Highs and lows of Starbrite finale

THIS may have, according to the organisers been the most competitive edition of Starbrite ever but the two-day event was not without its hits and misses. Although there was genuine talent to look out for at the live finale held over 6 and 7 January, there was sadly more to frown upon at the show than to give thumbs up to.

The decision to hold the Starbrite 2016 finals at the Family of God Church auditorium was a good call by the organisers, not only is the auditorium big enough to accommodate hundreds of people, but it is also spacious enough to let even the audience bust a dance move or two. Because it is an auditorium, everyone seated had a clear view of the stage and there was no thronging to get the best view. Moreover, holding the event in a church building identified the event as a family show

The lighting was, as the internet would say, on point, the the spotlight stayed rightfully on the performers and when no one was on stage, the lights offered a welcome distraction to the audience. The stage design was also remarkable with the Starbrite logo visible to all from the stage.

It was refreshing to listen to the Starbrite band playing, as they did backing instruments for both the contestants as well as the guest performers. Additionally, when the band played during intervals, they played local music which seemed to sit very well with members of the audience. Props should also be given to the three back up vocalists who backed every contestant and every performer and also had to keep up with the choreography of all the performers.

From the performers, to the judges to the MCs, everyone looked great. MCs Moreblessings Majola and Phillip Moyo were dressed to the nines, with Majola rocking black dresses for both nights of the show and Moyo in slim fitting jackets and neat pairs of pants. Judge Alaina did not disappoint either as she wore all black and threw over a neat white blazer. Among the performers, trends such as pink braids and purple slack suits were set.

For a national event, attendance at the Starbrite finale was heartbreakingly low. Less than 200 people showed up at the show, and bulk of the audience was made up of the family members of the contestants. Perhaps the event was not well marketed, whatever the case, empty seats at the FOG auditorium were not a novelty on the two days of the show.

While the two MCs, Phillip Moyo and Moreblessings Majola did a fairly good job hoisting the event, it was the tiny things that riled members of the audience. At some points Moyo would approach the stage and laugh at what the audience can only assume was an inside joke, leaving the rest of the crowd puzzled, then Majola would start shouting instructions to her co-host from backstage. However, the biggest puzzle was why the MCs had their programmes on pieces of paper. We live in the age of Teleprompters and if those had not been available, they could have used tablets or their mobile phones, just anything from the century.

There is nothing as frustrating in a live show as trying to watch the action on stage and members of the crew are going up to the stage every few minutes to “fix” something, or move something from the stage. On the day of the show, audiences just want to see the performers and the hosts on stage, not the guy from the technical team going up to the stage to pick up a jacket he left on stage or to move the speakers away from centre stage. This however, was the style of the day at the Starbrite finale.

It is the public’s understanding that every year Starbrite pays tribute to a legend in the arts industry. This year, Starbrite chose to honour the late Simon “Choppa” Chimbetu, which was good and well, had they not considered Bulawayo as the venue for the event. While there is nothing wrong with celebrating the life and work of Chimbetu, it would have been more fitting to celebrate someone that the Bulawayo audience is more acquainted with; someone like Lovemore Majaivana or Don Gumbo or Busi Ncube.

While BaShupi’s performances kept the audience on their feet and distracted while the judges tallied the results, the other performances left a lot to be desired. Starbrite 2015 winner Novuyo Dube’s performance left a bitter taste in the audience’s mouth, as she performed songs that are not hers, leaving people to wonder what she has been doing since her victory. She tried to sing Macy Gray’s I try and choked in the middle of it then turned to the audience to say, “Being a performer is hard,” an utterance she would not have had to say had she taken time to rehearse.

In spite of this, we can only wait to see what the 2017 edition of the talent search brings.