Moms, mature women in spotlight at Ms Mature Pageant

IT’S a celebration of mothers, music and food today, as the Ms South Mature Pageant crowns its 2023 Queen.

The event takes place at the Creative Arts Centre, San Fernando, which will be transformed into a cultural hub featuring the national instrument along with a host of entertainers.

Saxophonist Francis Prime, jazz singer Ancil Valley, calypsonian Banjela, singer Derron Attz, Old Tech Steel Orchestra, as well as other singers and solo instrumentalists are in the line.

The pre-show begins at 4 pm, to be followed by the pageant promptly at 5 pm.

The show will open with a dance segment from the Arawak Dance Troupe as a tribute to the late dance icon Torrance Mohammed.

Six mature delegates will compete for the crown and, the longest reigning queen Dinella Alleyne-Blaize, who was crowned at the last show in 2019 but held sway during the pandemic, will take her final walk.

The delegates are Sandy Jeremiah, Josephine Rebecca Browne, Corelle Walker, Arlene Nysus, Avalon Felix and Roxxie Singh.

They will make several appearances on stage, including a dance number, an interview segment, and the parade in gowns paying homage to some of the powerful women in the music industry. The delegates have teamed up with designers to create gowns depicting the styles of women of song like Denyse Plummer, Destra Garcia, Ella Andall, and the late Singing Sandra Singing Francine.

For the interview segment, where they will be quizzed on the history of San Fernando. The delegates will wear outfits by Point Fortin based designers, Zadd and Eastman.

All the past winners from the show’s inception since 2001 have committed to making an appearance. Other crowned queens have also been invited to attend.

Having all the past winners appear, Attz said, is in keeping with the pageant’s team of transformational change. A believer in creating a platform for women to show there is still life after reaching a certain age and maturity, Attz said the winners will represent the empowerment and development of women, as many have used this as a stepping stone to further develop themselves.

“We want them to continue to use this platform to develop themselves, and by extension the country and the world.”

And while the focus will be on the elevation of a new queen, mothers who attend the show will also be in the spotlight. There is a special prize for the best dressed mother in attendance, as well as an array of door prizes and giveaways.

“Join us for an evening of love and the empowerment of the mature woman,” Attz encouraged.

Tickets are available at the Creative Arts Centre