In the computer age, raw talent doesn’t really count for much. You have a program or an app that will assist you in achieving whatever it is that you need to do. Music is one arena where such things happen.
Thanks to the Auto-Tune, you really don’t need to be a good singer to make hit songs. Akon and T-Pain are good examples of singers who are not necessarily gifted, yet they churn out addictive songs through Auto-Tune technology.
This is a hot topic because music purists will tell you that is is cheating, while music lovers dance to these tracks in clubs. In fact, one of the most-played songs in clubs in recent year’s was DJ Khaled’s All I Do Is Win, which features T-Pain on the catchy chorus. So it all comes down to perspective and preference.
But have you wondered what your favourite star would sound like if they were to play live with only a few studio instruments? We are talking no band members, no magician producers – just a mic and maybe a backing guitar.
That’s what Channel O’s Stripped Down does. They invite hot local artists to show off their true talent. Starting with Cassper Nyovest, the rapper of the moment, the show seeks to unearth the truth behind the man. He is behind last year’s hit songs Doc Shebeleza and Gusheshe which we all know are heavy bass hip hop joints. Now, if you are going to take the aesthetics that made the songs hits, and leave it to nothing but the vocals, it raises the question of how talented the rapper really is.
Because rap depends heavily on some sort of rhythm which comes from the beats, it will be intriguing to see what it sounds like without the usual ingredients.
It is a different story when it comes to other genres like R&B, as we will see with Moneoa.
She is a gifted singer whose break- out song was Shugasmakx’s Take It Easy. She has gone on to drop music of her own and is regarded as one of the rising stars of Mzansi when it comes to R&B and soul. On Stripped Down we see her go back to basics. If you have ever doubted her vocal prowess, you’ll see just how good she is.
Other musicians will be featured throughout the second season for you to compare what you hear on their albums with how they sound unplugged.
• Stripped Down 2, Fridays, 7pm Channel O (DStv Channel 320).