Deleita Codnor

With the stipulation that only persons 16 years and over were eligible to enter, several youngsters were denied the opportunity to show off their talent at the inaugural Rising Stars talent search at Island Village in Ocho Rios on Saturday last. Nonetheless, many teenagers exhibited depths of talent that could hold them in good stead for the rest of the competition.

Eighteen year-old Kwesi Brown from St Thomas is one such person. The former Morant Bay High and Prospect College student showed a lot of talent and composure that was only surpassed by his confidence.

Kwesi Brown (Photos: Garfield Robinson)

"My performance was real good but I wanted more time. I hope to get some recognition from this because I have the talent, believe me," he told the Observer after his performance.

Doing his own composition, Poor Man's Cry, he was stopped by the adjudicators less than a minute into his performance - they had seen enough and were impressed. He got a call-back for the next round the following day. Kwesi, who occupies his time as a barber right now doesn't perform a lot, but sings "in and around Ocho Rios" simply because he loves it, he said.

Kareen Ricketts

For 17 year-old Marcus Garvey Technical High School grade 11 student, Christopher Christie, who sits five CXC subjects next month, Rising Stars represents an opportunity which he has been longing for since he was a child.

"This is the opportunity I always wanted from I was a child, that's the only thing I want to do. I just want the opportunity to shine, to be recognised," he said eagerly.

Christopher Christie

Covering B2K's hit, Angel, Christie started out nervously but ended up quite well and in the end felt good about his performance.

"I was a bit nervous when I just came but I got myself together and was feeling good. However, when I went on stage and when it reached my time I just got nervous again. I know they could have heard it in my voice but they gave me the chance to come back tomorrow (Sunday)," he said after his performance.

Tamara Mitchell

He was one of over 100 persons who advanced to the second round from which between five and 10 persons will advance to the finals.

Deleita Codnor travelled nearly 70 miles from Montego Bay to enter the contest and made a fashion statement in her stunning pink outfit. The 18 year-old Knockalva student, who graduates in May, also made a favourable impression with the judges with her rendition of Mariah Carey's Love Takes Time and advanced to round two of the contest.

"I performed okay and I'm pleased with my performance," she later admitted.

Another talented teen who advanced was 16 year-old Rastafarian student, Tamara Mitchell, who attends Ocho Rios High. With locks reaching down below her waist, the Australian-born Jamaican daughter of a musician dad, one of three lead singers in her school band, chose Alicia Keys' Falling to impress the judges that she was deserving of a place in the second round. They were impressed enough to call her back for the following day.

"It was nerve-racking; I was terrified," she later conceded.
"But you're not new to the stage, why were you so terrified?' she was asked.

"It's something about me, no matter how many times I perform I'm always terrified before every performance," Tamara replied.

"I remember one time it did affect my performance but otherwise from that it usually goes away as soon as I start singing. Today, in the end it was alright, it really wasn't as scary as I though it would be," she added.

But while Kwesi, Christopher, Deleita and Tamara were among the few individual teenaged performers who advanced, others left the venue disappointed, as they were not up to the required standard.

For one contestant though, his disappointment stemmed from the fact that he was turned away because he was too young.

Nine year-old Orane Newman, a grade 4 student at Chalky Hill All Age in St Ann is a dancer with over three years experience. He started out with some friends in the same age group at the tender age of six but after a while the others quit. Undaunted, little Orane turned to his dad and a neighbour, who were dancers themselves and a new group was formed.
All three performers turned up on Saturday at Island Village filled with hope and expectation. But alas! He was denied participation because of the age limit. So a saddened Orane could only sit and watch as his group members performed without him. He could hardly speak when the Observer sought to get a response from him.

"Mi used to dance with some little boys but them stop," he managed to say. When asked which of the two men performing was his father he simply said "The Rastaman."
Another father-son plan that went amiss involved Paul Foster and his 13 year-old son Odain, a grade seven student of Ocho Rios High.

"We entered but he was turned down, he was too young. But I came through," Foster said. His gospel selection, What Can It Profit A Man, found favour with the judges and he won a ticket to round two.

However, Odain, a talented congo drummer and keyboard player, said he didn't feel too bad about being excluded.

The fear factor

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