Alicia Roache, Staff Reporter
Tameka Hill (centre) poses with first runner up Soretta Gordon(left) and second runner-up, Renee Rose at the Clarendon Festival queen coronation held at the Versailles Hotel, May Pen on Sunday. Tameka also earned sectional prizes for best poise, and most intelligent. - PHOTO BY NATHANIEL STEWART
IT WAS a long, arduous run-up to Tameka Hill's coronation on Sunday. She won the Clarendon Festival Queen 2005 title at the Versailles Hotel in May Pen ahead of 11 other contestants in a competition that moved at a snail's pace and in many ways failed to spark.
Tameka, who is a student of the University of the West Indies, also won in addition to the title the 'Most Intelligent', 'Best Smile' and 'Best Poise' sectional prizes. She received, as part of her prize package, $45,000 from sponsors of the pageant.
In the interview segment, Tameka distinguished herself by displaying the most poise and confidence in answering her question.
However, Tameka's win wasn't always so obvious. Second place winner Soretta Gordon was an early favourite, standing out in the preliminary introductions and eventually emerging the most culturally aware. Renee Rose, who earned third place, was deemed the contestant with the 'Best Personality' and displayed some of the wit that no doubt earned her the distinction during her talent piece.
Rose's talent piece, a dialect poem called 'Mi Love It', was effective in what was left unsaid, allowing the mind the freedom to run. "Mi love it inna all different style/ Mi love it/ mi love it/ til a day caan pass an mi nuh get it," she recited, writhing and rubbing her belly, a sly smirk on her face as she said:"oh yes mi love it/ bwoy mi crave it, dem seh mi navel string cut unda it".
The audience was ecstatic as she performed the lyrics of the poem. When she finally disclosed that her 'love' was indeed for a variety of Jamaican fruits, foods and dishes, the effect had long been felt and the response from the crowd was overwhelming. Rose earned the award for the Best Performance. Tameka's rendition of Pam Hall's Strive was commendable, though it may not have been the most appropriate selection, and Shanique Wilson, an obvious favourite, was entertaining with her dramatic 'Peace', which combined commentary and dance.
However, as good as some talent pieces were, the opposite was true for many others. Fortunately, the good and the bad were spread evenly throughout the talent presentations, so as a whole it was not entirely unbearable.
What was very bad, however, was the initial introduction done by the contestants. Each walked on stage to a recorded introduction, but when it was time to speak recited an ad from her sponsor. What resulted was a very tacky plug which undermined the naturalness of the presentation and did more to embarrass the young women than give any real insight into personality or intelligence. One contestant informed that her sponsor offered "wheel alignment and balancing and transmission flush", information which elicited an unfriendly uproar from the audience. Many others fumbled as they tried to recall and recite the lines of their script.
At the end of the night, after appearing in their gowns, Shanique Wilson was awarded 'Best Formal Wear'. The gown, a yellow floor length number with green piping, was among those that utilised the national colours.
