Accra Glo X-Factor auditions unearth new talents

The Accra auditioning for the Glo X Factor Singing TV Realty Show opened at Alisa hotel today exceeding public expectations of keen competition as the first of the two days had over 1,000 aspirants showing up to take shot at the prize money and possibly launch a new career on the back of a production contract with international recording giant, Sony.

X Factor, the world’s biggest singing reality show, has been brought to Africa by courtesy of Glo which has put up $150,000 as prize money along with a recording contract with the famous Sony Recording Label.

Accra’s numbers far outstripped those of Kumasi, the Ashanti capital, which completed two days of auditioning last Sunday as several hundreds of talented young men and women including large numbers of students and some aspirants who had traveled for auditioning from neighbouring regions, notably the Eastern and Volta Regions.

An exciting highlight of the Saturday auditioning came when 24 years old twin sisters, Lamberta and Lambertina Hansen who have just graduated from the Accra Polytechnic were selected for the next stage of auditions. The two vowed to win the prize money and swore to beat another favourite set of male twins emerged in the Abuja auditions barely two weeks ago to the prize.

‘We are very happy now because we are a step nearer the prize money. We hear that there is another set of twin guys who have already made it through the Abuja auditions in Nigeria. Well, we are female twins from Ghana and with our parents and entire family and the whole Ghana behind us we wish to send the Nigerians a message that they have a fight on their hands. We will give them a good run for their money’.

Like the Polytechnic twins, popular Viasat-1 TV morning show co-host Kokui Selormey took part in the auditioning and when she scrapped through to the final stage she told reporters she was delighted that so many talented youth are getting the opportunity to prove their worth and get a shot at stardom. ‘Glo has done very well in bringing X Factor to Ghana and I do hope that they would sustain this lifetime offer in order to unearth as many stars as are available,’ she said.

The hotel’s auditorium was filled with excitement as aspirants strived to outdo one another in humming, miming and singing in a wide variety of musical genres including hiplife, gospel folk and hilife.

Accra also recorded its first batch of adult singers when a duo made up of Robert Adinyirs 54 and Jonathan Seshie 53 both from Ho in the Volta region stepped forward to be auditioned. Going by the stage-name of Crosscrown, the two said they had been singing together since 1976 when they were teenagers living in Denu in the Volta Region. ‘ Glo X Factor is the best opportunity that has ever come our way, that is why we have travelled all the way from Ho to participate, and we are hopeful we will be selected,’ said Adinyira.

Hotel officials say they were baffled when they saw nearly 400 anxious-looking youth filing up at the west wing of the hotel as early as 6:00 a.m. Mostly above 17 years, young and old talents took turns in solo and group performances to snatch a spot into the next stage of X Factor.

Each screening phase had a wrist band of success. The colour of a participant’s wrist band indicates which level or phase that the soloist or group was able to attain. Success at the first stage comes with a white customized wrist band. The second phase comes with a yellow band and the final third phase will present the participant or group with a black wrist band.

Accra enters its second day of selections on Sunday May 12, and thereafter move into the next stage at the National Theatre, Accra for the final selection process where Ghana’s representation for the Glo X Factor Show will be shortlisted.