SOLA EKUNDAYO
Sola is a young man who knew hardship while growing up. He hawked edibles to make ends meet. Having survived in an environment known as ‘the haven of shady activities’, this young man has definitely come out stronger.
The proud Kogi boy believes his hometown, Egbe whose slogan is ‘the Jerusalem of Nigeria’. He absolutely loves his life because of a singular reason; his ability to sing.
Sola currently earns a living, doing music. He sings with a couple of music bands and his admirers dub him a ‘Working Musician’.
Sola is down to earth, friendly, and is put off by condescending and dishonest people. His uniqueness stems from his ability to stay true to his person, he never tries to be like anybody else.
He grew up singing in the church; little wonder his greatest musical influence is gospel artiste Smokie Norful. He sings R’n’B and if he could do collaboration with any artiste, it would be either Dare Art Alade or R.Kelly. He also hopes to perform R.Kelly’s I believe I can fly on stage.
Sola plays the keyboard and drums on average level. He feels honoured to be among the contestants this season. He believes MTN Project Fame West Africa opens doors for aspiring musicians and would give his all to be able to go far in the competition.
LASBREY OJIMBA
Lasbrey is a chatty, happy go lucky 25-year-old gentleman whose world revolves around music. The Federal University of Technology, Owerri graduate of Material & Metallurgical Engineering is the first child in a family of 5, thus as a responsible lead, he feels for his siblings and he is close to them.
He enjoys playing chess, swims, and loves to read. If music were no longer an option for him, he would move on to write books. He describes himself as a straightforward, polite person who always tries his best to lend a helping hand to anyone that needs it. In his words, “I am good to a fault, hoping it would pay me soon.”
Lasbrey grew up in Ajegunle, a Lagos suburb, and he loves fashion, so you would most likely see him looking spiffy all the time.
Lasbrey believes an artiste should be able to play at least one musical instrument, which informed his decision to learn the keyboard. His genre of music is soul, a style similar to Asa and Bez’s.
He would love to do a duet with Praiz, Omawunmi, Frank Ocean or Pharell Williams. If he could choose to perform any song on stage, any of John Legend’s song would be his choice.
Laspery reluctantly went for auditions in Owerri, he was the last person to pick up a form, and the last person to audition. He is now grateful he dragged himself down there somehow!
He is looking forward to meeting Kaffy, the dance queen. He thinks he could really acquire some dancing lessons because he is not a good dancer. He is also a big fan of Mummy J because she has a big heart; hence he would love to learn from her.
Lasbrey is looking forward to winning the competition, but he hopes not to get carried away with the privileges that come with winning.
MELVIN OKOLIE
Melvin considers his ability to be able to relate with anybody and see through them as a great asset. This 22-year-old student of Ghana Technology University College, Accra has any further losing of a family member as his greatest fear. He said this would be completely devastating for him having lost his brother, and mother some years ago.
Growing up in Lagos, he discovered his love for music before his love for singing, and since he discovered his love for singing, he has always gone out of his way to improve on it. He does this by doing personal rehearsals, watching music concerts, and going to audition for music reality shows to put him to test.
His genre of music is R&B, and the message he tries to pass across to the world is ‘as long as you have life, you can get to any point in life’. Melvin writes music as a hobby, and his greatest influences in music are 2Face Idibia and his late mum.
Melvin auditioned in Ilorin after a friend persuaded him to give Project Fame a shot. He is looking forward to getting into the Academy so he can learn all he needs from Uncle Ben, and the other amazing members of the Faculty.
He is really excited about being on TV; he believes he looks good on television, a factor that would help him win the competition when summed up with his resilience and vocal prowess.
He is determined to emerge winner because he would like to convince his father who is not totally in support of his career in music that music is not done by riffraff.
FLOURISH AGU
Flourish, 25 is a pretty young woman who discovered her love for singing at the age of 6. Although she had never made any move towards achieving her long life dream of being a music superstar until now, she intends to put in all her best to make the most of her first attempt at Project Fame.
She is from Imo State, and a graduate of PR & Advertising at the Eastern Mediterranean University, Cyprus. She grew up in Port Harcourt in a family of 4; her parents whom she described as caring, and one sibling. Her dad is her number 1 fan; you could call her Daddy’s girl.
Flourish is easy-going and not easily angered, she considers her personality a unique one. Her voice means a lot to her, and Mary J Blige, Tiwa Savage, and Beyoncé have influenced her music over the years. She would like to do collaboration with these influencers in the future.
She thinks Project Fame is the best music reality show; she has kept tabs on it right from the first season. She chose to participate in the competition rather than go for her National Youth Service because of encouragement from her parents, it goes without saying that they are fully in support of her music career.
