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Uganda: Ugandans Survive This Week
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The Monitor (Kampala)
COLUMN
9 May 2008
Posted to the web 9 May 2008
Edgar R. Batte
In a twist of events, more emotion seems to cloud the second edition of the Tusker Project Fame (TPF). Sunday was the precursor where presenter Gaetano Kaggwa took it on with the 'overly' candid Judge Ian Mbugua who he thought was unfair.
The clamour from the crowd came through with boos and catcalls for "Ian should go" punctuating the last minutes of Sunday's probation session. The teachers didn't seem convinced either and they spoke their minds out on what they thought was an unfair judgement from the three-man panel that also includes Uganda's Tshaka Mayanja and Tanzania's Dan Kiondo.
Four contestants were put on probation this week, all ladies and none of them Ugandan. They include Tanzania's Linah Blanche (9) and Kenya's Wendy Kimani (14) and Alice Muthoni (1).
In another dramatic twist; Tanzania's Asha Ramadhani has called it quits with the talent show, having withdrawn from the academy on Monday. This was her second week on probation in a row.
The 24-year-old could not hold her tears on Sunday and word has it that the stiff competition proved to be too much for her and upon doctor's recommendation the TPF board decided to withdraw her from the reality show. She follows Kenya's Magdalene Muchoka who was last week's evictee.
Nonetheless the Ugandan flag bearers didn't stop short of making their mark. Jacob Nsaali got the kudos from the traditionally mean Ian Mbugua for owning James Ingram's I Don't Have The Heart while Esther Nabaasa was supple with her rendition of Brian McKnight's Crazy Love.
Stephen Oundo was firm, making Brian McKnight's Back At One his own whereas Naava who was on probation last week came back with more energy to pull it off with Eternal's I Wanna Be The Only One, with good stage utilisation and crowd engagement.
All this comes in the wake of unfolding scandals on the lighter side of the house. Last Friday a love notes scandal was exposed at the academy. This was after four contestants were caught using their notebooks for writing love messages and saucy compliments, contrary to the academy rules as set by the board of governors.
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The saga unfolded when the principal walked into the academy and demanded that the students specifically Wendy, Hemedi, Magdalyne and David show the contents of the notebooks they were carrying.
Upon scrutiny, a litany of messages were found especially in Hemedi's book- which had turned to a love book instead of the songbook that it is supposed to be.
'I like your nose,' 'you are beautiful,' 'such a rare African beauty,' were some of the messages the Tanzanian had written to Wendy. This as others went through heavy rehearsals ahead of Saturday. You can catch it all every evening on WBS TV.
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