After a successful season in West Africa, M-Net is bringing the Idol franchise to East Africa and the rest of Southern Africa next year.
Too bad Zaire/DR Congo and the rest of Middle Africa got snubbed.
A New Season of Idols
The reality TV phenomenon continues on DStv as M-Net announces new search!It's M-Net's biggest season of Idols ever. A massive seven city, seven country blockbuster search and it's on its way soon. Get ready!
Following up on its ultra-popular Big Brother Africa 2, M-Net today launched a sensational new season of Idols. The news marks the first time in history that M-Net has announced 3 African versions of the hit series in a single year.
Available first and exclusive to DStv audiences, viewers will live the magic as the search for a solo superstar rolls on.
Open to anyone between the ages of 18 and 27, the new season will head to Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe early in 2008. In each country, Idols will hold one 'make-or break' audition session. Here citizens who are singing divas, talented vocalists or confident wannabes will get their shot at the spotlight. It's also their big chance to win an international recording contract!
The new season of Idols is also open to citizens of Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Reunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia and Swaziland. Entrants from these countries who meet the requirements and are determined to be stars can audition at any of the seven audition cities.
So do you think you're destined to headline sold-out concerts, rock stadiums and launch platinum albums? Take that first step and enter Idols!
To enter, all you have to do is keep your vocal cords in great shape, dress to be remembered and get to an audition centre. If you impress the judges, you'll head straight into the next round and maybe all the way to the Top 10 stage. But remember that would-be entrants shouldn't have an existing recording contract of any kind.
During the audition phase, entrants can sing from a wide spectrum of music including Traditional, Western, English, African, Pop, Reggae, R&B and rock, though Idols entrants must be aware that the show is looking for a Pop Idol. If an entrant is selected for the Theatre, Group and Top 10 phases, they must be able to sing Pop, African and Western music, including English language songs.
Commenting on M-Net's most ambitious Idols yet, M-Net Director of Operations for sub-Saharan Africa Joseph Hundah says M-Net was very excited to make the new announcement.
"In 2007 M-Net completed Idols in West Africa and season 4 of Idols SA is about to end. M-Net wanted this show to tap the talent of East and Southern Africa while celebrating homegrown stars for local audiences. Supported by M-Net's platform provider MultiChoice Africa, we're aiming to deliver more 'must-watch' content!"
Meanwhile it's not just singers who are getting ready for the Idols boom. The show is searching for a presenter and the all-important judges, working through the credentials of industry heavyweights to find the perfect personalities! Keep an eye out for the announcements of these key Idols personnel in coming months.
Produced for M-Net by Waterfront Television in association with Fremantle Media, Idols auditions begin in February before the series debuts on M-Net screens in April 2008. It has also been confirmed that the new home of Idols will be Nairobi where the show's theatre stage and its glittering spectaculars will be shot. And, once again, voting audiences will determine the outcome of the group and spectacular stages so the final power is all in the hands of the public!
Finally, would-be entrants take note: Grammy Award winning Kelly Clarkson as well as Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Timi Dakolo, Will Young, Karin Kortjie and World Idol entrant Heinz Winkler all chose Idols to launch their careers. The reason is simple - Idols is one of the world's most successful reality TV formats, with local versions of Idols airing in over 40 territories. In the USA, Idols is the No.1 series with an audience of 37 million viewers and the global number of votes for Idols has now exceeded three billion!
http://www.mnetafrica.com/idols/About.asp
If I had one wish, it's that the greatest Idol contestant of all-time Tarisai Vushe goes home to Harare for a while next year, then pulls a Rosie Ribbons and tries out again.
