Pageantry and splendour reigned on Wednesday at the National Carnival Commission’s Junior Kings and Queens of Carnival finals and the Senior Kings and Queens of Carnival semi-finals. The results of the competition were not released up until press time on Thursday.
Fifteen Junior Queens and 12 Junior Kings turned up at the Queen’s Park Savannah to vie for the top positions.
The creative topical category dominated the junior competition, with ten queens and seven kings presenting in this category.
[caption id="attachment_1001644" align="alignnone" width="780"] Samuel Jackson portrays Mysterious Fauci D’ Gladiator at NCC Junior King of Carnival semi finals at Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain Trinidad on Wednesday. - Andrea De Silva[/caption]
There were presentations on the musical aspects of TT such as J’Anna Bethel’s It’s Celebration Time; Netanya Phillip’s Dance La Reine Rive; Antonio Rampersad’s Pan Explosion; Jarel Peters’ A Musical Explosion; and Kymani Brooklyn Browne’s Pan Under the Stars.
The pandemic was touched on by a few masqueraders with presentations by Josiah Sutton portraying Mistah Pandemic; Josiah Ferrier’s Outside Nice; and Surayya Carrington’s Mutation.
[caption id="attachment_1001643" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Enzi Davis portrays The Face Of Humanity at NCC Junior King of Carnival semi finals at Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain Trinidad on Wednesday. - Andrea De Silva[/caption]
Nature and man’s effects on it were the focus of several presentations, including Jewel of the Reef by J’Nai Edwards; Oil Spill in the Gulf of Paria by Jada Charles; and Makayla Questle-Frederick’s Moonlit Matura.
The band Passage to China brought out several interesting portrayals, including Can This Dragon Dance by Peter Barrow; Guardian of the Shaolin Temple by Xavi Harriot; Beautiful But Deadly by Azelia Mills; and Jade Princess by Bryell Mills.
The Senior Kings and Queens competition saw almost ten moko jumbie portrayals, including Shynel Brizan’s Aimee A Dancer of Freedom’s Cousinship to Epitaphs of Fate; Joel Lewis’ Waterfall Oracle; Narusaruman by Keston Benthum; The Resurrection Mule by Russell Grant; Tekel Sylvan’s Believe It or Not They are Here; Glen De Souza’s Pterolycus – The Winged Wolf; Kyle Matas’ Creatio Ex Nihilo; and Leah Noel’s Queen of the Recycle Zesser, among others.
[caption id="attachment_1001642" align="alignnone" width="796"] Malachi Gittens portrays Aharzel The Blue Dragon at NCC Junior King of Carnival semi finals at Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain Trinidad on Wednesday night. - Andrea De Silva[/caption]
Reigning King Joseph Lewis’ Udeveli Oluhlaza – The Haunted Jab of Canboulay took a look at the historical aspects of traditional mas characters and their contribution to Carnival past and present, as did the three other members of his band, Ravi Lakhan’s Tribute – Jesters of the Tainted Past, Dana Rampersad’s For the love of TT – A Tribute to TT, and Savitri Holassie’s Masquerade – The Hidden Beauty.
Among the interesting individual costumes we
