What Do You Know About Guyana

by in Allan, Being Frank

Upon the assumption of Republican status in February 1970, when Guyana replaced the Queen of England with a Guyanese President to be Head of State, the four-year old Independent nation thought it was time for another national celebration.

Guyana remained a member of the Commonwealth of Nations but determined that Republicanism must define both independence and image and identity.

For the very first celebration of Republican status therefore, the people of the Upper Demerara, Bauxite town of LINDEN, decided to utilize typical Guyanese art forms, blended with the tried and tested Trinidadian Carnival like features, to produce the first MASHRAMANI.

The word “MASHRAMANI” itself is Arawak Amerindian and translates roughly to “a celebration after collective and successful hard work”. So, in a word, Guyana’s Mashramani, now virtually a three–week long festival of both art forms and educational activities, is really the celebratory aspect of the Republic Anniversary Observance. It climaxes, in a way, with an extravaganza of a Costume and Float Parade through the streets of the Capital, Georgetown.

February 23, is the actual Republic Day, chosen because of its association with the Region’s earliest Slave Rebellions against the Dutch in 1763 in Berbice.

There is now something for all Guyanese, their friends and other visitors and tourists at February’s Mashramani in Guyana. COME VISIT TROPICAL RAINFORESTS OR THE MIGHTY MOUNT RORAIMA STRADDLING THREE COUNTIES, STAY AT OUR ECOLOGICAL LODGES IN THE FORESTS OR ON THE RIVERS.

PARTICIPATE IN STREET DRAMA – LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL TRADITIONAL AND POP CONCERTS, PLAY MAS’, SEE FOLK RITUALS RE-ENACTED OR ATTEND UNIVERSITY–LED LITERARY/CULTURAL WORSHOPS.

What? You still love PAN, MASQUERADE, CALYPSO, SOCA AND CHUTNEY! Well come on down to Georgetown. Mashramani is more varied, more diversified than many other festivals or carnivals.
And by air, road or bridge, you may slip across to Venezuela, Suriname or Brazil.

Then it’s back to Georgetown or some hinterland or rural community to “festivate” with the folk. Book a fantastic February in Guyana this year. What? Weather? Rain or Storm Mashramani 2012 goes on!