You have to kiss a lot of frogs to get your Prince Charming.
Well, Dumisani Mfune, Rudo Chakwera and Marvin Hanke can testify to that. After auditioning in Mzuzu, Zomba, Blantyre, Lilongwe, Salima and Mangochi, only 25 contestants have been picked for studio auditions from which the best 16 will be selected for the first round of second season of Sunbird Search for a Star talent show.
Blantyre auditions, which took place at Sunbird Mount Soche at the weekend, wrapped up the audition sessions, out of which nine hopefuls were picked from 124.
In an interview with The Nation, Sunbird Tourism Limited public relations officer Akossa Mphepo said the auditions were tougher this year which is a guarantee that the show will be more exciting.
“The judges have raised the bar such that even some of the contestants that made it last year and auditioned this year failed to get through,” she said.
Dumisani Mfune, one of the judges of the talent search, said that the quality of the competition has improved as has the quality of the contestants.
“Contestants came here knowing what is expected of them and raised the standards by which we select our contestants so viewers should expect an exciting season this year,” said Mfune.
The judge cited lack of preparedness as the main problem with most of the prospective contestants.
“The other problem is that some contestants picked songs that they like, thinking they could sing them. But it is one thing to like a song, but performing it is another,” said Mfune.
The 25 contestants are expected to camp at Sunbird Mount Soche on Wednesday in readiness for Friday’s studio auditions.
