How I won Project Fame 9 – Okiemute

2016 will be always be remembered by Okiemute Ighorodje as the year her life took a dramatic turn. From being a struggling model, the 25-year-old emerged the winner of MTN Project Fame West Africa Season 9.
Apart from getting a platform to kick-off her music career, Okiemute also went home with N5 million, a brand new SUV and a recording contract.
Her victory highlighted the importance of a mother’s prayers and blessings in the life of her child. Before she did her last performance at the grand finale, she had asked for her mother’s prayers.
Speaking with our correspondent, she said, “My mother’s prayers and blessing have been really important to me in everything I do. Even as a child, I always asked her for advice and prayers. We were not given exclusive details if our parents were coming to the finale or not. So, I was so happy seeing her in the studio, dancing. I am from a family of six, and the third of four girls.”
According to her, there was no way any of the contestants could be 100 per cent certain that he or she will take the crown. She added that that the quality of contenders also made the competition so tight.
“If you were following the programme, you would see that the competition was tight. We had good singers, from the 15 people that came into the house to the top 6 finalists.
“I did not have plans when I came into the academy. I just wanted to learn lots of things and put in my best. But my best spoke for me.”
The Linguistics & Communications graduate from University of Port Harcourt maintained that winning Project Fame would not change who she used to be. Though, she was a lead singer of a band in Port Harcourt before coming to Project Fame, she hinted that she might have to start a solo career pretty soon.
“Okiemute will still remain Okiemute, but it is definitely more work for me now. And I look forward to making a music album pretty soon,” she said.
For the Delta State-born singer, performing Phyno’s ‘Fada Fada’ was her biggest challenge on the show. For the first time, she had to tell her choreographer that she desired to change the song. But the woman insisted she should attack the performance the way she was being taught and all would be well.
Away from music, she said Project Fame had taught her the need to be versatile. “The platform is not just for or about music. Mummy J (Joke Silva) is an actor, Aunty Lovette is a choreographer, Uncle Ben is a music director and we have Miss Ige too. As a singer, you should always have back-up plans. Before I came here, I was a model and I studied Linguistic and Communication Studies at the university. There are many things I can venture into, though music leads the list.”
Speaking about her plans for the music industry, Okiemute expressed the belief that the sky was so big for all birds to fly, and that she just wanted to carve a niche for herself in the industry.
She added, “There is this pressure that comes with winning on this platform. Everyone looks up to you and wants to know your next steps. At the academy, I actually thought of it and many things came to my mind. But I later said to myself that ‘whatever would be would be.’ I decided to think about nothing but going on stage to perform because anything you do is worth doing well. If I did not give in my best and got evicted, I would not be happy with myself.”