LIGHT Up Port Harcourt, the seaonal talent exposure and mentorship project to advance the entertainment industry in Rivers state will focus on showcasing and harnessing that state’s untapped music talents for greatness when season two of 2024 holds in September.

The seasonal entertainment fiesta birthed last year aims at bridging gaps in the development of the entertainment sector in Rivers through collective bargaining by key stakeholders to invest in reestablishing Port Harcourt as an entertainment hub.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the initiative, Happy Agi, highlighting expectations on the next Light Up Port Harcourt, said, “For the music industry in Rivers, the identified critical gap to close is not about dearth of talents, but on promoting the abounding talents and providing viable platforms to launch them into the global state.

“This vision birthed on December 2023 now manifesting in reality aims to sell Port Harcourt to the world by projecting Garden City talents. The first outing in March focused on comedy talents.

“This one coming up September 15 promises a special edition to feature an all-Port Harcourt artistes show. We want to tell the world Rivers remain home to abundance of talents ready to be nurtured into global stars.”

Tonye Ibiama, backbone of this vision and CEO Grafton Records, said, “We have always picked up talents from Port Harcourt and Nigeria has always harvested and enjoyed musicians from the Garden City over the decades.

“The platform called ‘Climax Night’ produced Burna Boy, now king of Africa. Truth is, no platform, no talent. The drive is not only for national artistes but for upcoming ones. And it is shared task. We expect the City to help nurture Port Harcourt artistes. We are letting the world know this, particularly appealing for support.”

K.O. Baba Jornsen, a comedy personality said, “Port Harcourt is far from maximizing its potentials.
Comedy is succeeding faster here but musicians have harder route to success. Scalability is harder in music especially for Port Harcourt talents.

“This is because Port Harcourt talents lack structure. They suffer because of absent platforms and sponsors to showcase them. We are set to rebuild the music industry here. Creation of this mega music festival is one of the reformist moves. We say no to exodus of Port Harcourt talents to Lagos.”

Among the concerns to make success of the new movement is the need for corporate bodies to provide effective sponsorship, entertain events to be staged regularly in Port Harcourt and talents discovered in Rivers who have become global stars to give back to Port Harcourt in discovering and raising more global stars.

The September Light Up Port Harcourt to be staged at the new 5000 capacity EUI Centre will attract stakeholders and music entertainment lovers from far and near.