The semi-finals, held at Romeich Entertainment Headquarters in Kingston, served up talent and entertainment, showcasing the immense gifts that these young artistes possess.
Friday night’s proceedings commenced with performances from the reigning Top Performas. They each performed one song, amping up the crowd and showing why they are the current top three Top Performa champions. The judges for the night were resident judge, Romeich Major and Disc Jock, Shukkle Bus. The duo was accompanied by fellow colleague Bishop Escobar as the event’s host.
To the delight of the contestants, a surprise wildcard feature was announced, giving two additional contestants another chance at advancing to the finals. Following that, the top 6 contestants, Monifa, Jubba, Trisstar, Intellect, Ryz and Kustics, were announced and went straight into their performances. All six belted out the lyrics from their original submission songs, from which the judges selected the top 4 finalists. There was a tie between Ryz and Trisstar for the fourth position, so they both had to redo their performances for the audience, who served as a third judge, to choose which of the two would advance.
“We are down to the wire now and I am truly proud to see the growth of the contestants. This is what Magnum has always been about, finding and refining hidden dancehall talents in Jamaica. I must commend them for all the work they’ve put into their craft and going out there to get the votes every day, and I wish the absolute best for them throughout the rest of the competition” expressed Danielia McLean, Project Manager at J Wray & Nephew.
The semi-final round was divided into two rounds, with the names of the Performas drawn randomly to determine who will perform in each round. The first two to take the stage were Monifa and Trisstar. They received two rhythms, one on which they performed an expletive-free solo song and the other, they went head-to-head in a clash. Trisstar suffered a mishap within the first round, allowing her opponent, Monifa, to take advantage of that, winning the first semi-final round.
Round two followed the same mechanics, however, this time it was Jubba and Kustics battling for the last available spot in the finals. Both artistes displayed their lyrical prowess, as they wowed the patrons. Despite their stellar performances, the judges expressed disappointment in the clash segment, resulting from the artistes failure to successfully clash with each other. Notwithstanding this, the judges voted in favour of Jubba to advance to the finals.
Prior to the performance by the two finalists, the third-place winners, Trisstar and Ryz, both walked away with $500,000 each.
Excitement rose in the venue as the top two finalists took to the stage in high anticipation, to face off one last time. A coin was tossed to determine which artiste would go first. Monifa won the toss and allowed Jubba to perform first. Both artistes went neck to neck in their solo performances, after which, they engaged in an eight-bar clash segment, much to the delight of the patrons. Their lyrics and crowd interaction resonated with the audience, which earned the Performas rousing positive responses throughout the duration of their performances.
Mclean continued to say that “the talent displayed here tonight was nothing short of epic! We at Magnum commit to being the number one supporter of Dancehall music and culture. This competition wouldn’t be possible without our partners, Reggae Sumfest, Romeich Entertainment and Chimney Records. It’s partnerships like these that will enable Dancehall music to continue to make its stamp on the international scene.”
At the end of the night’s proceedings, Magnum Tonic Wine’s brand ambassador, Laa Lee, delivered a set that had patrons dancing away as he performed some of his famous hits. Following that, DJ Shukkle Bus took to the turntables to treat patrons to a night of partying. The next stop in the series will be at Old Hospital Park, Montego Bay on July 14, 2023, where the 2023 Magnum Top Performa will be crowned.
The winner will walk away with $1.5M in cash, a chance to perform at Reggae Sumfest on July 21st, as well as a song produced by Chimney Records, while second place will receive $1M and a music video produced by Romeich Entertainment.
Voting continues at www.magnubhub.tv/topperforma and will close midnight on July 12, 2023.
Magnum Tonic Wine reminds consumers to drink responsibly.
