A plethora of intricate Indian dances and energising music is expected to dominate Pushpanjali, the annual programme of the Indian Commemoration Trust (ICT) to observe the anniversary of the arrival of the first East Indians in Guyana.

Mahua Shankar performing at the last Pushpanjali

The event is set for Saturday at the Indian Monument Gardens, Camp and Church streets, Georgetown.
Pushpanjali 2012 will showcase “cultural retentions and historic imagery” expressed in music, song, dance, and drama. Tassa drumming and chowtal singing will be part of the activities.
The show begins at 18:00 hours and admission is free. Indian sweetmeats and beverages will be on sale.
Guyana commemorates Indian Arrival Day on May 5, marking the 174th anniversary of the arrival of the first Indian labourers who came on May 5, 1838 on the ships, “Whitby” and “Hesperus”, which landed with 936 Indian indentured workers after a hazardous crossing from Calcutta to then British Guiana.
Also there will be a tribute to the indentured Indians who have made a tremendous contribution in building this nation.

As promised by the Buddy’s Night Club, the “Feel Good Fridays” continue in the newly refurbished facility on Sheriff Street.
This and every Friday Buddy’s will be featuring Carib/Mackeson guest deejays that are sure to bring new vibes to the club. Additional attractions will include two Carib/Mackeson beverages being sold for $500 all night long!!!

Rick Ramotar

This event comes to you exclusively by Carib, Mackeson, Buddy’s Nightclub, Buddy’s GYM, Buddy’s Pool Hall & Buddy’s Mei Tung Restaurant.
Meanwhile, this  Saturday Trinidadian chutney sensation, Rick Romotar will be adding some steam with his live performance.
It is the ultimate ladies night event and all ladies are free until 22:30h. Persons in groups of eight will receive a complimentary alcoholic beverage, compliments of Demerara Distillers Limited.
For both events, entry is absolutely FREE before 22:30h; hence patrons are urged to be early to catch the FREE period! After 22:30h, general admission is $1500 and $3000 for the VIP experience.
The Saturday night action comes to you compliments of Demerara Distillers Limited, Buddy’s Nightclub, Buddy’s GYM, Buddy’s Pool Hall & Buddy’s Mei Tung Restaurant.

After weeks of exhilarating softball competition under the patronage of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Limited (GT&T), the competition will culminate on Saturday, May 12.  Participants and patrons will then enjoy a super concert at the Guyana National Stadium.
The concert will feature Trinidad’s Number 1 crossover band, Karma comprising Ravi B, Nesha B, and Soca sensation, Gregory; Guyana’s Road March King 2011, Mahendra Ramkellawan; and GT&T Jingle and Song Competition winner, Brandon Harding.

Nesha B

There will also be live entertainment from the “Feel the Beat Dancers”; the Heat Waves Band; Shakti Stings Band and the Fusion Sound System.
The winning 10/10 teams will walk away with more than $30 million in cash and prizes. The competition, which started on March 10, saw 116 female teams and 826 male teams battling for supremacy.
During the finals, the telephone giant will be giving prizes to its supporters.
Patrons will pay $1500 to be a part of the action. Subscribers of GT&T can also text the word CRICKET to 620-GAME (4263) and pay $500 for a ticket to the softball finals, inclusive of a T-Shirt. The promotion will run until stock last.

At 20:00h sharp this evening, the Theatre Guild Playhouse on Parade Street, Georgetown will put on  its first major production of the year – William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.
This production is a comedy which explores themes of love. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, to the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, including the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of six amateur actors, who are manipulated by the fairies who inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set.
The staging is intended primarily for students writing CXC English Literature, whose syllabus features  “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” as  one of the prescribed plays.
Malcolm DeFreitas, who has won the award for the best director of 2011, will be directing this play with a cast of 22. Among the cast members are Sonia Yarde, Keon Heywood, Mark Luke-Edwards, Randolph Critchlow, Nelan Benjamin, Darren Mc Almont, and Sean Thompson.
Tickets cost $1000 and are available at the Theatre Guild. Persons interested in tickets can also make contact with Ayanna on 225-4033 or 666-9721. The play runs until May 6.
This is a must see! Families are urged to come out and be a part of the event.

