• Education Minister John Phiri addresses pupils during the MultiChoice presentation of education kit in Chilenje, Lusaka. With him is MultiChoice General Manager Simon Bota (centre) and Acting MultiChoice public relations manager Mumbi Mutale (left).

By SAM PHIRI –

ONE of the most watched musical reality shows Idols SA is taking centre-stage; already exciting, creating talking points, wow moments and laughter even in its initial stages on DStv channel 198! Interestingly, at this stage, viewers are stuck to this channel with a special interest of watching the wooden mic or lousy contestants.
They just make very good viewing pleasure. During early days of the show that filters the worst from the potential top contenders, many viewers have confessed that the wooden mic contenders are more fan to watch at this stage as they has more drama.
Their incapability to sing and expressions are just hilarious even to the judges. With the beautiful Unathi Msengana ; the only female judge on the panel, tears of laughter have become part of her image.
Last week saw one 30-year-old Vincent Jackson clad in the late king of pop Michael Jackson’s signature attire to try his third consecutive luck before Randall Abrahams.
To say the least, Jackson can not just sing maybe comedy would do for him. He was frankly told by Randall to find something else to do rather than wasting time in chasing the dream he would never achieve.
The ‘mean’ judge was, however, happy that he was auditioning him for the last time as he would be more than 30 next year; the age that automatically disqualifies one.
Jackson could not agree to three No’s seemingly only wanting one thing and nothing else-a golden ticket to send him to the next stage.
The funny looking comrade started challenging the judges accusing them of blocking his career.
“Why do you people want to block me? What is your problem … you can’t let me chase my dream… you are just mean and you don’t even know how to sing… I don’t even know why you are judges”
Despite the judges trying to advise him professionally, Jackson could not see any sense in whatever was being said more that he even fractured his left hand as he was trying to rehearse one of Michael Jacksons’s styles for the additions.
Before he was forced out by the security, he had the guts of challenging Gath Cliff to sing if he could ever sing. When Gath gave Jackson a single line of a self-composed song whose lyrics were indirectly telling Jackson to leave, the furious Jackson stopped Gath and threw his judgment on him.
“You see that is a very bad voice … you don’t even know how to sing,” he had to finally say. All this drama and entertainment on DStv channel 198.