…thoughts
Like the obligatory post-coital smoke, your Eyewitness can’t let this big Jubilee Bash pass without some reflection as to what actually went down. After all, the theme for the entire week of celebrations was “Reflect, Celebrate, Inspire”. This is a reelection on the celebration but frankly, it wasn’t very inspiring! There was a “Jubilee Festival” at the National Stadium then with the Flag Raising Ceremony and the grand finale of the Float Parade on Independence Day itself. Was it as good for the participants and it was for the organisers?
Well the Jubilee Festival – paid for by private companies, hustled to give “contributions” – kicked off on May 19 with “A night of Spiritual Upliftment”. But for some reason, not many showed up to be “spiritually uplifted”. Even GINA, the PR arm of the Government, couldn’t “big up” the attendance beyond “hundreds”. Is it that 50 years after Independence, Guyanese are less religious? Is that a mark of our social progress? The social scientists did predict “modernisation” will be accompanied by “secularisation”. Or is it because only “pro-Government” religious groups were invited?
The next event was also scheduled for the National Stadium the following day – Everything Guyanese – showcasing our Indigenous Peoples’ Culture folk music. Your Eyewitness scanned every newspaper in hard copy and Internet …nothing…zilch…nada. So what does that mean? Indigenous Peoples are still the “invisible Guyanese”?
The 21st had the “Night of Legends” and this came off…but with and even sparser crowd than for the “spirituality”. Either the legends aren’t as well known as they ought to be or else Guyanese aren’t too big on nostalgia. Who remembers Johnny Braff once ruled the airwaves all across the Caribbean around the time of Independence? Well, not the organisers since he was billed but not featured. And he’s in Guyana!
But they did plan something for the presumably present-fixated youngsters… A Nexxt Generation concert that was supposed to showcase “young Guyanese talent”. Here again… Nothing. If two concerts occur and no one reported it – did they happen? Turned out the Govt organisers flubbed the media passes!
Be as it may, there was for sure the grand Flag Raising at the spanking new wooden Durban Jubilee Park. But unfortunately, the snubbing of the Opposition entourage who didn’t get seats overshadowed the flag on the tallest pole in the country.
The Independence Day float parade was almost an anticlimax – saved by the massive show of support for the Guyana Amazon Warriors.
It was the only float drawing the full diversity of Guyana. Cricket’s still our unifying force.
….J’ouvert?
This Government has made a Herculean effort to move the Float Parade from Republic Day on February 23 to Independence Day, May 26. But they didn’t just move the date…they objected to the vulgar degeneration of the ethos of the Republic Day celebrations into a “poor man’s” sexualised imitation of the Trinidad Carnival. Including of late, even their messy J’ouvert. The coalition Government vowed to return “dignity” to the activity.
One could understand Guyanese imitating Carnival because of its connection to Lent falling in February, which was also our Republic month. But what was the reason for now holding a “J’ouvert” in May – as one group did on the morning of the 26th? Is it that we Guyanese just can’t commemorate anything without it descending into vulgarity?
It should surprise no one the Guyanese “J’ouvert” ended up with the being beaten with bottles when they tried to bring order to one scuffle.
What does this mean? The descent into the abyss might be permanent?
…excuse
Junior Minister Nicolette Henry issued an “explanation” for the snubbing of the Opposition Leader at the Flag Raising ceremony that raises more questions than the “answers” in the explanation.
For instance, who were the hundreds of persons who were in what she described as the “Presidential Section”.
