Yu Em Khax

To be aired on Saturday, January 21, this semi-final will bring another variety of acts including solo dance acts, something not seen in the first semi-final.

Three from the Port Moresby Heat will see a singing act, magic/illusion and solo dance, two from the  Lae Heat will see a dance crew and a comedian, another two from Mount Hagen Heat with magic/illusion and a singing act and two more from the Kokopo Heat with a solo dance act and a signing act.

It is a race to snatch K20,000, and requires the best of what each contestant has got.

NoiZiiK is made up of two beatboxers – Lazor Marx and beatboxer_steve, Vigilante is a dance crew of five male dancers and Jack Spade is a solo magician from Oro, Northern Province.

The three acts have secured a spot in the grand final for the race to get a portion of the total K35,000 grand prize.

The ultimate winner receives K20,000, the first runner up gets K10,000 and the third place act will be awarded K5,000.

Aired on the TVWan Life channel last Saturday, 7.30pm, all contestants stepped on stage prepared to give their best.

He says trying out for the auditions in the Lae heat was just for fun.

But his story tells us otherwise, because he had to travel 265km from Popondetta in Northern Province to Lae, in Morobe Province, for the auditions.

And this time, it’s 143km from Popondetta to the capital city, Port Moresby, for semi-final 1, where he will be competing with eight other acts.

Judges of the show say the semi-finals will be tough and Jack Spade has come a long way to turn back now.

Lazor Marx and Beatboxer Steve’s story goes back to 2013, when they introduced something new into PNG’s street entertainment.

With fellow beatboxers Shadez Drone and Cryptic, the four started PNG’s very own beatbox community, which over the years has grown to a little over 20 in number to date.

The two, calling themselves NoiZiiK, are among nine acts from the heats who made it through and are the only beatboxing act for the semi-finals.

They are also part founders of the beatboxing community in PNG, a form of hip hop art, slowly becoming popular among the young urban population.

Talking with Loop PNG yesterday, the two revealed that their auditioning in the first of its kind talent show was not pre-planned.

The locally-produced show is a first of its kind talent show profiling Papua New Guinea’s most talented, unique and brightest entertainers.

Live auditions for the show took place around the country in November and December, 2016 and saw hundreds of people turn up to try out for a spot on the coveted show. 

Six singers, four dancers, three magicians, three comedians, one beat box group and one theatrical artist impressed the judges in Port Moresby, Lae, Mt Hagen and Kokopo made it through to the televised heats late last year.

Show producer Ailynn Sokot says there will be two semi-finals.

The first to go on air this Saturday, January 14, on TVWAN Life Channel will feature 9 contestants. The other 9 will be featured in the second semi-finals, a week after.

Sokot says the same judge panel will be judging but this time, according to head judge Calextus Simeon, the judging will be a lot tougher.

“The judges would like to see the contestants elevate each performance in the semi-finals. We heard from the contestants that there will be a few surprises,” he said.

Digicel Play’s newest home-grown show, Yu Em Khax, is a reality television talent show displaying PNG’s most talented entertainers. 

Jack Spade will shine the light on this newest show on the TVWAN Life channel, bringing a class of his own, as super judge Calextus Simeon describes.

“So far, if we have to put all our contestants together, he’s actually at the moment leading,” Simeon said, referring to Jack Spade.

He acknowledged the skills put into play by the aspiring magician, who is focused on being the one unique talent in PNG.

But unlike other centres, the Mount Hagen talent is unpredictable for the judges and is expected to surprise them.

 Loop PNG got to talk with the super judge of the Yu Em Khax show, Calextus Simeon:

“The Mt Hagen auditions is one that is hard to predict, frankly speaking, because I don’t know what kind of talent to expect.

“We know that up in the highlands, they may have some surprising package for us.”

“I would like to see talents from the Highlands because one of the things we are lacking are talents from that region.