Digicel, Banks, Ansa McAl among Mash band winners

Digicel, Banks DIH and Ansa McAl won top honours from a group of 30 bands competing in Saturday’s Mashramani float parade.

A report from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said the bands competed under the theme chosen to celebrate Guyana’s 43rd Republic anniversary, ‘Reflecting Creativity, Embracing Diversity.’

Sporting: One of the Banks DIH floats moving along Church Street on Saturday last. Banks came third in the Full Costume category (Photo by Arian Browne)
Sporting: One of the Banks DIH floats moving along Church Street on Saturday last. Banks came third in the Full Costume category (Photo by Arian Browne)

The Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sport announced that in the Costume and Band Parade ‘Individual Pieces’ category, Ansa McAl Trading topped for the king, Banks for the queen and Digicel won both the best female and male costumes.

Digicel again won in the ‘Full Costume–Large Band’ category, followed by Ansa McAl and Banks in second and third place, respectively.

The Tourism and Amerindian Affairs ministries and Region Three won the first, second and third place, respectively, in the medium band category while the Ministry of Education, Linden Technical Institute and Rusal secured the first, second and third place, in the small band category.

Digicel continued to amass winnings by securing the first place in the ‘Semi-Costume Large’ category, followed by Banks DIH in second and the Ministry of Natural Resources in third. Slingshot won in the medium category, followed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Region Five, while Apsara and Lux Entertainment topped the small category.

‘Caribs’ on the march: One of the Ansa McAl floats making its way to the National Park on Saturday last. Ansa McAl took second place in the Full Costume Large Band category (Photo by Arian Browne)
‘Caribs’ on the march: One of the Ansa McAl floats making its way to the National Park on Saturday last. Ansa McAl took second place in the Full Costume Large Band category (Photo by Arian Browne)

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport won first place in the ‘Floats – Non-Commercial’ category, followed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and Region Six, respectively. Banks won in the commercial category, followed by Apsara and Lux Entertainment in second place. Region Three dominated the ‘Regional Full Costume’ category, followed by regions Four and Six, respectively. For the Individual Pieces, Region Three copped both king and queen while Region Six emerged winner in the non-commercial category.

Soca artiste Adrian Dutchin was again judged Road March King, the release said.