As the latest season of Idols SA gets under way, one might wonder what happened to the contestants from recent hit music reality show The Voice. After just one season the show dazzled fans and promised to give Idols SA a run for its money.So, what is life like after The Voice ? For some it is chart-topping singles, performances and record deals, for others it is hustling even harder .Richard Stirton was named the winner of the first season of The Voice, but he is not the only contestant to walk away with a recording contract.This weekend it was announced that more contestants had been awarded contracts.Blind singer Vernon Barnard, Durban's Jono Johansen, family man Jeremy Olivier, Almur "Stilfontein" Marais, opera singer Johan Anker and Austin Lurring of Pietermaritzburg were all awarded deals.Universal Music signed Thembeka Mnguni and Zoë Modiga.Crowd favourites Lana Crowster and Thapelo Lekoane have not secured deals, but will be headlining their Soul Synergy show in Randburg next week."It's all about the soul and expressing ourselves. It's a new chapter, it's our time and it hasn't been easy but we know what we bring is quality," Lekoane said.Speaking of life after the show, Crowster explains how the contest has served as a springboard."People watched the show and expected us to soar immediately. It's really about milking the exposure from the show. You'll never get that many millions of people watching you after the show. If you are going to have a career, you have to come to terms with the constant hustle."Lekoane said: "It added a lot more hype. It was a lot harder to get heard, now it's a little easier."While Crowster is a refreshing R&B, jazz and hip-hop singer, Lekoane says her voice has been described as "emotional heart surgery", with hope and healing as her themes. They are both far left of mainstream, but Lekoane says "demographic doesn't matter when it comes to music".Describing their current phase as a "transitional hustle" neither are oblivious to the challenges, nor ungrateful for the platform The Voicegave them.Lekoane will be performing at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival in September.Crowster will headline her own shows in Durban and Cape Town.The Soul Synergy show will be at the Rhema Church in Randburg on Friday...