Eedris and Ruggedman - An Unexpected Collabo

The synthesized sound of the electric piano filtered through my car speakers as the voice of Eedris uttered, "Rugged Man, Eedris Abdulkareem Collabo" followed by Ruggedman's voice saying "Yes oh, no be dream". I was perplexed to say the least and I quickly turned up the volume and listened with interest - to "Ko le ye won" (They can't understand), a brand new song by Eedris featuring Ruggedman.

Observers of the Nigerian music industry will recall that Eedris was once a star who reigned unchallenged. He rose into fame with several hit singles, including "Mr Lecturer" and "Jagajaga". His name on your handbill meant your show was jam packed. His CD in your station meant he got lots of airplay. Eedris' "grass to grace" story was well known, and he told everyone who cared to listen about how he was penniless and was once deported from Spain. Like him or not, you became easily aware of his outspoken and egoistic personality.

Having shared stages with different categories of musicians including the famous American Gangsta Rapper 50 Cent, Eedris started referring to himself as the best in Africa. This claim infuriated Rugged man and led to the latter's release of the track "Ehen Part one" intended to diss Eedris and several other artists, picking on his rap style and lack of skill. Eedris apparently didn't take the insult well, and he replied Ruggedman in an interview saying "Person wey diss him elders no go grow". But Pride they say goes before a fall. Some time after this, Eedris was a guest artist at a concert sponsored by Nigerian Breweries which was to hold in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. At the airport where the performers were taking a connecting flight, he entered a brawl with 50 Cent leading the latter to cut short his musical trip and go back to the US. It was bad for Nigerian Breweries as they had to cancel the Port Harcourt concert and rumors flew about how they promised to teach Eedris a lesson and make sure he received no more invitations to Nigerian concerts. Undaunted, Eedris went ahead and released "Jagajaga" which was again rumored to have infuriated the then President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo.

Soon after, due to unverifiable reasons, Eedris started fading out. He became silent and less was seen of him. In a rare twist of fate, RuggedMan rose and soon became the foremost rapper in the industry. He released an album which received massive airplay and performed in concerts nationwide. While it was the rise and rise of Ruggedman, it was the rise and fall of Eedris. Like Mohammed Ali after his first fight with Joe Frazier, it was as if the loud mouthed fighter had been finally humbled and silenced.

This Collabo between Eedris and Ruggedman is bound to surprise many. Eedris' strategy of collaborating with his "enemy" makes this an interesting comeback. The song sounds good, with a beat that can compete favorably in todays market. As usual, its hard to miss the pomp and confidence that Eedris still portrays, qualities that have been majorly responsible for his success in his earlier career. In Nigeria today, there are two types of artists. Those who thrive on music skill and those who thrive on delivery techniques. A good example of the former is Styl Plus while someone like D Banj falls into the category of the latter. Eedris would fit well into the latter. He might not have much melody in his songs, but his delivery has always been superb and this he displays very well in "Ko le ye won".

The Nigerian Music Industry has changed drastically and Eedris now has to contend with the likes of 9ice, X-project (of the Lorile fame), Asha and D Banj. One thing is sure though, he is a fighter and he has lived to fight another day. The question however is - How long will he last? He has an answer - Ko le ye won.

NB: Internet Explorer users: If the player does not display, you may listen here. Firefox users should not experience any problem

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Female Artists on the Rise

Within the last few months, female artists have been on the rise in the Naija music industry, an industry pre-dominated by males. Performers such as Weird MC, Sasha, Bouqui, Ashionye have kept their own against their male counterparts and new artists are gathering the courage to enter the limelight. My favourite female artists right now are Asa and TY Bello.

Bukola Elemide A.K.A Asa is a multi-talented female musician and artist. Her name is the yoruba translation of "Hawk". Seeing her for the first time, one might be tempted to write her off as a quiet nerdy type and underestimate her abilites, but just like the Hawk, no one sees her coming. She recently did a song "Fire on the mountain", which is currently gaining lots of airplay in Nigeria, France and all over the world. With great vocal abilities which remind you of India Arie and Lauryn Hill, she passes across a message of awakening. The song is available below.


TY Bello is not someone whom many people can forget in a hurry. She was a member of the group "Kush" which comprised such talents as Dapo Torimiro, Lara Bajomo (now Lara George), Emem and herself. After nearly 2 years in the studio, she's now out with her first solo album titled "Green Land". With a strong Alto voice, she wove her lyrics and notes expertly. The title song "The land is green" immediately leapt out of the album and started getting massive airplay. She also recorded a video which caught on with viewers nationally and internationally. View it below.


If you're feeling these songs as much as I am, I'll implore you to go get those albums. Buy the original CDs so you can encourage these ladies. Both albums can be got from Nu Metro Media stores at Silverbird Galleria, V.I. or The Palms Shopping Mall, Lekki.

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Umbrella Remix - Ebutte Meta

Time was COB on a Friday Evening. I was in my car driving to the island for a meet. Listening to my radio and tuned in to 96.9 Cool FM, Olisa was trying his best to keep me in the TGIF mood. After some nice Jams, he slipped in Rihanna's Umbrella. Now I must say I was already getting tired of that song, I had heard it so many times and I easily get tired of songs. Anyway, I decided to listen. When it was about to end and the soundtrack was fading out, Olisa started playing it again. I was like "What wrong with this guy?" and was about changing the station when I heard the rap ... "Nah, that's no Jay Z's rap! Maybe it's a remix", I thought, I listened further when suddenly, I started hearing familiar places ... "Abuja, Calabar, Anambra ... Niger, and finally Ebute Meta, meta, meta, eh, eh, eh" all sang by a male singer. Man, was I amused? Even though I had got to my destination, I waited in my car and listened until it ended. After that, I was all thoughts. That song sounded more interesting than the original version - maybe because I'm from Naija myself.

I did some investigation and I discovered Banky. Banky is a young Nigerian male vocalist who recently won the Grand Prize, R&B category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest with his song "My Regret" (here). He and a group of guys were just having fun in the studios and decided to record a Naija version of Rihanna's Umbrella. Not a commercial thing, but it was good. I searched all over for that song and finally found it on youtube. I've posted it here. Listen and let me know your thoughts.

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BlogVille Idols

Everyday I get more surprised at the level of potential hidden within Nigerians, which is quite evident in many of my fellow Nigerian Bloggers. The smartness and innovative spirit of the average Nigerian cannot be put to question, many have demonstrated great abilities. Some time ago, Solomon Sydelle began a chain blog post called The Nigerian Proclamation, a voice of protest to Nigerian leaders which hit the BBC website on the handover day. Presently, another idea has manifested. The smoke has barely cleared from the stage of the Idols West Africa and the American Idols competitions when in a bid to spice up blogville, 2 young Nigerian female bloggers (Pink Satin and Naija Opeke) came up with a brilliant idea to replicate the singing competition on the blog platform.

