Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Velonique Bowen has expressed excitement as she awaits the start of her cultural ambassador journey.

In an interview with Our Today, the newly crowned festival queen said she feels honoured to have won the title.

Bowen prides herself on being a nationalist at heart, having a history of deep love and appreciation for Jamaica and its culture.

The Kingston and St Andrew representative was crowned yesterday ( August 1) at the National Indoor Sports Centre.

Bowen told Our Today today that, growing up, she was always immersed in Jamaican culture, recalling that her father’s love for reggae music and Jamaican films contributed to her cultural awareness.

She expressed that, as a child, she nurtured her longstanding love for the Jamaican culture.

“Anybody who knows me will tell you that I was a cultural ambassador, even from before it was official. I am a lover of Jamaican culture and an advocate for the appreciation of it. And so it was something that was always in the cards,” said Bowen.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

Now that she has been officially crowned, Bowen noted she intends to lead by example. She also made mention of the large platform that the competition has given her and said she will use it to continue sharing her love for culture with Jamaican youths.

Bowen said she wants to “promote cultural retention to aid in perpetuating Jamaican culture”.

She will do this by using her skills as a “communication strategist to bring the messages across in a more digestible way for young people”.

She added: “I will use the platforms that I know they like in order to provide the information that they would not otherwise be so privy to.”

Bowen believes that, by packaging Jamaican culture in a more youthful way, it will become more interesting for the younger generation.

She noted that cultural awareness is present on the island, making reference to the packed stands at the festival competition and other cultural events.

However, she aims to do more.

“What I want is for there to be even more appreciation for some of the aspects of our culture that we tend to shy away from. We want more appreciation for it as it relates to patois and agriculture,” said Bowen.

STIFF COMPETITION

While reflecting on her journey, Bowen also congratulated her opponents, saying they “were so exceptional, good and rounded in every way”.

Said Bowen: “The ladies did not make it easy in competing, they did their best and they represented their parishes really well.”

She added that the preparation process was difficult but being able to lean on the other ladies made it easier.

“We prepared together and I had excellent coaches that made it more worthwhile,” expressed Bowen.

In her message to the younger generation, Bowen charged them to love their country.

“Jamaica is an amazing place. We are globally renowned and I just want to encourage them not to shy away from being open advocates and appreciators of the culture. I also want to encourage them to run their own race and do what they do unapologetically,” said the Festival Queen.

The Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition began in 1963 as the ‘Miss Jamaica Beauty Contest’. The competition however changed gears in 1975 on recognising a growing need for cultural awareness.

The Festival Queen is required to be someone who embodies grace and intelligence but must also be culturally aware.