Lewis, Brizan cop 2022 Carnival King and Queen titles

The King and Queen of Carnival 2022 are Joseph Lewis and Shynel Camille Brizan.

The two were crowned at 2 am on Monday after a lengthy Dimanche Gras programme.

Lewis portrayed Kreegorseth – Mystic Guardian of the Amazon and earned 434 points, winning by a margin of two points over the second-place competitors Curtis Eustace and Keston Benthum, who tied with 423 points.

Brizan, the only moko jumbie entrant in the top ten, portrayed Olugbe-Rere Ko – The Spirit Who Brings Good Things. She won with 431 points, ten points higher than the second-place competitors Ruth Adams Mendez and Dana Rampersad who tied with 421 points.

Brizan was almost not allowed to compete by the NCC as she is six months’ pregnant.

Lewis and Brizan were the winners in 2019. They were ecstatic about receiving the honour again.

The People’s Choice awards were awarded to Patrick Roberts Jr with his costume Piche, and Dana Rampersad with The Phantom Queen. Both placed ninth and third in their respective categories.

Dimanche Gras began at a little past 7 pm with the presentation Déjà vu – Echoes of A Carnival. Masqueraders sang and danced as they built a carnival queen costume as a metaphor for rebuilding the post-covid19 landscape.

The artistic director was Davlin Thomas, musical director John Thomas, choreographer Allan Balfour, technical director Curtis Bachan, and stage manager Ronald Castillo.

Dancers were drawn from the National Dance Association of TT, North West Laventille Dance, and the Amritan Shakti Dance Company, with the choir provided by North Eastern Chorale.

Eleven calypsonians performed, including reigning Calypso Monarch Terri Lyons; Johnny King; Joanne Rowley; Aaron Duncan; Ta’Zyah O’Connor, son of Dwayne O’Connor; Neville “Bunny B” Brown; Jeffery “Prince Unique” Thomas; Winston “Gypsy” Peters; Bevon St Clair; Errol “Bally” Ballantyne; and Irwin “Scrunter” Johnson who had the crowd dancing and singing along to some of his popular hits. Most calypsonians performed one song.

A highlight of the performances was the Vibez rhythm section, which kept the audience and calypsonians moving and put on a great performance in between sets.

There were performances by Bunji Garlin, Skinny Fabulous, Ravi B, Lyrikal, Swappi, Shal Marshall, Baron, Raymond Ramnarine and Dil-E-Nadan, Drupatee, Blaxx, Nadia Batson, Nishard M, and Iwer George. There was a lively extempo performance by Myron B and Kevan Calliste, grandson of Leroy “Black Stalin” Calliste.

The First Citizens Senior King and Queen of Carnival 2022 competition began at midnight, with the top ten queens and kings parading across the stage. Many of the competitors upped their game from the performances in the preliminaries, adding dancers, more movement to their costumes, and various special effects like smoke and fireworks.

The king and queen were crowned by Tourism, Culture and the Arts Minister Randall Mitchell, FCB group deputy CEO operations and administration Prof Sterling Frost, and TT Carnival Bands Association president Rosalind Gabriel.

Top ten Queens:

1. Shynel Camile Brizan, Olugbe-Rere Ko – The Spirit Who Brings Good Things, 431 pts

2. Ruth Adams Mendez, Madame Cocoyea, 421 pts

3. Dana Rampersad, The Phantom Queen, 421 pts

4. Savitri Holassie, Queen Cobra, 419 pts

5. Laura Rampersad, Caribbean Blue, 416 pts

6. Sherise Stewart, Miss Jolene, 415 pts

7. Amanda Bailey McLean, Marie Antoinette at the Mask Querade Ball, 414 pts

8. Turona Rambharose, A Taste of Carnival – An Explosion of Colours, 411 pts

9. Marie Eligon, Arima, 402 pts

10. Priya Nagessar, The Majestic Poui on the Savannah, 400 pts

Top ten Kings:

1. Joseph Lewis, Kreegroseth – Mystic Guardian of the Amazons, 434 pts

2. Keston Benthum, Cernunnos Reborn, 432 pts

3. Curtis Eustace, Master of the Mantas, 432 pts

4. Marlon Rampersad, Dance of Unity – The Ganges Meet the Nile, 431 pts

5. Ravi Lakhan, Kukulkan – Lord of the Amazon, 428 pts

6. Franklyn Jagdeo, A Ray of Hope, 420 pts

7. Raymond Mark, A Tribute to Bharatanatyam - An Expression of Music, Rhythm and Dance, 418 pts

8. Erron Sookdeo, From The Belly of the Earth, Rise the Phoenix, 417 pts

9. Patrick Roberts Jr, Piche, 415 pts

10. Fareid Carvalho, The Calling, 408 pts