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Oman's got talent


3/30/2014 1:06:04 AM

(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) They came, they sang and they conquered.


In an unparalleled show of talent, 14 singers from across the sultanate wowed a packed City Amphitheatre at the Qurum Natural Park with their spell-binding performances during the grand finale of the Khafeef Youth Icon 2014 on Friday.


The singers, who were segregated into three broad musical categories – Hindi, Arabic and English – kept the night alive as they performed to popular song tracks, including a few yesteryear favourites.
Megna

Megna Dinto

Shortlisted from over 130 contestants in October last year, and later trained under professionals, the 14 finalists were judged by famed Omani composer and singer Kamil al Balushi and London-based Bollywood singer Bali Brahmbhatt at the finale. H E J S Mukul, Ambassador of India to the sultanate, was also present on the occasion.


Conceptualised by Dr Sanjay Dalal and organised by Talent Hunters Oman, which in the past has held Muscat Idol, Dance Muscat Dance, Muscat Icon and International Dance Festival, this year's event saw the best from the pool of talent that Muscat has to offer.


The evening kicked off on a powerful note with Omani rap artiste and YouTube sensation Faisal al Shibli getting the audience on its feet, with his patriotic Arabic rap song Oman al Fakhar (Oman The Pride), a song that has created ripples ever since it was first uploaded on the Internet on the eve of National Day last year.


The guest rapper's performance set the mood for the competing singers, as well as the crowd that had gathered in large numbers.
Nishant

Nishant Shekar

Soon after, the emcees took over, inviting the participants from each category. Each singer performed to two tracks – one slow and fast number – and were judged accordingly.


While Brahmbhatt judged singers in the Hindi and English category, Kamil judged the Arabic singers. Additionally, the audience was also given the opportunity to vote for their favourite singer via SMS.


The phone lines were left open at the start of the grand finale, and the singer with the most number of audience votes will be given a popular choice award at a later date.


The singers in the Hindi music category included Nishant Shekar, Farzana Abdul Naazar, Shreya Shreeraman, Megna Dinto, Shraddha Venkitaraman, Aishwarya Ajith, Jeril Jose T and Afshan Naushad. Local favourites Mohammed Ibrahim al Balushi and Jihad al Raisi, and Egyptian national Nouran performed to Arabic songs, while Kerri Ann M Thomas, Lovylle Colegado and Meyalin G Pogyao participated in the English singing category.
Meyalin

Meyalin G Pogyao

Of all the performances, the one singer who left the crowd awestruck was Omani national Mohammed, who is also a policeman by profession. His rendition of one of Bollywood's most popular songs of 2013, Kyun Ki Tum Hi Ho from Aashiqui 2, which he sang both in Hindi and Arabic, drew a standing ovation from the audience.


The home crowd, in particular, had gathered in large numbers to show their support to Mohammed, and also broke into a dance when he sang a foot-tapping Arabic number. Before the results were announced, another guest singer, Muscat Idol 2012 winner, Omani national Haitham Mohammed Rafi performed to the Bollywood hit Kabeera, interspersing it with an Arabic composition.


A youth fashion walk, highlighting the latest trends in fashion, was also showcased at the event. The event drew to a close with the declaration of the winners. Shekar was awarded first prize, while Megna stood second in the Hindi music category.
Lovylle

Lovylle Colegado

In a first for the singing competition, Brahmbhatt declared a tie between Lovylle and Meyalin for their outstanding show in the English singing category. There were no guesses for the best Arabic singer, as Mohammed took away the award for his versatile and power-packed performance. Speaking at the end of the event, H E Mukul said, ''I would like to congratulate all the winners, and also compliment all the performers, including the dancers, who participated. All the performances were of very high quality.


''The advantage of such an event is two-fold. It is not only a great platform for local talent, but also the best forum for people to people contact.''


The Winners


Hindi:


First prize: Nishant shekar


Runner-up: Megna Dinto


Arabic: Mohammed Ibrahim al Balushi


English: Lovylle Colegado and Meyalin G


Muscat Daily

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