Rayon House of Fashion has retained the Band of the Year title and its float and costume designer, Prince `Macky' Wills has also for the third successive year retained the Designer of the Year title.

Western Union and the Beerahaar Group out of London were awarded the runner-up Band of the Year and joint runner-up designers were Mr Grant and Christine Oree.

`Extra Soca' by Compton Hodge won the Road March Song and `Dengue Fever' by Wayne Drakes was the runner-up.

Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) was named the Best Regional Band with 20 points and the Best Regional Designer was W. Manifold. Region Five (Mahaica/West Berbice) was the runner-up Regional Band with 13 points.

The Best Large Regional Band was Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice) and Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) was named the Best Small Band.

Meanwhile, Fire In the Land has emerged as the Masquerade Band of the Road.

Making the announcement of the results of the Mashramani Day Float Parade and Costume Band on February 23, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports and Chairman of the Mashramani National Committee, Gail Teixeira said that Rayon House of Fashion had gained the highest score for Band of the Year with 28 points while Western Union and the Beerahaar had scored 20.

Rayon House of Fashion which copped the most prizes on the road won in the Commercial Float category, Individual Male Costume, the Female Queen of the Road and the Individual Female Costume. The fabric store was also second in the Full Costume Large Band Commercial category as well as in the Individual King of the Road. Commenting on his retention of the Band of the Year title for the third year in a row, Wills told Stabroek News yesterday that his team had worked hard on their entry, `Salute to Heroes'. Rayon House of Fashion, three years ago, he said, had set the pace for the reintroduction of fully decked out costumes and with duty free concessions on fabrics and accessories, he expected that future Mashramani events could only get better.

Noting that Rayon House of Fashion brings in duty free materials for most designers for Mashramani, he said that he hoped government could grant the concessions earlier so that by August at least other designers could begin planning their designs and fashioning their costumes. This would give designers a level playing field, he said.

He praised his staff for the hours of work they had put into creating the costumes, noting that they had worked day and night.

Guyana Publications Inc, publishers of this newspaper (the Stabroek News and Sunday Stabroek) also copped two first prizes - in the animal drawn category and in the commercial semi-costumed medium band.

The winners of the Large Full Costumed Bands category were Western Union and the Beerahaar Group in first place; in second place, Rayon House of Fashion; third, Ministry of Education; fourth, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports; and fifth Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.

In the Medium Costumed Band category, the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation won first place; in second place was Region Three; and in third place Region Five.

The first place winner in the Small Costumed Bands category was Schuler and Gomes Optical Service; in second spot was Friendship Hotel; third, Region Seven; fourth, Joseph Jackson's and fifth, Government Information Agency (GINA).

In the Semi-Costumed Large Bands category Guyana Stores Limited copped the first place; Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) came second; and Lifeline Counselling Services was third.

In the Semi-Costumed Medium Category, Guyana Publications Inc came first and in second place was A&D Funeral Home.

In the Semi-Costumed Small Bands Category Region One (Barima/Waini) secured first place; Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) was second; Ministry of Fisheries, Crops and Livestock, third; Region Nine (Upper Essequibo/Upper Takutu) fourth; and the National Cosmetologist and Barbers Association got the fifth place.

Taking first place in the Individual King of the Road Costume was the Ministry of Health/Pan American Health Organisation; second was Rayon House of Fashion; third was Western Union and the Beerahaar Group; fourth was the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and in fifth place, Region Three.

In the Individual Male Costume, Rayon House of Fashion copped the first place; Western Union, the second place; Joseph Jackson, third; Schuler and Gomes, fourth; and Lifeline Counselling, fifth.

Rayon House of Fashion got the first place in the Female Queen of the Road; Western Union, second; Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, third; Region Three, fourth; and Schuler and Gomes Optical Services, fifth.

In the Individual Female Costume Category, Rayon House of Fashion took first place; Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, second; Region Five, third; Ministry of Education, fourth; and fifth, Schuler and Gomes Optical Services.

The first place winner in the Non-Commercial Float was the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports; in second place was the Mayor and City Council; third, Region Three; fourth, Region Five; and fifth, Region Eight.

In the Commercial Float Rayon House of Fashion took first place; Western Union, second; Friendship Hotel, third; Guyana Stores Limited, fourth; and the Government Information Agency, fifth.

In the Animal Drawn Cart category, the Guyana Publications Inc placed first and the House of Haile Selassie, second. In the Masquerade Band of the Road competition, Fire in the Land placed first; Cabaca, second; The Torch, third; The Joker is Wild, fourth; and Strange Cargo, fifth.