They name it Blogville Idols, and the idea kicked off with this post and this post. Receiving a large comment base, it soon evolved into a dedicated blog. It's centered around a plugin from snapvine, which allows people to leave voice messages via a phone call on any site that uses the plugin. How the idea became apparent to Pink Satin and Naija Opeke, I have not the slightest idea. Presently, there are 15 contestants in persons of Sparkle, Chicala, TaureanMinx, Bobby Taylor, Idemmili, Lurlar, Nigerican, Diary of a G, Everybody loves a Naija girl, I'm a babe, Naija Dude, Mimi, AbujaBabe, 2ndCorin5:17 and d Last King of Scotland. The producers are Pink Satin and Naija Opeke and work under the label Pink Peke Productions. Consultant to the show is Ugo. The host is Cheetarah and the judges are Naija Vixen, Bimby Lads, London Buki and Myself. There shall be a grand prize for the winner which has not yet been announced.

The competition will kick off tomorrow Monday, June 11, 2007. Contestants will phone in to record their songs and after the entries are closed the judges will give their comments. After this, bloggers can vote for their favorite singers. Anyway, enough said, you can follow the event here, and don't forget to cast your votes. I believe this will make the news once again. Nigerians, we're leaders in whatever we do, and we're headed towards greatness. Good luck to all contestants.

Tayo
Official Judge
BlogVille Idols.

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The Grand Finale. How Timi Won!

It was the day many West Africans had been waiting for. The Grand Finale of Idols West Africa was taking place. Maryland, Lagos was a beehive of activities as fans and supporters trooped into Planet One as early as 3:30 pm. Guests were let in at about 5:30 pm and took their seats (and their stands). While the presenters were doing the final sound checks just before the show, all the previous performances of Timi and Omawumi were played back. It began with the playback of Timi's "Stuck on you" performance drawing instant applause from the audience. Omawumi's "Ekwe" and "I will survive" also drew cheers from the crowd. Both good and bad performances were played and the mood was set. The show finally began with an official asking everyone to switch off their phones and turn off the flashlights from their cameras as it would interfere with the recording equipment (That's why the pictures were not clear o! I couldn't use flash, please forgive).

The show was kicked off by Basket Mouth - a popular Nigerian Stand up comedian. He made the place burst into life with his jokes and picky "Yabs". Next to get on stage was the host of the show Mike Majic. For all those who don't like Mike's presentation style, I'll tell you he really is doing a good job. Everything he says is read from a screen displayed to him. He has to read everything and still make it sound natural, and I must say he did a good job. He intimated us on what awaited us during the performances of the night and got us all expectant.

The first event of the night was a group song by six of the top 10. Omodele, Joan, Uche, Mercy, Jerrilyn and Temitayo gave a wonderful group performance with each taking individual solos in the song. It was a great performance. Never before had viewers seen a group song in the Idols West Africa competition, and they were not disappointed.

Mike then announced that each of the Top 2 would be doing 3 songs each. There was a recap of each contestant's journey through Idols. We all laughed when we saw their first pictures at the audition. They looked so innocent compared the their present states - especially Omawumi. Timi was first on stage with a remake of his "How am I supposed to live without you" performance. As usual he delivered excellently, capturing hearts with his stage presence and the applause was great. Omawumi was next with a remake of her "I will survive" performance. Exhibiting her unique strength and vigor, she made her fans wild. Up next again was Timi with his "Stuck on you" performance and like before, he blew the minds of the audience. Omawumi then came up with a rendition of her "Ekwe" performance to end the first segment of the show.

Up next was a very spectacular segment. Each of the two would be doing self-composed songs. Timi was first with a song he wrote titled "I love you". He delivered it with the great style that only Timi knew how. The lyrics and structure of the song were great. It was a very melodious mid tempo song and the audience easily learnt the words well enough to join in the chorus. Soon, everyone was singing together. Omawumi was next. Dressed in a see through black attire and thigh length black stockings to match, she immediately drove her (male) fans crazy. She sang her self-composed song "You got me", an old school style with an old school beat that reminded one of the early 90s.

Up next was another surprise. Singing Rod Stewart's "You are everything" were Uche and Jodie in a duet. In Jodie's words, this was a dream come true because Uche was her choice amongst the top 10 to perform a duet with. The hall was alive with cheers for Jodie and Uche. Jodie's fans especially went crazy with excitement at this chance to see her perform one more time on the Idols West Africa stage. Their performance was a good highlight of the night's events, partly because everyone had been expecting this duet when they were both absent from the group song, and also because Uche is the favorite evicted male contestant while Jodie is the favorite evicted female contestant. The cheers were great and people screamed, talk about "Medicine after death", it was too late.

Finally, the great moment had come. The results were about to be announced. Timi and Omawumi came on stage for the final time. First, they got some words of advice from the judges after which the results were brought to the stage. Dede quoted Guest Judge Reggie Rockstone as saying, "I wish Omawumi will win, but if she doesn't win, I will adopt her". At this time, there was pin drop silence. Mike Majic didn't help matters as he created what he knew best how to. Tension! I could swear that if someone had a gun in that hall, they would have gladly threatened Mike with it so he could speed up the announcement. Finally, the golden words, "The winner of the Idols West Africa Title is ... [pause] ... [pause] ... Timi! There was a great uproar in the hall. People screamed, jumped up and down, embraced each other in emotional bursts, shed tears and there was insanity in the hall for a few minutes. Linda (my blogger friend whom I met at the show) jumped up and down like a mad woman (her own words) and Foluso Aloko (my friend who help me get the entry ticket) lost her voice totally from screaming so much. Timi himself was overwhelmed. He jumped, laughed, danced, cried, knelt, screamed while the soundtrack to his self-composed song "I love you" was played. It was a wonderful period as all the other contestants in the top 10 came on stage to cheer him, and there were cheers, and laughing, and crying, and hugging ... and the show ended on that note.

After the show, the judges and the guest judge Reggie Rockstone were bombarded with autograph requests. I never knew Nigerians were that crazy about autographs. People were quarreling and almost snatching autographs from one another. The judges' table was so tightly surrounded that Dan, Nana and Dede were barely visible and security operatives had to barge in and restore some order, after which I managed to get some good pictures of the judges.

Timi has really come a long way, and he really deserved to win. Anyone who was at the finale will realise that though Omawumi was very good and quite versatile, she was really no match for Timi in terms of stage presence and connection with people's minds ... and these are the major qualities which make a platinum record sale. I'm happy my votes did not go to waste (you don't want to know how many votes I cast for this guy) and I know Timi will not dissapoint Nigeria and we will be proud of him. And so he went home with the grand prize of a recording contract from Sony/BMG Africa International, a Kia Picanto from Nigeria’s Dana Group, $10000 cash from Ecobank, and an ultimate viewing experience of a 26-inch LCD TV and an I-Pod from the show’s headline sponsor Celtel. And so ended a journey which has been ongoing for about 4 months. A journey which saw great and little singers drop by the way side. People say this has really changed the music industry and no "yeye" artist will dare to release "any kind yeye" song again. Personally, I await Timi's CD and I know I won't be disappointed.

