 Concord Times (Freetown)
Pel Koroma
Freetown
A
talented Sierra Leonean yearning to be a star may hit stardom on
Saturday 9th August after he or she must have competed with others to
grab the opportunity of a lifetime -signing a music contract with top
recording label and getting a chance to pursue professional music
career in addition to a gift of a brand new Toyota RAV SUV jeep plus Le
50 million.
The second will win a 2008 Toyota
Corolla and Le 30 million while the third will get a Toyota Yaris plus
Le 25 million and the fourth will go home with Le 20 million.
That is what an acclaimed talent discovery and
nurturing reality music TV show, MTN Project Fame West Africa is
bringing to the doorsteps of young Sierra Leoneans.
Unveiled
to the press at a well attended media launch held at the Event Place,
Planet One Entertainment, in Nigeria last month, organizers of this
programme -Edemol Nigeria and Ultima Limited with major media partners
NTA and MTN- are focusing on grooming and growing talents for the
development of music in every parts of the sub-region.
"It
will see 15 contestants competing in a special academy environment for
the chance to become a West African and worldwide music icon. We have
chosen Sierra Leone, Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria for this year's
audition," said Adetunji Adebakin, General Manager of Ultima Limited.
Talented
young Sierra Leoneans will compete for a chance to be a part of this
opportunity at the Miatta Conference Hall where the audition would be
held on Saturday.
According to the organizers,
ability to sing well, perform, play an instrument or compose song,
charm, charisma, presence, spontaneity, appeal, likeability, openness
and physical appeal, would be some of the key factors to be considered
in talents taking part in the competition.
Adebakin said the MTN Project Fame West Africa is
to be filmed in Lagos, Nigeria and will bring together contestants and
top music specialists and personalities from West Africa.
He
intimated the press that judges will listen to the best voice in Sierra
Leone with character and extra ordinary voices. The best will compete
in the Fame Academy where they would be exposed to career teaching and
finance classes that will educate them.
"We
are looking for 15 young talented candidates to enter the academy to
train, groom and equip them as Sierra Leonean stars. Audition will be
held in all four west African countries and have judges who are
professionals to pick the best for the project," he said adding that
"It is for the amateurs who are over 18 years and if you think you can
sing and perform, come and fill the form at Youyi building." He dilated
that the best 15 Sierra Leoneans will compete with the other 45
competitors from the other West African countries. "The last 24 will
perform for an audience in Nigeria on Sunday 28th August and 15 out of
the 24 will be sent to the Academy for the grand competition that will
commence on the 7th September to 7th December," he said "Contestants
should have passion and desire to perform and must be willing to
succeed and stand for Sierra Leone. It is a carrier of hope," Adebakin
concluded.
MTN Project Fame West Africa will
showcase how 15 aspiring artists are being groomed for success in a
tough performance academy. The realities of what it takes to become a
music superstar will be exposed, as leading specialists from all fields
of the industry give contestants the very best professional training -
from voice and movement to performance and song writing.
The
contestants will also be given the opportunity to meet and perform
alongside their favorite stars who will be conducting exclusive
master-classes, sharing their wisdom and tips for success." The MTN
Project Fame finalists will be expected to live in the MTN Academy for
a period of 10 weeks.
The uniqueness of the project is that, unlike
others, it has a transformative impact on the selected youth. The
reality element of the programme, gives it an addictive viewing
opportunity, with fair voting opportunity.
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it's my pleasure to meet this kind of opportunity in west