Tobago Star Quest in search for top talent

WITH a mission to uncover and nurture the vibrant talent of Tobago, the Tobago Star Quest Committee is ready to show the country the gifts found in the people of the villages of the island.

John Arnold, professional event planner, educator and head of the Tobago Star Quest Committee told Newsday the talent competition was a collaboration with Tobago Updates and Exclusive Ideologies.

The inaugural competition was modelled after America’s Got Talent, where the auditions were taped and the judges determined who would move on to the next stages.

“The auditions have been truly thrilling. We’ve been blown away by the raw talent coming from the villages. Tobago has so much potential and we’re honoured to provide this stage for our local stars to reach new heights.

“This was across the communities of Tobago because it’s a community effort. We wanted to get all the villages involved and, luckily for us, we were able to get people from Argyle, Charlotteville, Belle Garden, Castara, Lambeau, Plymouth, Canaan – we really have a nice cross-section of Tobago.”

There were 38 semi-finalists including singers, dancers, musicians and a magician, and they were split into two. The first semi-finals is scheduled for November 14 at the Shaw Park Complex at 7 pm and the second will be on November 28.

Ten will be picked for the finals on December 14.

Both semi-finals will be live with a live band. There will be a cover charge of $50 and Arnold hopes people would come out to support. The competition will be taped and shown on television one week after each live show.

He said there will also be coaching sessions during the final round, designed to enhance contestants’ performances and foster their growth as artists, ensuring they deliver their best on stage.

The main sponsor was the Ministry of Sport and Community Development but assistance was also provided by the Tobago House of Assembly and a few corporate sponsors.

Arnold said with the end of the now defunct local talent show Scouting for Talent, which ran in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, and was briefly re-introduced in 2023, there was no stage for amateurs to showcase themselves.

He said post-covid19, creatives were looking for a way to get things “back to where they were,” and the committee was trying to make that happen.

Arnold always had a passion for developing talent. He used to host a programme for children 12 years old and under called Children’s Showcase, which ran on Tobago television for 13 years.

He then had one for children eight years and under but that too was cancelled because of a lack of support and funding.

“So when the idea came with this one (Tobago star Quest), we got the support from the minister (Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis) and one of the key people, (retired drama instructor) Cyril Collier. He was very instrumental in making sure we got this going.

“I’m seeing Tobago Star Quest as a successful venture so, once we get this going I think some of the visionaries will make sure this continues for at least a sustainable ten years.”

He believed the competition would give its contestants exposure and therefore opportunities for study or a career in their chosen fields.

He said the committee was hoping to add a training and development component to the show next year. It would raise the quality of the programme and generally leave them more skillful in their crafts and give them more opportunities outside of the show.

“A lot of the people are talented but they don’t have somebody guiding them in a consistent way. So one of the things we discussed with the minister is looking at how we could foster a programme of development for artistes. It could run for three – five months, and then people can take it upon themselves to take part in the competition.”

The grand prize of the Tobago Star Quest is $100,000.

The 19 semi-finalists performing on November 14 are Creed Black, Celeste Hamlet, Jovan Daniel, Janelle Winchester-Moore, Khadija O’Connor, Sheniya Joseph, Jeremy Stewart, Marissa Warde-Robley, Safiah Lebourne-Downes, Raynell Roopnarine, Mawusi Cummings, Dancing Divas, Rholda John, Tinashay Greenidge, Darren Thomas, Malick Laptiste, Dynamic 3 and Jayda George.

The semi-finalists for November 28 by order of appearance are Crystal Sergeant-Carter, Susan Lovell-McEachnie, Maxene James, Elijah Cyrus, Anderson McPhee, Justin Orr, Elieth Davis, Keston and Dane James, Shevonne Hartell-Smith, Trevor Hunte, Nigel DesVignes, Ashel Alexander-Peters, Amari Douglas, Shakir John, Faith Thomas, Melony Melville, Kaielle Manswell, Shyiania Patterson and Warrior Movement.