The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Talent

  • Teenager wins talent hunt competition

    Teenager wins talent hunt competition

    It was a night of glitz and glam. The venue was grand finale of the star rising competition which took place at the Civic Centre in Lagos. Here, ten finalists consisting of solo performers and groups of dancers and instrumentalists contested keenly for the star prize.

    After a very keen competition, Precious Udo, a solo performer, emerged as the new star winning the first position. Two other solo performers, Timothy Attah and Alex Louis, got the second and third prizes respectively. For Precious, it was the moment she had been waiting for after putting in a lot of effort before and after the auditions. She joined the school choir at the age of ten and that was where she discovered her talent in singing. At the moment, she is an evolving song writer, singer, guitarist and she recently launched her own album titled AMEN.

    Like Udo, Alex and Timothy also contested as solo performers. Other contestants included the Lillies Stars instrumentalists, Four and half men (Grace High School) instrumentalist, Baja girls cultural dance and Oyinkansola Ebony and Nonso Ifionu dance.

    In an excited mood, the initiator of the talent hunt, Kay Ovia, admonished the children to be hardworking, dedicated and strive for excellence in whatever they do. “It is a great privilege to seek and get this opportunity to mould their skills. At the end of the day, the children would be motivated and talented in their different areas.”

    She added that “At this time, we are motivated by the talents we have seen so far. We are motivated by children that have already on their own motivated themselves to the highest level of excellence. Apart from entertainment, these children are also active in other fields and subjects like English, the sciences and current affairs”.

    The amazon went on to talk about future plans for the children and the project. “Our intention is to establish the centre across Nigeria. This centre will act as a catalyst to protect our children into the open stage of the whole world. And by the time they are there, who knows, the sky may not even be their limit.”

    While wishing all the participants success and a brighter future ahead, Ovia stressed the need to be dedicated and have a focus. “The team would be there to guide, inspire and teach the young ones how to go about achieving their dreams as well as carving niche for themselves in life,” she disclosed.

  • Create wealth from your talent, students told

    Students have been advised to create wealth and values out of their passion. Prof Olusegun Ogunba, a lecturer, said students must develop their latent abilities to be self-reliant, given the growing unemployment.

    Ogunba was the guest lecturer at the launch of Dunamis, a magazine published by Funke Oshin, a graduate of English Language and Literary Studies at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

    Ogunba, a senior lecturer at the Department of Estate Management in OAU, praised the publisher, saying he could not publish a magazine as an undergraduate despite his passion for writing short stories and articles.

    He told members of the audience, who were mainly youth, to see education as a tool to explore their innate abilities, while charging them to be focused and set their targets.

    Student, he said, should not come to university only to get grade, but also to think of what they can do to affect the well-being of their environment and people around them.

    He said: “Funke has shown the world that despite the challenges facing students on campus and after graduation, they can still exploit their condition to do something that will benefit humanity.”

    Funke, who beamed with smiles as she responded, advised students to discover their potential and explore their talents to create wealth and values. She said: “You have to start up; you have to take the bold step and you will be surprised to see that it will come out well.”

    Narating how her love for book motivated her passion for publishing, Funke said: “I chose to study law, but I was given English Language and Literary Studies. I thought it was a disappointment and my parents thought I would one day change to law. Since I started studying English and Literary Studies, I have developed passion for writing and this brought the dream for Dunamis Media in 2011.”

     

  • Suarez: When talent is not enough

    SIR: Uruguayan born football whiz kid, Louis Suarez is, no doubt, a talented footballer. Last season, before he finally agreed to stay with his club, Liverpool FC of England, he was a subject of fierce transfer speculations as major clubs in Europe jostled to snap him from the service of Liverpool FC. Though he started the 2013/14 English Premier League (EPL) season late, having earlier been suspended for nine matches, Suarez still emerged the highest goal scorer with 31 goals. Not only that, for his amazing exploits on the field of play, he was overwhelmingly voted the EPL Player of the Season. Such is the unbelievable strength of Suarez talent.

    As he does for his club, so also he does for his Uruguay national team. At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Suarez was partially part of the reason Uruguay got to the semi-final, breaking the hearts of many Ghanaians, and indeed, Africans, in the process. He has equally repeated his heroic acts for his country at the on- going World Cup in Brazil when he single handedly took England to the cleaners, scoring two great goals in their Group D second match.

