Eleven year old Pranava Maharaj of Vistabella emerged as the overall winner of the 2007 Mastana Bahar competition last week. A Form One student at Presentation College, San Fernando, Pranava impressed the judges with his superb rendition of the popular Manna Dey classic “Lapak Jhapak” accompanied by Sunil Ramsook on the tabla and Kishore Ramdath on the harmonium. The first prize in the Mastana Bahar 2007 competition is $75,000.00 cash courtesy The Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs.
Pranava Maharaj is the youngest ever winner in the thirty seven year history of the popular Mastana Bahar talent competition. The second prize in the Grand Final competition last week was awarded to the Varsha Seenath Dance Group of Malick, while singer Shiva Mohammed of Barrackpore placed third.
Meanwhile, twenty year old Rousillac beauty Varsha Orie was crowned as the 2007 Miss Naturally Fair Mastana Bahar Queen when the All Star Presentation was staged at The Space La Nouba Compound last week. Varsha also won the People’s Choice Award in addition to the special prizes for the Best Hairstyle and the Most Photogenic queen in the competition. The first runner up in the Miss Naturally Fair Queen contest was Kishanna Bhimull of San Francique, while Geeta Seenath of Barataria placed third.
The Mastana Bahar talent competition was created in 1970 by the late Sham Mohammed and is the longest running locally produced television talent competition in the Caribbean. The show has launched the careers of hundreds of local singers, dancers and musicians. For more information and highlights of the 2007 Mastana Bahar Series visit www.rafimohammed.com
Thank You,
Khayal S. Mohammed
Producer – Mastana Bahar 2007 |
