BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – SEVEN beauties, ranging in age from 20 to 25, will be competing in this year’s Antigua Queen of Carnival Pageant scheduled for Wednesday, July 28.
The contestants, who all hail from various communities in Antigua, are 22-year-old Daina Barnes of St. Pauls, 25-year-old Jamella Isaac of All Saint Village, 20-year-old Shenique Barry of Parham Town, 20-year-old Dorri Benjamin of Belmont, 24-year-old Kerry Shaw of Union Road, 25-year-old Azara Lavia of All Saint Village and 20-year-old Diana Dupie of Falmouth Village.
The contestants will compete in five segments – Best Talent, Best Interview, Best Eveningwear, Best Swimsuit and Best Costume.
Last year, the Best Costume segment was not judged because one of the contestants (Melissa Bird) fell during her appearance.
The outgoing queen is Shelano George, who hails from the Clare Hall community in Antigua. George was 21 when she captured the crown and will be making her final walk on that night. The dreadlocks George also went on to capture the Miss Jaycees crown in the same year.
The winner of the pageant will compete in the 49th annual Miss Jaycees Pageant, which will be held two days after the Queen of Carnival Pageant.
In an online poll posted on www.dadlicarnival.com, the official website of Antigua’s Carnival, the question was asked: “Who will become Queen?†And of the 17 512 votes Shaw gained 7 700.
The 5th Annual Miss Caribbean Culture Pageant, designed to showcase true Caribbean beauty, intelligence and talent and foster regional integration, is expected to be a superb event this year. According to Pageant Organizer, Ms. Hazel Francis the event which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday July 27th will celebrate the diversity of our Caribbean region.
To date, eight out of the 10 countries have indicated their interest in the Miss Caribbean Culture Queen Pageant and have confirmed their registration documents to participate. She said the show is one to look out for and would impact the audience positively.
The eight delegates are, Masinda Nisbett representing host country Nevis, Lanein Blanchette representing sister island St. Kitts, Sangrena Harris representing Anguilla, Sharlene Lindsay for Montserrat, Marcellina Ventura for St. Croix, Keda Lou-Ann Pascal representing Trinidad and Tobago, Tanika Walton-Barbados and Marcia Baptiste representing Dominica. Antigua and St. Lucia are expected to confirm participation by mid June.
She disclosed that the Pageant will be staged under the theme, “Embracing a Fusion of Caribbean Culture,†and the theme was chosen because the organising committee believes that the Caribbean is a melting pot of traditions, customs, folklore and our Caribbean beauties can bring these to the fore as they perform ambassadorial duties as representatives of the various countries. Emphasis will also be placed on talent and beauty with a holistic approach to fulfil the role of Miss Caribbean Culture.
In highlighting the different segments for the show, Ms. Francis revealed that an opening number will set the night on fire as contestants unwind and prepare the audience for what’s in store. This will be followed with a brief introductory speech presented in an ambassadorial wear, followed by the most anticipated and sort after segment., the swim suit competition where the contestants will show off their well-toned and lean physique. The talent segment which stimulates the audience will follow shortly and capping the event would be the evening wear and interview.
The Committee will be adding a new feature to the show which is packed with a number of top class entertainment acts. According to Ms. Francis, the line up includes Tempo and Music Festival performer – Kittitian star, “Infamous,†the four-time consecutively crowned national Calypso Monarch, “King Knoris,†along with Daga from St. Kitts while the Nevis Pan Ensemble and Eclectic Band featuring King Meeko, Karaoke Idol host Noah Mills, Lauren Barry, Ryhanna Wong along with other Nevisian artistes. Reigning queen, Ms. Mauriece Roberts (St. Kitts) is expected to take her final walk on that night.
Participants will begin arriving on Nevis on the 25th of July and will be accommodated at Oualie Beach Hotel. They would make an appearance at the Miss Culture Swim Suit Competition slated to take place on that Sunday. On Monday the 26th, they will have a rehearsal session at the Cultural Complex, the show’s venue. An opportunity will be provided for the media to interview the contestants. In the evening, a welcome reception will be held in their honour at Oualie.
