Full marks for M-Net and production company Nevermachine for adding Unathi Msengana as the new judge to the Idols judges' table. Unathi Msengana is clever and compassionate, radiant and expressive, sincere and clear, refreshingly open and has honest and constructive feedback tempered by having a heart for the person she's talking to. And she's nice. Viewers who see Unathi Msengana when the 7th season of Idols start on M-Net will love her ... because the contestants who tried out during auditions already do.
Do you remember your grade 1 teacher? Absolutely. Having sat for over two hours observing the Idols judges who saw and heard contestant after contestant when the new nationwide audition process kicked off in Cape Town, I can tell you I'm immensely impressed with Unathi Msengana. She's exactly like your grade 1 teacher. When people see her and how she is, and get to know her, they will automatically gravitate towards her and love her. Because she loves them.
Unathi Msengana is like the primary school teacher who puts a band-aid on your knee. She manages to find good words of encouragement in bad moments. She's present in an honest way. You immediately feel as if she really cares. She sticks up and fights for contestants who she thinks is worthy with logic and good reasoning and she's not scared to go up against both Gareth Cliff and Randall Abrahams if she really believes in you. If you want someone on your side, someone rooting for you if you have what it takes, Unathi Msengana is the one who will try and help you. If you can't sing, she'll tell you - but she's not malicious. Somehow you trust her. You just feel that she's warm and cool, has a great life and wants you to have a great life too.
To quote Star Wars, Unathi Msengana ''brings balance to the Force'' that's the Idols judged table. She doesn't smirk and doesn't look for the slighest mistakes. In her middle chair position she champions the somewhat-underdogs, engage (and sometimes try to persuade) the male judges on her sides. The judges dynamic of the new 7th season of Idols with Unathi Msengana's fantastic addition feels renewed, refreshed and for the first time, actually balanced.
Danny K as first guest judge actually did remarkably well as well too, absolutely looks the part, and for what he said and did (some contestants got hugs!) he can conceivable actually become the 4th permanent judge so well he came across. All 4 of them together suddenly just completely works. Viewers of the upcoming Idols season will definitely enjoy Unathi Msengana and the new judges' social dynamic thanks to her inspired addition to this show.
