VIDEO: The Voice SA – Francois van Coke has carefully chosen his team but six of his singers still need your vote!

In the last of The Voice SA’s all-new KnockOuts, rock rebel Francois van Coke locked down his team tonight (Sunday, 21 April) to take into the Battle rounds next week.

Francois chose: the young Brackenfell waitress Tasché Burger (18), Cape Town payroll officer Anslin Gysman (22) from Phillippi, 23-year-old Daniel Jay from Port Elizabeth, the effervescent 39-year-old Johannesburg pub singer Chezelle Shahadat, 24-year-old Pretoria attorney Matthew Reid, and Mia Malherbe, the 26-year-old musician from Randburg.

These six phenomenal singers joined Francois’s two Steals from previous KnockOuts: Cape Town songbird Nikita Williams (25) from #TeamRiky, and fellow Capetonian Mo George (21) from #TeamLIRA.

LIRA was the only coach with one Steal left tonight, and she quickly made a move to become the new coach to  37-year-old Itu Sings from Saulsville. 

This meant that six singers were left in the #TeamVanCoke Danger Zone at the conclusion of the KnockOuts. They are now relying on the support of the viewing public to stay in the competition. The six talent who are part of the Strepsils Knockout Viewers’ Save this week are: the veteran Pretoria performer PJ Nel (42), the Pretoria singing waiter and photographer Emil Paul (22), singing waitron Sadé Ross (29) from Cape Town, Jozi singer Richard Barnard (25), Francois’s “Zulu Queen” from Port Shepstone, Khokho Madlala (27), and the charming Capetonian performer Ashur Petersen (26).

Online and mobile voting HERE.

To save PJ, SMS 01 to 33692

To save Emil, SMS 02 to 33692

To save Sadé, SMS 03 to 33692

To save Richard, SMS 04 to 33692

To save Khokho, SMS 05 to 33692

To save Ashur, SMS 06 to 33692

SMSs cost R1.50 per SMS, while voting on mobi and web is free. All info on how to vote as well as the terms and conditions for voting are available here. The voting lines opened at 19:00 on Sunday, 21 April, and will close on Tuesday, 23 April, at 22:00. 

More info:

A blow-by-blow account of #TeamVanCoke’s KnockOuts: 

Mia Malherbe, the 26-year-old musician from Randburg, was the first to perform for her place on #TeamVanCoke, singing the Amy Winehouse classic “Valerie”. Mia kicked the night off on a high note, earning herself standing ovations from all the coaches. “You’ve got such an awesome vibe, I’d come to your show,” said LIRA. Francois thought Mia’s performance was “spot on”, but he placed her in the Danger Zone for the time being.

Taliep Petersen’s son, 26-year-old Ashur, chose one of his father’s favourite songs, “Queen of Hearts”, as a tribute. An emotional Francois said it was super-cool but he only had three seats available in his Safe Zone, so Asher had to wait in the Danger Zone.

Richard Barnard (25) from Johannesburg performed Theuns Jordaan’s “Soos Bloed” and Francois got all choked up again. But Richard, too, had to cool his heels in the Danger Zone while Francois considered his options.

Next up was Tasché Burger (18) from Brackenfell in Cape Town, singing the crowd favourite “The Story”, from Brandi Carlisle. “That was spectacular,” said LIRA, and she reminded Francois that she still had one Steal left, so Francois wisely put Tasché in his Safe Zone.

Itu Sings (37) from Saulsville performed Jessie J’s “Who You Are” and LIRA was so impressed that she promptly stole Itu when Francois try to relegate him to the Danger Zone.

24-year-old Pretoria attorney Matthew Reid once again chose a “girl’s song”, Pink’s “What About Us”, and Riky Rick said it was his favourite performance. “You nailed every note,” said his coach, but Matthew still had to await his fate in the Danger Zone.

Cape Town payroll officer Anslin Gysman (22) from Phillippi chose Bruno Mars’s “Just The Way You Are”, earning himself standing ovations from his teammates in the Safe Zone and the Danger Zone, and he made it all the way through to the Safe Zone. 

39-year-old Johannesburg pub singer Chezelle Shahadat showed her low tones off to great effect with the Ike and Tina Turner classic “Proud Mary” and she had the whole studio dancing in the aisles. “You’re one of a kind, baby!” LIRA exclaimed, and Riana Nel said it would be a sin if she didn’t get to stay in the competition. Francois thought she sounded better than Ike Turner himself, but he put her in the Danger Zone because he didn’t have to fear any of his fellow coaches stealing her anymore.

Francois’s “Zulu Queen” from Port Shepstone, Khokho Madlala (27) performed a passionate rendition of Busi Mhlongo’s “Yapheli’mali Yami”, which LIRA thought was “such a wonderful connection with our heritage”. “It was like a spiritual moment,” Riana Nel agreed. Francois told Khokho it was a great privilege to be her coach, and asked her to wait in the Danger Zone.

Singing waitron Sadé Ross (29) from Cape Town chose the showstopping ballad “This Is Me” from the movie musical “The Greatest Showman” and Francois asked her to wait in what he called “the DZ”.

Next up was the veteran Pretoria performer PJ Nel (42) with George Ezra’s “Blame It On Me”. By this time Francois only had two more singers left to perform, so PJ had to wait to hear his coach’s decision while 23-year-old Daniel Jay from Port Elizabeth performed Ray Charles classic “You Don’t Know Me”.

And the final performer in the #TeamVanCoke Knockout was the Pretoria singing waiter and photographer Emil Paul (22), with Radiohead’s Nineties classic “Creep”. His proud coach said “he nailed it from top to bottom”.

Pressed for a choice, Francois allocated his final Safe Zone seat to Daniel Jay. Then, he could still rescue three of his singers out of the Danger Zone, and he chose  Chezelle Shahadat, Matthew Reid, and Mia Malherbe to complete his team. 

Next Sunday, 28 April, the four teams go into the exciting Battle Rounds, with even more surprises awaiting them at every turn!