July 30th 2011
Kiddies Take Centre Stage

^ Click for more images ^

Playing Mas at carnival is the opportunity to express yourself as part of a huge street parade. Some may even consider it to be a theatrical play if they look at it from a different angle than what it has been portrayed as in the past. From the great costumes of the kings and queens, to the paint, oil and mud covering j'ouvert revellers, everything plays part of a culture that Saint Lucia has embraced for decades now.

Some argue that the true costume art form is slowly dying but a few youngsters are making sure it doesn’t happen. To them carnival is not only about sexy beaded bikinis or the bending down and touching the road like you mad. Some of them aren’t even too worried about those paparazzi who thrive on capturing the negative side of our two day festival. No, to these young people it is about their day, the ONE day in the month of July set aside for them to jump up and have the time of their lives.

The children's day to play mas, “Kiddies Carnival”, was on Sunday 10th July and featured bands such as Just Us Kids, Rituals, Dynamic Kids, Charmalion and Saint Lucian Spirit in full colour and splendour.

Each band was enchanting, parading on their own stage in the Vigie Sports Complex to the beats of the favourite Soca tracks. This year’s Junior band of the year title was captured by the Just Us Kids carnival band, followed by Dynamic Kids, Rituals, Charmalion and St Lucian Spirit.

For the Junior King Of The Band title, it was Rituals’ Jaheel Calderon winning with the portrayal “Jodhaa Akbar- The Warrior Prince” followed by Just Us Kids’ Leroy Mitchel – “Colonization”, Dynamic Kids’ Jordon Augustin -”Power Boy” and Charmalion’s Daleel Hollingsworth “Remnants Of An Old Oak Tree.”

The Junior Queen of the Band title belonged to Rituals with Trana Foster’s “The Bhangra Dancer” winning. Dynamic Kids’ Jada Francis portraying “Rise of Fair Helen”, Just Us Kids’ Shartoya Jn. Baptiste portraying “Queen Isabella’s Quest” and Akina Randolph’s “Slavery Rains Of Africa” came in second third and fourth respectively. They were followed by St Lucian Spirit’s Ilana Lionel portraying “A Flower For You From George V Park” and Charmalion’s Mercedes Volson portraying “My Flower Garden”.
In the Individuals category Just Us Kids’ Kamarra St.Hill portraying Arawak’s Hut came first and he was followed by Just Us Kids’ Sylanne Raymond – “Carib Warrior,” Charmalion’s Kieanna Etienne, “My Beautiful Garden,” Charmalion’s Sherry Ann Leriche “Quillie Bee,” La Mosaique’s Cassie Forest Spirit, and La Mosaique’s Ross Lee Joseph’s “Diamond Falls.”

Discuss Story