‘A lot of content with so little time” is what Trace TV is going to make you feel this year. Both the music and the sport channels have upped their game and announced that great things are coming your way in a matter of days.
First on the list, to get every music lover’s attention, Trace is running a Trace Mobile Song Contest where you call in on a given number and sing a particular song for one minute. If you catch the judges’ attention you will be eligible to win a record deal, some cash, the production and promotion of a music video and a coaching session with the great Senegalese-American musician, Akon.
You could be the next big thing if you were to win, so check out www.trace.tv for further details.
But if singing is not your thing, perhaps watching people who can get accolades for their talents is more up your alley.
For the first time, Trace is holding the Trace Music Video Awards which will honour the best names in hip hop and R&B. Africa is represented in two awards categories which are Best African and Tropical Artists. The awards are set to take place in May in the City of Love, Paris.
Have you ever listened to a song you like and not had internet access to search for the lyrics and found yourself humming instead of singing along? Well, Trace understands your plight and starting from next month you can watch Hits & Lyrics, a show that plays your favourite tunes with the lyrics.
It’s like doing karaoke at home so you can have friends over and have a mini-Idols show. There are smartphone apps like Shazam that can detect a song and search for the lyrics, but this is much cooler as you don’t have to lift a finger.
Still on Trace Music, our very own DJ Nutty Nys takes his DJ skills from audio to video as he shares some interesting video mixes on the new show, DJ Nutty Show.
Also scheduled for next month, the show will take the latest music videos and seamlessly join them together the way they do it at the club. Yet another party at your home costing you nothing but your DStv subscription.
Moving on to the sports side, a lot of things have been lined up for you. To start off is the Atherton Project (pictured), a docu-reality series that shows the private lives of the world’s most famous biking family. We ride with them through the race season and also take some down time to understand the dynamics of the family.
Planet Oval is, predictably, an all-rugby affair. Trace invites you to celebrate the Six Nations Cup when it goes into the exclusive post-match celebration for five nights. Catch it from March 1 and every night after that at 9pm.
Then, finally, Winner’s Circle should take many people’s fancy. The show seeks out the most extraordinary achievers and their success stories. This is the type of show that would have gone to Lance Armstrong and Marion Jones, but since they cheated their way to the top, they will not be considered. Look out for the 22-episode season from April.
This is just a round-up of the plans Trace has in the first season, but the viewing will only get better. Visit www.trace.tv