Idols South Africa: And Then There Were Four
It feels like only yesterday when we were watching the regional auditions on TV. Now we are a mere 3 weeks away from the season finale.
Despite screaming fans and salivating judges I found last night's show to be rather underwhelming. That said, a few performances were worthy of at least a half-hearted applause. Mmatema delivered one superb and one luke-warm performance. Karabo was solid in both rounds. Rhema was vocally strong but failed yet again to evoke any excitement while Siphelele peaked at the precisely the right time with two crowd-pleasing performances.
The theme this week was “My Idol” with each of the contestants performing two songs from the musical Idols they draw inspiration from.
The first contestant safe and guaranteed a spot in the Top 4 as well as on a plane headed for England is Mmatema!
Mmatema - "Because You Loved Me' by Celine Dion A-
An overdone song was saved by the beauty that is Mmatema's voice. She was virtually pitch perfect and the only thing standing between her and an A-grade was the song choice itself.
The next contestant safe was Siphelele
Siphelele - "Feel Good" by Lira B+
Siphelele is peaking at the precise right moment, much like American Idol winner Nick Fradiani did. This was one of my favorite performances of his of the season. Toned-down, unaffected, brilliant.
With Siphelele's name being called we knew we were in for a shocking elimination.
The next name called, 'Karabo'.
Karabo - "So Amazing" by Luther Vandross B+
Karabo's growth in confidence was evident in this performance. I'm pretty sure he knows by now that he is the guy to beat this season. Vocally Karabo seldom falters and he delivered the expected solid performance.
Loyiso and Rhema are left standing. The tension is audible. Rhema's name is called and the talented 16 year old receives his marching orders.
Rhema - "I'd Rather Go Blind" by Etta James B+
Rhema's fans went ballistic the moment his name was called and did so yet again after his performance. Vocally he was pretty solid but like all his other performances there was a distinct disconnect with the song.
I will give Round 1 to Siphelele (yes, I am as surprised as you are). Bring on round 2!
Mmatema - "Lose To Win" by Fantasia B-
Not my favorite performance of hers but by no means deserving of the negativity spewed by the judges. Mmatema's gospel roots were too evident during this performance and it made her sound outdated.
Next up: Siphelele
Siphelele - "Kum naKum' by Ringo Madlingozi A-
Perfect song yet again for Siphelele. He is by far the smartest when it comes to song choice. His voice was crystal clear and the emotion was spot on. Could a new front-runner have emerged? Possibly!
Karabo - "It's A Man's World" by James Brown A-
This is another song that has been performed to death on talent shows. It was an overall better performance than Round 1 and Karabo showed plenty of spirit. How does it compare to other talent show versions? Better than Joshua Ledet's version but not as good as Clark Beckham's.
Rhema - "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye C+
Terrible song choice for Rhema. There was nothing remotely sexy about this. The vocals were pretty solid but Rhema looked as uncomfortable as a nun selling sex toys. Stick to what you know Rhema!
Round 2 and the evening overall belonged to Siphelele but I doubt he has the public backing that both Karabo and Rhema enjoy.
Who should go home: Rhema
Who will go home: Mmatema/Siphelele
