Tourism ministry wooing overseas Guyanese for Mashramani revelry
By Miranda La Rose
The Trade, Tourism and Industry ministry is currently in discussions with Guyanese missions in Suriname, North America and Europe to organise revellers to participate in this year's Mashramani festivities. Mashramani this year marks the country's 30th anniversary of republican status. Minister Geoffrey Da Silva in a telephone interview on Tuesday told Stabroek News that his ministry is cooperating with the Culture, Youth and Sports ministry to promote the event locally and internationally as a national cultural extravaganza and a tourist attraction. At the local level the ministry is preparing to mount a Mash Village on Mash Day - February 23. Last year's Mash Village was a complete flop and the minister promises that this year's event will be a vast improvement. The Mash Village to be held in the National Park will mark the culmination of the Float Parade. After the bands have paraded on the National Park tarmac, they will then enter the Mash Village where revellers will be able to enjoy music in the different camps. The creation of the Mash Village is being done in collaboration with the private sector on the same basis as the `Main Big Lime', late November last year. The proceeds will go to the sponsors of the camps in the Mash Village. In this way, Da Silva said, "companies sponsoring the camps will not only expend money but (they) will make money as well." Also at the local level the ministry is organising its contingents for the street revelry and is in discussion with some of the country's leading bands to join in the float parade. He would not name the bands at this time but said that "we are going for the best." The ministry is still working on the concept of the costumes. In contrast to last year when only four government ministries took part, Da Silva said that more government ministries will be taking part in the event and there should be more friendly rivalry on the road for the prizes at stake. Da Silva said that the Tourism Division of the ministry is in discussion with missions in Suriname, Miami, New York, Toronto and London to organise bands which will form part of the ministry's contingent of overseas-based Guyanese with different sections. To promote Mashramani in the Guyanese community in Suriname and among Surinamese as well, the Tourism Ministry with the business community will be taking a group of entertainers to Paramaribo and Nickerie later this month/early February. The pre-Mash event is being dubbed `Guyana on Show'. Suriname has a Guyanese community of about 45,000 and with the Guyana/Suriname ferry crossing in operation the ministry is hoping to attract Guyanese home for the `Millennium Mash' event. At the `Main Big Lime' President Jagdeo had declared that plans were in train to make this Mashramani one of the biggest the country has ever witnessed. He had said that government will give the activity its full support "beyond what any government has done in the past" so that it could be a tourist attraction geared for residents and visitors alike.
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