By Our Reporter
A Ka Dope has announced its return with an online talent search competition where 12 undiscovered acts will perform alongside established artistes and stand a chance to win a record deal. The competition dubbed the A Ka Dope Stars will run from September to December 2020.
To participate, contenders are required to record and upload a 40-second video of themselves singing or rapping on their social media pages and encourage their fans to repost, share and comment with the hash tag #IamAkadopestar. The submission period of the videos will last for 3 weeks.
“We are pleased to announce the return of A Ka Dope, which has gone online in keeping with the current circumstances. A Ka Dope is all about giving undiscovered talent a platform to showcase their art. And with the new addition of the A Ka Dope Stars competition, we are excited to give these rising artists a chance to compete for the ultimate prize, a recording deal with 101 Music,” said Francis Kasura, Co-Founder of A Ka Dope.
Out of the submissions, the 12 best acts shall be shortlisted as semi-finalists and perform live with the A Ka Dope Band to compete for the grand prize – UGX 2 million cash and a recording deal with 101 Music.
A Ka Dope Stars will feature four episodes, each of which shall be headlined by a different Mentor Artist whose role is to support the growth and development of the upcoming performers.
Fans will vote for their favorite act through live polls on social media. In addition, each song performed shall be released on all music streaming platforms and streaming numbers for each contestant shall be added to the fan votes. After the semi-final rounds, the 4 finalists will battle it out to select a winner in a grand finale concert event.
“We continue to stand proudly as a partner, supporting their goal of grooming local talent for the betterment of the entertainment industry in Uganda,” said Agaba Tumusiime, Brand Manager, Uganda Waragi, a sponsor of the show. “We look forward to an exciting three months as we discover fresh talent.”
“To stand a chance to attend some of the shows or even the grand finale in December, fans can buy a Uganda Waragi A Ka Dope pack on Jumia Food and the SafeBoda app,” Agaba added.
Since the talent search was announced, a total of 200 entries have been received so far.