Lots of new Barbadian talent at HoneyJam auditions

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Monday September 15, 2014 - Producer Ebonnie Rowe was very happy and impressed with the talent that came out, especially seeing a lot of new faces and strong voices!

“I was concerned that 4 years in we may have already seen everyone there is to see but was pleasantly surprised. The number of artists that came out was around the same number from previous years. For me it’s not about the quantity but the quality and we have more than enough to choose from for the concert. I must also thank judges Rupee, Alison Hinds, Jaicko, Kellie Cadogan, JJ Poulter, Sonia Mullins, DJ D.Luxe, Minim and Caroline Reid for making time in their busy schedules to support and encourage the artists who were thrilled to be able to perform in front of them.”

The next step is for organizer to make their final selection or artists for this year’s programme, after which they will go through a series of workshops – Vocal & Performance, Songwriting and general music industry information.

There will be an event in October where everyone who was chosen will be announced, rehearsals will be scheduled with the House Band, lots of media interviews and appearances and then the concert date is November 8.

Rowe states” A lot of people only see the concert and aren’t aware of the full developmental programme that we offer – networking, mentoring, educational and performance opportunities. I would encourage them to speak with some of the artists who have participated in the past and get a full idea about what we are doing and that it is a project worthy of support.

We hope that more of corporate Barbados will be inspired to contribute and help us to continue providing these opportunities for young women. She also wishes to thank everyone for their continued support and for the sponsors who have come on board in the face of shrinking budgets in these difficult economic times. And of course I have to mention that tickets for the concert are on sale now!”

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Lots of new Barbadian talent at HoneyJam auditions

Influx of foreign talent weakens England team -- FA chairman

LONDON, England (AP) — An alarmingly small talent pool of Englishmen in the Premier League has weakened the national team, the head of the English football said yesterday.

New Football Association chairman Greg Dyke complained that the Premier League he helped to establish in 1992 led to an influx of foreign players that was never foreseen, denying first-team opportunities to home-grown prospects.The former television executive says the fact the Premier League is now “largely owned by foreign owners, managed by foreign managers and played by foreign players” has “weakened, rather than strengthened” the England team.“I am not being xenophobic but my job is to help ensure that English football and particularly the England team is in a healthy state,” Dyke said, addressing a lunch in London.In the inaugural Premier League season — 1992-93 — 69 per cent of players in starting line-ups were English, but Dyke said that had plummeted to 32 per cent last season — an “alarming” and “frightening trend”.Wigan beat Manchester City in the FA Cup in May with just one Englishman in the starting line-up, although home-grown Ben Watson came off the bench to score the winner.Just 25 per cent of new recruits by Premier League clubs in the summer transfer window were English, down from 37 per cent just two years ago, Dyke said, while only 65 English players started in games last weekend.“Taking into account that some of these players are not international standard I think it’s fair to say we already have a very small talent pool and it’s getting smaller,” he said.In the summer transfer window, £490 million ($760 million) of the £630 million ($980 million) spent by English sides went to overseas clubs — up 60 per cent year-on-year, according to accountancy firm Deloitte.Dyke pointed to how Sunderland — owned by an American (Ellis Short) and managed by an Italian (Paolo Di Canio) — made 14 signings in the summer transfer window but only one was English.One reason, Dyke pointed out, is that it appears to be cheaper to import players, meaning that “English football is now full of a lot of very average foreign players as well as some brilliant ones”.Dyke is concerned about the number of British work permits being granted to players from outside of the European Union, claiming that around 30 per cent of applicants “did not meet the standard criteria”.“In the future it’s quite possible we won’t have enough players qualified to play for England who are playing regularly at the highest level in this country or elsewhere in the world. As a result, it could well mean England’s teams are unable to compete seriously on the world stage… year by year, the position is getting worse.”To find out why England is struggling and to produce solutions to the “serious and growing problem”, Dyke is setting up a commission that will include the heads of the Premier League, the Football League, the League Managers’ Association and the Professional Footballers’ Association.“Often the toughest challenge is implementing ideas for change, particularly when the tanker needs turning,” Dyke said. “And English football, I think, is a tanker which needs turning.”While not writing off England’s chances completely of competing at tournaments, Dyke does not expect the 1966 World Cup winners to challenge for honours at the next two World Cup or European championships.