    It is, however, unfortunate that Suarez has not been able to properly leverage on his mercurial footballing talent with some of his disgusting on-field acts. Rather than being remembered for his footballing exploits, the sheer mention of Suarez’s name, ironically, now evokes bad memories as a result of his numerous shameful acts of biting fellow players on the field.  At Holland, Suarez was involved in a brawl involving players from his erstwhile team, Ajax Amsterdam and PSV Eindhoven in a Dutch league match during which he bit a PSV player, Bakkal, on the neck. Also, in the closing stages of a 2012/2013 EPL game between his team, Liverpool FC  and Chelsea FC,  Ivanovic and Suarez jostled for the ball in the penalty area, to which Suarez responded by biting the Serbian defender on the arm.

    As if he has not done enough havoc to the game, Suarez recently made a hat-trick of biting during a Brazil 2014 World Cup game against Italy when he bit Italian defender, Giorgio Chiellini, on the shoulder during a penalty area scuffle.

    Football is, without doubt, a contact sport that involves physical struggles. There are, however, boundaries that players should not cross. Suarez has flouted the rules of the game on numerous occasions. His inability to turn a new leaf in spite of numerous sanctions in the past is simply an indication that his talent is not enough to make him a legend of the game.

    The Suarez case has clearly brought to fore the limitations of talent in man’s quest for excellence in life’s pursuit. There have been numerous cases of highly talented people, in diverse spheres of life, who still failed to achieve optimal success in life. The late Whitney Houston was blessed with amazing singing talent but ended up a failure in spite of her endowment.  Former World Heavy Weight Boxing Champion, ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, became a multimillionaire before he clocked age 20. He, however, through his riotous lifestyle, squandered all the fortune amassed from boxing and today remains heavily indebted. In our clime, the name Etim Esin rings a ball, at least for football lovers. At the height of his footballing glory, Etim was compared to Argentine Soccer prodigy, Maradona. Such was the depth of his talent. Unfortunately, Etim blew it with his unruly style of life. Music genius, Majek Fashek, is today a shadow of his former self because he couldn’t properly manage his God given music talent.

    Talent is God-given. Talent, however, is not enough in the path to success.  According to American author, H. Jackson Brown Jr., best known for his inspirational book, ‘Life’s Little Instruction Book’,   ”talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There is plenty of movement, but you never know if it is going to be forward, backwards, or sideways.” How apt!

    • Tayo Ogunbiyi

     Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

  • ABUAD to open talent centre

    ABUAD to open talent centre

    When completed, the Talent Discovery Centre of the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti, (ABUAD), will be one of the most imposing structures on campus.

    The nearly-completed structure dwarfs both the university’s football pitch and basketball court.

    The beauty of the structure crystalises as one moves nearer. The clatter and pounding by engineers and other technicians working within speak volumes of a final phase of installations that needed to be wrapped up in no time. They all work in frenzied excitement. As some healthy young males and females pour water in a large basin, the masons were preoccupied fixing the plastic chairs on the gallery; ditto for the technician channeling the wires that will regulate lighting in the control tower somewhere on the roof of the now completed stage.

    “I expect the installation to be finished in the next one month”, said ABUAD founder, Aare Afe Babalola to this reporter in his office on Thursday last week. “You can see the building itself is already finished. It’s the installation that is ongoing and I expect it to be completed soon.”

    When it is eventually finished, it will be called ‘ABUAD Talent Discovery Centre’ which I believe will be the first of its kind among universities in Nigeria.”

    According to Babalola, the idea of the centre stemmed from a culture of dexterity which formed a part of his childhood experiences with his parents, something the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) feels is fast ebbing away today.

    He said:”Growing up, I remember that my mother made most of the clothes we used to wear then. She bought different threads with which she sew with her bare hands. My father too was a great farmer. We used to trek several kilometres away from the village to the father’s farm. We usually left at dawn and arrived the farm early enough to work throughout the day. There were no modern farm implement in those days; so we worked with our bare hands. And we were a lot happier for it because my parents believed therein lies the dignity in labour.

    “But many youths today don’t want to learn to develop the skills in them. They just want to graduate. It is true some of them will graduate as lawyers, engineers, pharmacists and whatever, but they may do well in life as musicians, artistes, dancers, swimmers, tailors, which they never studied while in school, but along the line, discovered as their inborn talents. That is why this centre is conceptualised to discover those innate talents in our students and help them explore it to what can benefit them in future,” Babalola added.

