Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 07/Mar 19:57

Candy J’Ouvert, Wing-o-Rama top Chaguanas carnival

CANDY J’Ouvert took first place in the large-band competition of the 2025 Chaguanas carnival J'Ouvert competition. Chairman of the Chaguanas Carnival Committee Renée Bailey announced the final results on March 5. Candy J’Ouvert scored 235 points with its portrayal Life in Colour, beating J'Ouvert Junkiez who scored 230 votes presenting Pan Demomium on the Road. Colour My Fantasy's Mystic Awakening finished third with 225 points. In the small-band category, We Duty J’Ouvert was the winner with 242 total points, followed by Mud Warriors with 236 and Innocent Fun FC with 233. In the individual categories, J'Ouvert Junkiez's queen, Lee Ann Singh, and king, Ganesh Kallicharan, took the wins. In the men's singles category Kurt St Rose of Mud Warriors was the winner, while in the women's category Debra Bowen was the winner. In the Chaguanas carnival parade of the bands, Wing-o-Rama placed first in the large-band category, scoring 216 points with its presentation of Wings of Time. In other categories, the band Central Elite won several titles including the small-band category with 240 points, beating Madness Crew who scored 219. Central Elite also won the Chaguanas carnival king title with Marlon Francois, the queen title with Heather Dawn Francois and the women's singles category with Shantel Cole. Anand Deokie of Madness Crew won the men's singles category. House of Jacqui was the winner among the junior large bands, scoring 259 points with its Spectrum of Life presentation. In the junior small-band category 500 Kids was the winner with 259 points, followed by Crochet Explosion scoring 234 points, and Elizabeth Lucas Children Production with 229. The junior carnival king was Makai Samuel of Chermaine's Creative Creation. The queen was Raynia Ramlakhan from Central Uprising Sport. In the men's singles category, Josiah Prince from Chermaine's Creative Creation won, and Mkita Johnson from Harvest won the women's competition. Bailey said: "The Chaguanas Borough Carnival Committee successfully hosted four consecutive days of events for the 2025 season, achieving notable growth across all competitions. This resulted in larger parades and bigger crowds." She highlighted the support of the security forces. "The support from protective services was exceptional, with many patrons expressing that they felt secure while enjoying the festivities. According to the final report from the TT Police Service (TTPS), no serious incidents were recorded. "All events were a resounding success, and the committee extends its sincere gratitude to all masqueraders, spectators, service providers, and sponsors for their participation and support." [caption id="attachment_1142859" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Members of Candy J'Ouvert take part in Chaguanas J'Ouvert on March 3. - Photo by Grevic Alvarado[/caption] The post Candy J’Ouvert, Wing-o-Rama top Chaguanas carnival appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.