Talent XP – Where is the star power?

I’ve been watching Talent XP keenly. It’s a show that had me very excited when it was announced. First of all it’s 100 percent local. It focuses on talent as a whole. Dancers, instrumentalists, singers and rappers. The show is looking for the most talented singers, dancers and instrumentalists to make the first Ugandan cover band. This concept is very exciting.  Having one of my favorite Ugandan female performers on its judges’ panel Jackie Chandiru makes it even more exciting. Having all this together had me waiting impatiently for the show to debut. 

After two episodes of the show, I have to announce that I’m totally underwhelmed. Uganda has talent and it’s great that NTV has taken the initiative to give that talent platform but something very important is lacking – STAR POWER.

Coca-cola Rated Next had  Sharpe Ssewali on their judges panel. Many of us didn’t know him but we got to love him because of his personality. His attention to detail and understanding of music made him stand out of the rest of the judges. Personality is a huge element of any talent show.

Star Power is a huge element of every talent show. It encompasses everything from fashion, elegance and personality of the hosts and judges. Since these are the people that make the show, their personalities have represent what they are looking for. If a show is looking for a star then these people have to look the part. The contestants and hopefuls always look up to them. Talent XP is unfortunately short of that.

Let me begin with Jackie Chandiru who is a very beautiful woman with loads and loads of talent. She looks the complete opposite of this on the show though. On the first show as MC Kats introduced her to the audience, I was left exasperated and perplexed by what she was wearing.I do not even remember what it was.  I expected something more powerful since she’s a star (  a huge star by the way). The way she presents herself while on the judges table is also not the best. I expect poise and personality. It’s hard to notice that it is the Jackie I love so much. Her hair, her garb and the way she holds herself is not close to what I expected from a star.

Jackie dazzled at the Club Music Video awards. However on the show this fact looks like it can never happen.

The other two male judges fall short of everything. Bebe Cool is known for his eccentric fashion sense on stage so I expected to see some little bit of effort from him. Just a simple leather jacket can add oomph to an outfit that would have looked boring. He chose to wear a shirt and jeans which is worn by almost all the male contestants on the show. I believe many of these contestants look up to him and so it would have been better if he looked aspirational. The third judge makes no effort at all. It gets really sad. I want to look at these judges and admire them or wish I had the talent they have. This never happens and many of the viewers can agree with me on this.

The hosts of Tusker Project Fame always look dashing. Their personalities make you wish you had the talent they have.

The hosts also fall in the same boat. Robin Kisti chose to wear a tank top and a pair of black pants on the debut show. I believe that is what any random girl wears as they rush to campus. Robin who is very beautiful shouldn’t have worn this. She seems to be the only person on the team with the oomph. She understands the concept and this is exuded in the way she passionately talks about it on the show. Her co-host MC Kats lacks the drive for the show. He tries to use humor which fails to be driven home in the process. This can be worked on though. He still needs time to get accustomed to such a show. His fashion is unforgivable though. He really needs to up his game.

Local content is what we all should be rooting for because it’s the only way we can support our local talent.  Considering the fact that these are Uganda stars, a Ugandan creative team  should be brought on board to make the show more exciting. I’m talking about stylists, fashion designers, hair experts and make up artists. 

Some of the examples I have of shows with the same concept include Britain’s Got Talent, SA’s Got Talent, The XFactor and our own Tusker Project Fame. On these shows everyone looks like they are stars even when their respective careers can be daunting to understand. I don’t think Cheryl Cole’s musical prowess makes her the right person to judge a music show. There are also stars who are better than Nicole Scherzinger, I don’t think she’s the best the option for a judge of a music show. However these singers make you feel like they are the real deal. They come off as multimillion superstars.

The X Factor judges ooze stardom. You wish to be like them.

The XFactor UK team looked every bit sassy. This shows you what you are headed for just incase you win the competition.

One might say that I’m only looking at international shows. Yes these people have huge budgets and have an enviable viewership. When you head to East Africa at the Tusker Project Fame, you will notice the same thing. While Juliana Kanyomozi is a fashion savvy woman, her fellow judges aren’t. This does not deter them from making an effort to make themselves look like judges.

The Tusker Project Fame judges strut on stage. While Judge Ian made no effort (honestly), his personality while on the judges table is a representation of someone who is out to look for a star. He effortlessly looks the part.

The hosts of MTN West African Project Fame Joseph Benjamin and Adora always look elegant. Their presence on the stage makes the show worth watching. Ladies always get fashion tips from just looking at her while men get inspirations from him.

We love our local content so much and we are supporting it all through. However the team behind Talent XP should make a little effort to make this exciting show much more exciting. We want to look at the team and aspire to be like them. We want to watch the show and wish to speak like them. We want STAR POWER! Eloquence, fashion, elegance and personality is what we wish to get from such a show.

I believe the execution of this is not hard. Bebe Cool, MC Kats, Robin Kisti and Jackie Chandiru already know how to make this work. We are going to watch them for many weeks to come and so it’s important that we look forward to every episode of the show. #TeamUganda

satisfahionug@gmail.com