Tamara Dickens is Miss Kingston and St Andrew Festival Queen. - Contributed

The Kingston and St Andrew Festival Queen Coronation show, staged by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, was well organised, on time and ran smoothly. Sunday evening was cool with fair weather, which kept the packed Louise Bennett Garden Theatre about room temperature.

Onstage, the 10 enchanting contestants vying for the crown were obviously gifted, as they epitomised the theme 'Jamaican Woman ... Our National Treasure'. One talent presentation after the other, the young ladies were well-trained and captivating. Their evening gowns stunning, the entertainment enjoyable and choreography by Barbara McDaniel was fresh and clever. The top five - Tamara Dickens, Tasheney Francis, Kay-Ann Pinnock, Gail Tyndale-Ellis and Tashna Silburn were no real surprise.

The members of the audience were alive, cheering on their favourites and participating in the show.

Everything was going well, until MC Norma Brown-Bell announced the third-place winner - 25-year-old Miss Clear Sound Production Services, Tasheney Francis. There was a short pause as it sank in that the crowd-favourite had not won. "NO!!" several members of the audience started shouting. Most were shocked as they were sure Francis had won. From where the audience sat, she had delivered one of the best talent pieces and was the most commanding, controlled and clear when she shared her views on abortion.

'Ediat ting dat'

As Francis came onstage to collect her crown, a section of the crowd started chanting, "Ediat, ediat ting dat". Second-place Tashna Silburn, Miss Music Mart, was greeted with some cheers, a few boos and more "Nos". The audience then quieted just enough to hear the winner - 25-year-old attorney, Tamara Dickens, Miss Dark and Lovely. With the announcement, more than half of the audience walked out, though a few lingered to see the 2009 Kingston and St Andrew Festival Queen take her throne. Still others complained and quarrelled because their queen had not won.

But Dickens was not perturbed. "I came in positive with an open mind," she said after the show. "Whatever the judges' decisions I would accept, but I believed in myself." She said that while she understands that there is not always consensus, she is grateful for the opportunity and hopes in the end the detractors will come around.

When asked why she entered the competition, Dickens said: "I believe I possess the talent and intelligence to represent Kingston and St Andrew and I wanted to be more involved." The graduate of the University of the West Indies can be described as amiable, passionate and enthusiastic about learning. Her community involvement include: Musgrave Mentorship Programme, Special Students Services and South St Andrew Constituency Outreach Programme. Asked about her philosophy she said: "The human potential is limitless and I have a strong belief in the resilience of the human spirit to rise beyond any adverse state, situation or circumstance."

Category winners

Scholarship Winners to the Caribbean Institute of Business - Kay-Ann Hemmings, Crystal Daye, Sophia Morgan

Best Performance - Tasheney Francis

Most Poised - Gail Tyndale-Ellis

Most Active in Community - Tashna Silburn

Most Congenial - Kay-Ann Pinnock

Most Culturally Aware - Tamara Dickens