Via’s New Show a First For Afrikaans Music

Afrikaans lifestyle channel Via and the Afrikaans music industry’s biggest independent record company, Coleske Artists, are looking for the next big thing.

In the new TV show ‘Die Kontrak’, which will air on the channel later this year, eight aspiring singers will vie for a sought-after recording contract. ‘Die Kontrak”s mentors – Elvis Blue, Tarryn Lamb, Monique Steyn and Dewald Wasserfall – will select the eight most talented candidates.

Blue is a South African musician who started creating music at the age of 16 when he bought a guitar and learnt to play off the internet. He spent time as a busker in Johannesburg and played in several bands.

In 2010, Blue took part in the sixth season of ‘Idols South Africa’, emerging as the winner. His self-titled album Elvis Blue was released in November 2010, going on to earn him gold status in only 28 days and going platinum in 2011.

Lamb is part of South African pop trio BlackByrd. The group was formed in 2012, and also consists of Axene Prinsloo and Tamsyn Maker. BlackByrd’s sound is rooted in pop-country with ballads about love and heartbreak. The band formed after Lamb posted an advert on Gumtree in 2012, looking for other musicians to start an all-girl group.

Steyn is a vocalist who has embraced the pop style of the likes of America’s Kelly Clarkson. Her debut title track, a duet with Snotkop, enjoyed massive support and the video was played so many times on YouTube that it was acknowledged as being the most downloaded song on the channel.

Wasserfall has been writing music practically his whole life. At the age of 12, he wrote his first song. After matriculating, he took his talent to the former Pretoria Technikon and his general competence was further honed by obtaining a diploma in entertainment technology.

Each of the candidates will enter the competition with a recording contract. The challenge, however, is to hold onto the contract because at the end of every episode, record label boss Arnold Coleske tears up one contract. At the end of the series, only the winner will receive a contract with Coleske Artists.

Throughout the series, the eight aspiring singers must impress a panel of three experts: Music stars Corlea Botha and Theuns Jordaan as well as the creative director of the Afrikaans is Groot mega-concerts, Barry Pretorius.

This exciting show will be presented by Afrikaans music’s golden brother-and-sister duo, Bobby and Karlien van Jaarsveld.

Namibians are eligible so if you are the next big Afrikaans artist, enter now.

There are two easy ways to enter. Record a video of you singing your favourite song and upload it to the NetNuus app’s video section if you don’t want anyone to miss it. State who you would like your mentor to be. Remember to use the hashtag #DieKontrak. You can also upload you audition video to Facebook or Instagram, tag the mentor of your choice and use the hashtag #DieKontrak.

Remember to say who you are, how old you are and where you are from in your submission video and note that entries close on Saturday, 30 June at midnight.

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