More Pictures






Mike Majic

















The Judges













Guest Judge Reggie Rockstone (far left) and VIPs














The Duet - Uche and Jodie












The group performance: L-R, Omodele, Eric, Jerrilyn, Temitayo, Joan and Mercy.














The Duet - Uche and Jodie
















Omawumi - Ekwe





















Omawumi - You got me















Timi - How am I supposed to live without you















Timi and Omawumi exchange final words before the results














Under Tension !!!












The top 10 cheer Timi

After the Show

Me and Mike Majic














Me and Friends (From Right: Foluso Aloko, Tayo, Kenny, Yomi and Me)














Me and Linda Ikeji













Dan Foster















Nana Abrewa

















Dede Mabiaku

















The Production Crew













The Planet One Stage - Where it all started and ended!

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Idols West Africa Winner!

Idols West Africa Grand Finale took place this evening at Planet One, Maryland, Lagos. Yours truly was there to cover the event and I have enough pictures and exhibits to make a truly remarkable article. Trust me, the grand finale beat every previous spectacular. A group song, a duet and self composed songs are just some of the attractions of the event. The show ended with Mike Majic saying, "The winner of the first West African Idol title is ... (pause) ... (pause) ... Timi!!!"

So there you have it, Timi Dakolo is the first West African Idol! I'll post full details of the show tomorrow. I just had to broadcast the good news! So watch out for the full details of the show live on www.tayoodukoya.com by 12:00 Central African Time tomorrow.

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Idols West Africa - Temitayo Takes a Bow

So close to the Idols West Africa finals you could feel the tension, the top 3 stood with blank expressions as they awaited their fate on the stage of Planet One during the eviction session. Mike Majic did not help matters as he decided to announce the results backwards giving an impression of Timi's eviction while Temitayo and Omawumi appeared safe. All around West Africa, viewers held their breaths and fans' hearts stopped briefly as the final verdict was awaited. Alas, Timi was safe and Mike Majic brought Temitayo and Omawumi back on stage. In the end, Temitayo was declared to have had the least votes and was evicted, leaving Timi and Omawumi to contest for the West African Idol Title.

Temitayo George has indeed come a long way. The last Lagosian left in the competition, the pretty 25 year old has had many things working for her in the competition. She's pretty, moves her body well on stage, exhibits confidence, has an excellent diction and a large fan base that comes with being the daughter of the owner of a famous orphanage. The only thing that worked against her was her voice. She didn't handle high notes too well, and her dynamics were far from smooth. There was no real spark or "goose bump" moments in her performances, save for her confidence and style. Her last words on stage were "I believe God’s will for me was to reach the third place and this is just the beginning of great things to come. You’ll see me again very soon, performing with all my heart and soul just for you". We hope she'll train that voice of hers, and bounce back stronger.

This week was spectacular indeed. With just 3 people singing, there was less to look out for and more to see. There was less to listen to and more to hear. It was the most crucial of the spectaculars so far, and you could see anxiety on the contestants faces as they tried their best to impress while staying within safe limits. Overall, the performances were not as good as previous weeks.

Timi opened the floor with Lemar's "If there's any justice". Dressed like a journey man, he delivered the way only Timi could. From the first note, he created magic in the audience, with his facial expressions matching the message of the song. It was a good performance, although he got into a little strain on the high notes. For me, this was the best performance of the night. His second song was Brian Adams' "Everything I do". The starting key was a little too high, but this did not deter him and he impressed both Judges and fans, receiving favorable responses from both. He almost missed the cue for the last chorus, but it was barely noticeable and he quickly corrected himself.

Temitayo started her her performances with "I'll be there" from Mariah Carey. Although her performance was OK, she wasn't really up to the set standard. Her high notes were not smooth and were quite squeaky. She might have done better if she had stayed more within range. Her second rendition was of Diana Ross' "He lives in you". Delivering with an airy voice, it was quite a good performance. She did better with the highs and lows although it was nothing near the original. She introduced a little bridge towards the end which she did with some free style. This performance was OK but relative to the other contestants was just average.

For Omawumi, I'm convinced that she can mimic any singer she wants and usually succeeds in sounding like them. Sometimes it works for her (e.g. Natasha's "I bruise easily") and sometimes it doesn't (e.g. Mary J's "Can't live without you). This week, she surprised listeners and proved her versality in her song choices. Her first song was a Bob Marley song - "I don't want to wait in vain". It was not too spectacular, until she introduced the freestyle rap and got the audience wild. For her second song she chose "Ain't no other man" by Christina Aguilera. She achieved the "Christina" sound but due to the nature of the song, she got breathless and her voice became less and less audible as the performance progressed. She still managed to end it all gracefully.

These performances were their last chances at impression due to a change in the voting pattern. The voting lines were opened from Monday and will remain so until Saturday. Thus, voting ends before the grand finale on Sunday and as such the final performances won't count. You are advised to vote now either on the Idols West Africa website (here) or by text to your country code. Please make sure you vote as this is your last chance to decide who gets to be the first West African Idol. The grand prize is a recording contract from Sony/BMG Africa International, a Kia Picanto from Nigeria’s Dana Group, $10000 cash from Ecobank, and an ultimate viewing experience of a 26-inch LCD TV and an I-Pod from the show’s headline sponsor Celtel. I believe there'll be consolation prizes for other contestants but this has not been announced.

It's no coincidence that the final two both came from Group 1 in the Top 24. Group 1 had great voices in persons of Ibitoru, Lara George, Ekanem and Uche who made it into the top 10 but was dropped along the way, and I knew the West African Idol would come from this group. So who gets the crown? The passionate and show-stopping Timi Dakolo or the versatile and energetic Omawumi Magbele? It's your choice. Don't wait, Vote Now!

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Idols West Africa - Eric Bows Out

Idols West Africa is fast approaching its climax. This week, 4 became 3 as the ladies' toast of the top 10 and the 2nd surviving male contestant Eric Arubayi was voted out. Dubbed "Fine Boy" by fellow contestants, the 24 year old has been reported to have more looks than voice talents. Indeed he has come a long way - outsmarting 2 outstanding male performers in his group within the top 24, and scaling through 6 evictions in the top 10. He has a good voice and the highest pitch for a guy in the top 10, however he never really used his voice to it's full potential. His final words were "I'm happy that I’ve come this far and thankful, very thankful. I believe it’s not over, it’s just the beginning.Thank you to Africa, thank you to Warri. And to the contestants, keep the dream alive, okay? And thank you Majic." I agree that it's not over for him, and I hope he keeps and actualizes his dream.