Ms. Francis informed that since the inception of pageant, organisers have always given the proceeds back to the community. “Funds realised from this year’s show will be used to start a hurricane relief fund for persons affected by hurricanes,†she said.
The pageant was conceptualised as a result of a young man’s love for pageantry and “CEO Randy Jeffers†produced the event as a means of contributing meaningfully to the line up of the Culturama Festival activities.
The Queen Show is a major highlight of the annual Culturama Festival events and provides an avenue for young talented Caribbean women to showcase and promote the region’s diverse cultural heritage which links us as one people, regionally and internationally. Ms. Francis said that the first show held in 2006 was won by the Nevis representative, Jamilah Parris, but was dominated by Dominica for the ensuing two years (2007, 2008) until sister island St. Kitts brought back the crown to the Federation in 2009.
-PRESS RELEASE
“Dare to be different…†In our debut year, RAMAJAY Mas proudly captured the 2nd Place Adult Mas Title (Large Band Category) and the 2nd Place Kiddies Carnival Title (Medium Category). The band, which is managed by TEAM G.B.(GB God Bless Productions and D’Original Divas Entertainment); will be expanding to approximately 800-1000 masqueraders for 2010 with a total of 13 sections. For our sophomore year, we will be competing in the Adult Mas Large Band category, Queen of the Band competition and Kiddies Carnival (Theme: “Winter Wonderlandâ€).
For Labor Day 2010, RAMAJAY Mas will explode in color and excitement at the West Indian Day Carnival Parade as we celebrate the beauty of women worldwide. Our concept will take our masqueraders and parade’s spectators on a journey to showcase & cherish the splendor of Goddesses, Deities and Queens from various genres and historical time periods worldwide. Our goal is to unveil the mystery of these exceptional female figures while embracing the everyday beauty of modern day womanhood. This theme would showcase women of fiery seduction, exceptional grace, outstanding exquisiteness and mystifying power…
RAMAJAY Mas’ vision continues to be more than just a pretty mas band but providing to their customers an EXPERIENCE. Born out of the void of masqueraders not able to have a totally ultra-inclusive experience on the road, our introductory year was dedicated to filling this emptiness. As we expand in our sophomore year, outstanding Customer Service continues to be a key factor to the premier experience presented to RAMAJAY Mas masqueraders. Along with great customer service & breathtaking costumes, RAMAJAY Mas will again extend all the popular amenities of an all-inclusive band such as tasty lunch & snacks, unlimited non-alcoholic drinks, roaming photographers, wee-wee truck and the best DJs/Soca artists providing incredible vibes in the ‘All-inclusive Road Partyâ€.
To our past masqueraders we welcome you to take part in this EXPERIENCE once again and to our new friends we invite you to dare to be different as we present to NY & the rest of the world for Labor Day 2010—LA FEMME: Reveal the Mystery of Woman….
Dominicans have been advised to integrate carnival with the local tourism product, not just for the season but throughout the year.
“We are at our greatest and our best during this great national tradition and celebrations and we should make a greater effort to use our carnival in our tourism product throughout the entire year,†Minister of Tourism Ian Douglas said in his address at the official media launch of the Real Mas 2010.
At the event, held at the Fort Young Hotel Thursday evening, Douglas said it was his hope that the country’s tourism industry would move to the next level of success and greater prosperity.
According to him, the traditional masquerade, wearing of masks and being attired in colorful costume during the carnival celebrations allows Dominicans to connect with their pasts.
“Carnival brings out not just the excitement of the revelers and the reveling; it also helps to build a passion for the unique celebrations in this nature island of the world,†Douglas asserted.
Similarly, the carnival celebrations stimulate a sense of national pride, Douglas believes.