    Aare Babalola said over 28 sporting activities can be held in the centre, in addition to boasting of facilities for various vocations, including music studios, and stage for drama and others.

    “Don’t forget that the university has its Department of Sports. This centre has no link with the department. The sports department has its own facilities and students from there can equally come here and use the facilities if they so wish. But this centre cuts across students regardless of their disciplines. It is like a confluence where our students can meet, play together and in the process discover talents which this university can help nurture.

    “If a student graduates from ABUAD and does not make it, then he can never make it in life. My concept of a university is to breed graduates that are mature intellectually, psychologically, socially, economically and otherwise. Many of our first set that graduated in October are already doing their one year service (National Youth Service Corps). The good reports I get from wherever they are posted make me a lot happier. Some of their bosses in places where they are deployed call me to say: ‘Your children are respectful, well behaved and are outstanding among their contemporaries here’. We are encouraged to consolidate on that through this centre,” Babalola concluded.

  • Talent hunting in the summer

    I have always thought the holidays should be a time for relaxation and learning for school children – but another type of learning, not the regular book work.

    Many times, I have envisioned sending my wards to centres to learn baking, music, sports, sewing, and other skills during the holidays rather than have them sit at home and waste the whole day in front of the TV or visiting friends or playing. Each holiday, they would learn a different skill – that is how it played in my head – so that by the time they are through with secondary school, they can bake, sew, swim, or undertake other worthwhile vocations.

    In the days when I dreamed those dreams, there were no summer schools during the holidays, only lessons. Since schools are increasingly organising programmes for the holidays, it should provide ample opportunities for them to teach pupils life skills that will help them survive in the tough economic terrain that we find ourselves. Academic work is important; but during the holidays, it should take the back seat, particularly for learners who do not have problems.

    For schools, the motive for organising these programmes should not necessarily be to increase their intake, but to seriously discover and begin nurturing the talents of our young ones.

    The time is also ripe for more private organisations to invest in this area of education. It could be in form of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives that would focus on imbuing pupils with specific skills – carpentry, swimming, art and craft, catering, dancing, sports, music, engineering, science, name it. These vocational programmes could also be run by businesses, with the services paid for by parents who can afford it. Such organisations could also take some pupils on scholarship.

    The programme can be enriched with general knowledge subjects like etiquette, how to apply First Aid, traffic rules, health education and public speaking. Projects in the various skills could also be part of the curriculum for the participants to undertake such that at the end of the initiative, an exhibition is organised where pupils can showcase their new skills. I am sure such programmes will be a joy to watch. Parents would be glad to see their wards dancing, singing, acting, and playing instruments; or be filled with pride as they look at artworks, clothes, food, and the like prepared by their children.

  • ‘I discovered my talent at five’

    ‘I discovered my talent at five’

    How would you describe your kind of music?

    My music is a blend of contemporary and traditional gospel.

    When did you discover that you can sing?

    I actually started singing when I was five. I could not remember vividly but my mom would tell me I would grab a comb to use as microphone and start to sing; people would listen. So, it means my music made little sense at that age. I just knew I loved to sing and at that young age I was passionate about it.

    You are nicknamed Nuefy, how did you come about that name?

    Nuefy is my stage name. It is an acronym from my name which is Emmanuel Ifeanyi. I took the “nue” from Emmanuel and “fy” from Ifeanyi.

    You have performed with some known gospel artistes, how would you describe the experience?

    By God’s grace, I have performed alongside international gospel artistes, such as Don Moen, Kurt Karr, William Murphy, Sammie Okposo and Sinach, among others. I recently did a duet with Frank Edwards. It has truly been an awesome experience for me to meet such accomplished artistes.

    Who would you say is your greatest inspiration?

    There is no other person except God. He is my greatest inspiration. I get my inspiration from Him daily through attendance of fellowship and devoting time to Him. I am not ashamed to ascribe my achievements to God.

    One of your songs, Gon-gon, is being played on radio nationwide, what inspired the song?

    Gon-gon has given me more fame than any of my singles. I would say God gave me the inspiration to do that track. I was looking for a track that people could dance to and then the song came. Gon-gon, I would say, is universal. My producer, GospelOnDeBeatz, did a good job because the song has become a hit.

    Do you think the Nigerian music industry is competing favourably with its counterparts across the world in gospel music?

