Mashramani goes to all regions this year
Guyana Chronicle
January 10, 2007
Guyana is fast approaching its 37th Republic Day anniversary on February 23 and Government is working towards making this year’s event bigger and better.
For the first time in the history of the celebrations, all of Guyana’s ten administrative regions will be hosting activities to commemorate the grand celebration.
Mash coordinator at the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport Lennox Canterbury noted that it was always the intention of the Ministry to include all regions in the event but limited funding usually interferes with the process. This year however, travel and performances have been budgeted.
He said this is in keeping with the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport’s focus of “decentralizing” the celebrations
In recent years Mashramani activities were observed in Region Five, Mahaica/ Berbice, where calypso and chutney competitions were hosted.
One of the objectives of this venture is to familiarise the people with different art forms.
The calypso competition will return to the region this year and is scheduled for Blairmont which will be hosting the quarter-finals, followed by the finals at the National Park.
Region Three will host the masquerade band competition which is scheduled for Uitvlugt in early February.
In 2006 Region Three was home to the semi-finals at the Wales Community Centre Ground, where reigning calypso monarch “Lard Canary” made his mark.
Auditions for this year’s calypso competition have already been undertaken and big names such as “Bill Rogers,” “Black Hat,” “Calypso Stella,” “Winfield James” and “Sniper,” are likely to return.
This year’s competition will take on a new dimension, with a special segment on HIV/AIDS. This segment will require a separate entry form and a new calibre of judges. Cash prizes up to $200,000 will be at stake.
A Mash concert is set for Mabaruma, (Region One) Barima/Waini and Mahdia Region Eight ( Potaro/Saparuni), while Region Seven will be hosting Mash fiesta, children’s regional and calypso competitions, best kept school and buildings and a beach fun day activities among others.
The Mash committee has approved the request of the regional officials of Bartica to have their calendar of events staged during the annual regatta celebration in April to attract some of the visitors who will be in Guyana for Cricket World Cup (CWC).
Anna Regina, Region Two, will be home to the chutney finals with contenders who would have succeeded from the quarter-finals in Rose Hall, Canje, Berbice.
Region Nine will once again be hosting the junior calypso competition. The event was staged successfully in 2006, when Mark Batson, the “Mighty Adviser” reigned as the Junior Calypso Monarch with his song “True Identity.”
Registration for this year’s calypso junior competition is now in progress and the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport is requesting that interested applicants submit their names and a recording of their songs to the Ministry.
“A Cultural Invasion in 2007” is the theme for Guyana’s Mashramani celebrations. The theme and logo were unveiled by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds at the official launching of Mashramani 2007 at the Sophia Exhibition Complex and is on display at the Ministry’s office on Main Street.