BARBUDA'S FIRST CARIBANA - Antigua & Barbuda

46
As far back as I can remember,
attending the Queen of Carnival
Competition was always number 1 on
my family’s “To Do” list for Carnival.
Besides holding my mother’s hand
as a by-stander on Market Street
and watching the colorful costumes
pass by, more than anything else,
I looked forward to one day being
Miss Antigua. And so, each year
I watched and relished in sheer
admiration, as a new queen was
crowned and became the bearer of a
title that to me is the most prestigious
of them all. Why “prestigious” you
may ask? In essence, the young
woman who wins this title is our most
visible cultural ambassador, and for
me, it was an honor to have been
chosen to be a contestant vying
Mas
Music
F a n t a s y
for the title which is the ultimate
representation of a festival whose
roots are grounded deeply in history.
These roots delve even deeper than
the visuals of pageantry, mas and
revelry that we have all come to
enjoy as carnival today.
The Queen of Carnival Competition
has been a platform for many
women who seek an avenue where
they can express themselves
creatively. It is a great launching
pad for many programs developed
by participating contestants, who
have gone on to win the title and
have continued these programs
centered around community
service. My platform, dubbed
“Developing our Youth through the
Arts”, allowed me to work with and
engage more than 50 young men
and women over a one week period.
This was not only inspiring, but also
gratifying and was my way of giving
back to the community through
our country’s most valuable asset
– our youth. Queens of Carnival are
therefore not only beauty queens
with a purpose, but the experience
gained by being a contestant
proves beneficial as it serves
as a personal developmental
tool. As a 2002 contestant,
I learned the value of hard
work, developing strong talent
and public speaking aptitude,
as well as all the necessary
skills for approaching life with
confidence.
With that being said, as we
celebrate 50 years of Carnival
it is important to recognize the
true value of this festival as a
cultural, social, and economic
commodity. As such the young
woman who has the honor of
becoming Queen of Carnival should
brand herself by using the cultural
resources available and packaging it
with her own personal stamp. Since
my stint as Queen of Carnival five
years ago, many doors have opened
and unlimited opportunities abound.
One of the things I have had to learn
during this time, was how to harness
my home-grown talents into a
competitive yet unique package that
is more suited to an international
audience. The Queen of Carnival
was a stepping stone to International
stages such as the Miss Universe
and the Miss World pageants, the
latter at which I succeeded in gaining
the title of “Most Talented”. In all
honesty, the Queen of Carnival title
propelled me towards international
fame, but most importantly, was the
opportunity this medium afforded
me was to make millions of people
set their eyes upon our tiny twin
island state. I look forward to even
greater opportunities as I continue
to work towards building my brand
as an international entertainer and
business woman in this growing
multimedia world.
Despite the glory of pageantry, I
made sure to remain focused on
my education and I studied with
a passion and fervor to learn. A
Bachelors Degree in International
Criminal Justice afforded me an
opportunity to gain experience as a
diplomat at the United Nations and
serve not only my country, but also
other world nations. Now, as part
of the tourism team U.S.A, my job
requires me to travel and promote
the destination all over the United
States. This affiliation has also
allowed me the unique opportunity
of packaging my career in music
through various channels that can
also be used to promote our tourism
product.
So, as we reflect on the past 50
years, we should all recognize that
the Miss Antigua Pageant now more
appropriately called the Queen of
Carnival Competition, has, and will
continue to positively impact not only
our young women, but our society
both culturally and economically.
Happy 50 Years of Carnival!!!