The 2011 Carnival Band of the Year award has gone to the Thunderbirds Costume Band. This was announced earlier today at a Dominica Festival’s Committee (DFC) press conference.
Celebrating 50 years of existence, the Thunderbirds Band now has one more accolade to add to their achievements and will receive $15,000 cash prize for being number one.
The second best costume band went to Carnival Corner. They will receive $10,000. Mercury Band came third and will receive $5,000.
The School Band of the Year was the Grand Bay Primary School which will receive $10,000. The Pre-Schoolers Band came second and will receive $5,000 while the Goodwill Secondary School placed third and will be presented with $3,000.
These results were tabulated by judges who were designated to several strategic points in Roseau during the Carnival Monday, Tuesday and Jou Overt parades, according to the Carnival Road Committee(CRC).
Deputy Chairperson of the CRC Charlene White-Christian, who spoke at the conference, said that judging for Jou Overt began at 4 a.m. though there were bands on the road from 3 a.m.
She explained that following each parade, the judges at the various strategic points would note their winners for each award and later consult to compare and decide who the final winners were. They would then pass on their results to the DFC, CRC and other committees. These results would then be presented to the public.
“Let me inform people that whatever decisions are taken by the judges on the road, these decisions are not interfered with by the DFC neither are they interfered with by the committee members. Whatever the judges have given to us this is what we present because they were given a mandate and we trust their judgment,” she added.
Other awards for the Carnival Monday Parade were;
Best Ole Mas Band– Carnival Corner
Second Place- Wassin Sensay of Grand Bay
Third Place-Good Hope Darkies
Best King of the Band-Carnival Corner
Best Queen of the Band-Carnival Corner
Best Individual– Reggie Burke
Best Float -Teamwork Spirit
Special Award for Carnival– Afrikulture Stilt Walkers
Award for Band Which Played the Most Calypsos-Fanatik
First Jou Ouvert Lapo Kabwit on the Road– Gutter Lapo Kawit
Longest Lapo Kabwit-Police Lapo Kabwit
First Steel Pan– Genesis Steel Orchestra
Best Jou Overt Band -Friendship Crew
Best Costume Groups for Jou Overt -Patients and Nurses
Second Best -Purple Haze (Tigers)
Best Individual Costume for Jou Overt –Dice
Best Individual Runners-up Erna Reynolds and KImo Astaphan
Best Jou Ouvert Group-Jean Bois (Bio Hazard)
The prize giving ceremony will take place on April 8, 2011.
I have a serious problem here……for years now the organizers of the carnival events has be shortsighted and blindfolded just as the governments of the past and the present government.
WCK for years has been represent Dominica globally and has been doing great of late locally and international. The same can be said about KKK who has done a good job representing us globally but yet no one seems to recognize their contribution to culture locally. I mean we saw what our Jourvert what like before the like of WCK and KKK present on the road yet we over looked them. In Trinidad and Barbados the respective governments help in the marketing of their bands and packet it with other cultural product to encourage their bands and promote their counties…..Congrats to all the winners!!!
Concrats Thunderbirds! I am so Happy!!
Congrats to Thunderbirds. They’ve been pioneers in the art form. I was disappointed a couple years ago when I came home planning to join them, and found they had strayed from their usual creativity and produced some flimsy Trinee-style costumes. I didn’t bother to join. Hopefully they will resurrect the old T’birds and produce legit story lines like the days of Egypt and the Pharoahs. Those costumes were unbelievable. I am so hoping for that because I will then join the band next year. Congrats again.
Congratulations. Newtown for life
grand bay primary school making strides. carnival princess 2011 and best school band 2011. congrats to miss takenya merrifield and the principal, staff, parents, students and well wishers of the school.
well deseved titles and job well done
congrats to everyone////nothing for kkk or ck?
i was checking the same thing
FELLOW HARLEMITES’
I’m really exceedingly happy that the premiere carnival band in Dominica;our beloved THUNDERBIRS of the great district of HARLEM has added yet another acolade to their long list of iconic accomplishments. This award of BAND OF THE YEAR 2011 is a clarion call to all we people of harlemroots to reclaim our rightful place as the capital of traditional masqerade in Dominica ! Its my belief that we must begin to look at 2012 to widen and broaden and deepen the involvement of our Harlem youths in al aspects of the life of the community especially culture, religion education and sports. Newtown led the way in the 1970’s with the HARLEM ROCK FESTIVAL ETC ETC ETC.
