BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
AFRICA’S top unsigned acapella talents from five countries are set clash at the Old Mutual Amazing Voices singing competition, where a whopping US$100 000 grand prize is on offer.
The 10 acapella groups, two from each country — Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa — were selected from the over 500 online videos that were submitted as entries to the auditions that started in October last year.
An intense musical, educational and inspirational boot camp for the lucky groups roars to life this Sunday at Sun City in South Africa and will be on small screens across the African continent, bringing cheer to a continent ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The show will be aired on channels for the respective countries, Zambezi Magic in Zimbabwe at 5pm, Simulcast on Mzansi Magic and Mzansi Wethu in South Africa at 5pm, Africa Magic in Ghana at 3pm, Maisha Magic East in Kenya at 6pm, Africa Magic in Nigeria at 4pm.
Old Mutual Zimbabwe group spokesperson Lawrence Mawoni said Zimbabwe was well represented in this year’s edition of the competition.
“We are enormously impressed by the number of people who auditioned remotely despite the global pandemic, they took time and commitment to rehearse and perform,” he said.
Mawoni said the talent’s journey to stardom would be closely monitored by experienced adjudicators from each of the countries and supported by the show adviser Zwai Bala.
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“The judges are Zimbabwe’s Afro-pop and RnB powerhouse Ammara Brown, Evelle, a previous Nigerian Idols winner, singer and collaborator, Kenya’s Filah Tuju, renowned as a performer, voice coach, writer and producer and founder of a music academy, Ghana’s Trigmatic, a multi-award winner rapper, composer and songwriter and South Africa’s Vusi Nova, the best Afro album and best male awards winner,” he said.
At last year’s edition, Zimbabwe was represented by Bulawayo-based gospel acapella group Family Voices, who put up a good performance .
The six-member all-male group stormed into the top four of the continental showcase to be the country’s sole representatives after two of their compatriot groups were eliminated.
Kenyan RnB group Wanavokali, however, emerged as the ultimate winners and pocketed the US$100 000 prize money.
On the Amazing Voices stage, battles are fought and won first by the decisions groups make, and then by the performances they put up.
- Follow Winstone on Twitter @widzoanto
