By Kennedy Nyavaya
The sixth edition of Dream Star was a huge spectacle, which attracted the biggest crowd and perhaps the finest talent since the beginning of the competition in 2015.
A total of 17 contestants took to the stage this year, proving that the competition, now arguably the biggest talent show in the country, continues to grow and attract more attention as each year passes.
Themed Dream hard, Fight hard, the determined spirit to win it could be felt as each contestant came on stage amid thunderous responses from an indecisive crowd.
That is a mood perfect for such shows, a cocktail of highs and lows, expectation and disappointment as well as sweat and tears. Dream Star has grown in the proverbial leaps and bounds.
The crowd is starting to notice
The Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) was packed to near-capacity last week on Saturday in what signalled a gain in repute for the show. Over the years, the number of people that throng the space during Dream Star has been growing and if that has been the strategy of the organisers, then they should tick the box and mark it as an achievement. However, it also means that soon they may have to start thinking about the headache of finding a bigger venue.
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Perhaps it is time for the organisers, Jacaranda Culture and Media Corporation (JCMC), to get back the name Zimbabwe’s Got Talent which they started with in 2014, but later gave up following confrontation with another organiser who later sank into the abyss. The past few years have seen other talent shows fold mostly due to financial incapacitation, but Dream Star has not only remained, but continues to expand. This could be reason enough for it to be branded the premier talent show in the country.
The proposal that left many green with envy
Every talent show finale should naturally carry with it wow moments. The sixth edition had many of those, but for dancer Martin Chabuka to propose to his fiancée in front of thousands with Nyasha David singing Moyo Muti was surely a memorable scene, a moment suitable for a flick. It certainly left many youths green with envy.
Advice for the dancers
With each passing edition, dancing contestants have always brought good competition to the finale of the show. This year was no exception as different crews brought a spectacular show of routines despite failing to make it to the top three. This has raised questions on what dancers should do to win at this competition.
“What’s different about dancers is that they usually do not impress in all aspects like in terms of the song, routine and even appearance, so they fall because of that,” Sandra Ndebele, one of the judges, told Standard Style on Thursday.
According to Ndebele, dancers this year brought an A-game in the first round of the finale, but appeared to have toned down in the last round. “Acts should be well-executed until the last round and the audience always helps because we will be looking at what we also call the star potential,” she said, adding that if dancers continue to up their game, they will win in the future.
Farewell to the China-bound troupe
Now that the die has been cast for this edition, organisers are forced back to the drawing board for the next one, while the winner Monalisa Kapofu and other selected contestants are set for a tour to China in the coming weeks.
While there are they are set to perform on different stages in front of Chinese crowds, our fingers are crossed that they will represent the nation well, putting the country on the map at the big stage.
