Taylor's Got Talent: Talent Redefined

Do you have what it takes to be an idol? Do you think you’re IT? Do you think Taylor’s Got Talent? Well, if you were at Taylor’s Multipurpose Hall at that prestigious 8th May evening, you’d be amazed as beans.

The much awaited Taylor’s Got Talent talent show brought together Taylorians from all different campuses, regardless whether they were from SAM, CAL or any other programs. Grandly presented by a group of Bachelor Degree Students from Taylor’s College, School of Hospitality and Tourism, who call themselves TGT Event Corp, B1 and B2 from The Beacon were entertained by about twenty talented Taylorians, ranging from a self-taught magician to seaside duets.

B1 : You know what that felt like? It was like watching an official Akademi Fantasia concert. The multi-coloured lights spinning around, and the deafening cheers of the crowd left me dazed at the atmosphere of the event itself.

B2 : The hosts too – I found them to be cheerful and funny, not to mention subtle in their warning to the much too enthusiastic audience. The hosts’ experience and cleverness is essential to keep the audience in control.

B1 : Complete with the line of prolific judges, ranging from Chinese professional soprano singer to Australian choreographer, I particularly enjoyed their harsh, though ‘constructive’ criticism.

B2 : I get what you mean by constructive. One judge even commented that one of the earlier contestants’ performance was ‘painful’ from beginning to the end. That was a true Adlin Aman Ramli moment.

B1: The opening act was just as impressive as much as it looked painful. When head meets stage without a bang sound, you know these people know what they are doing. That’s Urban Groove for you. They are trained professionals - Girls and boys, if you are up for danger and sweat, Urban Groove welcomes you to join them.

B2 : Excellent! Then Jia Shen and I can have a one-on-one. He was the first contestant who danced smartly to the beat of the loud bashing music, while holding up his groovy black shades - quite the Michael Jackson impressionist!

B1 : He was not the only accomplished impressionist that evening. Teh Vee Vien hit the high notes when she stepped up the stage with her soprano performance. Everyone was captivated by her angelic aura. Though, Valencio’s singing and presentation charms beat hers as he won over the crowd and snagged first prize.

B2 : Yes, yes I too was swayed by his performance. His flawless voice sailed smoothly into my ears and demanded me to cheer for him! What excited me the most was the performance by the band from our very own campus called Impromptu. In fact, I don’t think their performance was impromptu at all because they looked very confident and prepared to me when they played us a song they themselves had composed, Hero Romeo.

B1 : But apart from the many great voices that reached out during that event, Victor, third-prize winner, was also a unique (not to mention enthusiastic) participant showing off his magic skills. Wiping off his endless sweat trail (the art of perspiration!), he revealed that he had taught himself magic tricks since he was eight.

B2 : The avid entertainer was even generous enough to spend a few minutes giving us a little preview, an amazing one at that. The young illusionist literally left me mouth-opened. My blue pen seriously vanished into thin air! With an experience of more than a decade, I’m sure he never fails to awe the audience with his skills.

B1 : With that said, Taylor's Got Talent was a great success. Besides showing off the students' spectacular external talents, the hard work of TGT Event Corp who made the show what it was have got to be given credit as well. The spinning lights, the funny hosts, (and don't forget the freebies!) were all made possible by their effort.

B2 : All in all, I think all the performances deserved credit. Now I'm definitely convinced TAYLOR'S GOT TALENT.

By ADIBAH MOHD NOOR and SITI NAQIAH | Photos by HAU YON and SANDRA