Next Afrobeats Star, the breeding ground of champions – Puffy Tee
…Vocal talent, stage presence, originality, afrobeats authenticity, defining factor at NAS
By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye
Nigerian singer-songwriter and record producer, Temidayo Babatope Joseph, on Saturday, described the Next Afrobeats Star initiative by mobile telephone network, MTN, as the nurturing ground of musical champions.
He stated that the goal of the groundbreaking event is to give young Nigerian talents a platform to be seen and recognised, adding that since its launch earlier this month, talents have been discovered.
“The MTN Next Afrobeats Star event has been an exciting platform for discovering and nurturing young Nigerian talents. With a $100,000 music deal at stake, the competition aims to launch the next generation of Afrobeats icons,” he said.
Temidayo Joseph, popularly known by his stage name Puffy Tee, in an interview emphasized that the next afrobeats star will not just nurture to their fullest potential, but will receive a whooping $100,000 music deal.
The MTN Next Afrobeats Star event has been an exciting platform for discovering and nurturing young Nigerian talents. With a $100,000 music deal at stake, the competition aims to launch the next generation of Afrobeats icons.
Puffy Tee, the producer behind the songs “Yahooze” by Olu Maintain, “Eleko” by Mayorkun, who serves as a judge at the historic event, further explained that, vocal talent, stage presence and Afrobeats alongside 3 other judges will be looking out among all the upcoming talents.
“As a judge, the key factors to consider when selecting the Next Afrobeats Star includes; the singing abilities, unique voice, the artists charisma, performance skills, originality and the artist’s unique style
“The creative expressions, is also a key aspect in judging contestants, alongside, the person’s ability to blend traditional afrobeats with modern styles,” he explained.
The City People Entertainment Awards winner also commended MTN for the thoughtful initiative, affirming that initiatives like this creates cash spinning jobs for countless youths.
“Numerous initiatives by MTN, like:MTN Project Fame, MTN MUSON and the Next Afrobeats Star, has been discovering and nurturing musical talents across Nigeria and Africa, for example Iyanya and Chidinma, these came from the Project Fame, a reality show.
“The above mentioned, are just the fringes of the various initiatives and programmes MTN has put in place to project Afrobeats and to protect youths from social vices, giving them something meaningful and productive to do,” he expressed.
He emphasized the need for Afrobeats to be showcased to the world stating the cultural fusion, storytelling and energetic beats sown together makes afrobeats attractive and mesmerising.
He called on corporate bodies and well meaning individuals to borrow a leaf, from the MTN Next Afrobeats Star initiative, stating that more support and investment into afrobeats is needed to uncover more musical talents.
“To sustain the tempo in Nigeria’s music industry we need corporate bodies like MTN who support emerging artists, who educate them through music programs and scholarships to provide the platform and resources for them to be recognized internationally.
“These demonstrate efforts to identify and nurture young talents, but continued support and investment from more corporate bodies and well meaning individuals are crucial for sustained growth,” he concluded.
