ALPHA ELABORATES ON HIS PLANS AFTER TPF

Tusker Project Fame winner Alpha Rwirangira talked about his plans after winning the talent reality show Tusker Project Fame.
So what has he been up to in Rwanda? “That’s my land, you know,” said Alpha, “My family and friends had been waiting for me. I had to go and see my fellow Rwandese.” 
He also denied the rumour that he is going to hold a concert in Kenya with other Rwandese contestants. “I have no information about that,” adding that even after winning TPF, he is still a born again Christian and his music is going to carry a positive massage. However, Alpha wants to keeps the his plans a mystery. He was reluctant to disclose what he will do with the Sh5 million jackpot loot from the reality show or his upcoming projects.
“I can’t tell. I have a lot of things I have been planned and I’m going to be in Kenya for a long time.” 
Fine, so is he really related to AY? From the horse’s mouth, “Yes, he’s my blood cousin.”

TPF JUDGE TO LAUNCH ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY

The Tusker Project Fame judge Hermes Bariki known to many as producer Hermy B is planning on launching an entertainment company called B Hitz early next year.
He will be joining hands with Tanzanian rappers AY and Mwana FA in what Hermy says will redefine the whole entertainment thing.
During the show third season of the show, Hermes was pissed off when Kenyan contestant Debarl got the boot. Maybe he might just sigh him up.

AY IS TPF WINNER ALPHA’S COUSIN

Alpha
AY

Rwandese Tusker Project Fame 3 winner Alpha Rwirangira has Tanzanian roots. Word is Alpha is related to Tanzanian rapper AY.
My source says, “AY’s mum and Alpha’s dad are silings that makes them cousins,” adding, “Even at the grand finale of the show, AY attended to show his support.”
Alpha whose mum passed on said he would like to be the “Voice of the people”. As a stepchild himself, Alpha promised that he would like to highlight the plight of the voiceless, suffering stepchildren that society turns a blind eye to.
The 23-year old will be in the country this week to meet his fans as well as undertake some media interviews.

IAN MBUGUA: IT’S GETTING TOUGHER!

After Kenyan contestant Debarl Inea mercilessly butchered Nameless’ hit song ‘Deadly’, on Sunday’s nomination show, the Tusker Project Fame judge Ian Mbugua admitted that the competition is getting to its most challenging stage.
For once, Ian politely noted a few things need to be fixed to enable the contestants to do their best, like letting them choose the songs they would like to perform. “It does not make much sense to give them a song that they do not feel.”
That is perhaps what earned Rwanda’s Christian an eviction from the house. He’s on record, saying that he was familiar with about five English songs - given his upbringing in the then French-speaking country.
The candid Ian was surprised that the contestants were made to sing from playback, as opposed to the band. “With only three weeks to go, you’d expect them to be using the band,” Ian remarked, in an interview after the live recording of Sunday’s show.
With the elimination of the weakest performers over the past week, the seven remaining contestants can now ill afford to perform badly.
Indeed all but Kenya’s Patricia Kihoro and Uganda’s Leah Atute have been on probation. And for Debarl it is the first time. Uganda’s Caroline Nabulime, Rwanda’s Alpha Rwirangira and Kenya’s Bernard Ng’ang’a a.k.a Ng’ang’alito, are also on probation.

TPF111 JUDGE IAN TO JUDGE COSTUMES AT CONCOURS’

Tusker Project Fame’s meanest judge Ian Mbugua has broadened his scope of judging.
Ian who is also a consultant at Phoenix players. If there is one thing that he is famous for is being a critic. He never minces his words and often hits where it hurts.
He has been chosen as a judge at this year’s Access Kenya Africa Concours d’Elegance which will be held at the Nairobi Racecourse on September 27.
However he will not be judging cars but costumes. He is expected to pick up the most distinctively dressed person at the event. First Thearte, then music now fashion, clearly Ian is a man of diverse tastes.

ON PROBATION

This Saturday 29 will be the first TPF3 eviction. The evictee will be hosted at the Carnivore Restaurant in conjunction with Hot 96 Inferno Dj's.

The eviction party is titled " Tusker Project Fame 3 eviction at the Backpin Night hosted by Hot 96 Inferno Dj's".

Backspin basically takes the revellers back into time by playing old school/ new jack songs.

This information is exclusive only to you. It is confirmed that this is where the eviction shall be held.

This are the four on probation
Nina (Rwanda)



Caroline (Tanzania)


Ng'ang'alito (Kenya)


Kelvin (Tanzania)

THE KENYAN BROOD OF STARS…

PATRICIA KIHORO – Kenya
23-year old Patricia hates that she still gets stage fright despite some previous experience in public performance but likes that once she sets her sight on something, she will go for it, whatever it takes. She is the only girl and has 2 brothers.







