IDOLS XII TAKES OFF WITH A BANG
After what seems like an interminable wait, Idols SA
is finally back on our screens and last tonight’s episode proves just how
eagerly it was awaited by South Africa!
Arguably the most anticipated singing reality TV show
of the year, the granddaddy of all talent shows kicked off in Durban where more
than 2000 hopefuls lined the streets around the Playhouse for a chance to
perform for judges Randall Abrahams, Unathi Msengana, Somizi Mhlongo and Gareth
Cliff.
In true Idols SA tradition, things got off to an exciting
start with melodrama, catty contestants, funny guys, absolutely ludicrous
Wooden Mic contenders, and of course, the magical voices.
There was Luke Tombola, from Estcourt East. With her
angelic smile and never-say-die attitude, the 26 year-old singer returned to
Idols SA for a personal record 5th audition. Buoyed by the fact that
she had been part of Robbie Malanga’s team in Clash of the Choirs, another
winning Mzansi Magic show, her confidence was at its peak when she stepped in
front of the judges. Her determination payed off as she came out of the
audition room clutching a Golden Ticket after getting a yes from all four
judges. Now the waitress is ready to serve South Africa her velvety voice.
Another contestant who made an impression, except for her
“mature” dress sense, was the soft-spoken Nosihe Zulu, 28, from
Pietermaritzburg, whose 10 year-old brother Joshua picked the audition song.
His prediction that his sister would bowl the judges over with Adele’s When We
Were Young turned out to be as spot-on as the forecasts by Paul The Octopus
during the 2010 Soccer World Cup. She got three nods from the judges, but Randall
couldn’t be swayed from his opinion that she was not strong enough. Still,
Nosihe got her ticket.
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| Somizi dances as Phumzile Washusha performs. PICTURE: SUPPLIED |
But it’s the contestants who performed original
compositions who left Randall, Unathi, Somizi and Gareth with their jaws on the
floor – and not in a good way. Notably, Phumzile Washusha.
Her version of a Zulu love song lamenting a lost love
had the judges in no doubt why the estranged lover had run away in the first
place. But that didn’t stop Somizi from staging an impromptu dance-off with
her, ending the performance limp in the arms of the singer.
And who will forget the “repeat offender” who came to
demand what he said was rightfully his – the Wooden Mic that never made it to
his mantelpiece after it was “faxed” through!
Idols SA season 12 is on Mzansi Magic, DStv channel
161 on Sundays at 17:30. - release by Mzansi Magic
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