Before Abraham Effiong graced the stage of the Ariya Repete selection party on the night of Friday, the 14th of June, not many would have heard his name.
Now with the talented Afro-pop singer heading to the QuarterfinalS of the competition, he carries the pleasantly weighted expectation of becoming one of Nigeria’s next big music stars.
The talent was clear to see from the audition stage. Abraham had the voice, the charisma and the charm of a music star.
However, it was at the selection stage where he shone brightest. His performance immediately made him a fan favorite, and when the Judges likened his stagecraft to 2babaIdibia, everyone in attendance couldn’t agree more.
The similarities between Abraham and Mr. Idibia are uncanny. From the tall lanky stature to the voice texture and even his penchant for churning out the phrase “one love, my people”.
While his talents are still raw, he showed enough to edge past the competition on the night, and what a competition it was. His fellow Afro-pop contestants brought their A-game and it was a tough call for the Judges to select one out of the three artists on display.
However, Abraham is confident of going all the way in the competition. Speaking after his win in Lagos, the young man from Akwa Ibom says he already has 8 songs he’s looking to promote and winning the prize money from the show will fund his dream of being the next “2baba”.
It may still be early days, but with his bag of talents, his vocal dexterity, and his uncanny resemblance in style and stature to Tuface Idibia, you wouldn’t put it past him to go all the way.
The hunt for the next big Fuji, Juju and Afro-pop talent continues, as Ariya Repete auditions head west to Ota & Abeokuta this week. With so many memorable moments from the Lagos auditions, it is no surprise that fans are eagerly anticipating the selection parties in Ota and Abeokuta on the 21st of June at Tjs Hotel and Rockzone Bar respectively.
Ariya Repete is an indigenous music talent show proudly sponsored by Goldberg lager. Follow Goldberg’s social media pages; @goldberg_ng for Instagram, @goldberglagerng on Twitter and GoldbergLager on Facebook, for all the thrills, spills and spectacular moments.