Mashramani
on Kate in Guyana (Guyana), 26/Feb/2010 12:33, 34 days ago
Tuesday was Mash - to celebrate Republic Day. Guyana got independence from the British with a constitution that created republic after 5 years. This was 40 years ago. So this year Mash was a big event. It copies a lot of Trinidad carnival. The floats start gathering at 8 am and move off throughout the day. Each float has a lorry with some people on, but mainly massive ghetto blasters on the back - with soca music so loud it feels like it will give you a heart attack. There are then a procession of people behind the float walking and dancing along the street all dressed up and sometimes with walking floats being pulled along. All along the roads families are camped out for the day, with rough sun shade rigged up, blankets to sit on and loads of food and drink for all.Sounds fun? Well I was hoping for steel bands, and there was only one and you couldn't really hear them because everything else was so deafening. I've seen masquerade done in another place, which is a bit like a mummers play, and I was hoping for that. They were around but did not seem to be performing unless I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. A lot of the dancing (wining) is very lewd, I cannot describe it in a public place as I am sure to offend somebody, so if you feel strong enough to see a demo you will have to wait! Suffice to say that absolutely nothing is left to the imagination. The whole event was meant to be about celebrating cultural diversity, which was not the case. Everything was very much the same culture. I did not see any Indo-Guyanese culture although there were Amerindian floats but not with their own music or dance. The soca music was often the same track played on every lorry. I found out later that the track that is played by the most floats wins a prize, and it was a fight out between two of them. Talking to local people after the event, they say that soca is what mash is about, it is just the way it is. Of course the street music was blasting out until at least three oclock in the morning, I was glad of having ear plugs.Monday is Phagwah which when everyone chucks water and paint over each other, so this may or may not be more fun... watch this space. I'm hoping to go to the Indian Cultural Centre to see some dancing, and maybe get to try seven curries. That is the traditional dish, you get a teaspoonful of seven different curries, all vegetarian. The music should be a bit more cultural as well.Cheers