Pietermaritzburg -
KwaZulu-Natal’s superstar singing sensation, Vincent Bones, may soon have to bid the congregation at Pietermaritzburg’s Eagle Christian Centre goodbye after the 29-year-old church worship leader coasted into the final of South African Idols on Sunday night.
In one of this season’s most dramatic and entertaining shows, the nation decided that it would be Stellenbosch’s Lize Mynhardt who would bow out at the penultimate stage of the competition, after a record-breaking 3.6 million votes were received.
That left Bones and Bongi Silinda to fight it out in Sunday night’s final and the two faced off for South Africa’s votes one last time, each singing three songs in their bid to win over the nation.
As the pressure built, the show hit the right note with a performance by former Idols contestants, Graeme Watkins with the Graeme Watkins Project, followed by last year’s runner-up, Brenden Ledwaba, who proved one does not have to win the competition to become a success.
Then the night belonged to the final two, who set the stage on fire with their performances.
But Bones was the star of the show, with his opening performance – a mash-up of Adele’s Skyfall and Eminem’s Lose Yourself– which showcased his sensitive side, but also allowed him to let out his inner rapper.
Bones’s second song, Sondela by South Africa’s Ringo Madlingozi, (in the front row of Pretoria’s State Theatre on Sunday night), which was chosen by the judges as their favourite performance by Bones this season, proved a hit yet again.
He closed the show with Let Me Love You, a debut single that will be released should Bones win the competition. The song suited Bones’s voice perfectly, and showcased his incredible range and impeccable falsetto.
The audience could not stop screaming and the judges had to critique his performance over the “Vincent” chants.
Idols judge Unathi Msengana praised Bones’s consistency and determination.
“Your journey on this show tells the story of triumph,” she said.
Bones captured the imagination of music lovers across the country with his passionate performances and heart-rending life story.
Originally from Eldorado Park, Bones took the train from Johannesburg to Pretoria at the age of 12, after his mother and uncle died.
There, he roamed the streets of Sunnyside where he lived for quite some time, eating leftovers from rubbish bins.
Fortunately for him, he was taken to Boys Town in Pietermaritzburg where his life took an incredible U-turn.
He is now a worship leader at a Pietermaritzburg church, where he lives with his wife, Gillian, and 2-month-old baby boy, Tristan.
Facebook and Twitter have been buzzing with messages of support for the performer.
On Twitter, Nikita Devcharan wrote: “Vincent Bones is an inspiration to all. You are South Africa’s winner.”
On Facebook, Slindile Ngcobo posted: “You owned the stage and you have captured our hearts. Vincent Bones for Idols king. Vincent Bones for president.”
Vincent’s Facebook fan page “Team Vincent Idolssa 2014” has accumulated more than 1 000 fans over the duration of the show.
Winning Idols would be a life-changing experience for the KwaZulu-Natal contestant, who said last night that he could not have dreamed that he would be performing in the final.
“I am so grateful and humbled to be here. Living on the streets, I always loved singing for small groups of people… it made me happy, but I never believed I would be on the Idols stage, performing for the nation. I guess destiny had its own plan for me.”
Bones said his Idols journey had been a roller-coaster of emotions. During the dreaded theatre week in Sun City, he doubted he had the experience to make it through.
“Now that I am so close to being the winner, it is the most nerve-racking and exciting thing. After all I have been through, I never imagined I would be living my dream” he said.
Bones said he loved performing on stage, and win or lose, he would continue to establish a career in music.
“I perform my heart out every single time. This is what I was born to do,” Bones said.
He expressed his appreciation to the thousands of people who voted for him each week. “Words can’t express my appreciation, but I see and hear all the support and love, and I humbly thank you all.”
The only person standing in Bones’s way of claiming the Idols crown is Silinda, who received high praise from the judges for her three performances.
“You are phenomenal. It is fair to say that you both (Silinda and Bones) have done enough to win,” Msengana said.
The winner will be announced in a star-studded show on Sunday.
* To vote for Vincent Bones text 9 to 37400.