Talent shows must mould budding artistes

When you are a music aficionado like me, with a penchant for raw talents, watching them grow and prosper, then this is one of the best programmes to tune to.
Besides being a cash cow for the producers and the judges as well, this programme has also helped to churn out future stars as well as entertain the multitude of followers who stick to it.

Simon Cowell, the founder of the programme, and his gang have managed to unearth some raw gems and help make them to be the finished products that we see and hear today.
Idols has been a launch pad for many musical superstars and some participants, by simply appearing on the programme, have seen a major boost in their careers.
Carrie Underwood, the Season Four winner, is one of the biggest pop stars in the world and has managed to sell more than 12 million albums in her short career – thanks to Idols.
It was because of Idols that the world came to know of the divas Fantasia Barino the Season Three winner, as well as soulful Jennifer Hudson, one of the biggest players on the R&B scene at the moment.

Jordin Sparks is one of the biggest prospects in pop music as well as heart-throb Kris Allen who is surely destined for bigger things in the music world.
These guys started as nobodies but due to the American Idols fame, they can now be counted among the crème de la crème of international musicians. I really like talent search programmes because besides bringing entertainment value, they also help to discover the crude talent that is ready to be polished.

In South Africa megastars like Brenda Fassie, Mandoza and Arthur Mafokate are all products of these talent search shows, and it shows these programmes really pay off for the talented.
However, I get a bit disturbed by the set-up and goings-on, on the local talent shows, as I believe they haven’t done much to help budding artistes or to promote themselves as well.
I still remember with much nostalgia the days of CBZ A Academy Show, which was the brainchild of the affable Gary Thompson.

That show brought a lot of joy due to the abundant talent in the country that we saw, as well as the occasional laughs here and there due to the overzealousness of some individuals, who are not talented.

Winners of that show were promised megabucks as part of the package as well as lucrative recording deals with prominent recording companies.
But it’s a bit disappointing that not much has happened to the winners of that competition in terms of growth in their musical careers.
I doubt if many of you still remember the easy going and mellifluous Jonah Sithole, Praise Nyandimo and Eric Moyo past participants of that search show. To be frank, these guys have not turned the

raw talent they showed on to the real thing on the musical stage.

I am a bit disappointed by the mediocre success these guys have achieved considering they were rated as the best in the country.
Now talk of the town is the revival of Star Brite, a show which was very popular in the late 90s but like A Academy never really fished out a superstar like American Idols have done.

The only person who I can say from the Star Brite of the late 90s made a little impact is Tendai Chidarikire of the “Muzezuru” fame but to be frank he never made an impact, which most people thought he would have.

Now Star Brite auditions are being held right around the country at the present moment with big riches being promised to the winners and lucrative recording deals as well.
I feel let down by the local talent searches, as I believe they haven’t really gone that extra yard to unearth new budding talents and unleash them on to the public.

There is a missing link somewhere between unearthing a musical gem and unleashing it much to the awe of the public like we have seen on American Idol.
Star Brite if marketed well and done professionally can be the local equivalent of the famed American Idol contest, I strongly believe. But the producers and the sponsors of the show should forge very

strong symbiosis with the music industry as well as the corporate world.
I believe Star Brite would have much more impact if it was more streamlined and concentrated on one thing rather than try to be a mixed bag.

I don’t see the rationale in combining jokers, comedians, musicians and magicians in one pool as I believe they should at least have had more categories to compete for.
I had a brief talk with Star Brite producer Barney Mpariwa and he told me big things are in the sack and they want to make this programme an annual event to always look forward to.

I really believe Barney, but what has to be done is to make sure that we support his dream in our different capacities be it viewers, judges and the public at large.
Star Brite can be the pot from where we get our musical stew but we all have to give it support to make it a real success.

I really hope that this time around a gem will be unearthed and I also hope we won’t hear about delay in prize money and winners complaining will kill the trust people have in these talent shows at the moment.