SEGUN ADENIYI: Of Globacom and The X FACTOR

The Verdict By Olusegun Adeniyi. Email: olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

I was switching television channels last Sunday afternoon when I saw on AIT a young lady on the heavy side strutting the stage after saying some nice words about her mother who was shown backstage greening almost sheepishly. But the lady sure knew how to sing as I began to watch what I would later discover to be a music talent reality programme being sponsored by Globacom in conjunction with the globally acclaimed The X Factor.  What that means in essence is that the telecom company is now investing billions of Naira in the three most promising areas of our national life where the resourcefulness of our young men and women have shone through: Nollywood, football and music.

Given his pioneering role as a Nigerian prospector in our rent-driven oil and gas sector with all the associated risks in the early nineties, and the manner in which he started and turned Globacom to a serious competitor in the global telecoms market within a period of ten years, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr has earned the respect of many members of my generation. It is therefore no surprise that Globacom would collaborate with British entertainment genius, Mr. Simon Cowell, to bring in The X Factor, the world’s biggest singing TV Reality Show, which follows contestants from auditions through to the booth camp, the judges’ homes; to the grand finale. What distinguishes The X Factor from other such brands and particularly endears their shows to millions of viewers around the world is their innovations, like featuring dancers and contestants who could be accompanied to the stage with guitar, piano or any other musical instruments. Their prizes are also at the top end.

My friend, Bode Opeseitan, a divisional director with Globacom, told me at the weekend that the ultimate winner of the spectacular show will cart home a princely sum of $150,000 (about N24 million), the biggest purse among music reality TV shows in Africa. But perhaps far beyond the prize money is the fact that the winner will also secure a recording contract with the internationally acclaimed Sony Music for the recording of an album and professional management of the winning individual or group--a life-changing prospect.

So tempting is the package that I was toying with the idea of putting my own band together until Bode said the month-long pre-auditions had kicked off in Port Harcourt a month ago, to dash my dream. It is, however, interesting to learn that the highpoint of the Port Harcourt audition was a 68-year-old woman, Mrs. Evelyn D. Lawson, a Church chorister, who turned up with her 42-year son. The elderly woman said she did not feel out of place competing with artistes, some of them young enough to be her grand children for the star prize, pointing out that talent “could be discovered at any stage in one’s life. And those who advertised this show did not say ‘mama, don’t come’”.

At the Abuja audition which also held last month, a set of 17-year-old identical twins, Clinton and Blair Roberts (“The DNA Twins”) reportedly stood out in the crowd of over 1000 aspiring singers. The Ghana auditions were held in Kumasi and Accra early this month with the highlight being the emergence of female twins, Lamberta and Lambertina Hansen, who reportedly declared that they were ready to battle the Nigerian male twins, “The DNA Twins” all the way for the $150,000 prize money. Now, that is one tantalising challenge.

Ever since Susan Boyle stole international limelight as an unfancied contestant (given her looks and accent) on “Britain’s Got Talent” in April 2009, to literally bring down the roof with her incredible voice, even otherwise ‘old school’ people like me who grew up listening to ‘omo rapala’ Abbas Akande Obesere now follow musical singing competitions. That is why Globacom has got it spot on not only with the idea but also by its choice of judges comprising our own much-respected veteran singer, Onyeka Onwenu; rapper Jude Abaga, widely known as M.I. and Reggie Rockstone, (original name Reginald Osei), an internationally acclaimed Ghanaian hip-hop artiste.

Although the competition has started, I understand the next stages include the auditions in front of live audiences; the evictions which are always emotional events; the judge’s day and the grand finale which is expected to be in September. But whatever happens in the weeks ahead, it is almost certain that the lives of some young (and maybe even old) men and women in Nigeria and Ghana will never be the same again. And by partnering with The X Factor, Globacom has now effectively become a  leading force that connects the youths within the continent to their entertainment passion.