For The Voice Nigeria, race to outshine Project Fame, Idol begins

After weeks of battle between talented singers to make it to the big stage, The Voice Nigeria officially began its live episode on Sunday. Though it might not have been stated in clear terms, the challenge for the organisers would be to outshine existing and more popular music reality shows such as MTN Project Fame and Nigerian Idol, sponsored by Etisalat. And they started on a good note.
For the first live episode, OC Ukeje, Linda Ejiofor, Muna Abii, Sarah Ofili, Akpororo and Kemi ‘Lala’ Akindoju were some of the faces that came to add colour to the event. Though it was recorded far away in South Africa, the guests who gathered at Land Mark, Victoria Island, Lagos, also experienced an evening of ecstasy.
The live show saw performances from four members of each team while their coaches (Waje, Timi Dakolo, Patoranking and 2Face) saved one contestant from their different groups. The look on the faces of the judges, when it was time to make a call, demonstrated pity and confusion.
That was quite understandable when one considers the brilliant performances put on by the contestants. But they had no choice. Waje saved Michael Meme, Timi Dakolo saved Victoria Gomoti,w aka Vicky, Patoranking saved 22-yearold Chike and 2baba saved Brenda Ngozi Anieossai.
The three remaining contestants are now at the mercy of the public. Staying in the competition depends on how much vote they could gather from the public. Though, it has been a popular tradition in reality shows in Nigeria and across the world, voting system could be tricky. But this is the hurdle the other contestants must sail through.
Speaking about the show, the Director, M-Net West Africa, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, said they were excited to bring the live editions of The Voice Nigeria to their fans across the country and beyond.
“As we can expect, the live shows are uncut, unedited and we get to see the coaches and contestants in their element. The shows are spontaneous, raw and emotional and I would like to thank our sponsors Airtel, Coca-Cola and Unilever for supporting us in bringing this amazing show to Africa,” he said.