This year’s Carnival Kings and Queens Competition was a family affair with two clans with long-standing history in the individual mas tournaments coping the top prizes.
At the end of the hotly-contested competition at the Queen’s Park Savannah on Tuesday night, Ted Eustace — the son of three-time Carnival King Tedder Eustace — won the kings segment with his portrayal Psychedelic Nightmares. Eustace’s older brother, Curtis, himself a nine-time winner, placed sixth.
The costume, one of the largest in the competition, consisted of six ghastly skeletons with glowing eyes, dressed in colourful suits, which were mechanically controlled by Eustace. Eustace, dressed in a shiny blue bodysuit and afro wig, managed to effortlessly heave the “retro inspired” costume acrosss the stage while dancing to a soca remix of Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
He left the audience which filled the Grand Stand in stitches as he mimicked the deceased King of Pop’s signature crotch-groping dance move. “It is a family tradition, especially with the Eustaces’. I could not have done it without my brother, Marcus, who designed this costume,” Eustace said in a brief interview after the results were announced.
In the Queen’s competition, veteran masquerader Gloria Dallsingh’s “Artemisia” D Warrior Queen, beat 15 competitors including her daughter-in-law ,Laura Rampersad, who came in sixth place, to claim this year’s first prize. Dallsingh’s son, Marlon, who assisted her in designing and constructing her costume, placed ninth in the Kings competition.
Not content in being left out of the family tradition, Dallsingh’s five-year-old grandson, Antonio Rampersad, also participated in the Junior Kings Competition and placing fourth. Dallsingh’s portrayal of a Persian warrior queen dazzled the audience and the judges with its liberal use of purple and gold reflective foil and the intricately designed shield and swords which embellished it.
“I am very proud that I was able to portray the costume well after all the hard work we put into designing it. It was a real family effort by a Carnival family,” Dallsingh said. Dallsingh and her son are the reining South Carnival King and Queen and will seek to defend their titles for a third straight year at last night’s competition in San Fernando.
“I think we will make it a hat-trick. We will be winning all over,” Dallsingh said. While the highlight of the night was undoubtedly the senior competition, the 21 masqueraders vying for the junior crowns clearly outshone the much more seasoned contenders with their electrifying dance moves and colourful portrayals, all of which did not employ the use of frames and wheels used by many of the seniors.
Junior Carnival Queen Natalia D’Abreau’s I Dream of El Dorado, consisting of thousands of yellow and white feathers and sparkling rhinestone, fit its title as it appeared to be a treasure found in the fabled lost city of gold.
Like D’Abreau, the primary colour of Junior Carnival King Jardel Aguillera’s costume, Man of Glory, was gold. It left many in the audience rubbing their eyes as it glittered under the lighting on the stage.
Tuesday’s competition saw last year’s monarchs, Roland St George and Stephanie Kanhai, being convincingly dethroned and left pondering their plans for next year. They placed seventh and ninth respectively, from a shortlist of 16 competitors in each category.
The audience at the Savannah was noticeably larger than last week’s preliminary stage, a pleasant change from the spare crowds which have been the norm since the competition was moved from its traditional home, that is, the Dimanche Gras show on Carnival Sunday night.
The show was free from strong winds and rain that usually have a devastating effect of costumes, with all masqueraders completeing their performances without incident.
Those present were treated to a presentation of traditional Carnival characters who performed alongside guest artists David Rudder, Alison Hinds, Blaxx and Ricardo Drue.
Results
Junior Carnival Queens:
1. Natalia D’Abreau — I Dream of El Dorado.
2. Ariya Lyder-Baptiste — Yaa Asantewaa-Queen Mother of the Ashanti.
3. Naomi Noel — Lady Soucouyant Emerges from the Midnight Sky.
4. Cyan Lue Sue — Magic Over Marianne.
5. Vaughnecia Mieres — Maui Queen of Polynesia.
5. Junelle Bonaparte — The Sun Dancer.
7. Jeanessa Neptune — A Black Souvenir Doll.
8. Priya Nagasar — The Enchanted Cobra Queen.
9. Ashley Rambharose — Maharani-Queen.
10. Brianna De Peaza — Ajuoga the Witch Doctor.
Junior Carnival Kings:
1. Jardel Aguillera — Man of Glory.
2. Jesus Martin Carlow — Draco D Last Dragon.
2. Merrick Barnes — Tempo of the Serengeti.
4. Antonio Rampersad — Spirit of D Carnival.
5. Yannick Holdip — Mr Paradise.
6. Keron Fang — The Congo Man.
7. Armando Shampoo — Call of the Wild.
8. Keegan Farrell — Sbtinka Antinanco Magical Eagle of the Sun.
8. Tishayne James — The Natural Mystic Tribute to Uncle Dex.
10. Denzil Forde — Nyahbinghi High Priest.
11. Malachi Renn — Mangchux Spiritual Leader and Mediator of Conflict.
Senior Carnival Queens:
1. Gloria Dallsingh — “Artemisia” D Warrior Queen.
2. Peola Marchan — Yacahuna, The Goddess of Tuloc, She Who Dwells in the Great Volcano.
3. Kay Mason — Sounds of Everlasting Love.
4. Roxanne Omalo — Medusa — The Last Gaze.
5. Savitri Holassie — Mystical Goddess of Light and Life.
6. Laura Rampersad — Goddess of Victory.
7. Alendra Bailey — D Bailey Dynasty.
8. Eyika Luby — Pink Orchid Mantis.
9. Stephanie Kanhai — The Virgin Queen.
10. Lisa Peters — Birds of Paradise.
11. Pamela Gordon — Colours of Life — Love, Joy, Happiness.
12. Kerina Badal — Hialeah- The Mystical Fantasy of a Sun Dancer.
13. Leslie Ann Boisselle — A Musical Ensemble in D Pan Yard.
14. Charmaine Emile — The Aztec Menace.
15. Ruth Adams-Mendez — Lady Africa.
16. Donna Phillip-Forde — Gloriana, The Virgin O Queen.
Senior Carnival Kings
1. Ted Eustace — Psychedelic Nightmares.
2. Ravi Lakhan — Night of Horror.
3. Jha-Whan Thomas — The Dying Swam — Ras Nijinsky in Drag as Pavlova.
4. Fareid Carvalho — Guardian of the Sun.
5. Wade Madray — Quecha the Spirit of Spring.
6. Curtis Eustace — Demonato Prince of D Forbidden.
7. Roland St George — Hocus Pocus.
8. Glenn Dave Lakhan — Night of the Owling Creature.
9. Marlon Rampersad — Drums of War.
10. Keston Benthum — Elfurdrakos.
11. Ronald Baize — Bois of Moruga.
12. Lionel Jagessar Jr — Howakan, The Eternal Guardian of the Hunt.
13. Earl Beckles — Spirit of the Rainforest Guardian.
14. Kelly Sheldon Peters — Who the Cap Fit.
15. Nicholas Britto — Cane on Fire, Camboulay.
16. Christopher Saldenha — Gladstone Guardian.
Jha — Whan Thomas crosses the stage in a costume created by veteran masman Peter Minshall, titled The Dying Swan, Ras Nijinsky In Drag As Pavlova during the finals of the Kings of Carnival Competition at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, on Tuesday.
Second place winner Peola Marchan with her portrayal of Yacahuna, the Goddess of Tuloc, She who Dwells in the Great Volcano during Tuesday's finals of the Queen of Carnival 2016. PHOTOS: SHIRLEY BAHADUR