My story about the Wafrica music contest

trendyevents (53)in #wafrica • 6 years ago (edited)

I checked the wafrica page as i usually do and found out that there was an ongoing music contest. It was already 2 or 3 days old and i had about 7 or 8 days to prepare. I wasn't sure of what to sing but i had Evi Edna Ogholi and Onyeaka Onwenu in mind.
I was born and brought up in Delta state so i grew up to love Edna Ogholi. I love Onyeka Onwenu's songs too as i understand her language a bit.
When i looked through the songs of both artists, i fell in love with the song 'Ekwe' by Onyeka Onwenu. I listened to the song, performed by the composer and several artists like Chidinma, Daniella and J'dess. I listened over and over again. I began to learn the words since i never knew the song and it was new to me. The beats were captivating but the wordings difficult especially the part 'Ekwe mgbadike, ekwe' and the many similar words but i knew i had to learn it. It's been a long time i did traditional dance. I was very good in it even up to 9 years ago during my National Youth Service but since then, i haven't danced regularly.

The team, rehearsing before production.

Note that only myself, @farida and Mr. Philip are above 15. Every other participant is below 13 and the youngest is not up to 4.

My team was made up of very young children who made me proud.

After learning the lyrics, i had to get a keyboardist for this song and to train my son in keyboard because we have a goal we are trying to achieve. I had to allow the children dance as they wish because there wasn't sufficient time to train them to dance in a particular pattern especially because they are very young. I had to train the other instrumentalists and my backup singers. Then get the costume and make it portray the ibo culture, as much as i could. Mr. Philip and @eugenecr7 made few corrections and we were set to make the production.
At first i was relaxed but i listened to everyone who put up their post for the competition and my heart skipped when i heard 'makeda' by @edprivat and few others. I told myself 'Irene, even if you ain't first position, third isn't bad and if you don't come first, second or third, you made an attempt'.
Artists did studio work and their works were perfect. I had no funds for studio works so we used the sitting room and did our best. After the production, it rained heavily and for hours, i was trying without success to put in my entry. I was so tensed and unhappy. I stayed awake and was able to put up my entry about 10 minutes before midnight and place the link in the comment section about 4 minutes before midnight and i became very happy but my fear was 'how will they know the specific time i put up my post and then i wrote a post to ask if it was possible to know the time a specific post was made
I began to check regularly for the results and didn't see anything because obviously the team had a tough time trying to go through all the beautiful entries to select a winner.
At this juncture, i want to specially salute all those who put in their entries because it took them a lot to put in those entries. I want you to know that we are all winners. I want to encourage you that you could be the next winner.

Don't give up!

I want to say a very big thank you to @nmalove and the @wafrica team for this great opportunity. Words are not enough to show my profound gratitude.
I want everyone to know that i do not know anyone in the team. It was a contest i came accross, liked and tried out and honestly i thought @oluwatobiloba was pulling my legs when she said i won because i wasn't expecting to win at all.
I will be an ungrateful child if i do not appreciate my family. The singing aspect of me is from my home. My father is a great lover of music. He played the keyboard for his secondary school over 60 years ago in the presence of top dignitaries. I remember he said the Oba of Benin was present when he played the keyboard for his school. We sang in various parts as growing children every morning and evening during prayers and played spoons, plates and even the table as musical instruments. It was always beautiful and well coordinated @maryfavour who is perfect in singing alto and @gregjava who is a keyboard guru, both of them my elder siblings would attest to this fact. Whenever i sang, my father woukd ask me to repeat the song in solfa notes and that was how i gradually fell in love with music. I was the best in music at some point in my secondary school and i have been opportuned to sing several soprano solo pieces by various composers especially classicals by Handel and many others. Singing for me, is like the air i breathe. I cannot do without it.