Noel Thompson photos -Entertainment coordinator of the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort, Kash Hall, flaunting one of many poses for her friends onstage at the 'Digicel Rising Stars' audition, held at Club Inferno, Montego Bay, last Saturday

Noel Thompson, Freelance Writer
WESTERN BUREAU

Several entrants in the Digicel Rising Stars competition were disappointed and outraged with the judges at Sunday's final selection in the Montego Bay leg of the audition.

Many contestants walked away from the Club Inferno venue in Rose Hall with long faces, vexed moods and others with mixed feelings, as one by one, judges Nadine Sutherland, Clyde McKenzie and Anthony Miller told them they were not fit for the top ten, but encouraged them to try at other auditions.

"I don't know what these judges are looking for," retorted one contestant, requesting anonymity as he had intentions to 'try mi luck a nedda time'. "No matter how good yuh tink yuh is, yuh caan seem fi please dem," he said.

not impressed

Another male contestant, who travelled from St Catherine to participate in the audition, spent two nights in Montego Bay, hoping that he would have made the top 10, after being selected for round two last Saturday.

"I'm sorry, but we can't send you through. We were not impressed," Sutherland told the contestant. You can try again," she implored. But he replied: "No, me not entering again. This is mi third year." His ejection from the competition was further infuriated as he had no money to pay his way back to St Catherine.

In wake of the contestants' popular notion that the judges are uncertain what talent they are looking for, The Star questioned the three judges, asking about what they indeed look for in the contestants and what advice would they give future entrants.

Nadine Sutherland responded: "Determination is an incredible factor. One particular contestant has entered two years and this time, he made the top 10. A lot of people come feeling they have great voices, but there is no connection, they do not feel it, neither do they convey the message. The competition is really sharp and practise does make perfect."

Clyde McKenzie says he believes there are indefinable characteristics that they look for, which he calls the 'wow' factor. "It might reflect itself in a first-rate voice, the attitude and charisma that the artiste brings to bear."

"It is sometimes difficult to make an assessment of a person's talent in the short time we have. Some people have good voices, but when unamplified, you might not get a real sense of how well they can sing. Overall, there are talented people," he says.

Considered very mean and controversial, Anthony Miller says: "I don't care what people think of me. I definitely look for a combination of things, such as personality, vocal talent and the right choice of song to take you into the TV studio. You must grab judges' attention and give it your best shot at first trial."