Eunice
Mohalenyane Phakela
THE curtain finally fell down on the fifth edition of the Vodacom Superstars with the winners of the talent search competition’s four categories being crowned during a musical fiesta held on Saturday at Maseru Club.
It was a moment to savour for the winners; Step Up (Dance), Eunice (Music), Rizzy Ray (Female DJ) and Thizozo (Male DJ) while at the same time being a case of what might have been for the runners up who had also given everything to become Vodacom Superstars.
The artistes performed for the judges and fans in the final quest to land the M70 000 prize money as well as a deal with South Africa’s Kalawa Jazmee record stable.
The singers each performed alongside a live band and had the opportunity to feature backup singers as well as dancers to strengthen their performances.
The dancers danced to different songs within their 15 minute slot during which they executed different moves while the DJs were given 30 minutes per set.
In the music category, Motseki Le Lesiba came second and Skebz D came third while in dance, KTA Kings were second with Captain Movers in third place.
The Female DJ runner ups were DJ EL Asla and Lady Dee respectively while DJ Tybzen and MonyaseDJ were second and third respectively in the male category.
The first runners up in each category received M40 000 while the second runner ups got M20 000.
In addition to the M70 000 prize money, the four winners were also rewarded with the chance to showcase their talents at South African-based music legend Oskido’s Kalawa Jazmee.
Step Up will feature in one of Kalawa Jazmee top artistes’ music videos, Eunice will record a single at Kalawa Jazmee studios in Midrand while the two DJs will share the stage with Oskido in his two South African gigs in December.
The overwhelmed Step Up trio said their prize money will end their long route of struggle.
“We had so many dreams even which failed to materialise due to lack of funds as we are all students,” said the group’s leader Parries Michael Batloung Rajake.
“Our dream is to have a dance studio where we can teach children different dance routines from free style to ballroom. We also plan to have a high schools tour where we would be recruiting those who are passionate about dance to join our movement and the prize money will help cover costs,” he said.
He said they almost gave up on several occasions during the competition but were often motivated by the judges’ comments.
“The dance groups we were competing with had so much support and were very organised whereas we did not even have uniform outfits to look presentable. We also used an open area in Lithabeneng to practice since we did not have a proper venue and we could not practice properly as we often attracted onlookers.
“When we made it to the top 10 finalists, we did not have money to vote. We did a door-to-door campaign asking for votes and also performed for free at different shows in exchange for votes.
“Judges did not just complain about our performance but also told us how we could do better,” he said, adding, “so when we prepared for today (final) we fused all the styles that had captivated the judges’ attention and spiced them in a way which would melt everybody’s hearts”.
Another winner DJ Reezy Ray revealed that she had only been deejaying for two weeks when she auditioned on July 9 for the competition. She said she believes she won because of the assistance from 2013 Vodacom Superstars winner PabloDJ as well as the confidence she oozed on the day.
“I have always been an introvert so this competition was quite challenging as it was my first time playing in front of strangers. I was quite nervous but once I played the first track and got a positive feedback from the crowd I gained confidence,” said DJ Reezy Ray.
“It still feels like a dream for I was competing with people who have been in this game for a long time. My secret weapon was humility, hard work and learning something new every day.
“I am already part of the movement which is trying to return House music to its glory days so my intention is to recruit more ladies push for them to be considered by promoters as artistes that can draw crowds. I will use this M70 000 to get my own equipment to make it easier to achieve this goal,” she said.
The crowning ceremony was immediately followed by the after-party where revelers celebrated by dancing the night away. Oskido started the celebrations by playing Hip Hop tunes which was a departure from his customary House sets.
Last year’s Vodacom Superstars Vesta, Linah, L-Tore and Converse Heroes kept the energy alive with scintillating performances. South African trio Four also made sure to leave an impression on their maiden performance in Lesotho.
Motswako rapper Kwesta brought the house down with his club banger Ngud’ which had the crowd singing at the top of their voices. The curtain finally came down at midnight forcing patrons to reluctantly trace their steps to their homes.
