THE Ocho Rios region covered itself in glory by winning seven of the nine categories in the Jamaican National Finals of the Sandals and ATL Group Festival of Arts Talent and Model Search Competition, held at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort in St Ann recently.

In what was an amazing showcase of song, dance, instrumental mastery, and modelling, the brightest stars in the hotel group’s constellation shone brilliantly with some magnificent performances.

The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the Female Vocalist category which saw Shelly-Dean Bartley, an entertainment co-ordinator at Sandals Ochi, who performed Mariah Carey’s Vision of Love, engage in a ding-dong battle with crowd favourite Mellow Shakes from Negril. In the end, Bartley’s stage presence and vocal clarity gave her the nod in what was a battle royale.

In the Male Vocalist section, Justin Morris from Sandals Ochi had the females screaming for more with his amazing falsetto, proving a clear winner with both judges and audience alike.

Other Ochi regional winners were: Gerine Thompson, Spoken Word; Jevaughn Graham, Best Instrumentalist; Ashley Thomas, Best Female Model (from Beaches Ocho Rios); Patrick Ramsay, Best Male Model; Shevaughan Sewell and Reynaldo Gray, Group Dance.

The other winners were Toni-Gay O’Meally from Sandals South Coast for Best Solo Dance; and Jason McIntrye, Beaches Negril, Best Clash DJ.

According to Sandals Group Manager of Entertainment Joel Ryan: “Our company continues to create a platform for employees to showcase their talent. The feedback we have gotten from the public has grown tremendously and has progressed into an event that is highly anticipated.”

The festival of arts (formerly ENCORE) was created in 2003 to foster and develop talent within the Sandals and Beaches hotels and has seen major improvements each year since its inception.

The international finals, showcasing winners from across the Caribbean, will take place in September at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort.