Star Brite heads for finale

THE national finals of the talent search show Star Brite will be held at the end of July or beginning of August during the school holidays, organisers have revealed.

Barney Mpariwa, the producer and director of the show, said this as contestants in the talent show went into boot camp where they received grooming tips ahead of the finals that will see the best in music, dance and other art genres being crowned and walking away with prizes.

"The finals will be held sometime end of July or beginning of August because we are targeting the school holidays," he said.

Meanwhile, Mpariwa said despite the little support they were receiving from the corporate world, they were upbeat that the talent show will live up to its billing.

"Although few companies have come in to support us as strategic partners, save for the likes Favco, this has not stopped us from fulfilling our mission.

"If we can have 10 or 15 companies coming together to support this show, this can change these guys (contestants)' lives for the better. But that has not stopped us.

"Sometimes we had to sell our personal assets to get this programme going. Yes, it has been tough but we have cherished every bit of the challenge because that is what keeps us going," he said.

Mpariwa said Star Brite was a Zimbabwean show t aimed at producing the best talent that can represent Zimbabwean culture, art and talent.

"This talent search show is something that identifies with being Zimbabwean. There is so much raw talent in Zimbabwe but because it is not nurtured, most of these artistes end up leaving the country to try their luck elsewhere.

"We are saying let's nurture our own talent," he said.

Mpariwa also dispelled the notion that foreign shows, programmes, artistes and trends were superior to local ones.

"We want to dispel the notion that foreign shows like American Idol among others are better than local ones. That is why you see people watching foreign programmes and listening to foreign music because they fell ours are inferior.

"For your own information Star Brite started in 1989 while American Idol only started around 2010," he said.

Musician Tendai Chidarikire, a product of Star Brite, urged the contestants to cultivate a fighting spirit, in order to excel.

"The arts industry is not so rosy, but you need to have passion for what you are doing," he said.

Mpariwa also acknowledged that not much was being done to create a lasting base for artistes so that they can a earn a living from their skills in future.

"The local entertainment industry does not have supporting systems in place as to what these guys can become tomorrow. But Star Brite aims to bridge that gap. We should invest in our youths," he said.

The show will on June 27 go to Harare's Borrowdale Race Course where the contestants are expected to square off as part of the process to obtain a ticket to the national finals.

Superstar Oliver Mtukudzi, a winner of several awards, is the patron of Star Brite and by virtue of his experience in the industry, the finalists are required to each sing a song by the grandmaster.

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