BENARD NG’ANG’A MARANGA - Kenya
23 year old Benard is the third in a family of 2 girls and 3 boys (himself included). He describes his family as social, welcoming and expressive. He reckons that he is naturally very funny and always manage to make other people around me laugh.

MEET THE TANZANIANS

ILLUMINATA RWELAMIRA - Tanzania
Illuminata, 28, loves that she is very diplomatic in her dealings with people. She is also honest but thinks that perhaps she is too forgiving at times and thus can be easily taken for granted. She is 5th in line in a family of 3 boys and 4 girls.



CAROLINE ULIWA – Tanzania
Caroline, 22, finds it interesting that her friends seem to win her trust and confide in her – her friends teasingly call her ‘Oprah’ as she always has a ready ear for all. She says that she is learning to believe in herself a little more. She is the eldest in her family and has 2 siblings: 1 brother and 1 sister.



KELVIN STEPHEN - Tanzania
Kelvin, 24, was inspired to pursue a musical career by his father who is a pianist. He learnt to play the piano from his father and is currently mastering the guitar in music school. He has, however, never performed before (unless family gatherings count… he says). He is the middle child in a family of 3 and has 1 older sister and 1 younger brother.

NOW MEET THE UGANDANS

KAROLYNE NABULIME - Uganda
Karolyne is the 2nd born in a family of 2 girls and 2 boys. She would definitely like to get married in future but for the moment prefers to concentrate on her trying to build a musical career.
The 26-year-old likes her warm and likeable nature but because she smiles often, she feels that sometimes people do not take her seriously.



LEAH ATUTE – Uganda
Leah, 25, was brought up in a large family of 21 children. She has 14 brothers and 6 sisters.
Leah says that her friends tell her she is very kind and has a ‘golden heart’ which she thinks is a good thing. She, however, says she sometimes underrates herself and is learning to believe in herself, thus her new motto ‘Yes I Can.’



MAUREEN KABASIITA – Uganda
Maureen, 26, is the 2nd born and has 3 brothers and 6 sisters. Maureen is proud of her hard-working and determined nature, noting that she paid her way through high school and college as her parents could not afford to settle her fees. She however dislikes that sometimes she can be introverted and is often afraid to challenge other people.

MEET THE RWANDAN STARS

NINA BOLA – Rwanda
23 year old Nina is the eldest child and has 1 brother and 1 sister. Her family is multi-lingual having lived in various African countries. Nina says she is comfortable speaking in French, English, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kikongo and Lingala. She is always happy but her very organized nature sometimes makes her seem too prim and proper – both a good thing and a not so good thing, she says.



CHRISTIAN ROBERT RWIRANGIRA
Christian, 23, wryly states ‘like father, like son,’ noting that he comes from a family of dancers. His grandfather and father were both very skilled in the famous traditional Kinyarwanda dance.
He sees his Tusker Project Fame journey as a predestined journey, noting that his contract on a temporary job had ended a week before he auditioned. He is more comfortable singing in French and says that he only knew 5 English songs but considers himself lucky to have come this far. Christian is gunning for the top prize like everybody else, but wisely adds that more than anything, this is an opportunity to learn about music because he thinks he has a decent voice but needs help in training it. He is in the contest to learn as much as he can.
Christina says he likes the way judge Ian Mbugua makes no apologies for putting them on the straight and narrow because this way he pushes them to reach greater heights if they take the criticism positively. Christian is the 3rd born in a family of 9. He has 4 brothers and 4 sisters.



ALPHA RWIRANGIRA
Alpha, 23, has recently enrolled in a music school to hone his guitar playing skills.
He entered the Tusker Project Fame contest because he loves music. He notes that his family is very musical as his father is a keyboard player and has a cousin who is a popular musician back home. He would therefore like to explore this musical talent that he believes is in him as well. Alpha is the 1st born and has 2 sisters and 2 brothers after him.

TUSKER PROJECT FAME PREMIERES

Former TPF2 contestant Linda Muthama poses with Comedian Nyambane a.k.a Walter Mongare before the show



