Marabella,
Trinidad &
Tobago, WI -
The ninth
edition of
the
Talent
Expression
competition
organised by
the Southern
Marines
Steelband
Foundation
is heading
for a
wonderful
climax at
the Grand
Final on
Saturday 21st
November
2009
beginning at
8:00 p.m. at
the Southern
Marines Pan
Palais,
Southern
Main Road
Marabella.
On Saturday
14th
November the
twelve
finalists in
Southern
Marines
Steelband
Foundation’s
Talent
Expression
2009 drew
for the
order in
which they
appear
on final
night.
The
programme
opens with
accomplished
vocalist
Bernard
Brereton,
leader of
the Princes
Town posse
and an
artiste who
is familiar
to Talent
Expression
audiences.
Rookie
teenager
Kisi Semper
follows
Bernard,
singing her
own calypso;
in position
number three
is the canny
kaiso
veteran
James
“Durango”
Samuel.
The only
panist to
make the
final, Opal
Murrel,
performs
next. Opal,
a
technically
excellent
musician,
played
conservatively
in the semi
finals and
did just
enough to
qualify for
the final.
The general
feeling is
that if Opal
goes for
broke on
Saturday and
lets it all
‘hang out,’
she is quite
capable of
becoming the
fourth
panist to
take the big
prize in the
event’s now
nine-year
history.
List
of
Finalists
in
order
of
appearance
-
Bernard Brereton
-
Kisi Semper
-
James Samuel
-
Opal Murrel
-
Anthony Callender
-
Derron Griffith/ Ferrone Rostant
-
Melissa Phillip
-
Deryck Hinds
-
Marsha Cagan
-
Kerlene Joseph
-
Ferdinand Smith
-
Roxanne Singh
|
Pulling an
appearance
order of
position
five is the
sensational
Anthony
“Tall
Blacks”
Callender,
aka the ‘singing
nuts man,’
who, over the
years has
become a
master of
the kaiso
stage.
Competing
sixth in the
night’s
line-up is the dynamic
dancing duo
of Ferrone
Rostant and
Derron
Griffith,
who copped
third place
in the
semi-finals,
captivating
all who
witnessed
their
delightful,
impish and
technically
sound
performance.
Princes Town
songbird
Melissa
Phillip will
take on all
eleven
finalists,
as will the
vocalists
taking the
stage in
her wake; Deryck
Hinds,
Marsha Cagan
-
who ran
second in
the semis -
and Kerlene
Joseph.
The
penultimate
performance
will come
from the runaway
winner of
the semis,
ten-year old
soca star
boy
Ferdinand
Smith. In
the semis he
had the
audience
waving and
wining in
the aisles
and calling
for encores.
This
youngster is
not just
another cute
“kid novelty
act.” The
show will be
closed by
vocalist
Roxanne
Singh who
won the Most
Promising
Artiste
prize last
year.
What a
savoury
prospect
this ninth
edition of
Talent
Expression
is turning
out to be. Over TT
$36,000 in
prizes will
be won
overall,
with each
contestant
however,
vying for
the ultimate
- a first
prize of TT
$5,000. All
finalists
will receive
money prizes;
additionally
there are
awards in special
categories.
More info: contact
Rae Samuel at 1 (868) 774-9110
From the
news desk of:
Southern
Marines
Steelband
Foundation