(By Mondale Smith)The Ministry of Culture is encouraging all to come out and enjoy some sweet steel pan music a the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, tomorrow, as the Republic Bank-sponsored National Mashramani Steel pan competition is staged for an over all purse of $2.3M in cash prizes.Andrew Tyndall,Cheap Jerseys USA, the event convenor,NFL Jerseys China, said that the show is part of the national programme but persons looking for a uniquely entertaining evening flavoured with sweet quality pan should ensure that they get to the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall early as the nation’s pan players take on each other competitively.On that occasion ten bands are expected to compete in five categories that feature school bands and small bands. There are three minor categories such as junior and senior Soloists and duets.The bands include the Guyana Police Force, Parkside, and Pan Groove Steel orchestras. In addition, there will be heated competition from the North Ruimveldt Multilateral School,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, The Bishops High and Dolphin Secondary school bands as well as the roots and culture steel band, Outreach Ministries and Lady Fatima steel bands.In the minor categories,Cheap Jerseys Online, Colgrain Whyte,Cheap NFL Jerseys, will be the man to beat in the senior solo category as he has never lost that title for seven consecutive years.? Three years ago,jerseys from china, he took a break from the competition but will be returning this year.Predicted to be the hottest, the junior category is in its second year and will feature six contestants including Akeem Pompey who is the reigning champion going up against five competitors namely Akeem Mohammed, Michael Smith Junior, Amanda Noel the lone female in the category, Takuma Bailey and Desmond Long.The senior category players include Jvanka Williams who will be debuting as the first female at that level in recent times and she will be coming up against players such as Clayton Daniels and Ray Sparman.Sunday’s duet category will offer a level playing field given that it was not part of the competition for about six years. The hot contenders’ pair is Colgrain Whyte and Troy Hunte up against pairs of Akeem and Romario Mohamed, Ryana Lewis and Clayton Daniels as well as Michael Smith Junior and Amada Noel.Guyana’s steel pan competition has its origin dating back to the 1960’s but there was a break for the period 2007 and 2008 as the art form according to some was headed for extinction.However, Andrew Tyndall is the programme manager for the Ministry’s Music development unit and he told this publication that through the Culture Ministry’s intervention a plan was hatched to resuscitate the art form in 2008.This led to the development of a national steel orchestra that played for Carifesta and subsequently the Ministry launched a school development programme through which instructors are availed to teach at school where there were instruments but no teachers. He said, “the programme has taken off well and has seen the launch of a national school steel orchestra through collaboration with Ministries of Education and Culture on December 4, 2009.”Tyndall said, too, “it’s this kind of developmental work that has helped us to re-launch the competition.”While there is not a large increase in bands, the members of the bands have dramatically increased in some cases from seven to twenty.

After weeks of delays into the commencement of the Preliminary Inquiry for the much-publicised treason matter involving three accused, the first witness was called to give evidence in chief as proceedings finally got underway yesterday before Magistrate Priya Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.charged with the capital offence is serving Major in the Guyana Defence Force,wholesale soccer jerseys, Bruce Munroe, his wife Carol-Ann Munroe, and former reserve officer in the Guyana Defence Force, Leonard Wharton.As promised,wholesale jerseys, a prosecutor has been appointed to deal with the matter,Adidas NHL Jerseys China, in fact the Director of Public Prosecutions,Wholesale Jerseys USA, Shalimar Ali-Hack, in association with Sonia Joseph,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, is handling the matter.Former Army Lieutenant Quincy Critchlow was the first witness called by the prosecution.The witness gave detailed information about his relationship with the Munroes. He was questioned by the DPP for about an hour and a half, thereafter the matter was adjourned.On the next occasion he is expected to continue his evidence in chief. The witness is presently in protective custody.On the last occasion, Police Inspector Fazil Karimbaksh had informed the court that he was instructed by the DPP that the state was only in possession of an audio tape and not a video recording as was reported earlier.Lawyers for the defendants,NFL Jerseys China, Attorneys Nigel Hughes, Gregory Gaskin and

…Finance Ministry still to release funds The Continuous Registration programme is now in its second month, but the scrutineers who have been duly appointed by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to ensure the transparency and effective conduct of this programme,Cheap Jerseys From China, are yet to receive payment.This was disclosed by Chief Whip of the People’s National Congress Reform, Lance Carberry,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, who questioned whether “this is an attempt to create frustration and disaffection?” Lance CarberryHe said that GECOM, when questioned by the Chief Opposition Scrutineer, Amna Ally, about the reasons for the non-payment of scrutineers,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, informed her that all of the required documents were submitted to the Ministry of Finance, in a timely manner, but, to date,Wholesale China Jerseys, no releases have been made by that Ministry for the payment of scrutineers.Carberry, on behalf of his party, called on Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, to intervene urgently to ensure that scrutineers are paid in a timely basis and that his Ministry does not become responsible for creating obstacles for the smooth conduct of the Continuous Registration Programme.The Continuous Registration Programme, being undertaken by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), commenced in September and is expected to conclude at the end of the year.Persons wishing to register are reminded that they would require an original birth certificate as the major source document for registration.Carberry urged all Guyanese, especially the unregistered young people of 14 years and above, to take advantage of this opportunity to become registered.“If you were unable to register during the House-to-House Registration programme,Cheap Jerseys China, you should visit the GECOM Office in your District with your source documents to ensure that you are registered on this occasion.”He said that there are still many persons who were registered, during the house-to-house Registration programme, and have not yet collected their new National ID Cards, “The Party urges you to do so without undue delay.”He spoke, too, of the fact that many persons have complained that the photograph appearing on their new ID Card is unsatisfactory or that there are errors, such as the incorrect spelling of names or other defects.“The PNCR advises those persons that GECOM has undertaken to replace unsatisfactory photographs and to correct other defects…Therefore,Jerseys NFL Cheap, those persons are advised to take their new ID Card to the nearest GECOM Office and have them correct the defects.”