Idols West Africa
Encyclopedia
Idols West Africa is the West Africa
n version of the Idol series
franchise. Based in Nigeria
, it is a talent contest to find a recording artiste, and aired on M-Net
in 2007. Like the Pan-Arab entry to the series, the show incorporated countries throughout the West African region.
, hosted by Mike Majic. The three judges are: Nigeria
n Dede Mabiaku, Ghana
ian Abrewa Nana and American
Dan Foster.
April 9: Old School
April 16: Current Hits
April 23: 80s & 90s
April 30: African Songs
May 7: My Idols
May 14: Producer's Choice
May 21: Ultimate Wishlist
May 27: Grand Finale
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" style="background:gray; border:1px solid gray; border-collapse:collapse; margin:0 1em 1em 0; text-align:center;"
|-
|+ Legend
|-
| style="background:pink;"| Female
| style="background:cyan;"| Male
| style="background:lightgreen;" padding-left: 1em;"| Safe
| style="background:yellow;" padding-left: 1em;"| Safe first
| style="background:orange;" padding-left: 1em;"| Safe second
| style="background:lightblue;" padding-left: 1em;"| Wildcard
| style="background:coral;" padding-left: 1em;"| Eliminated
|}
' by the public. Most of the finalists - bar Liberian Jerrilyn Mulbar - were Nigerian. Most of the auditions were held in Nigerian cities (Lagos
, Calabar
and Abuja
). Only one West African city outside Nigeria - Accra
- hosted them.
Dan Foster was criticized for not showing up at the Ghana
auditions. Fellow judge Dede Mabiaku (popularly known as the Nigerian Simon Cowell
) also came under fire for his attitude towards an auditionee who had arrived clad in white briefs
in a bid to imitate his hero Fela Kuti
. Viewers were shocked to hear Mabiaku call the auditionee a liar, and accuse him of being on "some wrong pills". Foster attempted to calm Mabiaku, who continued to yell insults at the auditionee before asking him to leave, without giving the other judges a chance to vote either "Yes" or "No"
The winner of the series, Timi Dakolo, is yet to release his debut album with Sony BMG, as announced by the producers of the show.
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
n version of the Idol series
Idol series
The British talent search television series Pop Idol has spawned spin-offs in 42 territories, in what is now referred to as the "Idols" format, as described by FremantleMedia...
franchise. Based in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, it is a talent contest to find a recording artiste, and aired on M-Net
M-Net
M-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by Naspers....
in 2007. Like the Pan-Arab entry to the series, the show incorporated countries throughout the West African region.
Season 1
The show is presented in EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, hosted by Mike Majic. The three judges are: Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n Dede Mabiaku, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian Abrewa Nana and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Dan Foster.
Themes
April 2: My IdolApril 9: Old School
April 16: Current Hits
April 23: 80s & 90s
April 30: African Songs
May 7: My Idols
May 14: Producer's Choice
May 21: Ultimate Wishlist
May 27: Grand Finale
Finals elimination chart
| Stage: | Semi Finals | Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| Weeks: | 03/04 | 03/11 | 03/18 | 03/25 | 04/02 | 04/09 | 04/16 | 04/23 | 04/30 | 05/07 | 05/14 | 05/21 | 05/27 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Constestant | Result | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Timi Dakolo Timi Dakolo Timi Dakolo is a Nigerian singer. Although he was born in Ghana, Dakolo did not claim dual citizenship and holds a Nigerian passport. He is the winner of the first season of Idols West Africa. He was declared the winner on May 26, 2007 at the home of Idols, Planet One. The show was televised the... |
2 | Winner | |||||||||||||||
| 2 | Omawumi Megbele | 1 | Btm3 | Btm3 | Btm2 | Btm2 | Runner-up | |||||||||||
| 3 | Temitayo George | 2 | Btm2 | Btm3 | Elim | |||||||||||||
| 4 | Eric Arubayi | 2 | Btm2 | Btm3 | Elim | |||||||||||||
| 5 | Jerrilyn Mulbah | 1 | Btm2 | Btm2 | Btm2 | Elim | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Jodie Odiete | 1 | Btm3 | Elim | ||||||||||||||
| 7 | Mercy Nwankwo | 2 | Btm2 | Elim | ||||||||||||||
| 8 | Uche Ume | Elim | WC | Elim | ||||||||||||||
| 9 | Joan Ekpai | 1 | Elim | |||||||||||||||
| 10 | Omodele Fatoki | WC | Elim | |||||||||||||||
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" style="background:gray; border:1px solid gray; border-collapse:collapse; margin:0 1em 1em 0; text-align:center;"
|-
|+ Legend
|-
| style="background:pink;"| Female
| style="background:cyan;"| Male
| style="background:lightgreen;" padding-left: 1em;"| Safe
| style="background:yellow;" padding-left: 1em;"| Safe first
| style="background:orange;" padding-left: 1em;"| Safe second
| style="background:lightblue;" padding-left: 1em;"| Wildcard
| style="background:coral;" padding-left: 1em;"| Eliminated
|}
Criticism
Despite the title, the show was dubbed 'Nigerian IdolNigerian Idol
Nigerian Idol is the local version of the Idol series franchise. It is the second Idol franchise for the country as it was already part of Idols West Africa which was also shot and produced in Nigeria....
' by the public. Most of the finalists - bar Liberian Jerrilyn Mulbar - were Nigerian. Most of the auditions were held in Nigerian cities (Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, Calabar
Calabar
Calabar is a city in Cross River State, southeastern Nigeria. The original name for Calabar was Atakpa, from the Jukun language....
and Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
). Only one West African city outside Nigeria - Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
- hosted them.
Dan Foster was criticized for not showing up at the Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
auditions. Fellow judge Dede Mabiaku (popularly known as the Nigerian Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
) also came under fire for his attitude towards an auditionee who had arrived clad in white briefs
Briefs
Briefs are a type of short, tight underwear and swimwear, as opposed to styles where the material extends down the legs.In the case of men's underwear, briefs, unlike boxer shorts, hold the wearer's genitals in a relatively fixed position, which make briefs a popular underwear choice for men who...
in a bid to imitate his hero Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
. Viewers were shocked to hear Mabiaku call the auditionee a liar, and accuse him of being on "some wrong pills". Foster attempted to calm Mabiaku, who continued to yell insults at the auditionee before asking him to leave, without giving the other judges a chance to vote either "Yes" or "No"
The winner of the series, Timi Dakolo, is yet to release his debut album with Sony BMG, as announced by the producers of the show.