Five vie for Miss Garifuna Belize City title
The epicentre of Garifuna culture may be located in Dangriga and villages to the south, but as the nation’s largest municipality, Belize City boasts a growing and increasingly vibrant Garifuna community. Next weekend that community will demonstrate its strength at an annual pageant. Patrick Jones has a preview.
Patrick Jones, Reporting
The five young ladies vying for the title of Miss Garifuna Belize City will bring their culture and talents to the stage at Holy Redeemer Parish Hall on November first. Pageant Organiser, Laura Baptist, says while it is a local competition, the contestants are from as far south as Punta Gorda.
Laura Baptist, Chair, Queen’s Committee
“These young ladies are from different parts of the country, primarily the Garifuna communities. But for some reason, they have been here from when they were young, due to their parents migrating to Belize City. We do have problems with them speaking the language properly, but we have been practicing and preparing them for this pageant.”
That preparation includes a crash course in speaking the Garifuna language. Baptist says when the girls take to the stage they’ll take everything Garifuna with them.
Laura Baptist
“While they are competing they will be judged on the different dances, the Punta, the Hugu Hugu, Chumba; they will also be judged on their individual items, how well they present that; and the way they introduce themselves, fluency in the language.”
And the stage presentations will emerge from individual experiences.
Carla Flores, Contestant
“My talent will be about a lady, who is from Seine Bight, but whenever she comes to Belize city she acts “highty tighty”, (snuck up) she doesn’t speak her culture and language and she treats people bad.
And while they may appear outwardly shy, each of the young ladies say they know how to win over the judges.
Alisha Castillo, Contestant
“My confidence first of all, my talent, my dances and presenting myself as proud Garifuna girl.”
Carla Flores
“I feel very good to know that I am taking part in something that will benefit me in the future, because actually I really don’t know how to speak the language fluent, and by me taking part in this pageant maybe it will help.”
Nadia Palacio, Contestant
“I am very confident and one of the reason I wanted to take part in this pageant is because I realize that many young people like myself are not taking part and our language is devastated. And I wanted to show the youths that we are the future of tomorrow.”
Gloria Lambey, Contestant
“My talent is about a young girl whose parents are trying hard for her to go to school and she got pregnant and her parents were really disappointed in her.”
Patrick Jones
“Why did you choose that talent, is it happening a lot to the Garifuna?”
Gloria Lambey
“Not actually to all the Garifuna, but in our society in these days a lot of people are going to school and dropping out because of pregnancy.”
Laura Baptist
“Here in Belize City we unite as much as possible and we are cognizant that people are thinking of what will go on nineteenth of November or even prior to that. We have a lot of activities that have been planned, and we are just inviting everyone to make sure that they are there where the activities are being held, especially at the pageant, which is the high peak of the event.”
Patrick Jones, for News 5.
The winner of the Belize City competition will join the winners of pageants in other Garifuna communities to compete for the title of Miss Garifuna Belize 2003. That pageant is scheduled for November eighth in Hopkins village.
