By Naomi Marshall

GEORGETOWN was made a fiesta zone, once again, as thousands of Guyanese gyrated through the streets to the sound of sweet sweet soca, as they took part in Mashramani 2020.

On Sunday, Guyanese gyrated down Carifesta Avenue and Vlissingen road dressed in every colour one could think about as they freely expressed themselves through glitz, glamour, dancing and singing during the ‘celebration after hard work’.

Commencing the bacchanal was the Ministry of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sports which took the streets dressed in black, white, silver, red, yellow, and green costumes, under the theme ‘Celebrating Guyana’s cultural diversity, the mask with the mass.’ The band which consisted of over 200 revellers depicted the re-awakening of Guyana’s masquerade folklore, which is slipping from society.

The day’s second band to hit the streets in blue, gold, green and silver costumes was the Ministry of Education which gyrated to the sound of steelpans under the theme ‘Transforming the nation through education.’

According to the Personal Assistant to the Minister of Education, Mondale Smith, the Ministry’s band was promoting the ideas of transforming Guyana through education by bridging the gap between the hinterland and the coast land, in terms of education delivery. The band also showed the Ministry’s efforts in promoting the ideas of technical vocational education, and robotics.

The over 200 revellers which the band consisted of represented “what we can become if we aspire, put our heads, hands and heart together to make sure the education sector and Guyana by extension will benefit from the oil sector in a major way,” Smith said.
The band which also showcased a Queen and King was designed by Neilson Nurse, who Smith said, should be a role model to young men.

“We opted to use him because we want to show young men that you have options and you do not have to get involved in negativity, you can choose positive things to do, Smith said.”
Participating in the procession under the theme, ‘Transforming our region through unity and strength,’ was Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Region 7. The band was led by a model of a 5 star hotel. Designer of the float, Paul Burnett, told this publication that the float depicted what the Region was aiming to become, “the ideal tourist destination.”

He noted that while the 50 revellers dressed in white, gold and silver depicted Bartica’s “pure air and water,” it also showed the region’s hope of the oil industry being a way to establish and empower youths.

Next, was Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) which took the streets with 152 strong revellers dressed in blue and silver costumes. Public Relations Officer of Guyana Water Inc. stated that the float which was designed by Jermain Brooms, depicted what the company was trying to do: – provide equity between the hinterland and the coast land.
The GWI band was made up of two floats, a King and Queen.

“We have the queen float, she is called the water goddess; she is depicting bringing all water sources of contaminants and pollutants and to ensure that the water is purified because although we are called the land of many waters, all of it isn’t for consumption. So she is depicting to ensure that it’s rid of contaminants,” the officer noted.

She also noted that the king represented sanitation, showing spectators how to take care of their sewage in order to prevent insanitary environments.
Following GWI was the New Amsterdam Municipality band which consisted of 90 persons displaying and promoting a clean, green, Guyana.

The Deputy Mayor of the New Amsterdam Municipality, Wainwright Mackintosh, said that the municipality would have seen immense developments such as the resuscitation of the landfill site and the drainage and irrigation, hence they (the municipality) saw it fitting to celebrate.

After, came the East Berbice-Corentyne, Region 6 which would have won the medium band category in 2019 and 2018. The band of 60 revellers which was designed by Maurice Richards showed Guyana being transformed.

The seventh band to hit the streets was the Ministry of Natural Resources which was made up of over 150 revellers and one queen float, designed by Neilson Nurse
According to the Ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Stephon Gabriel, the queen float depicted “our offering to mother earth as the preservation of our natural resources and along with keeping with sustainable development.”

He added, “We wanted to show that we are the ones who are responsible for exploring, developing and sustaining our natural resources for the benefit of all Guyanese in keeping with our theme, ‘Guyana rising, the potential of ecofriendly mining’.”

The eighth band to hit the streets was the Ministry of Agriculture which was led by a float which modelled a kitchen garden, with the aim of encouraging people to start their own kitchen garden in order to go organic and to save more money.

Taking the road dressed in colours of the golden arrowhead was the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs which had a total of 100 revellers who represented the transformation of Guyanese people’s way of life that will enhance low carbon.

The band was also made up of a King float which depicted the piranha transmuting from one phase to another, in the same way the indigenous people would have begun to change their lives, while maintaining their strong heritage.

Additionally, the band consisted of a Queen costume which depicted the national bird, the Canje Pheasant. According to the band’s designer, Trevor Alfred, “it is believed that whenever the canje pheasant is seen in the village, it brings positive energy. The bird stands proudly to represent a bright future of the Guyanese people.”

“In every celebration there must be food,” said the designer of the Linden Mayor and Town Council’s band, Eric Heatley. With this thought, Heatley created a model of a pot of food being touched by six hands of the six different races of Guyana. The band also included persons dressed in green and gold.