“We can expect the island to get buzzing with exciting events, traditional culture and stunning spectacles. From today right until the last hours of Mardi Gras we hope for an awakening of the spirits and the connection of our past that will keep us singing, dancing, reveling and waving the colors that will keep the ancestors alive and happy.â€
e recognized those whom he considered to “labor year after year in the background†to make our carnival successful including the songwriters, the arrangers, the musicians, the pageant chaperones and the costume builders.
Meanwhile, Acting Prime Minister Reginald Austrie said his government intends to do all within its means to get the carnival product to a new height and level of success.
“We are fully committed to the carnival industry … in light of this therefore, this Government is committed to delivering on its pledge to making carnival one of the premier national events, not only for Dominica, but for the Caribbean region,†Austrie stated.
Government’s commitment will surpass the provision of technical and financial support to the Dominica Festivals Committee, Austrie noted. “We endeavor to provide a new impetus for building greater synergies between the Dominica Festivals Commission, the Division of Culture and the Ministry of Community Development with a new partnership for building greater assistance,†he added.
LIME is the headline sponsor of carnival, dishing out over $250,000 for the event.
LIME’S Country Manager Jeffrey Baptiste said his company will commit $190,000 of that sponsorship specifically to the staging of the Real Mas 2010.
“Over four years ago we entered into an historic partnership with the Dominica Festivals Committee and the Government and people of Dominica for the staging of carnival celebrations, as the headline sponsor. This year, we
have decided to renew this commitment for another two-year term. We’re delighted to announce that a package of over quarter million dollars has been committed by LIME towards our carnival-related sponsorship this year.
The largest trunk of this amount, EC$190,000, will go directly towards the staging of Real Mas 2010,†Baptiste said.
A National Parade and Official Opening of Carnival has been scheduled for January 23, 2010.This will be preceded by the calypso quarterfinals on January 16. The Junior Monarch competition will take place on January 29 followed by calypso semi finals on January 30. Carnival Princess Show is carded for January 31, 2010.
Meanwhile, a Bouyon Festival will take place on February 6 followed by the Teenage Pageant on February 7, Lagon Street Jam on February 8 and Lapo Kabwit/Sensay Festival on February 9. Pan by de Bay is carded for February 11, followed by the Miss Dominica Pageant on February 12 and the LIME Calypso Finals on February 13. On Sunday February 14 a Kiddies Ole Mas Big Truck Jam has been planned.
The Stardom Calypso Tent events have been carded for January 27, February 3, and February 10, when the Stardom King of the Tent will be held.
Carnival 2010 will culminate with Carnival Monday and Tuesday on the 15th and 16th of February this year.
Machel Montano is so far holding fast to his decision not to do any live performances in Trinidad and Tobago for Carnival next year.
He will also not hold his popular Alternative Concept (AC) concert for Carnival.
This is sad news for fans who have been hearing his new music on the airwaves and looking forward to seeing him perform.
Already released are ’Hot Like Pepper’ recorded with Serani, ’Tell Me’, ’Bad Behaviour’ , ’Bumper To Fender’, ’Awrite’ and ’Feteing On’ with Skinny Fabulous….
The first-ever Miami Music Festival wrapped up Saturday after three days of more than 600 musical performances throughout 27 venues in downtown Miami and Brickell. The event exceeded its attendance expectations, attracting nearly 19,000 people—4,000 more than anticipated.
Festival C.E.O. Irwin Kornfeld and president Will Edwards created the event as a way to help teach emerging musicians and artists how to promote and market themselves amid the ever-changing music scene. “The conversion of CDs to online music meant that more artists could create, promote, and distribute their own music,†Kornfeld said. “The bad news is that they don’t all have the skills to manage digital recording tools, to become marketing experts, and to deal with these new opportunities, so they have a need for experts to [help] them understand how the system works.â€
The inaugural event began with two days of interactive sessions, master classes, and keynote interviews with music executives and established artists like Isaac Slade of the Fray. The conference at the James L. Knight International Center attracted 1,300 attendees (a number far greater than the 400 organizers had planned for). Tickets for the two-day event sold for $150 and provided free access to all of the venues for the concerts throughout the weekend.
