In the sea of reality shows that have flooded prime-time television in recent years, almost every moment there is a singer.
In the region these days, the audience is interested in "X Factor", Montenegro has a racing horse in mind "Flight to the Stars", and through these two and many other show programs paraded many hopes and dreams about the career of a great music star, while a wide audience chose his favorites, discussed them daily and mostly pushed their story via text messages.
Montenegrin journalist, music critic and publicist Željko Milović says that there is almost no country with a developed popular culture that does not have a show that makes a star out of the anonymous, and that this concept is not particularly new in these areas.
"The distant ancestor of today's shows can be found in Montenegro at the end of the fifties and during the sixties in the series of events 'Mikrofon je Vaš', 'Novi glasovi' and 'Prvi glas...', because the essence remained the same, the only difference is that from therefore, the all-powerful television has now created a show with all the postulates of contemporary society. The affirmation of unknown vocal soloists, through a series of live performances on television, is a tried-and-tested recipe that brings viewership, and at the same time produces entertainment logistics," he explains.
How much do shows like this really bring affirmation to unknown singers?
Milović says that, although at first glance it would not be said that such shows affect the career of singers, it is not so and cites as an example a number of Montenegrin performers (Nina Žižić, Ivana Popović, Nina Petković, Milena Vučić, Danijel Alibabić, Marko Prentić... ) which, in his opinion, would not have been heard had it not been for the show "Intro Karaoke", the direct ancestor of today's "Flight to the Stars".
However, the interlocutor of "Vijesti" believes that winning in such shows does not mean so much for a career, as much as it means - money.
"A career does not depend on winning any competition, everyone who follows music knows that, but solely on the invested money, somewhat less than talent, so a triumph in such show programs is not a guarantee of any future success, but only a convenient opportunity to get the first chance," Milović believes.
Someone who knows how to build a career is certainly Milena Vučić-Burovac, a former participant of the aforementioned "Intra" who didn't even make it to the finals, but that didn't stop her from being one of the most famous Montenegrin singers at the moment.
She says that such shows are an opportunity for young singers to show their talent and get a chance in show business, and whether they will take advantage of it depends on many factors.
"Music, voice and songs are what make success, not immediate media attention. So it takes a lot of effort, work, invested time, a lot of songs, albums for real success," she believes.
Milena is of the opinion that singing shows can be a starting point, but only for those who want to devote everything to their career.
Mladena Janjić, from Nikšić, who was highly placed in the final of "Idol" in 2005, but after that rarely appeared on the radar, agrees with her.
She herself admits that she did not want to seriously devote herself to the career of a singer.
"It was interesting for me to see how much I could do, and I didn't plan to have a serious career, I just liked to sing and show what I knew," she says, adding that it is very important if someone is ready to make music their life's calling. or it's just his hobby.
"Montenegro is a small market and if someone has a little bigger ambitions, these regional shows are better. Because without money you can't do anything, and in order to get someone to invest in you, you have a better chance through competitions at a higher level," adds the former a singer, and now a TVNK journalist.
Sometimes you have to slow down
Ivana Popović-Martinović had the opportunity to taste the sweetness of victory at "Intro Karaoke", and her participation in "Idol" did not go unnoticed either.
However, everything that was happening then was too fast for her, so she had to slow down with the album work to decide which genre to dedicate herself to, then health problems followed... She just believes that readiness is the most important factor.
"To cope with what happens to you, literally. There are a lot of secondary factors, related to the production, organization, endurance of that person because there is a lot of stress and suffering and a completely different rhythm of life, but in general the most important thing is how much a person is ready to finds himself in an unpredictable situation. And people will recognize that, I suppose," she says.
A good springboard
And Ivana agrees that participation in singing shows can be a springboard, but that it is very important to keep the audience's attention after that.
"Very quickly after the announcement of the winner, all the contestants are forgotten, especially today when there really are too many of those reality programs. Whatever the concept is. For example, things were set up nicely for Sara Jovanović to appear in 'Your face sounds familiar' after 'The First Voice of Serbia' , to continue to remain in the audience's memory and achieve increasing popularity," says our interlocutor.
Milena says that one thing is certain - no one will stand up for the contestants as much as they and their family.
"My experience was wonderful, fun. I was given a chance, I had talent and desire, so I used it. I was also lucky. I am a fanatic in my work. I see my career ten years ahead and I live for music. That is the bottom line," she emphasizes.
While Mladena tells all future participants to be prepared for the fact that no one will "paddle and look after them" because it is a competition, and that they should not be held back by criticism or misunderstanding.
"Estrada is a two-edged sword - as much as there is beauty, there is as much ugly. Like everything in life, after all, it's just a question of whether something is worth fighting for or not," she says.
Curse of winners who can't stand the lights of the stage
A particularly interesting phenomenon is that the winners of singing shows are often in the spotlight for a little while after that, and then often disappear from the scene, while some of the less well placed ones make careers.
"That seems to be the curse of all winners, because I see that it is the same in these foreign shows. Winners are often the least heard about later, and those who win second or third place make careers. Probably because the pressure is too great in the first place," says Vesna Milačić Kaja , singer and author.
She is of the opinion that Montenegro has talents and that reality TV shows can help them to be heard more quickly, but only time can tell how ready they are to dedicate themselves to music.
The singer supports all those who would like to try themselves in such shows, especially before some of them may become aware that they are not built for the call of a musician.
"I don't follow those shows, but I know who makes them and how, and I think it's good. Let's say in 'Flight to the Stars' there is good vocal training. On the other hand, there are many who overestimate their capabilities and as such serve as entertainment . And then people are angry with the members of the jury when they directly tell them - go home and do something else. I think on the one hand it's good because you need to be honest with yourself and know how much you are or are not good at certain things," she explains.
Momčilo Zeković, author and member of the group "Perper", believes that the answer to the question of the phenomenon of faded winners is that in reality shows, already known, other people's tracks are sung.
"They performed at the competitions with songs that the audience already loves. The stage lights are brighter for them than most will ever be during their career. The years ahead of them will show whether they justified the views of the jury and the audience that cheered them on. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for them to persevere, it's not easy to deal with this call," he said, and added that when the glitter of the show program disappears, a lot depends on both luck and marketing.
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