Rudolph Brown-Patron of the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen competition Lorna Golding (left) gives some sage advice to Miss Kingston and St Andrew Traci-Ann Wint (centre) and Miss St Catherine Marsha Marie Campbell.

Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

A new cultural Queen will be crowned tonight at the National Indoor Sports Arena at the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen com-petition. Looking back on the pageant throughout the years, it is obvious that the competition has attracted the brightest stars.

What began as the Miss Jamaica Beauty Contest in 1963 has shifted focus from outward appearances to inward attributes. According to the website of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (www.jcdc.org), organisers of the pageant, the need for a greater emphasis on cultural awareness prompted a shift in the pageant in 1975. The website elaborated, "The contest has itself grown over the years to become the premier forum for intelligent, culturally aware and poised young ladies seeking a platform for their contribution to nation building".

cultural ambassador

It continues, "The contestants' desire to assist in the development of their communities plays an important part in the selection of the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen, who is chosen to be, not only a cultural ambassador for her nation, but also an outstanding role model for other young women across the island. As such, although the queen's physical appearance will play a role in her selection, the emphasis will be on her awareness of cultural and current affairs, community involvement, personality and talent."

Since then, the winning Festival Queen has been an epitome of youth, intelligence and awareness; having seen winners such as, Dr Marsha Barnett in 2004, Miss Grace Ann Scarlett in 1996, media personalities Jennifer 'Jenny Jenny' Small in 1995 and Dahlia Harris in 1990 among many others. According to Dorrett Thaxter, co-ordinator of the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen competition, the show has evolved to include a number of changes.

have talent

"In terms of development, there is a development programme we try to do with the women long before the competition. We do workshops across the island. We go to the parishes and work with them. For those who have talent, we try to improve on what they have so they can change it for the competition. They have to be contributing to the community so that they try to add something to it, so it doesn't remain stagnant," she said.

The interest in the show has grown so much that persons ask for the entry forms long before they are ready, persons can fill out a form for the pageant as early as September. She told The STAR that in many ways, the parish shows sell persons into wanting to enter when they see the impressive talents from their parishes.

While she says it may seem to some that the competition has begun to improve in terms of the quality of contestants entering, she says that the quality has been high for many years. For today's show, Thaxter said patrons can expect, "a very exciting entertaining show with a set of brilliant persons as usual. You can't look and say this person will be the clear winner, which is good."