The competition began with 68 contestants who passed through
a series of tests and performances in the Audition and Theatre phases which
concluded on Sunday after two weeks, leaving the top 11 finalists to begin the
final phase.
Unlike previous seasons which had 10 finalists, this seasons
boasts 11 outstanding contestants including Kingdom Kroseide, Emmanuel Elijah,
Clinton Francis, Beyonce Ajomiwe, Francis Atela, Dotun Deloye, Faith Onyeje,
Comfort Alalade who showed great improvement from last week and Akunna Okey who
gave a great performance even after losing her voice right before.
After nine finalists were chosen, it was a battle between
Faith Mac Ebiama and Daniel Ikechi for the final spot.
However, in a shocking twist, both Daniel and Faith Mac made
it to the finals making the total number of contestants heading to the big
stage 11.
Find out more about these stars as they shed more light on
their journey in the competition so far, their plans, and why they should win.
Kingdom Kroseide
Kingdom is a computer science and informatics student at the
Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State. He sings with the Pamela Scott Music
band based in Port Harcourt and has performed at wedding ceremonies, birthday
parties and church services.
He comes from a family of four and apart from being
surrounded by people who believe in him, Kingdom thinks he has what it takes to
be the next Nigerian Idol because music is what he is most passionate about.
Akunna Okey
Akunna is a Corporate and Entertainment Lawyer who comes
from a family where everyone has an amazing voice.
She spends most of her time singing in the bathroom and showcases her vocal talent on her social media platforms. Akunna believes the world deserves to hear her sing and says it’s about time she commercialises her amazing gift.
Emmanuel Elijah
Emmanuel is an energetic go-getter currently working as an
administrative officer at a studio in Lagos. He has a passion for music and
believes if you sing from the heart, you will communicate and connect with your
audience. He is intent on making people feel how he feels through his songs.
Emmanuel is the second child in a family of four, raised by his dad after his mum passed away. He takes pride in the fact that he comes from a family of singers and says he entered Nigerian Idol to share his talent with the world.
Clinton Francis
Clinton (24) is an office assistant with a burning passion
for music. He grew up singing in the church choir and as a background vocalist
in a gospel band and has performed alongside major artists at concerts.
Clinton was raised by his mother after his parents separated. He enjoys being the only singer and songwriter in his family and says it has always been a dream to be seen on the Nigerian Idol stage.
Beyonce Ajomiwe
Fresh from high school, Beyonce (16) resides in Port
Harcourt and has her eyes set on a musical career. Having a dad who was a
professional singer and producer made the decision to choose this career path a
lot easier for Beyonce.
Beyonce is focused on becoming a singer to be reckoned with. With a name like hers, Beyonce knows she has big shoes to fill and believes she can be the next Nigerian Idol so she can inspire the youth to chase their dreams, no matter how impossible it may seem.
Francis Atela
Based in Abuja, Francis (26) doubles as a businessman and a
farmer – and crowns it with the gift of singing, which he started in the
church. Francis comes from a very supportive and loving family of seven kids.
He says being on the Nigerian Idol stage has been a lifelong dream. Even after auditioning twice in Abuja and Lagos in 2011 and 2015 respectively and not making it far, he believes this new opportunity will give him another shot at the limelight and help give his career a much-needed boost.
Dotun Deloye
Dotun is a jack is an actor and entrepreneur whose heart
will always want what it wants- music! His passion for expressing himself
through song has him singing at events, karaoke bars, studios and in church.
Dotun comes from a large family and holds the “coveted” position of being the black sheep of the family. He says he entered Nigerian Idol in the hopes that the experience will propel his music career and his other entertainment pursuits to the next level.
Faith Onyeje
From performing at award dinners and pageant shows to
parties, weddings and open lounges, Faith is making sure his craft puts money
in the bank. The last of six children, he grew up with the love and support of
a family that shared his passion for music and helped hone his singing skills
from the age of seven.
Apart from music, guitar and his love for education, his artwork and passion for helping people mean the world to him. After watching his favourite artists perform on previous seasons of Nigerian Idol, Faith says he always believed that one day he would make it onto the same stage.
Comfort Alalade
Comfort (18) is a student in Lagos who started singing in
church and composes her own original songs influenced by everything around her.
To her, music is life.
She says she has been watching Nigerian Idol with admiration from a tender age and now that she’s old enough to be one of the contestants, she hopes to find out how it feels to be the ultimate winner of the singing competition.
Faith Mac Ebiama
Despite her keen interest in fashion design, Faith still has
her mindset on taking on the musical stage. Born into a family of singers,
Faith started off in the church and soon became the lead vocalist in her church
choir.
Not a fan of hiding her vocal prowess, Faith shows the world what she is made of with video uploads on her Instagram account of herself singing.
Daniel Ikechi
This young graphic designer takes his musical art with him
everywhere he goes. Whether in church or the neighbourhood bar, Daniel is sure
to get on stage and sing.
Daniel says he entered Nigerian Idol for the experience and exposure and hopes the platform the show provides will help showcase his talent and take him to the next level.
We are rooting for all 11 finalists as they begin their journey to becoming the next Nigerian Idol.