Noel Cayasso-Smith may be known for his work as a local LGBTQ advocate, but the George Town resident, who has a penchant for singing, is hoping to hit one of the world’s biggest stages to make a lifelong dream come true.
He has been selected to audition for the widely popular ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ show, he announced via Facebook on Thursday.
“When I saw the email at first I thought it was a joke. But then when I when I looked into it, it was actually real and I… took like six gasps of air because it’s been a while… I think it’s been over three years, just before COVID hit, that I applied to be on Britain’s Got Talent and I just forgot about it,” he told the Cayman Compass on Friday in a telephone interview.
He said though he has been singing for years, and has performed with local band Bona Fide in the past, he never gave up on making it to the big stage. He wants local kids to see that persistence as a positive thing.
Cayasso-Smith, president and founder of Cayman LGBTQ Foundation, said he had given up on being selected as he knew millions of other people had also applied, but seeing that email restored his faith.
“I’ve done shows like Cayman’s Got Talent [and] Young, Talented Stars. I’ve been in the music industry for years, and working with youth when it comes to music… [O]ne of my lifelong dreams was to appear on the stage of Britain’s Got Talent. Winning is one thing, but just being there on a big stage in front of a huge audience was my dream,” he said.
After the initial shock, he said the reality of the audition set in. He needs to be in London on 12 Nov. to perform at the ExCel where the show’s auditions are held.
Hope for help
Cayasso-Smith said coming up with the funds to get there will be a challenge and he had considered turning down the opportunity.
However, he has decided to lean on the community’s support to help get him to London.
“This is an opportunity for me, but it’s also an opportunity for Cayman as well and for the youth and all the musicians that we have here. It would be really great for their support moving forward, because this is something that I would truly like to do because it’s an amazing opportunity,” he added.
Cayasso-Smith said he is looking to raise about US$5,000 to cover the expenses of airfare, accommodation and food.
He said he really wants to be able to attend the audition and get Cayman’s name on such a big stage.
“Hopefully, if I get through then I want to leave on the 10th or the 9th [of November] to make sure I’m there a couple of days to recoup and go over everything, before I actually go [audition] on the 12th,” he added.
He said he is looking at raising funds in the coming weeks, and is hoping his years of service will encourage the community to rally around him to help him live his dream.
“I’m the type of person that I always tried to fight and fend for things on my own, and now comes a time where I need my community support,” he added.
Dreams of bright lights, big stage
Cayasso-Smith said he has not decided on what his audition will entail but he will be waving the Cayman Islands flag.
He said winning is not the objective.
“I know that in the Cayman Islands when it comes to the music industry and the youth there’s not very many of them [that] get very far. Yes, you win competitions but it ends there and you want to push and strive to carry yourself even further, if you can.
“I think by me getting accepted [to] Britain’s Got Talent and pushing to do this and make it… it will open the door [to inspire others],” he said.
He added that perhaps it could even motivate others to go even further.
Cayasso-Smith said just four months ago he and his team were discussing restarting the Cayman’s Got Talent show and this experience has motivated him to aim for next summer for the show’s reboot.
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