Fundraiser showcases local talent

An eclectic group of up-and-coming performing artists will pool their time and talent this weekend in a fundraising showcase at John Abbott College.

“We held the first Talent for a Cause two years ago,” said organizer Vanessa Mahon.

“We did it to raise money to send a group from the Diocese of St. Jean-Longueuil to Australia to see the Pope on World Youth Day in 2008.

“While we were there, we met the members of the Visayas Chorale, a choir from the Philippines who sang for the bishops and cardinals,” she said, adding the choir “was ranked second best in the world in the category of ‘folk and mixed’ in an international competition in 2007."

“I thought it would be interesting to bring the Visayas Chorale to Montreal; the money raised at Talent for a Cause 2 will help finance the trip.”

The choir will be in town from May 30 to June 19. It will perform at a series of venues in and around the city, including at the Ste. Anne de Bellevue CEGEP.

Headlining the event is Serge Donsmoove, “a local songwriter who plays in different clubs and writes and produces his own music. He won Mix 96’s songwriting competition two years ago,” Mahon said.

Over a dozen musical acts will be presented at the Saturday fundraiser. The emcee will be Frank Wankwo of Much Music.

“A couple of dance groups will perform, and we have about six former contestants from Canadian Idol who placed in the top 12 to 20.”

The lineup also includes Voyce, which won the 2008 Mix 96 competition, and 7 Down, which won this year.

The music will range from R&B and acoustic to hip-hop and rap.

Throughout the evening, a group of John Abbott students will be selling candles for the Light a Dream Foundation, which raises money to defray the cost of college tuition for physically and intellectually disabled students.

Talent for a Cause 2 gets under way Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and will be held in the agora of the Casgrain Centre at 21275 Lakeshore Rd. Tickets at $15 each can be purchased in advance, or at the door. For more information call 514-457-6610 ext. 5317.