Star Academy Maghreb seeks Morocco's future stars

2009-10-21

Hundreds of young performers and would-be stars gathered in Casablanca on Saturday in hopes of impressing judges and making it on Star Academy Maghreb.

By Imane Belhaj for Magharebia in Casablanca – 21/10/09

[Imane Belhaj] Casablanca was the scene of auditions for "Star Academy Maghreb" on Saturday.

Nearly 300 young men and women queued up in Casablanca on Saturday (October 17th) to audition for the second edition of Star Academy Maghreb, which will be broadcast on Tunisia's Nessma TV in December.

Producers opened their try-outs in Tunisia before coming to Morocco. Another set of auditions was set for Tangier on October 20th, and still more are scheduled for Marrakesh on October 22nd. After those try-outs, the producers will head to Algeria in the hopes of discovering more untapped Maghreb talent.

"I'm amazed by the incredible voices I heard at the Casablanca stop, which will only mean that competition is going to be fierce," said Nessma TV manager Maram Benozaira, who accompanied the shooting crew to Morocco. "Selecting winners will be a tough job for the judging panel because we keep coming across new and diverse talents."

First-round auditions for the show were held in the morning at the Ramada Hotel, and those who passed were asked to return at noon for a second round. Judges then chose 10 performers from this select group to be the semi-finalists of the Casablanca round.

The same number of semi-finalists will be chosen in Tangier and Marrakesh, after which only 10 to 15 candidates from all of Morocco will make it to the final competition. In all, around 50 aspiring singers and dancers from across the Maghreb will compete for a spot on the programme. Only 15 of these contestants will make it through to the final round, which will be held in Tunisia at the end of November.

Amal Samaoui Zemboul, a Tunisian producer who accompanied the organisers, said she could not believe the huge number of participants who arrived in the morning and the exceptional quality of their voices.

"The number of participants has doubled compared to the first edition that took place three years ago. There are new things. Young people are showing a new character, not to mention admirable will and determination," Zemboul told Magharebia, adding that the judges would have a hard time choosing the best aspiring stars.

Candidates selected for the show will have to exhibit their singing talents in Arabic, Maghreb dialect, and Western languages. They must also showcase their dance moves before a panel which includes Moroccan singer Oum, Moroccan director Mohammed Achaouer and Tunisian singing professor and composer Nacer Samoud.

Oum told Magharebia that this was her first time playing the role of judge, and that it was an opportunity to explore the candidates' talents.

"I was moved by all those sensitive voices. The will and determination I see in their eyes makes me sad to see some of them leave the competition, after pinning high hopes on becoming a Maghreb star one day," Oum said.

Dany Youssef, a young participant, said the show offers a chance to young talents. He performed two Western songs, followed by a Maghreb one. He was happy with his performance and remains optimistic about his chances of making it to the final stages.

Another aspiring star, Said, continued to cheer for his friends despite not making it to the semi-finals. Said sang songs in Arabic and Maghreb dialect, and also poured his soul into performing a dance. But he was not disappointed that he failed to make it to the next round, "since there are other talents that had to be taken into consideration".

"Some of the participants are serious and do have true talent," said director Achaouer. "Others, however, come just to sneak a peek just out of curiosity, or to have fun. Generally speaking, though, the selection criteria include more than just the voice. An outstanding character also counts, in addition to a diverse range of talents."

The auditions are a sign of excitement to come, but more than just legions of starry-eyed young talents await the Star Academy Maghreb audiences in December. To further entice Maghreb audiences into watching the competition, the show will invite world-renowned artists Cheb Khaled and Cheb Faudel to appear with the top 15.