TV Weekly

Who's the most talented of them all?

April 28 - May 4, 2010
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Here is YOUR chance to crown the winner of Bahrain's exciting Talent Trail 2010 competition.

GulfWeekly has teamed up with Bahrain TV, the English language station-of-the-nation, to uncover the kingdom's most promising entertainer.

Each of the acts has been featured in the Talent Trail 2010 segment of presenter Krazy Kevin's popular Music Mania chart show - and in GulfWeekly.

This evening's show will feature a special 'final judging night' with a repeat screening of all the performances at 8pm. The programme will be shown again on Friday and Sunday at 9pm.

Viewers and readers can choose their favourite act by registering a vote. Simply click on to the VOTE button under the photo of the performer you like. A trophy will be presented to the performer who receives the most votes. Start voting NOW - the contest voting ends at midday on Wednesday, May 5.

Watch the show to find out the thoughts of the panel of judges, singers Lisa Morgan and Christine Gordon alongside GulfWeekly Editor Stan Szecowka ... although it is only YOUR vote that counts.

The winner will be announced in GulfWeekly the following Wednesday - May 12 - and the act will be invited to receive the trophy and perform live on that evening's TV show.

St Christopher's School pupil Daryl Egan, 12, from Saar, who will be singing his own composition Save Me accompanied by his acoustic guitar. It is one of 10 songs he wrote during the summer holidays and he has already recorded two of them in professional studios.

Mohammed Jalal, 12, from Janabiya, known to his friends as MJ, will be under the spotlight hoping to prove he has the K factor.The youngster, who sings and plays the piano and guitar, was 'born to perform', according to his parents Nadia Shaheen and Sami Jalal.

Alexandra Estanom delighted the capacity audience at last year's BSPCA 70s Ball at Awali with a wonderful performance of These Boots Are Made For Walking. The sweet seven-year-old British School of Bahrain pupil can hit the high and low notes with ease thanks to mum, Natalia, an acclaimed vocal coach in Bahrain.

Schoolboy Raoul D'Souza, 11, picked up the 'most promising' performer accolade in a Gulf-wide contest for musicians last year but he's going to let his vocals shine this evening. "He loves opera, jazz and sings and listens to all types of music," explained his mum, Savita, a piano teacher from Budaiya.

Song-writing mum Rupa Bhargava, from Hoora, will be rockin' her heart out tonight when she steps out to perform self-penned Child of Desire. The former lead singer of popular Indian band The Fanatics is married to banking executive Pulin and has two daughters Suhana, four, and Aashna, two.

Songwriter Christian Trzebinski, from Bani Jamrah, was inspired and encouraged to sing during visits to Bahrain by his late-grandma Barbara and after taking vocal training the 11-year-old set about learning to play the piano. "Now he sits down, tingles the keys and comes up with his own compositions," said proud dad, Ziggy, 53, a consultant.

Drummer Mustafa El Hajj will strum a unique beat during his performance in Talent Trail 2010. The 14-year old St Christopher's School pupil is hoping to enthral viewers with sounds from his Arabic tabla or traditional drums. 'Tufa', as he is endearingly called by friends, used to watch his dad play the onstrument as he cheered on his favourite football team.

Dancer Saniya Chadha is following in the footsteps of her mother and hopes to set the TV screens ablaze as she grooves to the beats of Bollywood sounds on Bahrain TV tonight. Saniya, a student at Sacred Heart School, began learning Indian classical dances bharatanatyam and kuchipudi under the guidance of a professionally-trained teacher.

Watch out for schoolgirl songstress Kalea Bahjin Williams in tonight's Talent Trail 2010 judges final. Kalea, 14, named after a Hawaiian island by her parents Graham and Marilyn, will be hitting the high notes just weeks after picking up a trophy in a competition for budding entertainers at the British School of Bahrain which she attends.

Architecture student Faisal Sheikh has designs on musical success and hopes to secure the Talent Trail 2010 title with a show-stopping performance tonight. Faisal, 23, a singer/guitarist from Segaiya, near Zinj, will be performing one of his self-penned numbers with an alterative rock and bluesy beat.

Rocker Abraham Mathew - known to his family and friends by his nickname 'Kevin' - is an accomplished keyboard-player but will be picking up a guitar and singing a self-penned song called Hope. Student Kevin, 22, from Riffa, is a commerce student studying at the Global Institute of Management and Science.

Singer Elizabeth Wahba, 14, will be hoping to woo the audience with a popular show number Think of me from the musical Phantom of the Opera. Elizabeth lives with her family on Tala Island in Amwaj and won first prize in the British School of Bahrain Music Festival for best solo performance.

THE HOST AND JUDGES

Editor Stan Szecowka will be joined by two singing sensations on the panel of judges who will be offering their valued comments and criticisms of the Talent Trail 2010 finalists live on Bahrain TV tonight.

Australian singer and teacher Lisa Morgan who set up a series of workshops to help teach the kingdom to sing and acclaimed jazz vocalist Christine Gordon will provide expert analysis on the performances.

Lisa, from Juffair, studied music at the University of New South Wales in Sydney but serious singing started in high school.

Currently, Lisa teaches music to school children aged seven to 10 and can often be seen entertaining folk at shows and special events.

Her 'Great Sounds Workshop' for adults of all abilities has proved popular by allowing people to give singing a try in a relaxed and fun environment without the pressure of long rehearsal schedules. "I want to contribute to the choral life of the island. I love living here, I love the place, I love the people, I love the culture but I also want to integrate some of my own cultural ideas and experiences," she said.

Christine has been a professional singer since 1980. A British national, she worked internationally for many years particularly in Egypt where she performed for royalty, ambassadors and even the President.

She met her Egyptian husband, Dr Emad El-Attar, a chemist and fellow professional musician, and together they came to Bahrain in the early 1990s to set up a song and dance entertainment show at the Diplomat and run the hotel's nightclub.

She said: "In those days it was THE place to go and we had some brilliant times there and got to know lots of local musicians."

Christine is also well known for her work with the RIA Centre in Adliya and can often be seen singing her heart out with the Bahrain Jazz Quartet and Frankie & Friends at venues across the kingdom.

GulfWeekly's Stan helped instigate, organise and promote several shows and entertainment competitions in the UK to raise money for charities and good causes, including nine consecutive talent contests in Yorkshire.

"There is some amazing talent in Bahrain and I'll be looking for potential as well as star quality," he said.

Host Krazy Kevin's task will be to keep the trio in check. The judges, however, can only guide viewers because it is up to YOU to choose the winner of the competition by casting your vote at www.gulfweekly.com







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