It just won’t stop. TV3 is doing it again. The third season of the network’s popular music talent hunt show, ‘Mentor’ has just been launched with 12 young aspiring musicians being introduced to the public as the finalists. They are the ‘wheat’ from all the ‘chaff’ the ‘Mentor’ judges encountered at auditions in Takoradi, Kumasi, Koforidua and Accra.

The ceremony to launch ‘Mentor III’ (sponsored by mobile phone giant, tiGO) took place at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel and was broadcast live on TV3. Start time on the invitation was 7pm, but the programme actually got off at 9pm. Presumably, the idea was to get the guests in as early as possible and those who are not so in tune with GMT (Ghana Man Time) had to stand in wait for close to 2hrs.

To add to the evening’s glitz, TV3 decided that the guests should be led in by a fleet of noisy motorbikes. But in what appeared to be a slight glitch, the riders came in ahead of the guests; so they went back out and brought them in --in grand style. Mark Okraku-Mantey came in with Okuraseni Samuel and Dominic came in with Akosua Agyapong. They were followed by Praye, Lawrencia Duah (a new ‘Mentor’ judge), the winner and runner up of Mentor II and contestants from the first two seasons of the programme.

Emceed by Anita Erskine and Iso Paelay (who doubles as the producer for Mentor III), the programme was an all-white affair and, as usual, there were different shades of white on display -- ranging from ‘creamy white’ to ‘brownish white’ and all the whites in between. Janet Carboo-Danquah, PRO for TV3 and a tiGO rep officially declared the singing started on ‘Mentor III’. When the official speeches had ended the stage was cleared for a night of good entertainment.

There were performances by Hakeem (a ‘Mentor I’ contestant, currently working on an album with a rendition of one of R. Kelly’s tracks). Joe (Mentor II runner-up) sang ‘Odo’, a track on his upcoming album. It is a nice piece (sung in Twi and Ga) and it showed that the young man has great talent. Then came the introduction of the ‘Mentor III’ finalists: twelve contestants representing Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western and Eastern regions. The GAR crew consists of Faya, Dela and Erico who sang their hip hop ‘Mentor’ song. Paul, Paa and Gina from the Eastern region appear to be a ‘chrife’ bunch as they gave their ‘Mentor’ song a Christian feel. The Ashanti region is represented by Bright, Peter and dreadlocked Lisa who sang a ragga ‘Mentor’ tune and the guys from the West (Nadja, Nana and K-Gee) entertained the crowd with their reggae tune.

Prince, the winner of Mentor I (dressed in a white suit) came on stage singing a slow, soothing gospel tune, which was not exactly right for the occasion: too much inspiration for a Friday night. Andy ‘Blessintins’ (also from Mentor I) was not left out and he showed what a great performer he is, representing with his stick and wooing the audience with his stagecraft. The TV3 crew saved the best for last and Andy’s performance of a track, on which he features Samini was a good note to end the night on.

The programme ended close to midnight and was not necessarily the greatest show put together. A lot more could have been done to make it more crisp. But let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope that TV3 learnt some useful lessons and when the contestants take to the stage from Sunday (May 6th), all the rough production edges would have been smoothened out and that ‘Mentor III’ will provide quality entertainment for the next 13 weeks.

It is worthy of note, though, that there there’s no Prince in ‘Mentor III’ and so it is not possible to predict a winner yet. What a shame!