THE MYSTERY OF THE UNCROWNED BEAUTY QUEEN

Who is Miss Africa International 2005?

I am back from the pageant I can see that anxiety is building over the mystery surrounding the event. As usual I wore my paparazzi cloak like I wear my skin so gist full ground no be small. Well It is no secret now that there was a huge blunder that resulted in the wrong name being announced(Ms. Liberia). How that happened is still beyond my comprehension. It was funny at first because of the confusion but it isn't for the person/persons who has/have to deal with the underserving embarrassment. The poor girl now has to go and start explaining why she didn't go home with the crown and all that. But God works in mysterious ways, depending on how this is handled by all parties, she could come of the better person in all of this. But you know what, who needs a crown to show that you are beautiful, gracious, intelligent or charitable. Puhlease, it's all fun and games but the reality is what you can really deliver by your deed and act. I hope the website will be updated with everyones information so the public can judge for themselves who deserves to represnet Africa, not based on beauty alone.

Having said that, all of those unforeseen incidences do not negate the fact that I, and I am sure I can say the same for all the other girls, had a fabulous weekend. I met about 20 wonderful young African women, who were really talented and proud to represent their country and culture. They each had great personalities and we all got along great. It felt like a glorified and stretched out slumber party. The fact that the hosts took very good care of some of us by 'feeding' us and 'transporting' us around made it stress free. Before I get to the real issue, which is what went wrong, I have to give a shout out to all my girls who held it down for the Motherland. Now I really see what Luda was talking about. First of all 'Salo Dey!!!' Thanks a lot Jeneba (Ms Sierra Leone) for getting my back at 4am when I could not get a hold of my friend in whose house I was supposed to be crashing. Jenny is just a little funny and crazy girl with way too much energy. My 'name hollering' partner Ms South AFrica whose name, Refiloe, just rolls off your tongue like this....RrrrrFeeeelll-U-Way. When you go to Africa be sure to watch her on Generations, i think on DSTV or MNET, the girl is an 'akutor', and the crowd loved her monologue. Same for future Def Jam Poet Fathia, Ms Gambia, don't be fooled by her quiet strength cos as she says 'Brooklyn-don't-play-that'. Then we go to those 'une belle filles, la Supermodel Frenchies' Ms Ivory Coast, Isabelle, aka Ms. Pari-Hollywood, killing everybody with her Haute-Couture (if it was in my power, I would have cancelled the show and just handed you the crown cos you are beautiful in and out) and Ms Cameroon, quiet looking, Anna Christie, another doll. As in forget learning 'American' I am going to learn French, in fact I need to learn french, not just for work, but so that I can get extra attention. I mean think about it, saying 'Hi, My name is Adaure, I'm like so tired' and sounding like a valley girl, versus, 'Bonjour, Je m'appelle Adaure, je suis fatigue', even with an african accent...HELLO!!!ordering new cds now. And Chi-chi, our Mama Africa, Ms Zambia aka Ms Congeniality who was like a big sister and making sure we got all the information and FOOD. Ms Kenya, Christie, just had to have her Martini...i don't blame you girl...I had to have my bottled water too. Ms Liberia, Telena was cool and everything was on point for her, it was no laughing matter for Asmeret, Ms Eritrea, cos ATL girls don't joke and Ms Niger, little Ms Binta Magenta, was not having no BS. I think Aida, Ms Mozambique, got lost on the way to 'Africa's Next Comedian', the girl was just a clown. All the girls were absolute dolls, Ms Zimbabwe, Congo, Ethiopia, Ms Senegal, Ms Guinea, I hope I am not forgeting anyone. You know how it is when you get with a bunch of girls you have not met before and you spot out the BIATCH in the group, I usually find them because we know each other...oops... may be that was me...hmh...I seriously doubt it because I was on my best behavior. Again may be this was different because these girls were not Nigerians, ya'll know some Nigerian girls can be evil Cruelas and Zeldas combined...yeah uh huh...ya'll know yourselves with you stank nasty attitudes. It's not necessary because you hide the true beauty in you masking it with that bitchy I'm too hot for foo-foo and garri attitude. Abeg life is too short to be fighting wrinkles from all that frowning, up-nosing and brow squeezing. Matter of fact, I think I am gonna start working on all the ones I accumilated. Botox anyone?

Anyways I am ABSOLUTELY glad i took part in this pageant. I was so close to quiting because of my clothes situation (My tailor's neice was the missing illinois state uni girl found dead in MS). Very sad so I had to employ my emergency outfits. As in I was so embarrassed for me, because I can't even where what I wore on that stage to go to church. I was looking like a house girl compared to all the other runway shindigs some of the other girls created, I mean how do I compete with Versace. I had to kill it with my talent to be in the running (so for those of you who said my clothes were busted, and yes I heard, nothing escapes the paparazzi, be glad I showed up). I just had to go and represent the land where green riegns supreme and I know I was on point with that. Anyway I'll still have my clothes made and just take some nice pictures with it, lol, after all we don't know when this compettion will be over. As in I can understand a recount for presidential election, but a beauty pageant...hmh... it is a serious matter. Who ever eventually ends up becoming Miss Africa International, if allowed, has a huge job ahead and by that I mean redeeming the image of this venture. Like they say great thinkers are not always great executors, so perhaps an EXECUTOR is needed to make things happen, to work accordingly and efficiently.

From the perspective of the contestants, everything was going fine, despite a few hiccups with the dance rehearsal (that only came together when we performed it on stage). We were already dressed and waiting for some judges and guess who else, the MC, Jim Iyke. He decided to be a diva and come late... showed up just before the second half. I hear he could not decide on what to wear. That shaved off one whole hour. I won't even say anything about his abilities as an MC. By the way, I have to make a disclaimer about some pictures that may surface. Understand that I was in a certain 'capacity' so there was no way I could reject a request. I guess I asked for it when I took that one picture for kicks. I guess my bride-price will tank back to normal for that.