    I honestly believe Nigerian musicians are some of the best in the world. There is hope for gospel music in this country. Even though the present situation is so devastating but I know God is raising good, honest and sincere talented musicians who will rise up to the task. The face of gospel music will change soon and junks will give way.

    You are also a model, how do you combine singing and modelling?

    Modelling has always been part of my life. The truth is that when something is part of you, you don’t need to struggle to do it. Just like I am in love with music, I also like modelling because it is a passion. I prioritise my activities to combine the two talents.

    You can be said to be popular in the Abuja music circle, how do you manage this stardom?

    Did you say popular? Well, I think I am still on my way to stardom. I cannot say I am there yet. One of my mentors would say: “Never allow people clap for you too soon.”

    What is your advice for the youth?

    Stay focused and be consistent with your passion. Be determined and fast to make your dream come true. Above all, be faithful and diligent in all you do. Don’t forget to always put God first in everything.

  • Dakore and her laughable singing talent

    Dakore and her laughable singing talent

    ACTRESS Dakore Egbuson is no doubt one of the best when it comes to role interpretation. Only recently, the sultry actress who had not acted in a movie in a long while took to the stage to celebrate Nollywood @20, during a dinner with President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House in Marina, Lagos.

    For many guests at the event, it was a surprise to see the actress grabbing the mic to croon before a large audience. Dakore who mimed Alicha Keys’ No One, just wasn’t hitting a chord. Not entirely a bad performance, but many had expected that the screen diva would do justice to the song the same way she does with acting.

    Dakore, however, wasn’t the only thespian who tried to impress the crowd in a different way; actress Chika Chukwu, who had marketed her singing ability, got the opportunity to perform. Doing a song on Chinue Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, she got the guests falling apart with laughter as they watched her struggle with her keys.

    The event continued with performances from Timi Takolo, Omawunmi, Timaya and Tuface Idibia.

  • Nicki Minaj signs Nigerian talent

    Nicki Minaj signs Nigerian talent

    COLOURFUL rapper, Nicki Minaj, recently announced via her twitter handle that she is starting up her music label and has also signed on a Nigerian artiste and music producer, Parker Ighile.

    “My 1st official artiste has been signed! Parker who is based in London was born to Nigerian parents; his father is from Benin while his mother is Hausa,” she tweeted.

    At the age of 17, Parker produced his first UK Platinum hit on Chipmunk’s first single and he has since produced songs for Jessie J and Angel. He has also recently produced a song for Nicki titled “Hell Yeah” which will be released soon.

  • More talents emerge as Nigeria’s Got Talent heats up

    More talents emerge as Nigeria’s Got Talent heats up

    IT was a weekend of breath-taking performances as talent hunt show, Nigeria’s Got Talent, continued its series of semi-final rounds, with the ultimate aim of discovering that talent worth the sum of N10 million.

    In the words of Adaora Mbelu, the Project Manger, the search has led to some interesting discoveries. “Over the last two weeks, I have seen talents from another realm and this has made me have great respect for the talents on the show. The show is getting hotter as many of the contestants are bringing much more than we expected,” Mbelu said.

    Amongst other incredible semi-final acts that featured at the show, Ogechukwu Godwin stood out with his amazing violin performance of Nigeria’s popular hit song, Dami Duro. “You did your composition well, your swagger na die,” said Kate Henshaw and Yibo Koko who were so thrilled and impressed with Ogechukwu’s violin composition.

    The highly entertaining show also saw more exciting and dynamic acts take on the stage with their mind-blowing talent display. There was the unrelenting Heroes Comedy Dance Group, Chuka Solace, a rapper who impressed with his lyrical prowess.

    Samuel the Dance, whose hope is to further his education and assist his mother with the prize money, presented an impressive act.

    The Sisters, a Benin dance group, also had a shot at success, as well as the singer, Pretty Brown, from Abuja who tried her hands on rapping and singing. The night closed with Edet, the skater from Calabar who gave an exhilarating performance.

    The Airtel-sponsored first season of Nigeria’s Got Talent began to air September 16 and will run until December 2012.The Got Talent franchise worldwide, which is in its sixth year, has produced many notable performers in the last couple of years including Diversity, Bianca Ryan and Britain’s Got Talent’s 2009 1st runner-up, Susan Boyle, whose debut album became the fastest selling UK debut album of all time.