A Review
Finalists, Shanell Meade and Tomeika Jeffrey, sing a duet
The countdown is on. Who will be the Montserrat Idol? This weekend there would be no show due to activities to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day observance. Come March 26, Shanell Meade and Tomeika Jeffrey will come head to head as they vie for the title. Both singers carry a strong fan base and have the ability but only one will walk away the Montserrat Idol title.
Last weekend, March 12, three of the finest clashed but Lucy Weekes was voted out. During that show the contestants each performed twice. In the first round Lucy Weekes was a crowd pleaser with her version of Redemption Song. She got favourable reviews from the judges. She was even told that she has an amazing voice, excellent performance and that her outfit went with the song.
The petite Shanell Meade, a very good singer, struck the crowd with the Luther Vandross ‘Dance with my Father’. The crowd went wild. The judges called the performance, a safe one, a fabulous one and a good try. They said she needed to hold out her notes.
Tomeika Jeffrey’s first performance that night was a disappointment, a poor song choice. It was
Tomekia Jeffrey
certainly not her best piece. Nevertheless the young woman put her everything into her act. By round number two she was back in business with her strong, soulful voice. The choice of song that actually brought her back in action was, ‘Ain’t no Sunshine’. One of the judges remarked, “Awesome, that’s what I’m talking about.” Judge Gregory Willock gave Tomeika Jeffrey a standing ovation and called the performance off the hook.
Shanell Meade, the lady dressed in green and white, did her rendition of ‘Every breath you take’. Among the comments from the judges was that she can sing, is talented but does not take it seriously. With some vocal training she can do it.
Lucy Weekes had the judges and audience thrilled. The judges called her rendition of the Air Supply ‘All out of Love’ a good job, great performance. They liked the way she holds her notes. According to them, though she was not the best singer throughout the contest, she always took her best to the competition.
The show was, as usual, punctuated with other cultural performances including a fashion display from Janelle Brandt Requa of Jaja Designs. Organizer of the Montserrat Idol, while Tom Walker and his team sang their way into the hearts of the audience. So did young Ben ‘Prince Romeo’ Durand with his songs.
The Judges for the March 12 weekend were Reinford Gibbons, Laurine Nanthan Lewis and Gregory Willock. Deputy Chief Fire Officer Andre West was the host for the evening.
Shanell Meade
The previous week, March 5, Racquel Wedderburn serenaded the crowd with one of Abba’s greatest hits. “The winner takes it all; the loser has to fall…” As if predicting she had come to the end of the Montserrat Idol road. A job well done, but by the end of her second song it was not enough for the Brades resident to secure adequate votes to push her forward to the next round. Racquel Wedderburn was booted off the show.
That week, the judges’ work was cut out for them since the contestants were all armed with solid game plans. All four of them were required to sing two songs of their choice. At the end of the night, Shanell Meade, Tomeika Jeffreys and Lucy Weekes were voted on to the next round.
Tomeika Jeffrey, clearly a crowd’s favourite and a self-described, ‘fine sexy Mama’ played the role. She knows how to work the stage and stroke the crowd’s emotion. She also presented that ‘wow’ factor for at least one of the judges and left most of the audience satisfied.
Both Shanell Meade and Lucy Weekes of Davy Hill are fine singers. Though they gave it their best shot, yet still, the need for them to let go, break away and show how much they need to win that title was evident.
The judges for 5 March were Manager of the Royal Bank, Cassandra Ryan, Former Calypso King Andy Kirnon and Chairman of the Montserrat Festival Committee Gregory Willock. The live-wire for the night was Talk-Show Host Basil Chambers who was the master of ceremony.
Organizer of the Montserrat Idol, Tom Walker, on the question of cost to pull off the show, declined to estimate his expenses. He explained that the venture is still in its teething stage and as such figures, at this point, may not necessarily be accurate. Fly Montserrat, Ashok’s Supermarket, Karishma, LIME and Jacquie Ryan Enterprises Limited are among business entities offering financial support.
The Montserrat Idol came into being after Mr. Walker attended one of the elimination rounds of the recently concluded Calypso competition. There he saw the need for immediate and constant feedback from judges. After exploring some possibilities, the Montserrat Idol was on the drawing board.
A few weeks later in mid-January, ten persons, all above the age 17 cut off point, embarked on the first ever Montserrat Idol journey. Each week thereafter eliminations were made. The much talked about grand finale would be held at the usual Soca Cabana venue on March 26.
The winner is expected to walk away with a round trip to neighbouring Antigua along with spending money. The first runner-up would receive a monetary reward.
Mr. Walker indicated that he is hoping to make this show an annual one. To him, the response thus far is encouraging. The weekly turnout is good and the interest level is high among residents. Amazing, was the only word he used to describe the Idol journey so far. His sentiments were echoed by some who also believe that the Montserrat Idol should take a permanent spot in the calendar of events for the Emerald Isle.
