The Social Cohesion, Culture and Sport Department on Monday launched its Mash band for the 2018 float parade at the ER Burrowes School of Arts.
Present at the event was Social Cohesion Minister, with responsibility with culture and sport, Dr George Norton.
Speaking to the small gathering, the Minister expressed his enthusiasm about the upcoming celebrations for Guyana’s 48th Republic Anniversary.
“I’m looking forward to see what you have out there to display but not only that, I want to be a part of that which you will be displaying, and I’m looking forward to it,” he stated.
This year, the band, which was designed by students of the ER Burrowes School of Arts, will be featuring approximately 300 revellers, including a king and a queen. The coordinator of the costumes, Volda Ramsammy, revealed that the band had a simple theme which highlighted the celebration of Guyana.
“We have decided to choose our theme based on our national theme, our sub-theme is “celebrating republic 48”, but the reason I have decided to stick to such a simple theme is, because I want to focus and to emphasise on the importance of this celebration,” she said.
She added that the costumes featured the national colours of Guyana. The king costume is a vivid representation of the Golden Arrowhead and features national symbols such as the Victoria Regia Lily, the Canje Pheasant and the Cacique Crown.
Meanwhile, the queen costume was designed to complement the king. It features a giant hibiscus flower surrounded by local creatures like the hummingbird, which is very popular. It was designed with the intention of showcasing cooperativeness and celebration.
When all of these elements are put together, they depict cohesion among the people. The Social Cohesion, Culture and Sport Department will be displaying its float on Republic Day and is confident that it will capture the first prize in the costume category this year.
