WITH Mashramani just a few days away, on February 23, 2019, the Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport, launched its 2019 Mash Band in front of its Main Street offices on Thursday, February 14.

This year’s theme is “Celebrate Mash 49 with victory in mind “and is depicted on the National colours of our flag promoting cultural unity.

According to the band’s designer Neilson Nurse, the concept was to bring people together to celebrate one festival, hence, the use of the colours of the National Flag.
Nurse further explained that emphasis was placed on white “to bring an awareness of hope for the future.”

Minister of Social Cohesion Dr George Norton explained that the main ai

m behind the celebrations is to bring about an awareness of inclusivity among all the ethnicities. He opined that a replica of this inclusivity should be duplicated in all the regions of the country.

The ministry ‘s band is 300 strong this year. Amongst those present for the band’s launch were the Junior Soca Monarch for 2018, Joviniski and Junior Calypso Monarch for 2018, Jamal Stuart.