'The Voice' Heading For SA Shores
Great news for talent show enthusiasts! M-Net is bringing the local version of the hugely successful international talent competition 'The Voice' to South Africa! The Voice South Africa will be aired in 2016 and will be screened exclusively on M-Net on DStv. Since it first debuted in the Netherlands in 2010 as 'The Voice of Holland' the competition created by John de Mol, who also brought us Big Brother and Fear Factor, has captivated audiences from around the world. South Africa is set to become the 60th country in the world, after countries such as the USA, Australia, the UK and China to adopt a local version of the show. "M-Net 101 has become renowned as the home of top-notch reality fare and we're very excited to confirm that The Voice South Africa will be our big attraction for 2016," says M-Net CEO Yolisa Phahle. "With its impeccable international track record and blend of undiscovered talent, star power and spectacular sets, it's the perfect fit for a channel that puts a high premium on great family entertainment. To top it off, The Voice South Africa will be giving local singers the opportunity of a lifetime – to be coached by the absolute best in the local music business. A show of this magnitude is also a fantastic platform for some of our biggest local recording artists. Apart from the panel of four local coaches, several guest coaches will also make guest appearances to hone our talent.” The Voice comprises of 3 phases: After the most talented singers are identified at the nationwide auditions, they advance to the Blind Audition phase, where the 4 coaches listen to them sing without seeimg them. If a coach is impressed by a singer, he/she will push a button that will swivel their chair around to face the contestant. If more than one coach shows interest in the contestant, the contestant will have the opportunity to pick which coach they’d prefer to work with. As soon as all the coaches have the required number of singers in their teams, the show progresses to the Battle Rounds, where each coach will choose 2 of their contestants to battle things out on stage after which only one will be chosen to go through to the next round. The last remaining phase is the Live Shows, where the remaining contestants will perform for the public’s votes. This phase will continue until one singer is crowned the winner of The Voice South Africa. The names of the South African coaches will only be announced later this year but prospective contestants are urged to start readying themselves for the audition process. "The Voice South Africa will be looking for a class act singer with a unique sound – the kind that will make you stop to listen closely or create awe-inspiring moments," says Harrie Linders, MD of AMPN, the production company which will be creating the show for M-Net. "Instead of judging someone on his or her looks or personality, it's all about the voice and it doesn't matter what your musical background is. The Voice encompasses a wide variety of music genres." Good news is that entries will be open to all South African citizens older than 18 years and that there will be no upper age cut-off. As is the norm with talent shows, auditions will be held in the country's biggest cities. Performers who want to be part of the show will have the option available to submit a song online for a possible fast track to the front of the audition queues. Details pertaining to these submissions as well as the audition dates and venues will be made public on the M-Net website from early September. For more information, visit www.mnet.tv/thevoice To follow updates on social media, you can check out the following accounts: Facebook: The Voice MNet (www.facebook.com/thevoicemnet) Twitter: @thevoicemnet #TheVoiceSA Instagram: @thevoicemnet #TheVoiceSA
