LIGHTS,
CAMERA, ACTION! This is the super-star treatment for the current
Tusker project Fame 6 (TPF6) participants for the next few weeks. These contestants
from East Africa get pampered on fully paid shopping trips; limousine rides
complete with bodyguards and escorts. Nairobi’z Blogazine got a peek of
some of the contestants meet and greet trips to different joints in town
including Club Betty’z and Samba Restaurant in downtown Nairobi.
The meet and greet
enables them basically to unwind; dance; sing; sign autographs and just meet
and greet their fans. How can you be part of this excitement; I bet you are
asking! Well, each week; during the daily shows, they announce where they will
be every Tuesday from their meet and greet.
Nonetheless; every
eviction Saturday, you can join the evicted contestants at K1-Klubhouse in
Parklands for the Tusker Night Eviction Party. Here are some of the meet and
greet highlights…
hen they took the stage during the TPF6 gala night
opening; Mitch commented about their stellar performance amidst ladies shouting
and screaming their hearts out; “this is the reason why you do not bring
your lady to such an event.”
I turned to the lady who was beside me and I told
her; “I
have already put my money on tis duo to win the season!” anyway, that
is a story for another day. Kiundu Waweru writing for The Standard notes; the performance
can only be termed as deadly, and well; team Amos and Josh was out to slay a
jinx. They succeeded and the social media went wild. Since the inception of the
reality TV show; there has been a believe that Nameless songs are jinxed.
In previous seasons; anyone who tried the David
Mathenge’s songs earned an eviction, or ended up in probation.
But in the 6th season of Tusker Project
Fame; fro the first time having teams, Amos and Josh proved they are not
cursed. They killed with the song “Deadly”; which had been “retweaked”
by music producer Eric Musyoka of Decimal Records/ Media.
The duo, working with Musyoka, introduced a more
sobre note to the hip-hop tune. This was far away from the husky, deep signature
voice of Nameless who included the track on his 2003 album “On Fire”. The end result
being an urbane contemporary sound, soulful and more of R&B compared to the
original fiery Hip Hop.
On Twitter, some people felt that Musyoka’s version
was better; but Musyoka says that he is happy that after the performance,
Nameless on Facebook said he liked it.
Also; being a duo; Amos and Josh broke the lines
between the two of them playfully. In the opening verse, Nameless goes, “Natafuta
msichana atani-excite, Kama huyo msichana amevaa mini-tight…” and the
duo: Josh: “natafuta msichan atani-excite.” Amos ad-libbing: “and
that is what I am here to do…” josh: “kama Yule msichana amevaa
mini-tight;” and they go on and on. Climaxing to wild cheers.
Looking back; this was brave I must say and commend
the two. In season two, David from Kenya sand himself into probation on a
Nameless song. The following year, the promising Debarl (now with NTV-Kenya)
also from Kenya; found himself on the wrong side of the judges after a meek
performance of “Deadly.”
In season 5, Pacifique was sent packing by the
faculty. He was to sing “Deadly” that week. There also was K-Denk from South
Sudan and Christian from Rwanda who failed to deliver a Nameless.
It
seems this is the season for History being made!
His past weekend saw the axe fall on Fess from Kenya
and Sitenda from Uganda. The duo both got the least of votes from East Africa
as Team Amos and Josh; and Hope made it back to the academy.
The three were saved by the East African votes yet
again; even as the show took a dramatic turn. This time round East Africa will
vote for the winner from now on, as the faculty and the contestants will no
longer be saving any contestants on probation.
Earlier, both Angel (Tanzania) and Jennifer (Kenya)
were the first contestants to be double evicted from the competition.
I did write here last
week that the voting power of East Africa will be put to the test in terms of
loyalty and that is what happened on Saturday. The Sunday show promises to be one
of a kind as Eric Wainaina’s music pal, Victor Seii takes over as the music
director this week. He has broken up the norm and partnered the contestants,
even going ahead to break the team Amos and Josh duo.
As I file this story, the TPF6 Sunday show is
ongoing before me on my TV set. P-unit crew on stage and for the first time,
the amazing stage chemistry of the contestants is just at another tempo.
Indeed victor Seii has had the last laugh being the
Music Director this past week. He has gone ahead, on his own sphere, to make
history by having a show he has directed without the judges putting any
contestants on probation.
Eric Wainaina aka Principal Y as Dr. Mitch calls him;
resumes his role as the music Director for this coming week.
Stay
tuned!
By
Embukane Vincent Libosso.
Photo
credits: Alan Mola Photography and Tusker Lager facebook pages.
The other weekend I joined the
superficial standards of Nairobi’s social scene after an invite to attend #TPF6
Gala Night opening. The celebrity undercurrent is kinetic. People stare when
the former Tusker Project Fame contestants walk into the studio dome for the live recording. Ruth Matete, Ng’ang’alito; Wendy kimani among others who are a
handful of instant celebrities created by the power and influence of local
reality TV.
Many questions have risen on the many
strains contenders say come along with Reality TV’s 15-minutes of fame. Do the
impressions created on the shows come later to haunt them because they were
fake?
Most reality shows have cameras
rolling 24 hours a day and these 24 hours are condensed and edited into 30-60
minute daily shows. People watch these and they think they know you; but in
reality does Reality TV always give the full picture of a person?
Can the misconceptions that public
has about reality TV stars be partly attributed to editing? Real people are
placed in an unrealistic situation in order to create a story. Is it safe to
say that reality TV is only 90 percent reality? The editing and a lot of it are
applied to add spice .
But even as TPF6 takes the East
African stage; the above questions are not for us today; yet I would love to
keep this discussion going. Here are the TPF6 faces that ultimately, in the
end, will have to make their own reality.
