POLOKWANE – Residents who followed The Voice South Africa on Mnet last year were treated to live performances by the top five contestants on Friday, 24 February at Heuwelkruin as part of the Curro Carnival.
Review grabbed the opportunity to catch up with them and find out what it’s like taking part in such a big competition.
Jeremy Olivier – Team Lira
What was it like taking part in The Voice SA? It was amazing and a very positive experience.
Did you think you would end up in the final? I never thought I would end up in the final. It all happened so quickly. We had to rehearsed songs for the final not knowing if we will get the opportunity to perform them or not.
Will you enter The Voice SA again? Yes, I would do it again.
What challenges did you experience? The only challenge was that I did not earn any money while doing the competition. As a husband and father, it was not easy. But in the end it was an investment I made.
Do you have an album out yet? I released an album in 2013 and I have a single on JacarandaFM’s Top 20. The song’s name is Love back and it’s a duet with Lira. Currently it is number two on the chart.
Do you write your own music? Yes, I write my own music and my wife is also a writer, so we write together.
Gavin Edwards – Team Bobby
What was it like taking part in The Voice SA? The experience was surreal and very intense. It was also nerve wracking and it was the most I learned in 22 years.
Did you think you would end up in the final? During the whole competition, you focus on ending up in the finals, but every time you go through to the next round, it is a new experience.
Will you enter The Voice SA again? I would definitely do it again.
What challenges did you experience? My biggest challenge was my nerves.
Do you have an album out yet? I signed a contract with Universal Studios and my album name is Silver Skies. I did a duet with Karlien van Jaarsveld. The song’s name is Say Something by A Great Big World.
Do you write your own music? Yes, I write my own music.
Thembeka Mnguni – Team Karen
What was it like taking part in The Voice SA? The show definitely changed my life. It was amazing. Karen was the best mentor I could have.
Did you think you would end up in the final? I did not think I would get that far. In the beginning, I was overwhelmed and I wanted to go home.
Will you enter The Voice SA again? Yes, I would do it again.
Do you have an album out yet? I have signed a contract with Universal Studios and I have a single out with the name Brave.
Do you write your own music? Yes, I write my own music. I love writing when I am sad as I feel my best music comes from me being sad. Even happy songs I write when I’m sad.
Richard Stirton – Team Kahn
What was it like taking part in The Voice SA? It was an amazing experience. It was not quite what I expected and one thing I will always remember is that everyone was friends with everyone.
Did you think you would end up in the final? I never expected ending up in the finals or winning the competition. I entered Idols in 2013 and did not come far. It was a weird and surreal feeling.
What challenges did you experience? My nerves and the stress of the experience.
Will you enter The Voice SA again? (After a long pause) No. The stress was too much.
Do you have an album out yet? Yes. The album’s name is Middle Ground.
Do you write your own music: Yes, I write my own music.
Jono Johansen – Team Lira
What was it like taking part in The Voice SA? The experience was very positive. I did not go there to win, but to build relationships with the right people. I worked with incredible artists.
Did you think you would end up in the final? I did not think I would end up in the finals, but I was very happy with the opportunity.
What challenges did you experience? I had a terrible chest infection and had to do the last two performances with an infected chest.
Will you enter The Voice SA again? No, I will not do it again.
Do you have an album out yet? I signed a contract with Universal Studios and my album will be released in April. I also have two singles named Cracks in the Pavement and What If, a duet with Kelly Khumalo.
Do you write your own music: Yes, I write my own and I write for other artists. We will sit together and I will ask what he/ she wants to achieve with the song. The best songs are built around a memory, it is about something that matters. Music is used as a healing tool.
