FOR the first time, Indian Idols Season 13 winner, Rishi Singh, will perform with finalists, Deboshmita Roy and Bidipta Chakraborty and runner-up, Mani Dharamkot in South Africa.
The the Indian Idols Fantastic 4 Show will take place on Friday at the Globe at Suncoast and the following day at at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg.
Singh went from singing devotional songs in his hometown in Ayodhya to becoming the winner of Indian Idols 13.
The 19-year-old is a third year aviation management student.
In an interview with POST, he said: “I have been singing since I was three or four years old. My desire was to concentrate on the bhajan genre (religious). However, people encouraged me to also sing Bollywood songs. I decided to take this advice and it has proven to be helpful.
“I was inspired to audition for Indian Idol by Arijith Singhji, because he also started out in reality shows. The Indian Idol platform was a good stage for me to meet people and to learn new skills.”
Singh added: “The first thing that came to my mind after winning was that I was able to dispel doubts about the platform; such as winning is dependent on how rich you are, or who you know in the industry. Today both my family and I are happy with these achievements.
“I have not been to South Africa before and am excited about this tour. We are currently on a world tour. We went to Mauritius, then we performed in London and Dubai. We are now touring the US and then it’s South Africa.
“Performing in a world tour is a dream come true. It means we a have to work harder and dedicate more time. It becomes a bit difficult managing all these responsibilities. However, my family has encouraged me to continue with music. After winning Season 13, I feel I have a responsibility to my fans and listeners.”
According to a press statement, Roy began singing at the age of 10. She participated in the singing competition, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs (2010) and was the second runner-up. She comes from a musical background and was coached by her father, who she performs with in concerts and shows.
Chakraborty is originally from Kolkata, West Bengal, and was inclined towards music since childhood.
Bidipta rose to fame after being the first runner-up of, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2021 of Zee Bangla. Bidipta has performed at musical shows and live social concerts.
Dharamkot participated in Sony’s Superstar Singer 2, in which he set a record by receiving 11 medals from the judges; the most of any other candidate. He used to act in regional theatre and melas (carnivals) before becoming a singer.
Tickets for the Indian Idols Fantastic 4 Show are available via Ticketpro or SPAR outlets. For more information, call 060 302 9860.