23rd Miss Caribbean & Commonwealth

Miss Caribbean & Commonwealth Contestants are being recruited already for the 23rd Miss Caribbean & Commonwealth - even though the contest, itself, will not be held until later in the year. The promoters want the show to be 'up and running' before several high-profile events, including the football World Cup and the international cricket tournament in the West Indies, take all the headlines. Current Miss Caribbean & Commonwealth title-holder Karola Rajoo is currently about to leave London to represent Trinidad & Tobago in the prestigious Miss India Wordwide in Durban, South Africa. Magykk Myers, the Contestants Co-ordinator, who, herself, was a previous contestant, is looking forward to hearing from applicants on (email) misscnc@live.co.uk

Karola Rajoo has been appointed 21st Miss Caribbean & Commonwealth. She is the third Trinidadian - following Anita St Rose (1995) and Shaherah Williams (2004) - to hold the official Miss Caribbean & Commonwealth title and another Kim Ryan (2006) won the special one-off Silver Jubilee Miss Caribbean & Commonwealth contest. Karola was promoted from Deputy 20th Miss Caribbean & Commonwealth position to which she was elected recently at the Polish Centre in Hammersmith, London as the winner on that occasion, Cathrina de Graf, was unable to attend the ceremony to confirm her title and since then has not contacted the promoters as to her whereabouts and health by the appointed time to commence her schedule of engagements.

On her appointment Karola said: "'I entered this contest in the hope of doing my best for both myself and my country and it is my absolute delight to be appointed the 21st Miss Caribbean "Commonwealth. Accepting this title with open arms, I look forward to an exciting year ahead. Beyond caring for the responsibilities of being Miss Caribbean & Commonwealth, I will work my hardest to lend a helping hand to those in need and impact on the lives of others”. Karola added that by her example she wanted to encourage people to be themselves as individuals and realise their full potential."

Nasharie Leaford is the only current Deputy Miss Caribbean & Commonwealth





Promoter Clayton Goodwin commented: "The competition between the well-trained and committed Trinis and the dedicated Ghanaians is intense. Each community considers the crown to be 'theirs'. There has been at least one Trinidadian or Ghanaian in the top three in every contest since 1991. The Jamaicans, in whose community the promotion started in the 1980s, are fielding their strongest challenge for several years, and there are likely to be contestants from Guyana, Aruba and even Guadeloupe. ".

"Competition is keener than I can ever remember"said Clayton Goodwin who founded the title in 1981. "With entrants from so many different countries and backgrounds it is always impossible to figure out who will have the advantage until they get on stage".


20th Miss Caribbean & Commonwealth - was held at the Polish Centre, 238-246 King Street Hammersmith, London W6
From 7.15 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. on Friday, 24th April 2009
Details of the contest can be found on www.caribcommx.com
Tickets are £20 and can be obtained from (email) caribcommx@aol.com or (mobile) 07900 811 903

To view the contestents please visit the website http://www.caribcommx.com/

July 2009

Lewisham's elected Mayor, Sir Steve Bullock welcomed Lewisham resident, Karola Rajoo, the 21st Miss Caribbean & Commonwealth to her first official engagement. Steve and Karola discussed the challenges facing the boroughs young people today in particular agreed about the importance of helping young people into employment.



Afterwards Karola, who was born and raised in Trinidad, said: "I was interested particularly in learning of the long and successful involvement of the Caribbean heritage community, and other Commonwealth communities, in public life in Lewisham. The Mayor helped me to understand more about the council's initiatives towards youth employment, in which connection it was encouraging that a young man on work experience was there for the meeting. Above all, I appreciated the Mayor's advice on working with the elderly, because that is something which I would like to take up".