The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) next Wednesday will be hosting a talent competition for contestants of the Miss GDF 2012 Pageant, which was launched as part of the Women Army Corps 45th anniversary celebrations.

Contestants of the Miss GDF 2012 pageant on stage at the poolside at Base Camp Ayanganna during the Swimsuit Competition

The pageant, which has 14 contestants from the major units and departments of the force, began on February 1 with the sashing of the delegates by their respective commanding officers at the auditorium in Base Camp Ayanganna.
The delegates will be judged in four areas: Swimsuit Competition, Fitness Competition, Talent Competition, and Evening Gown and Question and Answer segment.  Apart from the sashing, the swimsuit and the fitness competitions were held on February 16 and 17 respectively at Base Camp Stephenson.
In the Talent Competition, contestants will be given three minutes to display a talent of their choice, and this competition will be held at the Coast Guard Headquarters at Ruimveldt.  The pageant aims to showcase the diversity of military women, who, despite their commitment to service, are not neglectful of their traditional roles and displays of femininity.
The winner, therefore, must convince the judges of her excellent soldiering skills in several mental and physical activities. As such, the fitness competition is an integral component of the competition. It tests the contestants’ physical endurance, retention levels, combat readiness and marksmanship as they had to complete a three mile run, a memory test, an obstacle course, shoot down 10 falling plates, and engage in grenade throwing.
The pageant culminates with the Evening Gown and Question and Answer segment on Friday, March 9 at the National Cultural Centre at 20:00h and tickets cost $1000, $800 and $600.
Several activities have been planned by the WAC to celebrate their 45th anniversary milestone to acknowledge the invaluable contribution that its women have made and continue to make to the development of the GDF as an institution. These include a church service, the pageant, a day of relaxation, a debating competition, the distribution of hampers to retired female soldiers who are shut in at their homes or other care institutions, and the launching of a mentorship programme at the New Opportunity Corps.

Kingston DJ and selector Tony Matterhorn and Jamaican dancehall artiste Andrae Jay Sutherland, popularly called Popcaan or Poppi, are expected to create heat waves on Mash night as they are slated to perform at the Guyana Football Ground, Bourda. The event is promoted by Stereo Sonics and Slingerz Family.
Matterhorn is also known as “Dutty Wine Man”; “Mr Fully loaded” and “Margie Bwoy”, and is a veteran of the dancehall music scene. Popcaan is a respected dancehall singer. He has received Excellence in Music and Entertainment (EME) Awards for the Best New Artiste, and Collaboration of the Year for “Clarks” with Vybz Kartel and Gaza Slim; the song also won the award for ‘Song of the Year – Dancehall”.
Apart from the two Jamaican artistes, the winners of the Carib Soca Monarch contest are expected to perform. The crowd will also be entertained by the DJs of Slingerz Family and Stereo Sonics.
Admission to the event is $2000 and tickets can be uplifted at White Castle Fish Shop; Two Brothers Gas Station, Eccles and Medicare Pharmacy. Gate opens at 18:00h.

As a part of activities to mark Guyana’s Republican status, the Moruca sub-region will host a flag raising ceremony on the eve of Republic Day 2012.

The six delegates vying for the title

This will be preceded by the Miss Moruca Mash Teen Pageant where six talented and beautiful young ladies from the Santa Rosa Secondary school will be competing for the coveted title.
The contests are Jenen La Rose, 17; Zeuleaka Hope, 16; Geisha Ferreira 14; Latricia De Silva 15; Brittany Atkinson, 15; and Ronisha Ferreira 14.
They will be competing in three segments: sport; natural costume and talent in the form of dances. The queen will win a cash prize of $40,000, while the first runner-up will receive $30,000 and the third runner-up will get $20,000. Each of the contestants will receive $10,000.
Tickets for the event cost $300 and can be uplifted from the six contestants and the managing committee.

After one year, DJ Stress and Jubilee Water Park are bringing back the exciting family event on Sunday, February 19. The Wet & Colourful Party has always been a favourite for families all over Guyana.
With an admission of $1000, you get FREE access to secured parking and all the attractions, including boating, trampoline, children’s swimming pool, adult swimming pool and everyone’s favourite – Guyana’s only giant water slides.
There will be trained lifeguards on duty, as well as members of the Guyana Police Force present to ensure that both safety and security are maintained throughout the day. DJ Stress and DJ Anand will provide enough entertainment to keep you in full swing.
The Wet & Colourful Party also showcases the crowd pleasing Wet & Colourful Swimsuit Competition. This competition involves the many ladies who come to the event with their colourful swimsuits and the top three are guaranteed some great prizes.
The Jubilee Water Park is easy to find. Do NOT turn off onto the Linden/Soesdyke highway. Simply drive directly to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and drive past the airport. You’ll find the Jubilee Water Park only two minutes away.

