Only five contestants are left to battle it out for South Africa’s most coveted title in Idols SA Season 9 and the pressure just doubled this week at the Moreleta Park Church Auditorium in Pretoria when the Top 5 each performed two songs. With some expert advice from Pam De Menezes of the South African girl group The Arrows, they each prepared a hit from the Nineties and a hit from the Naughties for two rounds of performances.
MUSA SUKWENE (26) from eMalahleni opened the first round of Nineties Hits with R. Kelly’s “Bump And Grind”, and for the second round, songs from the Naughties, the gentle giant chose Dave Hollister’s R&B hit “Can’t Stay”. In his comments Gareth Cliff said Musa’s delivery of the second song convinced him that R&B is his thing, and Unathi Msengana said she really enjoyed his interpretation of “Bump ‘n Grind” and she appreciated his vulnerability in the second performance. “R. Kelly? And Dave Hollister?” Randall Abrahams marveled jokingly. “Son – turn down the lights!”
To vote for Musa, SMS the number 09 to 37400. [R1.50 per text] or vote online via mobile or web at mnet.co.za/idolssa, for free. Fans can also vote on Mxit [25 moola]. Follow Musa on Twitter @musathevoice
For her song from the Nineties BUNNY MAJAJA (26) from Florida Glen in Johannesburg sang Robin S’s 1990 hit “Show Me Love” and to represent the 2000’s she went with a more recent local hit, “Ndiredi” from Simphiwe Dana. “I think tonight has completed what I would call a tour de force of versatility,” Gareth said. “I don’t think anyone else has chosen as well as you did. You executed both of them perfectly.” Unathi pointed out that psychologically the contestants have been in competition mode for a year already and she admired the way that Bunny keeps upping the ante. Randall agreed that the song choice was excellent, “but let’s not take away from your performance,” he pointed out. “Absolutely at the top of your game tonight.”
To vote for Bunny, SMS the number 08 to 37400. [R1.50 per text] or vote online via mobile or web at mnet.co.za/idolssa, for free. Fans can also vote on Mxit [25 moola]. Follow Bunny on Twitter @BunnyMajaja
BRENDEN LEDWABA (19) from Graskop in Mpumalanga picked Usher’s “Nice And Slow” for his Nineties hit and his Naughties hit was “Jailer”, from the French-Nigerian singer-songwriter Asa. “Something’s happened,” Gareth noted. “I feel like everybody on the stage tonight’s just bringing their A-Game.” He thought Brenden was playing to his strengths like never before and that the second song showed aspects of Brenden’s personality that he’d forgotten about. “Your confidence is back!” Unathi agreed. “I don’t think anybody in the history of South African Idols has ever had a jam session on air!” “This is a tight competition, son,” Randall said. “This is the tightest Idols has ever been.”
To vote for Brenden, SMS the number 01 to 37400. [R1.50 per text] or vote online via mobile or web at mnet.co.za/idolssa, for free. Fans can also vote on Mxit [25 moola]. Follow Brenden on Twitter @brenden_praise
19-year-old ZOË ZANA from Bishop Lavis in Cape Town channeled her inner Janet Jackson with the 1997 megahit “Together Again” and then she rocked the house with her Naughties choice, the Destiny’s Child hit “Survivor”. Gareth loved the beginning of the Janet Jackson song, and the end, but not the middle. “You need to have a chorus and a verse,” he cautioned Zoë. “I want some variation,” he said. Unathi thought that Zoë’s performance in the Janet Jackson song showed a delicacy that took the audience by surprise. But Randall thought that she missed the playfulness that Jackson displayed in the original song and “you were so sharp that I couldn’t listen anymore,” he complained. And with “Survivor” you still need to sing as well as dance, he pointed out. “I think you’re going to have it tough on Tuesday,” he predicted.
To vote for Zoë, SMS the number 05 to 37400. [R1.50 per text] or vote online via mobile or web at mnet.co.za/idolssa, for free. Fans can also vote on Mxit [25 moola]. Follow Zoë on Twitter @zoe_zana
The final contestant in both rounds was Soweto’s SONKE MAZIBUKO (21) who interpreted the old Nina Simone classic “Killing Me Softly”, as it was covered by The Fugees in 1995, and he ended the show on an upbeat note with Michael Bublé’s “Haven’t Met You Yet”. Gareth pointed out that Idols has a strange relationship with that Fugees song in that it’s mostly been sung by bad singers, and he was happy to hear it sung well. But not being a Michael Bublé fan he said he “didn’t feel” the second song. He thought it was “too Broadway”, but that Sonke was popular enough to get away with it. Unathi thought it was good that Sonke showed his versatility, though. “The less said about ‘Killing Me Softly’ the better,” Randall grumbled. And as far as the second song was concerned, he pointed out that some singers have a “default position” and that Sonke’s is a cabaret style. “The song choice tonight in your case absolutely killed you,” he declared.
To vote for Sonke, SMS the number 06 to 37400. [R1.50 per text] or vote online via mobile or web at mnet.co.za/idolssa, for free. Fans can also vote on Mxit [25 moola]. Follow Sonke on Twitter @sonke_mazibuko
Voting for the Top 5 opened at the start of tonight’s show and will close on Monday night, 4 November, at 22:00. And on Tuesday, 5 November, fans will have to bid farewell to yet another contestant as the show counts down to the big Finalé on Tuesday, 26 November.
