The people of Guyana surely know how to party well. Take flights to Georgetown, the capital city of Guyana, in February next year to participate in “Mashramani”, the Republic Day celebrations in Guyana. Visiting the city on this particular day and enjoying Mashramani is certainly you won’t ever want to miss. It is usually celebrated on February 23 every year, the day on which Guyana became a Republic. In 1970 The Mashramani is also widely believed to be one of the most colorful of all the festivals in the Caribbean.
Popularly known as “Mash”, this colorful festival enlivens the spirit of the people of Guyana and prominently highlights their culture and lifestyle. The year 2014 saw Mash being celebrated under the “Cultural Folklore, Celebrating 44” theme.
History and Origin of Mashramani
Guyana first celebrated its national festival Mashramani on February 23, 1970 after the country finally became a republic. The idea of celebrating the national festival first of all originated in the year 1966 when Guyana achieved its independence on May 23. However, the idea failed to take shape then and could only fructify when the country became a Republic.
Ever since 23rd February 1970, Guyana has been celebrating its national festival, which has now taken the form of a carnival, by organizing many events. Thousands of spectators and tourists from Guyana and different parts of the world line the streets of the capital Georgetown to watch a grand spectacle of costume bands playing mirthful Caribbean music. Many events are held during the entire day, with street parties continuing through the night.
Mashramani Celebrations
Mashramani celebrations take place with the full support of the Government of Guyana. The theme of the next year’s celebrations is announced in the month of October, after which the preparations for the celebrations starts gaining pace. The launch of the theme beforehand in October has in fact become a practice for the past many years now. During the announcement of the theme for next year’s celebration, a limited sneak preview takes place with the display of some costumes to be worn by the revelers.
When you visit Guyana to participate in Mashramani celebrations, you will find the entire month of February quite hectic with many activities and preparations by several participants going on in full swing.
You will thoroughly enjoy the Mashramani celebrations. A series of calypso competitions which usually comes with huge amount of prize money will keep you engaged and thrilled. Over the past many years these calypso competitions have become a roaring success, with a huge participation of contestants, including females. Several rounds of elimination takes place before the actual final is held on the Republic Day. Earlier, only singers used to take part in the calypso competitions. But in recent years, most singers take along with them dancers as well and other related ensembles to appropriately match their themes. The famous names who have already participated in these calypso contests include the Mighty Rebel, VJ, Ras Marcus, Tempest, Sweet Kendingo, and the Mighty Chief.
The Junior Calypso Monarch competition is the latest addition and has become quite popular now. It has become quite a rage among the contestants with keep competition taking place now.
The Soca Monarch competition has also been included. It’s an extension of the traditional calypso. It is also attracting many competitors with huge prize money involved as an incentive. This genre has now established some famous artistes on the local calypso scene. Some of the popular names of this genre include Adrian Dutchin and Big Red.
The Chutney competition, a new addition to the Mashramani celebrations, has become immensely popular. This unique competition is specially held in the rural areas of Guyana. Both male and female artistes take part in the keenly contested competition. You will find large number of people enjoying the event which prominently highlights the lifestyle and daily experiences of the local Guyanese from a cultural perspective.
The steel band competition is also a major part of the festivities. It is held in various categories such as Small Band, School Band, Pan Duet and Soloist. It has become a huge attraction for the local people and the tourists visiting Guyana every year from different corners of the world.
The float parade bands and children’s costume competitions have become most sought after events organized on the occasion of Mashramani. These colorful events prominently showcase the social history of Guyana. Both float parade bands and children’s costume culminate in a grand parade, which passes through some important streets of Georgetown such as Camp Street, Church Street and Irving Street, and finally to the National Park. It has become a major attraction for the people.
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