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A Youth Month project in partnership with MultiChoice
Afro-pop songstress Amanda Black did not give up on her singing career when she was eliminated from the Idols SA season 11 competition – in fact, it was only the beginning.
The then 22-year-old from Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, real name Amanda Benedicta Antony, sure was a crowd favourite and that gave her the strength to carry on.
Idols SA is a music talent search show that airs on DStv’s Mzansi Magic channel 161 on Sundays from 5.30pm. This year, the show will be back on screen in July.
Its first episode in South Africa aired on March 10, 2002, giving thousands of young South Africans – such as Amanda – a platform to showcase and advance their raw singing talents.
“I had watched the show since I was little. I had always dreamt of being on the Idols stage,” Black said, explaining what led to her auditioning in the first place.
An overwhelmed Amanda got her golden ticket in Port Elizabeth. What made it more amazing for her was that Unathi Nkayi handed her the ticket. Superstar Nkayi is one of the show’s three judges. She, alongside radio and television personalities Randall Abrahams, whose approval is almost always hard to come by, and Somizi Mhlongo, who is loved by both the contestants and the show’s audiences, travel throughout the country to unearth the raw talent.
Today, that young artist who came to Gauteng with nothing but a bag full of hope, a heart full of faith and an ambition to make it, has made her dreams come true. Her star rose in 2016 after the release of her hit single Amazulu, which was nominated for and won several music awards. She took her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and transformed it into success.
Now in its 15th season, Idols SA is a MultiChoice programme that prides itself on using the power of entertainment to enrich lives. The show has become a Sunday night favourite and the nation’s biggest reality competition by several metrics.
The programme is an example of how compelling local content, such as Idols SA, puts people on the right platforms and exposes their talents to broad audiences across the continent and the world.
Over the years, Idols has found, groomed and nurtured superstar after superstar – honing raw talent and consistently transforming those who are gifted into chart-topping music idols.
From season 1’s winner Heinz Winckler, to Musa and Elvis Blue, from Lloyd Cele to Khaya Mthethwa, Idols winners continue to carve out lucrative careers for themselves.
Like Amanda, other artists who didn’t win the competition have gone on to dominate the airwaves and blaze a bright path on local and international stages, including Thami Shobede and Shekhinah.
Amanda though took the entertainment industry by storm when she released her debut album, Amazulu.
In 2017, she walked away with two Metro FM Music Awards and won in three categories at the South African Music Awards (Samas). She was also nominated for a BET award. Amazulu went platinum within three weeks of its release in late 2016.
“Being on Idols was a huge opportunity. I am so grateful for the exposure I got from being on the show. It is a great platform for young and upcoming artists,” Amanda said.
Last year’s winner, Yanga Sobetwa, recently released a music video for her track, Promised Land, which is also the name of her debut album.
On it, she features Amanda and the Grammy award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir.
“The experience on its own teaches you a lot about performance and stage techniques, and great coaching and advice from the mentors,” Amanda says.
When asked what she thought of the role of television and other media in making her career, Amanda said it gets her closer to her fans.
Television “gives me the platform and the opportunity for my talent to be shared through to a broader audience”.
Her message to the youth of South Africa is: “Always trust the voice within and if your dreams make you excited and happy, then don’t ever give up on them.”
