MTV ANNOUNCES FIRST EVER AFRICA VJ
The votes are in! Check out the winner! He’s from KZN….
SIZWE DHLOMO WINS NATIONWIDE COMPETITION TO HOST MTV BASE WORLD CHART EXPRESS!
MTV base, the pan-African music channel from MTV, last night appointed its first ever African VJ after a live face-off between the three VJ finalists on South African TV. Durban-born rap music fan, Sizwe Dhlomo, was appointed the official h…
ost of MTV base World Chart Express, the new music chart show sponsored by Fanta, which airs weekly on SABC1.
Sizwe beat fellow finalists Ash-Leigh La-Foy and Sfiso Magagula and thousands of hopefuls who attended three regional heats in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. His prize – the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to host the first series of MTV base World Chart Express, which he will present from next Wednesday 12 October.
The confident 22-year old who was initially beaten in the Durban auditions by fellow finalist Ash-Leigh La Foy, was so determined to become MTV base’s first South African VJ that he traveled to Johannesburg in order to try his luck one last time. “There was no way I was going to give up,” he enthused. “I took what I could from the Durban auditions and made sure that I gave my best possible performance in Johannesburg.” And it was this performance that clinched him a place amongst the three finalists.
Sizwe’s fate was decided by SMS voting by viewers of MTV base World Chart Express, which accounted for 50% of the total vote, with the remainder decided by a panel of 5 celebrity judges including MTV base talent and music executive, Richard Dimosi, SABC TV presenter Zam Nkosi, 5FM’s queen of the airwaves Nicole Fox, kwaito superstar Zola and Fanta marketing guru Sgwili Gumede. MTV France VJ, China, who acted as caretaker host for the first 2 shows, symbolically handed over the winners’ microphone to Sizwe at approximately 6:55 pm local time.
Going home empty-handed were the two runners up: 18 year old Ash-Leigh La’Foy and 22 year old Sfiso Magagula. Ash-Leigh will be returning to her studies at the University of KwaZulu Natal in Durban, while Sfiso returns to Cape Town where he works as a presenter for radio station Clicks Live.
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6 September
For those of you that q’d and q’d for the MTV Base presenter auditions, you may be interested in who the top 3 are… check it out:
SIFISO MAGAGULA (CT), SIZWE DHLOMO(JHB) and ASH LE FOY(DBN). (In that order from top to bottom)
“Following a day of grueling auditions to find the last finalist in the MTV base World Chart Express VJ search, it was 22 year old Sizwe Dholomo who took the Johannesburg title.
Dhlomo was selected ahead of thousands of hopefuls who made their bid for TV fame as the first potential presenter of the new MTV base World Chart Express show sponsored by Fanta, which premiers on the 28th September on SABC 1.
Dhlomo, who competed in the Durban auditions a week ago, was so determined to become MTV base’s first South African VJ that he traveled to Johannesburg in order to try his luck one last time. “There was no way I was going to give up,” commented Dhlomo. “I took what I could from the Durban auditions and made sure that I gave my best possible performance in Johannesburg on Saturday.”
And it was this performance that clinched him a place amongst the three finalists along with Cape Town contender Sifiso Magagula and fellow Durban finalist Ash-Leigh La Foy in the countdown to the announcement of MTV base’s first South African VJ on 5th October.
Durban-born Dhlomo matriculated from Kingsway High School in Amanzimtoti in 2000 before embarking upon his studies in computer programming at the Durban Institute of Technology. He currently works for one of South Africa’s biggest banking groups, but during his down time he can be found making and producing rap music as budding rap-artist “Scatter Brain.”
Whilst there could be only one winner in this weekend’s MTV VJ search, everyone who turned up to try their hand at becoming an MTV base presenter was able to share in the days festivities which included a free-style rap competition and live performances by amongst others, Sowetan rapper Pro-Kid and hip-hop heroes Skwatta Kamp who brought the house down with their hot hit “The Clap Song.”
Airing weekly on SABC 1 from 28 September 2005 at 6:30pm, MTV base World Chart Express will focus on videos from performers like Pro-Kid and Skwatta Kamp burning up the charts in South Africa and around the globe, from music genres such as kwaito, hip-hop, R’n’B and soul. The first episode of MTV base World Chart Express will profile the three finalists who will then face-off for the title during the second episode on 5th October where MTV base’s panel of judges and viewers voting via SMS will decide their fate. Hosted by the winning VJ, MTV base World Chart Express will provide a window to the South African and global music scene, with each episode also featuring exclusive interviews, latest news and celebrity gossip. “
