PHILIPSBURG–TelCell’s 2016 Breakthrough Talent Search winners received a thundering round of applause during a preview showing of their brand new music video “Trust and Time” in the TelEm Group conference room in Philipsburg on Monday.
The R&B hip-hop ballad is all the work of the six winners of last year’s top-rated youth talent search contest: George Woodley, Aesha Gibson, Keeshaun Hodge, Kevin Lambert, Diandra Marlin and Leo Alexander. It is the fourth Breakthrough music video to be produced by Xtratight Entertainment’s Bertaux “Mr. Rude” Fleming and this year showcases the incredible video work of director Joel Ayuk of CANI TV.
The highly professional production and quality sound are expected to be a big hit locally, with high hopes for a strong regional and overseas following if the video receives the airplay expected. The talented youths were themselves caught by surprise after viewing the result of many weeks of hard work and seeing it all come together as a finished music video for the first time.
They said the constant takes and retakes to get just the right light or just the right facial expressions and sounds had caused the making of the music video to be very challenging and frustrating at times, but they had learned much from the experience.
Each of the artistes in turn expressed how the experience of being a TelCell Breakthrough winner had changed their lives during the past year. They said that as that year is quickly coming to an end with the search of a brand new group of winners soon to begin, they are each grateful to the organisers for affording them the opportunity to showcase their talents and show their peers what they also can do if they have confidence in themselves and are willing to take a chance – even if it is a second chance.
The stories from the youth were very well received by TelEm Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Helma Etnel, a strong advocate of the event from the onset, and by TelEm Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kendall Dupersoy, who assured the youngsters that the lessons they have learned during the past year are not only lessons on how to win a contest and get over their shyness, but also lessons in life.
“Most important is these stories that we have heard today – more important than anything anyone else said – about getting a second chance; crying for the first time that one person did not succeed, but they came back and tried again. One didn’t have the full amount of confidence and his mother was the one who encouraged him, one who didn’t want to put too much pressure on herself to win … all things that are very important when you are participating in life,” said Dupersoy.
He praised the TelCell Breakthrough organising team for giving the youth an insight into life that they will be well able to pass on to their peers, congratulated the youths for the positive messages they help bring to these same peers and encouraged them to use what they have experienced to move on in life and chase their dreams.
Etnel said she continues to be amazed by the quality of the performers and the end result of their work, which is always of a high professional standard. Pointing to the young faces in front of her, compared to the mature stars she can see on the music video, Etnel sees this transformation as visual evidence of the multi-talented youth in the St. Maarten community just waiting to be discovered.
“You are all an example, you are the future and I am very proud that you are a part of our TelCell brand,” said Etnel in recognition of the many TelCell promotions in which the youths have appeared during the past months. She went on to give special thanks to the team of TelEm Group personnel who each year dedicate many months of their time to staging various sections of the event leading up to the popular sold-out finals in search of the winning talent.
TelCell Breakthrough co-organiser Angel Richardson said there had been many challenges in coming to the stage of Monday’s music video launch, including the lack of a recording studio to make the recordings.
“The studio we would have used before was being renovated, so we found a room in the TelEm Building and improvised with a makeshift studio that has produced something that is just amazing, thanks to the professional work of Mr. Rude, my co-organiser,” said Angel.
Angel, Etnel and Dupersoy at various times in the afternoon paid tribute to other members of the organising team, including Suraj Ramdas, Cheryl Rismay, David Evans, members of the Sales and Marketing team and other TelEm Group volunteers for their full support. According to Angel, the “Trust and Time” music video will now be posted as a YouTube video and to various social media sites.
“This is the fourth music video I have produced in the last four years and each one has been different and of great quality, which proves to me that the wealth of talent and artistic skill we have in this St. Maarten community runs really deep,” said producer Mr. Rude. He said his job now is to take the music video to a higher level by getting some exposure for the group locally, regionally through his contacts with regional Cable TV channel Tempo and wider afield with the Youtube and social media exposure.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/67278-telcell-breakthrough-winners-launch-video
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