But today the Imo family is all celebrating, following the 2012-2013 St. Kitts-Nevis National Carnival Queen Pageant which was held last night 27th December, 2012, at the Sugar Mill, Warner Park. Five beautiful young ladies competed for the prestigious title: Ms. St. Kitts Music Festival – Mikahlia Lawrence, Ms. Carib Brewery- Precious Mills, Ms. Development Bank- Shalloyda Hewlett, Ms. Lime – Irvinsia Warner and Ms. National Bank- Zinga Imo.
It was obvious in the beginning of the show that Ms. National Bank-Zinga Imo was the crowd favourite as loud cheers erupted for her during the fanfare and introductory speech, however no one could have anticipated the vigor that some of the other contestants would later display in their quest to capture the crown. Some argued that this year’s contestants were not as polished or experienced as some of previous years, but none could deny that these young ladies exhibited the drive and determination that would be becoming of a National Queen.
By the time the National Pride Costumes were revealed, the crowd was beginning to shift in their support as Ms. Lime- Irvinsia Warner wowed the crowd with her creative interpretation of the Brown Pelican in a costume entitled ‘Flight of the Pelican’. Ms. Lime captured the attention of the audience with an energetic and enticing display of feathers that was without a doubt, the most beautiful ‘Booby’ anyone has ever seen. Another creative costume was worn by Ms. Carib Brewery- Precious Mills portraying the Masquerade in all his colourful glory.
The show moved very quickly into the talent segment and by 9:59 p.m. the first contestant was onstage. The display of talent was exceptional this year. However two contestants stood out for their commitment to the characters they portrayed. Ms Development Bank- Shalloyda Hewlett came to life as a comical teenage girl who falls desperately in love with the wrong man’s money and as such becomes caught up in an abusive relationship with a gangster on the corner who later leaves her alone to fend for her two kids while he is in prison.
However, there is no denying that Ms. Lime- Irvinsia Warner killed this segment with an amazing rendition of her calypso condemning older men who deliberately seek out teenage school girls for sexual relationships. With the power of a commanding voice and determination seeping through every pore, this young lady demanded the respect and once more stole the attention of the audience.
“Competition tight!” Many audience members exclaimed and some even pointed to the assumption that most persons had before the show, insisting that it would not be as easy a win for Ms. National Bank-Zinga Imo as previously thought. By the time the evening wear segment was over persons were still unsure of who would capture the crown and depended heavily on the results of the interview segment to aid in their predictions.
Even though some were nervous and a little unsure at times, respect must be given to each young lady for undertaking the task of public speaking for it must be noted that there were no major blunders in this segment and all the ladies represented themselves admirably. A few girls however slipped a little; though it was obvious that they knew what they wanted to communicate. During the interview with Irvinsia Warner, strangely enough, it was positive crowd reaction that distracted her, causing her to faulter somewhat and lose track of her thoughts. Had she only continued in the flow with which she started, history may have been differently written on Thursday night. In any case history was in fact created. It was the first time in the 41 years of the pageant that two nationals residing on Nevis, placed in the top three, (Warner and Lawrence).
We were able to catch up with the contestants backstage as everyone awaited the results segment. As we entered backstage it became even more apparent that this group of ladies was a special and lovable group. All were friendly and shone with the immeasurable enthusiasm of youth. They were all very happy to have had this experience and expressed their satisfaction with their efforts. They were truly a beautiful group of girls.
Credit must also be given to the National Carnival Committee and all persons who were responsible for really creating an entertaining night for all. The show got off to a very late start (at approximately 8:45pm…45 minutes late), but had its moments when it moved quickly enough from segment to segment in the early stages; but staggered in the latter part with too many long gaps that displeased the audience.
Many in the audience also expressed their dissatisfaction with the hostess selected to anchor the pageant; with some questioning the wisdom in the investment of flying in from Barbados, someone who turned out not to be funny and simply without the energy needed for such a role.
The staging was beautifully crafted and the opening dance number was a true spectacle complete with fire eater and acrobatics. The green house band was superb in their performances and truly kept the audience’s energy level up between segments while they displayed their skill and love for music.
The show concluded with Ms. Music Festival-Mikahlia Lawrence as Second Runner Up, Ms. Lime- Irvinsia Warner as First Runner Up and Ms. National Bank-Zinga Imo as Queen. It is difficult to say that there was only one winner however, as each contestant shone in their own unique way. They kept us cheering, laughing and guessing throughout the show and all displayed the type of attitude that any young woman is expected to in this arena and as such they are all winners.
Awards obtained are listed below:
Ms. Photogenic: Ms. Carib Brewery- Precious Mills
Ms. Amity: Ms. Carib Brewery- Precious Mills
Ms. Social Media: Ms. Carib Brewery – Precious Mills (with 567 Face Book likes)
Chairperson’s Award: Ms. National Bank – Zinga Imo
Swim Wear: Ms. National Bank – Zinga Imo
National Pride Wear: Ms. Lime – Irvinsia Warner
Talent: Ms. Lime- Irvinsia Warner
Evening Wear: Ms. National Bank – Zinga Imo
Interview: Ms. National Bank – Zinga Imo