Pour un coup d'essai, c'est un coup de maître, bravo!
Written by Editor Monday, 28 March 2011 13:28
Left to right: Lord Bryan Davidson, Dianne Griffiths, Senior Lecturer Sandhi Patchay, Rebecca Mangaroo, Melissa Nathoo, Shiksa Matabadul, Vivienne Griffiths and Sudesh Jeewon (Principal Oxford College)
I must say, Peter Chellen, the Chairman & Managing Director of Mauritius News, has the knack to pull out of thin air the most out-of-the-ordinary event. It was purely thin air when he told me about the Miss Mauritius project in October last, and he managed to make it a real event on February 5 of this year.
In my opinion it turned out to be a masterpiece. I was both happy and proud to attend with my family. Indeed, the beauty contest orgasised by Mauritius News at the Wandsworth Civic Suite, Wandsworth High Street, London SW 18, was a real success. For a first try by Mauritius News, it was a hit.
As we arrived on the ground floor of the reception hall, my wife Leonilde, my nephew & niece Mr & Mrs Juào & Paula Martins, and myself , were welcomed on the door by the architect of the event himself , our friend Peter Chellen. He, then introduced us to Dinah, London School of Law Principal, Dr Kesso Ramsamy’s daughter who showed us to our seats, among the best near the stage in the main reception hall.
As we were being seated, through the milky light, we were impressed by the brightness of the hall, and the beautiful ladies who were sitting at their tables. The ladies kept, with admiration, the audience under their charm. I was amazed to see not only so many different personalities and various ethnic groups in the audience but also the number of people who turned up. Everyone was there in a single spirit — to keep the show alive and kicking.
While the musical group was delivering typical sega sounds of Mauritius paradise, in the right wing in the hall, the barmen were preparing their special drinks and that made my mouth water thinking about the Mauritian special mix: rum with coconut milk. In the same right wing, not far to our table, the catering ladies were displaying their exquisit Mauritian menu, and waiting to please those eating-out lovers who were not unfamiliar with Mauritian kitchen to have the opportunity to taste the dal puri and its various curries, the chilly cakes and samoussas etc, all freshly made.
Then, came the announcement of the appearance of the competitors on stage. The music stopped. The curtain drawn apart, a floodlight flashed and luminously revealed the radiant faces of the 19 young beauties. They followed, one by one, to form themselves into a semicircle.
For their first appearance, every competitor dressed as she saw fit: in short skirts or in slack/trousers. For their second appearance, all of them were in a long evening dress. Indeed, they were stunning. My admiration and congratulations to them all.
I confess that I never thought that there were so many pretty young Mauritian ladies in the UK. They kept me fascinated as they answered the questions put to each one. Well at ease, they spoke with a smile as real ambassadors who knew the rope, and how to deliver in a multiracial society like ours to introduce and develop their ideas. They were sweet, intelligent, and articulate. Their parents should be very proud of them. They make me proud to be Mauritian. The juries must have got themselves a hard task to pick up a winner among those attractive candidates.
Now, what’s about the sega dance girls, the singer (segatier), and the ravanniers? Did they manage to bring to the assistance the beat of true ‘sega mauricien’ on that evening of Saturday of the 5th February? The girls did marvelously well in their long dress in the colour of our national flag. They graciously danced and danced to accompany sega singer Dorian, and the ravanniers.
I congratulate Peter for the excellent show he staged for us. The success of the Miss Mauritius beauty contest demonstrates clearly what members of the community in the UK can do when they put their heads together.
Marc Grégoire