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Influx of foreign talent weakens England team -- FA chairman

Performing contracts for Sandals talent winners

WINNERS of the Jamaican leg of Sandals and Beaches Resort International’s Talent and Model Search have been awarded performing contracts by the company.

The contracts will allow them to be paid while displaying their talents as individual artistes during show time at the respective resorts.The top models, singers, dancer and instrumentalists were selected at the company’s annual talent showcase held at Sandals Grande Riviera recently.The Jamaican champions will compete against their counterparts from Sandals/Beaches Resorts in St Lucia, Antigua, Turks & Caicos and the Bahamas for the international crowns, slated for St Lucia on Saturday.The Ocho Rios region claimed three of the six places up for grabs.Overall winners were: Kaisha McDonald, Best Female Vocalist; Robert Wisdom, Best Instrumentalist; Rennex Tapper, Top Male Model (Ocho Rios Region); Jamie Green, Top Male Vocalist, (Sandals Resorts International); Karalee Cole, Best Dance Act (Negril Region); and Krystal Nembhard-Reid, Top Female Model (Negril Region).The event, dubbed ENCORE (Entertainment Now Creates Opportunities Rewarding Excellence), is the brainchild of Sandals’ Creative Director Weston Haughton, and started in 2003 to showcase the vast array of talent present in the company.Each region: Montego Bay, Negril and Ocho Rios, staged their regional finals to select champions in the respective categories, setting the stage for the competitive Jamaican National Finals.The Female Model section was one of the highlights of the evening and Nembhard-Reid had to use all her stage technique to emerge victorious in an exciting competition, which drew much applause from the packed venue.Also riveting was the Female Vocalist category, with all the competitors providing stellar routines. McDonald’s superior vocal prowess and dramatic on stage presentation, proved decisive, however, and captured the hearts of judges and spectators.Jamie Green, doing an original composition, warmed the audience with a virtuoso performance and was a popular choice as male vocalist. He was a bundle of energy on stage and a clear-cut winner.Male Model Rennex Tapper had the females in the audience swooning as he showed off his well-toned, muscular physique, to turn back all challengers. The Dance Category was a joy to watch, with Lee’s creativity and brilliantly choreographed movements being too hot for her competitors.ENCORE was action packed from the start, as all contestants produced high quality performances that ignited an audience comprising Sandals and Beaches management and staff as well as friends and well-wishers.Judges for the event were Miss Jamaica world 2012 Deanna Robins, and fashion and dance impresarios Mark McDermoth and Fabian ThomasAccording to Sandals’ Creative Director Weston Haughton, the company, realising the need to showcase the talents of team members from the various resorts around the Caribbean, a global Sandals and Beaches Talent and Model Search Competition (ENCORE) was introduced to encourage camaraderie, to motivate and to provide unique opportunities to staff to widen their horizons.

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Performing contracts for Sandals talent winners

Ardenne Prep wins at Hollywood"s Talent Olympics

A group of Jamaican children have topped the Junior Instrumental category of the 17th annual World Championships of Performing Arts, also called the Talent Olympics, held in Hollywood, California last month.

