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Kili talent star journey hits 12

Frontline Director Ms Irene Kiwia

WINNERS of the Kili Talent Star Search, sponsored by Kilimanjaro Lager have now reached 12 following the coming of the fourth stage of the competition this week.

This effectively heralds in a new era in their musical journey since they will record their songs sponsored in studios in their respective regions. According to organizers, Frontline Novelli, the competition has already gone through four regions, getting three winning representatives per region.

Explaining the entire process of the Kili Star Search, the Frontline Director Ms Irene Kiwia said the three winners from each region, would be given chance to record a song and subsequently  do a group song for each  region. After recording a single, the three winners will each have a performance of winners per region, from which a winner shall get the chance to perform in the final performance to take place in Dar es Salaam this month.

The regions already visited are Dodoma, Mwanza, Moshi and Mbeya whose respective winners have already recorded and the four regions’ winners for the grand Dar performance finale have already been obtained. From Dodoma  where the process to get talent stars started, Halima Ramadhani, Juma Madaraka and  Issa Dubat  came out winners, but following the final performance in the region Issa Dubat, a student at CBE beat other contestants and would represent his counterparts at the Dar es Salaam grand finale.

In Mwanza, winners were Bertha Dennis, Chrostian Joachim and Marcus Antony. The road led to Kilimanjaro, where the exercise was overseen by star judges in the music industry, including one who is an entertainment editor with Mwananchi Newspaper and one-time coordinator of King of Rhymes competition, Henry Mudimu.

The second judge was Joseph Haule  a.k.a ‘Professor Jay’ who is a multi award winning music artiste who has been in the music industry for ten years now. The third judge was Juma Kassim Nature, also a musician, from TMK Wanaume Halisi and the third judge is Queen Darleen an award winning reggae artiste. 

Kilimanjaro, for the first time, produced best Hip Hop contestant and would represent Moshi in the special Dar es Salaam concert. His name is Gaspar Fadhil Sungura, a.k.a Chagga Boy who also   contested at the regional level with Charlz Mushi and Atufigwege Mwailunga.

The job went on, with the judges this week getting winners from Mbeya at Club Vibes, namely Neema Aggrey, Furaha Challi and Amina Chibaba, who will also perform at the Sokoine Grounds to get the winner, which shall bring the curtain over this special Kili talent search.  Speaking at different occasions, the judges thanked the sponsor for having put its feet firm  and sponsoring this talent search.

On his part, Juma Nature  said this had set in a new era where unknown talent is supported, unlike in his young obscure days when there were no institutions to show young ones the light-apart from today when the young underground artistes also use other means like social media to get to the light.

Adding on this, the Frontline boss, Kiwia said the aim is to bring to the fore the talent which has not been seen before, yet it exists when one makes inroads upcountry - the same reason Kilimanjaro lager put their wings to sponsor such initiatives to bring more artistes to the public.

"The problem is that people assume that everything is in Dar es Salaam. But the truth is, there is so much talent upcountry,” she said. The next and last judging process takes place in Mtwara region at the week’s end where three winners will turn out and subsequently get one top to join the Dar es Salaam gala.

One of the recent shows, as part of the Kili talent search that stood out was when Taarab guru Hadija Kopa exuded a high sense of energy in a performance that seemed that the battle of the champions as she put up a more energetic performance from the start to the end.

On the other hand, a greater part of the same fans also concluded that while she performed well in the above areas, other stars in other genres as Bongo Fleva were also energetic, neatly dressed, greatly interactive, involving and talkative throughout the evening. Kopa rocked Moshi city with fellow Kili Music Award winners including Ali Kiba, Omy Dimpoz, Roma Mkatoliki AT, and the Warriors.