Press Release
Idols judges say yes to 16 singers in Durban
The winner of Idols 10, Vincent Bones, first caught the eye of the judges at last year's KZN auditions, during which 16 talented singers received Golden Tickets to the next round at Sun City. This year's auditions at the Playhouse Theatre in Durban produced exactly the same number of Golden Ticket winners – but this time from a record number of 1436 entries in the province.
"We were incredibly impressed with the turn-out in KZN, but in the end it's all about quality," said Unathi Msengana, who shares the responsibility of discovering South Africa's next singing sensation with Randall Abrahams, Gareth Cliff and newcomer to the judging panel Somizi Mhlongo. "Many of the people who we picked today will definitely create some fireworks in the next round."
In this next phase of the competition, aptly called "Idols Hell Week", the 16 Golden Ticket winners from the Durban auditions will compete against the 19 found at the Pretoria auditions, the 18 from Cape Town, as well as those that will impress the judges at the upcoming auditions at Carnival City.
About his first Idols judging stint in KZN the flamboyant Somizi said: “I had high expectations today because I know Durban to be a Number 1 town for vocal prowess. For me Winston Moonsamy was the stand-out talent today. I can see him being in the Top 10.”
"This is my sixth audition, my fourth time seeing the judges, my third trip to Sun City,” the 28-year-old Winston Moonsamy (28) laughed after receiving his third Golden Ticket.
Winston has deeply personal reasons driving him to audition again and again. He doesn’t want to die without ever having made music, like his late dad, who passed away at only 29, when Winston was just a baby. “He died young as a result of alcohol abuse and could never see any of his musical dreams realised,” says Winston. “That is why today I am a teetotaler and so completely focused on my music.”
Many Idols fans will also be delighted to hear that Season 10 favourite Dr Lihle Buthelezi from Ladysmith, who just missed out on a spot in the Top 16 last year, will be back at Sun City to resuscitate her singing career. But she's not the only medical doctor on Idols Season 11. Dr Mandla Bacela (28) from Butterworth also received a Golden Ticket today.
Their competition will come in the form of bright-eyed youngsters who left the stage today after their very first try, like 19-year-old Hayden Olivier, who just wrote Matric in Johannesburg last year, where he lived with his uncle to finish his last three years of school after his parents moved to Pinetown.
The final audition for
Idols SA Season 11 auditions will take place at Carnival City East of Johannesburg on 1 March.
Contestants should be South African citizens between the ages of 16 and 30 to enter
Idols SA 11, and South Africa’s aspiring superstars are urged to remember their ID documents at the auditions. Underage contestants have to be accompanied by their parents.