After his delivery, the crowd of approximately 500 quickly noted their appreciation through clapping and screaming.
Dubraj, a resident of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara said that at the beginning of competition he was confident of winning since he believed the concept of chutney was “compositions in Hindi” that have meaning to life we can all learn from. Dubraj won $550,000 and a trophy.
Blazing the trail behind Dubraj in second place was Sandella Craig of also of Herstelling. She won $350,000 and trophy as she left a sizzling trail for her competitors, declaring “Dulahin Fighting Back”. Craig‘s performance was enhanced by her dancer Kelly, who had the crowd raving and screaming their approval, and two actors depicting the presence of domestic violence.
Despite the threat of the rain and slight drizzles, the mood and spirit of the crowd didn’t dampen one bit as they waited patiently for the performances.
In third place was Harresh Singh who further created an inferno and urged patrons to dance even though the wind was chilly as he delivered his “Cindy Girl”. He sang in time with the music and the crowd flowed with him. Singh walked away with $200,000 instead of $100,000 and a trophy.
The contestant who was selected as the most promising artiste was the talented and young Beesham Jairam of Unity/Mahaica. His performance “Guyana, the Country of Love”, had the crowd wild and screaming in a frenzy throughout his performance. Jairam’s confidence and sensational performance rewarded him with $100,000 instead of $50,000 and trophy.
The third and fourth prizes were both doubled.
The event was co-ordinated by Neaz Subhan and saw 15 performers. The others were Dhanesar Danny, James Hing, Levi Nedd, Dennis Damar Singh, Dennis Tatpaul, Carlos ‘Lucky B’ Williams, Mahindra Harripaul, Thakoordai Paul, Kamla Rampersaud, Odranie Ramdial and Pooran Seeraj.
The panel of judges included Karan Singh, Jai P Narine, Jagdish Sukhu, Parmanand Sukhu, Brahm Persaud, and chief judge Evan Radia Persaud Misra.
The contestants were judged based on rendition (clarity, pronunciation, and intonation), attire, crowd appeal, melody and originality. Last year’s Chutney Queen, Girly Persaud, chose not to defend her title but instead performed a guest item much to the crowd’s enjoyment.
This year’s competition was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