Dear Editor,
I have a few comments to make, and these are in response to my observation, regarding simple facilities in this country.
First, after reading that “Water (is) now accessible in Bourda Market” I felt really good. It stands to simple reasoning that if there is a market, then the throng of people, doing business there, will need water, and for sure a ‘washroom.’ I hope that there is indeed this latter service.
Only recently there were “scathing criticisms from vendors and stall owners of the market, over the non-availability of water…” This was going on for too long, and I can imagine the inconvenience and discomfort during this period. Well the word is that City Hall Public Relations Officer Royston King has confirmed that the water supply has been restored.
Now I take a visit to the Botanical Gardens, and I make a request that potable water be made available, and all day too. This place is frequented by so many people, and it can be very disruptive when there is no water.
Concerning the use of the washroom, I think that the present fee of sixty dollars is just way too much. I could have accepted this if the recreational facilities were in a good state, and there was at least one pool for the children to ‘cool off.’ Also, many times, water is not available in the washroom reservoir. I know of many females who will never use the washroom, based on the hygiene factor. So a sprucing/cleaning up may be in order too.
With regards,
Crandon Haynes

The first-ever Soca Cooler Fete saw people from all walks of life streaming onto the tarmac of the Guyana National Stadium on Monday evening with their coolers filled with myriad alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Nesha B

The fete featured soca sensations Peter Ram; Biggie Irie; Skinny Fabulous; Lil Rick; and Trinidad’s number one cross over band, Karma. Guyanese artistes such as King Shepherd and Mysterious and Tropical also performed before the massive crowd.
The crowd was entertained by the Pulse Entertainment Sound System before the performances by the big boys. First to take to the stage was Mysterious and Tropical who jumped around the stage more than they sang. They eventually dished out their signature tune, “Regardless”. The couple from all indications did not deliver as expected. Making things worse was the performance of King Shepherd who also jumped and talked more than he sang. The massive crowd was clearly not impressed.
The Guyanese artiste made way for Barbados Soca Sensation Biggie Irie who spent about 15 minutes entertaining his fans. As usual, he dished out some of his well-known singles that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
His performance was followed by Peter Ram who also delivered to the satisfaction of the crowd. His popular tunes filled the air and saw especially the ladies getting their grooves on. His 20-minute performance was well appreciated and left patrons with some soca vibes in their veins.
With his energetic  attitude, Skinny Fabulous appeared on stage to a huge roar from the ladies who were ready to perform the 6:30 dance, and he did not disappoint, inviting a number of ladies on stage to perform the signature dance. One of the well-dressed young ladies attempted to do the dance on the speakers and eventually toppled onto the bitumen tarmac.   That brought an end to Fabulous’ energetic performance.
The next artist, Lil Rick, who is known for his popular tune “Jones and Wuk up”, appeared on stage like a whirlwind and took everyone by storm. His cool moves and soca flavours added some zest to the crowd who were already in the party mood.

Ravi B

The final act of the event was Karma. As they made their appearance on stage, the crowd went wild. The band performed some of their well-known chutney, soca and Filmi hits that had everyone shaking their bodies or jumping around.
They were the showstoppers and patrons enjoyed every bit of their high-energy performance. Ravi B and Nesha B more than compensated for the absence of groovy band mate Gregory. The audience was delighted with the energy and charisma that Karma brought to the stage.
After the performances, patrons of the VIP section ended up into the pool that was provided for them.
The emcees, WR Reaz, a television personality, and NCN’s Tanisha Harding added some excitement with their humour. The event was promoted by Pulse Entertainment and was managed by Wild Fire Production.

