PM Douglas makes special appearance
BASSETERRE St. Kitts – THUNDEROUS screams and cheers filled the Sugar Mill in Warner Park last evening (Dec, 27) as the very confidently beautiful Miss Lime, Kaeve ‘Mimi’ Armstrong was crowned this year Sugar Mas’42 National Carnival Queen.
From the opening number to the Swimwear segment as well as the National Wear, Evening Gown, Talent and Final Interview, Armstrong displayed persona of an international queen as she enthralled her audience.
But to the surprise of the hundreds in attendance who filled the Park and came well prepared for the weather, the rain was a no show, and as such the event proceeded without the disturbance of a drizzle.
Participating in this year’s competition were Miss Carib Brewery Yarani Morton, Miss ZIZ Broadcasting Shakeida Gerald, Miss St. Kitts Nevis Anguilla National Bank Lasanna Yearwood, Miss Lime Kaeve Armstrong and Miss SKN Development Bank Brianda Harvey.
Before we go into the crowning moment let’s take a look at what transpired.
Swimsuit Competition
In the pageant world, the Swimsuit segment is geared at displaying a delegate’s true adherence to fitness, while at the same time showing hei sexy swimwear and exquisite modelling capabilities.
However, the five beauties of the night showcased not only their drop-dead provocative bodies but also the hard work and sacrifice that were put in overtime prior to the show.
But it was the stunning Brianda Harvey who, after the category was over, walked away with the award for Best Swimwear.
Costume Competition (National Pride)
It was an explosion of colours and creativity onstage as each contestant was tasked in showcasing their national costumes to the rhythms of both local and regional songs. But three of them stood out the best.
Under the theme “From Farm to Fork”, the First Runner up, Miss Carib Brewery, armed with a hoe, came out the starting blocks with a highly dominant green and yellow costume while sporting a flamboyant gold headdress depicting the sun.
Apart from the colours, the top half of Morton’s costume and a section of her headdress bore a number of fruits and vegetables.
Coming onstage backwards and displaying the rare of her costume, Miss Carib Brewery gracefully turned around and showed off the front section which caused everyone to stand in applause as she gyrated to the sounds of local music.
But it was the colourful and exuberant design of Miss St. Kitts Nevis Anguilla National Bank that had the crowd in frenzy, which depicted the transformation of Sugar Mas’ music in both Soca and Calypso genre.
Like her other competitors, the delegate came onstage backwards and displayed a steel pan and a player with musical instruments that dazzled on the top of her costume.
As she turned around, the Sugar Mas logo was atop of the costume with the names of past winners of the different musical competitions and top bands of the Federation.
In celebration of the first megawatt solar energy grid, the Queen, Miss Lime, who hails from Boyd’s Village and is a former Kittitian Superstar, wore an aluminous gold and silver costume made of eco-friendly recycled materials and a few LED lights to show the control of this power source.
The gold profile on her costume represented the power of the sun, while the silver depicted the majestic solar panels which collect the energy source and transforms it to renewable power.
As she stepped on the stage in total darkness, the LED lights illuminated and, with the characteristic of the costume, it made her look like an underwater glow fish, splendid by the power of the sea.
Miss Lime also walked away with the award for Best National Costume.
Talent Segment
From the life of an everyday woman in St. Kitts to the dramatic tale of an abused child and the jaw-dropping vocal performance, the Talent segment of this year’s Carnival Queen Show was an array of pure endowment.
Although most of the ladies in this segment took their talents to a dramatic standpoint, it was the hair-rising rendition of ‘I who have nothing’, previously sung by American Idol winner Candace Glover which received a standing ovation.
Dressed in a long black Jessica Rabbit dress, Miss Lime, in her performance, portrayed a heartbroken woman who gave everything to her husband who in turn eventually gave his love to another woman.
She took a pause in her steps, took the microphone off the stand and then remixed the single into a Dancehall genre and went back to previous elegance, closing the performance with an ‘out of the park’ emotional crescendo.
Like the previous segment, Miss Lime also won the Best talent piece.
Evening Wear Segment
It was sheer elegance and poise as the five beauties took to the stage for the Evening Wear segment of the Pageant dressed in similar designs, but each with a different persona.
Clad in a bright gold mermaid dress bedazzled with an array of diamonds that were constructed to the front of the dress, Miss Carib Brewery was indeed the crowd’s favourite as she elegantly walked across the stage.
She then made way for the sophisticated Miss ZIZ Broadcasting, who wore a bright blue dress with an open back feature along with peek-a-boo design in the bust area of the gown.
The colours were toned down as Miss St. Kitts Nevis Anguilla National Bank stepped out in her vivacious white, one-strapped, diamond studded beginning dress, which concluded with a silk white bottom that featured some aspects of her legs.
Looking like an exquisite Mrs. Clause bedecked in a holiday red dress, Miss Lime, with the gown similar to the one Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo wore on the night of her coronation, quickly transformed in a chic mermaid dress as she removed a section of her Evening Wear.
It was the excellent execution of elegance for Miss Development Bank, who came out with a dazzling sea blue dress that featured a revealing silver design at both ends and finished with an open back attribute.
Interview Segment
If you had watched the Miss USA 2006 Pageant, you would remember Miss North Carolina who got nervous and stumbled on the Question and Answer segment, and the Queen Show was no different.
Each delegate was asked two questions; one of which was based on their submitted biography that was not scored and the other based on their personal platform, scored at a total of 35 points.
Although there were undeniably excellent responses by Miss Carib Brewery, Miss Lime and Miss Development Bank, the other two contestants stumbled on their questions but were encouraged to continue by the crowd.
When asked about why physical abuse happens in the home where children are more likely to be affected, Miss ZIZ, in her first three words, stopped but then continued on a different aspect than what she began with.
After a few more words, the delegate left the stage but was cheered on for her effort.
But it was the positive and confident answer of Miss Lime that won the hearts of the audience and the judges’ nod.
The Coronation
Before the winner was announced, a few awards were presented to the bevy of beauties.
Miss Carib Brewery was adjudged Miss Photogenic and she also won the Chairperson Award as well earning the position of First Runner-up.
With a total of 437.5 points, the Third Runner-up was Miss Development Bank Brianda Harvey, while the first Runner-up position was awarded to Miss Carib Brewery Yarani Morton who scored 463.5 points.
Doing the honours of crowning this year’s Queen, Miss Lime Kaeve Armstrong, was Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzel Douglas along with Minister of Health and Culture Hon. Marcella Liburd.
