Community News
The Incredible return of the King and Queen Show at Lamport Stadium
BY MICHAEL THOMAS
After almost three years of absence, the King and Queen of the band show and competition made a spectacular return to Lamport Stadium on July 28th, 2022 and there was no shortage of pageantry in this event.
The evening opened with the politicians and media personalities making their grand appearances, and even the weather was in sync with an evening of fun and festivity. I am usually at the Lamport Stadium location annually, but for a different reason, in the Caribbean, we call it “Ah lime.” That is where I would meet and greet all my friends, some of whom I haven’t seen in a long while.
Here are some of the names of the themes and mass costumes that were on display at this grand event.
In the Queen department there was: Nevaeh, Heavenly Carnival Queen, Streets on Fire, Atlanna Queen of Atlantis and a plethora of beautiful Queen’s decked out in sequins, diamonds, and feathers.
In the King’s department, the notable acts were: Safari, Streets on Fire, and The Ghost Keeper of the White Elephant.
The evening had entertainment to the max, besides the Mas costumes there were some of the best Calypso singers Toronto had to offer. Former Monarch and President of the Calypso Association Henry Gomez Aka King Cosmos brought his latest mega-hit “55” to the stage, and he was well received.
The audiences were thrilled by Soca giant and the longest reigning Monarch Joel Davis Aka Connector, he also showcased one of his monster- hits celebrating Caribana’s 55th anniversary with the spirited performance that he is always known for. Iwer George and Voice were on the entertainment list and as expected they pleased the crowd.
There was one thing missing from this event and this was the presence of the junior winners under 10 who had not been invited. Word has reached Toronto Caribbean Newspaper that they were left out abruptly and there are many questions and concerns surrounding this action.
The Festival Management Committee’s response according to our source was that due to the run of the show and schedule they had decided to do things differently, If however, this move is because of scheduling could it have been done differently to soften the blow to these children? Will the children portion be reinstated next year? These are some of the questions that are being asked right now.
That being said, it was a fantastic evening on many counts. The evening whined down with the crowd dancing to the music of the house DJ, and awaiting the decision of the judges, which came just around midnight.
The 2022 Queen of the Carnival
Band Name: Theme for Band: Tribal Carnival Kingdoms
Band Leader #1: Celena Seusahai
QUEEN Participant’s Name: Celena Seusahai
QUEEN Costume Portrayal Title: Atlanna Queen of Atlantis
QUEEN Costume Designer: Dexter Seusahai
The King of Carnival 2022
Band Leader #1: Marcus Eustace
Band Leader #2: Bryce Augiton
Band Name: Carnival Nationz
Theme for Band: Queens and Goddesses
KING Participant’s Name: Shane Reid Mungal
KING Costume Title: D’Wedding: A Love Story
KING Costume Designer: Shane Reid Mungal
TCN would like to wish all the participants and winners a happy and safe carnival.