Jan. 1, 2008 — Seven contenders in massive, glittering costumes depicting everything from a maypole to a jack-in-the-box, swayed and danced to pulsating calypso beats, giving a few thousand spectators in Frederiksted's Festival Village Thursday night an early glimpse of the glamour and glitter of the parades to come.
It was Caribbean Night in the Festival Village and competition was fierce for adult and junior King and Queen of the Band, before marching in Friday's children's parade and Saturday's climactic adult parade.
The St. Croix Rigidims Festival Troupe swept both top slots: Desmond Lawrence won King of the Band with his enormous, colorful creation, "Crucian Jack-in-the-box." Lawrence created an elaborate flight of fancy capturing the spirit of Carnival, dancing behind an eight-foot high red and gold jester's mask, framed in an even larger red and gold fabric box.
Dr. Cora Christian won Queen of the Band with "A Ballerina Jewelry Box for St. Croix." As Christian swayed about in a white, jewel-studded jewelry box, topped with a person-sized ballerina doll poised before an eight-foot high mirror, the announcer described how the costume depicted the music box Christian wanted as a child; instead she played in the yard with homemade toys; marbles, dolls of cloth and twine, and chaney (broken pottery) as play money.
For queen, second place went to Hovensa and Epok Festival Troupe's Etta Lee Mitchell with "Queen of our Nation," an ensemble showcasing the seven flags in a peacock's halo around her yellow and blue madras dress. Third went to Hovensa Festival Troupe's Carol Rawlins' "La Belle," an ethereal butterfly-like creation of gossamer and bright splashes stripes of iridescent blue and teal.
Second place for King of the Band was Alexander Simon, representing Hovensa and Epok with "Mystere," a 10-foot-tall extravaganza with mirrored ribbons in a kaleidoscope of colors, a solemn gold face looking out from above Simon, bringing to mind the image of Tutankhamen's burial sarcophagus, and hence the ancient origins of African civilization.
There was no third place for King.
Hovensa and Epok Graphics's troupe were uncontested in winning both the Jr. Queen and King of the Band: Jeneida Donawa won Jr. Queen with "Missy Maypole: All a We Tied Together," swaying to the rhythms in a patriotic costume with seven dolls in a hoop, holding madras ribbons to the top of the maypole, each doll holding one of the seven flags that have flown over the Virgin Islands. Kendall Barry won as "The Musical Sights and Sounds of Paradise," shaking it in a bright yellow, orange and red ensemble, waving a broad banner covered in whimsical musical notes.
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