This week, Eric was the second performer of the night with Westlife's "Uptown Girl". He came on stage dressed the part and started off with some confidence. He also threw in some performance extras which included some Mic Stand swaying stunts. If only he had let go of his voice, his performance would have been excellent. Overall, he was just a little above average. His second performance was slightly better. Singing Boys II Men's "I'll make love to you", he started off well and did a couple of nice improvisations with the melody. It was the right kind of song for his voice, but he didn't really hit home. His usual modulation extra did not work too well for him this time and he went a bit off balance just before and after modulating. However, he made it up by exhibiting a dynamic voice range when he briefly broke into an ultra-high soprano pitch drawing applause from the audience. It was an OK performance, but not OK enough to keep him in. His hours were numbered and he was voted out.

In previous weeks, the contestants chose their songs. This week however, the songs were chosen by the producers of the contest. The best performances of the night were Timi's and Omawumi's first performances. Omawumi gave a rendition of Natasha Beddingfield's "I Bruise Easily", showing a unique stage creativity as she started off lying down on her back! She slowly came up after the verse and then proceeded to deliver a blend of voice and performance excellence. Looking dashing in a blue attire, she was caught up in the spirit of the song, without compromising her facial expressions. Her performance was excellent, and at the end she drew a standing ovation from the judges and audience. Her second song was Sheryl Crow's "First cut is the deepest". She delivered well, although not as excellent as her first performance. The best part was an oscillation of several notes in one sustained stretch ... which she pulled off quite well. Now that Jodie's gone, it's easy to see Omawumi's talent, and it's obvious she has improved greatly from her first performance.

Temitayo was first on stage this week with Madonna's "Like a prayer". Coincidentally and ironically, Ibitoru Green of Group 1 in the top 24 sang this same song making it the very first song to be sang at the Idols performances. Thus, there already existed a set standard, which Temitayo failed to meet. Her vocal talents fell way short and her stage presence loomed in the shadow of Ibitoru's performance. Her performance was just average and she introduced no extras. Her second performance was "True Colors" by Cindy Lauper. It was obviously not the best song for her voice and a couple of times she found it difficult to keep up with the flow. Towards the end, she attempted a sustained pitch which came out not too well and drove her voice into a strain. She managed to end it all gracefully without any fumbles. Her performance was relatively below average.

Timi was the last on stage during both performances. The producers had apparently studied his song choices and discovered they were all slow ballads and so they gave him two fast songs which were not exactly his style. Notwithstanding, he was outstanding in his first performance - a rendition of "Faith" by George Michael. He was all over the hall dancing and singing and he did a dance interlude right in front of the judges table! This was arguably the best performance of the night, and Timi showed he was not just about slow songs. Needless to say, the crowd was ecstatic at the end of this performance ... and it was this performance that actually saved his skin in the end. His second performance was George Benson's "Give Me The Night". Now, the producers must have been mean to give him such a song. George Benson is an accomplished musician, and he exhibits a skill built up from years of Jazz Guitar soloing. Asking Timi (who probably cannot play a musical instrument) to sing this song was just mean. He failed the test woefully, started off weakly, missed a note here, missed a few lines there and generally did not "get" it, in short this performance was just woeful. I was glad when the performance was over, but Timi apparently was far from glad. He knew he had messed up and he was quite remorseful as he waited for his judgment from the judges.

It seems the Idols performances have taken another turn for surprises. Last week, it was Mike Majic who surprised his long standing girlfriend with a proposal, this week it was Dede's turn to be surprised as the 4 contestants performed a brief quartet to mark his birthday, which took place on the 12th of May. After the performances, the contestants suddenly began singing a "Happy Birthday" song and they each took different lines of the song. The Fela protege, who has earned himself the title of "Judge Dredd" was awestruck and visibly moved by the gesture. He however refused to divulge his age and thanked Mike Majic "on behalf of his generation". The full gist can be found here.

So ended the Top 4 spectacular of the Idols West Africa Competition. If you would like to view the performances, you can download or play them from the website here. The final laps are about to begin. Someone else will go home next week leaving two people to fight for the crown. Now is the time to really vote, as many people will be desperate. I'd like to appeal to you to please watch the performances next week, observe well and vote for the best overall package. You can vote by SMS (instructions here) or on the site (here). Let's all put hands together and produce the first West African Idol. See you all next week.

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Idols West Africa - Jerilyn Says Goodbye

The Idols West Africa Top Ten's only Non-Nigerian contestant, Jerrilyn Mulbah is out of the competition. Like the proverbial cat with nine lives, she has successfully evaded eviction several times in a row, unfortunately, this time she did not receive enough votes and had to say goodbye. The 23 year old Liberian singer has come a long way. From the auditions where she won the sympathy of the viewers and judges; through the top 24 to the top 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 and finally the top 5 spectacular, she has managed to keep hanging on despite criticisms and receiving the highest number of "Unsafe" declarations.

This week she sang two songs. She was the first performer on stage with "Never too Much" by Mary J Blige, a song which she rendered kind of averagely, going flat a couple of times. Her second performance (Christina Aguilera's "The voice within) was much better than her first and she actually reminded people of her voice qualities. She started impressively, performed a few stunts and hit a few highs. She maintained this feel up till the modulation, after which she went a little flat. She ended with some flat notes although barely noticeable. Her final words were "Eviction is like injection. It hurts for a while and later you'll get better." Jerrilyn has really come a long way, and we hope she'll continue going, and not stop.

This week was different from other weeks. For the first time, each contestant had more than one chance to impress the judges, audience and voters as they each chose and sang two songs. Top performances for me were Timi's second performance, Timi's first performance and Omawumi's second performance - in that order. Timi started out with "Flying without wings" by Westlife. He exhibited the unique voice and style for which he has become known for. A natural performer, he had the crowd cheering and singing along with him early in the first verse, and carried them along through the song. Towards the end however, he had to struggle a little and it seemed the key was a bit high, but it was hardly apparent. His second performance was "How am I supposed to live without you" by Michael Bolton. When he started the first verse, I was actually afraid he wouldn't be able to maintain the pitch when he got to the chorus but I was pleasantly surprised. He pulled it off quite well. He strained a little but hey, even Michael Bolton strains with his songs!

Omawumi closed the first half of the performances with Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You". Initially thinking we were in for a treat with Omawumi taking that song, I was greatly dissapointed and I can say that this is her worst performance so far. She started wrongly, missed a couple of notes and the texture she gave her voice was totally wrong for the song. Also she went flat a few times. In my opinion, she either did not study the song well enough or she tried too much to make it hers. In short, it was woeful. Her second performance was much better. She rendered the old classic "I will survive" by Gloria Gaynor. I was on the edge throughout, really hoping she would pull it through without going off or messing up. The song has a lot of dynamics. However, she did very well and introduced enough stunts to regain the glory she lost in her first performance. I was willing to forget her past blunders after hearing this rendition.

