Stage set for karaoke battle

Barbadian song bird Rebekah Carter has drawn position number one in the KWC Karaoke World Championships first online karaoke competition.

Four Barbadian singers are in the lineup to represent our island and by extension the Caribbean in this year’s competition.

The other three contestants are O’Neill Harvey drawn in position number 6, Cindy Springer at position 17, and Damien Smith is drawn in position number 31.

A total of 67 finalists from 22 countries around the world will face the judges in this year’s competition.

In Round 1, which starts on November 2, the singers will be in order 1-67. In Round 2, it will be in reverse order 67-1, and the ones who qualify to Round 3 will again be in the original order.

The competition runs from November 2–7, 2020.

Each contestant was required to record and submit three songs to KWC for judging.

Carter’s selections are I Surrender by Celine Dion, I am Changing by Jennifer Hudson and Blown Away by Carrie Underwood.

Harvey, with his showman reggae style, sang Ernie Smith’s One Dream, The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra and After the Loving by Engelbert Humperdinck.

Springer sang Angel by Sarah McLachlan, Reflections by Christina Aguilera, and Run by Leona Lewis.

Smith sang the Tom Jones selection You’ll Never Walk Alone, Never Enough by Loren Allred and Shirley Bassey’s This is My Life.

This year’s online competition was hurriedly arranged by the Directors of KWC at the last minute after the cancellation of the regular annual competition due to the onset of COVID-19.

It was due to take place in Canada this year, but will now take place next year.

The winners of the grand finale will receive a trip (travelling + accommodation) to perform in next year’s world final event in Canada, a cash prize and a trophy.

As a member of this prestigious organization, Barbados now qualifies to host a World Championship after 2021.

For more information and the live streaming of the competition visitwww.karaokeworldchampionships.com

All finalists and their competition numbers

KWC ONLINE 2020 FINALISTS IN COMPETITION ORDER:

#1 Rebekah Carter, BARBADOS

#2 Jessica Castillo, SPAIN

#3 Jason Tran, FINLAND

#4 Tatiana Rodríguez, SPAIN

#5 Suci Amelia, INDONESIA

#6 O’Neill Harvey, BARBADOS

#7 Garvaundo Hamilton, USA

#8 Wilson Domingos, ANGOLA

#9 Antonia Medeiros, BRAZIL

#10 Akkelies Van Nes, THE NETHERLANDS

#11 Ian James, UK

#12 Katheryne Yanis, PANAMÁ

#13 Carla Testa, PANAMÁ

#14 Lucky Bam, NAURU

#15 Tameca Devant, USA

#16 Josefin Söderlind, SWEDEN

#17 Cindy Springer, BARBADOS

#18 Alice Lemoine, FRANCE

#19 Iris Fernández Carmona, SPAIN

#20 Al Amien Syukur, INDONESIA

#21 Markus Oldach Peters, GERMANY

#22 Mike Orend, CANADA

#23 Gonçalves Coxe Bengue, ANGOLA

#24 Jose De La Vega, SPAIN

#25 Anthony Carbone, CANADA

#26 Dmitry Yurtaev, RUSSIA

#27 Andre Kuni, BRAZIL

#28 Marharyta Kalabukha, UKRAINE

#29 Jarkko Timonen, FINLAND

#30 Juliana Danilova, FINLAND

#31 Damien Smith, BARBADOS

#32 Jun Hanaue, JAPAN

#33 Takumi Koreeda, JAPAN

#34 Petter Berg Bentsen, NORWAY

#35 David Attah, NIGERIA

#36 Max Moraes, BRAZIL

#37 Dmytro Altukhov, UKRAINE

#38 Sari Maria Hjelt, FINLAND

#39 Ralph Canto, PANAMÁ

#40 Miranda Longaker, USA

#41 Kayla Hoecherl, CANADA

#42 Michael Skipper Andersen, DENMARK

#43 Steven Yates, UK

#44 Grant Cullum, USA

#45 Gemma Dee, UK

#46 Stanislas Fossard, FRANCE

#47 Salsabila Septia, INDONESIA

#48 Satrio Lahskart Arfinto, INDONESIA

#49 Agnes Sesilia Andersen, NORWAY

#50 Shannon Niehaus, CANADA

#51 Je’Keno Ogwerel, NIGERIA

#52 Adam Rangitaawa, NEW ZEALAND

#53 Beebee Bassey, NIGERIA

#54 Lucas Algeo, FRANCE

#55 Arthur Kim, RUSSIA

#56 Makiko Tanigawa, JAPAN

#57 Vadim Nedranets, RUSSIA

#58 Ananda Torres, BRAZIL

#59 Paul Irabor, NIGERIA

#60 Gabriel Kamenhe, ANGOLA

#61 Ivett Estrada, PANAMÁ

#62 Viktoriia Honcharenko, UKRAINE

#63 Sharna Laidlow, UK

#64 Helen Eriksen Røberg, NORWAY

#65 Annette Somma, RUSSIA

#66 Christa Sass Schärer Sandreid, DENMARK

#67 Frédéric Lemaistre, FRANCE

(PR)