We were fortunate to have make up artists and hair dressers to hook us up so we all looked good. May be that's what made it really hard to pick true favorites. Even the judges just could not decide who the winner would be because there were so many good looking and talented young women....Seriously. Left to the crowd of mostly Nigerians, Nigeria was the winner, but unfortunately this was no popularity contest. Perhaps if the event had started when it was slated to do so the interview section would not have been scraped off. But no matter how much preparation you make or how early you start, if there is no organization or presentation skills it would reflect. The girls put such hard work into the event, we did our part to give great entertainment and were the only good thing about that night, but the all the other unnecessary mess has distracted people from talking about the performances, which I hear was the best so far. Rather there is a buzz about the debacle that was the show. I give it to some people out there who present good-packages, but then again, appearances can be deceiving. People can have clean shows, bring all the super stars they want but still lack integrity, principles and are as dishonest as a fox. But it's all good, all things being equal, in a few years we'll all look back and say, remember when.... hopefully each of these pageants will grow from these experiences and learn lessons. Personal opinions and negative experiences aside, I wish 'em all nothing but luck. I am done with these, moving on to other avenues of focus, as in enough BS'ing around for the year, getting too old.

Meanwhile, I got two anonymous comments from some people hidden in one of the other posts. I really do not know what all that is about but seems like some people have a whole lot to say so I am bringing those up for you to read and digest.

Anonymous said...
It is a shame that you are showcasing such a bootleg production such as the Miss Africa International pageant on your website. As someone who is going to be a reporter one day, it seems to me that you would have done your homework on Ellen Dunbar and her nortoriously known pageant. This does not serve as an attack on you but merely a warning to another African sister. The pageant is a scam and Ellen talks a good game but can not deliver when it comes time to it. When the pageant fails like it has done for the third time in a row, it is everyone else who is left to blame but herself. I would be VERY careful in your dealings with this woman because she is not highly regarded in the D.C. metropolitan area AT ALL!!!! If you want evidence, ask her if you can speak to the other organizers from years past. Do you not think that if she treated people with respect that people would have stayed on to help her make this pageant a success? Has it ever crossed your mind as to why the pageant is not on the scale she led you and the other contestants to believe? Have you ever wondered why she is so disorganized and can not take you to her headquarters or a proper office? As a former organizer and someone who knew Ellen Dunbar, I can tell you she is a fraudster and someone who stole the idea of Miss Africa International pageant from another organizer in the D.C. area. But you know what, God sees everything. Hopefully, you too will see the kind of woman you are dealing with and then you will really understand. Please feel free to share this with anyone you please. Have a great day!
8:39 AM

Anonymous said...
Whoever wrote the above...who are you? I hope you are not attacking the person who hosts this website!!! But I do agree with the person who wrote the above. I, too, worked for, with Ellen for some time and was utterly amazed at the level of confusion and disorganization reflected in the woman's character. She actually went out of her way to put organizers against each other so she could control EVERYTHING which happened until some unfortunate events with the contestants surfaced quite a bit of information. For one some of the contestants had paid $1500 only to get to D.C. and no hotel to be available for a day or so. To make matters worse, every problem which occured, Ms Dunbar was not willing to face the facts as the source of the problems. Hence, tension built up and anger arose. When Ellen was challenged, her response back was that SHE was the CEO and this was HER pageant. Mind you we were volunteers who leant our time, energy and even money to this cause because we all love Africa very much and are tired of the negative images which we see on television. The concept of the pageant is excellent but the execution of it is horrific and is in badly need of management. Seeing this pageant is why people (including other Africans) feel Africans can not do anything right. If you talk to Cynthia Kanema who went on to represent Zambia at Miss Universe, will she tell you about her reign as Miss Africa International? Why is it not mentioned when she does her interviews? Hmmm...let me think...a.) shame...b.) anger at having been duped...or c.)disgust for the Ms Dunbar and her unprofessional mannerisms? All of the above. If Ellen contacts you again, run for your life because she will use you to get what she wants and then drops you when you can not give her what she wants which is money.
8:56 AM

WOW!!!!
This is interesting. I can imagine there are others out there who have a lot to say. Perhaps this could be a forum to 'constructively criticize' or air out your opinions. Although I differ on certain things, based on my own first hand experience, and perhaps it is still to soon to tell, this sort of information is not the kind you can google up. When I called certain people, no body was willing to share any information or say anything, lest they be labeled as haters. If people are afraid to speak up about things, then how do you expect unsuspecting people out there not to be taken advantage of. However I am glad I didn't know this until now because I won't sacrifice the experience for eanything because of the people I have met. I would say the same for the other pageant that I was in because I heard VERY negative things about the organizer before going into it, but that still didn't deter me from participating and I met nice people, although now I do regret not going by what I was told. I guess these things are what you make out of them, especially if you take initiatives, are a good sportsman and just want to have an alternative kinda fun. Since people can post anonymous comments, please air out your opinions, comments and criticisms, pithy, constructive or otherwise (contestants welcome). Perhaps if these pageant organizers know what opinions are held of them, then they can get their acts together and work on restoring their reputation and that of their ventures. May be this indeed is what is needed to hold each and everyone of them to account, because it also puts the contestants at risk of a tarnished image if we are going around promoting questionable people. It can also give people varying opinions so that the can judge best whether or not to be involved in this. The floor is open...post away your comments. More pictures will come as soon as I get them.