BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
THE DreamStar Zimbabwe Talent Show will shed off 36 of the 53 contestants who threw their hats into the ring during the national semi-finals set to be held at Longchen Plaza in Harare tomorrow.
The lucky top 15 contestants will then qualify for this year’s grand finale of the annual talent show set for the Harare International Conference Centre on a date yet to be announced.
The talent show’s spokesperson, Tinashe Kitchen, yesterday said this year’s national semi-finals will feature 53 contestants, becoming the biggest number of contestants since the talent show’s inception six years ago.
Kitchen said this year’s edition saw the introduction of the inner-city auditions in Warren Park and Glen View in a bid to expand the reach and diversity of the programme.
“We travelled to four universities namely University of Zimbabwe, Great Zimbabwe University, Midlands State University, and Chinhoyi University of Technology as well as two cities — Bulawayo and Harare,” he said.
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“The level of competition was amazing and we had a sweltering time to choose the 53 contestants who will battle for the honours ahead of the grand finale. This year’s edition of the national semi-finals will be the biggest one we have ever hosted.”
Kitchen said through the talent show, they were seeking to uplift talent from singers, dancers, beatboxers, magicians, and all other performing artistes.
He added that this year’s top prizes include a tour to China, opportunities to work full-time both in China and in Zimbabwe, recording deals with Jacaranda
Culture and Media Corporation Studios, and a cash prize of US$3 000 for the ultimate winner, US$1 500 and US$750 for second and third-placed winners, respectively.
The annual talent show is sponsored by the China Africa Economic and Culture Exchange Research Centre and its partners seek to empower gifted people aged between 12 and 40, who are in the arts and culture sector, to help them rise from the backstage to the official stage.