March 2, 2014 | By KNews | Filed Under News
“This is my country. I love that we are an independent nation and that we have republic status. Mash is a way of showing what our culture is all about but we are deviating from this culture. Gyrating on the road is not Guyanese culture. It’s an imitation of what’s going on in Trinidad and Brazil.” – ‘Slingshot’
By Sunita Samaroo The enticing costumes are now off, the music systems have stopped and the Mashramani dust has definitely settled, but a talented son of the soil resident in United States of America, John Drepaul, popularly known as ‘Slingshot’ has expressed displeasure with the direction the recent Mashramani celebrations took.
John ‘Slingshot’ Drepaul and his wife Ingrid.
In a recent interview with Kaieteur News, Drepaul made it pellucid that if there is no intervention by the authorities, ‘Mash’ will soon be a far cry from its original representations. The popular artiste now questions the direction the national celebration has been taking over the years. “So far Mash is becoming something that is not celebration after hard work. What is ‘hard work’ for you to gyrate on the road whilst wearing very skimpy clothes?” Maintaining that he is a Guyanese “through and through”, Drepaul stated that he loves that Guyana is an independent nation and that it has achieved Republican status but according to him “Mash is a way of showing what our culture is all about but we are deviating from this culture. Gyrating on the road is not Guyanese culture! It’s an imitation of what’s going on in Trinidad and Brazil.” He said Mashramani is an activity of togetherness shared by Guyanese across class, colour and creed but he worries about the takeover. “If the powers that be don’t step on that and try their best, Mash will no longer be Mash.” Adding to that, Drepaul disclosed to this publication that he fears Mashramani will become what he describes as a “big truck event where everybody piles into a truck and they have their own privacy. It’s all barricading; you don’t know what’s going on.” The popular artiste stated that he has always been on his horse-drawn cart and that will not change.
“I’ve always been on my cart and that’s who I am. We (his band) try to be as positive and family-oriented, but we are just being squished in, and the big bands with all their fancy whatever, it is they who are the ones taking over.” Drepaul said too that he believes that Republic Day and Mashramani celebrations should be separated.
“Republic Day should be just patriotic with just a patriotic fervour and activities that would be deemed appropriate for the Republic Day. Don’t mix it with the bacchanalians that Mash has now accepted as a form of patriotism.” “If you want a carnival or Mardi Gras, it is quite feasible to put it on some other day. It is only proper. You cannot expect patriotism and honour your Republican status by having people in butt floss and all kind of gyrations and wild behaviour on the road.”
He opines too that the Mashramani routes should be changed because as the years progress it is becoming even more congested. Ever philosophical, Drepaul also believes that local entertainers should concentrate on originality and avoid the foreign accents many often adopt. “To better promote and market their productions, Guyanese musicians should focus entirely on originality and avoid the imitation of foreign artistes. It’s quite a turnoff to see otherwise talented musicians putting on strange airs, adopting the stage styles and gesticulations of artistes from abroad, right down to the accents.” Drepaul believes that Mashramani is a time that local artistes should use to promote their music and market both their talents and the country. “Stop playing foreign music during Mashramani. Guyanese act as though they are ashamed of their culture, but they should be proud of who they are. Why would a Guyanese DJ try to talk like a Jamaican? They should be playing Guyanese music there.” To add to his position, Drepaul questions whether “a Jamaican, Bajan or Trinidadian tries to talk like a Guyanese? We try to talk like them.” Drepaul stated that he observed that during the Children’s Mashramani activities foreign music was also dominating the airwaves. In light of this, when asked how he sees his music in a few years, Drepaul stated that he will under no circumstance change who he is and what his music represents.
‘Slingshot’ insists he has always been on his horse-drawn cart and that will not change.
“I am not going to change and follow the trend. My music is my music and so if it’s a hundred yards away and they don’t see anybody they will know it is ‘Slingshot’ coming down the road. I am proud of that. It is distinctive.”
“We would not deviate; we will not make a detour to fit the moment. What lasts is a formula and you stick to that formula.” Speaking about this year’s performance, Drepaul claimed that he always prepare a year ahead for the Mashramani activities. He noted that this year the ‘Guyana Get Fit’ Mash Band theme was chosen as his strategy to tackle an important health issue and raise awareness of the need for Guyanese to adopt healthy lifestyles.
Drepaul said through their costumes which depicted the dangers of obesity and its related illnesses, they hoped to highlight the need for individuals to get fit in 2014 to ensure they live longer and healthier. The artiste claims that “it’s about time we start cutting down on the processed food and all the fancy take out and Chinese food. It’s time to get fit!” An enthusiastic Drepaul recorded that this year’s Mashramani crowd was very receptive and he lauded Guyanese for the support shown. “The warmth that exudes from the bystanders towards this persona that is known as ‘Slingshot’, I thank Guyana. I thank them from the bottom of my heart.” “I thank all those who donated towards the ‘Slingshot Mash Camp’ because they see a rose amidst cactus, an oasis in the middle of the desert.” Drepaul was particularly peeved about one glaring issue related to the Mash Day activities, and which he described as unbecoming – the way people have been littering the streets. He said that persons must take pride in their surroundings and desist from leaving behind so much litter after this annual activity.
Revealing his plans for next year, the renowned artiste stated that he will be sweeping the Guyanese crowd with his “Ah feeling nice, all ah we ah Guyanese” theme. Staying true to the art form to the very end of the interview, ‘Slingshot’ revealed some of his song’s lyrics as “Republic day sporting for everybody. All ah we ah Guyanese come Mashramani.”
‘Slingshot’ is a household name, because his music and videos, particularly the latter, are radio and TV favourites. He is today turning many heads in the Caribbean with his all-embracing pieces.
