A new panel of judges all based in the arts headed by musician and lecturer Michael 'Ibo' Cooper, entertainer Queen Ifrica and Kerry Ann Lawrence of the Tivoli Dance Troupe and a graduate of the School of Dance with a B.A. in dance and choreography, brought their collective expertise to bear on the first audition of the 2013 Tastee Talent Trail series.

As has become the norm, the first audition in the Tastee Talent Trail series for the year records the lowest turnout, and this was the case on Saturday, March 23, when audition No. 1 in the 2013 Tastee Talent Trail series kicked off at the company's car park in Cross Roads.

Between rejects and those making it to the final judging tent, just under 100 persons turned up. In the end, the judges selected 15 persons who will go on to the first road show on Saturday, April 27 in Portmore.

high standards

Eleven males including a duo and four females representing in the categories singer, deejay, singjay and dub poet, earned passage to the next round.

The final selectees had to satisfy the judges while attaining high standards from the panel.

The judge's comments though critical, was aimed at the improvement of the talents. On more than one occasion, Ibo Cooper left the judge's table and assisted one contestant with proper mic handling and breathing techniques. This paved the way for very strict marking and selection from the judges, as the aim is to unearth the best talents Jamaica has to offer and enhance their development.

The lucky 15 who were selected on Saturday are Kimberly Renée, Jermaine Sterling, Shantee Ffrench, Oneil Allen, the Duo R3, Herron Mclean, Bubbles Man, Patrick Whyte, Jermaine McDonald, Maurice Oliver, Kelisha Simmonds, Adrain Currie, Monique Smith, Otto Lecky and Ricardo Smith.

Regular returnees Barrington Allen aka Bubble Man, who made it to the Quest last year and the infamous Mosquito Man, nemesis of former judge Audrey Reid who again tried to make it past the auditions.

Sponsored this year by Tastee, Pepsi, T- Shirt Express, Kosmo and Sparkles Production, the Tastee Talent Trail is now in it's 34th year. This year features four auditions, all in Cross Roads and four roadshows starting in Portmore on April 27, then it will be on to the semi-finals on November 21, and the grand finals on December 12. The next audition will take place on Saturday, May 18 at Tastee Cross Roads.