BY YEMISI SULEIMAN

As the search to find a new solo-singing talent in Nigeria hots up, 13 finalists emerged for the first edition of Nigerian Idol as the competition entered the final stage last Saturday, January 29, 2011.

It was all fanfare, excitement and glamour as celebrities and media guests stormed the exclusive cocktail event to usher in the final thirteen. With Tee A as compere for the evening, the show kicked off with a spectacular rendition of the National Anthem by the 13 contestants.

Speaking at the event, project manager of the contest, Chichi Nwoko, thanked everyone who helped in making the Idols project a success so far. She was later joined by event producer, Lillias Bode, and director, Peter Bode, who took turns to take the audience through the processes that led to the selection of the final thirteen.

The high point of the evening was the performance by each contestant with Misi and Anis hosting that segment of the show. Each of them interpreted the pop theme to the admiration of the audience.

The performances were exciting and the contestants showed so much potentials; it was clear they made the task of selecting the finalists difficult for the judges. The judges – Yinka Davies, Audu Maikori and Jeffery Daniels – hinted that much in their comments after each performance.

A surprise performance by Jeffery Daniels, of Shalamar’s “Night to Remember” fame and Yinka Davies, brought the show to an end but not before Jeffery displayed the much talked about “Moon Walk” routine.

For the contestants, the holidays are over as each of them has to prove that he or she has what it takes to be this year’s winner. In fact, the contest has really gotten hot as two contestants who got the lowest votes were up eviction last Thursday.

The contest is sponsored by Etisalat in association with Royal Exchange and Pepsi. Nigerian Idol is aired on 20 broadcast stations in Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States.