Bay singer hopes Kahn will inspire him in ‘The Voice’

PORT Elizabeth singer Johan Anker has teamed up with The Parlotones lead singer Kahn Morbee for the country’s latest singing competition The Voice South Africa.

The aim of the series is to find new singing talent. It starts with the blind audition phase, which stretches over seven episodes.

The four coaches Karen Zoid, Bobby van Jaarsveld, Lira and Morbee sit with their backs to the stage to make decisions based on the performers’ vocal ability only.

Anker, 24, of Westering, is a drama and English teacher at the National School of the Art in Johannesburg.

He saw an advert on TV and wondered what it would be like to enter the competition.

“I had my doubts at first as my genre is something different,” Anker said.

“Not all people share my sentiments and love of classical music.

“My friends however kept encouraging me to enter.”

Anker started classical training at the age of nine and has taken part in local singing competitions.

“I was happy when the judges hit the buzzer and I found out that I would be part of Team Kahn. He is such a talented performer. Having him choose me is a dream come true.”

Anker is not the only one from the Eastern Cape who impressed the judges with his singing abilities. Thembeka Mnguni, 32, of Bizana, also got the nod and chose Zoid to guide her through the 17-episode show.

After six more episodes of blind auditions on The Voice, Mnguni will face her own team members in four episodes of the battle, hoping to make it to the six live shows.

Her first taste of success was in 2008 when theatre maestro Pieter Toerien recruited her to the cast of High School Musical: Live on stage.