The Ministry of Culture has been working to change the image of Mashramani from one of strictly bacchanal to one that also exhibits the cultural and intellectual side of the Guyanese people.
Addressing the media on Tuesday Minister Dr. Frank Anthony said it has been a standing criticism that they have only been concentrating on one aspect while forgetting the intellectual side of the celebrations. “People would normally criticize that we’re only focusing on the wine up things that happen on the road and therefore we want to balance that and one of the things we’ve introduced this year is something called the Republic of Guyana Lecture.”
Guyanese John Rickford, Professor of Linguistics and Humanities at Stanford University in the US, is scheduled to deliver this year’s lecture on February 20.
“In addition to that we will be having several workshops where a lot of our cultural people will meet and discuss issues of culture relating to the growth and development of Guyanese culture,” Dr. Anthony said.
Another innovation is concerts aimed at sustaining the folk arts, the minister stated, while adding that the Castellani House will be hosting a special art exhibition, something it started doing in recent years.
A Mashramani exhibition is also slated for the National Museum. Along with the traditional flag raising ceremony, calypso competition and February 23 float parade, the Carib Soca Monarch competition is back on this year while the Republic Bank-sponsored Steel Band competition is expected to be a major feature.
“We also have the Chutney Song competition and for the first time there would be a little twist … that is the top three persons winning in this competition will then be finalists in the Chutney/Soca competition that happens in Trinidad,” the minister said.
Dr. Anthony said they are expecting more than 30 floats on the road Mash Day with more than 25 companies, ministries and agencies already confirming their participation.
Mashramani 2012 is being celebrated under the theme “Mashin’ With Pride, Keepin’ We Traditions Alive.”
