The first live show of The Voice SA kicked off this week (21 and 22 May) with performances by Team Kahn and Karen.
Kahn saved Fatman, Karen saved Samanara and the rest of the voices face an uncertain future, at the mercy of the South African public.
The contenders who face the public vote this week are (with their voting code):
#TeamKahn
Freddy Lalendle (23) from Durban
03
Zee Gqamana (23) from Grahamstown
04
Craig Lucas (23) from Cape Town
01
And in #TeamKaren
Lindo Sithole (23) from Pietermaritzburg
06
PJ Pretorius (26) from Secunda
07
Amanda Faku (23) from Port Elizabeth
05
Here's a recap of the episode by the show:
#TeamKahn was up first with Capetonian Economics graduate-turned singer Craig Lucas (23), showing off his giant pop vocals with the Killers anthem, “Human”. A happy Coach Kahn rose to his feet in applause during Craig’s performance, which he said was “Awesome!”
Alternative, raspy-voiced Freddy Lalendle (23) from Durban strayed from his usual rocker roots to perform the emotional Labrinth ballad, “Jealous”. Coach Lira said Freddy is an enigma, but Bobby warned him about a tendency to mumble his lyrics.
Soulful Information Systems graduate Zee Gqamana (23) from Grahamstown chose Allesia Cara’s poignant “Scars to Your Beautiful” to impress the viewers.
“You are a superstar!” coach Karen Zoid raved. “I’m so proud of you – you brought it, girlfriend!” Lira agreed. “Confidence is a beautiful thing,” she joked. “You are the complete package,” Kahn told his singer happily.
And the final singer to represent #TeamKahn was larger-than-life comedian Fatman (40) from Bela Bela, who wowed the coaches and the Mosaïek audience with his soulful rendition of the Kurt Darren mega-hit, “Kaptein”.
Coach Karen said there’s something about Fatman’s voice that makes you feel safe, and Kahn said this performance reminded him of that famous “Oh Captain, My Captain” scene in the movie “Dead Poets Society”.
#TeamKaren’s turn on the stage was lead by the stylish Lindo Sithole (23) from Pietermaritzburg, performing Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic”. “I love your swag!” Lira told Lindo, and his Coach Karen agreed. “You are unbelievable!” she raved. “And you are the most stylish person on this year’s ‘Voice’.”
Worship leader PJ Pretorius (26) from Secunda mixed things up with a dose of Shania Twain’s “You’re Still The One”. “You’ve got something magical about you,” coach Bobby told PJ, and Karen thought it was “a fantastic performance”.
Amanda Faku (23) from Port Elizabeth had the crowd on their feet with Kings of Leon’s rocking singalong hit, “Use Somebody”. “You are incredible,” a proud coach Karen told her.
And last but not least, Samantha Leonard (24) from Kimberly showcased her impressive vocal range with the Enrique Iglesias hit, “Hero”. “You took my breath away,” said a tearful Coach Lira. “It reminded me of performances that I have seen at the Grammys.” And Bobby said he can’t wait to see Sam perform Afrikaans music.
With Fatman and Samantha safe from the vote, it is now up to the fans to decide which singers from both teams to save with their votes. Only two members of each team can remain – two singers
must be sent home in next week’s Showstopper episode.
Voting for #TeamKahn and #TeamKaren’s singers opened directly after the show at 19h00 on Sunday and will close on Tuesday, 23 May at 22h00. You can also vote via WeChat (free) and SMS (standard rates apply). You'll find the terms and conditions here:
www.mnet.tv/thevoice.