The month of Mashramani -After the festival
Frankly Speaking By A.A. Fenty
Stabroek News
February 2, 2007
Again, pardon me for not discussing herein such "significant issues" as the Value-Added Tax. (Do you all actually know what the value is added to?) Casino Gambling (Imagine the legislation is really the Gambling Prevention (Amendment) Bill! Prevention?); Child-Abuse, the vulnerability of our Forestry Sector and so on.
As usual, I leave those subjects to the Big Brains of local journalism.
Instead I delve into the origin, nature and development of the nation's reasons for and objectives of Mashramani. What were the reasons for and objectives of this now thirty-seven-year old institutionalized celebration? I choose this today, as February has begun, because some of us still must seek to discover, and then promote the cultural heritage which helps to identify us as a people. Whether that tradition is one from the more indigenous, native origins - or still evolving at near forty years old.
Mashramani many now know, started in the Bauxite Town of Linden, up the River Demerara. The Junior Chamber of Commerce fashioned a celebration for the then brand-new Republic. The eminent fellows wanted an "indigenous" name and description. Much research and deliberation finally yielded the term Mashramani. Guybau explorer Allan Fiedkow offered the name to the Linden Republic celebrations committee which his Arawak grandfather way up the Demerara had explained to him.
By 1971, 1972 Government Minister David Singh had virtually appropriated the name and substance of the Linden Republic celebrations, which the Forbes Burnham government swiftly transformed into the official national observance. Mashramani thus took root with official, governmental blessing, support and funding.
Carnival copycats?
To me, the origin and nature of the Mashramani Festival presented two mild ironies from the start. Firstly, the originators from Linden - assisted by history and culture officials from Georgetown tried their darndest not to duplicate our Republican celebrations with features from Trinidad's carnival.
Ha! How successful was/is that objective after thirty-seven years. In the national psyche, Kaiso, Soca, Costume, Float, Pan, Mas and Glitter represent the festive aspect of the observance. I have been calling for other dimensions to be added, even highlighted. In vain. But that's another story I'll probably return to.
The earliest committees, ironically, looked to the Trinidad pre-Lenten carnival for ideas. They then, sheepishly albeit nationalistically (?) changed names and descriptions: Ole Mas' became revolt dance, jouvert became fo-day marning jump-up, and calypso became shanto. Except for King and Queen trying to be Comrade Mashramani what has endured? Mash is still now akin to all the other Caribbean Carnivals. Or wanting to be so. Let's not fool ourselves. Or do as Allan Fenty proposes every year: Let's have Republic Debates, Bookfairs, history seminars, culture festivals to promote indigenous arts. (What's a Republic anyway!?)
Secondly, it is a little ironic too that this people's celebration was and still is driven by Government's funding and consideration, OK, gone are the more publicized aspects of Forbes Burnham doing - Korean Style mass games, people's parades, birthday concerts and forced Para-military-like participation. But to this day in 2007, there are no vibrant, representative, bona-fide organisations of Steel bands, Calypsonians, Tassa players or dance groups, Masquerade bands or choirs, for example. To really plan, execute the more public events of Mashramani. If government chooses to pull out today Mash dies!
Frankly Speaking, I am of the view that a government in an economically- challenged society such as ours should still be pivotal in the annual festival of celebration. But should not a people's celebration of a national anniversary be primarily a people's responsibility? When I see what "the Regions" plan and execute - dubbing them Mashramani events - I'm not that excited, impressed or inspired. But at least the little communities tried to try.
It's only that 37 years down the road, no real representative, civic grouping, service club, or certain home-grown private-sector body actually "run things". That seems to be our destiny. Or is it. Reliance on "de govament".
Other Realities
Another "mild irony", to me, is based on economic realities. Just as how Coca-Cola, for example, sponsored events throughout the years, other overseas-based companies and products play a significant role in Guyana's national festival. The beer of Mashramani is not Banks, but Carib, from Trinidad. Like the Soca Monarch. CS and ME won't go away. Digicel will soon give the partly-Guyanese-owned GT&T a run at Mash time. The national occasion will be graced with foreign influences very soon.
Then too, I can't wait for Culture Minister Frank Anthony to pull off his Cricket World Cup assignment and put it behind him. Because I want to remind him of the precarious state of steelband and Masquerade in Guyana today. I want to re-open discussions with him with respect to Biographies of Famous Guyanese and the establishment of Regional Mash Committees of ability and competence. I want to approach him early - on matters such as school bands and "popular history" too.
But I know the priorities. So I can't wait for Mashramani and Cricket World Cup 2007 to be history.
Mash Mix…
The "Junior Calypsoes" improved very much this year. We must preserve the "five best ones".
A Cecil Griffith anecdote. When the late journalist was a sharp young, but known reporter. Forbes Burnham visited Griffith's home as a candidate seeking electoral support. Griff, reportedly, enquired brusquely of Forbes: "What's your programme (for the country)? Do you know that Forbes Burnham never forgot that valid enquiry?
If you like Soca, Calypso and Chutney equally, you're in trouble tomorrow right. There is chutney at Rose Hall, Calypso at Blairmont and Soca in Linden. I wish you luck.
'Til next week!