Safe zones, steals and surprises galore!
#TeamLIRA kicks off The Voice SA’s world-first KnockOuts
M-Net’s popular singing contest The Voice South Africa is making global television history on Sunday 31 March at 17:30 with a format reboot to the next round of the competition, the KnockOuts. Apart from introducing brand new elements to the KnockOuts, it was also swapped around with Battle Rounds, which followed The Blinds in The Voice SA’s first two seasons.
For the following four weeks, the teams mentored by The Voice SA’s four coaches – rapper and music producer Ricky Rick, Afro-soul songbird LIRA, singer-songwriter Riana Nel and rocker Francois van Coke – will each have the opportunity to take to the stage and stake their claims for stardom. The nerve-racking KnockOuts kick off with the thirteen members of #TeamLIRA.
For the first time, the KnockOuts will include mechanisms called “the safe zone”, “the danger zone” as well as a surprise that will only be revealed during the show.
This is how it all works:
The talent in the team of the week will sing the song that their coach has helped them to master in a quest for that unforgettable stage performance. Thereafter the coach will decide whether his/her team member goes to “the safe zone” or “the “danger zone”. Moving into the “safe zone” – which has six available seats – means the talented singer will definitely proceed to the next round. However, anyone who is relegated to “the danger zone”, will only know at the end of the show whether they will claim one of the remaining seats. There is a catch, however. Those who go into the danger zone can instantly be “stolen” by another coach.
“The jeopardy is so much higher now,” says M-Net’s Head of Publicity, Lani Lombard. “Viewers are going to be on the edge of their seats to see what happens to their favourites, and the coaches will have to focus on strategy. Getting the mix right is crucial.”
The talent in #TeamLIRA this week are:
Carmen Basson
This 20-year-old from the small town of Hoopstad in the Free State is studying at the moment but it’s definitely the “back-up” and not the dream!
Carmen is a massive fan of country music, noting that the story-telling is always on-point.
Her mom is a huge inspiration after managing to hold the family together and teach her children to see the silver lining in every situation, following their father’s passing. Music is a healing force in her own life, and Carmen hopes to extend this to others with her own gift.
Corneil Muller
32-year-old Corneil Muller from Bloemfontein lives in Somerset West. While he’s been mastering the cello since the age of 7, he discovered his passion for singing in Grade 11 only. He used to have a corporate job in corporate but quit it to pursue music. This proved to be a game-changing move as he got the chance to perform overseas in Spain at the Isle of Majorca as part of a quartet known as EL Quattro. They did a tribute to IL Divo and the vocal coaching and overall experience left him even more convinced that music was his calling. Now he’s entered The Voice SA because he’s ready to create exciting new opportunities for himself.
Krista Jonas
A 29-year-old Mitchell’s Plain resident, Krista is a freelance musician and mom of two, a seven-year-old daughter and two-year-old son. Her dream is to be “like Lira” – a full-time performer. She has performed in Spain. She’s hoping The Voice will take her to the next level. “I’ve been waiting for this for a very long time,” she says.
Lora Joplin
Part-time musician Lora is 29 and hails from Port Elizabeth. She started singing in church at the age of 5, with her father accompanying her on guitar. She is the youngest of seven siblings and started performing on stage and in competitions in 2009. A keen home-cook, she also plays piano and guitar and composes her own music.
Mo George
This 21-year-old from Cape Town was born for the stage, having grown up in a family of musicians. He even tours and performs in a group called the George Brothers, which he started with his siblings, much like the Jackson 5. As one might expect, Michael Jackson is a huge influence – which explains Mo’s impressive upper range – and he’s even studied the King of Pop’s choreography down to a tee. Now Mo says he’s taking on The Voice to silence the detractors who tell him music is just a hobby.