"Fine Boy" Eric was not at his best this week. His first performance was of Seal's "Kiss from a rose". He actually started well and hit Seal's high notes but he did not use his voice well. The song's numerous dynamics and key changes would have come out so well if he had pushed a bit more. In addition, he left too many blank spots within the song, and he didn't hit the best parts with the spirit the song required. I'll rate this performance as slightly above average. His second performance was quite better though. He rendered "All Night Long" by Lionel Richie, a much less demanding song than his first choice. He created some kind of commotion towards the end of his performance when he suddenly jumped into the crowd and danced around before getting back on stage to finish up. However, he still left some blank spots within the song which would have could have been filled in better. Eric needs to start using his voice better if he hopes to remain in the competition.

Temitayo started with "I'm Your Baby Tonight" by Whitney Houston. She actually reminded me of her vocal abilities with this song. However, she was still quite distant from Whitney. She maintained a good pitch throughout the song and did a good job. Towards the end, she struggled a bit with the high notes and almost went flat, and there the song lost it's magic, but then, it's a Whitney Houston song - and nobody can do it like Whitney. Her second performance was Gloria Estefan's "Reach". She started quite well and pulled off some smooth flows. It was quite better than her first performance and she was great up till the modulation after which she struggled a bit and couldn't hit the high notes well enough. Her performance was just OK and had no "Wow" moments. She'll do well to stay within range and not exceed her voice limits.

The "two song" choices seem to have treated the performers quite well. They all did better during their second performances. They also seem to have got relatively better in terms of voice and performance abilities. PMAN's 2nd Vice President, Gloria Ibru, who was a guest judge at the event was impressed with at least one of each performer's songs. Her words to them were "It's Anybody's game right now". She however declined to name a favorite performer.

A remarkable event took place before it was all over. After the five performances, the audience was told to wait for something extra. Everyone wondered what was going on as a young lady was chosen to join Timi and Eric on stage. Suddenly, a message appeared on the screen, "A message from Mike Majic, Malia, Will you Marry Me?" The crowd was ecstatic and Malia (for that's who it was) was awestruck. What else could she say apart from "Yes"? Eric and Jodie then gave a rendition of Tosin Martyns' "Olomi" as Mike presented the engagement ring. Now was that romantic or not? The rest of the story is available here.

The Idols West Africa competition is getting tougher and hotter. If you missed out on the performances, the clips are available for streaming and downloading on the Idols West Africa website [here]. Also the week 7 performances which were previously unavailable on the website are now available. View them here. Now we are down to 4! The competition gets tougher. My fingers are crossed as we get closer to the end. Who goes home with the crown? Only you can decide!

NB: I received a very nice and encouraging mail from Dinah & Mary from SA. Thanks a lot for your message of encouragement. I tried replying but the mail bounced. Hope to see you around.

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Idols West Africa - Jodie Exits!

The greatest shocker so far awaited viewers of Idols West Africa this week as 23 year old Jodie Odiete received the least votes and thus her exit. Believed by many to be the strongest contender for the West African Idols title, Jodie really had a lot going for her. She had the strongest and most dynamic female voice in the top 10, and she could take her songs to limits others couldn't. From her performance in the top 24 to her very last performance, she has always captivated the audience. She was the first contestant to bring the judges (and the audience) to a standing ovation and she did this during two consecutive performances. (the only other person to do this is Timi). It's safe to say she had no rival in the top 10 in terms of voice quality and dynamism and it's really sad that she has to go.

This week, she performed Angelique Kidjo's song "Adouma", a typical Angelique Kidjo upbeat song. Her performance was great from beginning to end. She threw in a couple of extras which included some sustained high and low pitches, an interlude during which she performed some vibrant dancing and a short call and response session. She was able to combine both dancing and singing without compromising one for the other. Her performance was "Wow" and her vocals were great. Unfortunately, the ecstatic crowd apparently couldn't make their votes count and Jodie had to go. Her words when she heard the result of the votes were "It's over now, it's over now, I feel like I can make it, the storm is over now" which she delivered through Kirk Franklin's song "It's over now". I know it's not over for her, and I know with all certainty, we shall be hearing more from her very soon.

This week, the performers had to sing around the theme "Home grown African tracks". Top performances for me were Jodie and Omawumi. Omawumi performed Onyeka Onwenu's "Ekwe". She came on stage dressed the part of a native Igbo maid and started off her performance with some Igbo greetings. The energy of her performance matched the feel of the song and it was little wonder the crowd was screaming when she ended. Unlike previous weeks, she made good connection with the audience. However, she went off key a couple of times and her only savior was her good come-back abilities. She needs to really work on her key change imperfections.

I was not too impressed by Timi and Eric's performances this week. Timi sang "Oruka" by Sunny Nneji and he started off well, but apparently not used to Yoruba songs, he got some pronunciations wrong and messed up totally by going off beat. He was able to recover after some time and managed to end well. This he did by stylishly introducing his own lines towards the end of the song and thereafter synchronizing with the soundtrack. Eric who performed "Olomi" by Tosin Martyns did an average job with the song. There was not much strength and vigour in his performance. In addition, he did not connect with the audience the way the song demanded. However, he pulled his usual stunt of modulating before the final chorus and this geared up his performance a little.

Temitayo performed "Agolo" by Angelique Kidjo and she came in elegantly dressed sporting an "African" hairstyle. Her performance was OK but she focused too much on dancing and shaking and didn't use her voice to it's full potential. She exhibited a good attitude and put some energy into her dance steps, which was good for the song. Overall delivery was average. Jerilyn also performed an Angelique Kidjo song - "Wombolombo" which she delivered in an average kind of way. Her confidence level was way below average, and she didn't put enough energy into the song. She didn't use her voice well, she's capable of doing better. There were no tricks, no dynamics, she sang like she was waiting for the song to end.

There was a guest in the house in person of Asa, a Nigerian singing sensation who recently won the award for "Best New Artist" at the RFI France and Hip-Hop World Awards. She had this to say about the competition "I never knew we had people who could be packaged internationally, it’s been wonderful, they have been very original." Her favorite performer in the top 6 was Jodie whom she described as being wonderful.

I appeal to West Africans to use the power of their votes wisely. Remember that whoever wins this competition will be presented to the world as the best we have to offer. Please remember this and vote wisely. In my opinion, Jodie is way better than most of the other contestants, and shouldn't have been out. You can vote online at the Idols West Africa website available here, and in case you missed out on the performances, you can also download the clips or watch online here. Right now we are down from 6 performers to 5. Sunday will be another day.

This post might have been written with some bias. Kindly pardon me, Jodie was my favorite performer! I had to wait a day before writing, so the dissapointment could wear off.

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Idols West Africa - Farewell Mercy

Another Shocker awaited viewers of the West African Idols contest yesterday as another contestant was evicted. This time it was the 6' 3'' tall, ever-smiling Mercy Nwankwo who had the least votes and had to bid her fellow contestants farewell. We've seen Mercy edge her way through the top 24 to the top 7 and her skill and performances have got more impressive as she progressed. She was the first on stage this week and she sang Stevie Wonder's "Part Time Lover", a song with she delivered with much skill, exhibiting confidence and a great attitude. She made it work all the more by doing some of the pitching for which she has become known for. At the end of her performance, the crowd was quite ecstatic. I was real pained to see her go, and quite disappointed cos she has great voice skills. Her parting words were "I appreciate knowing that there are people out there who appreciate what you do - fans, friends family. I see it as a privilege to have come this far. Thank you to every single person and God for this exposure and experience." Hopefully, the exposure and experience will launch her into greater things.

