STATEMENT BY THE RT HON PRIME MINSTER,

 

 

 

DR B.SIBUSISO DLAMINI

 

 

 

AT THE T55 TALENT COMPETITION GRAND FINALE

 

 

 

AT THE MAVUSO INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE

 

 

 

SATURDAY 7 NOVEMBER 2015

 

 

 

Your Royal Highnesses

 

Honourable Ministers

 

Members of both Houses of Parliament

 

Regional Administrator

 

Sponsors

 

Judges

 

Contestants

 

Distinguished Guests

 

Representatives of the Media

 

Ladies and Gentlemen

 

 

 

This is a truly exciting time for the arts in the Kingdom of Swaziland. And at the end of this enterprising new competition, it is clear to me that, from an artistic perspective, our light has been hidden under the bushel.And I feel confident that this view is shared by the rest of the audience here this evening and, in particular, the many thousands who have followed the series on Swazi TV.

 

 

What, of course, is so enlightening and rewarding is that the highly entertaining mix of skill, flair and creativity will have been there all the time and the T55 talent competition has been the mechanism, the catalyst, that has brought this abundance of artistic ability to the surface.To everyone involved, I say - well done!

 

 

This evening's Grande Finale has been outstanding in terms of entertainment value.Simply being able to sit back and enjoy the performances of the short-listed artistes, demonstrating their extraordinary skills, has been very enjoyable - indeed, inspiring.How proud each of those artistes must be to have reachedthis final stage of the contest.And on the other side of the stage, so to speak, we, the audience and the many thousands watching it live on Swazi TV, have enjoyed a wonderful combination of dance and song, the latter in both soloist and choral format.

 

 

The event has shown unequivocally that Swaziland has an enormous amount of talent right here on our own doorstep.And I am confident that there is plenty more out there, that, whether for reasons of modesty or diffidence, did not appear for the competition.To those artistes I say - you may have thought twice about entering the competition this year but perhaps you will get another chance.In which case, please do not hold back your talents; let the public enjoy them and you will derive fulfilment from the pleasure that you give.

 

 

Not wishing to sound presumptuous, but it is clear that we need this competition to become a regular event.From what we have observed elsewhere in the world, where there is a continuum of such competitions, the public reacts very positively, whether artistes or audiences.The knowledge that there will be future opportunities will encourage, among artistes, the pursuit of excellence in a positive attitude and a spirit of optimism, as each performer looks to the future with the hope of winning.There is no doubt at all that the momentum built up, by repeating the T55 competition on a regular basis, will fire up our artistes to hone their acts to even higher standards of excellence.

 

 

For there to be repetition of this event there needs to be sponsors and I am sure I speak for the sponsors when I say that this T55 talent competition, with the amount of television that it has commanded, provides a huge amount of advertising potential and product exposure.I am given to understand that there is already a captive audience, with the programme series indicating the potential to race to the top of the viewing charts, as has been the case with similar events in the United States and Europe.These are reality shows that also embrace art to very high standards. I am sure this talent competition is one of the giant steps to instil in us all that we need to look no further than our own country for the artistic skills that we demand for our entertainment.

 

 

That is not to say that we cannot enjoy and admire foreign talent.Of course we can.The greater the diversity of entertainment forms and the opportunity to experience them through television and other media, the fuller the audience enjoyment.But it is high time that our first port of call, so to speak, is our own homegrown market.

 

 

Let me at this point congratulate the promoters and organisers of this talent competition, the Swaziland Arts and Music Association (SWAMA) for the vision and detailed organisational work that has gone into holding the competition and bringing it successfully to the climax of this evening's Finale.

 

And then there are the sponsors to thank.Not only will they have received excellence exposure for their respective products but they can consider themselves among the pioneers of this competition and what it will lead to.There have been many sponsors - too many to name - but I thank them in groups: those who provided hospitality and transportation, and those who gave prizes or cash, and general services.I say thank you to our South African and international sponsors and partners.A particular word of appreciation has to go to Swazi TV for the extensive coverage throughout the auditions and eliminations, and to the public agencies who carried out a great deal of work.I am referring to the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development and the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Culture, under which the main organiser, SWAMA, is a parastatal.

 

I must also thank the judges for their skilful input into the competition.Assessing the quality of a performance is difficult in itself but having to compare different art forms with one another is even more challenging.What, of course, has made the judging such a comprehensive function has been the ability of members of the public, for a very modest charge, to add their vote.

 

 

The T55 competition has met its target of unearthing talent across the country with auditions in every inkhundla.It has enabled all of the performers to market their talents by being seen nationwide.And, by being observed through this competition, contestants have raised their public profile to such an extent that for the most successful there is a chance of a highly rewarding career, and for others, the hope of being able to emulate that achievement.An important component of economic growth is the provision of services of value.The presentation of art in its various forms is one such example.This T55 talent contest can be the start of a significant and growing contribution to future national economic development.

 

I am sure that most of you here this evening are familiar with the reality talent contests around the world such as America's got Talent, Britain's got Talent and, of course, South Africa's got Talent.Well, let me tell you now that we can start shouting from the rooftops "Swaziland's also Got Talent!"And it's DSTV next stop!

 

 

 

Thank you.