Barbadian talent in song, dance and poetry were on full display last Friday night when the 2018 National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA) semi-finals got underway.
The first of six semi-final shows came off at the Lester Vaughan School in St Thomas and there was talent aplenty.
From primary school choirs, to perennial semi-finalists to newcomers to the NIFCA stage, each participant gave it their all with hopes of making it through to the finals.
Twenty-one year old Irijah Alkins’ mission is to change the world through words and that’s exactly what she’s doing.
A second timer to the NIFCA stage, she delivered two thought- provoking pieces in Woman, To You and Angst In Adolescence.
The first piece, which was well loved by the audience, left them pondering on what being woman really meant to them. It also urged the women in the audience to respect themselves.
Her second piece, another good performance, addressed many struggles faced by adolescents.
Young Daniel McCollin showed much promise in the drama category. His piece Hats On was definitely one of the highlights of the night.
During his piece, which he said was inspired by concerned Barbadians, he wore four hats, each of which depicted a different Barbadian who pleaded with citizens to stop destroying Barbados.
Towards the end of his performance, he made a plea with all to “return to God and ask for guidance”. He is one to look for at the finals.
Elementz of Symphony, made up of Mia Forde and Lianna Yearwood, was also quite impressive.
The duo, who joined forces after discovering the magic their voices made when harmonising together, captivated the audience with two soulful renditions of gospel hits His Eye Is On The Sparrow and Sinner Like Me.
Alberto Parris delivered a nice rhythm poetry piece while encouraging the youth to make positive choices.
Krystal Cole closed the show, and what a performance it was.
The 27-year-old is a former member of the Barbados Youth Orchestra and Mosaic Steel Orchestra and former NIFCA silver award winner.
Her performances of Despacito and Feting Family had the crowd moving and dancing right along with her. Her energy during her performance was definitely contagious.
Donna Lisa-Yearwood from Harrison College also gave two good renditions of Hallelujah and Love On The Brain.
Also performing were St Stephen Primary School, Kibibi Lee, Tarique Griffith, Annika Edwards, and Jamal Dawe.
The semi-finals continue until Sunday September 14. (DB)