HOUSE COMES DOWN FOR TPF WINNER DAVIS IN UGANDA

It was a night to remember for Davis Ntare, the Tusker Project Fame Season 4 winner as he received a huge welcome at his homecoming party at Club Silk last weekend. The over 500 guests that consisted of Ugandan celebrities, family, friends and fans gave him a standing ovation as he walked into the club as the screens around the club played the video Am A Winner that features all the TPF4 contestants.





Caught by surprise over the huge reception, Davis nearly came to tears, but he quickly gained his composure and begun a victory dance with family members and friends who turned up in huge numbers to share in his victory.
Renowned Ugandan artist Coco Finger kicked off the performances with his two popular hits, Mikono Wagulu and My Miss.



Davis then took to the stage to thank his fans. He was joined by his family to cut a cake that he shared with all the guests who turned up. Playing the perfect host, Davis Ntare walked around the club serving his guests. Minutes later, he performed his song Yegwe and Shake A Shake.
Davis thanked all his fans but most importantly East African Breweries for creating Tusker Project Fame. “I thank EABL for devoting their time and resources to developing music talent,” he said.

Bebe Cool, one of Uganda’s finest artists crowned the night with his big hits, Bogola Kko and Kasepiki. Just before he left the stage, he volunteered some words of wisdom. “There are two things involved in becoming a good artist. You have to work hard and sing from your heart. Don’t let anyone bring you down,” he advised.



Davis’ story is one of perseverance and determination as he was sent back home during TPF 3’s gala show. He auditioned for a second time at the beginning of this season in Uganda and Kenya.
He finally made it into the Academy and was so overwhelmed with emotion during this year’s opening gala night that he took to his knees in gratitude. That determination paid off when he was crowned the winner on Sunday December 5, 2010.
Davis’ win crowned eight weeks of high-octane entertainment that was filled with surprises, twists and best of all, talent.

TPF 101: DEFINING RELATIONSHIPS

This is what everyone in the Academy seems to be saying about each other. Steve was asked about his dalliance with Paleki and he over-emphasized the fact that they were just friends. During Sunday's duets show, Gaga was asked what her relationship with Davis was; and she also shied away from saying that they were an item and even refused to consider anything more than friendship when Sheila asked her if she was willing to give Davis a chance.
This weekend all Kenyan contestants were up on Probation in addition to Gabiro from Rwanda. South C's finest, Steve was saved by his fans while Amileena was saved by the Faculty who cited that she had opened herself up to being taught and she deserved a chance to go back to the Academy.



Gabiro, on the other hand, has won the hearts of many in the house because 5 of the remaining 8 contestants voted for him to be reinstated back to the Academy. Gabiro was overwhelmed by the support he has received so far from his fellow contestants because he was in tears at the end of the Live show on Saturday and had to be comforted by Amileena and Steve.
Juveh, therefore, had to leave the Academy and he had an emotional send from his fellow contestants as he sang the duet that he was supposed to sing with Aneth had he remained in the Academy until Sunday's show.



At the Eviction party at Tamasha-Langata Juveh was well-received by his fans and was able to mingle and interact with them. The fans were excited to finally meet the young superstar with the deep voice and could not hide their joy at being so close to him.
During Sunday's Duets show, there were two surprise performances slated for the night. The remaining 4 boys in the Academy performed Forever by Westlife and managed to wow the crowd and even elicited rapturous applause at the end of their display of exquisite natural talent. The remaining 7 girls in the Academy also took to the stage to perform Don’t Let Go by En-Vogue and had an equally explosive yet harmonious performance.



