A sixth-generation Key West resident, who first blew a conch shell as a child, played two shells simultaneously to take top honours Saturday in the island`s 48th annual Conch Shell Blowing Contest.
|Last Updated: Mar 07, 2010, 10:00 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Key West: A sixth-generation Key West resident, who first blew a conch shell as a child, played two shells simultaneously to take top honours Saturday in the island`s 48th annual Conch Shell Blowing Contest.Clinton Curry, 36, followed his two-toned toot with a portion of composer Aram Khachaturian`s "Sabre Dance" on a single shell, earning applause from several hundred spectators.
"The thing I like best about blowing the conch shell is that it helps preserve the culture of Key Westers," Curry said.
The contest drew more than 40 entrants, ranging from young children to seniors, who were judged on the quality, novelty, duration and loudness of the sounds they produced.
The top group entry and audience favorite was a self-described "Conchestra," whose 22 members performed a conch-shell accompaniment and offbeat dance to a recording of The Village People`s "YMCA."
The contest`s youngest entrant, 6-year-old Katie Worth of Big Pine Key, Fla., won the children`s division.
The fluted, pink-lined conch shell has been blown in the Florida Keys since the early 1800s, when seafaring settlers used it as a signalling device. Native-born islanders are commonly called Conchs, and the Keys are known as the Conch Republic.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.