A good musician definitely needs both mental and physical alertness to carry on with his acts, remain healthy and relevant in the competitive industry. That perhaps necessitated the physical fitness exercises undertaken by contestants of Star Quest 2008 as the premier talent discovery reality TV Show hits day five last night.

Fresh from their sleep, the Sheriff in the house led the 36 finalists in a light session of aerobics, apparently in a bid to stretch out and aid respiration. It was fun as one of them was even captured yawning to stay awake for the early morning drill.

For the mental exercise, all the 36 contestants were conducted through a first class orientation in music by an erudite scholar, Yomi Bello, a senior lecture from the Department of Theatre Arts and Music, Lagos State University (LASU). During this session, the contestants were tutored on the basic rudiments of making good music as well as challenged to perform some exercises.

The shinning Star Quest contestants proved their mettle by getting all the questions thrown at them correctly. “You got it perfectly correct.” said Yomi obviously satisfied with the performance of the young talents. Another who was invited to write “F major on bass scale with key signature also got it correctly and was applauded.

The contestants were later led into some voice grooming session like having a note on ‘G’ that you have to sustain on four counts. Another exercise was to blend as many notes as possible. For once, one could mistake the seasoned don for a Catholic Priest, presiding over a session in the house as she went into some rehearsal sessions with the contestants.

 



 

The day’s activities were rounded off also on a musical note at the well equipped, world class, ultra-modern rehearsal studios where the contestants were once again challenged to display the stuffs they are made of, in a session tagged “show of skills” amongst themselves. Each of them were called out one after the other to sing and/or perform with his or her best musical instrument while the rest sat back to judge and score the performance objectively.
The score line according to the presenter, ranges from 1-5.

As expected, each of them went all out to give their best to impress their colleagues if only to score them high. Though some of the contestants confessed they didn’t actually give their best.
However, others believed they were good enough and would love to work with them.

Don’t forget, the presenter earlier warned that they should judge themselves right and objectively apportion marks accordingly as it would have a significant role to play as the show progresses. So, something is definitely in the offing. Just tune to any of your favorite TV stations and hook up to the exciting moments.



   
 



 

Question: What was your experience during Star Quest 2007?
Answer: Star Quest 2007 in my opinion was the biggest and the best TV REALITY SHOW for that year.
The experiences are too overwhelming to itemize. However it is important to note the following:
a) My approach to handling issues with musical talents had to change because all 36 contestants were not only good at what they do, but also had myriad flavors of the art of music. So I got very exposed to different personalities and concepts.
b) I got into the competition with the 'Nigerian factor in mind, thinking that there would be some reduction of standard or favoritism for some individuals or group, but was very impressed to see every contestant treated equally and also amazed at the impersonal and professional
approach the competition took.


Question: So how has it been thus far?
Answer: Normally, It has been very challenging but equally interesting. We had the opportunity to perform at the 2007 Star Mega Jam along with international artistes likes T Pain and Kanye West. Also during Star Trek in 2007, we got exposed to other parts of Nigeria while performing with popular Nigerian artistes across 10 major cities.

Question: Tell us about your new album.
Answer: The self titled album "D'Jewels" is in my opinion a good example of the different genres of Nigerian music (as at when we recorded) and has songs proactive enough to be in any timeless classics compilation e.g. Promised land and "Iya". The 9 tracker also has a modicum of Creoles and lingua from
different parts of the country.

Finally, I encourage you to grab a copy for yourself and see if all I have said is true or not. Also send your comments to askforthejewels@yahoo.com

Question: What does the future hold i.e. plans for the future?
Answer: The future is a combination of endless possibilities and I see a very bright future for the group and other Star Quest winners, if they can remain united. D'Jewels intends to change the music industry with their original concepts of music and also diversify into other branches of the entertainment
industry. We also intend to run a charity organization geared towards helping young talents in the industry.

Question: what advice/counsel would you give to aspiring musical talents in Nigeria?
Answer: Give your best during the competition and don't compromise your standard for anybody or anything. However, do all this with humility.
Finally, do not cheat or attempt to cheat. Do not break any rule because you would definitely get caught.

I wish you all the best.