The Voice SA: Jono Says "Hello"
The show started with the dreaded elimination results. Clemour (I didn’t see that one coming), Xanilee (another surprise), Jono G and Robin were sent to safety while we bid farewell to the other contestants. I was particularly disgruntled by Marcel’s elimination but I’m pretty sure he has made enough of an impact to create a fruitful career for himself.
Down to business and the second group of Live Performances.
Team Karen:
Zaretha Duvenage – “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten
R: Her falsetto was really, really good. Those verses were great – beautiful and subtle. The chorus was powerful, although I don’t think it fit her voice perfectly. It was a strong performance from a good vocalist. It was better than I thought it would be. Zaretha started off the night strongly. Grade: B+
J: The evening started on a high note. This is the best I have heard from Zaretha to date. Her falsetto is gorgeous. It is nt a song I would have picked for her but she pulled it off. Grade: B
Almur Marais – “Creep” by Radiohead
R: His lower register was wonderfully haunting. The first verse was perfect. His vocals got a little awry once it was time for the falsetto, I’m afraid. The chorus wasn’t as strong as the first verse. It struggled to live up to that first verse. It started off so promisingly, but quickly lost steam. A more upbeat, rock-heavy song would have been a smarter choice. Grade: B-
J: I would never have picked this song for Almur. I still maintain he will do better as a pop singer than a rocker. He started out strong but faltered somewhat towards the end. Inconsistency is Almur’s biggest anyway. If he gets the public vote he is going to have to knock it out of the ball park each and every week. Grade: B-
Mbijana Sibisi – “You Get What You Give” by New Radicals
R: Wrong, wrong song. This was a complete mismatch of artist and song. His authentic, earthy vibe was totally lost on this song. Initially, his falsetto was off, and it just didn’t sit nice on the ears. It was a mess, really. His musicianship did not get the opportunity to shine. Grade: C+
J: This used to be a favorite song of mine many years back. It was however, completely wrong for Mbijana. I didn’t see any of his musical essence which is such a pity because he is a real diamond in the rough. Grade: C
Thapelo Lekoane – “Shackles” by Mary Mary
R: Another completely wrong song selection. The lower register was rough during the first verse, and the chorus really took it nowhere. The song was stagnant. I didn’t feel like getting up and praising the Lord at any point. During the chorus, it sounded like she was shouting the lyrics. Another mess. After a performance like this, Karen saving her would completely make her bias transparent. Grade: C
J: I like Thapelo but I wasn’t entirely sold on this performance. This is a very stereotypical ‘Diva Song’ and all sorts of wrong for the slightly off-beat Thapelo. I have an inkling Karen will save her regardless of a less-than-perfect performance. Grade: C+
Karen saves: Thapelo.
Well, well, well.
Team Kahn:
Johan Anker – “How Great Thou Art”
R: It’s hard for me to grade a performance by a classical singer on a show where he doesn’t belong. That’s the truth. The Voice – and any other shows like it – isn’t made for classical singers. It’s a commercial machine. That said, it was a very strong performance. He is good, if not fantastic, at what he does. No grade from me.
J: It is always hard to grade Johan because it is virtually impossible to compare him to his peers. Vocally he is fabulous but I do not think his commercial appeal is strong enough to see him remain in the competition till the end. Grade: B
Prime Zulu – “Try” by P!nk
R: Sheesh, his lower register was all kinds of terrible. It exposed his lack of a vast vocal talent. The chorus was somewhat better, but to be honest, it was close to a mess. His lower register needs so much work. Screaming out “Try” repeatedly sounded okay, but it wasn’t strong. Kahn made it pretty clear he likes his ‘danger’ and will be saving him more than likely. Grade: C-
J: Prime has been ill for a couple of days and it was evident in his performance. He displayed some worrying breathing issues but that was more than likely due to a blocked nose. He is such an intense person and it is hard not to believe every lyric he sings. Not his best performance vocally but probably good enough to see him saved by Kahn. Grade: C+
Lara Gear – “Lady Marmalade” by Christina Aguilera, P!nk, Lil’ Kim and Mya
R: No, yet again, it was a disaster of a song choice. Why on earth attempt a song like this when you have as beautiful and rich a voice as Lara does? It was very karaoke, and she doesn’t possess the natural sex appeal to pull this performance off. I wasn’t as impressed as Karen. She has the potential to do so much better. Grade: C+
J: Lara is a classy singer with a beautiful voice. She did the best she could with a song that should be scrapped from every talent show songbook. I hope Lara is given the opportunity to sing a song more up her alley. Grade: B-
Francis Bowers – “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan
R: Finally, Francis got us back on track. Sure, it wasn’t perfect. I missed the beautiful subtlety and emotion so present in Sarah’s version, but he hit all the notes. It was a very solid offering, and by far the best of Kahn’s team tonight. Grade: B+
J: Finally a good contestant-song marriage. Francis was pretty much on-point vocally. I would have liked to see him emote a bit more. This is one of the better performances of the night thus far. Grade: B+
Kahn saves: Prime Zulu
So what I got from these saves is that vocals do not count, eh?