The Guyana Model Search/Designers’ Portfolio TV series is certainly being transformed into an extravaganza of magnanimous proportions. The Labour, Human Services and Social Security Ministry is partnering with the Sonia Noel Foundation for the Creative Arts and Guyana Fashion Weekend to promote awareness of domestic violence as a national evil to be eliminated.
Saskia Hardt, the wife of the United States ambassador to Guyana D Brent Hardt, has also joined forces with the agencies and has graciously accepted the role as the patron of the finale event “Better Living 2012 and Glamorous… walking on sunshine”, the climax of the reality television series.
Human Services and Social Security Minister Jenifer Webster has endorsed the mission statement of this year’s programme: the youth must be made aware of their potential.
By reinforcing the message that youths were born to shine, that they can dare to dream, that they should free the spirit of entrepreneurship, that they should emancipate the mind and let their imagination soar, the series affords them an opportunity to shine.
This is true youth empowerment, advancing sustainable development initiatives to fashion our future life chances and contribute to the creation of a world in which gender-based discrimination, violence and abuse are confined to the history books.
As a patron of the Sonia Noel Foundation for the Creative Arts’ anti-domestic violence drive, Mrs Hardt hopes to increase awareness of the problem of domestic violence and abuse of women and children here in Guyana.
“This is an issue that affects women and children in every socio-economic bracket worldwide. Hillary Clinton, in her address at the second World Conference of Women’s Shelters, stated: “We see women as powerful agents of change and through forums like this one, we are focusing on creative and innovative ways to harness the power of women to be part of the solution to ending gender-based violence.”
Mrs Hardt added that “one of the main objectives of the climax event on the first of July is the Isika Fashion and Lifestyle Extravaganza, Better Living 2012, where we would showcase young people and help empower them in achieving their professional goals and aspirations. We need to engage young people in Guyana to understand their own intrinsic value, talent, and potential, and in doing so, give them the confidence to stand up and say NO to violence and NO to abuse.”
Richard Young, creative director for the series and two-part spectacular finale, is very honoured and humbled to craft this indelible stamp on the Caribbean process of event tourism and the unique branding of our regional aesthetic.
Guyana Fashion Weekend CEO Sonia Noel, known for her innovative productions, continues to push the envelope for the development of the fashion industry.
Young and Noel have identified the significance of utilising collective creative energies to mobilise youth empowerment, ensure environmental consciousness, and propel forward thinking to push economic diversification strategies and sustaining holistic lifestyles. The reality show begins its dynamic run on NCN later this month and has its grand finale on July 1.

Jamaican Reggae singer and Songwriter Christopher Martin did not let down his more than 500 fans who flocked the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground to get a glimpse of the rising star during his electrifying performance. Approximately two hours after the long awaited show started, the Jamaican Artiste appeared on stage at 2:00h on Sunday wearing a stylish sky blue jacket, complimented by grey-black jeans. Word of his appearance on stage resulted in a thicker crowd with persons from all across Guyana and the diaspora.

“Christopher Martin performing at the MSC Ground on Saturday Night”

The bleachers of the MSC were no longer used for sitting as everyone were on their feet waving, dancing, gyrating and even singing along while a great number of fans rushed to the front of the stage to get a up close and personal moment with the entertainer. Ladies at stage front made good their moments to hold the singer’s hand, and rub his legs and for some, they got a one on one interaction with Martin as he spoke and sang directly for them. One lucky woman was obviously enthralled when Martin took off his jacket and gave it to her, requesting that she wear it for the remainder of the night. As the show got closer to the end, another lucky girl got the pleasure of taking home his vest.  Martin rocked the crowd with a performance which lasted approximately one hour with a mixture of his own pieces blended nicely with a range of old songs which brought the curtains down on the show for the night. It must be noted however that although he thrilled the crowd with his energy packed performance, it appeared as though his presence on stage was unbelievable especially when he sang some of his hit songs such as ‘Cheater’s Prayer’, ‘Driver’, ‘2012’, ‘Take My Wings’, ‘If You Can’t Love Me Now don’t Love me Later’ and ‘Real Friends’, that sent the ladies wild, with screams. After his unforgettable performance on stage, a few lucky ladies ceased the opportunity to take a photo with the Jamaican artiste even if they had to fight for it.
During an interview with Guyana Times Martin said that it was evident that Lindeners truly appreciate his music, noting that it felt great to be in Linden for the first time. “The vibes nice, da ladies dem hot, Linden has a whole set of pretty girls and meh enjoy meh self, yuh understand.”
Prior to Martin’s maiden performance in Linden, the early bird patrons, numbering in the hundreds, were entertained by Calvin Burnett, Jory and Brandon among other locals who enticed the crowd.