Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter
Lenya Wilkes and Jim Laden. - file photos
Rising Stars is in its fifth year and it has had many stars - a few who stand out more than others.
One of the most notable of those who entered the competition was 2005 winner Christopher Martin.
Since he officially started his career as a recording artiste, the young star has had many songs that have received heavy audio and visual rotation on the airwaves. He has remained current with hit singles like Giving It, Take My Wings, Morals (Nah Go Change), Jamaican Girl and his latest Rain Drops for 3-5-7 Records on the Rain Drops rhythm.
Non-stop work
While Martin's name readily comes to mind at the mere mention of Rising Stars, there are others like One Third who won the competition in 2006 who have also been doing well. The group, consisting Alpheus Johnson, Adrian Campbell and Miguel Walter, have been working non-stop locally and overseas.
Al said the group is trying to find the right hit song to promote its album that will be released later this year.
"We are working assiduously on finding a hit song to promote the album. We have more songs than we need but we want the album to tell a story," said Al.
He said the group is also promoting itself in places like Cayman, Barbados, Miami and Atlanta. He said their new songs like Take My Breath Away and Lay Your Troubles Away will help in the promotion process.
"We haffi thank God fi where we are even though we still have a far way to go. We don't have a lot of resources but we still doing very well," Al said while noting that the group has performed alongside Air Supply and The Chi-Lites whom they admire.
He added, "I strongly believe that we would still be a force to be reckoned with even if we didn't win."
Touring
Rising Stars 2005 runner-up Noddy Virtue has also been doing his bit musically. He recently returned from a tour in Texas but said he leaves for England and Dubai later in the year.
"It never too much but yuh haffi satisfy wid weh yuh get. When Rising Stars done, it's up to you as the artiste fi do yuh work 'cause each year yuh have a different set of rising stars, so yuh jus' haffi mek the people hear yuh and jus' keep the thing growing," said Virtue who is working on his album Just Believe.
Lenya Wilks, who was a fourth place winner said she was enrolled at the Institute of Technology and Professional Studies so she was only able to do a few shows. Now that she is finished with school, she is working with the legendary Beres Hammond on her album. She will also release Real Love which she did with Chuck Fenda.
"I don't think it (my career) would have been much different. Rising Stars is a competition, so it's what you take out of the competition. You don't have to be a winner.
It's what you put out after the competition," Wilks said.
Jim Laden, whose real name is Okeefe Aarons, reached the top eight of the competition and is a true representation of Lenya's sentiments.
He said he has been doing many singles with notable production houses like Big Ship Records, Natural Bridge Records and Seanizzle Records.
Video release
Laden said that the video for his popular song I'm Sorry will be released in two weeks. He also believes his newest single, Really Like You will do well among the women when it is released in the next few weeks. But in the meantime, another of his singles, Do Your Thing, is currently getting heavy rotation on radio.
"Maybe or maybe not (my career would have been different) but I am always working hard towards my career. Big up to Digicel Rising Stars. I love it and I enjoyed every moment of it," Laden told THE STAR.
Adding, "It mek a lot of people know how to perform, conduct themselves on stage and how to do an interview. They taught me a lot."
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