Coca-Cola Rated Next: Who are the finalists?

By Caroline Ariba

 

THIS Sunday, the Coca-Cola Rated Next Sing it! season three winner will be crowned. A total of sh50m, a one-year recording deal with Swangz Avenue and an iPad will be the prize. 

 

The hunt for talent started back on April 9, when the Vision Group and Coca-Cola crews, set out on a nearly 10-hour bus ride to Arua. 

 

Also, aboard the bus were three judges; singer and song writer, Esther Nabaasa, XFM’s Siima Sabiti and Ken Daniels Kayongo aka Ken Daniels from the newly revamped, Swahili Nation.

 

It was deja vu for Siima, being that it was her third time as a judge on the Urban TV and Coca-Cola partnered competition. 

 

Ken Daniels and Esther, however, did not know what to make of the fact that only three people had made it from Arua. They even confessed that they might have to re-adjust their expectations.

 

Today, however, about four months and nearly 3,000 auditions later, Ken Daniels confesses that he was wrong. 

 

“I have been proven wrong. I did not know there was this much talent,” a jovial Ken Daniels said. 

 

“I mean, look at the nationals, instead of the top 20, we ended up with the top 28.”

 

Oh yes, it was a hard time for the judges who asked that management just let them make a top 28 list which would be cut down to the top 10. 

 

Siima describes this season as a bit up and down as she had to adjust to new judges after Esther had to step aside for personal reasons.

 

That aside, eventually, they did choose the top 10 and they were proud of them. Bomani Nkwaya, Joel Kisakye, Usher Nakitto, Sherina Nabukeera, Prudence Nanyanzi, Perez Bigirimana, Tracy Birungi, Doreen Mbabazi, Elijah Kisakye aka Elisongs and Bwango Issa aka Draei, were the 10. 

 

These all had to perform live and anything less of what the judges sought resulted in probation and for some, eviction. So, Joel, Prudence, Sherina and Bomani are the ones to watch as they tough it out for said prize. 

 

All 10 finalists, including those evicted, will be performing at the Imperial Royale Hotel on Sunday. To vote, type; vote, leave space, fill in the contestant’s number and send to 8338. 

 

Joel is 9, Sherina 4, Bomani 8 and Prudence 1.

 

Prudence

She was the wild card. The one who only made it after someone opted out. 

 

Today, however, she is quite a force to reckon with. She has been on probation and beat two contestants to stay in the competition. 

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The judges think she has grown right from her first performance and that might just be her armour: growth.

 

“Look at you little Prudence coming out of your shell looking all sexy, girl,” Ken Daniels fondly said to her after a performance. 

 

On her third live show, Siima confessed that Prudence’s performance had been the best of the night.

 

“For me that was the best performance of the night,” she said. Siima actually believes that Prudence could give the other three finalists a run for their money. “Prudence has grown over the time, she has defended her spot,” Siima said.

 

Indeed, if you have watched the live performances, Prudence’s growth has been quite hard to miss. She has moved from a weak applause on day one to a standing ovation over time. The growth has not only been in performance but in style.

 

In her previous appearance, she even tapped into singer Janelle Monáe’s style.

 

Prudence believes she will win the money. “I see myself winning that money because I believe in myself,” Prudence said. “Then maybe Joel will come second!”

 

Sherina

All the judges believe that Sherina’s powerful voice could easily win her this competition. In the first live show, the whole room was reduced to cheers when Sherina belted away PJ Powers’ Jabulani.

 

“I would put you in a plane right now and take you to Atlanta and you would kill any American there; you are gonna be a star,” Ken Daniels said.

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“If I could get up without falling and give you a standing ovation, I would!” Nabaasa said.

 

Siima, completely won over, chose to advise Sherina on a career. “All I can say is that; I hope you stay humble,” Siima said. 

 

But the performance that had Siima beaming and dancing too would be Sherina’s attempt at Brenda Fasi’s Vulindlela.

 

“South Africa had big voices; Brenda Fasi, Yvonne Chaka-Chaka, Uganda has Juanita Kawalya and Sherina,” a beaming Siima said. Ken Daniels was at loss of words; “Sherina you are the bomb!”

 

However, this might have gotten to her head and led to a rather poor attempt at Katy Perry’s Fireworks song. “You are a vocal power house; part of me wishes you had chosen a warmer song!” Siima said. Then

 

Ken Daniels said; “I would not take Aretha Franklin and give her a Katy Perry song.” That was the mistake that put her on probation, but she soon bounced back with Makoma’s Butu na moi.

 

Sherina has received her fair share of standing ovations; as a matter of fact, Ken Daniels warns of Sherina’s powerful voice, which might just be the ticket to winning the competition.

 

When talking about Sherina, Siima did not mince words; “She is a very serious contender, and has a powerful voice.” Like Siima, Sherina is unsure who could win and believes that it could be just about anyone.

 

Joel

When Joel Kisakye first auditioned in Kampala, he excited Ken Daniels so much that he took to gangster talk. “Joel ma nigga, what it do?” he exclaimed. 

 

Little did he know that Joel would wow him, show after show. In spite of this, Ken Daniels had one request of Joel; “work on your stage presence”.

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Siima, however, was reduced to tears by Joel’s excellent execution of fallen actor, Paul Walker’s tribute song See You Again by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth. “I just...I just...” she stammered with teary eyes. 

 

Joel’s rendition of Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud during the live shows not only elicited a standing ovation, it made Siima forget she was at a competition.

 

“For those two and half minutes you were performing this song, it stopped being Rated Next,” Siima said.

 

It, therefore, does not come as a surprise that the judges think Joel could easily win. Notably, Joel has received a standing ovation every single time he has performed and has never been on probation. 

 

“Joel is a real stand-up guy. He is humble, but also he has been watching the arts, he knows his stuff,” Ken Daniels said. 

 

He then emphasises that Joel is the guy to beat in this competition and jokes that Maurice Kirya should indeed watch out. But also, Joel’s support is tremendous; he barely has to lift a finger because his fans have his campaigns covered on social media.

 

When asked who he thought might win the competition, Joel said he believed he would and that Prudence would come second.

 

“She works really hard and if I were to pick anyone other than me, I would pick Prudence,” he said.

 

Bomani

She has been on probation the most, but she is still standing. Bomani Nkwaya performed, but for the most part, left the judges quite disappointed.

 

“I know you can sing, what is going on?” a frustrated Ken Daniels once asked her. “You need to translate how you sound during rehearsals to your performance,” an equally frustrated Siima cried out.

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What will forever stick to mind is her rendition of Jennifer Hudson’s Bleed for love. All three judges were worried she had picked on a tough song with high notes and technical twists, but Bomani sailed through it effortlessly. 

 

When she next returned with a Celine Dion song, it was sorted; she deserved a spot on the top 10, which she got.

 

Singing aside, Siima believes that Bomani’s shot at winning the sh50m will be triggered by her huge fan base. She argues that she, of all the rest has mastered the art of lobbying for support and she definitely is in the running.

 

“All four of the contestants are talented, but Bomani has quite a huge fan base,” Siima said.

 

Not that many have shown up for the auditions, these are simply online, with a certain church even praying behind her, so she can win the money and do ministry work. 

 

But also, her picture appears most of all four in the social media feeds and that means she is not sleeping, but fighting.

 

To prove that Bomani has support, it will be noted that even when put up for a possible eviction twice, she braved the storm, a thing the other contestants were not lucky to do. 

 

When asked who she thought would win, Bomani thought that maybe Sherina would. “I think Sherina might be the winner because she has been working hard especially mobilising us,” she added.