South African group Hush SA are the 2021 winners of the pan-African “Amazing Voices” crown and walk away with a $100 000 grand prize.
After securing 5 golden voice wins for best performance throughout the season, Africa chose Hush SA as the winners of the singing competition during a spectacular finale this past weekend.
The finale was simulcast on Mzansi Magic, Mzansi Wethu, (South Africa) Africa Magic (Nigeria), Maisha Magic (Kenya) Zambezi Magic (Zimbabwe) and Akwaaba (Ghana).
The all-male gospel group of six formed as a brotherhood of childhood friends spanning 10 years. Tsholofelo Ntuli, Phumlani Tshabalala, Sinethemba Magubane, Zamokuhle Nkosi, Thamsanqa Mthabela, Nicholas Malimba all hail from Johannesburg.
The group entered the second season of the show which attracted 546 online video entries from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
It all began in October 2020 when, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, entrants were encouraged to submit online performance videos to Old Mutual and DStv for review and selection.
The winning group’s opposition, drawn from the five countries included in the competition, were, like them, all unsigned groups looking to take their careers to a new level.
After an initial screening process, Hush SA advanced to the second gruelling step: closed auditions within their own country in front of celebrity judges.
The group was chosen as one of the top 10 and got to attend an intensive musical boot camp in Sun City.
During the boot camp, the surviving groups, made of up between four and eight members, were put through vocal as well as stage-presence training.
They were mentored by Khaya Mthethwa to refine their musicality.
“Mzansi Magic believes that music is an international language that crosses borders and brings people of different nationalities together.
“As a broadcaster with an African footprint, we believe that bringing African talent to the fore and developing budding careers is a part of our reason for being.
“We are proud of our heritage and our unique ability to use our resources to build recognition for talented Africans,” said Nomsa Philiso, director of Local Entertainment Channels at M-Net.
Head of Brand at Old Mutual, Thobile Tshabalala, said “Our purpose at Old Mutual is to champion mutually positive futures across all the African markets in which we operate.
“This competition enables us to connect with Africans through the universal language of music and demonstrate that with the right financial partner, anyone can do great things and become their exceptional best.
“We have seen exactly this with the winners of season 2 of ’Amazing Voices’ and congratulate Hush SA on their well-earned success”