Guyana carnival should use...
From 10A
The second reason for re-making the festival, was the powerful force of popular culture. This was the force that created the Jamaica and the Bahamas carnivals. There were people to be entertained and money to be made. Private interests in Guyana looked at that prospect; the government has embraced it as something with which to celebrate independence and fill an empty day. Popular culture continues to be responsible for cultural change all over the Caribbean, just as it is at work in Guyana.
Popularity aside, a measure of its success is possible by looking at what happened last year. How was Guyana Carnival 2019? There has been no official disclosure of records that the country ought to have, but whether they took the trouble to obtain these is unknown. Among these is tourist arrivals. Between the ministry responsible for tourism, the Guyana Tourism Authority, the director of tourism, and the Tourism And Hospitality Association of Guyana, there should have been a realisation that this was necessary. There have been anecdotal claims (and hopes, maybe?) of large numbers of foreigners but that is unscientific and dubious. There are ways of collaborating with the immigration authorities to gather this data.
How good was it for business, otherwise? There is a national Carnival Committee. Was any information gleaned about income and profits? If one were to judge from the carnival bands on the road, it did not look so good. The only things that looked good were the scantily clad girls in their bikini costumes, but, alas, there were only few of them. The owners of those bands were unlikely to have made much money, given the small numbers who actually purchased those costumes. Anecdotal evidence suggests that people felt the fees were too expensive and only a few could afford them, or were willing to invest so much. Did the bands price themselves out of the market? Then again, there was only a handful of bands on the road. The road march route was ill-conceived, resulting in a reduction of the numbers of persons with stalls on the road vending drinks, food and whatever else. So fewer of the small people made money on Independence Day.
The most successful part of Guyana Carnival 2019 was the grand assembly on the road in and around the National Park and on Vlissingen Road after nightfall. That was a resounding triumph, given the large crowds, the energy, and the impact of the revelry. That might have been the only thing that made it all worthwhile, although one cannot say who gained from it financially, since most of the street-side stalls had already packed up. Being off the road this year, gives the Guyana Carnival time to reflect on its gains, losses and meaning.