East Africa's Got Talent

East Africa's Got Talent
GenreTalent show
Created bySimon Cowell[1]
Presented byAnne Kansiime
Judges
Country of originKenya
Original languagesEnglish, Swahili
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producerLee Ndayisaba
Production locationsKenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi (Auditions)
Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi
Running time60–120 minutes
Production companyRapid Blue
Original release
NetworkCitizen TV (Kenya)
Clouds Media (Tanzania)
RTV (Rwanda)
NBS TV (Uganda)
Release4 August (2019-08-04) –
6 October 2019 (2019-10-06)

East Africa's Got Talent is a talent show competition that is part of the Got Talent franchise owned by Simon Cowell.[3] It broadcasts simultaneously across four countries in East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda.[4][5][6][7]

Winners

Season 1: Esther and Ezekiel

Judges

Season one

Jeff Koinange (Kenya)

Vanessa Mdee (Tanzania)

Makeda Mahadeo (Rwanda)

Gaetano Kagwa (Uganda)

Show structure

The show has two rounds of auditions. The first round referred to as, pre-auditions is held across different cities in each participating country. The second round, referred to as, theatre auditions are done later at a setting in front of Judges and live audience.

Preliminary auditions

The pre-auditions were held in major cities in each country which included Nairobi, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, Kampala and Kigali.

Theater auditions

Once a performance is over, each judge will give an overview of what they thought about the act, before casting a vote.

The judges are allowed to use the golden buzzer to send an act directly to the semi-finals. Each judge can only press the golden buzzer once throughout the entire season.

Deliberations

After the completion of theater auditions, the judges whittle down the acts to only eighteen to compete in the semi-finals.

Live shows

Semi-finals

The live shows include three episodes of semifinals in which the successful eighteen acts from the auditions get to compete for a spot in the finals. In each episode, six acts perform. The act with the most public vote automatically goes through to the finals while the judges choose from the 2nd and 3rd respectively in the public vote. In case of a tie, the act placed 2nd in the public vote advances to the finals. A judge can buzz if not impressed with the act. The performance can be terminated if all the judges buzz the act.

Finals

The final episode operates using the same format as the semi-finals, though this time the winner is determined purely by a public vote, with the finalists attempting to secure more votes than the others by performing a new routine at their best.

The host announces the results with the act gaining more public votes declared the winner. The winner receives a grand prize of 50 000 dollars.

Auditions

The show had two rounds of auditions. The first round referred to as, pre-auditions were held across different cities in each participating country. The second round, referred to as theatre auditions, were done later at a setting in front of judges and a live audience.

Preliminary auditions

The pre-auditions were held in major cities in each country.

Theater auditions

Theater auditions were held in Mpesa foundation academy, in Kenya in front of judges and a live audience. This event was pre recorded. The judges cast a vote to either eliminate an act or send it through to the next stage.

Golden Buzzer

The judges had a choice to press the golden buzzer which sends an act direct to the semi-finals.

The first Judge to press the golden buzzer was Vanessa Mdee for Uganda's 7year old, Leyna Kagere.

Jeff Koinange pressed his second golden buzzer for Tanzania's Team Makochokocho.

The third golden buzzer from Makeda went to Hoziyana Peace (23) from Rwanda.

The last golden buzzer was pressed by Gaetano Kagwa for Uganda's Jehova Shalom Acapella.

Participants

These participants made it past theatre auditions by securing at least three yes from the judges.

  Winner

  Runners up

Golden Buzzer - Auditions

No. Participant Act Origin Result
1 All eyes on Us Acrobat dancers Uganda Semi-Finalist
2 Leyna Kagaere

Singer Uganda Semi-Finalist
3 Esther and Ezekiel Singers (duo) Uganda Winner
4 Jua Kali Drummers Drummers Kenya Semi-Finalist
5 Peace

Singer Rwanda Semi-Finalist
6 DNA Comic dancers Uganda Finalist
7 Tetemesha Dancers Kenya Semi-Finalist
8 Yada Dance Contemporary dancers Kenya Semi-Finalist
9 Liz Gymnastic Acrobat Tanzania Semi-Finalist
10 Sinaubi Instrumentalist Tanzania Semi-Finalist
11 Intayoberana Cultural dancers Rwanda Runners up
12 Spell Cast Singing group Kenya Finalist
13 Makorokocho

Dancers Tanzania Semi-Finalist
14 Himbaza club Drummers Rwanda Semi-Finalist
15 The Mason 666 Street Dancers Tanzania Semi-Finalist
16 Jannell Tamara Singer Kenya Finalist
17 Jehovah Shalom Acapella

A capella group Uganda Finalist
18 Elisha the Gift Sunger Rwanda Semi-Finalist

Semi-finals

The Semi finals were filmed live at Catholic University of Eastern Africa

Eighteen acts that got through from the theatre auditions battled it out in a heated competition to secure a place in the final six. Six acts performed each week and only two made the cut.

