Mash in Guyana
It would be difficult to describe Mashramani 2006 as anything other than spectacular.
Yesterday, tens of thousands of Guyanese, and visitors, turned out to celebrate Guyana’s 36th Republic anniversary, seemingly intent to make up for the postponed and under-attended event last year.
Up to at least around 19:00 h yesterday, pedestrian passage along Vlissengen Road, between Church Street and Station Street, and along Irving Street between Church and Lamaha, was slowed to a painful crawl with thousands of people moving at any one time both north and south.
The weather yesterday was mostly sunny, with the heat becoming scorching around 14:30 h. Temperatures remained high and brief showers occurring about thrice led to a humid atmosphere.
From the section of the parade viewed by this supporter, several floats stood out distinctly.
The Banks DIH float seemed, all aspects considered, the best float out of the bunch.
Headed by a bevy of beauties including former Miss Talented Teen Ulex Atwell and current Miss Guyana World, Jasmine Herzog, Banks DIH seemed to have taken most of the beautiful people to include in their parade. Add shiny vehicles, a crystal clear music set, high energy revelling and a rainbow of colours and it’s not hard to imagine Banks DIH as a shoo-in for Best Float.
The only negative about it was the replica of the Banks DIH Rotunda building which was unwieldy in itself, but even more so along an already narrow parade route made narrower by the teeming throngs.
PNCR MASSIVE
While Banks DIH was bigger than most other floats, even it was dwarfed by the show put on by the main opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).A conservative estimate of the seemingly endless PNCR float would be around 2,000 but most likely it was much more than this.
The size might have proven an inhibiting factor for this float, however, since it affected consistency in almost every aspect. Various energy levels were easily detected with some sections of the float vibrant and active, while others seemed reluctant to even walk. Also, the sound system on the lead truck seemed to be suffering some technical difficulties with the music playing barely audibly. PNCR Leader, Mr Robert Corbin was front and centre in the largest and most colourful of the sections of the float.
A surprisingly good appearance was made by the state media, with the combined NCN Radio and Television staff turning out to give one of the most energetic performances of the day. Unfortunately, no Guyana Chronicle staffer was seen in the float.
And speaking of surprise appearances, the recently formed Alliance For Change (AFC) party made an appearance with a single vehicle float.
One disappointment this year was the size, energy and look of the Hits and Jams float. While the entertainment group for the past several years has been, along with Carib Beer, one of the most innovative of Mashramani bands, this year the Hits and Jams camp featured just under 100 persons and with far less coordination than people have come to expect from the group.
There was good news for a previously endangered float.
It appears that a last minute appeal for sponsorship by singer John `Slingshot’ Drepaul paid off. Last week, Slingshot had sent out a press release appealing for funding for his ‘Pirates’ float after his major sponsor had pulled out at the last minute.
As late as last week Thursday, the Pirate ship idea seemed to be in danger of sinking, despite partial sponsorship from GT&T. Yesterday however, a horse-drawn cart led Drepaul and some of his crew ahead of one of the largest and most coordinated of floats. This float arguably contained the most fully realised costuming with Slingshot’s crew sporting various pirate paraphernalia, including swords, single-shot old-fashioned revolvers, daggers, eye-patches and skulls.
It was, from all accounts, a great show that was still on the road and reverberating around the city as the thousands continued in one great Mash, even as we prepared to go to press last night.
