Launch of Vincy Mas 2011
Persons who journeyed to Kingstown last Saturday May 7th between the hours 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again from 6 p.m. got a glimpse of what is to come for Vincy Mas 2011.
Persons took in steel pan music, sweet calypso tunes, soca renditions while they got the chance to meet the contestants that will vie for the 2011 Miss St. Vincent and the Grenadines Carnival Crown.
On Saturday, action began nationwide from 10 a.m. The trucks loaded with speakers, Disc Jockeys and in some instances Soca Artistes rolled from both the Leeward and the Windward Side of the island. DJs from Hitz 103.7 FM provided music for persons on the Windward while NBC radio DJS played on the trucks coming from the Leeward end.
Heritage Square action began from 10 a.m. Persons who chose to go there were entertained by the Sion Hill, South East and Elite pan sides while a cultural group from Fancy provided interested persons with cassava products and other foods.
Entertainment was in the form of five junior calypsonians and five junior soca bards who presented their 2011 songs. Children played in the bouncing castle which was provided. Heritage Square activities closed off at 2 p.m. but the bouncing castle remained way pass 2 p.m. and the kids took advantage of that.
At 6 p.m. the masses began gathering at the Solidarity Inc Car Park on Bay Street for the official launch of Vincy Mas 2011.
The event began a little late and opened with the blessing of the festival by Dean Patrick McIntosh. Speeches were made by Chairman of the CDC Dennis Ambrose, President of the Calypsonians Association Hassan Kennedy while representatives from a number of platinum sponsors also made their feelings felt. Comments from sponsors came from among others Country Manager at LIME Angus Steele and Manager at LIAT Dominic Patterson.
Ten of the Mas Bands showed their wares. Eight of them displayed their section of the band costumes while two displayed their individual of the band costumes.
A number of the J’ouvert bands also displayed their 2011 product. J’ouvert Fanatics headed up by Minister of Health Cecil ‘Cess’ Mckie were on hand to entertain as usual.
Meanwhile, the nine lasses who will vie for the Miss SVG crown made their first public appearance where they introduced themselves to the general public and received their sashes from their sponsors. The contestants are Miss Agricultural Input Warehouse Ladisha Ballantyne, Miss Mustique Company Limited Shemon Baptiste, Miss Lime Shenika Bascombe, Miss Lotto Aviar Charles, Miss Vita Malt Shakeira Cottle, Miss Super 6 Jamie Delpesche, Miss Caribbean Medical Imaging Center Rickesha Douglas, Miss Metrocint General Insurance Kennlyn Fisher and Miss Jergens Sheridan Haynes.
Local artistes also took part in the New Song Calypso Competition, the New Song Soca Competition and the New Song Ragga Soca Competition. This year the CDC received a total of 70 entries spread across the three areas of the new song competitions. There were 18 entries sent in by calypso singers (highest ever), 23 entries sent in by the soca bards and 29 entries sent in by Ragga Soca singers. Coordinator of shows Anthony Dennie said that the judges have encouraged the CDC to look at allowing more than five artistes per competition next year.
“They said that the quality is so high we should give consideration to increasing the number of entrants from five”, said Dennie who added that they have to look at finances before doing this in 2012.
The New Song Calypso competition was won by Aurella ‘Queen B’ Beache with her song ‘Protest for That’. In second place was Glenroy ‘Sulle’ Caesar with his tune ‘Counting Chickens’. Third place went to Ronald ‘Ron B’ Browne with ‘Acid Test’. The other participants were Derrick ‘Man Sick’ Alexander with ‘Ungrateful’ and George ‘Jah Burke’ Nedd with ‘Musical Bomb’.
In the New Song Soca Competition, first timer Armstrong ‘Strong’ Williams took the first place spot with his tune ‘Tie Me’. In second place was the lone female in this competition Tamisha Nicholls with ‘Above the Rest’ while third was Garrett ‘Icon’ John with ‘Anything you Want’. The other artistes were Lancelot ‘Mad Skull’ Gloster who rendered ‘Whine Freely’ and Raeon ‘Fete King Madzart’ Primus with ‘Hello Bumper’.
The new addition Ragga Soca New Song Competition was won by last year’s winner Shernelle ‘Skarpyan’ Williams with his song ‘She tell me’. In Second was Garrett ‘Icon’ John with ‘J’ouvert’ and third was Cornelius ‘Poorsah’ Williams with ‘D Juice’. The other performers were Madzart (Whole Wide World) and Shaunelle McKenzie (J’ouvert)).
The Extempto Competition was won by last year’s winner ‘Blakey’. He came up against one opponent ‘Sweet 16’.
A new band called ‘Kinetics’ introduced patrons to their music while the LIME Soca Dans with ‘Luta’, ‘Fireman Hooper’ and ‘Tabia’ added to the entertainment.
The next central event takes places on Saturday May 28th
08,05.2011 - Story by Lyf Compton
