VIDEO: The Voice SA – Riky reduced to tears after this week’s Blinds

Riana Nel also managed to swell  #TeamRiana to ten members tonight (Sunday 3 March), and Francois van Coke caught up fast with two new singers, bringing #TeamVanCoke up to seven members – only one act less than #TeamLIRA’s eight singers.

The show opened with an incredible four-chair turn for the first duo of the season: 20-year-old music student Fentshe Nkabinde and 24-year-old music teacher Mapula Mahlo, known as “Aura”. Their stirring harmonies on Miram Makeba’s “Lakutshon‘ Ilanga” had Riky Rick and Francois van Coke turning their chairs simultaneously, followed shortly by Coach LIRA and, at the last possible moment, Riana. With their choice of all four coaches, Aura threw their lot in with #TeamRiky.

Jamal Shinobe (32) is a dancer and choreographer based in Johannesburg who has competed internationally with his art – but, “music goes hand-in-hand with dancing”, he says, and this was his time to shine. Unfortunately, the Coaches couldn’t see the dancing that had the audience on their feet in his rendition of  Zayn’s “Pillowtalk”, and no chairs turned.

Queenstown cop, Nosiphiwo Ganya (34) said she wants to show people that police officials also have dreams. The studio audience loved her passionate performance of the Amanda Black hit, “Amazulu” but the Coaches were getting more picky as their teams are filling up, and Nosiphiwo headed back home to Queenstown disappointed. “We’re looking for something that gives you goosebumps. It can’t just be something good,” LIRA explained.

Up next was 26-year-old musician Wade Bezuidenhout from the KZN South Coast. Wade’s stunning falsetto on One Republic’s “Wherever I Go” impressed Riana and Francois into turning. “I obviously love both of you – or all four of you, actually,” Wade told the coaches, but he chose to go with #TeamRiana.

“The Voice SA” host Anele Mdoda took a TV crew to 26-year-old Mia Malherbe’s Randburg townhouse to surprise her with the news that she got accepted into the Blind Auditions. “It was the best day of my year!” Mia admitted. Her unique interpretation of the James Brown classic, “This Is a Man’s World” earned her chair-turns from Riky, Riana, and Francois. She became the sixth member of #TeamVanCoke.

20-year-old busker, Charl Hudsonberg sang his heart out to Sam Smith’s “I’m Not The Only One”, but failed to get a chair-turn. “He just needs to work a little harder,” LIRA commented.

Next up to perform was the late musical legend Taliep Petersen’s son, 26-year-old Ashur. Ashur has big musical shoes to fill, but he was already the youngest performer ever to fill Cape Town’s Baxter Theatre with his one-man show “Like Father, Like Son” in 2018. His lively performance of Bruno Mars’, “23 K Magic” comfortably landed him the seventh spot on #TeamVanCoke. That said, it was only once Francois went to congratulate his new singer’s family in the audience that he find out about Ashur’s musical legacy. “That blew me away,” he admitted. “He’s from a great musical family. I think there’s going to be a lot to work with  him.”

Anele went on a road trip to Richard’s Bay to surprise 24-year-old Vuyisile Mdlophane at her job in a bank with the news that she made the Blind Auditions. Vuyisile impressed the Coaches with her vocal prowess taking on David Guetta’s, “When Love Takes Over” becoming #TeamRiana’s second addition of the night.

28-year-old Eon Claude le Roux is a Bitcoin entrepreneur and musician from Port Elizabeth. Coaches Riky, Francois, and LIRA turned for Eon within seconds of his take on Nina Simone’s, “Feeling Good” and by the third stanza, Riky Rick was on his feet, cheering. “When you turned it on I said this guy is going to win this competition,” Riky said. Ironically, Eon was hoping for the one coach who didn’t turn for him, Riana, but he was happy to join the coach that was so enthusiastic about his talent on #TeamRiky. An emotional Riky Rick broke down in tears in later. “I never had a father figure to tell me ‘you’re doing a great job. I felt like I was looking at myself through him,” he explained. “Don’t let people tell you you’re not good enough.”

The teams are filling up fast now, with coach Riky and Coach Riana’s two gains each tonight bringing #TeamRiky and #TeamRiana up to 10 acts each. Francois strengthened #TeamVanCoke to seven members with his two new singers, and #TeamLIRA is holding steady at eight members. That means Riky and Riana only have two more spots available on their teams, and LIRA still has four, with #TeamFrancois nipping at her heels with five empty spots left.

#TeamRiky: Joel Zuma, Keanu Harker, Amy Tjasink, Joshua Parker, Sabelo Mthembu, Christiaan Baartman, Morgan Beesley, Katlego Makgotlwe, Aura, Eon Claude le Roux

#TeamLIRA: Ross Charles, Petro De Villiers, Mo George, Krista Jonas, Rayleen Padayachee, Lora Joplin, Nicky van Niekerk, Yahto Craft

#TeamRiana: Greunen Parker, Lelo Ramasimong, Felicia Seoehle, Verona Goslett, Siki Jo-Ann Qwazi, Francois Viljoen, Ilan van Staden, Shane Sonkind, Wade Bezuidenhout, Vuyisile Mdlophane

#TeamVanCoke: Sade Ross, Tasché Burger, Chezelle Shahadat, Richard Barnard, Matthew Reid, Mia Malherbe, Ashur Petersen

The Voice SA airs on Sundays at 17:30.