By Tamica Garnett

WITH a programme jam packed with culture, talent, energy, and an atmosphere of togetherness, and joy, the APNU+AFC campaign launch last Friday night, headlined by soca singer Farmer Nappy, was about more than just politics– it was about unity and patriotism.

The programme, which stretched about seven hours long, beginning around 16:00hrs, was as diverse as was the crowd that turned out to support the political party as it set the stage for its race to the March 2 elections.
“It was spectacular, very colourful,” expressed 55-year-old Lisa Ali, who came all the way from Pearl Village on the East Bank of Demerara to show her support for her party.
Ali was also in love with the atmosphere and unity reflected in the masses.
“It’s really, really good, we have such a mixed crowd, the crowd is very diverse, and I enjoy seeing the people, I love this. I know this political party has had a very significant impact for the country,” she said, as she listened to remarks being delivered by his Excellency President David Granger.
Speakers at the event also included AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan, and AFC Youth member Juretha Fernandes.

Coming all the way from Monkey Mountain in Region Eight, 18-year-old Ian King was also blown away by the night’s performances at the event.
“I’ve never seen something like this,” he shared.
Seventy-six-year old Mary Mitchell didn’t come out so much for the performances as she came out to show support for her government, but she was nonetheless pleased with the entertainment put forth at the event.
“It was very good, very nice,” said Mitchell, who travelled from West Watooka in Region 10 to be there. She was accompanied to the event by her daughter. Others, such as little 19-month-old Thomas Chapman were perhaps too young to understand the meaning of the moment but seemed to enjoy the atmosphere all the same. Chapman was out with his mother Susan George; they were among a 150- member contingent from Region Nine that travelled to the city show their support.

And APNU+AFC ensured that they delivered quite an entertaining night to their supporters.
There were performances by almost all of Guyanese leading singers in the varying genres from soca, to calypso, to chutney, to gospel and dances by the National Dance Company, punctuated with moving speeches by several of the party’s members.

The line-up preceding the curtain-closing performance by Farmer Nappy, included local big guns such as gospel singer Saiku, reigning Calypso Monarch Kenroy “Mighty Believer” Fraser; reigning Chutney Soca Monarch and second-placed Soca Monarch, Stephen Ramphal; former Chutney Monarch Bunty Singh; former Soca Monarchs Vanilla, Adrian Dutchin, and other singers such as Alabama, and the Afro-centric Young Royalty.

For the older folk there was also some feet tapping to the performances from the famed Yoruba Singers. And that’s just to name a few. The event wasn’t scheduled to begin until 17:00hrs, but supporters began streaming in the venue from as early as 16:00hrs, eager to get the show on the road.

The afternoon into late-night programme was chaired by Comedian Odessa Primus and Director of Sports, and party member, Christopher Jones, who kept the crowd in gales of laughter in between performances with their own blend of witty jokes.
The pair got a lot of laughs as they made fun of Guyanese reaction to the country recently realising first oil and becoming and “oil-producing nation,” while Jones was nice enough to show the crowd some of his “screw the light bulb” and wining skills as he danced to Terry Gajraj’s “Guyana Baboo.”

However, he could not beat the hip movements of the “Berbice Delight Chutney Dancers” who gave an impressive, eye-catching performance to a medley of chutney and soca music that also included Gajraj’s song, and music by Bunty Singh. The performers were mainly focused on messages of togetherness and called for unity as Guyana heads into what is considered the “mother of all elections” come March 2.
Some performers however were very unapologetic in their endorsing of the APNU+AFC as their party of choice.
Singer Alabama noted the extrajudicial killing of some of his comrades under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), APNU+AFC’s main competitor in the upcoming elections, as his reasoning behind why he supported the green and yellow party.

Others such as Kenroy “Mighty Believer” Fraser, didn’t need to say the words, his sharp green and yellow outfit and his song “Give Granger Some Time” said it all. Local Calypsonian Young Bill Rogers also performed a piece that gave the party his nod.
G Money performed a campaign jingle that established where their support was at this point. Saiku was out in a crisp yellow blazer, while Adrian Dutchin performed “Yellow and Green.”

However, nothing got the crowd as wild as when President David Granger took the stage, and laced his remarks with a few jokes as well as he took stabs at the competition’s presidential candidate Irfaan Ali, joking at Ali’s still-to-be-verified, crucial academic certificate, which he is said to have faked to get into an academic programme.
Supporters can expect more of the same as the party takes its campaign countrywide, with the next stop being next Wednesday scheduled for Hopetown. A massive celebration is also expected on January 10