Team Lira:
Jeremy Olivier – “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran
R: Great song choice, so naturally my expectations were high, but he didn’t meet it. His vocals sounded slightly undercooked, and the smoothness of the song was lost. It didn’t connect at all. That said, he’ll more than likely get the votes if needed, because who doesn’t love that song? Grade: C+
J: I LOVE this song and the only cover of it that I have ever enjoyed was when Nick Fradiani sang it on American Idol. Ok so maybe I’m a bit harsh in passing judgment but I did not ‘feel’ this performance at all. Jeremy has a phenomenal voice but he fell somewhat flat on this performance. That said the song alone will rake in the votes. I’m sure he will stick around and redeem himself in weeks to come. Grade: B-
Jono Johansen – “Hello” by Adele
R: It takes balls for a dude to take on Adele, especially this track. I’m not sure playing piano worked in his favour. He needs to belt. Then the chorus came, and he did. It was a really strong vocal, and his falsetto is wonderful. At 19, this kid is damn good. He has a brilliant voice, he should have The Voice. Grade: A-
J: This was the performance I have been waiting for all week and Jono did not disappoint! I got goose bumps, I cheered, I cried. This guy’s voice is incredible! I now know what it means to be ‘taken on a journey’. I want to take the trip again! He sang circles around the competition tonight (and looked really good as well) Grade: A+
Sibulele Miti – “Grenade” by Bruno Mars
R: Hmm, I love Sibulele’s tone, but her voice isn’t strong enough to take on a Bruno Mars ballad. He’s an incredible vocalist and performer, but her voice struggled to hit those notes. It was constantly under. It was flat. Grade: C+
J: I was hoping to be blown away by Sibulele tonight. She has a lovely voice and is an overall nice girl. I don’t think this was a great performance. Her usual spunk was missing and she sounded very frail in places. Grade: C+
Blaque Harmony – “Take Yours, I’ll Take Mine” by Matthew Mole
R: I applaud them on taking a risk with the song choice, but this too didn’t match the potential. Parts of it sounded flat, and their harmonies aren’t where it should be yet. They could be a very good duo, but work needs to be put in. I won’t at all be surprised if Lira saves them. Grade: B-
J: Great song and an overall solid performance. These guys have a lot of potential but are not quite on the same level as some of the other contestants just yet. With a lot of hard work and dedication the could really be something big. Grade: B
Lira saves: Jono
Yes!
Team Bobby:
Kim Collins – “A Moment Like This” by Kelly Clarkson
R: Another girl taking on Kelly Clarkson. Again, it paled in comparison. It was a serviceable vocal, but her voice isn’t big enough to take the song up the inspirational mountain. This was Kelly’s coronation song, but this never reached those heights. It wasn’t bad, but not great. Grade: B-
J: I don’t think it is fair to subject anyone to singing a Kelly Clarkson song. I feel rather indifferent about this performance. It was good but not great. I don’t think she is in with a chance of being saved by Bobby. Grade: B-
Austin Lurring – “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber
R: Great song choice from Austin. This is exactly where I see Austin shining in the real world. It was a good vocal, but I think he missed an opportunity to set that stage on fire – he could even have had some dancers accompanying him. This song offered that opportunity. But he showed that he could be on the radio tomorrow, so big ups. He looks and sounds like a star. Grade: B+
J: Another contestant representing good old Maritzburg! I have liked Austin since his Blind Audition and haven’t been disappointed yet. He has the potential to be a real commercial star. He is radio ready. Grade: B+
Vernon Barnard – “Ho Hey” by The Lumineers
R: This was a much better showing than his battles performance. It was a surprising song choice done surprisingly well. He made it his own, his voice very far from that of a folk singer. It was like a pop version of a modern folk classic. I liked it. It wasn’t a knockout, but this was smooth and just nice. Not bad.
Grade: B+
J: I feel dreadful for not constantly being full of praise for Vernon. I think Jeremy and Vernon should have swapped songs. Vernon knows how to emote and is best when sticking to songs with a bit more substance than this one. Even if Bobby does not save him he will garner enough votes to be around for the next round. Grade: B
Zoë Mtila – "Easy To Love" by Buce
R: She reminds me of Mmatema Moremi from the last season of Idols SA. She has the looks and they sing for the same market, I just don’t think she’s as good. Her higher register sounded good, but her lower register was more a mumbling. It was in the middle for me. Grade: B
J: It is always that much harder for me to grade a performance if I don’t understand the lyrics. Vocally Zoë was pretty solid and she looked like a star but I can’t see the save being utilised on her. Grade: B
Bobby saves: Austin
Smart choice.
And just like that the second Live Performance comes to an end. What was your favourite performance of the night? Did the judges save the right contestants? Let us know!
Tune in next Sunday night for the next instalment of The Voice South Africa!
