47th Edition of Richard Stoute Teen Talent Show Commences with Famed Founder Hospitalized

By Charmaine Walker

With the father of the event following proceedings online from his hospital bed, the 47th edition of the Richard Stoute Teen Talent Show got underway to an entertaining start last weekend at the Daphne Joseph-Hackett Theatre in Queen’s Park.

Stoute, 77, considered a godfather of Bajan entertainment and the founder of the popular annual talent contest, has been hospitalised at the QEH with an undisclosed medical condition since late September.

After attractions from dancers Riddim Tribe, veteran performer Kinky Star who paid tribute to Stoute in a self-penned song, and Romancia Murray, it was down to the business of the evening.

The first competitor on stage was Kenola Greenidge and she gave a good rendition of I’ll Never Fall In Love Again made popular by Tom Jones in the 1960s. She would return in the second half with another Jones hit entitled I Who Have Nothing. Greenidge had a very satisfactory night on stage.

One of the highlights was second on stage in the form of Joshua Osbourne. He received a good crowd response for his renditions of Billy Ocean’s Suddenly in the first half as well as Bruno Mars’ Just The Way You Are. He is one to watch as the season progresses.

Another performer who had a good night was Thiarie Leacock. He delivered his take on John Legend’s Jealous in the first half and performed with equal aplomb in the second half with Bob Marley’s classic No Woman No Cry.

Destiny Ifill was another teen who caught the eyes and ears. She was excellent in her contributions of I Believe In You And Me made popular by the late Whitney Houston, as well as Dionne Warwick’s I’ll Never Love This Way Again. She has a good chance of advancing in the competition.

Not only was Shaquan Smith smartly attired, but he did his chances of progressing through the preliminaries no harm with two solid performances. In the first half, he rendered A Song For You first released by Donny Hathaway in 1971 and returned with Percy Sledge’s When A Man Loves A Woman in the second half.

The youngest performer on stage was Diamond Applewhaite and she was relatively impressive with her two selections. She did Goodness of God in the first half and He Wants It All in the second half – both gospel selections.

Also performing on the night with varying degrees of quality were Jahzara Leacock, Chelsea Ellis, Damario Foster and Ciara Layne.

There were also some featured performances by contestants who are slated to return for the Over-21 competition which will commence on October 22. The second and final preliminary of the Richard Stoute Teen Talent Show will be on October 8.

The emcee for the night was Carl Alf Padmore. (CW)