By Andre Jebbinson, Staff Reporter
Shanna Parkes gets her moves on at the Rising Stars live studio show, held at TVJ Studio, Lyndhurst Road, on Sunday, July 23. Parkes, who is blind, was eliminated from the top 10 finalists. - Winston Sill
"But the eye is blind, one must look with heart."
She could not see her fans nor could she see the lyrics of the song she choose but Shanna Parkes followed her heart and instantly became a beloved contestant in the Digicel Rising Stars Competition. "I decided that I wasn't just going to say that I can sing, I am going to show them that I can sing," Parkes told THE STAR.
She had a disappointing turn in last year's competition, where she failed to make it to the televised round. But instead of sweeping her dreams under the rug and calling it quits, the resilient Parkes made a second attempt in the 2006 instalment of the competition.
When news came that she was granted a pass to audition for the round of 50, an elated Parkes was filled with disbelief that she had heard correctly. "My friends and family said that they seem to have more confidence in me than I do in myself," she said about her moment of shock.
It turned out that she truly earned herself a shot at the top 50 and a chance to go one step further than she did in her previous attempt. It got better. Not only was she now the talk of town, viewers were texting big time to ensure that Parkes remained in the competition. She got the second highest votes for the Kingston audition and was riding high into the semi-finals. But before that, the teacher by profession thought history was repeating itself when she got booted from the Mandeville audition.
Much better
The support from her students and colleagues was strong and the viewers were seemingly warming up to her, but something went wrong. Eighteen contestants were narrowed to 10 and Parkes was ousted from the show. "Jamaica got it so wrong. I couldn't believe. I was thinking, 'what has Jamaica done?'" she said. "I would have done so some much better if I had made it into the top 10."
She, however, maintains her composure because she does not want to let down those who worked with her behind the scenes. One possible explanation she offered for her shortened stay was her fans' concerns. Parkes stepped a bit too close to the end of the stage without realising it during one of her live peformances. But now that she is out of the competition, she is routing for her friend Suzzane Perkins to win.
Parkes lost her sight in 1998 as a result of congenital glaucoma. She was faced with the task of making a transition that delayed her but did not hinder her. "My teacher told me never to pass a sign or a piece of paper without reading and I found that hard to deal with."
After two years of studying Braille at the Salvation Army, Parkes returned to Norman Manley High where she completed her high school diploma. In her words, "anything is possible of you have the level of determination that it takes." That determination earned her a diploma in primary education and a distinction in her teaching practice. She is currently a grade five teacher at St. Peter Claver Primary School where her mentor Margaret Bolt gave her the opportunity.
Though she is now out of the competition, all is not lost. One of the perks coming from the Rising Stars experience is a network of friends that can last a lifetime.
According to her, Shanna is still the Shanna whose boyfriend has a hard time keeping up with here. Another perk from the show is recognition. Parkes recalls trying to buy a case for her cellphone. She said the vendor gave it to her for free under the condition that she sang him a song. She sang Donna Sommers' Hot Stuff and the one-man audience multiplied to quite a big gathering. With that she said, "you don't have to win a competition to be a star."
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