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 OK, the tears have dried up. I laughed myself into a near coma as I caught the early rounds of Tusker Project Fame 3. Seriously, when it comes to pure unadulterated comic relief, Top Comic has nothing on this show – its humor pH is through the roof.
So you can imagine my relief when we got to the business end of the show. The final 12. Phew! Or so I thought!
Listening to the final 12 belt out their numbers gave me chills. Frightening chills. And don’t get me wrong. Some of the finalists are actually quite good, genuine raw talent. I have no problem with them. But the fact that the greater majority of the finalists are such ordinary singers…that bothers me. These are the final 12? Across four countries? You must be kidding me! Let’s be honest, right now we’re really talking about the three best undiscovered singers from four East African countries; the crème de la crème of this region. At this stage, I anticipate the talent to be ripe for the picking. They need not enter the Academy to learn the basics - breathe control, stage presence, and the like. They need to be genuine diamonds in the rough that require little more than to be picked up, polished, and presented to the world as potential pop stars. Presenting Academy instructors with such karaoke singers is asking way too much of talented and respected artisans Achieng Abura, Kavutha Mwanzia and Joseph Hellon. They are instructors, not magicians!
 Last year I was content to believe that TPF2 and Idols cannibalised the market by airing concurrently. So I cut the former some slack (because it really was a sham) and decided to play it by ear this time. Oh no, not again! I feel the talent this year is marginally better than last year, nowhere near acceptable levels. At least the first season gave us legitimate stars Valerie Kimani (her Baisikeli album was awesome) as well as Alvan and Linda Muthama.
But hang on a moment – did we not see prospective contestants line up in their thousands across these four nations to land a spot on the show? And doesn’t the show offer a recording contract and a pretty penny to boot? Then what’s going on here? I have a sneaky suspicion that a short-circuit exists somewhere within TPF’s system, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.
At first I thought it was the selection process. Because unless I was on something illicit, I could have sworn I spotted Kenya Music Festival adjudicators and local choir masters act as talent scouts early on? Forgive me, but I was always under the impression they were looking for a regional pop star that could represent East Africa on the international stage. After all, didn’t you just love that Beyonce video where she was rocking a sisal skirt and being supported by her local village Isikuti band? Hmm…
But even that can’t be it. There were many highly esteemed and well respected professionals who have been, and continue to be, involved in the talent scouting and development process. So bad adjudication isn’t it!
Maybe the marketing of the show’s audition process needs help. But then again, the queues of eager would-be-contestants remind me of Kanu’s mlolongo days - lines from here to Timbuktu. Scratch that off the list too.
 TPF1 Winner Valerie Kimani
So where’s the hitch? Could it be that East Africa just doesn’t have the musical endowment it thinks it does. Perhaps we’ve exhausted the talent pool, and should be happy to celebrate the stars we currently have. Maybe Kanjii isn’t ‘Just a Man’ – maybe he’s our eternal superstar. Maybe Eric Wainaina was being prophetic as he sung, “nchi ya watu wadogo”. Maybe Wahu is the only ‘Sweet Love’ we’ll ever have?
I’m not being sarcastic. I’m honestly confused. I watch similar shows from other parts of the continent and stay stupefied. Their talent levels are genuinely much more acceptable. Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa – they’ve all produced musical stars worthy of Billboard mention. Where’s Kenya on that list?
Maybe East Africa should just stick to what it knows best – you know, athletics and political wrangling. Wait. The latter is most of Africa. Scrap that!
I digress.
 TPF2 Winner Esther
It could be. Today I listened to an amateur singer at my local church who could, vocally, take many of the finalists to school. But they never bothered queuing for an audition. And I suspect many other East Africans didn’t bother turning up either.
Please help me think through this, because I really can’t explain it. Or maybe I need to stop rating this show that highly when it comes to setting musical standards for the region. Maybe it’s not the yardstick for discovering and showcasing this region’s talent. Maybe the show is making all the wrong moves and throwing EABL’s financial and marketing muscle behind a sinking ship.
I don’t know what ails that show, but I do know one thing - something is critically wrong with Tusker Project Fame. Average singers cannot be in the fray competing for the top prize year after year. That just cannot be good for our region.
The show was initially funny. Now it’s just sad!» Post Comment
» 15 Comments
1"Sir"
at Monday, 24 August 2009 07:21
Hey Dave,
I must say I love this article. It speaks what I have been thinking for the past one year about our talent shows.
Let me just say, I am a worship leader at a local church and i d also visit other churches around Nairobi. The talent in these places is amazing.
TPF, ia dont really watch it, sorry to say that if IDOLS returns I would
religiously follow it.
God bless ya Dave.
