By Adekunle Ayeni

Aside rehearsing, getting to know one another and soliciting for votes, Nigerian Idol finalists have been busy getting to understand how the music industry in Nigeria works.

And it's been Media visits, management meetings and event rounds for the hopefuls of the first edition of the music reality show. "Nigerian Idol has been a great opportunity for me, I learnt a lot, and while I was in the house, we visited NN24, Hiphopworld, the Beat FM and Compass. I learnt a lot, and I must say it's worth the experience. I really enjoyed our day out with Lynxx" Zoe one of the contestants who left the competition said after the show.
Lynxx, an ambassador of Pepsi paid a surprise visit to the contestant's house in Magodo on Tuesday February 22, 2011. "We were shocked to have Lynxx in the house at that time; we thought it was just going to be another day of rehearsals at the studio, but then Lynxx appeared and told us we were stuck with him for the day" Emmanuel one of the contestant says


"As a relatively new artist, I wanted the contestants to understand how much hard work I put into my craft, which is music" says Lynxx. "You can have a good voice but at the end of the day, you have to be ready to work hard if your goal is to stay in the game. So we went to Insight, The Beat, Syndic8 studio and KFC. The most memorable part of the trip was the banter with the contestants and Toolz at The Beat and when Glory recorded a remix of Change your Parade at the studio, I was thrown off balance"



Sponsored by Etisalat in association with Royal Exchange and Pepsi, Nigerian Idol airs on 20 broadcast stations in Nigeria, UK and USA. Transmission details are available on www.nigerianidol.com


In a short frame of three weeks, eight contestants with the lowest public votes have been eliminated from the contest and as the show gets hotter, the reality is beginning to dawn on contestants that if they don't sit up, eviction is inevitable.


Just like the premise of the original show Pop Idol, Nigerian Idol is a television reality show with a nation-wide search for Nigeria's next solo superstar, which will offer one young hopeful the opportunity that raw talented singers have until now, only dreamed of. Nigerian Idol aims to find the best singer in the country who can be defined as the "National" singer, and International Artiste. One contestant will win a top quality management deal and a recording contract with an international record label, setting them on the path to stardom.


The stiff competition this year began with ten thousand contestants slugging it out for a grand prize of 7.5 Million Naira, a car and a record deal with Sony BMG.


Already tagged "Accept no limitations", this is the first time the show will make an entry into the Nigerian shores, and already the website boasts of three million hits weekly, and Five million devoted viewers across Nigeria, Ghana, UK and USA