The new reality show I Want To Sing Gospel starts on SABC2 on Sunday, 3 August at 20h00 and auditions are wrapped.
Over the past few weeks the show's been searching the major cities and 40-hopefuls have been selected from everywhere. With the first phase over, the finalists are all going to Jozi where they'll be staying in a house to train and compete.
In case you haven't heard how the show's going down: - muso-producer Lindelani Mkhize's judging the show and he's looking to turn someone into the next gospel star.
The prize: a recording contract with his record label and 100 000.
Cape Town's CrowdAfter all the Idols we've been tortured with I've been quizzy to see what's what with the show so I hotfooted it to the Cape Town auditions to scoop for us.
I gathered pics and footage plus I got the chance to make a dream come true. Besides wanting to be a
weather-girl, another longtime ambition of mine's always been to be a singer with a group - either a backing singer in a group of 3 or in any group.
My thinking is the bonus of groups is that no-one will ever know that I can't sing to save my life. As you'll see in the vid. - I managed to achieve my goal.
The auditions were held at the City Hall in downtown Cape Town, opposite the parade - that doesn't exist anymore. What happened to it?? It's all just rubble.
The weather was on the side of auditionees - a perfect day tucked between days of blustery-freeze:
Auditionees outside the audition studio, waitin' for judgement 
Heaven/hell - the audition room
Lindelani spoke to auditionees so quietly no-one knew what their verdict was. They were like: "... um ... am I in or out? ... ?? Should I stay? ....Should I go? ... ... oookay .. I'm gonna assume I'm out. Bye. " The result: some classic expressions.
Gugulethu Mbuku - an impromptu muso who picked up people's songs just after they'd started singing - to give them backing type thing. He just got in tune with them - he did it for everyone except those beyond terrible.
The bravest soul of all: soundman Uvelile Bangani. Every note uttered by everyone smacked straight into his eardrums first.(If you find the vid. isn't flowing smoothly: click play, then pause it as soon as it starts to allow it to stream first. Wait a bit and you'll find it'll play smoothly when you re-click play 'cos it's streamed to your computer.)
Lindelani wheeling and dealing to sign our gospel group - we're "thinking" about it.
PS: The show's being hosted by Thabo Mdluli - didn't spot him - he was in another room doing post-audition interviews.