to a few eager patrons, and they were high in praise for the event.
As Kenisha Hamer observed, “I would always look forward to Mashramani because of what it represents, but then, of course, the carnival came in very well, because it’s now a tourism attraction.”
She didn’t even mind the late start, because it gave her more time to prepare herself. So she did not miss out on any of the action, and would gladly do it again. “I would look forward to this again next year.”
Learie Bain is now home after being away for a long time, and was surprised by the parade. “I only came in yesterday,” he said, “and I didnt realise that they were having a carnival. I wish I had come earlier.”
For him, the energy reminded him of Mashramani, and helped him feel right at home. And even though he feels that the event is still in the teething stage, he says it can only get better with time.
The parade was tied in to a whole host of activities initiated through the inaugural ‘Guyana Carnival’.
“The whole idea for carnival actually came out of Independence, to be quite exact,” Kerwin Bollers told the Guyana Chronicle. “What happened was that when Guyana hosted the 50th Anniversary celebrations [in 2016], we hosted a lot of events; and we found that it was well supported by locals and members of the Diaspora.”
Bollers is one of the organisers of the event, and a well-known personality in Guyana for his tireless pursuit of pushing the frontiers of entertainment, and his most recent endeavour, the Guyana Carnival, is no different.
Bollers reflected that he and the team of people who conceptualised the event and worked to bring it to fruition began thinking about creating an event; make that a string of events, around the same period as the Jubilee Celebrations, since they found that it was a very convenient period for members of the Diaspora to return home.
It soon became a tourism-driven event that sought to provide maximum benefits for Guyanese at home. And the concept of ‘carnival’ was drawn after the team wanted to create a globally recognised event that would undoubtedly drive tourism in Guyana by attracting visitors and members of the Diaspora alike.
Said Kerwin: “We thought of Carnival being a globally recognised word, and it’s done in over 50 countries.”
The intention was never to take away from the authentic Guyanese cultural celebration of Mashramani, which is generally thought of as the equivalent of the popular carnival, but to create an event that more people are familiar with, and is more entertainment-oriented.
Directing focus again on the Jubilee Celebrations, Kerwin reminded the Guyana Chronicle that Mashramani celebrations that year were held during the month of May rather than in February as was customary.
As such, he said, it was felt that using that as the platform was feasible, which is another reason why the carnival was initiated around this time of year.