Big Ted poses with singer Atemi


Inside the dome


Sarakasi dancers on stage wait for thier que during the live recording


Kenyan Patricia performs Sauti Sol's Lazizi


Judge Ian Mbugua



Judge Julia Kanyomozi


Valerie and Nakaaya perform Beyonce's Listen


Amani performs


Esther Nabaasa sings


Contestants chill out after the shooting of the live TV show ends



Twelve contestants drawn from the four East African countries have been selected to join the Tusker Project Fame 3 reality show contest.
The contestants who were unveiled on Sunday 16 at a star studded glitzy event are now set to compete in the ten week reality show which will see the winner walk away with a Shs 5million cash prize sponsored by Tusker not to mention a one year recording contract with South Africa’s Gallo Records.
The contestants have been enrolled at the Tusker Project Fame Academy where they will be exposed to the best in music vocal, song-writing and performance coaching to fully nurture their talent.
Speaking at the Tusker Project Fame 3 Premiere show staged at the TPF Dome in Ruaraka, East African Breweries Limited Marketing Director Debra Mallowah disclosed that the contestants will this year undergo a revised and enhanced curriculum geared at producing the very best from the individual contestants.
“For the first time in the Tusker Project Fame history, we are this year set to witness a more competitive and engaging training process backed by an enhanced training curriculum,” Mallowah said.
And added: “East African Breweries has on its part and through our flagship brand Tusker invested more than Kshs 200million to ensure the success of this program with the overall goal being to produce an authentic superstar from the talent pool of twelve contestants.”

SYLVIA OWORI TO DRESS TPF CONTESTANTS

Ugandan designer Sylvia Owori is one of the clothing sponsors for this year’s Tusker Project Fame 3 wardrobe. Owori’s firm will provide both clothes and accessories for TPF alongside main clothing sponsor Ivory.

NEW FACES IN TUSKER PROJECT FAME

Tusker Project Fame will not only have new contestants but a number of faculty and panel newbies as well.
To start off Ugandan Gaetano Kaggwa’s charming countryman Mich Ewang has replaced him as the host. The judging panel will consist of Kenya’s Ian Mbugua and Tanzania’s famed producer, Hermes Bariki and a yet to be revealed Ugandan.
Achieng Abura is still the Academy’s principal and she will work with new teachers including jazz artiste Joseph Hellon and Kavutha Mwanzia-Asiyo as vocal coach. Edwin Odhiambo of Sarakasi dancers will be this year’s dance instructor and choreographer.

TV STAR PAPA SHIRANDULA AUDITIONS FOR TPFIII

Come next week you will know for sure if Charles Bukeko aka Papa Shirandula is a TPFIII finalist. The actor took part in the auditions at the Kenyan National Theatre.
The TV star said, “I’ve always wanted to be a musician and I am here to try out my luck at the Tusker Project Fame academy,” he added, “The turnout is overwhelming and if the rehearsals in the queue by the youngsters here are anything to go by, then the competition is likely to be very stiff.”
That aside, here is some images from the TPFIII audition in Nairobi…

Fred Nganga a.k.a Krax dressed like Michael Jackson displays his dancing style similar to that of the King Of Pop



Grace Wamboi performs a happy jig after the judges give her a nod.


Jathan Njuguna entertains other contestants waiting to be auditioned


Ken Gachie entertains other contestants waiting to be auditioned



PHOTOS BY CHRISPINUS WEKESA AND JEPTUM CHESIYNA

TPFIII AUDITIONS MARATHON

Last Saturday saw TPFIII hopefuls audition in a record three towns. Nyeri, Mombasa and Nakuru staged the auditions simultaneously.
The Nyeri auditions boasted of a judging panel comprising of the Kenya Music Festival’s adjudicator Bibiana Gicheru, music director and vocal training consultant Jacqueline Wanjiru and producer, founder and director of Sauti Mwafrika Patrick Oluoch.
Nakuru’s judging panel sat at Hotel Kunste and will be made up of music teacher Emily Kasiran and Provincial Director of Music James Ariambee Rutto together with Ken Maisiba an official of the Kenya Drama Festival.
Whearas, the coast wanabe stars came face to face with Nyota Ndogo’s producer John Njuki Kagimbi a.k.a Producer Toti , his fellow producer Kostandinos Wambugu who is the founder of Rebel Musiq Studio and Braeburn Mombasa music teacher Mr. Jeremiah Ndune will join him.
Meanwhile, the Nairobi auditions are scheduled for next Saturday, July 18 at the Kenya National Theatre. TPF is the show that gave you music movers and shakers like singer Valerie Kimani and Esther Nabaasa and Nakaaya Sumari.

NO CELEBRITY JUDGES FOR TPFIII

The third season of the East African musical reality show will not have the usual celebrity judges for its audition phase. Instead this weekend performing arts enthusiast and university lecturer Prof Caleb Ouma will lead a panel of judges during the first regional auditions for TPF III at the Kisumu Hotel. Prof. Ouma, will be joined on the by Kisumu based music teacher and chairman of the Music Copyright Society of Kenya, Tom K’Odiyo together with the Braeburn School’s music teacher Winnie Onyanje.
Confirming the appointment of the judges, Tusker Academy Principal Achieng Abura explained that the judges’ panel had been competitively selected to lend further credence to the auditioning process. Abura said, “by retaining such experienced judges, we are hoping to discover the very best talent out there with a local flavour and devoid of national bias.”