Highlights of Cricket Carnival 2023

– Super Concert, Road Parade, icing on cake

The proverbial curtains have been pulled on the Cricket Carnival festivities, but there were a few events that stood out.

The carnival kicked off on Friday, August 8, 2023 with welcome vibes at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, where arriving passengers were greeted by the sweet sound of Soca and steel pan music, accompanied by well-decked models in carnival costumes. This had definitely set the tone for a fantastic season.

Later that day, all roads led to the parking lot of the Synthetic Track at Leonora, West Coast Demerara (WCD), for ‘Chutney Over Dose’, which featured some of the best chutney performers in Guyana and Trinidad, including Vicadi Singh, Tony Cuttz, KI, Savita Singh, Master Saleem, Elsa Lisa, Adesh Samaroo, and others. This event saw a sizable crowd being fully entertained by some energetic performances from the cast.

This event made way for other events: the “One Guyana” Concert, and the massive super concert titled “Wet” being among them. The “One Guyana” Concert was held at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, EBD, and it featured a line-up of Guyanese entertainers. There were some outstanding performers, who put on a show for a large audience. Without a doubt, they performed exceptionally.
During the weekend of September 15-17, several activities were hosted, the main one being the “One Guyana” Chutney Concert at the Canje Ground in Berbice. Berbicians were treated to a high-class show that featured Ravi B, Guyanese Baboo, Mahendra Ramkellawan, Davendra Pooran, Rick Ramotar, and a host of talented entertainers.

Another concert before that massive super concert was held was “Wet”, held at the National Park in Georgetown. This j’ouvert-style event saw Nailah Blackman, Skinny Fabulous, Sackie, Yung Bredda, Lady Lava and others performing. The venue was engulfed with powder, water, and good music that captured the carnival-type atmosphere.

The highlight of Cricket Carnival was the Super Concert held on Saturday, September 23, featuring some top Caribbean performers who wowed the crowd. The Guyana National Stadium was filled to capacity.
The show opened with Guyanese singing sensation Niketa, who performed some of her hits that made way for Former X2 member Adrian Dutchin, who did not disappoint, as he dished out some of his tunes, including his most popular “I am Guyanese”, which resonated with the large crown.

His performance was followed by that of Terry Gajraj, who again sang some of his hits, including ‘Guyanese Baboo’ – a song that is well known not only in Guyana, but around the world.

All would agree that the crowning performance of the evening was done by Kes the Band, who set the stadium on fire with its hour-long show. Singing tune after tune, the band left the entire crowd in a frenzy. The stage front was invaded by screaming young ladies, who not just wanted to get a close-up with the artiste, but had hopes of touching him. As usual, Kes the Band did not disappoint, and by the end of its performance, the audience had already received its money’s worth.
Jamaican Dancehall artiste Shenseea next took to the stage, but her performance did not go down well with the already hyped crowd. She must, however, be given credit for at least singing a few of her favourite tunes, but the highlight of her performance was when she was outplayed by one of her fans, who accompanied her on stage.

As she left the stage, the deejays re-energized the crowd with an excellent selection of music from all genres. After about 30 minutes, renowned Jamaican musical star Sean Paul made his appearance on stage, much to the delight of the crowd.
He, too, sang a few of his tunes, but again, some sections of the crowd were not too pleased.

One could say that most of his fans were generally not pleased, and obviously they did not have a chance to see him, except on the screens that were set up at the side of the stage. Moreover, the sounds booming through the speakers were drowned in the screams and shouts of the fans. By the time Sean Paul had left the stage, at about 2:30h, the crowd was dripping wet with perspiration and drinks that were tossed into the air throughout his performance.
A musical interlude was taken, making way for Soca sensation Machel Montano. He appeared on stage at about 3:00h, and went straight into his hit songs. And despite being tired, worn, and drunk, the crowd did not hold back from tramping, jumping, and winding down to the Soca vibes.

Machel has been performing very frequently in Guyana, and his fans from around the region and further afield were amazed at his high-energy performance, despite his age. However, they, too, agreed that Kes the Band was the climax of the show.
The Cricket Carnival culminated with the grand Road Parade on Monday – one day after the Guyana Amazon Warriors had clinched their first CPL title by outplaying the Trinbago Knight Riders.
Gyrating down the streets of Georgetown were several bands, including the Hits & Jams Lava band, Decoded, and the 595 Heritage Band. Some members of the GAW team were also on parade, carrying the winning trophy.

Although that Monday was not declared a holiday, hundreds of Guyanese were seen lining the parade route to get a glimpse of the carnival vibes and at least a glimpse of the Warriors. The parade ended with a grand concert at the Kitty Roundabout.
Cricket Carnival has been dubbed a huge success, although there were a few hiccups that have to be sorted out before the 2024 edition is held.