Star search hits Villa beach tomorrow

Have you ever dreamt of becoming a star, even bigger than the likes of Kevin Lyttle?

Well, you will have that once in a lifetime chance tomorrow when mobile telecommunications provider, Digicel, brings its Rising Stars promotion to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. {{more}}

The search is now on for the brightest and most talented persons in the Eastern Caribbean who can demonstrate they’ve got what it takes to go on to winning a free international recording contract and pocket a cash prize of US $5,000.

The Rising Stars series, which hits the shores of the OECS region for the first time is similar to popular shows “American Idol” and “Coming to the Stage” which are aired in the USA.

Based on the European Pop Stars format, the show created a huge hit when produced for the first time by Digicel Jamaica.

Witnessed by a cluster of regional media representatives and sponsorship affiliates Heineken, Gems of Barbados, LIAT and Virgin Atlantic, the pan-Caribbean live televised Rising Stars talent search series was formally launched at the Savannah Hotel in Barbados last Friday 4th.

The promotion is expected to run throughout the OECS in selected islands where Digicel operates. Participants will be pooled from Grenada, St. Lucia, Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The first edition of the Rising Stars promotion takes place here tomorrow Saturday at Villa Beach. Hundreds of talented Vincentians over the age of 18 can gear up for what is expected to be an intense day of competition during the audition stages of the first leg of the event. They will have to put on a good showing before they can get the nod from judges, Admiral Nelson of Barbados and Vincentian radio personality Gruv Master.

Those chosen by the judges will then go through to the preliminaries,which will be aired throughout the islands on Sunday evenings at 8 p.m. from March 4.

And the public will have the say in who takes home the royalties and cash prizes from the competition.

Digicel customers in the four islands will be invited to vote by ‘texting’ their favourite contestants each Sunday when the show airs. These votes will determine who gets the boot or who eventually goes on to the final round of the competition.

According to Executive Producer Mike Hogan, last year’s Jamaican leg of the event had an estimated viewership of one million and was dubbed the biggest ever television show on Jamaican television.

This time around, the OECS leg of the event will be viewed through broadcasting partners DBS in St. Lucia, CBC in Barbados, GBN in Grenada and local SVG Broadcasting Corporation.

Hogan said that this type of live talent search has been in over 36 countries with more than 50 series produced around the world since 1999. “It was only a matter of time before the format would be introduced here in the Eastern Caribbean,” Hogan said.

Hogan who will be joined by producer Mark Kenny and programme host Lisa Ashby, will have the task of bringing the best out of the OECS Rising Stars series to the viewing public.

“Rising Stars is a natural fit with Digicel and its customers. It promises to be very exciting and will provide yet another avenue for them to express themselves through our network,” said CEO of Digicel Eastern Caribbean, Kevin White.

According to White, the voting system will ensure viewers can pick their favourite performers throughout the series.

The best part of Rising Star programme is that participants are not required to have a theme. Participants can be creative and perform in any genre or style they wish. The format also allows for groups of up to six to compete for the top prize.

The competition is set to run until end of March with the finals on March 30 in Barbados.