Keshia a kinder, gentler TV talent-show judge

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(YTV)

If you were looking for someone to act as a non-judgmental judge and mentor for a youth talent showcase like YTV's The Next Star, the second-best instruction you could give your casting people is, "Get me someone like Keshia Chanté."

The best, of course, would be, "Get me Keshia Chanté," but that'd probably be wishful thinking because, really, there's no chance the award-winning Canadian singer/actress/model would be available to take part in a reality/competition TV show, right?

Unless...

"I knew about The Next Star and what they were doing, and I always thought it was pretty cool that they were finding talent in kids under the age of 15," new judge Chanté explained in a recent telephone interview promoting The Next Star's six-city audition tour, which stops at the Winnipeg Convention Centre this Saturday (registration from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.; full tryout details available at www.YTV.com).

"The chances of getting the kind of opportunity I got, being discovered at 13, are very rare, and there are so many kids in so many places across Canada that have the talent but don't really have the means to get themselves seen. So I've always respected The Next Star, and after Season 4 ended, I told my team to sort of reach out to them and find out about the next season. And as it happened, they had thought of me, also (for the judges' panel). We sat down and got acquainted a bit, and once they told me more about the show and their belief system, I really wanted to be part of it."

Chanté, a seasoned pro in the music industry at the still-youthful age of 23, started performing in public at age six and was signed to her first record deal and released her first single -- Shook (The Answer) -- at age 14.

The Ottawa native, who now has three albums, several TV acting credits and a burgeoning interest in the fashion industry to her credit, leads an all-new trio of The Next Star judges that also includes country star Tara Oram and recording-industry executive Mark Spicoluk. Adamo Ruggiero returns as host for the YTV series' fifth season.

The Next Star is open to young singers aged 15 and under; in addition to Saturday's stop in Winnipeg, the six-city audition tour has already visited Halifax and Saint-Laurent, Quebec, and has dates later this month in Edmonton, Vancouver and Toronto.

Manitoba has been well represented in The Next Star's previous seasons, with nearly a dozen locals having been selected to travel to Toronto for the show's final cut-down stage. Three Manitobans -- Darrelyne Bickel of The Pas (Season 2) and Winnipeggers Mimoza Duot (Season 3) and April Llave (Season 4) -- have made it to The Next Star's Top 6 finalists.

Chanté said her interest in the YTV series is based on the fact it's one of the only competition shows that doesn't include snarky comments or heart-crushing eliminations in its format.

"I don't necessarily believe in competition shows, but I have a fondness for this one because it's not about criticizing and it's not about eliminating people in a way that makes them feel like they're not good enough," she said. "It's really designed to mentor these kids; it's all about constructive criticism and guiding them in a positive way."

She added that there's already enough stress and pressure in the process of trying to get discovered without adding any contrived-for-TV negativity into the mix.

"I started singing when I was six, and I used to do (talent) shows and I would audition for the plays and other things at school," she recalled. "I remember how nerve-racking auditioning was, and I find the whole process very humbling, in terms of both doing it and watching it. So I'm always going to keep my comments positive.... If there's going to be any drama or friction, it will be between me and the other judges, because we might not always agree. It will never be directed toward the kids."

And while she can't describe exactly what it is she's looking for as the new judging panel searches for YTV's next Next Star, she's confident that she'll know it when she sees it.

"I think you can always see that hunger in people," Chanté offered. "There's something that happens when you see a star -- I don't know what it is exactly, but there's a level of charisma, a level of stage presence.... For me, it could be someone who has a beautiful tone but maybe doesn't have an incredible range, but they have so much soul when they sing that they bring this warmth and freshness. I know when I hear a voice that has talent -- it might not be perfect, but I know that with time, it can get somewhere."

Sounding a bit like a music-biz old-timer for a moment, Chanté added that there are many more avenues to stardom available to young people these days than when she was starting out, way back at the beginning of the 21st century.

"What kids have now that I didn't have -- even kids in very small towns -- is the Internet and YouTube," she said. "I really believe in that way -- you can perform your own songs, or you can perform cover songs, put them up on YouTube and get feedback.

"So much talent has been discovered that way, from Bieber to a singer named Cassie (to Winnipeg's Maria Aragon), and a bunch of rock bands. That's the way it happens these days -- music execs are always combing through YouTube to see what's out there. It's a really cool opportunity, for kids anywhere who might not be able to get to The Next Star -- as long as you have a computer and a little camera, you can get your music out there."

brad.oswald@freepress.mb.ca

EVENT PREVIEW

YTV's The Next Star audition tour

Saturday; registration 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Winnipeg Convention Centre (York Ave. entrance)

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 3, 2012 D3