Entertainment

Mixed feelings at Festival Queen finals

Sashane McDonald, centre, was crowned Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2005 at the coronation held at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, Hope Road on Saturday. Second place went to Yashieka Blackwood, left and Kaysi-Ann Spence right. - WINSTON SILL

SASHANE MCDONALD, MISS Sunshine Auto Parts is the 2005 Miss Jamaica Festival Queen. However, several patrons who attended the competition's finals at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in St. Andrew on Saturday night are not happy about it.

McDonald who represented Kingston and St. Andrew became the eighth contestant from the parish to win the title and this, according to those who disagreed with her winning, pointed to a definite bias towards "town".

"Every year dem do dis ting, dem tief for Miss Kingston and St. Andrew, and it not right, because Miss St. Mary was di best contestant. She did everything right. But yet dem give Miss Kingston. Mi a guh stop come," complained one patron.

Second place went to the crowd favourite St. Mary's Yashieka Blackwood and third, Manchester's Kaysi-Ann Spence.

McDonald, a 24-year-old attorney-at-law and lecturer won among other prizes, a total of $115,000 cash ($100,000 for being queen and $15,000 for being named Most Culturally Aware), a 2001 Nissan Sunny motor car, car insurance, a trophy and hair style for a year.

Blackwood, who was also named Best Performer, won a scholarship tenable at the Edna Manley School of the Visual and Performing Arts; $50,000 in cash, a cellular phone, a 20 inch television set, and a facial.

Spence, who also won Most Poised, took home $30,000 cash, a gift basket, a 14 inch television set, a manicure and pedicure and a cellular phone.

Blackwood, a charming, 22-year-old teacher won over the audience with her talent piece, a song called 'St. Mary Paradise'. In it she extolled all the attributes of her parish and bigged up all the notable persons who called the parish home. She even told the "single men" in the audience that they should go to St. Mary to find a good wife, "treat har good and she would never leave you."

When she was through, there were persons calling for an encore while others gladly gave her a standing ovation.

Other good performance pieces came from St. Ann's Desnoes, who used video technology to perform the Miss Cutey Stoosh talk show, complete with appearances by an artiste called Vybz Cartoon and a university professor, Dr. Brown. McDonald did a performance piece entitled "The Real Jamaican Man" where she spoke about the various approaches women get from men in night clubs.

After the talent section, the 13 contestants paraded in evening wear courtesy of Uzuri, Eastlynn Wilson and Decisions. Then the top five of Blackwood, McDonald, Spence, Dian Hamilton of St. Thomas and Marsha Henry from St. Elizabeth were announced.

During the interview section where the finalists were asked questions posed to them by the judges, audience members vigorously supported their favourites and the final three women had the larger audience support.

However, when the judging was finished and the winner announced, Blackwood's supporters were the most vociferous in their disappointment.