A BUMPER BILL ON THAT CARIFESTA OPENING

Aug 24, 2008 Features / Columnists

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Bill was there; he always is at the Big Event. Paloma and Bharrat ‘s extravaganza in the Jumbie Stadium – the Carifesta Opening Ceremony. He was impressed.

Well, nearly. Guyana all but pulled victory from what was looking to be the jaws of weather-borne certain defeat.

16.15-fifteen minutes to Zero Hour-the skies opened. It’s why we have a rain forest here. For the next hour it poured and poured and poured .Paloma was looking concerned – one could say her face was Oh so Paloma Blanca. Bill was too far away from the Pressie to see his look.

The crowds were sheltering as best they could with the comfort of El Dorado and Banks – the official drinks of Carifesta X. (Is M&M’s the official snackette of Carifesta X? Who are the official black pudding makers?

Where does this franchising thing end?) Nothing was said to the soaking masses about the delay; Bill thinks it should have been.

But then the rain became a drizzle and Paloma pouted. It was going to be alright she told me in an exclusive interview. It was. In spades.

First, that Army Skyvan did one pass overhead then another then another but not a parachutist came out. Perhaps they were just sightseeing. Not so that Bell helicopter.

Round and round the stadium it circled looking for Fineman or Freddie. No luck today.(Perhaps Fineman has a franchise at Carifesta X?)
Bill thought the opening parts of the show were spectacular.

The parade full of rain-sodden joy. Why so many Surinamese – is this payback for all that Corentyne smuggling? That huge steel band under the watchful eye of Mr. Bovell playing in such sweet harmony.

The one thousand schoolchildren choreographed with such precision. It was truly a spectacle, a real treat. But, just in case you think Bill has gone soft on satire, his big complaint and it’s a very big one is .BIG SCREENS.

This Ceremony might have been sponsored by Don Gomes for how much most people could see of it. It wasn’t a spectacle, you needed bloody spectacles. You were always 200 plus feet from the action and could only make out part of it and some of the sound.

Big screens would have transformed the experience for all and also allowed the mound to be used for an extra 3000 spectators. No big screens=big mistake. Please fix for Concerts and Close…

Dem Choirs were good, Yoruba singers too and those Amerindian children dancing simply lovely. Once Bill had got his binoculars out to find them. Still no parachutists an hour into the show.

The skyvan did another pass. Bill was impressed at the slickness and continuity. The show slipped seamlessly from one act to another. Well done the little Gem and her team. The MCs were(thankfully)not very present spraying their egos over the action.

Bill was among friends. The lovely Rada and Mondale among them. Bill felt sorry for Old Monders writing for The Guyana Times – a paper with more writers than readers – so he gave him a few free jokes.

He won’t repeat them in this organ – leave it to the posh breakfast tables of GT and their carefully folded copy of GT brought in by the butler!!

Still the acts kept coming. Almost all of them too long. A Guyanese tradition. Edit them. Give us space to breathe. Keith Waithe and the Ala Kondre Drummers were simply superb – if unseen in that central stage again.

(Mine’s a Bank’s Keith) and then the Brazilians muscled their way on to the main stage via a lap of dishonour whipping up the crowd on their side. Poor Paloma. Fifty Brazilians meet tired impressariao. She had to give. Paloma Darker. They were dull when they got their way.

And then the politicians started to speak. Once again specks in the distance. Frank Anthony, dapper, but unheard for the first two minutes. Unfair isn’t it? You give a year of your life to organizing this mega event and then the bloody microphone does not work!

Frank was followed by another speck(er). Bill thinks it was the Secretary General of Caricom and another speck announced as the President of Suriname (another one from there – that Moleson Creek Ferry mush have been going non-stop on Thursday and Friday). Bill watched the speeches pon the NCN telly. Just who were all those white people helping them out?

By now, Bill’s brim was full. He, as they used to say in the yellow press of Britain, ’made his excuses and left’ before too many more specks appeared.

Bill was not so pleased to see that Walter Willis’ Wonderland of Mud, aka as the Stadium car park, has not changed in a year…Worse mud was to follow.

Time to sample the Cocktail night at Thirst Park (who is that man doing the radio ad – sounds strangely familiar) That was pure disaster.

Nothing happening, a field like a swamp literally and they were offering the Carifesta opening on a big Screen. Surely some post-modern irony in all of this? Or just bad organization. Bill made his excuses there too and left. Quickly.

Well done Paloma; a great dress rehearsal for the big night. Well done Bharrat too. Could you and Robert and Frank not do anything about that rain at the beginning?

Bill was happy to be Guyanese that night. Then he switched on Guytelly. Back to reality.
Pip! Pip!

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