Sandradai Persaud who prefers the maverick `Girley’ used before her surname yesterday said she truly felt like a queen when she went on stage to perform her winning song `Rum is meh husband tea’. “I knew I was going to win from that very first moment,” she told Stabroek News yesterday.

On Saturday night at the Uitvlugt Community Centre Ground, eleven contestants from regions Three, Four, Five and Six created a chutney explosion as they vied for the 2008 crown.

`Girley’ Persaud confidently claimed the chutney throne from last year’s winner and repeat Chutney king Haresh Singh while Levi Nedd managed to secure his place as first runner-up. There was a tie between Aron Dasraj and Mahesh Narine for second runner-up. Sandella Craig was judged to be the most promising artiste at the competition.

The 39-year-old Chutney queen for 2008, who has for the past nineteen years lived in Industry, East Coast Demerara, attributes her success to long, hard hours working on her sound track, lyrics and rehearsing tirelessly.

Success, however, is no stranger to this woman who has been singing since she was eight as she placed first in the Essequibo Chutney Competition in 1999 and more recently captured second place in the 2006 Chutney Competition.