East Africa's Got Talent

Last updated
East Africa's Got Talent
Genre Talent show
Created by Simon Cowell [1]
Presented by Anne Kansiime
Judges
Season 1 [2]
Country of origin Kenya
Original languagesEnglish, Swahili
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producerLee Ndayisaba
Production locations Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi (Auditions)
Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi
Running time60–120 minutes
Production companyRapid Blue
Original release
Network Citizen 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]

Contents

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

Yellow ffff00 pog.svg Golden Buzzer - Auditions

No.ParticipantActOriginResult
1All eyes on UsAcrobat dancers Uganda Semi-Finalist
2Leyna Kagaere

Yellow ffff00 pog.svg

SingerUgandaSemi-Finalist
3Esther and EzekielSingers (duo)UgandaWinner
4Jua Kali DrummersDrummers Kenya Semi-Finalist
5Peace

Yellow ffff00 pog.svg

Singer Rwanda Semi-Finalist
6DNAComic dancersUgandaFinalist
7TetemeshaDancersKenyaSemi-Finalist
8Yada DanceContemporary dancersKenyaSemi-Finalist
9LizGymnastic Acrobat Tanzania Semi-Finalist
10SinaubiInstrumentalistTanzaniaSemi-Finalist
11IntayoberanaCultural dancersRwandaRunners up
12Spell CastSinging groupKenyaFinalist
13Makorokocho

Yellow ffff00 pog.svg

DancersTanzaniaSemi-Finalist
14Himbaza clubDrummersRwandaSemi-Finalist
15The Mason 666Street DancersTanzaniaSemi-Finalist
16Jannell TamaraSingerKenyaFinalist
17Jehovah Shalom Acapella

Yellow ffff00 pog.svg

A capella groupUgandaFinalist
18Elisha the GiftSungerRwandaSemi-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.

Crystal Clear action button cancel.svg Buzzed Out | Crystal Clear app clean.svg Judges' choice |
  Won Public Vote |   Won Judges' Vote  Lost Judges' Vote

Semi-finals 1 (September 15)

Guest Performer, Results Show: Nandy

TimeOrderSemi-finalistOriginActBuzzes and Judges choiceResult

10.00pm

GaetanoMakedaVanessaJeff
Sunday

8.00

Pm

(EAT)

1The Mason 666TanzaniaStreet dancersEliminated
2Elisha the GiftRwandaSingerEliminated
3All eyes on UsUgandaAcrobats Crystal Clear app clean.svg Eliminated (Lost Judges' Vote)
4Jannell TamaraKenyaSingerAdvanced (Public Vote)
5Himbaza ClubRwandaDrummersEliminated
6Jehovah Shallom A capellaUgandaA capella group Crystal Clear app clean.svg Crystal Clear app clean.svg Crystal Clear app clean.svg Advanced (Won Judges' Vote)

Non-competition performances

performerCountryAct
Nandy Tanzania Singer

Semi-finals 2 (September 22)

Guest Performer, Results Show: Serro

TimeOrderSemi-FinalistOriginActBuzzes and Judges choiceResult

10.00pm

GaetanoMakedaVanessaJeff
Sunday

8.00

PM

(EAT)

1Liz RafaelTanzaniaGymnastic acrobaticEliminated
2IntayoberanaRwandaCultural danceAdvanced (Public Vote)
3Esther & EzekielUgandaSingers(duo) Crystal Clear app clean.svg Crystal Clear app clean.svg Crystal Clear app clean.svg Advanced (Won Judges' Vote)
4Yada DanceKenyaContemporary DancersEliminated
5Leyna KagereUgandaSinger Crystal Clear app clean.svg Eliminated (Lost Judges' Vote)
6TetemeshaKenyaDance groupEliminated

Non-competition performances

PerformerOriginAct
Serro Kenya Singer

Semi-finals 3(September 29)

Guest Performer, Results Show: Bruce Melodie

TimeOrderSemi-FinalistOriginActBuzzes and Judges choiceResult

10.00pm

GaetanoMakedaVanessaJeff
Sunday

8.00

Pm

(EAT)

1Jua Kali DrummersKenyaDrummersEliminated
2PeaceRwandaSinger Crystal Clear app clean.svg Eliminated (Lost Judges' Vote)
3DNAUgandaComic DancersAdvanced (Public Vote)
4SinaubiTanzaniaInstrumentalistEliminated
5Spell CastKenyaSingers(Group) Crystal Clear app clean.svg Crystal Clear app clean.svg Crystal Clear app clean.svg Advanced (Won Judges' Vote)
6MakorokochoTanzaniaDance groupEliminated
ParticipantOriginAct
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.

TimeOrderFinalistCountryDescriptionBuzzes and Judges choiceResult
GaetanoMakedaVanessaJeff
Sunday

7.30

Pm

(EAT)

1Spell CastKenyaSingers(group)Finalist
2Intayoberana Rwanda Cultural dance2nd
3Jannell Tamara Kenya SingerFinalist
4DNA Uganda Comic danceFinalist
5Esther & EzekielUgandaSingers(duo)1st
6Jehovah Shalom A capellaUgandaA capella groupFinalist
ParticipantOriginAct
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. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.{{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.