The winner of Idols SA Season 10, Vincent Bones, first
caught the eye of the judges at last year's KZN auditions, during which 16
talented singers received Golden Tickets to the next round at Sun City. This
year's auditions at the Playhouse Theatre in Durban produced exactly the same
number of Golden Ticket winners – but this time from a record number of 1,436
entries in the province.
"We were incredibly impressed with the turn-out in KZN,
but in the end it's all about quality," said Unathi Msengana, who shares the
responsibility of discovering South Africa's next singing sensation with
Randall Abrahams, Gareth Cliff and newcomer to the judging panel Somizi
Mhlongo. "Many of the people who we picked today will definitely create
some fireworks in the next round."
In this next phase of the competition, aptly called
"Idols Hell Week", the 16 Golden Ticket winners from the Durban
auditions will compete against the 19 found at the Pretoria auditions, the 18
from Cape Town, as well as those that will impress the judges at the upcoming
auditions at Carnival City.
About his first Idols judging stint in KZN the flamboyant
Somizi said: “I had high expectations today because I know Durban to be a
Number 1 town for vocal prowess. For me, Winston Moonsamy was the stand-out talent
today. I can see him being in the Top 10.”
"This is my sixth audition, my fourth time seeing the
judges, my third trip to Sun City,” the 28-year-old Winston Moonsamy (28)
laughed after receiving his third Golden Ticket. Winston has deeply personal reasons
driving him to audition again and again. He doesn’t want to die without ever
having made music, like his late dad, who passed away at only 29, when Winston
was just a baby. “He died young as a result of alcohol abuse and could never
see any of his musical dreams realised,” says Winston. “That is why today I am
a teetotaller and so completely focused on my music.”
Many Idols fans will also be delighted to hear that Season
10 favourite Dr Lihle Buthelezi from Ladysmith, who just missed out on a spot in
the Top 16 last year, will be back at Sun City to resuscitate her singing
career.
Undergoing his very first try was 19-year-old Hayden
Olivier, who just wrote Matric in Johannesburg last year, where he lived with
his uncle to finish his last three years of school after his parents moved to
Pinetown.
The final audition for Idols SA Season 11 auditions will
take place at Carnival City East of Johannesburg on March 1.
Follow Idols on Twitter: @IdolsSA or at IdolsSA on WeChat or
on Instagram @IdolsSA for audition details.
Idols SA is a co-production between the two pay-television
channels M-Net and Mzansi Magic.
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