SHAS­TRI BOODAN

Fifty-year-old Jagdeo Pha­goo is the 2012 Pichakaa­ree champ. Pha­goo de­throned two time win­ner Kamal­dai Ramkis­sion with his com­po­si­tion of Shukriyaa-Thank you Man­ning­wa at the fi­nals of the com­pe­ti­tion at the Hin­du Prachar Kendra's Ra­goo­nanan Road, Long­denville site on Sun­day. Pha­goo said the song was ded­i­cat­ed to the mem­o­ry of his moth­er Sur­satee Ram­roop-Pha­goo, 85, who died last month. Pha­goo, a con­trac­tor, said he was elat­ed to have put for­ward a pre­sen­ta­tion that pleased the judges. The song, he ex­plained, was about the state of T&T in­her­it­ed by the PP Gov­ern­ment and the strug­gles be­ing put for­ward by the PM to steer T&T on a guid­ed path.

Pah­goo said the song called for sup­port for the PM in light of the op­po­si­tion she is get­ting from PNM leader Dr Kei­th Row­ley. Pha­goo won the Pichakaa­ree crown five times. His first win was in 1998 with Mr Democ­ra­cy, in 1999 with Mod­ern Beti, in 2006 with Dan­sook Rani, in 2007 with Ra­van Ketch­cum Koor­too and in 2008 with Dr Kir­ke­tay. He took part in the Young Kings com­pe­ti­tion 2011 with In­di­a­ni­asm and placed twelfth. Pha­goo said he is on a com­mit­tee that will be hold­ing a lyri­cal chut­ney com­pe­ti­tion spon­sored by Na­tion­al Ac­tion Cul­tur­al Com­mit­tee. The com­mit­tee is look­ing for na­tion build­ing songs that do not fo­cus on al­co­hol and the blas­phem­ing of women. Pha­goo's son, Shiv­an Pha­goo, 20, al­so par­tic­i­pat­ed in the Pichakaa­ree fi­nals. The younger Pha­goo is a En­gi­neer­ing stu­dent at the Uni­ver­si­ty of the West In­dies, St Au­gus­tine cam­pus.

Re­sults

Pichakaa­ree Win­ner – Jagdeo Pha­goo

So­cial Com­men­tary Cat­e­go­ry

1 – Kamal­dai Ramkissoon

2 – Tara Ra­moutar

Fes­tive Cat­e­go­ry

1 – Sav­it­ri Jagdeo

2 – Ryan Ruben

Theme Cat­e­go­ry

1 – Mo­hip Poon­wassie

2 – Shiv­an Pha­goo

Com­pos­er Cat­e­go­ry

Win­ner –

Jagdeo Pha­goo

So­cial Com­men­tary Cat­e­go­ry

1 – Mukesh Ba­booram

2 – Mukesh Ba­booram

Fes­tive Cat­e­go­ry

1 – Sav­it­ri Jagdeo

2 – Priya Poorai

Theme Cat­e­go­ry

1 – Mo­hip Poon­wassie

2 – Shiv­an Pha­goo

Most imag­i­na­tive use of Hin­di

1 – Jagdeo Pha­goo

Oth­er Cat­e­gories

Best Cos­tume

1 – Mo­hip Poon­wassie

2 – Ryan Ruben

3 – Priya Poorai

Best Props

1 – Tara Ra­moutar

2 – Jagdeo Pha­goo

3 – Priya Poorai