“Guyanese Mad Woman” once again delighted at the National Cultural Centre as the curtains came down on the Children’s Mashramani Competitions 2011, yesterday.
The captivating performance by Melissa King, of North Ruimveldt Multilateral, secured first place in the 14-17 age group segment, during the Calypso and Dramatic Poetry Final. Being quite the competitor, Aurora Secondary in Region 2, copped second place in that same category with an item entitled “Ken De Kanvict,” performed by Wendel Pitt, who also received great feedback from the audience. A piece highlighting abuse of woman, titled “Stop Daddy, Stop,” earned Denika Caesar from Bartica Secondary in Region 7, third position in the competition.
In the 14-17 age group calypso category, Ronwell Gonsalves of Mackenzie High in Region 10, left the audience in awe with his item “I Love You,” earning him a deserving first position in that category. Following in second position was Youlanda Armstrong from Annandale Secondary in Region 4, whose piece was entitled “Teenage Pregnancy” while coming in at third was Georgetown’s Tiffany Grant, of Cummings Lodge Secondary, with her piece, “Miss Leh We Go Over.”
Mackenzie High once again came in first place in the 11-13 age group, dramatic poetry category, with “Child Abuse,” done by Naomi Alsopp. St Joseph High School in Georgetown, placed second in this category with “Coolie Mother,” done by Abigail Sobers and Region Three’s Basmattie Deokie from Uitvlugt Primary was in third place with “Promote Them or Not.”
For the calypso category in the 11-13 age group, Region 4 gained first place with a performance by Faith Corrica from Eccles Primary called “Save the Children.” Coming in at second place was Tapakuma Lake Primary in Region 2, with “Stop the Abuse” by Nichola Pearson and Santa Rosa Primary in Region 1 was third with “My Fellow Guyanese” by Kevon Jeffrey.
The competition commenced with children in the 5-7 age group doing their calypso pieces. With seven schools from around Guyana participating in this category, Region Two took first position with “Land of One People,” done by Latonya Alves from Queenstown Primary. Coming in second was Shamara David of Region Ten’s Regma Primary School with “Mash band Wagon” and third Colbert Fraser of Leonora Primary in Region 3 with “Natural Resources.”
In the dramatic poetry category, first place went to La Retraite Primary in Region 3 with “Teacher’s Plight,” done by Onifa Pedro. In second and third positions were Georgetown’s Winfer Gardens Primary with Mariah James doing “Getting Ready for Mash” and Amelia’s Ward Primary in Region 10 with Kayandi Scott’s “Don’t Let it Be,” respectively.
In the 8-10 age group, young Daniel Fanfair from Coomacka Primary in Region 10 caused quite an uproar in the audience with his piece entitled “Kaieteur,” which secured first position in the calypso category.
In second and third places were Maria De Souza of Santa Rosa Primary in Region 1 with “Mash Out Illiteracy,” and Tumaini Fredericks of Wales Primary in Region 3 with “A Prayer for the Youth,” in that order.
Finally, ending the morning’s segment was the 8-10 dramatic poetry categories. “Don’t Mess Wid Me,” a winning performance by Vanessa Campbell of One Mile Primary in Region 10, received overwhelming crowd reaction. Campbell paraded around the stage in a loud and arrogant manner. Tight competition was seen for the second and third spots, but Andrew Persaud with “Me Life, Me Cultcha” of Mortice Primary in Region 5 walked away with second prize and coming in third was Makayah Smith of Georgetown’s Concord Academy with “My Guyana.”
The children take to the streets today in their annual Mashramani parade.