Buzzed Out | Judges' choice |
  Won Public Vote |   Won Judges' Vote   Lost Judges' Vote

Semi-finals 1 (September 15)

Guest Performer, Results Show: Nandy

Time Order Semi-finalist Origin Act Buzzes and Judges choice Result

10.00pm

Gaetano Makeda Vanessa Jeff
Sunday

8.00

Pm

(EAT)

1 The Mason 666 Tanzania Street dancers Eliminated
2 Elisha the Gift Rwanda Singer Eliminated
3 All eyes on Us Uganda Acrobats Eliminated (Lost Judges' Vote)
4 Jannell Tamara Kenya Singer Advanced (Public Vote)
5 Himbaza Club Rwanda Drummers Eliminated
6 Jehovah Shallom A capella Uganda A capella group Advanced (Won Judges' Vote)

Non-competition performances

performer Country Act
Nandy Tanzania Singer

Semi-finals 2 (September 22)

Guest Performer, Results Show: Serro

Time Order Semi-Finalist Origin Act Buzzes and Judges choice Result

10.00pm

Gaetano Makeda Vanessa Jeff
Sunday

8.00

PM

(EAT)

1 Liz Rafael Tanzania Gymnastic acrobatic Eliminated
2 Intayoberana Rwanda Cultural dance Advanced (Public Vote)
3 Esther & Ezekiel Uganda Singers(duo) Advanced (Won Judges' Vote)
4 Yada Dance Kenya Contemporary Dancers Eliminated
5 Leyna Kagere Uganda Singer Eliminated (Lost Judges' Vote)
6 Tetemesha Kenya Dance group Eliminated

Non-competition performances

Performer Origin Act
Serro Kenya Singer

Semi-finals 3(September 29)

Guest Performer, Results Show: Bruce Melodie

Time Order Semi-Finalist Origin Act Buzzes and Judges choice Result

10.00pm

Gaetano Makeda Vanessa Jeff
Sunday

8.00

Pm

(EAT)

1 Jua Kali Drummers Kenya Drummers Eliminated
2 Peace Rwanda Singer Eliminated (Lost Judges' Vote)
3 DNA Uganda Comic Dancers Advanced (Public Vote)
4 Sinaubi Tanzania Instrumentalist Eliminated
5 Spell Cast Kenya Singers(Group) Advanced (Won Judges' Vote)
6 Makorokocho Tanzania Dance group Eliminated
Participant Origin Act
Bruce Melodie Rwanda Singer

Final

Finale (October 6)

The Finale was filmed live at Catholic University of Eastern Africa.

  Winner |   Runner-up

6 acts had to step up their game and battle it out for the grand prize of $50,000.

Guest Performer, Results Show: Ommy Dimpoz.

Time Order Finalist Country Description Buzzes and Judges choice Result
Gaetano Makeda Vanessa Jeff
Sunday

7.30

Pm

(EAT)

1 Spell Cast Kenya Singers(group) Finalist
2 Intayoberana Rwanda Cultural dance 2nd
3 Jannell Tamara Kenya Singer Finalist
4 DNA Uganda Comic dance Finalist
5 Esther & Ezekiel Uganda Singers(duo) 1st
6 Jehovah Shalom A capella Uganda A capella group Finalist
Participant Origin Act
Ommy Dimpoz Tanzania Singer

Awards

The winners won $50,000, c. KES 5,000,000.[8]

Controversy

Concerns were raised about the Burundian drummers not coming from the four participating countries namely Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania. The producers of the show released a statement clarifying that the group members were legal residents of Rwanda and had all the rights to participate as participation was open to anyone from the four countries.[9]

References

  1. ^ Reporter, S. D. E. "'Got Talent' show coming to East Africa". Standard Digital News.
  2. ^ Ireri Murimi, Brian. "East Africa's Got Talent judges unveiled". Standard Media. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  3. ^ Ellaya, Chanelle (29 March 2016). "BBC Worldwide invests in SA production company Rapid Blue".
  4. ^ hot96user (9 April 2019). "'East Africa's Got Talent' reality show officially launched in Kenya". Hot 96. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Nsubuga, Denis. "Uganda wins first EA's Got Talent". New Vision. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  6. ^ "East Africa's Got Talent Winner". Citizen TV Kenya. 6 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Ezekiel and Esther Mutesasira win East Africa's Got Talent 2019 East Africa's Got Talent: The Champions finally announced". Ug Christian News. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  8. ^ "Newly launched 'East Africa Got Talent' to showcase local talent to the world". 9 April 2019.
  9. ^ "East Africa Got Talent clarifies on Burundian drummers ..." The Citizen. Retrieved 22 September 2019.