It was as if the road would not end. The journey started 90 days ago and as the journey was progressing it was however getting tougher and the ultimate destination was not in sight.
The feels, the bubbling atmosphere and the good feeling of good sportsmanship shared by the participating artistes at every progressing stage of the talent hunt irrespective of the state venue keeps the 2018 Annual Gorldberg Talent Hunt worthwhile.
The high point was not just the raw talents displayed by the fresh and young Yoruba music artiste either in Juju or Fuji, but the evergreen accompanied dance orchestrations from the delight to listen to drummers.
From Lagos, to Abeokuta, to Osun, to Ekiti, to Oyo, including the Kwara the Gorldberg Talent Hunt got people not just talking about the good genre of Yoruba Music, but the remarkable effort being exhibited through the talent hunt to keep and sustain genre.
At every stage after from the audition which pulled over 5,000 entries every artiste got a fair share of opportunity to express their potential and talents, in front of articulate judges who were grounded in the act.
There were hit live performances from the quarter-finale stage of the competition to the semi-final showdown in at the National Stadium in Lagos which got fans relishing till the the D-day( finale day) to pick the overall winners from the three groups of; Music, dancing and Drumming.
When the trio of Ashafa Olushola Martins, Ayodele Olatunji and members of Oludare Cultural Group emerged the overall winners at the grand finale of the Ariya Repete Talent Hunt 2018 in the Fuji, Juju and Drumming categories it was unbelievable.
The event took place on Friday, May 11, 2018 at Trans Amusement Park, Ibadan, Oyo State
Ashafa Olushola Martins got N2 million prize for emerging tops in the Fuji category, while Ayodele Olatunji a.k.a. Femi Bright also went home with N2 million cash prize after winning the Juju category while Oludare Cultural Group, led by a pregnant woman, Olubunmi Sadiq, came first in the drumming category and won N1 million cash prize. Consolation prizes ranging from N1m to N250,000.00 were given to first and second runners-up in all the three categories.
Speaking, Franco Maggi Maria, Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc said: “As Nigeria’s first indigenous brewery, our pro-Nigerian orientation is evident in our various initiatives. The Ariya Repete roundtable and talent hunt is a reflection of our commitment to promoting the Nigerian brand and more specifically Yoruba culture especially through music.”
Thanking Goldberg, Olatunji, a National Diploma certificate holder from the Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti, said: “With this 2 million naira, I will buy some of the music instruments needed for my shows and make significant change in the life my family economic-wise.
Veterans like Juju maestro King Sunny Ade, Fuji Lords K1 The Ultimate, King Osupa Saheed and Taye Currency added spice to the event.
“I am impressed by the quality of talent displayed by the music acts discovered in Ariya Repete 2018 and can’t wait to see them excel in the music scene out there.” said Emmanuel Agu, Portfolio Manager, Mainstream Lager and Stout, Nigerian Breweries Plc.
The event was witnessed by Oyo State Commissioner of Information, Arts and Culture, Mr. Tayo Arulogun, Special Assistant to the Oyo State Governor on Youth and Sport, Hon. Bolaji Repte, Nollywood Stars including Yemi Solade, Sanyeri, Wakili, Adedamola Olatunji, Dele Fagboyo the Anchor of Aajirebi and Odunlade Adekola who anchored the event.
The Ariya Repete, a yearly talent hunt is an initiative of Goldberg Lager Beer, a product of Nigerian Breweries Plc. It aims to discover, develop and promote talents in the indigenous Yoruba music of Fuji and Juju genres, including Drums, as a way of helping to preserve the Yoruba rich musical and cultural heritage. Ariya Repete returns March 2019.
