PAGEANT UPDATES: RTA Miss and Mister Madagascar 2011 has been chosen!

On the eve of 9th May 2011, Miando Ratsimiahotrarivo (18, 1m75) and Mickael Andrianirina (21, 1m85) were crowned RTA Miss & Mister Madagascar 2011 at the RTA Dome Ankorondrano in Antananrivo. Both the winners hail from the third largest city Antsirabe in central Madagascar. Rosia Raharitiana (20) from Mahajanga and Ando Randriamanantsara (19) from Tuléar were 1st and 2nd runner-ups for Miss Madagascar respectively. Similarly, Bercenty Razafindrarangy (21) from Mahajanga and Fetra Ratsimaharison (21) from Tana placed second and third to Mister Madagascar.

This is the second edition of the pageant organized by Madagascar’s leading media group Radio Television Analamanga (RTA). Fourteen lucky contestants, seven women and seven men, were shortlisted to compete in the finals from a series of castings held in the urban centers of the six provinces of Madagascar. For the first time, both the jury and the public had the chance to choose their winner. Miss Madagascar, Miando Ratsimiahotrarivo, was an outright winner in both the forms of voting by securing a total of 40.65% of the votes compared to Mister Madagascar, Mickael Andrianirina, who managed to get only 32.01%.

Miando Ratsimiahotrarivo, Miss Madagascar 2011

Only 18 years old, the newly crowned Miss Madagascar-Miando is a pageant veteran and won her first pageant, Miss Gallo 2007, at the age of fourteen. She recently graduated from her high school in Antsirabe and plans to attend university. According to RTA Madagascar’s press release, she will represent Madagascar in Miss Earth 2011. Mister Madagascar-Mickael is a part time model and a student at the Higher Institute of Business Communication and Management in Antananarivo. Like his female counterpart, Mickael is also a pageant veteran having won Mister ISCAM 2010 and Mister Antsirabe 2011 pageants. Mickael is expected to compete in Mister International 2011 pageant.

Mickael Andrianirina, Mister Madagascar 2011

 After a hiatus in national pageantry of almost half a decade, 2010 marked the return of Madagascar to the pageant industry with a boom! Today, it has not one but TWO national pageants. One organized by Radio Television Analamanga and the other by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture whose current titleholder is the lovely Diary Malala Raherimanina. However, the latter is not expected to continue and was a one-off event organized by the Ministry in celebration of Madagacar’s fifty years of independence. Unfortunately, the country will not return to either of the “Grand Two” of all grand slam pageants i.e. Miss World and Miss Universe due to lack of financial resources and the absence of British or American connections. The last time Madagascar competed in Miss Universe was in 1961 whilst its last stint at Miss World was in 2001. Thanks to the British franchise holder, Helen Hodgson, who at that time was residing in Madagascar and managed to secure the Miss World franchise for the second largest island country. She also organized the Miss Madagascar pageant from 1999 to 2002 in association with the then Madagascar’s Minister of Arts and Culture, Mrs. Rahaingosoa Odette.

For those who don’t know, Madagascar and its beauties are very special in the sense that the Malagasy people are the only Africans with Austronesian descent. Something which is reflected in their unique names, language and culture as well as in their remarkably distinct South East Asian/Pacific Islander looking facial features and skin tone.

Zara  Sabeen