Digicel Nelson Bloc back in winners’ row after 10 years
It took ten years, but the drought that kept Digicel Nelson Bloc out of winners row in the Band of the Year competition finally come to an end last Tuesday at Mardi Gras.
With their presentation âSoccer: The Game of the People,â the band, which is celebrating its 32nd anniversary, pulled out all the stops{{more}} to amass 560 points, pushing ahead of runner-up Guinness Y DeLima Hitz FM 103.7 FM Blondie Bird & Friends, which scored 543 points for their presentation âIllusion â Never see come seeâ.
Nelson Blocâs colourful sections: Canaries â Brazil, La Furia â Spain, Soca Warriors â Trinidad, Super Eagles â Nigeria, Le Azzurri â Italy, The White and Sky Blue â Argentina depicted the uniforms and colours of soccer teams around the world.
The Paulâs Avenue based band, which was launched in 1983, also got the judgesâ nod for the Best Use of Colour and second place in the Uptown Competition.
The bandâs queen, Petra Pompey, with her portrayal âCanaries â Brazil,â placed second in the Individual of the Band competition.
The presentation âMasqueradeâ from OT Tyre SVG Players International Mas Band was awarded third place with 514 points, with High Voltage Mas Production coming in 4th with 492 points for their presentation âCandy Worldâ. Fifth place was taken by Lime Ahdrenalin Mas Band with 488 points for their presentation âAn Eastern Travelogueâ.
Nelson Bloc, which dominated the Band of the Year competition in the 1990s, last won the competition in 2005 with their presentation âYou Asked for Itâ. Before that, they won in 2003, 2002, 2001, 1997, 1996, 1993, 1992 and 1991.
Other bands participating in Mardi Gras were Melbourne Artisans â âMasorama 45â; Imagination Mas Band â âLove Storyâ; Tribes Mas Band â âAn Explosion of Coloursâ; Hairoun Dragons in Association with The News newspaper, CK Greaves and Agricultural Input Warehouse â â50th Anniversary Celebratingâ; Xtreme Fanatics â âWeâve Got The Bluesâ; Lynx Mas Band â âSongs from Machel Montanoâ; Owen Ralph & the Professionals â âCarnival Feteâ; and Beautex International â âOur Heritageâ.
Second place in the Best Use of Colour was awarded to Blondie Bird & Friends, with SVG Players International and High Voltage taking third and fourth place respectively.
The Uptown Competition was won by Blondie Bird & Friends, with SVG Players, Ahdrenalin and Dragons taking third, fourth and fifth places respectively.