Olympia Small-Sonoram received this year’s Mashramani ‘Designer of the Year’ award at the annual prize giving ceremony held yesterday at the Umana Yana, Kingston.
Among those awarded were the winners in the Steel Pan Competition, the Children’s Mash Costume Parade, Regional, Chutney, Health Songs, Adult Calypso, Bright up Guyana, Junior Calypso, and the Road March Costume and Float Parade.
Most recognized were Digicel, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs.
Digicel, whose pieces were all designed by Small-Sonoram, received first prize trophies for all the categories in which it entered, walking away with the largest trophy at yesterday’s event.
For this reason, Small-Sonoram was named the best designer.
Trevor Alfred, who designed costumes for first place winner Region 4 (individual king and queen and full costume) and the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs’ first place entry in the full costume-medium, was recognized as the best regional designer.
Other designers, whose pieces were awarded, were Trevor Rose (Guyana Power and Light float designer), Derek Moore (Ministry of Health-Individual Queen), Raven Simpson (Local Government Ministry-large Semi Costume), and Collette Jones-Chin (Ministry of Education-full costume: small).
Colonel Linden Ross, Assistant Director of Culture, taking over the duties of Neaz Subhan as the Master of Ceremonies, said that Mash 2011 has seen some firsts, one of the most talked about being a chutney song winning the road march competition.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony congratulated everyone who participated in this year’s event. “Without your participation Mash would not have been the tremendous success, that it was,” he said.
Those in attendance were treated to performances by Chutney sensation, Fiona Singh; Health Song category winner, Tennicia De Freitas and Junior Calypso monarch Diana Chapman, who all performed their winning entries.
