by Teino Evans, Staff Reporter

Left: Rising Stars winners, One Third, performs at Mas Camp, last Friday.   Right: That's why they are called fans (short for fanatics). Members of the crowd could not mask their emotions during the performances at Mas Camp.

The celebrations with the 2006 Digicel Rising Star winners did not end at TVJ studios, but continued throughout the night at Mas Camp Village, Oxford Road, New Kingston, where a massive audience had gathered from all across Jamaica.

The crowd, more than 4,000 strong, had ensured themselves a spot inside the venue after a mad rush to purchase limited tickets and according to sources, the tickets were completely sold out at all outlets within just 11 days.

Now, that gave an idea of the vast crowd that turned out to celebrate with their new Rising Stars, One Third. But what of the performances?

Energetic and exceptional are just two words that come to mind to describe what took place onstage at Mas Camp.

Performances came from past and present Rising Star winners and runners-up. Renee, Candy, Daynea Deacon, Suzanne Perkins, Secrets, Noddy Virtue and Christopher Martin were just some of the names to have graced the stage.

Noddy's energetic performance rocked the audience, as he managed to complete some of his noted renditions such as Broken Arrow and Jimmy Cliff's The Rebel In Me over the screams and loud cheers of the audience.

This year's runner-up, Nickeisha Barnes, also raked up a storm onstage as she completed a number of soulful renditions, among them, Turn Your Lights Down Low.

However, when last year's winner Christopher Martin took the stage, the noise was almost deafening, as he too gave a good account of himself, performing some familiar songs, such as his memorable medley on the 'Drop Leaf' rhythm, before he charged Jamaicans to Put A Little Love In Your Heart.

The very expression on the face of persons in the audience suggested that they were really having a grand treat.

Well, the icing was about to be put onto the cake, as the 2006 Digicel Rising Star winners, One Third took the stage at 11:50 p.m.

Clad in their cream and light-green suits, they thrilled the audience as they performed the much loved medley on the Half-Way Tree rhythm and re-enacted those familiar moves that the ladies loved to watch on television.

Full of energy, class and vitality, the night's celebrations were officially rounded off when One Third was joined onstage by Nickeisha Barnes, Suzanne Perkins, Natel, Jordan Mais and Inga Stewart, singing Ain't No Mountain High Enough.

( L - R ) Noddy Virtue, Daynea Deacon, Nickeisha Barnes, Renée, Suzanne Perkins - Nathanile Stewart photos