Entertainment

NERVES wreak havoc on 'Rising Stars'

By TEINO EVANS, Staff Reporter

Phillip Burchell, a.k.a Screechie, does his thing on day two of the 'Rising Stars' auditions in Montego Bay last Sunday.

IT WAS A nerve racking experience for many of the contestants who turned out to the Rising Stars auditions last Saturday at the Cornwall Beach in Montego Bay. Some contestants pitched off on too high a note, while others could hardly keep their head up.

According to last year's Rising Stars runner up, Renee, nerves were among the main obstacles that most contestants had to overcome. She says she knows that some had the talent but didn't perform well on the day of the audition.

"I have seen some really good display of talent here today and even others with great potential, but many of them were nervous, the nerves giving many of them a fight," she said.

Well, it was indeed a tall order for many contestants, as they had to surpass day one of the auditions, before facing up to the real music, the hard-hitting words from judges Anthony Miller, Clyde McKenzie and Nadine Sutherland.

For some, it was all about having a good time, but others took it as a matter of life and death. Speaking with some of the contestants backstage, before they took the stage, some admitted to being totally nervous, while some tried to play it off with a straight face.

"Yuh a guh inna di top ten yuh nuh, mi can't sing an mi know seh yuh haffi inna di top ten. All when dem cut di top ten yuh still inna it," one confident mother was heard encouraging her daughter before it was time to take the stage.

The contestant, Mitsy Campbell, was obviously very nervous. She remained silently hopeful, as her guardian continued to speak without reservation.

"She haffi get through or else a road she a sleep," her guardian said.

Heckling Rasta

One Rastafarian contestant, tried to heckle other contestants who took the stage before him in order to intimidate them. Apparently, he felt that because others did a deejay piece, his would have become redundant by the time he took the stage.

"Mi is a round di place chanta and a Mobay alone mi guh an si di nuffest deejay. Uno guh sing uno own tune sah and stop tek up other people style," he complained bitterly, while he awaited his turn to face the judges on stage.

Junior Williams, another contestant who waited patiently for his turn to take the stage, said he was just playing it by ear.

"Right now mi a gwaan hold a meditation and try fi go up and do mi best and mek di people dem feel nice," he said.

Williams said he wasn't really worried, because he knew his music and once people heard, they would love it.

Fay Oates, who says she is a seasoned performer, was the only contestant who said, before she went on-stage, that she was not nervous.

"No, I'm not worried because I'm used to this. I do dub poetry, so like most of the top concerts, I am there," she said.

For other contestants, though the affair was a lot more involved.

"Yes Lord I can walk now," contestant number 018 was overheard saying as she got the nod from judges Anthony Miller, Clyde McKenzie and Nadine Sutherland on the second day of auditions.