What will you do with $100,000?
The Trinidad and Tobago leg of Digicel Rising Stars 2009 is on and it is a race of talent, passion and often surprise decisions.  The show is a local talent search competition and has been a part of the T&T entertainment circuit since 2006, following its successful launch in Jamaica back in 2004.

This season of the show got started with auditions held in September. An open invitation was issued to John, Jane and Joe public to tryout at the auditions which took place at various locations throughout the country. 10 contestants were selected from each audition by a panel of judges and then the public, via their Digicel handsets, voted for their top two. This made up the 12 finalists which became the contestants for the title of Digicel Rising Star 2009.

The show features three judges who critique the contestants’ performances, in the aim of providing something of guidance to the people with the real deciding power. Who is it that decides who goes home and who makes it on to the next round? The vote-by-text viewing public; any Digicel handset holder can text in to vote their choice for the 2009 title. The first prize stands at attractive $100,000 cash, a booking contract and the production of a music video. Second place winner gets $60,000 and the third place, $40,000.

Snatching the top six spots were Junior Don, Donald Job, Afiyah Athill, Xavier Baptiste, Janique Charles an Akilah Wilson-Claxton. At the last showing, Sunday November 01^st, we lost Xavier Baptiste and Janique Charles bringing it to the top four. The intensity is brewing; someone is going to have a very merry Christmas with $100,000. The next live taping is on Saturday November 7^th downstairs the Alchemy nightclub in Port of Spain and this will be aired the following Sunday, November 8^th.  At this show one person’s hope of becoming Digicel 2009 Rising Star will be snuffed and it’s the top three. This will go on until it is left to the final two which will be around November 22^nd 2009.

Hosting the series is the personable Knycky Cordner and panel judges Johnny Gonzales, Michael Salickram and Glenda Collens makes up the team of regulars. The show is sponsored by Digicel T&T, Blackberry, Liat and Trinidad Express.