Aspiring artistes are expected at 8Rivas Ultra Lounge in Ocho Rios on September 16 for the opening round of the Reggae Trail Talent Search, organised by music industry veteran Paula “Suzie Q” Rose. 

The 11-week event showcases budding acts from across Jamaica who have been auditioned by Suzie Q and her team. There will be weekly contests leading into semi-finals on December 2, with the final scheduled for December 9.

Reggae Trail Talent Search returns after a 20-year break. It was first held in 1999, shortly after Suzie Q returned to Jamaica after living in the United States.

“It really grew out of Reggae Trail TV which I started in Florida in the late 1980s. At the time, I was covering reggae and dancehall events and documenting the culture, but when I returned to Jamaica in 1989, I saw something that stayed with me,” she told Observer Online.

“Jamaica had an incredible amount of raw talent, but many talented young artistes simply didn’t have a platform to be seen or heard.”

In addition to organising and fielding acts for Reggae Trail Talent Search, Suzie Q will co-host the event with Tamba DLegend, who was part of its original cast.

The winner will get an opportunity to record with Junavill Records, a company based in Florida.

“For me, Reggae Trail Talent Search was never just about finding somebody who could win a competition. It was about opening a door,” said Suzie Q.

“Jamaica has given the world reggae and dancehall, and I believed then, as I do now, that somewhere in one of our communities is another great Jamaican artiste simply waiting for that first opportunity.”

Zamunda and Cashew Man are past winners of Reggae Talent Search.

— Howard Campbell