This week, the contestants performed around the theme "Hits from the 80s and 90s". It worked for some and didn't work for some. The top performances for me were Timi and Mercy (Yes, Mercy!). Timi has managed to maintain the "most impressive performer" status for 2 weeks straight, displacing Jodie who earlier occupied the position. He performed "Stuck on You" by Lionell Richie, delivering with a mixture of voice skill and performance talent. Towards the end of the song, he pulled up a lady from the audience and gave her a little "salsa style" spin after which she fell into his arms as he finished the song. The crowd was ecstatic, the judges gave a standing ovation and Nana's emotions took control as she shed tears - she couldn't even give her judgment on the performance, Timi's singing had affected her so much.

I was not too impressed with the other performances ... especially Jodie, although relatively, I'll still give her a good mark. I expected a lot more from her though, but she obviously had many things working against her. Her choice of song, outfit and hairstyle were not the best. Singing Tina Turner's "What's Love got to do?", she started a little sluggishly but got better along the song. She put a little too much into the song and she should have been more relaxed. I hope she does better next week because I had come to look forward to her performances. Omawumi performed slightly better. Her rendition was of "Rhythm of the night" by Gloria Estefan, a Latino style song. She came dressed the part and she attempted some of Gloria Estefan's Latin Dance moves. However, she put in more effort into the dance than the singing. She got lost briefly during her performance but quickly made a come-back. She apparently has good come-back skills. Eric who performed The Fugees' "Killing me softly" did a great job compared to his performance last week. He started off with a mixture of high and low pitches and soon got the crowd singing along. However, this was still not good enough to keep him out of the bottom three (a position which he shared with Omawumi and Mercy), and was just lucky to pull through. Hopefully, he'll step up his game next week.

Bottom performances for me this week were Temitayo and Jerilyn. Now don't get me wrong, their performances were still quite good. Temitayo performed Irene Cara's "What a feeling", and she did quite well. She came on stage with skinny jeans which obviously drove the guys wild. However, there was no real WOW moment and her performance was quite short. Jerilyn on her part did a lot better than her previous performances with Celine Dion's "All by Myself". She attempted a sustained pitch towards the end of the song and she pulled it off quite well, but for most of the song, she stayed within her limits.

The judges appealed to viewers to vote right and vote for talent, as the West African Idols show is a singing competition and not a "Bootylicious" one (Dan Foster's words). There was a special guest in the house in person of Paul "Play" Dairo. These were his comments on the top 7 "Timi is perfect. Timi is too hot to handle, too hot to handle. I give it to Timi" and "I’m proud to be Nigerian and African and I believe [our talent] can soon take on the world." I agree with him about the talent we have in Nigeria and Africa. Given just the right support and encouragement, Nigerian artists will perform better than many international ones. We are getting there.

If you missed out on the performances, the videos will be available for download and streaming at the Idols West Africa website available here. I look forward to next week's performances when the contestants will be selecting from the theme "Home grown African tracks"! Right now, we are down to 6 contestants. See you all next week.

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Idols West Africa - Uche is out!

Uche Ume, the 24 year old contestant with the most unique male voice in the Idols West Africa competition is out! This announcement came as a great shocker to lots of people (including me) because he really has talent. Uche was one of the two (the other was Omodele) who got the "wild card" votes from the judges. He might have been done in by his choice of song ("Lonely no more" by Rob Thomas) which didn't do justice to his voice and performance abilities. It was also a very short performance - the shortest in this week's performances. Coupled with the fact that he was the last on stage ... many excuses could be made up for him that night. Unfortunately this was his last chance to impress the voters. He had this to say during his exit interview "Thank you so much for voting for me and believing in my dream." I still believe in his dream, and I hope he doesn't let it die.

Performances this week were quite better than last week as the performers selected songs from the New Age. The best performances were Timi, Timi (yes, Timi twice) and Jodie. Timi took the audience some place else with his extraordinary performance and vocal skills. Singing "Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me" and sporting a stylish Microphone holder, he created an uproar in the hall with a "knee sliding" stunt delivered just at the peak of the song. Jodie's performance of "This Words" by Natasha Beddingfield was great as usual. I believe that girl can sing for 5 hours straight maintaining the tempo and the feel of whatever song she sings. She sings with a strength that seems to come from within. The crowd seemed to agree with me as they cheered vigorously at the end of her performance.

Coming close behind the best performances were Mercy and Omawumi. Mercy did "If I ain't got you" by Alicia Keys. She added a few twists here and there but the highlight was towards the end when she did some extraordinary pitching. I think this is her best performance so far and she really used her voice well. Omawumi was the first on stage this week. She started her song ("Cry" by Faith Hill) kind of weakly but she built up the feel along the song. She maintained a constant high pitch towards the end. She seems to be sticking more to the slow songs now and I was impressed with her performance this week.

Idols "Fine Boy" Eric's performance was a bit weak this week and kind of just normal. The strength in his voice was not felt during his performance of Craig David's "I'm walking away", however, he took the song to a new level by including a modulation. His performance was still better than a few people though, and he deserved to stay. Jerilyn came dressed the part as she took Beyonce's "Work it out". Her vocals were much better this week than previous weeks. She seems to be using all she's got to try to stay in the competition and that included her dressing and her provocative dance moves. Somewhere along the line though, she went off-key. Temitayo's rendition of Christina Aguilera's "I turn to you" was just OK. The modulation wasn't too smooth but her transitions between falsetto and her normal voice range helped her and worked well for her. Another lifesaver for her are her great performance skills.

Two unusual guests showed up at the performances this week in persons of Cobhams Asuquo (Music Producer Extraordinaire) and Denrele (TV & Music Show producer). They both agreed that the Idols West Africa show is made up of extraordinary talents. Cobhams' least impressive singers were Jerilyn and Temitayo and his top performer was Jodie!!! (with three exclamation marks as he put it).

There was not much hype about the show this week due to the gubernatorial elections that took place in Nigeria on Saturday, and lots of people I spoke to (including me) did not watch the performances. However, the videos clips of the performances can be downloaded from the Idols West Africa website available at this link and that's where I headed to watch the clips. So now we are down from 8 performers to 7. We'll see what happens next week.

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Idols West Africa - Goodbye Joan!