Kornfeld credits the spike in attendance to strategic scheduling. “We have put this in the right place in downtown Miami, at the right time of the year, when artists are no longer touring, and between Art Basel and Christmas when people’s calendars are lighter,” he said.
Glen’s Tents and Special Event Rentals Inc. erected four tents—two measuring 3,200 square feet and two 4,000-square-footers—in Mary Brickell Village to house a portion of the concerts. The more than 250 acts—primarily from the urban Latin, jazz, Caribbean, and rock genres—also performed at clubs, restaurants, and bars in the area, like Ecco Pizzateca and Lounge, Waxy’s On the River, and Blue Martini. With many shows taking place simultaneously, organizers reached out to the local colleges such as music school S.A.E. Institute-Miami for volunteer stage managers and sound board technicians to staff the venues.
Although many music festivals sell tickets online or at various locations before the event, Kornfeld decided to sell wrist bands on site at each of the venues. The public could purchase single-venue, one-day, or three-day wrist bands for $10, $25, or $50, respectively.
The event had more than 40 sponsors who contributed at various levels, ranging from $250 to $50,000. Panasonic, Yamaha Corporate of America, Heineken, and Sony Electronics signed on despite this being the festival’s first year.
As Music Makers leader Gary Russell looks around his group’s shack, he notices one major difference: There are fewer people working on costumes this year compared to last year.
The dramatic economic downturn has affected the membership of the group, said Russell, adding that many of the members have indicated that Junkanoo is no longer an exercise that they can afford to take part in.
That, coupled with the sharp decline in sponsorship, has left the Music Makers slightly diminished.
“The foremost challenge is financial,” Russell said.
“Because Junkanoo is all voluntary we rely heavily on donations of corporate citizens. Along with that all materials we use are purchased outside of The Bahamas except for cardboard and paint. And with the economic downturn, we find ourselves in a very disadvantaged position. We currently don’t have a sponsor which makes it really tough. The banks have cut down on the donations and some aren’t donating at all so we’re having a really, really tough time ensuring that we fund both programs for Boxing and New Year’s Day.”
Russell said the group’s sponsors have been cut collectively by about 70 percent.
He added that several of his group’s members have been laid off from various hotel properties in the last several months and just cannot afford to participate in this season’s Junkanoo parades.
By Arthia Nixon
NASSAU, The Bahamas — Over 300 tiny tots with their eyes all aglow kicked off the holiday season in The Bahamas by hosting their Bay Street worthy version of Junior Junkanoo Babies on Parade on Wednesday. The participating students are all a part of Workers Academy and Childcare Centre Junkanoo Babies Parade.
Several fun themes were displayed such has Ne-Hao Kai-Lan and China, Sesame Street, Educational Characters, and the Living Things Made By God.
According to principal of the institution, Dale Davis, the parade was an immense success mainly in part to the school’s Parent Teacher Association and parent involvement. She especially acknowledged the crowd of spectators that stayed strong from 10 to 2.30 pm.
“We held the parade in the middle of the day and parents took time from their jobs to see their children participate,†she said. “We’ve had parents come and decorate the cribs of those who are too little to make the rush and we had parents stay late into the evening or come in extremely early to make certain that their children’s classes were ready.â€
Principal Davis says that the main objective of educating children about their culture was fulfilled based on what she saw.
“We sought to educate our students about their culture in a direct hands-on approach,†she said. “We wanted give them all aspects from learning, to coloring, to making costumes and to rush and based on the parent feedback that we’ve been getting, who knows, we might consider looking into joining the major parade next year.â€
Workers Academy and Childcare Centre, which facilitates children from three months to sixth grade is the education arm of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union and is attached to Workers House in New Providence.
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