Guyana’s first Carnival experience dubbed a success

…patrons call for more participation from corporate Guyana

Thousands of Guyanese from all corners of the country and as well as a large amount of tourists, on Saturday braved the weather and took to the streets of Georgetown to get a glimpse of the beautiful and utterly decked-out men and women in their brightly coloured costumes gyrated to celebrate the country’s 52nd Independence Anniversary.
The historic first Carnival commenced at the newly constructed roundabout at the beginning of Vlissengen Road, and came to a stop at the D’Urban Park, where the excitement was at its climax.
As just about five trucks, laden with music boxes to pump up the atmosphere took off, the carnival chasers did not hesitate to show off their vibrant kaleidoscope of costumes and dancing skills that sailed with the intense soca vibes.
These beautifully designed pieces were crafted with feathers, beads and tons of glitter among several other beautiful materials and saw no difficulty in grasping the crowd’s attention.
The thousands of patrons who flocked the bands and lined the jam-packed streets for the much anticipated and long awaited Carnival took the opportunity to have a blast as well and did not waste any of the songs.
Persons were seen snapping selfies against the backdrop of revelers and partying folks while others recorded videos of the event to post on social media. Dance moves threw some on the roads, while some in the air.
Decked in their attractive costumes the members of the parade band, both on feet and on the trucks could have been seen enjoying themselves despite the drizzles of rainfall and gusty winds at first.
However, as the sunshine gradually peeked out of the heavy dark cloud, beads of perspiration ran down the cheeks of the dancers who were thankful for the favourable weather.
Robby Singh, who led one of the bands at the parade on Saturday encouraged persons to be part of the event in the year ahead, which plans are being made for. He also added that a comment of this year’s proceeding can only be termed as a “blast” for those who participated.
A viewer of the parade told the Guyana Times that while she has been enjoying herself at the carnival, she thinks it definitely needs the support of more Guyanese and the inclusion of more costumes in the parades.
According to her, “When you are accustomed to seeing Mashramani all here (the streets) is be full. Now I’m not seeing a lot of Guyanese supporting the Carnival in terms of everybody coming out and having a good time”.
A male supporter of the historic event said he loves everything about the day and if he had the opportunity, he still would not change anything, not even the weather.
“Oh, everything is so good and we’re enjoying it. I wouldn’t like to change anything. Everything was perfect,” Anil explained.
Meanwhile Alex, a seven-year-old who accompanied his parents to view the parade said the thing he liked best about the Carnival was that each float had different music and different people. Sure enough, it was revealed that he would definitely like to see the Carnival parade again next year while he added that he was mostly excited by the music and to see how the people were reacting. Guyana Carnival kicked off May 18 and will culminate today. During the hosting of the event, several mega concerts were held featuring some of the best in the business. These include Kes, Machel Montano and Destra preformed throughout the week at the different events which were held in popular areas across Georgetown.
Additionally, those who preferred a laid back atmosphere were treated to a steelband jamboree and the Miss Guyana World Pageant. The carnival committee is hoping that this is a venture that they can continue in the coming years to indulge all carnival chasers with the best Guyanese experience.