Last week, Guyana celebrated 51 years as a republic. The anniversary was marked by a rather elaborate official ceremony in the compound of the Senedd building, with a variety of performance events. There were also other recorded pieces in a national television broadcast. But the occasion passed in low key fashion without the usual rustic events, noise, celebrations and spectacle as the country, like the whole world, was still being discovered from the COVID-19 pandemic fraud.
Many parties and nightclubs challenged the health restrictions and precautions with uncontrolled exertion, but the overall mood was subdued and quiet. Significantly, Mashramani did not, reflecting the channel-wide silence in Trinidad and Tobago where there was no carnival.
The relative buffer of this unpopular situation offered an opportunity to think a little about Mashramani, her state as a national festival, and its functions. Further, since the steel band has been completely silent throughout this period, how has it flourished as a Mashramani event, and has it benefited in any way from the festival?