The girls looked amazing in their evening wear supplied by Mr. Price and Woolworths. They had their make up and hair done glamorously in keeping with the superstar undertones of the night.
Gaelle and Msechu performed Ami Oh by Manu Dibango ft. Angelique Kidjo and Papa Wemba; they had a rough time with the judges despite the fact that the crowd loved their performance.
Juliana noted that Gaelle did not seem comfortable with the duet while Ian remarked that the two had an unbalanced duet saying that Gaelle was a weak but beautiful performer. Gaelle ended up on probation, again, after she was saved by her fans last weekend.
Another couple that had a run in with the judges last night were Steve and Paleki; they were singing, Rihanna and Ne-Yo's "Hate That I Love You and Hermes noted that their vocal did not blend whilst Juliana commented and said that they were concentrated on their chemistry so much that they forgot their vocals.
So, this begs the question, are they really sure that there is nothing going on between the two of them? Paleki deftly evaded Mich's prying when asked about Steve and even asked him if he too wouldn’t want her once he looked at her. She turned the tables on Mich backstage but the judges turned the table on her when she performed as they put her on probation for not being consistent after her poor performance last week and somewhat "OK" performance this week.
Leah and Gabiro were up next on the Judges' radar as they were told that they massacred the song they were set to sing, Endless Love by Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey. This time it was Leah and not Gabiro, who ended up on probation and Hermes even noted that Gabiro has improved vocally.
Davis and Gaga had mixed fortunes as a couple during the duets show. They were set to task with R.Kelly and Celine Dion's I am your Angel; Gaga had a rough performance as she forgot some of her words and made a couple of mistakes. Her partner Davis was on hand to help cover up and move the performance along but the damage was done as Ian put her on Probation anyway.
Davis seems to be everyone's hero during the show as he stood in for Juveh who was supposed to perform The Closer I Get To You by Roberta Flack and Donnie Hathaway. Aneth and Davis had a great performance as Juliana noted that love was in the air and the song choice was good enough to support Aneth's vocals.
Amileena and Rachel were the stars of the night as very nearly brought the house down with their amazing rendition of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey's When You Believe.
Mr Butter-won’t-melt-in-my-mouth, Ian, termed it the performance of the night and Juliana said that she loved the performance and loved that they brought 150% to the stage during their performance.
This week it’s an all female crew on probation as Gaga and Gaelle of Rwanda join Paleki of Southern Sudan and Leah of Tanzania on the chopping block. Will Girl Power prevail or will the dynamics of the Female-dominated Academy fall apart? Let’s wait and see as the week unfolds.

IT'S HATTERS-VILLE AND SUPERNATURAL TALES UP IN TPF

Contestants on probation this week.

Haters have a field day in the Academy as spirits invade contestants.
“You are lucky because people from your country can’t sing. That’s why you’re here.”
Paleki was upset as she recalled a comment from one of her fellow contestants before they got into the Academy after the disastrous weekend that she had with the judges.


Amelina

Most of the students in the house were in low spirits after Sunday’s Live show.
Amileena was in tears after her poor review from the judges, as she asked for Voice Coach Kavutha’s help on how to reduce her "over-singing". She was trying to explain herself but could not find a plausible explanation to why she ends singing off-key and in different styles during her performances. She even claimed to be possessed at times as she performed. Kavutha lent her a sympathetic ear and impressed upon her the need to practice her song and ad-libs thoroughly.




Paleki, on the other hand, was upset because the other contestants were insinuating that she should have gone on Probation instead of those currently on Probation. She had a poor performance on Sunday and the judges criticized her song choice for the night, More and More by Etana, saying that she didn't give it her best. It has now emerged that Paleki was actually unwell, on Sunday night and that was why she had a poor performance. She was commiserating in the lounge with Steven who urged her to keep her head up and ignore the negative talk in the girls' room on Sunday night.


Nazizi
Steve then told her that if she wanted to move from their room, she could move into the boys' room. All through last week, Steve was trying to get close to at least one of the girls in the house. Is this his final choice?
Amileena turned on the water works again during R Kay's class after she was given her song choice for the weekend show. This weekend the contestants are pairing up to sing duets with each other and Amileena abruptly left R Kay's class when she heard Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey's When You Believe.
Her partner this weekend will be Rachel from Uganda and when she fled, in tears, to the bathroom, Paleki and Rachel went in after her to find out what was amiss. She had a startling revelation in the bathroom, as she said that she had a premonition of herself singing this song with Rachel when they first met as part of top 25.
The Academy this year seems to be in a supernatural grip that started with Gabiro saying that he was probably possessed during last weekend’s performance and he really did not recognize himself on stage. Amileena’s possession comment earlier and this déjà vu moment that she had is adding to the heightened sense of spirituality in the house this year.


