After an epic start to the season with the blind auditions, the show is moving onto the next phase this week as the battle rounds commence. Here, coaches Karen Zoid, Lira, Bobby van Jaarsveld and Kahn Morbee will pit two of their team members against each other where only one will be victorious. One will progress to the next round while the other’s The Voice South Africa journey will come to a screeching halt. However, before the battles begin, let me remind you who made the show’s top 48.
#TeamKahn
- Christy-Lyn Marais (28) from Cape Town was the one-of a kind harpist who secured her place in #TeamKahn with her rendition of the haunting traditional ballad “Scarborough Fair” – made famous by Simon and Garfunkel. She studied Occupational Therapy as well as some Classical Singing and as the years progressed, Christy-Lyn found herself doing more music and less O.T, especially with her new-found passion for the harp. Watch Christy-Lyn’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-christy-lyn/videos
- Craig Lucas (24) from Cape Town, a graduate in Economics and Politics at UCT who has never sung in front of such a big audience prior to his Blind Audition. His blistering version of The Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun” was enough, however, for all four of the coaches to turn their chairs for Craig. He promised his mother that he’d finish his degree before starting on a road to music, so will he make her proud in the next rounds too? Watch Craig’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-craig/videos
- Dylan Pretorius (32) from Pretoria has been gigging in and around his hometown. Will The Voice SA propel Dylan to a whole new level as a solo star? The audition song that won Dylan and his husky voice a spot on #TeamKahn was Elton John’s “Rocket Man”. Watch Dylan’s audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-dylan/videos
- Fatman (40), is the music teacher from Bela Bela. Fatman, as he is affectionately known, has the telephone numbers of a long list of South African music stars since he’s been on the local circuit for many years and might just become a big celeb in his own right soon too. The hilarious comedian entered the show to stand out from the crowd, but will have to show his coach that he is not a one-trick pony. His audition performance of Marc Cohn’s “Walking In Memphis” was enough to get both Kahn and Bobby to turn for him. Watch Fatman’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-fatman/videos
- Freddy Lalendle (23) from Durban’s raspy voice had all four of the coaches raving. Karen even said that South Africa needed a musician like him after is performance of Vance Joy’s “Riptide”. Freddy lives with his wife Celene in Overport in Durban where he also runs his band, “The Subway Run”. Watch Freddy’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-freddy/videos
- Kirby Jo (23) from Cape Town had the audience on their feet when she performed Michael Jackson’s technically challenging “Man In The Mirror”. Kirby is currently studying Early Childhood Development at False Bay College in Cape Town and is volunteering at a crèche once a week as part of her studies, but she has also been gigging throughout her adult life – and it shows! Watch Kirby Jo’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-kirby-jo/videos
- Lee Taylor (31) from Pretoria is a seasoned performer who has traveled the world. In fact, was living in South East Asia when a conversation with her Godmother about her future plans prompted her to return to South Africa, get a musical qualification and enter The Voice SA. Lee’s voice during her version of Jessie J’s “Domino” reminded reminded Kahn of Bonnie Tyler’s. Watch Lee’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-lee/videos
- Mia Pretorius (20) hails from Potgietersrus and is currently studying for a degree in Education at the University of the North West at Potchefstroom. She has also been gigging around the Afrikaans festival circuit for some years and bravely auditioned with a Bobby van Jaarsveld song, “’n Vrou Will Dit Hoor”. Kahn told her that her audition was totally flawless. Watch Mia’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-freddy/videos
- Monique Hellenberg (33) from Cape Town is a vocal coach who was persuaded by one of her students to enter Voice SA Season. That student was none other than Season 1 finalist, Zoe Modiga! Monique studied Music and Jazz at UCT and is no stranger to the music industry, as hers is in fact the voice behind South African band Goldfish’s 2008 smash hit “This Is How It Goes”. Her rendition of Christina Aguilera’s “I Turn To You” got her into the next round of the competition. Watch Monique’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-monique-i-turn-to-you/videos
