Excellence Dazzell cops Miss Guyana Renaissance crown

Oct 26, 2009 News

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(By Mondale Smith)

On Saturday night Guyana got a new queen in the person of Excellence Dazzell, aged 30. The very confident, influential and positive mother of two won the judges nod from a filed eleven and was bestowed with the Miss Guyana Renaissance 2009 title as well as the crown. The audience, which included several past queens, openly expressed their disappointment at the final decision. But while this was the case, the queen also had her supporters and will be further supported by the bevy of professionals who contested the crown this year.
The lady formerly known as Osea Parris is a professional administrator who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from the University of Guyana and is also a graduate of Queen’s College. Her introduction was commendable and highlighted the work of veteran educator Olga Britton. But while her singing abilities won her the first runner-up spot in the Caribbean song festival years ago, her voice did her an injustice in the talent segment. However, her congenial personality, confidence and bubbly on-stage manoeuvres made up for the cracking and sometimes out-of-key singing of her original composition titled, ‘I love Guyana.’

She also copped the title for best executive presentation. Among her more than 20 prizes, she took home $100,000 cash, a full University of Guyana Scholarship, return tickets to Trinidad and a laptop computer.
Despite her ‘country girl’ pronunciation, Pamela Atwell’s presentation of ‘Not taking another blow’, deservedly won the audience’s heart. The 35 year-old single mom who exuded confidence and conviction in her on-stage delivery, copped the Best Talent title as an advocate against domestic violence and abuse. So committed was this Probation and Social Service Officer, making the top four line up was a surety from the audience’s stand point. She said if she was to be adjudged the queen, her issue of focus would be on abuse and domestic violence. Without stuttering and much conviction, she explained that the social ill has and continues to destroy the family structure and that she would be an advocate for education on the subject as it affects women, men and children too. Of note was the robust and continuous applause from the audience when she completed her answer to the final question.
“This girl win, she ain’t the star girl but she is a dark horse that win,” was among the comments from the audience. But that was obviously not the judges’ sentiments.
For her answer, she copped the First Runner-up spot in addition to the special prize trophy as the most improved contestant in the competition.
One judge was heard saying that Atwell lost the crown because of her country accent.
Deborah King, throughout the competition was pleasant on the eyes with her every appearance on stage and managed to always keep her smile. If their was a best dance prize it would have easily gone to her for her emotion stirring interpretive dance to Cleon Cadogan’s Destiny speak.

The professional dancer looked angelic in her all white dress, accentuated with contrasting ribbons and her expressions pulled at heart strings as she gracefully floated across the stage in soft lighting. She was a crowd favourite and possible winner that made it to the final four but was not sure or assertive in her answer to the final question.
Some in the audience did whisper their disappointment.
Mother of two and a Registered Nurse; Althea Bristol, placed a disappointing third. But she is the lone reason for the spot she got in the end. She was the star performer who radiated with grace, poise and confidence. Her skin tone was excellent and her self- written talent piece, a monologue, was a true patriotic showcase of why ‘Guyana Nice.’  She embodied all the queenly attributes and had the audience’s backing all the way to the final four before spoiling her chances through what she later admitted ‘was nervousness’. While she did not win any other prize, she too could have won the Best Talent Prize. Dresses normally compliment women but Bristol complimented her Olympia Sonnoram creation.
A contestant of worthy note that some opined should have made the final four is 50-year-old Confidential Secretary Maxine Joseph. The graceful, sultry mother of four was also among the crowd favourites as she proved that ‘age ain’t nothing but a number’.
She was not among the more talented dancers but she sure did try and should get credit for being as agile and as confident as she was on pageant night.
Yet again, kudos is in order for pageant extraordinaire Negla Hellene Brandis and her team for pulling off another night of pageantry that is second to none at the National Cultural Centre.
The décor and setting was excellent and music from Guyanese Keith Waithe as well as the chit chats from emcees Michella Abraham-Ali and Bobby Viera added to the fabric of an almost perfect family evening out.
The show began about 20:00hrs with the delegates and their partners showcasing their grace and bond through a ballroom presentation. The men donned black suits while the contestants wore flowing white dresses accentuated with layers of the colours of the Golden Arrowhead from the waist down. After a brief but heavenly waltz, they did their individual introductions and each celebrated a woman of substance in the education system.
The audience was almost filled to capacity and save for a few non-talent cultural presentations, most were relevant and in taste, speaking to issues of patriotism that proved that ‘Guyana nice and is still a paradise’.
Veteran journalist Claudette Fredricks was among the more eloquent and conversational in her presentation but faltered in her introduction. Journalist Nicola Waldron looked resplendent in her evening and office attire and her new hairdo took her face well but she proved just another statistic at the competition’s end.
The talent presentation included a calypso rendition, recital and several dances. One of the ladies tried her hands at steel pan and from the horrified look on her face during her few minutes on stage she knew that she had failed miserably.
The after-five cocktail segment was a showcase of creativity that mostly reinforced the ‘simple is elegant’ belief. But at least two of the models missed the mark of what cocktail dresses are.
At the competition’s end, for the first time in the history of the Miss Guyana Renaissance pageant, sections of the audience left a disappointed bunch complaining that the First Runner-up, a dark horse was cheated out of the crown.

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