K.T.V. finalists make last sales pitch to fans
For almost three months, Channel Five’s Ultimate KTV has come to dominate the local entertainment scene. Each contestant has their own following of faithful fans who will be feverishly texting their votes until the midnight deadline on Sunday. But before the winner is announced next week, News Five’s Janelle Chanona decided to follow the finalists offstage to find out how karaoke has changed their lives.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
When Herbert Wiltshire auditioned for Ultimate KTV in July, he didn’t want to believe that his dream of making it to the finals just might come through.
Herbert Wiltshire, Contestant #1
“If singing is what makes me relaxed and work works me up, why would I want singing to work me up also, then what will happen to me?”
Win or lose, Wiltshire is hoping his experience will bring real change.
Herbert Wiltshire
“Anything that promotes Belizean, Belizean culture, young people and us getting up in front of the TV screen, over the airwaves that our people could see us or hear us, that is what I want to be involved in, that is what I endorse, that is what I encourage people to participate in so that we can start to appreciate our own and stop idolise these international stars that some of we might never get to meet.”
When Herbert isn’t on stage, he’s a university student and a self-proclaimed workaholic for a variety of youth based organisations.
Herbert Wiltshire
“Belize is home, here is where we live and the issues that are here are what we have to deal with. Like it or not, we have to deal with them.”
As the coordinator of UNICEF’s Exchange Project, Wiltshire’s Zacaranda St. home has become a safe place for neighbourhood children to play games and let off steam.
Herbert Wiltshire
“My biggest fan, my number one fan in any and every thing I do is my mother and she has been there, raised me up in a single parent home and struggled and gave her all and definitely you can’t forget. They seh some Belizean ungrateful, but that dah no me.”
And even if he doesn’t win, Herbert has ideas about how to spend the prize money.
Herbert Wiltshire
“I am encouraging the other contestants to think of some activity, whosoever wins, to think of something to engage the public who supported all of us, not some of us, all of us along the way.”
Melonie Gillett, Contestant #2
“The moment I came out of my mother, I was screaming since then and I guess the screaming paid off.”
According to past finalist Melonie Gillett, any hesitations about getting back on stage were quashed by those around her.
Melonie Gillett
“I get tremendous support from my family. I cannot thank them enough because a lot of times when I thought I won’t go back on KTV, especially my Dad, he keeps saying if I had a voice like you I would not waste it and you need to get out there and do something with it.”
That encouragement has taken Melonie into the recording studio where she is compiling a C.D. of original songs.
Melonie Gillett
“I’ve always loved singing and I always wanted to pursue a career in it and I saw KTV as an opportunity to start, to get out there a little bit and see if this is what I really want.”
Janelle Chanona
“And have you found that out?”
Melonie Gillett
“Definitely. I knew it before, but it makes you realise that it’s not as easy as it seems because I mean, this is small compared to where I want to be, but I know I want to do this so I’ve been doing a lot more with music now since KTV. Taking it abroad and stuff like that, that’s what I’m looking forward to doing. I don’t want to stay, just be limited. I want to expose Belize to the world, that is what I want do.”
Until her singing career takes off, Melonie runs a beauty salon on Freetown Road.
Melonie Gillett
“I always loved hair and nails and that sort of stuff. Actually, I always to be an entrepreneur and since that was something that I liked, I thought I’d start there.”
With just over two days of voting left, Gillett had this parting shot for KTV enthusiasts.
Melonie Gillett
“I’d like to tell my fans to consider karaoke as a singing competition and not as just entertainment. Karaoke is about vocals and I mean you need to present yourself well on the stage and you need to entertain and captivate the audience, but the main thing is your voice and the way you hold your notes, the way you portray the song. That’s what I want to tell you and I want to tell you thanks for your support for I would not be here without you.”
Contestant number three Reecie Pollard started singing at age thirteen. Originally from Lucky Strike Village, Pollard moved to Crooked Tree six years ago and took her talent with her.
Reecie Pollard, Contestant 3
“Most artists found out in church and I found out in church too so, I started in church and just continued. People ask me to sing, here especially for the Cashew Fest, the Tilapia Fest I sing the anthem. It’s something that I love and whenever they ask me to do it, I do it because I am not ashamed of my Belize anthem and I will sing it.”
But her favourite songs are by Selena.
Reecie Pollard
“She’s a fun artist, she inspires me a lot and most people woulda seh she done dead already, find somebody else, but no, her music still lives on and I believe everybody should still keep her music and always sing her songs. Even if I don’t know the song, I try to learn it. She’s a fast singer in some of her songs, but I catch on easy so I like her.”
“I came back in this karaoke because I love singing and I will just continue singing. I say to myself that there will be someone out there listening to me singing, someone that wants to give me the opportunity to go and record my own music, so that’s the main reason I re-entered the competition. I want to say to anybody, all those out there if you sing in the shower whatever, there is going to be a time when you have to come out, be yourself and get out and no matter what people say. Cause you will have people, “you can’t sing, you noh got business up there,” blah, blah, blah. But it’s you that have to build up the courage to go out and try to sing in front of a crowd, an audience.”
And Pollard says the audience has done wonders for her performance.
Reecie Pollard
“That helps you a lot when you go out on the streets and hear well done, good job. And yesterday I had a jaw, I had to smile and say thank you and I had cramps in my jaw, but it feels nice to be famous, people recognise you and it feels really, really nice and I love that feeling. I just love it.”
Janelle Chanona
“You have to say it like Ms. Jenny…”
Reecie Pollard
“I loooved it.”
Angelo Fabro is KTV’s 2005 Champion and since then his fame has skyrocketed.
Angelo Fabro, Contestant 4
“It’s been great you know, people calling me from all over the country to go sing in Orange Walk, Corozal, San Pedro, Dangriga, also a place called Hope Creek, very nice place. It’s been great though, I can’t complain.”
According to the singer, he stumbled on his voice quite by accident.
Angelo Fabro
“This is my uncle’s house, he’s the one who really has all the karaoke setup from I was young. And I watched them, they were big Elvis fans singing their Elvis and I was just in the bathroom singing that as well and all of a sudden I could sing. Everybody seh, eh! He could sing you know! That’s where it started you know, from very young.”
And since then, Fabro says he’s just likes to have fun on stage.
Angelo Fabro
“The only time I remember this is a competition is when I see the replay. You know, like when I’m up there it’s basically to go entertain, I don’t worry about winning or losing, if she’s better or not.”
“I think everybody has a good chance. I’m trying to write my own music, trying to get the background. My cousins they have a little band there going up too you know, they could put music behind it. But you know it all depends on how things go, it all depends.”
Like the other competitors, Fabro says it’s all about the fans.
Angelo Fabro
“I just want to big up everyone in Belize, north, south, east and west. Hope Creek, very nice people, and San Pedro, everywhere, all of Belize, thanks.”
Viewers are reminded that text votes are to include just the contestants’ number, nothing else.
