BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – EVERYWHERE she goes she attracts attention not only for her musical abilities and beauty, but also for her one-year journey as the 2013/2014 National Carnival Queen.
In an exclusive interview with 23-year-old Kaeve Armstrong, SKNVibes Entertainment learned that it took a lot of sacrifice and hard work to get where she is today.
In the first part of the interview, Armstrong talks about her life growing up in Boyd’s Village and who she is away from the glitz and glamour of a beauty queen.
SKNVibes Entertainment: Where did ‘Mimi’ grow up as a child?
Kaeve: “I grew up in a place called Boyd’s Village, the place where Mr. Hype is also from. It is a very small, close knitted community where your neighbours were your aunts, uncles, cousin and everybody was just really, really close. And even though I didn’t grow up much in the streets, it was still a family-oriented community where everyone looked out for each other.”
SKNVibes Entertainment: As a young woman growing up in that village, what experience have you taken away from it that you now use in your everyday life?
Kaeve: “Like I said, it was a small, close knitted community and it taught us to look out for each other and be sensitive, sharing and giving to people. It might sound insignificant but we live in a world where people are just selfish, so it taught me to share and to love the environment.
I had two brothers and I never got the time to sit and play with my dolls and play dress up. I had to ramp with my brothers, I had to climb guava tree and, I had to run around the yard and play football and Cricket.
So all of those things did impact my life and made me into the type of person I am today. I have never been the girly girl type. So even the pageant that many people dream about participating and winning, this was never a dream of mine.”
SKNVibes Entertainment: For those people who might not know much about Mimi, can you briefly tell us who she is and what she loves doing?
Kaeve: “Like everyone else, there are no two people alike. I am a unique individual, very creative and a lover of the arts; whether it is performing or visual arts. I think music was something that was handed down from my family. My mom sings in church, I have cousins, aunts in the arts and my grandmother who up to this day still sings her little gospel hymns.
My brother Kimari Armstrong (K-Jah) sang in the Soca Monarch Competition this year. I have another brother who sings as well. So, music runs in my family and it’s safe to say that I am a musician by birth.
I love makeup artistry, photography…I’m just about the arts. I do drama as well and I use to dance as a child maybe I should revive that talent”.
SKNVibes Entertainment: So away from the crown and glamour, who is Kaeve?
Kaeve: “I am currently a Customer Service Representative at Royal Bank for the last four years and that is what I do. I haven’t gone off to university as yet, I am still considering different avenues. I went to Dr. William Conner Primary School before I attended the Basseterre High School, the birth place of the champions, and then to the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College for two years.”
SKNVibes Entertainment: What motivated you to enter the National Carnival Queen Pageant?
Kaeve: "I just wanted to be a good role model and I saw the pageant to be the ideal opportunity for me to extend my platform. And as most people would know, I’m a local artiste. So while being the singing sensation, you would know it when they look and admire you.
So I saw the pageant as a platform to help me be a role model to people, to give me a voice to share my message. It also was an avenue to better myself, and that’s why I went for it.”
SKNVibes Entertainment: When you found out that you were going to be one of the candidates for the top honour, what emotion did you experience?
Kaeve: "I was happy! It was just a realisation of all the hard work that I put into it, so it was an amazing feeling. I was preparing for that moment for two years with my chaperon, so it took me a longer time than most people.
Pageantry was something totally different to me. It was out of my comfort zone and again being raised with two brothers, I had a lot of rough edges we had to work on. So, beyond the physical preparation, I had to be prepared mentality."
Look out for part of our conversation with the National Carnival Queen as she shares her experience at the competition and loosing 30 pounds.
