courtesy of: The Morning News
by Rosalie Klein
Since a fully organized, united carnival was established on Aruba 58 years ago, one of the prerequisites for it to be properly was a lovely and gracious young woman would be chosen to reign supreme as queen. Over the years, other age categories have been added, with suitable selective pageants to match, but the principal and finally election of Aruba’s Grand Queen is still an event to rival the most elaborate and exciting of pageants.
Friday evening, February 10, a panel of judges chose Lynette Do Nacimiento as Aruba’s Carnival Queen 2012.
It was a well-deserved title, as the lovely young woman demonstrated ultimate poise and congeniality throughout the evening; however, she couldn’t resist a little victory dance after being handed her congratulatory bouquet, something very much like you would see in a football end zone, with quite a bit more wiggling of the hips.
Lynette also was named the winner of Best Costume and Best Show, both of which were an ode to Aruba in song and dress. She demonstrated no less then 4 costume changes during her show, each one representing the 4 colors of the Aruban flag. She also claimed the trophy for Most Popular, and a substantial gift certificate from Aruba Trading Company and carnival sponsors Revlon, for Best Make-up.
Leonella de Palm, representing TOB Carnival Group, won for Best Speech, and was named First Runner-up. Chanella Maldonado of Majestic Carnival Group won the SMS voting competition from SETAR N.V., Aruba’s national telecommunications company. Rounding out the roster of candidates was Milenca Melissa Maria Ridderstap representing the district of Noord and a very animated Laura Ariana Molina from the EPI Hospitality Management School.
Aruba’s Prime Minister Mike Eman had the honor of crowning the new Grand Carnival Queen at the end of a majestic evening of pageantry and an endless shower of confetti and streamers. For the island, this is the equivalent of a Miss America Pageant, sans the bathing suits, and that famous event could learn a lot about excitement and grandeur from Aruba’s Carnival Queen Elections!
