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South Africa has the uncanny ability to lap up half-baked reality shows from abroad. These shows masquerade themselves as being platforms that launch an artist towards stardom, shows such as the all-too-popular Idols SA and The Voice SA, which reaches its conclusion this evening – but if you’re a fan you probably know this already.
The Voice SA is a talent search show involving a host and four judges. A revolutionary premise, not. In this third season, creators – a term used loosely as the idea for the show is franchised – roped in the always entertaining Anele Mdoda. That’s the one positive on a list of things this show does wrong.
The judges are famous artists, for the most part, and they coach contestants week by week and, of course, there are challenges and an elimination element. Again, we are witnessing pioneering television here people, ground breaking writing.
The judges are singer Lira, rapper and fashionista Riky Rick, and two people by the names of Riana Nel and Francois van Coke. Word is they’re singers.
There have been two winners so far who you’ve probably never heard of.
The maiden season was won by Richard Stirton and the second by Craig Lucas, who spoke with City Press about this platform changing his life.
The 25-year-old from Elsies River in Cape Town is now a full-blown recording artist.
“It was a dream come true for me. I’d been following the show since it started in America. I had always wanted to be a singer, but suffered from really bad stage fright,” the singer explained.
He never thought he would be able to do a show like this until a friend urged him to enter and he did so in a bid to overcome his nerves.
His debut album Restless came out in 2017. After giving it a quick spin, it’s pure pop. They love a bit of Craig in Cape Town and his sound is built for radio. You know the music you hear playing in the background at reception or in an Uber? Yeah, it’s probably Craig.
Restless boasts two songs that have been well received and aren’t unbearable to listen to – Hearts Exposed and Smother.
“I ended being up signed to Universal Music, which gave me access to resources I never dreamt were possible, such as the most amazing producers in the country, public relations and marketing. A lot of artists struggle with all that and I had it from the get-go.”
The music industry has been hard but not bad for the singer, who was positioned in a career on the opposite side of the spectrum – finance.
His biggest struggles are the things that come with the industry. He has had to adjust to a few industry processes, including “networking and going to events, and having to maintain some kind of persona and giving up a lot of my privacy. These are things I struggled with in the beginning.”
He’s gearing up for the release of an EP and is a full-time artist now, which means The Voice did provide the man with a means to catch that fish.
What of Stirton?
Well, he released an album in 2016 and has since faded into obscurity.
What about all the winners of Idols?
A few names have emerged through these ranks, mostly pop singers, which is also a little corny. Where are the soul singers and rappers?
We’ll keep an eye on Craig as well as the new winner in the hopes that this show and productions like it put more of an effort into ensuring their winners flourish when the curtains close on set.
Finding and funding talent are easy, compared with empowering an artist with a means of staying power and longevity.
Catch the final episode at 5pm this evening on M-Net (DStv channel 101) to see who will win between Soné Joubert, Eon le Roux, Tasché Burger and the PJ Twins.
