Africa: Idols Reality Show Begins

Africa: Idols Reality Show Begins

	Published by the government of Zimbabwe
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The Herald (Harare)

7 April 2008
Posted to the web 7 April 2008

Harare

But who should have limited their singing to the shower? And who did the right thing by heading off to the auditions?

Idols, a reality show on M-Net began yesterday and decide for yourself who to vote for. With the seven scheduled auditions in Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe now completed, M-Net screened the very first episode of IDOLS yesterday at 5pm. With episode one focusing on the first IDOLS audition in Nairobi, audiences can expect more of the humor and the emotion that has made IDOLS a massive runaway hit around the globe.

This time round, with US$80 000 in cash and a recording contract from SonyBMG as the winner prize, the stakes were high and the atmosphere was electric. Hosted by Zimbabwe's Lebo Mzwimbi, episode one of the series kicked off at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre where Kenya's IDOLS hopefuls arrived confident of making their big singing debut. With an eye for fashion, an ear for music and taste for success, many were hoping to take a giant step into stardom. But first they had to survive the IDOLS judges and hot Zambian producer TK Siyandi, Kenyan radio star Angela Angwenyi and Botswana's hip-hop hero Scar contestants found a tough audience to impress.

Armed with witty one-liners, detailed music knowledge and an impressive ability to size up contestants quickly, the straight-talking trio dismissed the pretenders, the wannabes and the just plain average, delivering sharp judgment with cool efficiency.

DStv channel 198 will broadcast throughout April showing all the IDOLS auditions footage from all seven-audition cities. IDOLS headline was sponsored by Celtel and produced for broadcast by WaterFront Television.