No local acts among SA’s best
KWAZULU-NATAL is not faring too well in new television talent search series – M-Net’s Idols South Africa had precious few from the province in its line-up, no local bakers made it to the final 12 of The Great South African BakeOff on DStv’s BBC Lifestyle, and now all 21 finalists in e.tv’s SA’s Got Talent are from other provinces.
The final SA’s Got Talent contestants, chosen by the judging trio of Shado Twala, Lalla Hiriyama and DJ Fresh, do, however, have a local link in the Johannesburg-based dance duo known as Mike and Jamal, the latter, a 29-year-old, having been born in Durban.
Jamal has brought a hip-hop element to the duo’s style, with Mike, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, having made the team’s style unique with an element of an Angolan dance style called kuduro.
The live semi-finals start at 6pm on Sunday. Each semi-final will see seven acts take to the stage to win the votes of the judges and the public to advance to the finale.
One contestant will be decided by public SMS vote and another by the judges.
Six contestants will compete in the finale on Sunday, November 8, at the Soweto Theatre. This will be shown live on e.tv, from 6pm.
Three acts were guaranteed a place in the semi-finals after they were given a Golden Buzzer during auditions.
“This year’s semi-finalists are dynamic. They each possess an undeniably powerful performance energy and determination to do everything within their power to secure a spot in the grand finale,” says the show’s executive producer, Luxury Msiza.
“The competition is going to be a lot more fierce, so viewers should brace themselves for some very exciting episodes ahead.”
The top 21 semi-finalists include a mix of performers, dancers, singers, comedians and acrobats, all of whom are eyeing the R500 000 prize.
Among finalists are singer Cordiel, 23, from Worcestor in the Cape; 12-year-old singer-songwriter and musician Henno William, from Johannesburg; Joe and The Ganga Muffins, a trio of musicians from Mitchells Plain; and rapper K-N9ne, 20, from Klerksdorp.
Wian The Magician, from Frankfort in the Free State, is also a finalist; along with boy band Confidential from Grassy Park, comic duo Double Blacks from Ivory Park in Gauteng, and a Hout Bay musician who performs as Grace.
Other finalists are a 41-yearold Cape Town singer who performs as Genevieve; Cape stand-up Mum-Z; two Gauteng speed painters called Paint Addiction; and Free State a cappella group Gudfellaz.
Also among those hoping to pocket the big cash prize are ventriloquist Isabella Jane of Johannesburg, the Cape dance crew known as Street Stylers, and colourful tap-dance and percussion group Tapcussionists from Soweto, Gauteng.