Impressed by the opportunity provided by Nigeria’s number one Fuji talent show, Goldberg Fuji t’o Bam, many contestants who participated in the Oyo State edition of the auditions have applauded Nigerian Breweries Plc for providing the platform that has led to the discovery of budding talents and also for putting Fuji music on the spotlight in Nigeria and beyond.
The contestants said they appreciate the commitment of the company to the promotion and development of the genre of music, which has over the years contributed to the socio-cultural development of Yorubas living in the western part of the country and beyond.
Among the contestants who spoke about the positive impact of the annual competition on the culture of Yorubas were Lateef Aremu, Akintunde Fatai, Isiaka Adelodun, Sadiq Ishola and Chief Ramon Akano Olatunde (a.k.a. TungbaAtiba. They unanimously commended the initiative behind the yearly talent hunt for the budding Fuji musicians.
Specifically, Aremu, who said he veered into Fuji music in 1996, five years after kicking off his career as a performing artiste in 1991 with Were and Apala traditional music, declared that his expectation is that Goldberg Fuji t’o Bam would help him actualize his dream. According to him, he managed to record an album titled: Journey, eight years ago but could not record another one because of lack of sponsorship.
Meanwhile, he expressed optimism that the contest would catapult him to the promise land if he eventually emerges overall winner.
His words: “I thank NB Plc. What they are doing is something that can brighten one’s hope in life. I want them to continue to sustain the programme for the benefit of young artistes like myself and several others who need support.”
Fatai corroborated his view when he affirmed that there are many up-and-coming talented artistes who find it difficult to hit the airwaves because of their inability to finance their career to the top. Although Fatai said he had been in the Fuji music business for over 15 years, he could not afford to record any album. He said that was not because of lack of initiative but due to the difficulty in raising capital for the project.
The young musician further stated that Nigerian Breweries Plc, makers of Goldberg lager beer, is a responsible organization having designed the Fuji t’o Bam competition to identify, build and set a career path for aspiring Fuji musicians and for the development of Fuji music in its entirety. He enjoined other brands to emulate Goldberg as it has helped to promote the rich traditional music.
In his own comments, Adelodun, who started his Fuji music career in 1988, disclosed that he came to Oyo from Ogbomosho to participate in the audition. Adelodun, who already has three albums to his credit, however said his band is in dire needs of a promoter. His words: “Fuji music has come to stay in Nigeria because it is enjoyed by all. I commend Goldberg for being part of history that will forever remain in the minds of everyone. The brand has indeed created a platform for me and hundreds of promising Fuji artistes to showcase our talents.”
Another contestant, Olatunde, expressed satisfaction with the high standard of the competition as he expressed hope that the contest would enable him to add to the number of his albums in the market.
Speaking after the audition, one of the judges, Sikiru Agboola aka SK Sensation described the audition as keenly contested. He disclosed that all the participating Fuji artistes in the Oyo audition showed exceptional talent. He therefore encouraged them to see themselves as stars because they have what it takes to be successful in Fuji music, even though they won’t all make it through the audition stage to the finals.
On what the judges look out for in each contestant, Agboola said “we create a level-playing field for all contestants where we look at their singing abilities and their dexterity in performing and managing stage space.”
