Girl With a Purpose (GWAP)

Digicel Rising Stars - Final: And the Winner Is???

Well, I think the entire Jamaican population under 30 years old, who weren't at Mas Camp (the venue for the Digicel Rising Stars concert) tonight, were  glued to their TV sets!

...and why? you may ask...well for the Digicel Rising Stars Final, of course!

[Rising Stars is the Jamaican equivalent of American Idol. It scouts Jamaican musical talent from all over the island and then gives them exposure on TV. The winner gets a record contract and two music videos.

Rising Stars' main sponsor is  Digicel, the Caribbean's leading mobile services provider.

The progress of the final 10 persons in this contest, is determined by votes from the Jamaican populace.

The finalists perform on a Sunday night and Jamaicans have up until the Friday of that week, to vote (via text message)  for the finalists they want to remain in the competition. The results from the week of voting are then given on the Friday night.]

Well, tonight came with a bang and wonderful entertainment from last year's Rising Stars' winners - One Third!

Then came the recap of the performances of the 10 finalists  and the two remaining finalists in the competition. - Jodian Pantry and Romain Virgo.

Jodian Pantry' s opening song was, "I Feel like Jumping", by Marcia Griffiths, while Romain Virgo opened with an Alton Ellis Medley.

And then to the screaming fans at Mas Camp and at the studios at the Courtleigh Auditorium, the winner was announced!

And yes, friends, the Room Ram King, Romain Virgo, has taken the Rising Stars Jamaica 2007 crown!

("Room Ram" is the famous song and dance combo introduced to the world, by Jamaican teenage singing sensation, QQ.

The teenage girls in Jamaica, just went crazy when Romain performed it for their enjoyment during the competition.)

Romain wins two (2) singles and a video from record company, Green Sleeves, 1 Million dollars and 100,000 worth of credit from Digicel and a spanking new Sony Erickson phone!

Jodian walks away with $600,000 from main sponsor, Digicel!

Not bad for ten weeks' performance by two teenagers under the age of 18 :).

But this will not be the last that we see from Romain and Jodian, for now, as they will be doing an island-wide Road Show, soon!

Girl With a Purpose Blog congratulates both Jodian and Romain!

You both did very well and we wish you both every success in your musical careers!

Gillian

Jamaica's New Government: 21 Senators, in all, Named

Jamaican Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, named six (6) more Senators to the Senate yesterday, making a complement of 13 Senators from the ruling Jamaica Labour Party:

These are as follows:-

1. Dr. Oswald Harding
2. Mr. Ian Murray
3. Mr. Thomas Tavares-Finson
4. Mr. Desmond McKenzie
5. Mr. Dennis Meadows
6. Mrs. Hyacinth Bennett.

They join exiting Senators:

1. Mr. Warren Newby, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports
2. Mr. Aundre Franklyn, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of National Security
3. Dr. Ronald Robinson, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade
4. Mr. Arthur Williams, Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security
5. Ms. Dorothy Lightbourne, Attorney General and Minister of Justice
6. Mr. Dwight Nelson, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and Public Service
7. Mr. Don Wehby, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and Public Service.

The Opposition People's National  Party also named their eight (8) senators, yesterday:

These are as follows:-

1. Mr.  A.J. Nicholson, Leader - Opposition Business
2. Dr. K. D. Knight
3. Mr. Navel Clarke
4. Mr. Norman Grant
5. Mr. Noel Sloley
6. Mr. Basil Waite
7. Ms. Sandrea Faulkner
8. Mr. Mark Golding

Girl With a Purpose Blog expresses our hearty congratulations to these men and women of the Senate. It is our desire that you will all work together in the the best interest of Jamaica and so that we will be able to accomplish first-world status by 2030.

Gillian

Sources:

1) Nationwide Radio, September 26, 2007

2)  Press Release, "Full Complement of Government Senators Appointed", Jamaica Information Service website, September 25, 2007

India Wins Inaugural ICC World Twenty20 Competition!

Congratulations India!!!

India has won the Inaugural ICC World Twenty20 Final!

They won by 5 runs against Pakistan.

The scores were as follows:

India     :  157 runs for 5 wickets
Pakistan:  152 All out!

India wins $2 million dollars!

Irfan Pathan of India, got man of the match.

Shahid Afridi  of Pakistan, got player of the tournament.

I really admire these two teams.

After their premature exit from the ICC Cricket World Cup in March - April of this year,  these two teams have really gone back to the drawing board, rethought their whole attitude and strategies towards the playing the game of cricket and have really risen to Cricketing heights.

Oh the tenacity, the perseverance, teamwork and commitment of both teams, really shows that these characteristics are essential for success at any sport, or for life in general!

Again, congrats, India!!!!

I want to thank Mark Fletcher of Cleveland, UK, for providing us with the photo for this post!

Gillian

Source:

1) Television Jamaica's coverage of the ICC World Twenty20 Final, September 24,2007.