WHEN it comes to singing and performing, residents of the capital certainly have talent.
Idols Season 10 has begun and on Wednesday judges Randall Abrahams, Unathi Msengana and Gareth Cliff selected the best performers to go through to the top 100 in Sun City next month.
The Cape Town, Joburg and East Rand auditions have been completed and the capital’s State Theatre was the last stop before the competition’s theatre round begins.
Excited young performers waited anxiously for their moment in the spotlight to show their talent to the judges. The coveted reward was at least two thumbs up and a golden ticket from the judges.
On Saturday, more than 2 000 people auditioned. This number was cut to fewer than 100, who performed on Wednesday.
One of the contestants, Berdine Potgieter, 19, performed the song When I’m Gone by Anna Kendrick. The song featured in the film Pitch Perfect where a young girl uses a plastic cup to play a beat. Potgieter took a blue plastic cup along and told the judges this novel instrument would ensure people remembered her. It paid off as she got the nod from Msengana and Cliff after being asked to sing another song.
“It’s an indescribable and amazing feeling. I just knew it was now or never and I had to perform the best I could,” she told the Pretoria News after her performance.
Silakhe Oyo, 22, travelled from Port Elizabeth to perform for the judges. She was one of three singers from the Windy City selected by Algoa FM to take part.
She was the only performer from Port Elizabeth to be given the “yes” by all three judges. Cliff said she delivered “a textbook-good” performance of Orange Colored Sky, sung by Natalie Cole.
“When I walked away the judges were still singing my song. I’m on a golden ticket high. When it sinks in I think I’ll be nervous for Sun City,” she said.
Mmatema Moremi, 22, sang One Night Only, by Jennifer Hudson, but Abrahams suggested she focus on more modern songs when she performed in Sun City. She was given a golden ticket by Cliff and Msengana. “Making it here is enough for me. This is the start and I can’t wait for the rest,” she said.
Twitter: @LalivZ