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GEORGE NEWS & VIDEO - Loané van Sandwyk, singer, songwriter and stand-up comedian, took the laurels at the George Has Got Talent (GGT) gala dinner held in the Civic Centre's banquet hall on Friday night.
She performed one of her own songs, Knoffelbroodjie, a light-hearted take on the struggles of a typical dieter.
Van Sandwyk's creative abilities are not limited to singing, songwriting and acting - she is also an aspiring moviemaker and her efforts in this sphere are paying off.
Last year, her film entry won the amateur division at the Garden Route Media 48-hour Film Race. She studied drama at the University of the Free State and obtained an honours in cabaret from Stellenbosch University.
The runner-up was Lynette du Plessis, a talented professional dancer originally from George, who impressed with her emotive interpretation of The sounds of silence as sung by Disturbed.
This former learner of Hibernia Primary and George High entered for GGT as a way to introduce herself to her home town after having performed far and wide since graduating at the Artscape Jazzart Dance Theatre in 2017.
At both the Woordtrofees 2020 and kykNET Fiëstas 2021 she was a nominee (Best Up-And-Coming Artist) for her role in the dance theatre production Krummelpap, afval en sunlightseepbaddens, a work that in 2021 toured to Afrovibes Festival in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
VIDEO: George Has Got Talent 2023 finals
The flamboyant John T Haas got the third most votes with his song, Ek wil oud word saam met jou, that pulled at the heart strings. Haas was born in Beaufort West, but now lives and works in Pacaltsdorp. "My voice is an instrument of the Lord that I use through my singing to honour Him and I am eager to use opportunities to share my talent," he says.
The gala was a successful and delightful evening with 15 finalists delivering dancing and singing performances of a high standard.
A panel of judges selected the semi-finalists in the first round of auditions. In the second round, the judges' and audience's votes carried 50% weight each, whereas in Friday's final, the audience chose the winners. Each contestant was allowed a maximum of two supporters at the function, one of whom was sponsored. The rest of the audience consisted of sponsors and the judges. Voting was done electronically.
PHOTO GALLERY: Gala dinner for final competition for George Has Got Talent
Geraldo Lewis made a striking entrance, walking through the audience from the back, and impressed with his rendition of Feeling good.
The organiser of the initiative was Harmony Spiritual and Emotional Healing Centre. Co-director Liané Venter said they were happy to have given this platform for talented locals.
"We have received a lot of positive feedback. GGT Top 15 will be back by popular demand and the dates are to be announced soon. We are also looking forward to the GGT Gospel musician and bands auditions for a show planned for July. We should be able to confirm the audition times by the end of April. We are really excited at the way this initiative is growing," said Venter.
Read more about the backgrounds and dreams of each of the three winners on Thursday.
Isabel Botes, a born performer with a lovely voice. Photos: Alida de Beer
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