Gaga

Gaelle of Rwanda was not interested in singing with Peter at all; and she was hesitant when she saw him stand up and start to get involved with the song. But once she heard the song she was set to sing, Angelique Kidjo and Papa Wemba’s Ami Oh she was quite excited and didn’t seem to mind that she had to sing the song with Peter.

THE CRUSHING TRUTH ABOUT LOVE IN THE TPF HOUSE

First things first, y'all already know K-Denk and Prudence were evicted on Saturday night? Right? Great. Now, here is an update on what cut this week in the Tusker Project Fame academy.
A contestant confessed that she has a crush on R Kay even as fitness coach Edu turned red at an awkward question from the girls.
“I think I like R Kay too much.” These are Paleki words uttered in confidence to Prudence, immediately after R Kay’s afternoon class.
Paleki went on to say that she thought the feeling was mutual but Prudence dissolved in a fit of laughter that left Paleki wondering if Prudence had also a crush on R Kay as well.


Paleki

That this edition of Tusker Project Fame is full of twist and turns, surprises and shocks; leaves us wondering what other curveballs the contestants will throw our way this week.

During Edu’s fitness session with the students, Prudence caused the unflappable Edu to get flustered when she coyly asked him whether there was any specific exercise he could show her to enhance the size of her bum!
Poor Edu walked off in a cough and told her he couldn’t answer her question after a protracted discussion that involved Amileena and some of the other girls in the house.
Afterwards, during Edu’s dance class, the Southern Sudanese gangster boy, K-Denk looked miserable as he kept on clutching his right hand.
A forlorn K-Denk was not even participating in the dance battle with Edu and it emerged that Steve had accidentally hurt him as they were horsing around during their free time the previous day.


Steve

Kavutha, however, cautioned Steve not to pick on K-Denk so much while they were at the Academy. Paleki even demanded to know why he kept on touching K-Denk and pushing him around.
Kavutha went ahead and asked the five contestants on Probation to watch a video of their Sunday performances. The other contestants also pitched in to help them analyse their performances with Aneth bemoaning that Gabiro did not fit into his song and Rachel advising Prudence to let her personality shine through her performance.


Prudence

Then R Kay walked in with a wonderful surprise; a trip out for the contestants to his studio to record the Academy theme song they have been practising the whole week!
He then proceeded to listen to the contestants practice their reggae songs. Amileena and Steve awed but K-Denk had some problems with the song that was chosen for him- Alpha Blondy’s Brigadier Sabari. He requested if he could have his song changed to one that’s in English.


Gaelle

Before dinner, Steve, Rachel, Gaga and Davis were in the kitchen discussing relationships and exclusivity. Steve said that he could not eye other women while he was in a relationship with someone. The girls readily agreed with this proposition as all the while Davis remained conspicuously quiet in the background strumming his guitar.
Will Steve be able to focus his attention on any of the girls in the Academy and remain exclusive come what may?

Keep it here and don’t forget to tune in to the daily weekday show from 8.30pm-9.00pm; East Africa time and 10.00pm-10.30pm Central African time on Citizen TV (Kenya), UBC TV (Uganda), TBC TV (Tanzania), Rwanda TV (RW) and SSTV in Sudan.

WHY SUDANESE CONTESTANT BOWED OUT EARLY

Ecstatic Kuonck Deng makes an entrance on Sunday night after getting a second chance at fame and cash.

