Vanilla takes Road March crown

Melissa ‘Vanilla’ Roberts

After coming second to Shellon ‘Shelly G’ Garraway in this year’s Carib Soca Monarch competition, Melissa ‘Vanilla’ Roberts bounced back to take the 2009 Road March title with her song “Rude”.

Melissa ‘Vanilla’ Roberts
Melissa ‘Vanilla’ Roberts

According to a press release from the Mashramani Secretariat, in the Costume and Float Parade (Regional), Region Three emerged victorious in the full costume for medium float group followed by Region Five in second place. In the full costume (small), Region Ten won followed by Region Four in second place and Region Seven in third. Region Ten also won in the king category, Region Four in the queen and Region Three in the individual male category.

The Culture Ministry emerged first in the full costume large float category followed by the Sophia Cultural Association and the Hits and Jams Entertainment band. The ministry also won the non-commercial float category followed by the Body of Christ and Slingshot. Slingshot also emerged victor in the large semi-costume category followed by the Body of Christ and Don Gomes. Gomes also won the commercial float category.

In the full costume (medium) group the Health Ministry won followed by the Housing and Water Ministry and Region Three. The Education Ministry won the small full costume group followed by Region Ten and Region Four in second and third places respectively.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry’s individual costume was declared king and the Culture Ministry’s queen of the band. The Culture Ministry also won in the individual male category, while the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security took the individual female title.

In the Republic Bank sponsored Pan-o-rama steelband competition, North Ruimveldt Multilateral School placed first and Plaisance Community High second. Akeem Pompey of the Pan Groove Steel Orchestra, Michael Smith Jr and Allana Noel, both of the Secret Vision Steelband placed first, second and third respectively in the Junior Solo Competition. In the senior category Michael Smith of the Guyana Police Force Band, Clayton Daniels of the Pan Groove Steel Orchestra and Ray Sparman, also of the police band placed first, second and third respectively.

In the church band category, the St Andrew’s Kirk Steelband won followed by One Steel Orchestra and the Central Assembly of God Steelband. In the Seven-A-Side category the Parkside Steel Orchestra won top honours followed by the Magnificent Seven and the Pan Groove Steel Orchestra, respectively.

Parkside Steel Orchestra won the Pan Jazz Quartet category, while Pan Groove took second place and Pan Wave third.

In the Illuminated and Decorated Buildings Competition, St Ambrose Primary emerged first in the school category followed by the East La Penitence Primary.

The National AIDS Programme Secretariat won in the non-commercial decorated group followed by Guyenterprise Advertising Agency in the commercial class. Hand-in-Hand and the National Communications Network rounded out the category with the second and third place.

In the non-commercial decorated and illuminated class the Culture Ministry emerged victorious. In the commercial decorated category the Guyana Water Inc won, followed by Neal and Massy Ainlim and Bounty Meat Centre, Kitty.

In the Adult Calypso Competition Lester ‘Professor’ Clarke walked away with the first prize in the senior category.

He was followed by Roger Hinds, aka Young Bill Rogers in second place; Estelle Simpson in third place and Derrick Mangal aka Bright Colours in fourth place.

In the Junior Calypso Competition, Abigail James aka Singing AJ won the first prize, Shenelly Hunte was second and Tenneicia De Freitas third.

In the HIV/AIDS Song Competition Young Bill Rogers placed first followed by Martin Byrne aka Mighty Voter, second and Dawn Edwards, third.

Rajesh Dubraj emerged the winner in the Chutney Competition followed by Sandella Craig, Harresh Singh and Beeshan Jairam, who was also voted the most promising artist.

The Secretariat had previously announced the winners in the masquerade bands competition.