...Gets boot camp nomination In a classic case of being second time lucky, a University of Abuja Masters Student, 30-year old Tochi Elo who failed to qualify at the Glo X-Factor audition in Abuja weeks back, has bowled the world's biggest reality TV show's judges over at the Accra, Ghana audition last weekend. Unlimited Tochi managed to overcome her insolvency and took a bus ride lasting about 14 hours to attend the X-Factor audition in the capital of Ghana. She said she was heartbroken when she got a no from the judges at the Abuja audition. She, however, took all the advice on how she could improve on her voice and performance by practicing hard and reinforced belief in her ability to qualify for the next stage of the competition and even win the star prize. At the Accra audition, Tochi gave a superb rendition of C C Winans' "Alabaster Box" but one of the judges, M.I., asked her to sing the legendary Happy Birthday song to gauge her voice quality and range. Tochi got three yeses from the judges who commended her raw determination, never-say-die spirit and focus while advising her to work harder to progress in the singing reality television show debuting on the African continent for the first time courtesy Globacom. Another outstanding qualifier for the boot camp from the episode was the Liberian Victor Gray, resident in Ghana, who knocked the audience out with his outfit and vocal power, while voluptuous Kokui blew everybody's mind with her rendition of 'Halo' by Beyonce. The therapeutic quality of music was brought to the fore by light skinned Ruth Williams who said she used music to express happiness in a world that had been cruel to her as she had been severally raped while growing up. Some of the singing lessons learnt from the programme include the need to maintain voice control by not allowing notes to slip, watching your breath by singing music genre compatible with voice quality and generally displaying more confidence and less nerves. X-Factor, the world's biggest singing reality television show is being broadcast every weekend on select Nigerian and Ghanaian television stations and over 5000 talents are contesting for the star prize of N24m and a Sony Music contract.
National Mirror