- Sonia Mornser (24) from Vereeniging has been singing in church for as long as she can remember, and was on her way to studying Musical Theatre before she met her husband and had a baby boy. She entered the show this year, because the timing was finally right, and her sincere and haunting rendition of Nianell’s “Who Painted The Moon Black” earned her three chair turns from the coaches. Watch Sonia’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-sonia-who-painted-the-moon-black/videos
- “Symphony”: Charl Esterhuizen (20) and Christopher Mabasa (27) from eMalahleni. This duo is a classic South African “Brother-from-another-mother” story. One fateful evening, Charl walked into a local bar where Christopher was singing karaoke. Charl asked Christopher whether he could sing along with him, and the rest is history! The pair have been singing in and around eMalahleni, where Christopher now lives with the Esterhuizens, and they scored a spot on Kahn’s team with their performance of Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours”. Watch Symphony’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-symphony/videos
- Zee Gqamana (23) from Grahamstown studied Information Technology as her family encouraged her to put her education first before her first love which is music. She has just completed her BSc Honours in Information Systems at Rhodes University and felt it was the perfect time to enter The Voice SA. Her cover of Asa’s “Jailer” proved that she was right. Watch Zee’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-zikhona/videos
#TeamLira
· Al Petersen (28) from Cape Town has been earning her living making music wherever she can. When this sultry vocalist sang the Bob Marley and Lauren Hill love song “Turn Your Lights Down Low” Karen compared her to Amy Winehouse, but it was coach Lira who turned her chair to add her to her team, as Kahn regretted not buzzing for her. Watch Al’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-al/videos
· Amanda Faku (23) from Port Elizabeth had never performed in front of any audience before, but when she started singing John Legend’s “Ordinary People” in her Blind audition, she received the fastest four chair turns in Voice SA history! Amanda is a part-time student at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, but may have to put her studies on hold as her journey on the show has only just begun. Watch Amanda’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-amanda/videos
· Andrew Snyders (37) is one of 14 kids who all grew up singing in church in Cape Town. Later on in his life, Andrew endured a dark period of drug addiction, but it was his love of music that helped him out of that time and got him back on track. The father of two teenaged sons sang the All 4 One classic “I Can Love You Like That”, immediately grabbing Lira’s attention. Watch Andrew’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-auditions-andrew/videos
· Aston Wylie (24) is a full time performer and music teacher who hails all the way from Gonubie, a small town in the Eastern Cape. Currently residing in Belville in the Western Cape, Aston performed a stripped down version of Ellie Goulding’s “Love Me Like You Do” which impressed Lira from the start, prompting her to tell Aston that she believed every word that he sang to her. Watch Aston’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-aston-wylie/videos
· Bryce MacMillan (28) has travelled to Japan and the USA with his craft, but ended up back at home in Johannesburg where he is currently a full-time musician and DJ. His rendition of Ne*Yo’s “Sick” won him a spot on #TeamLira as she instantly recognized the soulfulness in Bryce’s voice and turned for him almost immediately. Watch Bryce’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-bryce/videos
· Bubbles Mnomiya (23) has a name that describes her personality and her stage presence perfectly. This effervescent performer, originally from Richard’s Bay, got the audience out of their seats and the coaches pushing their buzzers with her energetic and unforgettable performance of Cee-Lo Green’s “Forget You”. “You sang the hell out of that song while being so animated and entertaining. That’s so rare,” Lira gushed. Watch Bubbles’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-bubbles/videos
· Jacqueline Tolken (31) is a beauty therapist from Kempton Park, but she is no stranger to The Voice stage. A few years ago, Jacqueline auditioned for The Voice of Holland (with an Afrikaans song!) while she was living in the Netherlands, but none of the coaches turned for her. She returned to South Africa and worked on her singing, a move that paid off handsomely for her as her rendition of “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac earned her a full house of turns from the four Voice SA coaches. Watch Jacqueline’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-jacqueline/videos
· Luke Lovemore (23) performed music at Cape Town’s well-known Stardust restaurant which is where he befriended The Voice SA Season 1 winner Richard Stirton. After having seen Richard’s journey of success last year, and with Richard’s encouragement, Luke decided that it was time for him to try out too. He won himself a spot on #TeamLira with the Seal anthem “Crazy”. Watch Luke’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-luke-lovemore/videos
