|
Amy Jones
Age: 20
From: Paarl, Western Cape
Occupation: Student
About: Amy is studying to be a dietician and also models in her spare time. She auditioned in Cape Town on the spur of the moment, and it was her fourth time lucky.
“You are a real pop star,” Gareth Cliff told her at Theatre Week. “I am glad we found you.” |
|
|
Benjamin Tainton
Age: 19
From: Noordhoek, Cape Town
Occupation: Apprentice Farrier
About: Ben is an apprentice farrier, which means someone who shoes horses, which is what he does on a farm in Noordhoek, where he lives an idyllic life.
“I live with eight cats and seven dogs – all of them pavement specials of note!” he says. Ben never owned a cellphone until he had to buy one especially for Idols this year. |
|
|
Brenden Ledwaba
Age: 19
From: Graskop, Mpumalanga
Occuptation: Student
About: Brenden is currently studying sound engineering and says he’s wanted to enter Idols since his Matric year, “but the pressure would have been too much, so I decided as soon as I got that obstacle out of the way, I wanted to try out,” he says.
Brenden is the Idols heartthrob that Randall said “makes young girls imagine they were women and old women imagine they were young girls”.
|
|
|
Bunny Majaja
Age: 26
From: Florida Glen, Johannesburg
Occupation: Musician
About: Bunny is a professional musician who has been gigging non-stop with her band ever since she dropped out of Idols in 2011.
“Two years ago when I got kicked off Idols I realised that I wasn’t ready then - I needed to get booed off stages and get kicked off stages and grow,” she says. “It’s always scary to look your dream in the face and face possible failure.” |
|
|
Carlé van Deventer
Age: 30
From: Centurian, Gauteng
Occupation: Singer
About: Carlé is a professional singer who also teaches singing and her emotional performance of Adele’s “Turning Tables” had Unathi in tears at Sun City.
“I studied Teaching because I always dreamed of having a little music school – that was my ‘Plan Z’ if ‘Plans A to Y’ didn’t turn out to be singing,” she says. “And now I’m doing ‘Plan Z’ and I love it.”
|
|
|
Christina Williams
Age: 21
From: Port Elizabeth
Occupation: Singer
About: Christina is one of the three P.E. performers who won Golden Tickets at the special Algoa FM auditions in P.E. this year.
“When I heard Idols wasn’t coming to PE this year I thought that was my excuse not to enter because I always thought there were so many people there better than me,” she admits.
“And then when my mom heard they would come to PE my mom said ‘Christina – God brought them here for YOU’. So I auditioned, and look how far I’ve come.” |
|
|
Crystalene Nair
Age: 24
From: Newlands West, Durban
Occupation: Science teacher
About: Crystalene blew the judges away at the Idols auditions in Durban this year with her heartfelt rendition of “Over The Rainbow”.
“My first career choice was music and teaching was something to fall back on,” says Crystalene, “but now I love it!”
|
|
|
Innocent Mabushe
Age: 27
From: Phalaborwa, Limpopo province
Occupation: Singer
About: Innocent is Phalaborwa born and bred, where singing was always part of the family tradition, he says. “My sister is already an artist, a traditional jazz singer. I’m second, my 15-year-old brother and 12-year-old sister, we all can sing.”
Innocent says it’s actually his younger brother who dreams of Idols glory - he himself is not naturally a competitive person. “I just try to do everything as well as I can,” he says. “That’s why so far this competition so far has been the hardest thing on my emotions.” |
|
|
Jono Johansen
Age: 16
From: Glenwood, Durban
Occupation: Student
About: Jono has been singing with the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir since he was 8 and he is currently studying Classical Voice at Kearsney College, but don’t let that fool you - this 16-year-old is a rocker at heart! “I was 7 years old and I saw Queen perform on a DVD and I saw Brian May do a guitar solo and I said ‘that’s what I’m going to be’,” says Jono.
