-new ‘Father and Son’ segment, packed NCC made event even more memorable

THIS year’s Mother and Daughter Pageant was a captivating celebration of love, elegance, and the unbreakable bonds that hold families together.

Held on Saturday evening at the National Cultural Centre (NCC), the 32nd edition of the beloved cultural showcase brought out hundreds of supporters for an unforgettable night of style, emotion, and entertainment.

Themed “A Symphony of Love,” the event opened with a vibrant, high-energy dance number that set the tone for the evening’s festivities.

Guests, including mothers, daughters, and even grandmothers, arrived dressed to impress.

For many attendees, the pageant has grown beyond a showcase of beauty and bonding; it has become a cherished tradition, with some families returning year after year.
Hosted by Michella Abraham-Ali and Nuriyyih Gerrard, the evening featured three main competitive categories, Junior, Middle, and Senior, each highlighting the grace, charm, and deep connection between mothers and their daughters.

Taking home the crown in the Igloo Junior Category were Reneé Armstrong-Joseph and her daughter Renesmeé, while Osmine Williams and her daughter Rosmine were named winners of the SAB Properties Middle Category. In the KFC Senior Category, Savita Kissoon and her daughter Ruth claimed the top prize.

Along with their titles, the winning pairs were awarded with a dazzling array of prizes, including local and international experiences and tangible gifts from some of Guyana’s top brands.

The audience was also celebrated, with a lucky ticket holder winning a trip to see a Broadway show in New York.

Beyond the competition, this year’s pageant introduced a heartwarming new segment that celebrated fathers and sons. This non-competitive showcase sought to honour the broader concept of familyhood, especially fitting as the event took place on the eve of Father’s Day.

Dr. Sulan Fung, one of the women behind the event and a newly minted graduate of Howard University Dental School, explained the motivation behind the addition.

“For our show, we want to celebrate familyhood, not just mothers and daughters,” she said. “All the years we have special segments focused on family, like last year when we featured generations of women. We thought it would be best, on the eve of Father’s Day, to have a father and son segment so we can continue to celebrate familyhood,” she added.

Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle after the event, Fung admitted that the showcase exceeded expectations. “When I saw the segment by the fathers and sons, it was nothing like I had expected, it was spectacular. It was more than we had imagined it would be, and the audience loved it,” she shared.

The event was co-produced by Supa Stylistics in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the Government of Guyana. It also featured a red-carpet experience powered by KFC., transforming the National Cultural Centre lobby into an immersive pre-show event.

Now a highlight of Guyana’s cultural calendar, the Mother and Daughter Pageant continues to evolve with each edition, reflecting not just the elegance of its participants, but also the beauty and diversity of Guyanese families.