On February 25, The Miss India Worldwide (MIWW) Pageant will bring, in addition to the 35 candidates of the pageant, some very special guests to Suriname. Bollywood superstars Aarti Chhabria and Zeenat Aman will make special appearances at several MIWW events.
Aarti Chhabria will perform during the pageant and has promised to give the audience a marvelous experience. Also, she will play a leading roll – quite literally – during the opening night of the Film Festival in TBL Cinemas. “Dus Tola”, her most recent release will be shown at the opening of the festival.
Chhabria started her career as a three-year-old in a commercial for children’s cereal. From that moment on, she was a regular in advertisements and for several brands and products.
In 2000, Chhabria was crowned Miss India Worldwide, after which she was introduced to Bollywood, where she is now one of the leading ladies. Some of her hit films: “Awara Paagal Deewana”, “Shaadi No1”, “Shootout at Lonkhandwala” and “Milenge Milenge”.
Zeenat Aman is true Bollywood royalty. Her sultry appearance captured hearts in and outside of Bollywood from her first role in 1971.
Thanks to that same look, Zeenat has transformed the image of the stereotypical Bollywood actress. In 1970, she was introduced into the glamour world after winning the Miss Asia-Pacific Pageant.
Her role in the hit movie “Hare Rama Hare Krishna” was her breakthrough in Bollywood and her performance of the musical number “Dum Maaro Dum” was unforgettable. A number of Bollywood classics and the songs “Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko (Yaadon Ki Baaraat)”, “Laila O Laila” and “Aap Jaisa Koi (Qurbani)” will be forever connected to Zeenat. It will be the first visit to Suriname for Aarti Chhabria and Zeenat Aman.

You have seen some energetic performances at the semi-finals of the Carib Soca Monarch contest at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground two weeks ago, but it is now time for the 13 finalists to step up their games as the competition intensifies. The final showdown will set the National Park Tarmac alight on Saturday evening.

Adrian Dutchin

The finalists are ready and eager to perform for the coveted title of Carib Soca Monarch and the prize money of $1.5 million. With more energy and props on stage, the contestants are expected to take on the defending champion, Orlando “Bonesman” Johashen.
Those expected to heat up things are Roger “Tropical” Hassell and Compton Babb as “Mysterious Boyce” duo; Rudolph “Sweet Kendingo” Kendall; George Anthony Abrams; Wilbur “B52” Levans; Melissa “Vanilla” Roberts; Roger “Young Bill Rogers” Hinds; Ivelaw “Granny Ivelaw” Campbell; Adrian Dutchin; Roger “Roger B” Bowen; Dwayne “King Shepherd” Semple; Jumo “Rubber Waist” Primo; Beverly “Little B” Smith and Jonathan “Lil Red” King.
They are have all been rehearsing hard, and enhancing their lyrics to captivate the hearts of their fans and the judges.
On the night of the event, Adrian Dutchin will be performing “I am a Guyanese”; Semple – “Wuk Up On It”; Abrams – “Wine attack”;

Jumo Primo

Campbell – “African Moods”; King – “Hold Me Tight”; Primo – “One People”; Roberts – “Rage”; Bowen – “Fire man”; “Mysterious Boyce” – “Regardless”; Hinds – “Behind a Band”; Kendall – “We going till morning” and Levans with “Flammable”.
Admission to the event will be $1000, and will be available at the gate on the night of the competition.

Preparations are well underway for the hosting of the senior calypso final slated for the Thirst Park Ground this evening. The semi-finals were held at the Leonora Technical Institute and from a list of 21 contestants, 13 were selected to be part of the finals.

Roger Hinds and Tennicia De Freitas

The 13 finalists will come against the defending champion, Lester Charles aka Mighty Professor with “Dem Rig It”.
The contestants ready for the challenge are Derek Mangal with “Humans”; Estelle Simpson singing “Stop The Lies”; Manoel Ferreira with his piece “That Is Life”; John Marcus with “Just Because Dem Switch”; Malcolm Corrica with “Is Woman”; the reigning Junior Calypso monarch, Tennicia De Freitas with “Rumours”; Garfield Campbell singing “Beautiful Guyana, I Love You”; Noel Clementson performing his piece “Dem A Champion”; Roger Hinds with “Soup Drinkers”; Martin Byrne with “Dat Burns”; Kenroy Fraser with “Is Dem Politicians”; Dawn Edwards singing “De Greatest Lie” and Karen Benette performing “Cherish a Woman”.
As the competition intensified, each contestant had to compose a calypso that has not been presented in any form prior to the competition. The calypso should not be slanderous, libellous, vulgar, or culturally/ethnically insensitive.
The contestants will be judged on lyrics, melody, rendition, presentation which include attire and showmanship.
The winner of the competition will receive $550,000; second, third and fourth place winners will receive $350,000; $200,000; and $100,000 respectively.