‘Naija Sings’ Goes Live on M-net

It is another first from M-net, innovative and entertaining. It is ‘Naija Sings’ from the stables of M-net, to hit screen in July.
Here, M-net has created a brand new and original music reality series to be launched in Nigeria for the country’s brightest and boldest vocal talent; and the icing on the cake - a whooping USD$100, 000 plus a chance to perform at the 2009 Channel O Music Video Awards.
“To say that M-net is incredibly excited about Naija Sings is putting it very mildly,” said Biola Adekanbi, M-net’s director for Africa, at a media briefing last week, to announce the show.
“We just can’t wait to get out there and start rolling out this new series countrywide. Nigeria is the perfect place for a series like this – astonishing music versatility with an undeniable passion for song and a pure determination to succeed.”
“Naija Sings is a completely original format, so that in itself says how committed we are to this market. We are actively going out into the country and creating major customized series that best fits the culture and audience demand here,” she noted.
Produced for M-net by Storm 360 and NeverMachine, auditions for the show are set to hold in Abuja, Lagos, Enugu, Jos, Bauchi, Kaduna and Calabar; and M-net has said that to be eligible for the competition, prospective entrants need only be over the age of 18 and possess valid proof of Nigerian citizenship.
What’s new? On Naija Sings, there will be no audition judges! A contestant only needs to get to an audition venue, step into one of the customized audition booths and sing a song of choice for one minute, which would be taped. Successful candidates would then be briefed on the details of the next stage performance.
Finalists who make it past the first audition will be invited to perform at a regional final, where three celebrity judges will evaluate their talent once more. Two contestants from each region head into the Top 14, at which point audience members take over the judging.
Each week, a different musical genre will be profiled including Afrobeat, Fuji, Afro Juju, Naija Classic Pop, Naija Contemporary Hits, Highlife, as well as RnB, Soul and Motown Classics.
Up until October 1st when the grand finale will hold, viewers are promised undiluted entertainment on TV and a chance to become a VIP judge.