The Carnival King and Queen competition is the coming out party for bands that will be participating in the road march and on Saturday, September 7th, Sunshine Masqueraders and Belizean Jewel came out in spectacular fashion.
Rogers Stadium was packed as hundreds of Belizeans came out to support their neighbourhood band. The competition is divided into four categories: junior queen, junior king, senior queen and senior king. Before the competitors took the stage, the judges went around to inspect the costumes. They graded based on creativity, flexibility and durability. The costumes also had to meet certain requirements such as height and mobility. Once the costumes were graded and cleared to go it was time to hit the stage.
The stage was built in the middle of the softball infield. Spectators sat on chairs that were place around the stage and others sat in the bleachers. There was not an empty seat in the stadium. Each participant had three to five minutes to display the character they were portraying. Veteran king and queen participants explain that it is not a dancing competition but costume pageantry. People are often upset because they are impressed by their favourite participant’s performance; however, judges look at how the participant works the costume around the stage and how the costume moves.
The junior queens were first on stage and then the junior kings. Following the junior competition, T.R. performed lived for the audience. Despite technical difficulties that caused the microphone to keep shorting, the 2013 Carnival Song Champion had the crowd moving as they awaited the performance of the senior kings and queens. The senior queens followed T.R.’s performance. Many were disappointed with the performances of the competitors in the senior queen competition because there was not a lot of dancing- to which veterans quickly reiterate that it is not a dancing competition. Most of the participants in the senior king competition did not operate under that idea. The senior kings turned the competition into a dance fest and really tested the durability of their costumes. Soca Warrior’s “Father of the Nation” costume was a crowd favourite until it succumbed to the pressure of the shaking and the head fell off.
After the senior competition, Ernestine Carballo performed while the final scores were being tallied. The entertainment for the night was fitting as T.R. and Ernestine’s tracks were the most popular selections in the competition. After Ernestine rocked the stadium, Queen Tatiana of Sunshine Masqueraders was named Junior Carnival Queen 2013. Second place was Queen Xateia, also of Sunshine Masqueraders, and Queen Ixchel of Jump Street Posse finished third. King Charikanari of Jump Street Posse was named Junior Carnival King 2013. He was followed closely by King Heides of Sunshine Masqueraders and King Aqua of Pickstock Carnival Band. Though Queen Herta and Queen La Bella of Mother Nature’s Creation impressed the judges and finished second and third in the senior queen competition, it was Eternity Mask Band’s only entrance Queen Fantasia that took home the title of Carnival Queen 2013. The Carnival King for the 2013 Road March is King Lionel of Belizean Jewel. Belizean Jewel took home the second place prize as well for King Marvin. King Harmen of Trenchtown Masqueraders finished third.
The 2013 Carnival Road March will start on Cesar Ridge Road at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 14th. The route remains the same as years past and the road march will end at the BTL Park. There will be no festivities at the end of the march this year.
