Idols SA auditions wrap up in CT

As a special treat for Capetonians, popular Zef rapper Jack Parow stood in for judge Gareth Cliff, who was out of the country.

The wacky moustachioed artist known for lekker Afrikaans rhymes said he was looking for someone “cooler as eke” to bowl him over. Enter Mario Herman.

The 22 year-old rapper came in with all the confidence of a seasoned emcee to perform an original composition called Better than the Best. But it took less than a nanosecond to see that Mario was nowhere near being better than anyone, let alone the best.

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As guest of honour and well-travelled rhyme master, Jack was given the honour to critique the performance but was left utterly dumbfounded and struggling to string together a coherent sentence – much like Mario’s rap performance.

And so started a painfully long audition day for the judges.

Lyrics proved a challenge for most contestants, as they fumbled and mumbled their way through songs. This, in turn, made the Golden Ticket as elusive as a sighting of a unicorn on Table Mountain.

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After hours of struggle, 19 year-old Micaela November finally broke the drought with a Jennifer Hudson song that earned her three nods.

But it was gospel recording artist Lusanda Bheja, 25, who finally woke the judges from their slumber when he performed John Legend’s So High to – well, high praise. He was called the “full package” and received four thumbs up. It looked like Lusanda was the lucky charm because after that, the talent flood gates finally opened in Cape Town.

- Press Release