He knows that Randall is worried about his youth and whether he will be versatile enough for the Idols Spectaculars, but watch out, Jono promises: “I’m going to blow Randall away the next time he sees me.” |
|
|
Lee-Ron Malgas
Age: 18
From: Kensington, Cape Town
Occupation: Student
About: Lee-Ron was dramatically saved by Unathi at the very last moment at Sun City during Theatre Week. “I’ve never had to chase a man, I’ve never had to make a move on a man, but I’m so glad I chased after you!” she told him.
Lee-Ron is currently studying tourism which he says is his second love after music, but he’s been singing all his life.
He sang in the South African Youth choir for five years during which time he travelled to Canada, London and Dubai and performed with the likes of Loyiso, Steve Hofmeyr and Emo.
|
|
|
Musa Sukewne
Age: 26
From: eMalahleni, Mpumalanga
Occupation: Singer
About: Musa lives in Midrand now but he originally hails from Witbank on the Mpumalanga “platteland”, where he left school in Grade 11.
“I studied some music and worked in my dad’s construction business for a while, and after that it’s just been music all my life,” he says.
“I entered Idols for the experience – all I’ve known was gigging and I wanted to see ‘how the other half lives’!”
|
|
|
Philip Dube
Age: 20
From: Kempton Park, Gauteng
Occupation: Student
About: Away from the Idols stage Philip is a maths genius who finished school at age 16 and started studying Computational And Applied Mathematics at UJ. “But we ran into financial difficulties so I couldn’t continue,” he explains.
“I did Idols last year and then it dawned on me that this is actually who I am, because I’ve been doing music since I could think,” he says.
“Last year in Idols I fell out in the Green Mile. So since last year I’ve just been performing and I think that’s why I did better this year.”
|
|
|
Sonke Mazibuko
Age: 21
From: Soweto
Occupation: Singer
About: Sonke distinguished himself at Sun City - not only with his beautiful voice but also by always wearing his traditional headdress, which represents where he comes from, he says. “’Makhosonke’ translates to ‘all the kings’ or ‘great kings’,” he explains. “So I always grew up knowing I have to live up to my name - not be a king as such, but be a family man.”
Sonke currently supports his mom and two little sisters and his little brother with his music - “whatever I have, I bring to my mother,” he says.
|
|
|
Tauna Collier
Age: 26
From: Morningstar, Cape Town
Occupation: Singer
About: Tauna is a self-confessed “farmgirl-punk” who runs a stable yard and rescues horses by day on a smallholding near Tableview, and by night sings in her band, Fire ‘n Sticks. But she also has a very special reason for entering Idols, apart from her love of music. “I couldn’t enter last year because I was diagnosed with pre-cancer of the cervix, because I have the HPV virus,” Tauna explains. “And that’s actually one of the reasons I entered - I would love to be able to be a sort of a spokesperson to educate young girls about this danger.” |
|
|
Tumi Lesenjane
Age: 21
From: Midrand
Occupation: Student
About: “India Arie is not my thing at all but I’ll tell you what - you’re my thing!” Randall praised Tumi in the Theatre Rounds at Sun City, so it’s no surprise to find out she’s been singing all her life.
“My father always tells the story about how when I was in Grade 2 I always got sent to the corner for singing in class!” she recalls.
“In high school I chose Music as a subject and that’s when I think my parents realised that it’s not just a phase – it’s a gift.” Now Tumi is studying Musical Theater full time and she says whatever happens in Idols, she will finish her degree.
|
|
|
Zoë Zana
Age: 19
From: Bishop Lavis, Cape Town
Occupation: Singer
About: Zoë always wanted to enter Idols but she decided to finish her Matric first, which she did last year, and then she took a gap year specifically so she could focus on Idols.
In the meantime, before blowing the judges away in Idols, Zoë participated in various productions at the Klein Karoo Kunstefees, including the musical Droom with Elana Afrika.
Next year she wants to study Musical Theatre at UCT or the Waterfront Theatre School. (Unless she wins Idols, of course!)
|
|