London launches online extempo contest for youths

REIGNING extempo champion Brian London has designed a competition for creative young people who may be feeling frustrated as the country faces a Carnival season with no Carnival.

London has come up with an online extempo competition aimed at primary and secondary school students. The students will compete for cash prizes and trophies in the National Tiger Tanks online Junior Ex-tempo Challenge.

The competition is being done through London’s NGO, Friends of the Youth of TT (FOYTT).

He explained, “We would have been accustomed to having the National Junior Extempo Monarch during the Carnival period. We have been doing that for five years. This would have been our sixth year. With everything that is going on, I realised that while a lot of adults are engaged in one kind of event or another, there is not a lot of opportunity for the creative youths to showcase their talent."

While parents may be frustrated at home, the new way of life may be even more frustrating for the young people who are being schooled at home, he said.

“Remember, the schoolyard is where most of their socialisation takes place. It's where their friends are, where the majority of the day is spent. Now, they can’t even go on the playground because that is off limits.”

London, who was part of a global extempo challenge when the pandemic first hit, was able to attract participants from Germany, Spain, Holland, Dubai and England.

This challenge, he said, gave him the impetus to do something for young people for Carnival, to give them some respite.

“It is an opportunity for the whole family to get involved,” London said, explaining that someone will have to hold the camera. "So mummy, auntie, sister, could all get involved.”

Those taking up the challenge have until 7 pm on January 31 to record and upload two verses of a song, in the extempo genre, for the preliminary round. The topic is Living covid-free.

Submissions must be uploaded via friends of the youthstt@gmail.com.

Submissions will be judged by three judges and 20 semi-finalists will be selected to move on to the second round. Only on selection will the second topic be revealed.

Semi-finalists will then have until February 5 to upload videos of themselves performing, from among whom ten will advance to the finals.

London explained in the semi-final rounds, judges will select 18 competitors. Two will be selected by the public, making a total of 20 competitors.

Similarly, eight of the finalists will get the judges' nod, and again two will be given the chance to compete for prizes via the wild card selection.

“We want to encourage public participation, so all of the videos will be posted on our Facebook page – foyttextempo.

“The public will have an opportunity to view and vote for two competitors who were not selected by the judges, but who they strongly feel should be allowed to compete.

“The two participants each (a total of four) omitted from the final and semi-final rounds who receive the most votes will be allowed to re-enter the competition.”

First and second-place winners in the secondary school category will receive cash prizes of $3,000 and $2,000 plus trophies, and $1,500 will be awarded to the third-place winner.

In the primary school segment, the winner will receive $2,000 and a trophy. For the runner-up, a trophy and $1,500 will be awarded, with the third-place receiving $1,000.