· Michelle Benham is a 27-year-old dance teacher from Johannesburg whose choice of audition song, Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”, was more than apt. Her performance was so good, in fact, that she had all four of the coaches turn for her and get out of their seats to dance along with her while she sang! It was while pitching to Michelle that Lira revealed that she wanted to see a female taking the title this year. Watch Michelle’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-michelle/videos
· Sheldon De St Pern (41) is the oldest talent in the competition this season. Sheldon, an MC and entertainer from Durban wowed both Lira and Karen Zoid with his rocking version of Creed’s “With Arms Wide Open” and he brought Lira to tears when he revealed that he wanted to be on her team, despite admitting to being a huge Karen Zoid fan. Watch Sheldon’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-sheldon/videos
· Spha Mdlalose (28) is a full time musician and voiceover artist from Cape Town. Her calm, confident cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Say A Little Prayer” impressed Karen and Lira, who were both immediately taken by Spha’s unique, jazzy tone. Spha chose fellow soul singer Lira to be her mentor. Watch Spha’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-spha/videos
· Tender Mavundla (35) is no stranger to the musical world. When Tender lived in Johannesburg, she won competitions such as “Jam Alley’s Megastar” and collaborated with some of SA’s biggest musicians before moving back to her home town of Port Shepstone in order to study TV and Film Production. Her blistering rendition of Brenda Fassie’s “Vulindlela” earned Tender three out of four coach turns and a spot in the competition as part of Lira’s team. Watch Tender’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-tender/videos
· Armand Joubert (21) started gigging regularly in and around eMalahleni from when he was in Grade 9, so even at his young age he is an old pro. He has been the opening act for major Afrikaans artists such as Nicolas Louw and Ray Dylan, but his biggest break so far was receiving four chair turns from The Voice SA coaches after his incredible rendition of Ariana Grande’s “Into You.” Karen compared his range to the likes of Axl Rose, Bruno Mars and Michael Jackson – esteemed company indeed! Wacth Armand’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-armand-joubert/videos
· Celest Schoeman (28) from Strandfontein is a full time musician whose bold and risky audition of Adele’s “When We Were Young” bagged her a full house of chair turns from the four coaches and a standing ovation from them too. “You completely sucked me into your world, I just sat back and listened to your beautiful music,” Karen gushed after Celest’s performance. Watch Celest’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-celeste/videos
· Chico Muya(24) from Durban was encouraged to enter The Voice SA by his fellow KZN-based muso friends, Chloe Clark and Gavin Walsh, who both appeared on Season 1 of the show. Chico is a full time musician and has even opened for Kahn Morbee on two occasions in Durban, but his version of Oasis’s “Wonderwall” spoke to coach Karen Zoid, who landed him on her team. Watch Chico’s Blind Audition here:
http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-chico/videos
· Christie Woolmington (20) from Johannesburg is a graphic design student who spent her spare time auditioning for any musical gig that was going – including The Voice SA. Both Karen and Lira turned their chairs after hearing Christie’s rendition of Colbie Caillat’s “Bubbly”, with Karen telling her that both she and Lira would buy her album immediately. Watch Christie’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-christie/videos
· Emma Ellis (21) from Port Elizabeth’s Voice SA dream was for Karen Zoid to turn for her, and while she was performing The Plain White T’s “Hey There, Delilah”, Karen did just that. Emma got such a shock that it literally took her breath – and her lyrics – away, prompting Karen to join Emma on stage to assist her in finishing the song together. With that, the other three coaches all pressed their buzzers to enjoy the rest of the performance, which Emma recovered from like a pro. Watch Emma’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/the-voice-sa-season-2-blind-audition-emma-hey-there-delilah/videos
· Lindo Sithole (22) studied a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Business at UKZN Pietermartizburg before venturing into music full time. His biggest musical inspiration is his late grandfather, who he never got to meet in his lifetime, but whose legacy as one of the best musicians in Pietermaritzburg – as well as his unique sense of style – fired up a passion in Lindo too. Lindo got himself a spot on #TeamKaren with the Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse classic “Burn Out”.