Nikki van Niekerk
Nikki, 33, is a bartender, artist and musician who hails from Port Elizabeth. She credits her artistry with helping her overcome depression in addition to the unwavering support of the owners at the bar she works at – they’ve became her adoptive family. She describes herself as a “mover”, full-of-energy and always thinking and reflecting. In addition to performing, she creates sculptures with precious and semi-precious stones in her studio. She’s now hoping The Voice SA will be her big chance to share her gift with millions watching.
Petro De Villiers
Petro is a 36-year-old construction worker from Cape Town who’s ready to swap out the jackhammer for the mic and stage. The Voice isn’t her first foray into talent shows but as she puts it, she’s finally “grown into her skin” since the last time she competed. It’s something she feels makes her much better positioned for greatness. She also grew into adulthood with undiagnosed ADHD, which made her childhood quite challenging – but music became an empowering escape, which is why she’s still chasing her dream
PJ Twins
Twin brothers Peter and John grew up in a small township in Cape Town called Bonteheuwel. Though the community is warm and close-knit they also reveal it’s affected by gangsterism, something they were fortunately able to distance themselves from, thanks to their dedication to music. The brothers are deeply invested in uplifting their community and regularly do charitable work such as free concerts and conducting education and anti-drug campaigns. Unsurprisingly, they’ve become local heroes and they’re hoping to make everyone supporting them even more proud in addition to making the most of this “huge platform”.
Rayleen Padayachee
This 27-year-old business analyst is originally from Pietermaritzburg, and currently resides in Benoni. She’s from a musical family and grew up in church, learning from her dad as early as age 5 about key and pitch – she’s now a worship leader. A fan of gospel, naturally, and R&B, she can also play bass, drums and keys.
Ross Charles
This 26-year-old from Durban almost became a lawyer but his mother encouraged him to pursue what had always made him happy and fulfilled. He is now a full-time musician, sound engineer and the lead singer of a band. He’s also a versatile artist, dabbling in many genres, and a huge fan of The Beatles, whom he credits with getting him through a difficult time in his life. He even has them tattooed on his arm! Naturally, the next step in his journey was to bring his soulful voice to the grandest stage in the country.
Sbu Dludlu
Sbu (34) hails from Nigel in the East Rand and is a full-time Musician. He’s been singing since the tender age of 9 but later got introduced to Musical Theatre in his 20s. The experience was pivotal for him as an artist because he got to tour Europe and dabble his other talents, acting and dancing. He’s a single father to two daughters and admits that juggling parenting with his career pursuits has proved to be a huge challenge. That said, with some help from his family and the grandest platform in SA, Sbu is ready to introduce himself to the world and provide for those he loves.
Slindo Zondo
Sli, 29, is a music tutor from Durban, but grew up on the outskirts of Hibberdeen in KZN. When she moved to Durban after Matric, she did odd jobs and studied accounting – her dad’s wish – before dropping out to study music. Her dad was unimpressed, seeing music as a hobby rather than a profession, and initially he was right: she struggled to pay her bills and considered walking away from music forever. But now, “When they [her parents] see me on this show, it’s gonna change a lot.” She follows it up by saying, “Music is something that makes me a better person – it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Yahto Kraft
Yahto is a musical theatre student who is fashion-forward and owns it with a rock-solid confidence that belies his young age of 18. He reveals that this is largely down to how supportive his parents have been from a very young age. Nowhere is this more apparent than in his name which means “blue” in a Native American language. His mom said she was resolute about naming him after the colour blue to remind him his dreams could stretch from the deepest depths of the ocean to the highest point in the sky. He’s been doing voice-training since he was only six and would even entertain shoppers at the mall. As such, he feels born for the stage, the one place he’s always free to live out his wildest dreams.
The Voice South Africa premieres on M-Net 101 every Sunday at 17:30 and is repeated on VUZU, Channel 116, on Mondays at 20:00. It also be available on DStv CatchUp.
Fans can visit www.mnet.tv/thevoicesa and follow all the breaking news and conversations around the show on Twitter @MNet / #TheVoiceSA and on the official M-Net Facebook page.
The Voice SA is produced by Blackswanmedia.
