FAIZUL Bacchus and Shameena Waheed won the male and female titles, respectively, at the 11th Annual National Qaseeda Competition last weekend.

Performing at the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex (ACIC), West Coast  Demerara, Bacchus of Mon Repos Masjid, sang his way into the hearts of the judges and the crowd, coveting the first place in the Senior Male Category of the competition with Muslim songs in praise of Prophet Muhammad.
Bacchus overcame strong rivalry from Mohamed Shahid, Reyad Razack and Omar Ghafoer, all of ACIC, who placed second, third and fourth in that order, and will go on to represent Guyana in the International Qaseeda Mehfil Competition to be staged in Trinidad and Tobago next April.
Muzzammil Bacchus of Mon Repos took the Junior Male title, while Zaheer Mohamed and Wajih Mangat claimed second and third positions.
In the Female Senior Category, Waheed, also of ACIC, returned to the competition after a few years to take the top position, while Nazeema Mohamed, another ACIC member was awarded the Junior Female title.
Shevon Khan, Naseeba Nabbi and Asiefa Ali were second, third an fourth in the Female Junior Category and Bibi Shakila Wahab, Bibi Nazmoon Khan and Fareeda Nabi came second, third and fourth in the Female Senior Category.
Participants were required to make their renditions no more than four minutes long Urdu language. Points were awarded for choice of Qaseedas, manner of dress, pronunciation, melody, etc, and prizes and trophies were awarded.

JUDGING
The contest was to determine who from Guyana will participate in the International Qaseeda Mehfil and the judging was led by Dr. Adil Ansari (India), Mizannur Rahman (Bangladesh), Al Haj Farouk Bholai and Al Haj Mahmud Ghafoer (both of Suriname) and Maulana Ahsanul Mangat (Pakistan).
Convener of the events this year was ACIC President Hakeem Khan and Graduate of the Al Ahzar University of Egypt, Shaikh Safraz Bacchus.
Khan disclosed that sponsorship for the local event will carry over to Trinidad and Tobago, as the same banners and advertising would be carried there by the Guyana delegation, noting that some 150 persons from Guyana and Suriname will attend.
Al Haj Basheer Khodabux of the Hedayatul Islam in Paramaribo, Suriname led his country’s delegation to Guyana, while Mr. Afeeze Khan of NAMILCO and Ms. Nicola Duggan of Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) and Ms. Nafiza Balkishun of Sterling Products Ltd. represented their companies.
They all assured of their companies’ pleasure at being associated with the event and committed them to continued sponsorship in the future.
It was the first time the event, which was part of the activities to mark Eid Milad un Nabi 2013, received corporate support, with sponsors including H. Mohamed General Store.
National Milling Company (NAMILCO) was also proud to be host for the eleventh year.