'Sing for Africa' Season 2 returns with focus on female talent

Sing for Africa, a China-Kenya music talent show that seeks to discover and nurture young African musicians, has returned for a second season, shifting its focus from the all-male lineup of its inaugural season to young female talent.

The second season was officially launched in Nairobi, Kenya, on Friday. Initiated by the Hunan Broadcasting System, one of China's largest television networks, the show is produced in collaboration with Kenyan production teams, bringing a Chinese music talent-show format to an African audience while incorporating local production expertise.

Wan Shaoguang, deputy director of Hunan TV International and chief producer of Sing for Africa, said the first season attracted more than 5,000 applicants in Kenya, with more than 600 taking part in in-person auditions.

Wan said the first season changed the lives of some contestants beyond the competition itself. Several participants were later invited to appear on Chinese variety programs, opening up new opportunities for them after the show.

"Season one proved the model. Season two goes further," said Sammy Dee, executive director of the show. The new season is designed exclusively for female singers, he said, offering opportunities for young African women who may have talent but lack a platform to pursue music professionally.

"She might be somewhere just dreaming of becoming a musician, singing in the bathroom, singing at church, but this is a platform to tell her that she can actually sing for the world," he said.

Unlike the first season, the new edition will introduce an academy for the contestants where industry mentors and other professionals will provide training and guidance. "It means that every contestant that gets into this competition gets to go home empowered," Dee said.

Around 20 years ago, Hunan TV's Super Girl became one of China's most successful television talent shows, attracting huge public attention and creating a platform for young women to pursue careers in music.

At the launch, Zhang Zhizhong, minister counselor and deputy chief of mission at the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, referred to the success of Super Girl, saying there is reason to believe that Sing for Africa Season 2 will provide a successful platform for young African women to showcase their talent.

Zhang said that women are an important force driving social development and progress. He noted that women in China, often referred to as "half the sky", played a significant role in national development, while African women have also made notable progress in economic empowerment, professional advancement and political participation.

Delivering her remarks, Anne Wang'ombe, principal secretary for gender and affirmative action in Kenya's Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services, said empowering women and youth is "not merely a social obligation", but "an economic and strategic imperative."

Wang'ombe said programs such as Sing for Africa not only highlight talent but also offer "tangible pathways" for young women and men to turn their creative passion into sustainable livelihoods.

The China-Africa Women and Youth Development Dialogue was held alongside the launch ceremony, bringing together participants to discuss women's employment and empowerment, youth development and inclusion, and ways to create greater opportunities for women and young people through cultural exchange and cooperation.

wuxiaohui@chinadaily.com.cn