The list of Judges of inaugural East Africa Got Talent show has been released and includes the-who-is-who in the entertainment arena.
The list, as announced at the Coca-Cola Office in Nairobi, contains a Kenyan, a Tanzanian, a Ugandan and a Rwandese. Below is a brief history of the people who will determine what can be considered as talent in East Africa.
Jeff Koinange
Jeff Koinange, a renowned media personality in Kenya has worked for various news media agencies across the world.
Jeff is a sought after MCee who has hosted political debates and hosts his own show (Jeff Koinange Live) JKL in national television in Kenya.
Gaetano Kagwa
Gaetano Kagwa is a Ugandan actor and broadcaster who is well versed with the media scene internationally.
Gaetano has worked as a presenter at Capital FM, hosted Tusker Project Fame (TPF) and was once a contender for the Big Brother Africa.
Vanessa Mdee
Vanessa Mdee is a Tanzanian singer and songwriter credited as the first ever Tanzanian MTV VJ.
Vanessa is the host of the Epic Bongo Star Search and also participated in the Coke Studio Africa 2019 television show amongst other African music stars.
Makeda Mahadeo
Makeda Mahadeo is a Rwandese media personality, deejay, and emcee credited as the first female DJ in Rwanda.
The judges will be critical in approving the contestants that get to proceed for the next stage at the end of every act and give feedback or criticism on the acts. Contestants will be eliminated if they don’t get the majority vote from the four judges.
The show, which will be localized to suit the East Africa market is set to be broadcasted across four countries in East Africa, including, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda.
The media partners will be Citizen TV, Clouds TV, NBS, and RTV respectively.
The Coca-Cola Company was also officially unveiled as the official Refreshment Partner for the show across all four participating regions.
“The Coca-Cola System believes in supporting the creative sector in the country and providing a platform where people can showcase and develop their talents across the region. We believe that the judges chosen have the capability of selecting the best acts for our East African audiences to appreciate and enjoy the show,” Beatrice Nyamari, the Senior Integrated Marketing Communications Manager, Coca-Cola Southern and Eastern Africa Business Unit (SEABU) said.
Coca-Cola joins Safaricom PLC who are the title sponsors of the Kenyan version of the show and one of the lead sponsors in East Africa through their M-PESA brand; and the Access-Challenge, who is leading the One by One Campaign, in direct support of universal healthcare and Kenya’s UHC program, Afya Care.
“East Africa Got Talent show is all about giving a chance to East Africans to showcase their talent and as a brand that believes in providing platforms for people to thrive, we are very excited to be part of the show”, said Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, Chief Financial Services Officer Safaricom.
The talent show will showcase a variety of talents from people of all ages in East Africa, with acts ranging from singing, dancing, comedy, magic, juggling, stunts and a variety of other genres.
“We are excited to bring the Got Talent Global Format home. We believe this platform will command a global audience for our amazing East African Talents”, said Joseph Kusaga, CEO of Clouds Media International, the Franchise Holder.
The four judges will each have their own red buzzer that can only be pressed once the judge has seen enough, and when all four buzzers have been pressed by the judges, the act must stop, just like it happens with America Got Talent, which is its mother show.
Each contestant needs to receive three approval ‘yesses’ from the judges to go through to the next round.
Due to start airing in August this year, the EAGT show will have 10 episodes, with the semi-finals and grand finale shot live on location in Kenya. The winner of the show will walk away with KES 5 million (USD 50,000) as voted by the audience, which could help with developing their talents or enable them to engage in entrepreneurial ventures.
The auditions will be edited into 6 episodes which start broadcasting on Sunday, 4th August at 8 pm (7 pm in Rwanda) across the 4 regions. Be sure not to miss an episode.