Georgetown: The true meaning of Guyana’s national motto was on full display last recently as the Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport hosted its fifth Mashramani ‘Krank Up’ concert, this time at the Charity Market Square in Essequibo.
Artistes from the Soca and Chutney Monarch competitions all brought their ‘A’ game to the people of Region Two, setting the stage on fire with a number of spicy performances, before bringing the curtain down in a most patriotic way.
The frolic-filled night began with an exciting Chutney segment kick-started by Berbician, Nathoo Chandarpaul who dished out his entry into the song competition, called “Mash 49”.
This was followed by a catchy and witty piece from Arijit Singh called “Ring on the Lukney”. Up next was Vicadi Singh belting out his song, ‘Mr rajput’ or ‘de sweetman’.
As the sun went down, Steven Ramphal took to the stage to remind the growing audience to forget about the colour of their skin and live love and harmony, with his song – ‘Rang ki Baare’.
Ramphal, who is competing for both the Chutney and Soca Monarch, initiated the Soca segment of the competition with his entry – ‘Soca in Meh Veins’. By this time, it was dark and the crowd gyration was in full swing.
Continuing the hype was Onassis Croker aka ‘Ryan –T’ with his song – ‘Want feel the Vibes’. The Georgetown resident is one of the 18 artistes aiming to dethrone reigning Soca Monarch, Brandon Harding come February 16th at the Guyana National Park.
Bringing even more heat to the stage was Shaima Muna, known on stage as ‘Sexy Berry’. Her “Guyanese Whine” had the crowd demanding a second performance of her song ‘Nah Tyad Yet’.
Next up was the second female in the competition, Melissa Pestano, also known as Ms. Finesse, singing her song, ‘I don’t Watch No Face’. It was a hyped performance that set the tone for the youngest competitor – Roderick Allicock.
The Lindener, better known by his stage name, ‘Static’ belted out his track – ‘All Out’, and that he did; he went all out in keeping those in the crowd, on their feet.
Adding to the night’s exhilaration was the ‘Mahaicony brothers’ – Kenton and Kempton Richards, known as KR and Magadan. After entertaining the crowd with a few popular covers, the brothers had a dance off, after which they dished out their 2019 Soca entry – ‘Jam She’.
From the crowd’s reaction, KR and Magadan’s performance was just as well received as the ones before. Next up, was Colwyn “Lil Colwyn” Blair who had the responsibility of keeping the momentum, and he did so perfectly, with his piece ‘Powder and Water’.
Blair, who made a name for himself in the competition last year, kept the crowd hyped, just in time for Steven Ramphal to bring the curtain down on the concert.
Instead of doing it alone, Ramphal invited all the contestants on stage for a ‘unity’ performance. Showcasing the beauty of Guyana’s diversity, the songbirds all joined hands, literally, in singing Adrian Dutchin’s ‘I am a Guyanese’.
It was beautiful performance that flooded the Charity Market tarmac with a feel of patriotism, a reminder that regardless of the times, we are all ‘One People’, from ‘One Nation’, following ‘One Destiny’.
The spectacular concert was made possible through the corporate supporters of Mashramani 2019 – Banks DIH Limited, Ansa McAl, Caribbean Airlines, Republic Bank and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).
Essequibians will be in for another treat come February 17th when the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground will come alive with a grand Duck Curry Competition followed by the Chutney Monarch Finals.
You must be logged in to post a comment.