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Uganda: Nicolette Could Be East Africa's Idol
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The Monitor (Kampala)
COLUMN
25 July 2008
Posted to the web 24 July 2008
Moses Serugo
Africa must still be reeling from the aftershocks that came with news of Nicolette's Idols finale booking. Monday's results show announcing Trinah's exit posted a high reading on the musical Richter scale. This is what television reality shows have become; popularity contests that pass over talent and propel contestants that garner the most votes.
Anyone that knows they are not tone deaf will agree that between our Nicolette and Zambia's Trinah, it was the latter that delivered the most consistent performances all through the Top 10 session of the competition, the one who had an incredible vocal range and the diminutive girl who was quite the entertainer.
Nicolette's inconsistencies showed yet again last Sunday after she faltered on Vanessa William's Save The Best For Last on which she failed to sync the lyrics with the pace of the track. It was one of those diva songs, which you do not tamper with but that advice, for her, has been like water off a duck's back.
Trinah on the other hand was the perfect embodiment of Aretha Franklin as judge Angela has said after she sang Natural Woman. But like such competitions have shown in the past, the runners-up at times surpass the winners after the competition is over.
Eric, whose name was read out first as the first of two "safe" contestants, must be seeing his win in sight now that his most visible competition is gone. Forget about that jaw-dropping face he put on upon hearing that Trinah was out of the competition.
The Afro-wearing Eric knows deep inside his self-assured self that Nicolette does not pose that much competition be it vocally or by way of the viewer vote. The Zimbabwean has after all never been in the "unsafe" zone and even sang through a flu-affected voice last Sunday to win the charm of his voting block- the females.
And just what would an $80,000 richer Eric do with his bounty? "Invest in stocks," he told show host Lebo Mzwimbi during Monday night's results show. That is not as selfless as Nicolette's plan to channel the money into children's causes.
"I have always had a heart for children," she said. Is there a possibility that this could tip the competition in her favour? Not that we expected Eric to say he would donate the money to his nation's near-empty coffers. The Zimbabwean economy could use a foreign exchange lifeline of that amount.
It is now your call all ye viewers and if you are consumed by an overwhelming sense of civic duty to see Nicolette win a recording contract with Sony BMG, then call +254734115007 or text her name to 6626 to vote.
Viewers can vote a maximum of 100 times from each line and also online at www.mnetafrica.com/idols. Voting lines will be open until Saturday July 26 at 1p.m. The finale airs on M-Net (DStv101) this Sunday at 6p.m. and will be a 90-minute spectacular in which eight Top 10 hopefuls that left earlier will sing alongside the Top 2.
Eric and Nicolette will sing three songs each. They will each be performing the Idols winner's song, a track written for each of them specifically, along with one of their own choice and one of the judges' choice.
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Nicolette will sing Evanescence's My Immortal (judges' choice), Eva Cassidy's Songbird (own choice) and Goodbye Baby (winner's song). Eric's songs will be Ringo's Sondela (judges' choice), Michael Bolton's When A Man Loves A Woman (own choice) and This Is Everything To Me (winner's Song). They will also do a duet, Lonestar's Amazed.
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