ST. VINCENT:- Junior “Melbourne” Constance — who is celebration 40 years of producing mas — and his Melbourne Artisans won this year’s Kings of the Bands title, the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) announced on Monday.
Melbourne Artisans’ depiction “Warrior King of the Zulu”, portrayed by Gordan ‘Tarya’ Boucher, won ahead of Dragons’ “King Arthur at the Court of Camelot”.
Meanwhile, Simone Richardson’s portrayal of Blondie Bird & Friends’ “We are the world” won the judges’ nod in the Queen of the bands competition.
The CDC on Sunday recognised Constance’s contribution to the carnival in SVG. Minister of Culture Rene Baptiste presented him with a plaque during the Demarche Gras show at “Carnival City”, Victoria Park.
Results at a Glance — King of the Bands
- Gordan ‘Tarya’ Boucher Shaka – “Warrior King of the Zulu” — Melbourne Artisans
- Mastus ‘Mazi’ Brewster – “King Arthur at the Court of Camelot” — Dragons
- Kevin Dickson – “Shambhalla” — Players International
Results at a Glance — Queen of the Bands
- Simone Richardson – “We Are The World” — Blondie Bird & Friends
- Jenilee Glasgow — “Midnight of Paradise” — Players International
- Dawana Balcombe – “When Yo Play With Fire Yo Get Burn” — Lynx Mas Cam
Carnival goers on Monday partied in various T-Shirt bands along the streets of Kingstown. The bands included one from the Girl High School, which is participating in the festival as part of activities to mark its centenary next year. Also among the revellers were a group of Trinidadians who participate in Vincy Mas annually. The Port Fortin Iron Giants, a rhythm section from Trinidad, was also present on the streets of Kingstown in addition to the regular entourage of T-shirt Bands.
(Go to the homepage to subscribe to I Witness-News)
While some trucks blasted the latest music from the local and regional soca industry, some DJ’s created nostalgia with music from the 1990s, the era before soca mutated into the jump and wave that characterises the art form contemporarily.
The video below captured some of the scenes in Kingstown: