Dominican Republic

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Amelia Vega: Like a hurricane during Miss Universe 2003

Posted by Norman on April 11, 2020
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .

Photo by J. Countess/WireImage

Photo by Paul Andrew Hawthorne/WireImage

The minute (then 18 year-old Venezuela-trained) Amelia Vega landed in Panama last 2003, she started her mission of claiming the Miss Universe 2003 title much like the way our very own Catriona Gray did it in Bangkok last 2018 – own the win from Day 1. It was like she always had this bubble script on top of her head that said “All of you ladies vie to become my runners-up. Because I will win the crown, like it or not.”

And she did. Not even the likes of Venezuela’s Mariangel Ruiz or South Africa’s Cindy Nell could take it away from her. Or even Trump’s personal favorite Sanja Papić of Serbia and Montenegro who placed fourth in the end. Watch this video of her performance during that year’s edition.

Amelia last 2015 (Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz)

NBA Player Al Harford and Amelia Vega-Harford (Photo by Moses Robinson/Getty Images)

After her reign, Amelia went on to become an affiliate endorser of Cover Girl cosmetics for several years before launching careers as a singer, TV host and even a film actress. She also had two boutique businesses in Miami called “Essence by Amelia Vega”. She married (fellow Dominican) NBA player Al Horford last 2011, with whom she now has three children.

Below is a video featuring the happily-married couple before they had their third and youngest child.

Now for those interested to know her royal ancestry (I’m sure at least one of you, dear readers, would be keen about:)

(Photo by Alberto Tamargo/Getty Images)

”Amelia Vega’s grandfather was son of Miguel Ángel Vega Hernández, and grandson of José Nicolás Vega Pichardo, a Cuban immigrant from Santiago de Cuba who arrived to the Dominican Republic in the 1860s with his parents, José Rafael Vega Bravo and Margarita Crescencia Pichardo Contreras, and his brother José Rafael Vega Pichardo, whose ancestry can be traced back to the English King, William the Conqueror, and the Castilian King Alfonso X.

The buck stops here in the Dominican Republic, host of MU2012

Posted by Norman on September 4, 2012
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .

And the Dominican Republic will be the host of Miss Universe 2012! The only question left unanswered is: will it be in Santo Domingo? or Punta Cana?

Finally! As in finally! The mystery behind the host of Miss Universe 2012 is revealed. And the Carribbean Island of the Dominican Republic is it! After more than 35 years, the pageant returns to this tropical paradise. Right now, the only decision left is whether the finals will be held in Santo Domingo or Punta Cana.

Miss Universe 1977 and her court

Way back in 1977 when the National Theatre in Santo Domingo was the venue of the pageant, Trinidad and Tobago’s Janelle Commissiong captured her country’s first ever Miss Universe title, with Austria’s Eva Maria Düringer, Scotland’s Sandra Bell, Colombia’s Aura Maria Mojica Salcedo and Germany’s Marie-Luise Gassen comprising her runners-up. Our rep, Anna Lorraine Kier, went home empty-handed then.

Janine Tugonon: relieved!

Three and a half decades have passed since then. And the Dominican Republic will never be the same again, what with all the economic progress the island has gone through. It should be interesting to see the changes from 1977 to 2012.

For now, a sense of relief must be all over Miss Universe Philippines 2012 Janine Tugonon, knowing that her pageant assignment is pushing through. At this point, she is focused on shaping up in all aspects of the competition. With all eyes of the Philippines on her transformation between now and early November, she’d better be.

Okay, back to work (my real job, that is). Hopefully, there will be no more surprises from MUO. 😉

Eva Arias is back with a beauty vengeance

Posted by Norman on July 27, 2010
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, Blog Bites: Miss Universe 2010. Tagged: , , , , , .

Miss Universe-Dominican Republic 2010 Eva Arias

Eva Arias may have lost to Mia Taveras during the 2006 finals of Miss Republica Dominicana Universo, but she never lost hope. Instead of re-joining the national pageant the following year, she trained harder to make sure that she doesn’t fail once she makes another attempt. Last April, she decided it best to enlist for the same. At 24, she doesn’t have much time (a couple of years at the most) left on her hands. Fortunately, she came out victorious.

At 24, Eva Arias has beautifully matured since 2006 when she joined and lost the Miss Republica Dominicana Universo competition. She re-joined this year and won. Now, she is out to show her fiercest gameface in Miss Universe 2010.

The face of Eva Arias reminds me of Hollywood actress Sandra Bullock from some angles.

Eva is now considered a favorite for the Miss Universe 2010 in Las Vegas next month and she heats up the already flaming competition even more. Will she keep up with the tradition set by Amelia Vega in 2003? Your guess is as good as mine. 😉