Tusker Project Fame for the first time extended the search for contestants to Southern Sudan, however, one of the finalist had to bow out early and was substituted by another.
The explanation given on Sunday night during the gala was the Romani ‘Rom’ Kuong’ was called back to his country on Friday for “civil duty”.
Rom who was substituted with another contestant, Kuonck Deng likes to play football, read books, watches movies and also has a keen interest chess; that is when he is not working as a helicopter pilot.
Also nicknamed General, He likes to listen to soft rock, RnB and Country music. He went to school in Egypt, Kenya and South Africa and would like to be remembered as an inspiring person by virtue of the great things that he will achieve. He will miss hanging out with his friends while he goes into the Academy. The 27-year-old said he audition for Tusker Project Fame because, “I want to share my musical talent with the world,” adding, “I will miss the other contestants as we have already bonded and gotten to know each.”
Asked what he could change about his character he said, "I would like to change the fact that I am not a very open person and I do not express my true feelings when I should."

AND FOR THE FIRST TIME - SUDAN

Paleki Matthew Obur a.k.a Leki, Bianca



Leki, 22, loves listening to jazz, soul, blues and RnB and says her favourite performers include Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston, Bob Marley and Jazmine Sullivan. She would like to be remembered as a good friend and singer from Southern Sudan. She was pushed to audition for Tusker Project Fame by a close friend and will miss shopping, Facebook and her family as she goes into the Academy.
What will you miss the least as you go into the Academy?
I will not miss my hostel curfew where I am staying as I complete my Master’s degree.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would change my mood swings because I don’t like the way my temper flares up at the slightest provocation.
What is your happiest memory?
The day I graduated from university with a degree in law. I was the youngest in my class and it made my late father very proud of me.




Kuonck Deng

24-year-old Kuonck Deng is a freelance journalist in his native country although music has always been his passion. He started singing at a tender age in his church choir and has also composed a few songs although he is yet to record any of them. “K-denk” as his close friends call him, says because he comes from a poor family, he has immense respect for anyone who has lived the hard life and come out stronger.
He tried out for TPF because he is looking for a lucky break and hopes that if he doesn’t go home with the cash prize and recording deal at least the exposure from the show will help him get an alternative recording deal.

What is your favorite genre of music?
I enjoy listening to R& B, hip hop, reggae and country music. My favorite artists are R-Kelly ,Avant and Chris Brown.
What will you miss the most?
I will miss my family, friends and the Nile.
What will you miss the least?
I certainly will not miss Village life and cattle.

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FROM THE LAND OF HILLS - RWANDA

Elizabeth Gaga a.k.a Queen
Queen, 21, as she is known back home, describes herself as a simple person who respects human beings and is driven by love. She is not racially discriminative based on the premise that all humanity is one. She does not like liars and hypocrites. She lists her best quality as the fact that she loves others. When asked if she would change anything about herself, she said that she had nothing to change. She has 4 brothers and 2 sisters back home.

What is your favourite genre of music?
I love listening to RnB, jazz and slow jams. I especially love listening to Brandy, Whitney Houston, Shania Twain and Celine Dion.
What will you miss the most going into the Academy?
I will miss my boyfriend and my family as I prepare to join the Academy.
Why did you audition for Tusker Project Fame?
I auditioned for TPF in order to learn from the teachers that will be available to contestants because I think that they are very talented in their respective fields.



Gilbert Gabiro a.k.a Guitar
Gilbert is a 21 year old Computer Science student is a warm, cheerful soul who is inspired by his own daily life and views Nelson Madiba Mandela as an icon who motivates him as he fought for what he wanted-freedom. He describes himself as a humble, social and hardworking individual who tries to realise his dreams. The idea of having music as a professional career is what drives him to become a notable musician.

What will you miss the least about Tusker Project Fame?
I will not miss the erratic sleeping habits here at TPF; the early mornings and late nights.
What will you miss the most going into the Academy?
I will miss my family and friends who are back home in Kampala.
Why did you audition for Tusker Project Fame?
I auditioned for TPF in order to find a way to kick-start my musical career.


Atete Gaëlle a.k.a Gaga
Atete is a Law student at a Rwandan university and loves chilling with her friends, travelling and playing basketball. She is a “what you is what you get kinda girl”; she does pretend and describes herself as honest, sociable but shy. She would like to be taller as she considers herself to be a short person.

