Trinibagonians made dancehall history recently when they became the first set of international talent to audition for Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall.

The studios at Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG) in Port-of-Spain provided the perfect opportunity for the intermingling of two cultures as contestants put their best effort on show, hoping to join the ranks of Magnum Royalty in season eight which is set to premiere on TVJ in Jamaica and TV6 in Trinidad & Tobago on January 17, 2015.

"One thing that stood out during auditions is how pervasive the culture of dancehall is and the extent to which it has positively influenced upcoming talent in Trinidad and the wider Caribbean. We were anxious about the type of reception that our concept would get, but it wasn't long before we were impressed at the crop of talent that came out," said Mark Kenny, executive producer of the show.

Seemingly reflecting what is popular within dancehall circles, male contestants outnumbered their female competitors but that did not stop the ladies who came out armed with bold and entertaining selections. Smalls and Luscious were the female acts that stood out to judges Miss Kitty, Skatta Burrell and Professor Nuts.

brand's influence

"We were thrilled with the talent in Trinidad last Saturday. The contestants came hard and we definitely found some worthy of the Magnum stage. Magnum is committed to deepening the brand's influence across the Caribbean and what better way to do so than integrating our musical culture with our Caribbean neighbours in a positive way. We hope that Trinibagonians will support their own in the competition by watching on TV6 and voting each week come January 17," said Sophia Bernard-Fairman, group brand manager, Fortified Wines & Liqueurs at J. Wray and Nephew Ltd.

Producer and Magnum judge Skatta Burrell was also impressed by the talent coming out of Trinidad. "I'm excited to hear new flavours of dancehall emerging which undeniably comes from a soca infusion," he said.

Successful Trinibagonian contestants will fly to Jamaica early next year to be part of the 32 princes and princesses vying for lyrical greatness. Contestants who make it to the live show will be competing for a cash prize of J$1 million (equivalent of TT$50,000), in addition to a two-year contract with Star$truck Records, which will include providing assistance with the production of an EP, voice training and public relations.