Nathelie Taylor, Gleaner Writer
Changa Changa, one of the many characters who turned out to the 'Rising Stars' auditions at the Cornwall Beach, Montego Bay, last Saturday. Changa Changa, a repeat 'Rising Stars' entrant, was cut from the finals. - PHOTO BY CLAUDINE HOUSEN
BRAVING THE scorching heat of a sun that beat down on their bodies, over 400 hopefuls turned up at the Cornwall Beach in Montego Bay, St. James last weekend in an effort to be Jamaica's next Rising Star.
It was a mixed crowd that gathered on the beach. From teens to 'old-timers', big and small, able-bodied and the physically challenged, they poured onto the sandy shores to showcase the talent that someone told them they possessed in abundance. And, for the most part, that was revealed to be a cruel joke played on a number of wannabe stars whose hopes were quickly tossed to the gentle wind.
From as early as the registration time of 9 a.m., the beach was crowded with entrants and they continued filing in until the 3 p.m. lock-off time. Many settled under the big tent, while a few shaded under the smattering of trees along the side. Digicel 'fans' worked vigorously, but futilely, as everyone tried to battle the heat, which though uncomfortable, failed to melt their stalwart resolution.
FAILED ATTEMPT
Trudy Thompson, for instance, may have to do it all over again in another parish as her attempt at Whitney Houston's On My Own failed to impress the judges. Blaming her downfall on her high pitch and nervousness, Thompson was seen after her dismissal trying to prove to whom ever would listen that she could indeed hold a note. While she did not sound like wailing cats, Thompson was not exactly giving her reluctant audience much to approve of either.
Then, there was Marcus who comically stated, "Just for the fun of it, I may just win." Indeed, the joke was on him because, the repeat Rising Star hopeful, couldn't convince the judges to give him a callback. Unlike Thompson though, Marcus will not pursue a seemingly unattainable thing. "I won't run down this thing, man," he stated.
As they waited, the entrants practised. Groups harmonised, singers vocalised and poets rehearsed with varying degrees of intensity. The drums of Prince Tebah and company, for instance, rumbled across the venue as the group of elders practised their culture-intoned selection. Prince Jay's deep baritone, which made women swoon last year, also carried on the wind as he too 'tuned' up his vocals.
DISAPPOINTMENT
As the day grew longer, the contestants grew impatient. And, all too soon their impatience turned to disbelief then to a mixture of disappointment, sadness and anger as lofty dreams of stardom were dashed in less than a minute. A rejected entrant on day one, for instance, angrily declared: "dem judge dey nuh love woman." According to him, the judges Roy Rayon and David Wedderburn were obviously not fans of women because they rejected him for his rendition of a love song to his woman. The disgruntled fellow went on to distastefully ridicule a physically challenged young man called Schreechie whose take on Voisemail's Weddy Time granted him a callback for day two.
At the end of day one, 75 were given callbacks. On Sunday, under the wilting heat of the sun and the stinging darts of comments by no-nonsense judge Anthony Miller and his more accommodating cohorts Nadine Sutherland and Clyde Mckenzie, 35 were chosen from which the final 10 were cut.
