Twelve of Barbados’ promising entertainment acts have made it to the semi-finals of Baje to the World Season 2, an initiative of the Community Development Department in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment.
Makeda Lowe, Daianna Price, Rebekah Carter, Dianne Jemmott, Peter Coxx, Ramone Badd, Shontae Alleyne-Clarke, Harmoni Haynes, Jalissa Edwards, Tarique O’neal-Griffith, Christina Dottin, and dance duo Damon Boucher & Asha Weekes are all heading to the semi-finals.
The names were announced on Saturday night (March 19), after the final Challenge of the Season – Back in Time/Old School genre, which saw the contestants pulling out all the stops with popular hits such as I Wanna Dance With Somebody, A Song For You, Ain’t Nobody, Save The Best For Last, Saving All My Love, Let’s Stay Together and The Way You Make Me Feel.
Television Producer of the show, Teshia Hinds stated, “We have had a really great season which has showcased the amazing talent Barbados has to offer. Season two started back in October with numerous video entrants and of this group our judges chose the top 25, who were then invited to audition live for their bid at one of the 15 spots available.
“After six challenges, which saw them performing from Spouge and Contemporary to Reggae, Soca and even Jazz, we are now down to the top 12 acts and looking forward to an exciting semi-final which will air on two nights, Saturday, March 26 and April 2. Both parts of the shows will be broadcast on CBC TV 8 at 9:03 p.m., with repeat shows on Tuesday, March 29 and April 5 at the same time.”
Hinds explained that the contestants will perform two pieces each – one genre they selected via a blind draw and the other they selected on their own.
Dwayne Grazette, Producer of the show added that the semi-finalists, who range between 14 and 37 in age, will be competing for a spot in the finals on Saturday, April 9 and a chance to win $20 000 in cash and other prizes, as well as a chance to perform internationally with world-renowned Soca artistes Fay-Ann Lyons and Bunji Garlin.
He added, “Baje to the World is more than just another talent competition, as the contestants are involved in much more than singing and performing. They also receive valuable advice weekly from our panel of judges led by Senator John King.
“With over 75 years of combined experience between them, including participating and winning competitions, managing artistes and performing internationally, the judge’s comments played a major role in the developmental aspect of the competition.
“Additionally, each competitor participated in our Mentorship Programme headed by Terencia Coward, which saw them paired with some of the islands top songwriters, producers and other creatives including Nikita, Mahalia, Shari Pollard, Kevin Watson ‘Sluggy Dan’ and Edwin Yearwood.
“They also attended Professional Entertainment Workshops facilitated by Kirk Brown and Stephanie Chase in conjunction with the National Transformation Initiative (NTI), facilitated under the guidance of Director, Dr. Allyson Leacock.”
These sessions covered communication, presentation and leadership skills as well as topics including Financial Management and Entertainment Law, aimed at developing well-rounded artistes. Participation in the workshops earned the contestants points which were added to their weekly performance scores.”
Grazette reminded Barbadians to follow the developments of Baje to the World Season 2 at @bajetotheWorld on Facebook and @bajetoworld on Instagram and via YouTube, to catch up on the season.