Children urge normalcy in country at Mash Cultural Centre show
Stabroek News
February 4, 2004
Calypso queen: A lass of St. George's Nursery (right) belting out her winning calypso titled, "Drug is dangerous" in the presence of her schoolmates during the Nursery-Individual Calypso contest. The occasion was the Children's Mashramani Competition 2004
A plea for normalcy in the country was the clarion call of Guyanese youths on the stage of the National Cultural Centre yesterday when the Georgetown leg of the Children's Mashramani Competition 2004 got underway.
Competitions continue tomorrow with Dance I and Masquerade.
Social commentary which took the form of poems and calypsos stressed the importance of an end to the ongoing turmoil that has plagued the nation for sometime.
Proving to be one of the best organised children's competitions in recent years, activities kicked off at 10 am yesterday and flowed with brief intervals.
The competitions saw an increase in the number of participants this year with a number of schools entering in almost every category, especially the Nursery groups.
Broom lady: A lass of Sophia Nursery proudly displays a broom during a group dramatisation of "The Pointer Broom Lady" in the Nursery Group Dramatic Poetry of the Children's Mashramani Competition at the National Cultural Centre yesterday. (Photo by Ken M
The youths came in their numbers for the Dramatic Poetry competition.
The majority of youths recited their pieces with vigour and appeared to be having a good time. Kudos went to the Nursery groups for dramatising their pieces well.
Several young calypsonians stormed into the competition with fresh pieces and gyrated for the judges in an effort to bring the songs alive. Again the nursery groups held their own and sang with vitality, amusing themselves and the audience.
Ketley Primary led the way in the 5-7 Group Poetry with their poem titled, "Telephone flight". The youths complained of bad telephone reception and continuous recordings among other flaws in the local telephone sector.
Shaking things up in Nursery Calypso was St. George's Nursery with a piece called, "Drugs is dangerous". The youths sang, "Daddy don't smoke weed, mommy don't give we. If you give we weed we will never read, stop smoking the weed!"
In the Nursery-Individual St. George's Nursery placed first, Kingston Nursery second and Albouystown Nursery third. Happy Acres Nursery placed first in the 5-7 Individual.
Redeemer Primary School copped first prize in the 11-13 Individual Calypso, Queen's College came second and Marian Academy third.
J.E. Burnham nursery placed first in the Nursery-Individual Dramatic Poetry, Bel Air Nursery second and Happy Acres Nursery third.
Kingston Nursery won the Nursery Group category, Stella Maris Nursery came second and Liana Nursery third.
In the 5-7 Individual St. Angela's Primary placed first, Green Acres second and St. Stephen's Primary third. Ketley Primary placed first in the 5-7 Group, Enterprise Primary second and West Ruimveldt third.
St. Angela's Primary won the 8-10 Individual, St. Gabriel's Primary came second and J. E Burnham third.
In the 8-10 Group Green Acres placed first, Sacred Heart second and West Ruimveldt third. Stella Maris Primary was first in the 11-13 Individual, St. Gabriel's second and St. Angela's Primary third. (Iana Seales)