BY NOEL THOMPSON, Freelance Writer
Annette Robinson of Lilliput, St. James, sings Sam Cooke's hit, Cupid, at Digicel's Rising Stars Negril auditions on Sunday at Wavz Beach. - NOEL THOMPSON
WESTERN BUREAU:
RISING STARS HAS significantly penetrated the Jamaican entertainment scene for the third consecutive year.
The contest gets bigger and better every year, but organisers are expressing confidence that 2006 will be the phenomenal year.
Just under 400 hopefuls converged at Wavz Beach in Negril last Saturday to vie for the top 10 spots. Preliminary judges Sanjay Ramanand and Roy Rayon (former Jamaica Cultural Development Commission Festival Song Contest winner) had the arduous task of selecting 90 participants for a second audition on Sunday.
The lucky batch who performed on Sunday came across quite impressively and were cheered by tourists who enjoyed what was tantamount to a free concert.
"What was good about Negril was that some people who did not make the Top 10 in Montego Bay and Mandeville came to Negril and really did well in their delivery," said Sharon Schroeter, TVJ's series producer for Digicel's Rising Stars. "On a whole, the talents were in keeping with what took place at the two previous venues."
The next leg of Rising Stars will be held at the Island Village in Ocho Rios, St. Ann on the weekend of May 6 and 7. The series auditions will climax at the National Stadium on May 13 and 14.
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