Masters of Voice

It's awesome  the way reality shows are shaping up these days. No. I am not talking about regional ones. But those like the Britain’s Got Talent, America’s Got Talent, The Voice, American Idol...the likes. The opportunities these talent shows offer to unknown individuals are simply awesome. I recall stories from couple of years back which literally transformed lives. In fact, Susan Boyle’s story is a striking example. When she first featured on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ it brought tears. The way people initially discounted her for the casual looks and speech, talks about the universal mentality of judging the book by the cover. Moreover, when she aired her feelings of becoming a professional singer on the lines of Elaine Page, you could easily spot people in the audience snickering with unbelief. In fact, Simon Cowell, keeping with his usual critical approach, went ahead pulling her leg. But the moment she opened her mouth. It was mind-blowing. You thought angels have descended and sang to you. It was amazingly awesome. The whole place reverberated with a kind of soothing rhapsody you wouldn’t want to stop listening to. Simon’s expression from utter confusion to sheer disbelief to total happiness was something that was completely worth watching. The judges on the show couldn’t feign ignorance of what they were listening to either. When she finished everyone knew they found a new star.

After that Susan Boyle’s life, I believe, has never been the same. She went on to sing with her singer idol – Elaine Page. And guess what?! All this has been possible by a simple reality show. Isn’t that surprising?!  

What about the story of Landau Eugene Murphy Jr? Before he participated in ‘America’s Got Talent’, he was nobody. Washing tyres in a small time garage. Then everything changed when he entered the contest. He came in chewing on gum, caring two hoots for the crowd and then walked away pocketing a million bucks. Amazing, isn’t it.  That’s the beauty of reality shows. While these reality shows titillate the crowds, they also provide platform for newfangled talent. Unlike our regional shows, where TRP ratings are spiked, emotions are intentional made to run high, the western shows come with a candidness that’s awe-inspiring. 

One of these shows which kind of grabbed my eyeballs right from its very start is ‘The Voice’. Where judges are seated with their backs turned to the singer. So, only when judges like the performance of the singer, they push the button and are instantly turned around to view the singer. This, I feel, is a fair deal. The performer is not tested on his looks but on his talent. The talent featured on ‘Voice’ is also of amazing standards. So, I was not completely taken aback when I saw a youngster sing ‘Love on Top’.  It’s originally sung by Beyonce Knowles, but I find this performer’s voice more peppy and scorching. Check this video to find out how good a singer she is…