BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE talent of the nation’s youth was on display at last night’s (May 21) Rotary Club of Liamuiga (RCL) Talent Search Finals at the Sir Cecil Jacobs Auditorium.
Twenty young persons from various primary and high schools around the island showcased their skill in dance, song, instrumental music and poetry recitation. After prevailing in highly contested zone finals, the finalists showed why they had emerged victorious from those preliminaries.
The criteria focused on overall skill, creativity and artistic expression. Contestants were held to a four-minute time maximum and were penalised a point for every five seconds they went overtime.
In the Juniors Dance Category, Roberitine Webbe of St. Theresa’s Convent wowed both the audience and judges with her balletic ‘Dancing Princess’ piece. Sandy Point Primary’s Lemar Henry was her Runner-up and Jovanda Patrick from Edgar T. Morris Primary took third place.
Candace Richards of Sandy Point High won the hotly contested Seniors Dance Category, finishing with less than two points over second-place finisher, Basseterre High’s Desi Brown. Siobhan Phipps of St. Theresa’s Convent was third.
The winner of the Poetry Category was Rolonda Knight of Tucker Clarke Primary, who entertained and amused with her depiction of island life in ‘On Island in the Sun’. Joniqua Tweede (Violet Petty Primary) and Sheneeqwa Rogers (Tyrell Williams Primary) were First and Second Runners-up respectively.
Cayon High’s Keniel Halls captured the Instrumental Music Category with a lively steel pan rendition of the Nu Vybes International Band hit ‘Video Lights’. Anelto Wilkin of Sandy Point High placed second with a stellar drum performance, while Shatrice Whyte’s (St. Theresa’s Convent) piano version of the Rihanna hit ‘Unfaithful’ was good enough for third place.
In the Junior Vocal Music Category, Zuelika Wattley of Tucker Clarke Primary won the Junior Vocal Music Category with a touching rendition of the gospel hit ‘Not the I but the You in Me’. Also choosing gospels songs for their performances, Kewanna Browne of Dieppe Bay Primary and Latijah James of Violet Petty Primary placed second and third respectively.
With her masterful performance of the Mariah Carey classic ‘Hero’, Sandy Point High’s Arielle Elliot took first place in the Senior Vocal Music Category, edging out Obarinda Liburd of Cayon High (second place) and Shakila Powell of Basseterre High (third place).
The winners all received trophies, gift baskets and monetary prizes. Speaking exclusively to SKNVibes, RCL Vice-President Eustace Warner said the annual Talent Search, which is in its fourth year, is a means by which the “abundant, latent talent” present in primary and high schools could be harnessed to instil pride and confidence in participants.
Minister of Education Hon. Sam Condor concurred, noting the Talent Search is one of the highlights in his Ministry’s packed year. He commended the contestants for their “discipline and commitment to excellence” and lauded their parents and teachers as well.
“Through participating in this contest, the students have gained self-confidence, self-esteem and pride in themselves and their abilities. The Talent Search fits neatly into the agenda of the Ministry of Education, which is to produce well-rounded, balanced citizens”.