What is your favourite genre of music?
I like listening to rock, country, RnB, jazz, zouk and my favourite musicians are Carrie Underwood, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Lokua Kanda, Angelique Kidjo and Brenda Fassie.
What will you miss the most going into the Academy?
I will miss my family, fiancé, church, home and everything about Rwanda: the people, the food and my friends as well.
Why did you audition for TPF?
I auditioned in order to expand my musical repertoire and so that I could eventually win the grand prize.

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PRESENTING THE TANZANIANS

Aneth Samuel Kushaba
Aneth is a 25 year old Marketing Manager with a Tanzanian tour and car hire firm who enjoys travelling, listening to music and singing in her free time. She also loves being around children a lot and she has a 2 year old son waiting for her back home. She sees Oprah Winfrey as an inspiration given all the challenges that she has overcome and she is driven by a personal desire to go further than her current station in life. Her love of music started back when she was still a kindergartener, by participating in a Christmas song at her local church.

What will you miss the most going into the Academy?
I will miss my 2 year old son as she goes into the Academy.
What will you miss the least about Tusker Project Fame?
I will miss the early morning that I have had so far.
Why did you audition for TPF?
I auditioned for TPF because it’s a great opportunity for artists to participate in and acquire the necessary skills and techniques.



Leah A Mwambogela
Ms. Mwambogela, 28, is a songstress who likes to perform rhumba music under the stage name “ Leah Mouddy” and loves to read, watch movies, cook and listen to music.
Zalei” as she is known at home is a self trained singer and she started singing with her siblings at her local SDA church. She later on decided to make it a career later on in life and has done some performances with a band back home. She is a mother of two girls and her most memorable moment was when she held her children in her arms for the first time.

What is your favourite genre of music?
I love listening to Afro-Jazz, Zouk, Jazz, Blues and Country Music. My favourite performers include Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Koffi Olomide, Tshala Mwana, Mbilia Bel, Erykah Badu, Oliver Mtukudzi and Brenda Fassie.
What will you miss the most?
I will miss my children the most. Am a mother of two girls and my most memorable moment was when I held my children in my arms for the first time



Peter J Msechu a.k.a Bonge
He started his musical career at the tender age of 7 years singing in church with his father. At the age of 15, he was able to learn how to play the keyboard and learnt to play the guitar at age 20. Peter, 22, has a larger than life personality and loves to make people happy.

What is your favourite genre of music?
I like listening to ballads-music that tells a story. I admire the Kenyan afro-fusion artiste, Kidum because of his vocal range and band organization.
What will you miss the most?
I will miss my homies and family at home throughout this whole experience.
What will you miss the least?
My monotonous daily routine as he goes into the Academy.

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MEET THE UGANDANS

Davis Hillary Ntare a.k.a Soundtrack
Davis, 25, is a multi-talented individual with an interest in music production and performance, abstract art, photography and song writing. Soundtrack is the consummate altruist and uses his art and Music to reach out to people in a positive way. He has a diverse musical background, including playing the trumpet in a brass band back home, doing background vocals for Maurice Kirya’s shows and singing in the school and church choirs.
What is your favourite genre of music?
I like to listen to all genres although I lean towards reggae, Soul, Afro fusion, Jazz and Neo Soul.
What will you miss the most going into the Academy?
I will miss my family and most especially my mom because she inspires me to be more successful.
What will you miss the least from back home?
I will not miss the amount of stress that my work as an artist, Music teacher and producer entails.



Rachel Namubiru a.k.a Nalongo
Rachel, 26, lists her greatest achievements so far as qualifying for the Top 18 and earning her diploma in Business Studies. She started singing in nursery, then she later on joined choirs in primary and secondary school as well as singing in various church choirs. She also had the auspicious honour to lead a performance for dignitaries at the national Conference Centre. She would like to be remembered as a person who inspired others through her music and lived her life as an example to others.
What is your favourite genre of music?
I love listening to RnB, pop and country music. Leona Lewis, Juliana Kanyomozi and Mariah Carey are some of my favourite performers.
What will you miss the most going into the Academy?
I will miss my family and friends back home in Kampala.
What will you miss the least from back home?
I will not miss the traffic jam in Kampala and it gets quite bad at times.