They walked away with a haul of 23 gold medals, four plaques and a trophy, as well as the title of grand champion in their category.The team, called Lightening Drummers, attends Ardenne Prep and comprises seven members from age 10 to 12.Drumming teacher Karen Davis told the Jamaica Observer that she knew the success was within reach, especially after the young musicians won two gold medals at the recent festival competition put on by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC).“I was not satisfied with only local achievements so I decided to enter them in the Talent Olympics. I’ve always wanted to put them on the world stage, and separate from that, I believe the talent of children should be developed and not ignored,” Davis said.Sophia Reid, a parent of one of the drummers, spoke of her scepticism toward drumming as her child was known to be indecisive about extra-curricular activities.“When Kevon told me he wanted to do drumming I questioned [it] at first, because I had previously paid for swimming and tennis then he quit those activities as soon as he started. I realised he had a piqued interest in drumming when he would come home and practise beats in the bathroom and on my furniture,” Reid said.Reid, like Davis, said though the achievements at the JCDC competitions were good, the group needed greater exposure and she has seen where it has impacted personal development in the children.“While at the Olympics I was overjoyed, especially when I saw how relaxed they were. It has really helped them to break out of their shells and go after what they want. When I saw how many areas they were successful in I knew the effort put into the group and getting them to Hollywood was worth every dime and I have no regrets,” Reid said.Principal of Ardenne Prep, Myrtle Clarke said she was delighted with the achievements of her students and sought to encourage the importance of extra-curricular activities.“These activities help to mould children and it’s a forum for them to express themselves,” Clarke said.She said the music curriculum should not be treated as unimportant given the role it plays in academic achievement.“Drummers have to be good listeners and that is key to learning. Music is known to calm the nerves and it develops the ability of any individual to think critically, especially the theoretical aspect, seeing that part of the discipline is close to math,” she said.The two women, however, expressed their disappointment with the support they received from local entities, stating that despite the benefits of music, it was often disregarded.“Studies show that music helps to stimulate the brain, and that there is a correlation between children who do music and academic excellence. I don’t believe we pay much attention to other areas apart from track and field, and it was disappointing when we were abroad as the contingents from other countries showed they had full support from government and citizens. This was the Olympics of performing arts, and going forward I believe the nation should give more support,” Reid said.Reid added that parents like herself should encourage children to be involved in activities other than academics.“As parents, we must understand that not every child will be a scholar. No matter what it is, encourage your children, because at the end of the day what they achieve most times is what you would never have imagined in your wildest dreams,” she said.Jamaica has won at the Talent Olympics before. Among the winners Samantha and Ana Strachan topped the senior category for vocal duets in 2003, Andrew Clarke was the best senior vocalist for 2008; and in 2011, Marvin and Akino were adjudged senior grand champions in the variety artist of the world category. The Lightening drummers display their medals from last month’s Talent Olympics.Lightening drummers in performance

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Ardenne Prep wins at Hollywood"s Talent Olympics

Fowler confirmed as best new talent

SHOOTER Jhaniele Fowler has been rewarded for her outstanding debut season with the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel by being named the ANZ Championship’s Best New Talent for the 2013 season, according to a report on the ANZ Championships website.

The 23-year old Jamaican international grabbed headlines this season by breaking the league’s shooting records, including most goals in a season and most goals in a single match, in her first year of the ANZ Championship.“We’ve never seen a player like Jhaniele, who has had such an impact on the competition in their first season of ANZ Championship,” ANZ Championship general manager Andy Crook told the website.Fowler’s 65 goals against the EasiYo Tactix, in just her second game, broke league’s record for most goals in a single game — a figure she achieved twice this season — on the way to eclipsing the competition’s record for most goals in a season.The shooter finished the season with 666 goals, at an average of 52.1 goals per game and 94 per cent accuracy, to surpass the previous record of 574 goals set by fellow Jamaican Carla Borrego in 2010.Fowler, who returned to Jamaica to be with her daughter and fiancé immediately following the season, said playing in the ANZ Championship was a dream come true.“It was awesome because I never thought I would be getting the opportunity to do so; I was very honoured and happy to be part of it,” Fowler said.“Playing in the ANZ Championship exceeded my expectations because I thought maybe I would have had it a little easier, but it was intense and fast-paced, so it lived up to and beyond my expectations.“My aim was just to take every game as a learning process and just develop … to be a very good shooter and do the best for my team.”Fowler paid tribute to her Steel teammates in helping her settle in Invercargill.“They helped a lot because it’s hard being away from my family so far and for so long,” Fowler said.“They have made me feel comfortable. I have had a lot of dinners over at my teammates, the Steel family checked up on me and they’ve made me warm by getting me my heater and stuff so they did a lot — they went beyond the call of duty to make me comfortable.”Fowler follows previous winners Julianna Naoupu (2012), Kayla Cullen (2011) and Sharni Layton (2010).

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Fowler confirmed as best new talent