Walking in the shoes of a star

Recently in Tanzania, there has been a cluster of ‘talent search’ programs targeting youths all over the country. Copa-Coca Cola (football), Bongo Star Search (Music), Maisha Plus (Art), and Miss Tanzania (role model & beauty) to name but a few. While I am not against the act of searching for talents among Tanzania’s youths; I am however not happy about the aftermath of the projects. Although winners of these contests get lucrative prizes but one wonders how sustainable those prizes are especially considering that by participating in the contests, the standard of life of the contestant is ‘magically’ transformed to stardom. In some of these contests, it is actually the one who hits the jackpot (the winner) who receives something ‘tangible’. But if you look closely you realize that the level of fame of, say, the five finalists is more or less the same. What I usually ask myself after watching the finals of these contests is: “After we have made these guys very very very famous and gave only one them a prize, now what?” My point is: during the whole period of sieving the participants, these guys are exposed to ‘high life’. Come on, they are stars. So they live in five star hotels, they eat very luxurious meals, they shop in fancy malls and they have fans to clap hands for them while they perform. So after the project is finished, do we tell them, “thank you guys for coming and we wish you luck”? Do they go back to eating chai-maharage? I think it is time now we made a policy that sees that contestants (and especially finalists) in whatever talent search projects reap sustainable benefits in culmination. Organizers of these pageants and contests should be responsible in making sure that our stars remain to be stars even after the projects have ended.

What’s hot on TV in Tanzania

Mmojawapo wa majaji katika Bongo Star Search

Kwa jamaa zangu ambao mko ughaibuni ambao labda mnajiuliza nini kinaendelea kwenye r/luninga hapa TZ; kwenye channel ya ITV kuna show moja ambayo vijana wengi hapa hawaikosi. Inaitwa Bongo Star Search. Hawa jamaa wanapanda jukwaani na kutoa burudani kwa audience halafu mnachukuwa simu na kuwapigia kura. Wengi wao wanaimba nyimbo za wasanii wengine.

Karibu Bongo.