Another week has gone by, another Sunday group of presentations, another mass of SMS & web votes, another Monday set of results and finally, another Idol contestant goes home. This time it was 27 year old Joan Ekpai who got the least votes ... and had to say goodbye to the Idols West Africa competition. She performed Kasey Cisyk's "You light up my life" which she performed with great voice talents, but little to go by way of performance, and the judges didn't waste words in showing their displeasure at that. For Joan, it's been some journey, from the auditions (where she blew the minds of the judges) through all the performances and finally to her last performance in the top 9. Her voice is a unique one and so far, she has displayed the highest pitch out of all the lady contestants. She had this to say during her Exit Interview "I believe the public has the final say. I won’t say they have not made the right choice. Thank you [the public] very much for bringing me this far. Watch out for me". I'll be watching, and I hope to see her soon.

This week, the contestants were made to choose songs in line with the theme "Golden Oldies"... and frantically speaking, their performances were not up to par at all. They all just barely managed to pull it through. It only confirms how "new age" our generation has become. The best performances for me were Uche's "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole and Jodie's with Aretha Franklin's "Respect". Uche did a Nat King Cole song and for those who know Nat King Cole, you'll realize this is no easy feat. He drove the crowd crazy when he pulled out a red rose during his performance and handed it over to a ecstatic female fan in the audience. Unknown to him though (and ironically), the lady is Temitayo George's sister and she handed the rose to her sister during her performance! For Jodie, it was "As Usual". She's the only performer who has drawn a standing ovation from the judges every time she performs and I can safely say she has no rival in the top 10. She delivered with an expertise I've not seen in the competition.

This time, it seemed Timi had learned his lesson. He kept his notes within range and wasn't screaming toward the end of his song like he usually did. Taking the classic "Ain't no mountain high enough" by Diana Ross, he showcased his performance and stage skills and got the crowd screaming. Omawumi was remarkable too. For the first time, she took a slow song, and for the first time, we heard her voice. Her start-off was wonderful and I was wondering why she had been hiding behind fast songs, but it stopped "werking for me" when she went off key after the modulation. She found her way back soon after though, and this was remarkable - Not many people can do that. Eric, the "Fine Boy" of the group took "Signed, sealed, delivered" by Stevie Wonder and he "delivered". It was further learnt that he had been battling with illness the whole week but despite that, he still performed well. I think that's just great.

Like Omawumi, Temitayo's rendition of "Somewhere over the rainbow" by Judy Garland was her first slow song. Her performance was great though, but her voice is better suited for fast songs and her dynamics were not too smooth. Mercy was a different person this week when she performed "If I can't have you" by Yvonne Elliman. She's got a great voice and she put up a great performance ... although she needs to work on her facial expressions. Jerilyn's rendition of "Don't leave me this way" by Thelma Houston was kind of average but she did better than her performance last week. She started a bit shaky but she ended well.

The judges made me angry throughout the performance as they all gave awkward judgements which I found hard to accept. Dan especially gave some funny judgments while Dede kept on referring to special guest Onyeka Onwenu's expressions while giving his judgments. There was also some open disagreements between the judges.

So now we are left with 8 contestants - 5 girls and 3 guys. The guys seem to be surviving quite well. Next week, the contestants are performing around the "New Age" theme as they select very recent songs. I look forward to Jodie, Uche, Eric, Timi and Omawumi's performances. I predict these guys will be in the top five. The top 9 performances are available on the Idols West Africa website available here, so if you missed out on the performances or you don't stay within DSTV or MNet coverage, you can be updated. See you all next week.

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Idols West Africa - Omodele goes home

Omodele Fatoki, the youngest contestant in the Idols West Africa top 10, is out! She was one of the two contestants who got the wildcard votes from the judges. Her rendition of "Here and now" by Luther Vandross started off quite well and she put some impressive twists in the song ... however towards the end, she kind of lost it and tended to go flat. Watching her previous performances, it's obvious she chose the wrong song. In an interview which she granted later, she said "I wasn’t feeling too well. I believe this is how far God wants me to go in this show and He has something bigger for me". A statement which displayed true team spirit. She will be returning to school to complete her studies in Internal Relations. We hope to see her taking her dreams and her voice beyond the competition.

The best performances of the day were Jodie, Eric and Timi. Jodie as usual did a great job singing Aretha Franklin's "You make me feel like a natural woman". I expected more though but she still outdid all other female contestants by a wide margin. Timi's performance abilities came out well during his performance of Luther Vandross' "Dance with my father" which he delivered with a combination of performance and voice skill. However, his start-off key was way too high and his voice went into a strain after the modulation. Despite that, he had the crowd singing along with him in no time. Eric's performance was another good one. He added a twist to the old Boys II Men classic "End of the road" when he included a "Call & Response" towards the end of the song.

Uche did a good job with John Legend's "Used to love you". He came on stage dressed the part, and put up a great performance. A slow classic song would be the best for him next ... so his voice can be heard properly. Temitayo & Omawumi seem to be sticking with the fast songs theme - which coincidentally don't bring out the best in their voice. Temitayo's voice doesn't seem like a good one for slows and she might well be better off hiding behind fast songs but Omawumi would be better trying a slower song which will bring out her voice dynamics. The theory is "The faster the song, the more you dance, the less breath you have and thus the more shaky and unstable your voice is"

Liberian "girl with a story" Jerrilyn's performance was better than her performance in the top 24, although it seems like her story is still working for her more than her voice. Mercy and Joan were great but not the best - Mercy strained a little towards the end of her song and Joan was just plain (no tricks, no surprises). They'll both need to step up their game in their next performances. Mercy will need to work more on her performance skills. She has the voice but her performance was just average. Overall, I think the last 5 to come up did much better than the first 5. Talk about saving the best for the last. My predictions for the top three contenders are 2 of the guys (Probably Timi and Eric) and Jodie - Jodie obviously has the best voice out of all the ladies and the three guys are just great.

Another contestant will be leaving the group on Monday. My predictions are either Jerrilyn, Temitayo, Joan or Mercy. I don't see any of the guys leaving soon. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the results are usually unpredictable and are left to the voters. I'll keep my fingers crossed and wait for the performances. I hope we get to see some pleasant surprises. I see the Idols West Africa contest creating a change in the Nigerian music scene within the next few months as dropped contestants take their music beyond the competition. Watch out!

NB
For those who didn't get a chance to watch the performances, you can still do so on the Idols West Africa website here. You can also view some clips of interviews with the Top 10 contestants here. Have Fun.

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Idols West Africa - Top 24 review

Four weeks have gone by since the Idols West Africa Auditions (read my previous post here), four weeks which has meant different things to different people - Entertainment for viewers, tension and pressure for the contestants, "business as usual" for the judges and fun (with his tension-creating attempts) for presenter Mike Majik. Of the 80 who made it through the auditions, 24 were chosen and were divided in 4 groups of 6 contestants each. Each contestant had one (and only one) chance to showcase his/her talents, after which it was left to the voters to decide. For many Nigerians, Sunday nights became something to look forward to as the groups performed. Monday nights saw many glued to their screens as winners were announced. Hot lines received hundreds of SMS messages as fans, friends and family voted their loved ones into success.

