Jamaican women are among the most beautiful you’ll find anywhere on the planet, never afraid to embrace their natural assets, and beauty pageants have always been a great way for many of the country’s young women to show off their God-given talents, while making a name for themselves.
Around since the 1950s, beauty pageants were once, one of the most highly anticipated events on the country’s entertainment calendar. In fact, so popular were they that they got the full support of the People’s National Party government in the late 1970s, who incorporated the Miss Jamaica World competition into the country’s Festival celebrations, after two impressive wins at the Miss World title in thirteen years.
First up was the petite Carol Joan Crawford in 1963, then in 1976, the breathtakingly beautiful Cindy Breakspeare.
Since then, the country has had a number of near misses, with several of our girls featuring in the Top Five and even going on to be crowned Caribbean Queen. Enter 1993 when a composed eighteen year-old in Lisa Hanna, moved to break the dry spell.
In recent times however, the verdict has been indifferent and has many pageant watchers saying, ‘Jamaican beauty pageants have officially lost their lustre!’ Or have they?
Not wanting to go on record, some industry players will only say that the “heyday of beauty pageants are over” and doesn’t portend well for aspiring beauties on the island.