Mystery P gets ‘Big Buss’ from talent show

Loud cheers and high energy filled the atmosphere at the iconic Montego Bay hotspot, Pier 1, recently as the first female winner emerged from Red Stripe’s talent search competition, Big Buss. Pamella Smith, aka Mystery P, was among 20 contestants who vied for the top spot, battling for the privilege to open Reggae Sumfest next month.

Contestants were each given two minutes to showcase their singjay ability in front of a panel of judges, which comprised record producer Mikey Bennett, media practitioner Garth Williams and DJ Jigga.

Contestants Migeal James, Aneika Brown, Miguel Irving and Conroy Brown joined eventual winner Mystery P in the final segment of the competition. However, in a twist of fate, two wild-card contestants, Odonald Haughton and Answele Riley, were given a second chance for the final showdown after technical difficulties affected their performance in round one.

In the end, it was her strong voice and commanding stage presence that won it for Mystery P.

Mystery P became the first female Big Buss winner and walked away with the $100,000 cash prize. In addition to performing on the Reggae Sumfest stage, she will get mentorship from Mikey Bennett and a six-month management contract with Downsound Entertainment Group, as well as a scholarship for artiste development through Red Stripe’s Learning for Life programme.