Andrew Moyo Leisure Reporter —
TALENT search show, Dreamstar, is destined for greater heights if the recently held 2016 edition is anything to go by. What an event the organisers delivered.
The talent search show is now in its second year running but one can be pardoned for assuming the event has been around for a while.
Founded in 2014, the show was originally called Zimbabwe Has Got Talent, but was re-branded to Dreamstar a year later after a dispute pertaining to the use of the former name.
In its first year, about 200 people from across the country auditioned for the show-piece with the number swelling to over 3 000 participants this year.
And on December 17 they held the finale of the 2016 edition at the HICC. High standards set by the organisers made it possible for this event to have easily competed with any international talent search show.
Visibly the Chinese Federation of Zimbabwe (CFZ) and Jacaranda Culture and Media Corporation (JCMC), founders of Dreamstar proved they meant business by putting together such an exceptional finale.
They are not only about talk but also action.
The mesmeric stage setup and flawless production of the whole show was proof enough that organisers had done their homework before bringing the event to the people.
The stage was a combined effort of local and international companies with Devine Sounds providing the sound system, JCMC with assistance from Fig Multimedia doing the filming while the LED Screens were provided by a Chinese company based in Zimbabwe.
Equally the atmosphere was electric with the multicultural crowd adding energy to the action that was taking place on stage.
VIPs in attendance included the Chines ambassador Huang Ping, Canadian ambassador Kumar Gupta, Zambian ambassador Mwelwa Ng’ono Chibesakunda and CFZ chairperson Cong Yuling.
Besides the finalists who were battling it out for top honours, tried and tested stars in the mould of Takura, Probeats, Dobba Don, Killer T among others took to the stage to spice up the proceedings.
The road to the finals might have been a tough one, but the battle for the top spot was the real test as all the contestants who had made it to the last huddle brought their A-game.
Various art forms including music, beat boxing and dance were on show with contestants pulling all the stops to ensure that they fully convinced judges that they were the best.
But after all had been said and done, there was only going to be one winner.
And the ultimate prize of US$3 000 went to beat boxing sensation Tafara Dondo who also proved to be the crowd favourite on the night after showing off his amazing vocal abilities.
Those Guys Vacho, an eight member ensemble from Midlands State University came second, pocketing US$1 500 while Marondera based Prince Sauramba was third and walked away with US$500. Apart from the prize money, most of the finalists will be signed to the JCMC recording label as the corporation recently opened a state-of-the-art studio where last year’s second runner up and 2016 Dreamstar ambassador, Nyasha David recently recorded his debut album.
In addition, those who made it into the top ten will be going to China on tour for over two weeks where they will represent Zimbabwe on big stages in the Asian country.
Others will also be given employment opportunities in China, while some will receive academic scholarships to study abroad.
Speaking to The Sunday Mail Leisure JCMC Marketing Executive Tinashe Kitchen said the event has been growing with each edition.
“Dreamstar is growing with each passing year. Last year we held the Grand Finale at 7 Arts and had a crowd of between 700 and 800 people. This year we had over 2 500 people in the HICC auditorium, which shows the growth in popularity of the programme,” said Kitchen.
“We have also grown in terms of the show’s production quality and with the assistance of our partners, we managed to put up a splendid show.”
Many local talent search shows have often been criticised for poor standards when compared to similar events that are held in other countries but Dreamstar appears to moving in the right direction thus far.
“Our goal is to grow every year and we appreciate that shows like Idols are the trendsetters in the industry, but we believe that as we continue to progress every year, we will reach those standards of production sooner rather than later.”
He added that finalists had performed so well as a result of hard work they had put prior to the event, having been in camp for three weeks perfecting their acts.
“It was wonderful to see all their hard work and dedication come together like that. The opening act, in particular, was a masterpiece choreographed by JCMC’s artist director and urban grooves legend, Leonard Mapfumo. From start to finish, the performers brought their best to the table and did Zimbabwe proud,” revealed Kitchen.
He further adds Dreamstar is there to promote local talent.
“Once you are involved with Dreamstar, you become part of the family, and we will do our best to promote these young talents through various promotions and opportunities as they arise. The future looks bright for Dreamstar as plans are already in place for 2017,” he said.
“We are lining up more audition cities and locations, more scholarship and employment opportunities, more recording contracts and a bigger and better finale in place.”
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