Thomas Madooba Kirya a.k.a Cowboy
Thomas, 32, has a diploma in Music, Dance and Drama from Makerere University and a certificate in Communication and Management skills from the International People’s College in Denmark. He likes watching movies, football, playing badminton and music in general. He admires Jesus Christ, President Muammar Gadaffi and Martin Luther King for the impact that they have had on social life. His icons are Nelson Madiba Mandela and Abraham Lincoln.
What is your favourite genre of music?
I like to listen and play country, rock, reggae, jazz and soul.
What will you miss the most going into the Academy?
I will miss my folks and my friends back home.
What will you miss the least from back home?
I will not miss beer as I get into the Academy.

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MEET THE CONTESTANTS PEOPLE!

THE KENYAN PEEPS!

Stephen Nyabwa a.k.a Sodo a.k.a Stevo

The-26-year-old likes to listen to neo soul music and loves John Legend’s music but he also admits that he admires Bob Marley and Koffi Olomide. When he is not working as an accountant, he likes to watch and play football and rugby in addition to giving motivational talks to teens at his church. He is driven to succeed by his desire to make a difference in someone’s life by living his own life.

What is your musical background?
I used to sing with my family at my local church when I was still a kid and later on a joined an acapella group known as One Accord at church, in addition to singing in the church choir. Nowadays I just do solos at church whenever I can.

Why did you audition for Tusker Project Fame?
I believe that it is a medium that will take me to the next level musically and I think it will provide me with the avenue to actualise my dreams of greatness.

What will you miss the least while going into the Academy?
I won’t miss my neighbour’s chickens that love to soil our front door all the time.



Prudence Kibaya a.k.a Pru

The-22year-old from Mombassa believes that in her music, she has a role to play and would like to inspire young people to dream big and believe that nothing is impossible. She is inspired by the African legend, Brenda Fassie and Kelly Clarkson who she admires because of her music and voice.

What is your favourite genre of music?
I like listening to rock, neo soul, RnB and country music when I am chilling or doing schoolwork.
What will you miss the least from back home?
I will not miss my hectic school schedule, assignments and projects back in Mombasa where I study Broadcast Journalism.
What will you miss the most going into the Academy?
I will miss Facebook and my cell phone; but overall it will have to be my family, my pet cat Brownie and my dog Bobby.



Juvenalis Ochieng Amonde a.k.a Igweh Juveh a.k.a Chizi Freshy

The 24-year-old is a former NYS recruit who started off his musical career performing at public holiday celebrations in his hometown of Nakuru as a child and teenager. He was a member of the school choir while at Menengai High School. Juveh was also concurrently involved with the choir at the ACK Cathedral in Nakuru. He is currently studying Music theory at the National Youth Talent Academy under the tutelage of Dave “Mobb” Otieno and has also tried his hand at playing the rhythm guitar.

What is your favourite genre of music?
I like listening to afro-fusion, Lingala, reggae and calypso. My favourite performer is Kidum because he has overcome a lot of challenges to get to where he is.
What will you miss the least from back home?
I will not miss my daily diet of Ugali and Sukuma Wiki back home.
What will you miss the most going into the Academy?
I will miss my girlfriend terribly.



Amileena Mwenesi a.k.a Ami

The composed 22 year old hotelier is a study in self confidence . She has taken part in various musical competitions while she was a t St Christopher’s preparatory including the Festival of Lights. She auditioned for TPF because she sees it as an avenue to re-work and perfect her singing, technique and delivery; one of her happiest memories is making it to TPF’s Top 18.
What is your favourite genre of music?
I love listening to Jazz, Neo Soul, Blues, Soul, RnB and Afro Fusion.
What will you miss the most going into the Academy?
I will miss speaking to my family as I talk to them every day on the phone, so that will be had for me.
What will you miss the least from back home?
Absolutely nothing. I absolutely love my life.

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