Watching the performance of the 4 groups really got me thinking. I wondered where all these talented individuals had been hiding. A lot of music we have out there on the streets today isn't half as good as what was presented by these guys. Most of the contestants were Nigerians and they sang with such talents that I've not yet seen being exhibited by singers in the industry. This is not to say there were no shortcomings, but men, those guys put up a damn good show. I hope those who didn't make it into the top 10 will go back and do something on their own. In short, the performances were great. I'll attempt to summarize them below.

Group 1

Ibitoru Green's rendition of "Like a prayer" by Madonna was wonderful. Her performance was great and her voice was like WOW! The girl could Sing. I was not surprised because I had seen her audition.
Uche Ume sang "Angel of Mine" by Monica. His performance was excellent, he had a good voice and controlled it well. However, he changed the song so much that the original melody was lost... but this time around, it "werked" for Nana.
Timi Dakolo who sang "It must have been love" by Roxette was great up till the modulation after which he tried to take it higher and had to struggle. But he remained on key, and that was impressive. Also, his choice of song was a good choice.
Ekanem Esu did "How do I live without you" by LeAnn Rimes. Her voice was great. She also made the same mistake as Timi. She struggled a bit on the high notes but she was in control enough to bring it through.
Omawumi Megbele was next. I think she put up the best stage performance. In addition, she selected right by singing "That don't impress me much" by Shania Twain. No stress for her, no struggles.
Lara George (nee Lara Bajomo) performed "It's all coming back to me" by Celine Dion. Her performance was good but I was kind of disappointed. I know Lara can do much better in terms of singing and performance. I mean this was the same voice that sang those high notes in the Kush album ... though, some argued that she was displaying maturity but she could have done much more than she did.

I must say it was really confusing selecting who to vote for as all the performances were tight. At the end of the day Omawumi and Timi were voted as first and second. Lara George was third while Uche, Ekanem and Ibitoru did not qualify. Overall, this group had the best singers and I'm sure they would all have been chosen had they been spread among the other groups. Seriously, I don't know what the organisers were thinking when they put these 6 people into 1 group.

Group 2
The ladies in this group did not impress me in any way. The guys did great though.
Eric Arubayi started low and a bit shaky but he built up the feel along the song. His good looks and stage style made him a winner with the ladies.
Jarry Blie had the best voice in this group, his rendition of "Foolish Games" by Jewel was great, although the key got a little uncomfortable for him towards the end of the song but it was barely noticeable.
David Desmond's rendition of "Change the World" by Eric Clapton (a quite complex song) was marvellous. His presentation and voice dynamics was very good. His performance on stage was also good. He could have done more with that voice though.
Oluwadolapo Ogunwale (the Duracell battery of the group) made a wrong decision when she did "I swear" by All 4 one, picking a wrong key for her voice and finally going totally off-key on the last note. She said after the show that "I disappointed my fans". It was true. I expected much more from her. She has a good voice but messed up her one chance.
Jerrilyn Mulbah who did "I don't wanna miss a thing" by Aerosmith didn't impress me much but her emotional story and performance at the auditions was still in the minds of those who voted for her. In my opinion, her performance in the top 24 was just average.
Oge Chigbue who did "Crush" by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the dark did much better. Not too spectacular though, but quite good.

Surprisingly, Eric and Jerrilyn were the chosen ones for this group. I had thought the duo would come from Eric, David and Jarry, because the ladies performances were nothing to write home about. Unfortunately, voters thought otherwise and David, Jarry and Oluwadolapo had to leave while Oge placed 3rd. Coincidentally, this group had the highest number of guys (3 as against just 2 in other groups)

Group 3
Condifence Rufai (daughter of ex Footballer Peter Rufai) who did "Thank you" by Dido did a great job but someone ought to have told her that Dido's songs are not the best for this type of competition. She had a unique and strong voice, and I wish she had sang something else.
Ama Ejisu-Akropong did "Strong Enough" by Cher but was just average. Way into the song, she went off key and stayed off.
Ernest Darkwa did "Amazed" by Lonestar. He's a very good singer. He had good voice dynamics and a strong voice and he carried the song through very well.
Michael Alao had a great voice and started off great singing "Take a Bow" by Madonna. His intro and his dance steps automatically had everyone's attention. Unfortunately, he lost it when he started going off key and couldn't get back on track. I was disappointed because I had actually looked forward to his performance.
Jodie Odiete was my favourite in this group. She performed "Have you ever really loved a woman" by Bryan Adams. She was great and had arguably the best performance, giving the song a new feel. She had a strong voice and was quite confident.
Mercy Nwankwo's Performance was powerful. She did "Nothing compares to you" by Prince taking her highs and lows quite seriously and giving her spirit to the song.
The winners from this group were Jodie and Mercy. I was not surprised at Jodie being chosen. I knew right from the performance that she would sail through. I also thought Ernest stood a chance ... but I guess I was alone in my thoughts. The voters decided otherwise.


Group 4
The two guys in this group were just great.
Tony Ighofose performed "More than words" by Extreme (A very difficult song) which he did justice to. He slid through the keys with ease.
James Brendan did "Show me the meaning of being lonely" by Backstreet Boys. His voice and performance were great. He delivered the song his way ... and he did deliver.
Omodele Fatoki who did "Love is all around" by Wet, wet, wet had great singing talents and a great voice but the remaining ladies were just average.
What worked for Temitayo George was her style, dressing and performance. She sang "Searchin' My soul" by Vonda Shepard. Her singing was average but she knew her limits and stayed off them.
Joan Ekpai who did "Show me heaven" by Maria Mckey had a good voice (Remember she blew the judges' minds off during the audition) but nothing spectacular came out here. It just didn't "werk" for me.
Sokari Briggs' rendition of "Still the one" by Shania Twain was just OK. From watching her
interview just before she sang, I expected a lot more and I was disappointed.
Well, they did their part and the voters were left to do theirs. They did, and Temitayo and Joan were chosen. I was disappointed when neither Tony, James nor Omodele was announced, but it's not my decision, so I let it pass.

Next came the big surprise. 2 extra candidates were to be announced to complete the top 10. People initially though there would be a kind of 3rd place match where they would vote for 2 out of the 4 people who placed 3rd from each group ... but were surprised when it was announced that the 2 would be chosen at the Judges discretion. Omodele from Group 4 was selected - Good choice. Uche from Group 1 was also selected. According to the judges, a strong male voice was needed and there was contemplation between Uche and David Desmond ... but David could get lazy, and much to everyone's surprise, Uche got the vote.

Unlike in the auditions, I think the guys in the top 24 put up a better show than the ladies, and more guys should have been chosen. Perhaps it's just as well that it's all unpredictable. In any case, the next round shall commence this Sunday on Africa Magic and MNet West at 7pm Nigerian time and Mnet East at 6pm Nigerian time. For those not in Nigeria or West Africa, you can catch some of the action online at MNet's Idols West Africa website available here. Top 24 performances are also available. Watch this space for info on the Top 10 performances.

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