2"Jury is Out !!!!"
at Monday, 24 August 2009 07:35
Davvy I kuldn't agree more...I thinq it's tym 4 the Gospel think-tanks to come up with somethin'...jus as they did with Groove Awards...[ which 've now eclipsed the lyks of Kisima n CHAT Awards..], So my take is that somebody needs to step up to the plate, n show "them" how it's done. Cause as you rightly put it, they is so much talent out there [ read : Church], and due to some-what, obvious reasons, it's hard for them to even show up for the auditions. Evidence : Jus look at the kind of stuff that the Gospel artists are exhibiting of late - The jury is out. Davvy great pie
3"g"
at Monday, 24 August 2009 13:11
I guess guys like Kavutha are the ones who should be competing in that show.Anyway, church is meant for church and God not competitions, we cannot try copy what the world has thats why church is unique, and our gifts and talents are directed to God
4Comment
at Tuesday, 25 August 2009 06:04
@ anonymous, i don't think i understand what you just said. If that's the case, maybe we should also scrap Groove awards. is that what you are suggesting?
I like the article, although i don't know about that bit of Kenya not being able to produce the talent. We have seriously talented people all over the country. Maybe these guys need to work harder at trying to recruit the best talent in Kenya, coz enyewe, hapo wamelala. How come Idols was able to get better talent. that just proves talent iko.
5"Well said!"
at Tuesday, 25 August 2009 10:14
Kuria, Well said! It is sad but once you realize that its TUSKER project fame and not tusker PROJECT FAME... it make everything clear.
6"Mboya"
at Tuesday, 25 August 2009 11:53
Tusker Project fame is only but a clever strategy of getting prime time advertising for an alcoholic beverage. Now if you don\\\'t know, the government banned advertising of any alcoholic beverages over prime time i.e (7.30pm-9.30pm)
Has any one noticed that on TPF3 the \\\"students at the academy are now wearing Tusker Branded Clothes!!!! how low can the marketing department go!!
7"Don"
at Wednesday, 26 August 2009 13:19
..Hey David, you are so apt on the TP3 thingi, yaani its more of comedy relief/voyeurism than serious music talent search. I think the problem is image [EABL = POMBE,siasa na wanawake] as well as very poor initial recruiting. Yaani I'm bemoaning that there is no Idols this year coz that was some serious talent throughout. Idols has the x-factor whilst TPF simple has no verve. What a pity, but at least we can enjoy the comedy!
8"Disagree"
at Wednesday, 26 August 2009 22:30
I'll tell you where i disagree with this article. When you say of other African countries - "Their talent levels are genuinely much more acceptable". That is wrong. I've watched Naija Sings (Nigeria) and Idols from other parts of Africa. I don't see a huge difference. I think you are on point when you say that people here just don't bother with auditions. And as for Nico Situma, i disagree. The show's poor ratings has little to do with EABL's image. I think the problem is deeper.
9"Mr."
at Wednesday, 09 September 2009 07:06
Kuria.... after reading this article I finally got time to watch project fame... WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTT!!!
I\\\'m not sure if it\\\'s coz i\\\'m in the industry and hence hear a lot of quality stuff... but honestly what the hell? Did you see the dude who was kicked out the first week... the dude from TZ... how on earth did he get that far???
10"Lydia w kimani"
at Wednesday, 09 September 2009 08:10
walalala
11"Sham .... Total Sham"
at Wednesday, 09 September 2009 08:30
Have you ever noticed how you get the feeling you know one or two of your buddies who can do not just better but way much better than all the contestants in Project 'Fake' enyewe either T.K.K. has gotten to the audition tables or the judges are partially deaf. The lighting and the stage setting is awsome but when the show starts you wish Sheila and the other dude can jus keep up their talk coz the singing is jus and dont get me wrong WAK, its true Kuria it moved from being funny to just being sad.
12"Mrs"
at Wednesday, 09 September 2009 10:52
I agree 100% with this article, but we do have talent, its only that most good singers are in the church, and they wont audition for TPF, I also backup having such a competation from a church based organisation for christians, or if not a whole sided competation that would allow competators to sing their favorite music Gospel and not be restricted.
13"TPF3"
at Tuesday, 15 September 2009 08:36
hey..nice article but i think Kenya has talent I've seen it in the numerous places i have been within the country there's no doubt about that. Not enough platforms are available for talent to be exposed thats why only villages recognise the talent in their midst and 'upcoming' gospel singers wait for TPF to go and 'sing for fame'...not for God!! so depends on how you look at it...real talent does exist with the passion to back it but no vision to sustain it!
14"Mizz"
at Monday, 05 October 2009 13:42
What I think its that the people with the talent dont really see themselves being international stars so they would rather save themselves the embarrassment of trying. It is a lack of vision and determination and fear of the judging process which, most of the time, seems to be out to make fun of the contestants. But anyway, I just dont think the talented people want it bad enough to try out. So we East Africans are going to die with our talents. Nchi ya watu wadogo na ndoto ndogo.
15Comment
at Sunday, 11 October 2009 21:44
The trouble with Tusker Project Fame is the first name in it-Tusker.
It\\\'s a 3 month long ad for Tusker. What is EABL in the business of doing? Finding the next hot star/talent? I think not.
The second problem is this: The artists are starting at the top rather than building a genuine fan base.
What song has Alpha, Nganga-lito etc done?
What songs have the past winners fans remembered?
You\\\'re right-none.
If we\\\'re going to change it let the TPF\\\'s of the world write and sing their own songs. Media is the tool or platform for the talent not a replacement for it.
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