Every year, several beautiful young women vie for the right to be named St. Lucia’s National Carnival Queen and to wear the crown that goes with it.
Without a doubt, carnival in St. Lucia has changed over the years, and so has the Queen Pageant. If you’ve never been to one, you might think it’s simply another beauty pageant. However, it’s much more than that.
We’ve already seen the young ladies chosen for the 2018 Carnival Queen Pageant and just maybe you’ve made up your mind whom you’ll be cheering for.
The pageant has always been a staple of carnival. It brings to the whole revelry an element of elegance, royalty and sophistication that you might not necessarily get with Mas on the road. In addition, the winner goes on to represent St. Lucia at regional pageants. In the absence of a ‘Miss St. Lucia’ competition, the winner of the Carnival Queen Pageant will represent her country. It’s one of the reasons for the staging of the National Queen Pageant.
There is a general misconception that the pageant is mainly about ladies parading on a stage, but actually a lot goes on behind the scenes. Those who have attended the event can attest to the fact that participating in it requires a level of intelligence and it’s not something everyone can do. It takes a lot of training. You must be eloquent and be able to walk gracefully in order to be successful at it. It also takes immense courage to perform in front of a St. Lucian audience, so we should really applaud the contestants for their courage.
In an interview with Dazzle, Leila Williams, the Marketing and Sponsorship Officer for Events Company of St. Lucia Inc. said things are different this year in terms of the planning committee and the operational processes. As she explained, the pageant is being elevated into something that everybody would enjoy watching.
One of the biggest changes for 2018 is that the event will be moving from the National Cultural Center to the Royalton. Although staging it at the new venue may be more challenging, the organizers have determined that the National Cultural Center has outgrown the pageant and they’re now aiming to take it to a new level, a move that is long overdue.
For the first time in the event’s history, the organizers have created a twist. Events St. Lucia is not all about doing the same things repeatedly. They believe it’s always the right time for change, so it was decided that this year is the right time to add a ninth contestant.
“We have a committee of private citizens that we’ve asked to come on board as the pageant committee, and they do a lot of the planning,” said Leila. “The creativity comes from them and, naturally, we have a part to play in it but it’s us and the committee,” she added.
For an organized and successful show, it’s always best to listen to feedback and act accordingly, Leila asserted.
“After the sashing, many people said that they hoped we weren’t going back to the Cultural Center and it kind of solidified our belief that we are making the right decision. I’m not saying anything negative about the Cultural Center at all but there’s always a time when you have to move on, and the time has come for us,” said Leila.
No doubt, putting on a grand show like the National Carnival Queen Pageant poses quite a few challenges for the planning committee. Everyone involved, including the contestants, chaperones and designers, all come together and offer differing views, so naturally challenges will arise.
You’re probably wondering how the nine contestants were selected. The registration process is open to everyone. There are absolutely no restrictions when it comes to registering. Everyone has a fair chance to take part in the auditions and at the end, nine finalists go forward.
So, back to my original question; is attending this year’s pageant really worth it? The answer is a resounding yes. For the beautiful young contestants, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to receive self-improvement training that helps them enhance their self esteem and showcase their talents. It’s not just about wearing the crown. What’s more, the winners get opportunities to participate in other pageants far beyond St. Lucia, which is another great benefit for them. They deserve our support.
“Last year’s winner; Chancy Fontenelle, has admitted that she’s grown so much from her experience as Carnival Queen. The level of confidence that she has now is outstanding,” says Leila.
It’s the beginning of a journey of a lifetime for this year’s young beauties! You definitely don’t want to miss the show, which is scheduled for June 1stat the Royalton. If you do, blame yourself.
