Anthony Minott, Freelance Writer

Nadine Miller, formerly of Christian groups, Envoy and Katalyst Crew, poses for the camera during the Portmore Digicel Rising Stars audition at the Portmore Heart Academy on Saturday.

Contestants WHO auditioned for the Portmore leg of the 2008 Digicel Rising Stars competition at the Portmore HEART Academy had mixed reactions to not making the cut.

This cut is done by the preliminary judges, David Wedderburn and Roy Rayon. it separated those who they felt had talent from those who needed some work.

A frustrated-looking Nadine Miller, formerly of Christian groups Envoy and Katalyst Crew, went through the doors of the studio saying: "I'm not going to try again. what are they looking for," she questioned. "In St Thomas, they said that they loved my voice, as I sang Etana's I'm not afraid, but, they said I overperformed the song. Now they asked me to do a smoother song, and I gave them a smoother song, K-Ci and Jo Jo's Crazy, and still I didn't got through, but I'm going to do my own thing," she said as she walked away.

They are so harsh

"They are so harsh," another contestant said, before leaving the studio. When asked about her reaction, she held her hands in front of her face, blaming herself for blowing her chance at stardom.

"I tried my best. they don't see it, but someone else will see my talent," she said as she tried to get back her composure. "Most persons here have talent, but it's nerves that get the best of them."

She said maybe she should have chosen another song, but she is determined not to give up, as she says she intends to try out in Ocho Rios, St Ann, next Saturday. And if she doesn't make the cut there, then it's off to Kingston for the final leg.

Tiffany Smith, also didn't make the cut and didn't give a clear-cut answer as to why she thought she failed at first. Smith paused as if to analyse the situation before answering: "maybe there was some nervousness in my voice. I might go to the Kingston audition to give it another shot."

Leopald Walker has sung at all four Rising Stars auditions, but has not been able to crack the top 10 to date. At the third audition in Montego Bay, he performed a Stevie Wonder song and made the first cut, but was stopped in his tracks on Sunday by none other than Anthony Miller.

"Judge Anthony Miller said that he didn't feel that song, which was Stevie Wonder's Sir Duke," he said.

It was all my fault

This week in Portmore, Walker didn't even make the list of 95 who were asked to return on Day Two, but instead, had to join the 691 who were left to try their luck at the two remaining shows.

"It was all my fault. I was struggling on some parts of the song. one of the judges said that he liked how I did my Stevie Wonder songs. definitely, I see myself going through this Saturday in 'Ochi'," he said.

There was another repeat contestant, Kadian Douglas, who was rejected at this audition, but vowed to return for the next one in Ocho Rios. Ms Douglas performed at two other auditions in St Thomas and Mandeville.

"Basically, when I sang the chorus of Regina Bell's Make it like it was, they said that they liked it. They then asked me to try the bridge of that same song. I made an attempt but I didn't practise every part of the song, because it was an audition. I didn't know that they would ask me to, and that's where I fell down," she lamented.

The host of Digicel Rising Stars, Yendi Phillipps (right), gives some tips to Kassan Lord, who was feeling disappointed after not being chosen at the auditions held at the Portmore Heart Academy on Saturday. - peta-gaye clachar