· Marissa Petzer (22) found love when she entered Season 1 of The Voice SA last year – with Top 4 talent Almur Marais, who was also on #TeamKaren. This year she returned with a whole lotta confidence and “A Whole Lotta Love”, courtesy of her Led Zepplin song choice. Her impressive audition had all four of the coaches turning for her, but she followed in her boyfriend’s footsteps and picked a spot on Karen’s team. Watch Marissa’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-marissa-petzer/videos
· PJ Pretorius (26) got his start in music singing in church in Secunda where he grew up. Today he works as a full time worship leader at his church in Secunda, and his version of the Coldplay claissic “Yellow” won him three coaches’ turns. Despite high praise from both Lira and Kahn, PJ had his sights set on being a part of #TeamKaren. Watch PH’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-pj/videos
- Samantha Landers (30) is a full time vocal coach from Durban who accompanied her good friend Chloe Clark to the auditions of the show in Season 1, but never took part herself. Samantha sang the technically challenging Judy Garland classic “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” and not only did she start the song off completely a cappella, she did it so well that coach Karen turned for her after the second note. Watch Sam’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-auditions-samantha-landers/videos
- Samantha Leonard (24) from Kimberly has been singing since a very young age and has spent her adult life gigging all around South Africa. Her rip-roaring rendition of Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj’s “Bang Bang” had all four of the coaches pressing their buzzers and getting heated amongst each other as they begged Samantha to join their respective teams. But Samantha had her sights set on one coach from the very beginning. Watch Samantha’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-samantha/videos
- The Massers – Lillian and John Masser (duo). This brother and sister duo from Pretoria have been performing together and solo for much of their lives. They sang a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” – a personal favourite of both Kahn and Karen – who turned their chairs for the duo. Kahn predicted that The Massers would choose Karen over him, which is exactly what they did. Watch their Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-the-massers/videos
· Veronique Lalouette (35) grew up in the South African music business as her father, Denny Lalouette, is one of the country’s most well-known professional bass players. He even plays as a part of The Voice SA house band! Veronique belted out Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High” and both Lira and Karen turned for her at the same time. As they saw Veronique – whom they both know since she is an established session musician in the industry – they were visibly thrilled for her. Watch Veronique’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-veronique/videos
#TeamBobby
· Alex Cavan (23) from Port Elizabeth has been singing ever since he took part in an open mic night at a local bar. The Friendly City native sang a stripped down version of the 90s R&B classic “No Diggity” by Blackstreet, for which Bobby pressed his buzzer. Fellow coach Kahn Morbee lamented not turning for Alex, but this suited Bobby just fine, as he told Alex “I’m honoured to have you on my team!” Watch Alex’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-alex/videos
· Anchen Groenewald (19) is a pastor’s kid who spent most of her traveling and living across South Africa, but considers Rustenburg home these days. After matriculating in 2015, Anchen took a gap year to focus on music, but it looks like she may have to extend it because her rendition of Lukas Graham’s “7 Years” had Bobby turning and declaring to Anchen, “I’m on your team!” Watch Anchen’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-anchen/videos
· Caroline-Grace Brussow (31) is a qualified attorney who was born and bred in Bloemfontein, which is also where she met her husband, Springbok rugby player Heinrich Brussow. Caroline is the full package of brains and talent, as she proved in her Blind Audition when she belted out Celine Dion’s “Loved Me Back To Life”. Coach Bobby turned for Caroline and recognized her almost immediately, revealing to his fellow coaches and the audience that she is married to Heinrich – who was sitting in the audience to support her! Watch Caroline’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-caroline/videos
· Chad Jubber (19) used to live in Johannesburg, but moved back to his birthplace of Pietermaritzburg after his father sadly passed away in 2013, where he attended school in the picturesque village of Wartburg. His moving performance of local star Matthew Mole’s “Autumn” ensured him a spot on #TeamBobby, with his coach predicting that “South Africa is going to love you… a lot.” Watch Chad’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-chadwick/videos
