The 22 contestants in the Guyana Talent Search Competition hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport on Sunday last delivered outstanding performances, and much the same is expected as they head into the semifinals tomorrow night.
The competition was first hosted live on May 2 and continues every Sunday at 7 pm until May 26 when the best of the best will clash at the finals. Following the first night, all other airings were pre-recorded but the competition is set to go live tomorrow.
To enter the competition, prospective contestants were required to send a one minute video showcasing their talent via WhatsApp. Those who did not make the cut were told to move on. On Sunday last, contestants were only critiqued by the judges: DJ Akelo Elliot, singers Poonam Singh and Timeka Marshall, and television sensation Joel Ghansham.
Prior to Sunday’s airing, contestants were rigorously coached and there was significant improvement in their performances. The talent on display ranged from the sweet playing of the saxophone to the effortless painting by 13-year-old Winston Alexander. Judges danced in their seats while one youngster played the steel pan.
Some of the viewers’ favourites were Nia Alleyne with her cover of Alicia Keys’ “Girl on Fire”, whom judges described as the total package; Joel Valenski with his mesmerizing serenade of American country music; the magnetic performance by Enigma Dance Group; Hannah Singh, who did a powerful and emotional spoken word piece she composed herself; and Nia Williams whose touching spoken word piece about a young girl being sexually abused brought at least one saw judge to tears.
Eleven-year-old Logan Simpson, who sang and played the piano was also among the favourites. Another great performance was a best-friend duo in which Alana and Akeem played the guitar and violin respectively.
The competition is being aired on the National Television Network, e-Networks, the Ministry’s Face-book page, National Communications Network, Multi-Technology Vision, and Hits and Jams Television.
