AND then there were five. Time does fly when you’re having fun and the first edition of The X-Factor SA is testimony to this. The competition started not so long ago yet now only a handful remain.
Last week was a proudly South African episode when the Top 6 acts performed homegrown classics. From Joy’s Paradise, Johnny Clegg and Juluka’s Scatterlings of Africa, Steve Kekana’s Take Your Love to Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s Homeless, there was no limit to what the six contestants had to offer.
Yet one person had to leave. It all came down to Arno Carstens who had to announce that Princess should exit the competition. This was made harder because the judges each had two contestants left in their keep. Nothing prepared Princess for such an eventuality.
The presence of John Legend was a bittersweet experience for the contestants because they got to see a man who has achieved what they are still chasing. The Grammy Award winner was in the country to perform in several cities and took time out to show the wannabes how it is done.
Bubbles and Princess got the least number of SMS votes. Being in the bottom two meant they had to sing for their lives.
Yet if you look at the performances, it was unfair to have Princess sing Zonke’s Feelings in front of her. In a past interview, Zonke stated that it would be an ego boost if anyone did her songs, but she also pointed out that it would have to be a really good performance.
Boy band Four were in the same predicament, but managed to survive the test. They had to perform Via Orlando which is a Kalawa classic, and the Kalawa boss, Oskido, is on the judging panel.
Here are the top five:
Wandile “Bubbles” (21, from Durban): already a professional musician, she entered The X- Factor SA because “this is where I belong”, and says she is doing it for her grandmother and her community. She stands a good chance of making the final three.
Eliezer (Joburg): a TV talent competition veteran who has entered several such shows in a bid to break into the industry. By entering The X-Factor SA, the 28-year-old wants to set an example for his three-year-old son. He is good, so let’s hope he finally cracks it.
Four (Cape Town): Steven, Jethro and David, who range in age from 23 to 30, are a pop-rock and R&B-inspired boy band. These family-oriented lads had only been together for a month before they entered The X-Factor SA, but had already written some 20 songs. Win or lose, South Africa has a place for these guys.
Iziqhaza (Pietermaritzburg): Khanyisa and Mbongeni, aged 26 and 31 respectively, are both professional nurses and prolific songwriters who dream of singing around South Africa and landing a recording deal.
Wandaboy (Joburg): Hailing from a large family with 10 siblings (four of whom have died), 31-year-old Wandaboy has entered several TV singing contests and done backing vocals for established gospel artists. Like Eliezer, this chap needs to win something already.
•Catch The X-Factor SA on SABC1 for the live gala show on Saturdays from 6pm to 7pm and then the results show on Saturdays from 7.30pm.