No-nonsense Tastee Judges back for 2011 season
Their chemistry as much as the change to a reality/drama bias accounted for the overwhelming success of last year's Tastee Talent Trail, and the panel of judges — Audrey Reid, Oral Tracey and Amelia 'Milk' Sewell — is back in the same vein this year.
Known by the moniker 'Nice Judge', Reid once again took the lead role at last Saturday's first audition for the 2011 season held in Portmore. With sarcasm dripping from her every word, Reid wasted little time with the less than talented ones.
Case in point, one contestant who said he prayed to God before coming and was told he should attend the audition was told by Reid that maybe he misunderstood God as he must have been told to come and buy a patty, certainly not sing. His attempt at Why Should I Be Discouraged was dismal.
A female contestant had Tracey slapping his arm and neck as he said her voice sounding as annoying as a buzzing mosquito.
Then there was the contestant whose given name is Whitney Houston who actually tried to sing the Whitney Houston hit I Have Nothing.
This prompted Reid to remark, "It's not what we love, my dear. I wanted to be a doctor, but mi neva have di brain. Suh try modelling."
Just when it seemed bleak for Portmore, considering that last year's winner Lorna Gordon, as well as third place finisher Andre Lee, were discovered during the Portmore auditions, contestant number 34 Charmaine Laraque broke the drought.
Sounding nervous at first, Laraque earned the first Lifeline Card doing Alaine's No Ordinary Love.
Others who earned Lifeline Cards were DJ Trudy Higgins with No Simon Says, lone male Cecil Smith another DJ who did Good Woman, Sharona Jonas doing Love Takes Time by Mariah Carey, and Camalla Latouche with her original Do Your Thing."Brutal" was Tracey's assessment of the James Ingram wannabe who had stepped boldly into the judging tent. Perennial entrant Dainty was back again and flopped badly but not before issuing a threat that she would be returning... yet again.
One young man committed murder to the classic Unchained Melody and there was pandemonium in the final judging tent when Reid brought to everyone's attention the fact that one entrant had all of five-and-a-half teeth.
The next round of auditions in the 2011 series takes place on Saturday, May 28 at the Bargain Village Plaza, May Pen.
With credit to http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment |