Guyana’s folklore amazes Carifesta IX
GINA, September 23, 2006
Led by Minister within the Ministry of Education Dr. Desrey Fox, the Guyana contingent boldly entered the Hasley Crawford Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago along with counterparts from around the Caribbean for the opening ceremony of Carifesta IX.
The stadium was packed to capacity as persons from around the Caribbean and other parts of the world came to witness the festival and cheer their fellow country men and women.
Many were amazed at the sight of Guyana’s folklore characters displayed including the Baccoo, Massacuraman Ol’ Higue and Mother Sally as most of them were seeing these for the first time. Local designer Michelle Cole was engaged by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport to create the characters which encompass Guyana’s various ethnicities.
Following these displays were a combination of Indian and African dances done by members of the National School of Dance and the Dharmic Nritya Sangh.
The stadium gyrated to the sound of the combined Guyanese indigenous, African and tassa drummers as their rhythm blended beautifully around the Stadium named after Trinidad and Tobago’s famous footballer.
Before entering the stadium the local entertainers held a warm-up session which drew the attention of other contingents.
Over 20 participating countries from around the Caribbean marched around the stadium in their own folkloric costumes at the gala opening ceremony for Carifesta IX.
As they made their way into the stadium they were welcomed by the Trinidad and Tobago steel orchestra.
The festival is held under the theme ‘Celebrating our people: Ccontesting the world stage’ and will continue until October 1.
This has been the third consecutive year since Trinidad and Tobago has been the host country for a Carifesta festival. It was officially declared open by the Prime Minister of the twin- island republic Patrick Manning.
The Prime Minister noted that the festival places the Caribbean at the most important juncture in history, where all aspects of culture are well appreciated and seen as a unifying force for the development of the region.
He charged participating contingents that they extend this culture to the rest of the world.
Carifesta according to the Prime Minister goes beyond visual and performing arts and represents a love for life and warmth and hospitality of our people.
"The festival seeks to showcase the arts and culture of the Caribbean to facilitate artistic and intellectual exchanges among our people, and to give impetus to the flourishing of our culture at the regional level and in the wider world," the Prime Minister said.
He was accompanied by President of Trinidad and Tobago George Maxwell Richards, Minister of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs, Joan Williams and Suriname’s President Ronaldo Venetiaan the welcoming ceremony also witnessed a 950 member team of chaldren who took to the stadium displaying a series of creative talenst depicting traditional and comtemporary cultures of the caribbean such as soca, chutney, zouke and wuk-up
on thusrday October 28, all aspects of the guyanese culture will come alive as the Haseley Crawford Stadium hosts the Guyana Night Festival.
the Carifesta calypso semofinals kicks off today saturday september 23 in tobago and 25 calypsonians from accross the caribbean including guyanese veteran Canary will be vying for the crown.
the competition will be held at the Dwight Yorke Stadium from 8.p.m and each contingent will be battling to dethrone Carifesta Calypso Monarch Singing Sandra
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Region Five farmers raise concerns with Agriculture Minister
- to work at resolving them
Georgetown, GINA, September 23, 2006
Plans are on stream to open a modern abattoir in Region Five part of Government’s wider plan to invest in non-traditional produce. This would facilitate the export of beef to the Caribbean and world markets.
This was revealed when Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Other Crops and Livestock, Robert Persaud and a team of officials from the Ministry visited the Mahaicony area on September 23 and held discussion with farmers.
The programme will be a part of the revamping of National Dairy Development Programme to create a cattle industry support unit. Government’s new agricultural diversification plan will focus on the four Ps- Pumpkin, Pineapple, Plantain and Pepper.
“We see a huge market out there, in the Caribbean, the US and in the European Union,” Minister Persaud noted. He said we can facilitate the beef market by working with cattle farmers.
During the visit, the Minister met farmers at the Karamat Primary School, Mora Point, and Mortice Primary School and then stopped at Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara.
Minister Persaud told farmers that he is willing to work with them to assist with issues affecting them. Farmers were told that several measures are in place to streamline rice cultivation.
Extension services will be put in place to aid farmers from the time of sowing crops to reaping. These extension services includes educating farmers on maximizing their yield, by the proper usage of weedicide and insecticide as farming now has become a science, the Minister noted. He said these extension services are broad-based but are a part of a comprehensive approach for the agricultural sector.
While emphasis is placed on non-traditional crops, the traditional crop sector has being receiving continued support from Government. Special emphasis will be placed on rice through the Rice Competitiveness Project which is funded by the European Union which will help to further lower the cost of farmers borrowing capital from banks.
Farmers raised concerns about drainage since the rainy season will commence soon and suggested that a long-term solution be found. They suggested that two parallel canals be dug to aid the flow.
In responding to this problem, the Agriculture Minister said that an engineer from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority would investigate and work along with the farmers to determine a solution.
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