After a ten hour marathon and just under 500 contestants, the curtain came down on the 2009 auditions in the Tastee Talent Trail (T3) contest.

Neither the tropical sun nor the cooling afternoon downpour of rain could negatively impact the spirits of the hopefuls, as 487 persons took their chances before prejudges Courtney Sergeant and Bagga Case, as they vie for a gold card and a possible place in the grand finals at which they could win $1 million, made up of cash and a recording contract.

semi-final groups

The auditions which began back in May, have unearthed 48 persons who will now be placed into two semi-final groups of 24, the first of which will be on Thursday, October 22, at the Tastee Open Air Theatre in Cross Roads and the second in Montego Bay on Saturday, November 21.

Seven singers and one dub poet made it from the Kingston auditions, joining 40 others who were chosen from the five earlier auditions in Portmore, May Pen, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio and Montego Bay.

The lucky eight from Kingston reads Dub Poet Kemar Garrison, singers the duo Nanett and Don Budhai, Shelly-Ann Brown, Gavin Hart, Damion Cooper, Phillip Myers, Oshane Patterson and Nicolas Gordon making a return.

Not surprising, Donovan Smalling and Craig Buddan came calling, but both were well below their normal standard and thus failed to earn either a Gold or wild card.

Washington Nelson with the best display of Michael Jackson, dancing to Billy Jean, just missed out as did Troy Levy with Flying Without Wings.

Both Horace White with the Ronnie Dyson hit If You Let Me Make Love to You and Orett Williams who did Sanchez's Lonely Won't Leave Me Alone, should not be discouraged, as there is always next year.

The Budhai couple sang their way into the top eight singing 'From this Moment'. - Contributed photos