· Dawie de Jager (33) started out his singing career as a member of the Afrikaans rock band “Klopjag” which he was part of for over a decade. More recently, Dawie immersed himself in the movie business, composing musical scores for big South African feature films. He also started an orchid business with his parents in between all of his musical endeavours! Dawie’s rendition of U2’s “One” in the Blind Auditions had both Karen and Bobby delighted to see him as they immediately recognized him, but it was Bobby – who admitted to stealing money from this mother as a youngster in order to buy a “Klopjag” album – that secured Dawie for his team. Watch Dawie’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-dawie/videos
· Jean Citto (23) found his gift for music in church. Jean has always been musical but coming from a family of academics, it’s been a struggle for this qualified electrical engineer to convince his loved ones that a career in music could be a reality for him. He made his mark on the show with his rendition of Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Put Your Records On”, which landed him a position on #TeamBobby. Watch Jean’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-jean-put-your-record-on/videos
· Jeanne-Mari Engelbrecht (29) from Strand is a Grade 4 English English teacher at Locherof Primary School, but has been singing for most of her life. Her brave and pitch-perfect rendition of the Dolly Parton classic “I Will Always Love You”, which was also covered by Whitney Houston in the 1990’s, had coach Bobby van Jaarsveld turning his chair for her, complimenting her on her control and her crystal clear tone. Watch Jeanne-Mari’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-jeanne-mari/videos
· John James Janse van Rensburg (18) is the youngest talent to enter The Voice SA this season and is still in Matric at his high school in Carltonville. John James absolutely stunned all four of the coaches who turned for his cover of Meghan Trainor’s “Like I’m Gonna Lose You”. “My heart skipped a beat when I heard you sing,” Karen Zoid gushed, while Lira and Kahn also gave him high praise. But it was Bobby who told John James to go with his heart when it came to picking a coach, and clearly John James had already made up his mind as he chose Bobby without hesitation. Watch John James’ Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-john-james/videos
· Josh Ansley (31) has been singing and performing ever since childhood and was a regular performer with the Barnyard Theatre group until recently. Josh’s blistering rendition of the AC/DC classic “Shook Me All Night Long” got him four chair turns and incredibly high praise from the coaches. But it was coach Bobby who turned for him first and with that, Bobby gained one of his most energetic new talents. Watch Josh’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/the-voice-sa-season-2-blind-audition-josh-you-shook-me-all-night/videos
· Marco Basson (23) is a qualified and full time chemical engineer who has quietly been nurturing his singing talent since childhood. Having sung mostly in church and at university, Marco came to The Voice SA to perform an ingenious rendition of Nick Jonas’s “Jealous”, proving that looks can be deceiving, as this nerdy looking engineer pulled off some seriously high notes! Marco received four chair turns from the coaches and despite some strong pitches from Kahn, Lira and Karen, he felt that his home on the show was with TeamBobby. Watch Marco’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-marco/videos
· Meggan Moore (25) is a rock ‘n roller all the way from beautiful Langebaan, where she used to make jewelry and leatherwork with crystals before switching to singing full time. Her cover of K.T Tunstall’s “Black Horse and a Cherry Tree” ensured that she will now receive plenty of mentorship from coach Bobby van Jaarsveld, who was very excited to have a “rock chick” on his team for the very first time since he’s been a coach on the show. Watch Meggan’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-meggan-black-horse-and-the-cherry-tree/videos
· Rick Jansen (18) is the second teenager to be welcomed to Bobby’s team. At school in Centurion, Rick suffered a serious sporting injury, breaking his neck in three places. While he was making a miraculous recovery, Rick picked up the guitar that his grandmother bought him and started playing and singing. The rest was history! Rick sang Calvin Harris’s “This Is What You Came For” and his solid performance won him a space on Bobby’s team. Watch Rick’s Blind Audition here: http://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-voice-south-africa/videos/blind-audition-rick-jansen/videos
The battles begin this Sunday at 17h30 on M-Net.
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