Blondie Bird wins Junior Band of the Year title

BMC Amerijet Magic 103.7 FM Blondie Bird and Friends with its 2018 production ‘Phobia’ has taken the Sylvia Wilson Junior Band of the Year title.

The band, which has now won the competition for five consecutive years, amassed the most points to take the coveted title last Saturday, June 30 at Carnival City Victoria Park.

Garth Niles, one of the band leaders told SEARCHLIGHT that when he heard they had won for the eighth time, it was a great feeling.

“To beat all those other mas bands for five straight years is a real great, great, great, feeling,” said Niles while adding that the standard of the junior band competition is very high.

He said that Blondie Bird and most of the other bands try to keep the juniors in the traditional mas category because on Mardi Gras /Carnival Tuesday most of the bands move to feathers and beads, away from traditional mas.  

“It is great to hold on to a prize like that for five years because it is traditional mas,” stated Niles who added that 110 children were in the two sections presented by the band.

This year Blondie’s presentation is “Phobia” and Niles said with junior carnival out of the way, they are now focussed on the Mardi Gras competition scheduled for Tuesday, July 10.

In second place in the Junior Band of the Year competition was SVG Players International Mas Band (Legends of Soca Monarch), while Nelson Bloc Cultural Org. Inc (A journey through Africa) placed third. Fourth place went to Metrocint High Voltage Mas Productions (Exotic Beaches).

The other Mas bands that competed on Saturday were PB Lynx Mas Band (Devastation), Xtreme Fanatics SVG (Moving On Up), Owen Ralph and the Professionals (Old People Say), Tribes Mas Band (Sunrise to Sunset), Beautex International (A Toast to Vincy Mas), Melbourne Artisans (Dedicated to Memories), Mirage Productions (With Flying Colors) and Imagination (In Time To Come).

Three bands — Oxygen Mas SVG, Leeward International and Ahdrenalin Carnival did not take part in Junior Carnival Activities.