I would like to see thunderbirds featuring the original authentic BAND MO-VAY IN 2012
Stop OD’ing. It’s just band of the year!!
WHATS YOUR PROBLEM?????????
ITS JUST BAND OF THE YEAR
I WANDER WHATS BETTER ACCOMPLISHMENT IS THERE FOR A COSTUME BAND
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GRAND BAY PRIMARY SCHOOL. A FIRST TIMER AND WINNER. I SAW THE BAND AND WAS AMAZED BY SUCH CREATIVITY. HATS OFF TO YOU GUYS
Charlene white Christian is part of the carnival road committee and also principal of the grand bay primary school which won school band of the year. How unfair?
dear reader
i need to clarify this matter. though mrs christian is on the committee and she is infact the principal of the grand bay primary school, the costumes were built by some of the teachers, parents and students of the school who worked extermely long hours in her absence. our band was the best and that sentiments was echoed throughout the streets of roseau. we have won and we will win again. grandbay has talented and creative people so when we have worked allow us to reap and enjoy our success.
HATS OFF TO THOSE WHO MADE IT HAPPEN. AFTER ALL, THIS IS WHAT GRANDBAY IS ALL ABOUT
please reader what ur stress are charlen white christian is a faif person get to no her before u judge her
dno is not for negative people like u go get so hard work to do
Oh come off it. Charlene White Christian was not a Judge. Give the Lady a break please. All you people are too controversial. Grand Bay won fair and square. chupes man……
Let me inform people that whatever decisions are taken by the judges on the road, these decisions are not interfered with by the DFC neither are they interfered with by the committee members. Whatever the judges have given to us this is what we present because they were given a mandate and we trust their judgment. You can ask a judge for yourself…
That is surely a country of idiots. GrandBay school should not have been allowed to participate, idiots.
doesn’t matter if Mrs Christian is on the committee the children worked hard to build their costumes… let the children be children, give them a break!!!!! Grand Bay won through hard work and dedication from the teachers, parents and students… it is Grand Bay turn to SHINE!
Dear Ready is Charlene W Christian supposed to abandon her school because she is a member of the Committee. How foolish are you to even think so. She, her staff and parents together with the students worked real hard and they deserved it. You can now say Mrs. Christian is a Grand Bayrian for now. Don’t grudge us, you know how smart and talented we are. No one can take that from us. PEACE AND LOVE READER. Do you want to join us next year? WELCOME
Hi reader, though I understand you comment I think that I have to respond to your unfair statement. It matters not whether I am a member of the committee you must remember that I am not a judge and I have no contact whatsoever with the judges. As I said before, the judges were given a mandate and their judgement is respected by all committee members and the DFC.
I have to say that yes it is true that the idea of having a school band was mine but I practically had nothing to do with the costume building etc. At the GRand Bay Primary school the teachers worked tirelessly to put up this band in three weeks, teaching whole day and staying at school till 8pm and 9pm building costumes all with the help of parents and the students themselves. So you see It has nothing to do with me per say it is the hard work of the staff and students with their parents that has paid off and if you did look at the 80 student strong band you would never make this statement.
I congratulate all the winners of the REal Mas and encourage everyone to participate even more next year. To My staff, students and parents, I appreciate all your efforts and I am very proud of our accomplichments. Thanks for making me feel welcomed at Grand Bay primary. Let’s start planning for next year to be even better.
God Bless
amen to that miss, we will come bigger and better next time
Congrats to the organisers of The Preschoolers band.. u did well.. and to those who patronised thanks.. next year we on de road again……much love….
Well done Thunderbirds. Congrats to organizers. It was truly a fitting 50th Birthday remmebrance. Newtown did playits part in Carnival 2011. the Friendship Crew out of Newtown won the Best Jourvert Band”. Congrats. “Damn Nonsense. Lets Have One”.
I am proud of them i know they would get 1st prize.I saw the costumes and they were real good CONGRATULATIONS THUNDERBIRDS see u nxt year God spare
ok good news
now we waiting for pics