Is Rising Stars A Falling Star?

[Mario Herbert]

I've watched the Digicel Rising Stars programme from the first season, and had great expectations for this show. However, after a couple seasons it has become apparent to me that this show has some fundamental problems. The whole premise of the show was originally to find the best talent in the Caribbean. This, however, cannot be effectively achieve under the present format for the following reasons.

1. Lack of Voting Restrictions
The word "restriction" is usually seen in a bad light, however, when you are trying to be fair and impartial, restrictions are very necessary. I watched in dismay as the host of the show urged people to "vote as many times as they like". This is fundamentally wrong in a competition of this nature for what I consider to be obvious reasons. If I were a contestant in the show, and I wanted to win, all I would have to do is withdraw a considerable amount from my bank account and either vote-it-out on myself or give it to me friends to vote-out on me. International reality shows, like Dancing With The Stars, have restrictions on the number of times a vote will be counted from the same source. This is only fair. Can you imagine an election in Barbados where you could vote as many times as you like? How could a fair result be achieved under that system? This lack of restrictions on voting ensures that Digicel collects good money, but unfortunately, it robs the Caribbean of truly knowing who has the most talent.

2. Powerless Judges

A judge is someone qualified to make the best possible assessment of a competition or situation, who has the authority to make the best possible decision, based on that assessment. A judge without authority is a joke, and defeats the whole purpose of having qualified people. I won't address whether or not the judges are qualified, but my quarrel is that they literally server no purpose under the present format, and have minimal or no impact on the outcome of the show. They are actually, therefore, NOT judges, because authority is one of the attributes of any judge. Again, I must draw a comparison to Dancing With The Stars, where the judges get to decide half of the outcome, with the audience deciding the other half. This is the only way that fairness can prevail, because the general public, being no authority on music or proper singing techniques, will often not judge based on the right criteria. If this same, unqualified public, has ALL of the power, it is quite easy for someone with no proper mouth gymnastics or breathing technique to be chosen as an embodiment of the Caribbean's best.

3. Conflicting Focuses

Contestants are told they the competition seeks to find the most talented entertainer in the region. It's supposed to be a big push for regional talent, but people are often reprimanded for using original material. If you're judging the best talent in the region, in order to launch someone's career in entertainment, someone who has his/her own material should be hailed and respected for it. instead, the so-called judges urge the contestants to sing songs people know, so that they can make an impact. I have a problem with this because it re-enforces the fact that contestants receives votes for the wrong reasons, and there is no one set-aside to ensure that at least half of that vote is based on the right reasons. I should be crowned the Rising Star because I sing songs people know and like, but rather, because I showed the region that I am the most talented of the lot. I just cannot see the fairness is competition where someone who writes their own material is scorned in favour of someone who can only sing the works of others. Also, I've heard contestants reprimanded for singing regional songs instead of international songs, but then they are forced to sing genres they are not comfortable with, because it's a "Caribbean show". Which is it they are looking for?

4. Unfair Measuring Rods

I was disturbed from the first season when they announced that contestants would be forced to sing certain genres of music. This is not fair, and is yet another conflict of focus because contestants are always told that they have to know their range and vocal capacity and choose their songs accordingly. Some genres require specific ranges or vocal capacity, and just because someone doesn't meet the requirements for one genre does not mean they are not talented. I want to know, which it is? Is it that contestants are expected to sing the songs that are suitable for their voices, or is it that they are expected to be excellent in each and every type pf music? If you bring Celine Dion to the Caribbean and told her to sing reggae, she would probably not be able to handle it, that doesn't change the fact that she is one of the best singers and entertainers in the world. Likewise, Alison Hinds may not be able to sing Opera, but that doesn't change the fact that she's one of the best soca artistes in the region. Is it fair to judge Alison Hinds based on an Opera performance when she's a soca singer? Is it fair to to force someone to sing reggae or calypso when they KNOW they have the voice for it? I say NO WAY?

These are just a few of the reasons I believe Rising Stars is a quickly falling star. I would love to see this programme flourish into a great opportunity for the most talented (and not the most popular) people in the region to get their big break into entertainment, but I don't see it happening anytime soon, unless some changes are made to the structure of the show.

[Plural]

Interesting and so true. I wish Caribbean people were more aware of themselves but to support such activities is a denial of our self-worth. The organisers are showing they are in it for themselves and do not care a damn about the quality of what emerges or is showcased as Caribbean talent.