‘Idols’ hopefuls down to top 5
KWAZULU-NATAL singer Lindo Sithole did not get enough votes to make it to the top five of the popular music competition, Idols SA.
A total of 10 million votes were cast by the public for their favourite singer.
The top five of the show are: Botlhale Phora, Faith Msibi, Mthokozisi Ndaba, Paxton Fielies and Phindy Dube.
Sunday’s show saw the contestants singing two songs – the first being old made new, a classic that has been redone to speak to the here-and-now music lover; while there was the inspirational choir number featured the Grammy-winning Soweto Gospel Choir.
First to leave the contestant lounge was Fielies, who belted out Jade’s 1992 classic Don’t Walk Away , followed by Destiny’s Child’s Stand up for Love.
Commenting on Fielies’ performance, judge Randall Abraham reminded her that no one was safe in the competition, hence her performances need to be consistent. “Don’t give them a chance; the first song was good but the second was great,” said judge, Unathi Mankayi. The third judge, Somizi Mhlongo, pleaded for her to give him goosebumps all the time.
Next up was Phora, who revealed he was an undercover cook and baker in his spare time. His first performance was K-Ci and Jojo’s classic All My Life, followed by Sedilaka by The Soil. The balance between the pop culture and the serious gained him high praise from the judges, with Mankayi calling the performances exceptional and Mhlongo calling them “best in the history of Idols”.
Following was sneakers and selfproclaimed best aunty Msibi, who sang Joe’s I Believe in You, followed by Next to Me by Emeli Sande.
A trip in the beginning of the second song was noticed by the judges, but they were encouraging. “Don’t allow the little mistakes to throw you off,” was Mhlongo’s guidance. Abraham told her to “do a better job of winning votes”.
Mortal Combat player and aspiring farmer Ndaba came on with So Sick by Neo, followed by R Kelly’s The Storm Is Over. The judges put on their parental hats and buoyed a “down and tired” Ndaba to keep fighting.
“You have a great feeling for songs and that’s dynamic,” announced Abraham. Mankayi called him amazing. “You touch our hearts and souls,” she said.
An overwhelmed Dube brought up the tail of the Top 5, despite the pessimistic outcome from the judges and coach Donald. She brought the nostalgia, with Miriam Makeba’s Meet Me at the River and Butterfly by Mariah Carey.
This week, she received a clean slate of compliments from the judges. Abraham even complemented her outfit, before announcing she had done a “sterling” job.
“Tonight, you can sleep with relief. You were perfect,” was Mhlongo’s verdict.
With the finale creeping up, it’s now a fight for the death, and the contestants are relying on their fans more than ever. So, who will make it to the Top 4 next week? Only the voters will determine that. To vote for your favourite, go to www.idolssa.dstv.com/home