Minister Teixeira...
'Mash helps to define ourselves as Guyanese'
--- Govt. spending $16M on celebration
By Mark Ramotar
Guyana Chronicle
November 20, 2003
THE Mash Secretariat in Georgetown has announced that a number of activities have already been planned and scheduled at the regional and national level to celebrate Mashramani in grand style next year.
Chairperson of the Mash Secretariat and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Ms. Gail Teixeira, has also indicated that unlike previous years when Mash programmes are submitted in December and January, several regions have already submitted their plans of activities as early as last month and this month.
In this regard, she lauded the committed efforts being made by the regions to fully participate in this truly national event in a committed effort to make it a success and to celebrate together under the theme, 'Unity, Beauty and More - in 2004'.
"I am very pleased to see the majority of regions really throwing their weight in (and) this is historic and we should really congratulate and thank them (because) we have never received programmes from regions in the month of October and early or mid-November since usually we'll get some regional programmmes and plans in December and others maybe in January. So this is an indication that the regions are really leading the way," the Minister lauded.
At a news briefing at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport yesterday afternoon, Minister Teixeira, flanked by Coordinator of the Mash Secretariat, Mr. Lennox Canterbury and several (Mash) representatives from the regions and the Secretariat, indicated that the national programme of activities includes the possibility of a contingent coming down from neighbouring Brazil to add "a little spice" to our celebrations here.
"We have also discussed with a neighbouring country the possibility of having them join us on the float parade with costumes and their music and we're still working on that," she disclosed.
She, however, pointed out that the contingent would not be participating in the competitions but will only be adding "some flavours to our celebrations"
Teixeira also indicated that she will be going to Brazil shortly, at their invitation, to further concretize this idea and effort into a reality," she added.
The Minister also urged Guyanese to be creative for Mashramani but at the same time to maintain some amount of decency, as traditionally done.
"We have to stop being copycats as well and we have to design our own styles and our own sense of things. One of the things with mash earlier is that years ago it started to copy Trinidad and now we're trying to copy another country," Teixeira said.
"We have to define ourselves as Guyanese and even if the costumes are not 'lots of fabric', at the same time I would like to suggest to the designers to desist from the 'body paint' issue because I think that would cause some undue, unnecessary controversy around mash at this time and we don't need that," she posited.
"...so let's cover what needs to be covered," she urged.
Teixeira said, too, that she is very heartened by the number of sponsors who have come forward so far and who have indicated their interest in sponsoring a number of events for Mashramani.
She also acknowledged that the Mash budget for 2004 is the same as last year. "There is an official budget which is used and which has been traditional and we try to make sure that we don't go over our $16M budget, which has been set aside for us (for Mash)," Teixeira said, adding that there are additional amounts which includes the regional budget which are not included in this $16M.
She also noted that the $16M does not include the Ministry of Education children's parade or the finals competition, which is held in Georgetown, which is about $3M.
Some of the activities already planned and scheduled are the Regional auditions (adult and junior Calypso Competitions) beginning November 24 and concluding December 7; commencing of the Calypso Competition rehearsals on January 5, 2004; Private Sector Brunch at the Umana Yana on January 11; Mash Jamboree at Uitvlugt on January 24; Junior Calypso competition in Essequibo on January 30; Calypso quarter-final (adult) at Rose Hall Town, Area 'H' on February 7; Calypso semi-final (adult) at Sophia Exhibition Complex on February 14; Masquerade Competition at the Fort Wellington School Ground on February 15; Band Concert (Police Band) at the Botanical Gardens, Georgetown on February 15; Illuminated Buildings Registration Closes on February 17; Childrens' Competition final in Georgetown from February 18 to February 20; Steelpan Competition at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on February 19; Calypso Final (adult) to be held in Bartica on February 20; Children's Costume Parade to be held in Georgetown on February 23; Mash Nite at the National Park on February 22; Steelband Concert in the Botanical Gardens on February 22; Mash Countdown on television and radio on February 22; Flag Raising Ceremony at the Parliament Building on February 23 as well as the Costume and Float Parade in Georgetown on the same day; Mash Splashdown at the Splashmins Fun Park on February 29; Berbice/Linden Mash Day on February 29 and the Prize Giving ceremony at the Umana Yana on March 5.