The Succotz Festival Marching Band from the western Belize village of Succotz yesterday won the annual Belize Band fest, this time held in Orange Walk Town.

The band, regarded as one of the finest in Belize, beat defending champions Corozal Community College which had come out of nowhere last year to win the Band Fest held in Corozal Town. Third place was won by San Ignacio’s Mount Carmel marching band.

This is the sixth Band Fest held in Belize. Thirteen bands from high schools throughout Belize took part. The Succotz Festival Marching Band are now four time champions. The first band fest was won by St. Luke Methodist School. The second, third and fourth were won by the Succotz Festival Marching Band, and the fifth by Corozal Community College. The Western Xunan Marching band, also based in the village of Succotz near Benque Viejo del Carmen, won the Most Improved Band category.

Thousands of Belizeans attended the event at the People’s Station in Orange Walk town. Prizes were handed out by Belize’s Governer General Sir Colville Young a former music teacher and marching band enthusiast.

John Canoe Dancer at Dangriga, Belize.

Belize prepares to celebrate National Garifuna Settlement Day with is observed on November 19 as a public and bank holiday.

The theme for this year’s celebrations is: Gibe Memegili Wayumaha; Lidanba Uarani Wawansera (We Continue to have many Aspirations;  In Unity We Advance).

Garifuna Settlement Day Celebrations are concentrated in Dangriga, Stann Creek District in southern Belize and start off at dawn with a symbolic re-enactment of the arrival of the first Gariganu to Belize.

Similar but smaller celebrations take place in most main population centers in Belize including Belize City and Punta Gorda in the Toledo district.

FOX TV is shooting a reality show pilot in Belize. The Hookup show pilot features Apocalypto star Rudy Yungblood. Melissa Tracy, Producer of Hookup told Belize media today that “Hookup is about basically reaching new adventures for our guests and taking our TV audiences to exciting new places where they’ll learn how to fish, cook, and conserving the fish as well as we’ll be donating to charities as we go around the world.”

U.S. movie and television stars caused a stir at the Belize City Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital on Wednesday. Patients and visitors were surprised to see Brody Hutzler of soap operas such as the Young and Restless and Days of Our Lives. He was accompanied by a film crew and Rudy Youngblood of the hit movie, Apocalypto.

T.V. Interview transcript follows: [Read more...]

Miss Guatemala Gabriela Asturias has won the 19th Miss Belize Costa Maya Pageant 2010 held this Friday on Ambergris Caye, Belize. The beauty pageant kicks off the annual town fair that features cultural events, a fair and music and dance performances by local and visiting artists.

The Belize Costa Maya Festival is a multicultural event on Ambergris Caye for a week of celebrations that run the gamut of dance, music, pageants, food and drink.

Celebrating their ancestral Mayan cultural roots, the Belize Costa Maya Festival Belize is the event of the year on this island off the coast of Belize that derives most of its income from tourism.

This year’s winner 25 year old Gabriela Asturias lists her occupation as Social Communicator and says her hobbies are dancing and reading. She is 5 feet five inches tall and her measurements are 34 – 24 – 25.

Described as a pageant to remember, Miss Guatemala took the stage along with seven other contestants from Belize and other Central American countries – all of them wowing the crowd and judges with their grace, elegance, charm and cultural costumes. In the end it was Miss Guatemala who impressed the judges the most with her fluent answers and stunning presence. Miss Asturias also won the title of Best Cultural Costume.

Miss Nicaragua Claudia Trejos took second place and and Miss Panama Yosibell Sanchez Espino finished third. Picture courtesy Ambergris Today.

Krysia Ortiz Campos is Costa Rica's delegate to the Costa Maya Belize Pageant 2010.

Three more delegates have been confirmed for the Miss Costa Maya Belize Pageant to be held next month on Ambergris Caye.

Representing Costa Rica will be Krysia Ortiz Campos, age 24 years, height: 5’7″. Profession Architect. Eye Color Brown. Hair Color Brown. Measurements 34-24-36. Her hobbies are singing, dancing and spending time with the family.

Asked about her goals in life, Krysia said “First, to become a professional and thanks to God, I am really close to achieving this.

Second, to form a family with my partner.

And lastly, to form my own company from where I will perform my profession, Architecture and Urban development and focus on society’s well being.”

[Read more...]