SWEET soca music was in the air, feet were tapping and excitement was spreading in the streets of Georgetown as over 2,500 children fused colours, flair and energy to “wow” spectators and judges during the 2020 Children’s Mashramani Costume and Float Parade on Saturday.

The excitement started from the usual assembly point at the Parade Ground, where about 50 bands assembled before moving along the streets of Georgetown on their way to the National Park.

There wasn’t a dull moment during the parade because children, with the help of their teachers, designers and parents, put on unique performances which caught the eyes of many persons, who lined the streets to get a glimpse of the extravagant costumes.
This year the themes were diverse, but a number of schools went with the trending topic, oil. Those who used the oil and gas theme were decked out in their yellow and gold and used various props that showed the work in the industry and “most importantly,” the barrels of oil.

The “black gold,” as it is described by many, was, however, not the only attraction; some schools promoted education and others sought to remind Guyanese about the cohesive and diverse society in which they dwell, with costumes depicting the culture of the six peoples of Guyana.

Persons were evidently mesmerised by the unique designs of the costumes and some spectators even said this was one of the best children’s ‘Mash’ ever.
The magnitude of the celebrations was particularly credited to the fact that Guyana is celebrating its 50th Republic Anniversary.

“It is pretty good, we are having a fun time and we are celebrating 50 years,” said Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry in an invited comment.

Minister Henry, who was being equally active and involved in the parade, said the theme for this year’s Children’s Mashramani Parade was, “transforming Guyana under education.”
Transformation was clear even at the level of the parade, said the minister, noting that the event has grown and taken on a “life of its own” over the years. She said this is evident because for this year alone, most of the schools participated in the activity.
Administrator of the Unit of Allied Arts and the Children’s Mash coordinator, Lorraine Barker-King echoed Minister Henry’s sentiments, noting that the activity has grown immensely over the years.

“This activity has grown beyond because we have more and more schools participating and this signals that the ministry of education has been exposing children to the arts,” said Barker-King; she added that the participation this year also signals creativity and shows that schools are actively engaged in the arts.

The coordinator said there were in excess of 2,500 children, who travelled from every administrative region just to be part of the activity.

This children’s parade was the grand conclusion to the string of children’s activities organised for Mashramani 2020. To commemorate the children’s aspect of the 50th Republic Anniversary celebrations, there was an opening ceremony and exhibition on Wednesday, said Barker-King.

This was followed by the Calypso, Jingle and Dramatic Poetry competitions. The results for some of the competitions, and the costume and float parade will be out by Monday.
“Reflecting on all of this, I would say that I am extremely pleased because I am seeing creativity at its best,” said the coordinator.

The 50th Republic Anniversary is being celebrated under the theme, “Guyana Together; Reflect, Celebrate and Transform,” and a calendar of some 50 key events, cutting across all Guyana’s areas of culture, was planned by the Ministry of Social Cohesion.
Some $219 million will be expended for the celebration, which will culminate with the grand annual Mashramani Costume and Float Parade on February 23.

The celebration comprises events pertaining to chutney, soca, calypso, masqueraders, arts, craft, sports, religion and so much more.

Several long-standing sponsors such as Banks DIH, Ansa McAl and Republic Bank have continued their support for the celebrations, while several new sponsors and collaborators, including a number of entertainment companies, are on board for the events.

The remaining events include a folk festival on February 16 at D’Urban Park; a rum and food festival on February 17 also at D’Urban Park; a jazz festival at the Theatre Guild on February 20; and a gospel concert at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on February 23.
The event’s Facebook page, “Guyana Republic Jubilee 2020,” contains the entire calendar with dates and locations.