Whither J’ouvert in Guyana?

Guyanese in Georgetown had a resounding, populous J’ouvert for this year’s independence anniversary, which saw overwhelming multitudes descend upon the National Park, some of them moving there after leaving the flag raising ceremony at D’Urban Park. The National Park was crowded to capacity, while vehicles were parked in every conceivable space covering a very wide area adjacent to the park over spilling into Lamaha Street, up along Albert Street, and the outskirts of Camp Ayanganna.

The show itself was lacklustre, with little to recommend its artistic or entertainment quality. It did not fully justify the overwhelming interest shown in it by the population, but a number of things about it are significant. The first is the very popularity of the event, which is being stressed in this analysis;