TAIWO OKUNOLA
Taiwo is from Ibadan in Oyo State. He is a Civil Engineering undergraduate at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology. In a family of six, he is the only one who is passionate about music. He is a terrific guitar player whose ultimate goal is to be a successful musician. Taiwo considers intelligence, as the most attractive feature in humans.
Apparently, Taiwo is not one to give up easily on the pursuit of his dreams. This is evident in his giving Project Fame a try in the time past. He auditioned in Ilorin in 2013, he got a ‘No’ from the judges, and so he headed back to Ibadan. Although he got a ‘Yes’ in Ibadan, he still could not make it to the top 24.
He is of the opinion that Project Fame is the most free and fair reality show in West Africa. He is looking forward to meeting Uncle Ben, who preaches excellence in music and other members of the Faculty. He would love to make his school LAUTECH, and Olawale (his friend, who won season 6) proud by winning. Taiwo is closest to his twin brother, a lawyer, who is the only one that understands him perfectly.
DAVID OLUWAJOBA
David Oluwajoba, aka Opera, is a 23-year-old talented musician from Ondo State. Growing up was not easy for David; he had to do odd jobs from time to time to eke a living. He made up his mind not to join the bandwagon just so he could live a good life. He currently works in a salon where he is learning hairdressing and facials.
He is from a polygamous family, his father had 3 wives. Theirs is quite a peaceful polygamous home, although he gets to see his stepsiblings occasionally, the camaraderie they share whenever they get together is almost perfect.
David loves his life, and what it entails, however, if he could change one thing about his life, he would bring his late father back to life. He misses him very much because he did not have a chance to get to know him enough before the cold hands of death snatched him away.
David discovered his singing talent years ago when he was in the children choir of his church. He has since been developing his singing skills by listening to, and mimicking other established artistes. He cites his church music director as his biggest influence in music, and he dreams to do collaborations with Dare Art Alade, and gospel artiste, J Moss.
He decided to give MTN Project Fame West Africa another shot this year because he believes it is the best platform for any artiste that is hoping to learn and get better in their music. David thinks he has a lot of things in common with Praiz who participated in the 1st season of Project Fame, and was humble and willing to learn throughout the competition.
CLEMENT AKUOKO
The most popular stereotype for an “only child” is that he is spoilt. Meet Clement, the exception to the rule. He is an only child but he is not spoilt, neither is he selfish. As a matter of fact, his guiding principle for life is “serve & respect people, and you will get the same back.”
The 18-year-old high school graduate is interested in nature, and good music. His hobbies are singing and swimming. He is a quiet person, who sometimes likes to be alone. Clement is wise beyond his years, a level-headed young man, who although has access to the good things of life, but was quick to grow a giving heart.
He discovered his singing talent at the age of nine, when he tried to mime a song by WestLife. He has recorded three songs, he says people often find it hard to believe he did the songs because they are incredibly good songs.
His musical influence includes Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, and Justin Bieber. He hopes to do duets with Wizkid and Justin Bieber. The fondest memory he has of his singing career is the one in which the headmistress of his school stood up to give him a hug when he performed on the school stage.
Clement hopes to be the first Project Fame winner from Ghana, he believes he can make this happen because he is a fast learner. He is confident this will help him in the competition as he would pick up every single thing he is being taught at the Academy and make the best use of them. He also thinks relating with the other contestants in the house would be smooth because he would try as much as possible not to offend anybody.
DEBORAH OHIRI
Born on the 20th of May, 1989. Deborah loves God, and she loves to sing. She is the 5th child of her family and has five siblings, all of them having grown to become wonderful ladies.
Deborah had her fair share of life challenges as an orphan. She lost her mother 13 years ago, and father, five years ago. She had to drop out of Yaba College of Technology, where she was studying Science & Laboratory Technology to take care of her late father. She is presently an undergraduate of Environmental & Resources Management at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
She is a very industrious young woman who has her hands in a couple of trades, among which are Ankara crafts.
Deborah is thankful for the life she has at the moment, but if she could change one thing in her life, it would be to bring her parents back to life.
Deborah made it as far as the top 24 stage of MTN Project Fame West Africa two years ago, but she could not move to the semi final. Now that she has been given another shot at stardom, she intends to put in her all and learn from her mistakes.
She cites Miriam Makeba, Angelique Kidjo, Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, and Alicia Keys as her influence in music. She loves the passion and originality of these women. She sees Project Fame Academy as an institution that she would like to pass through and graduate from.
Her sisters mean the world to her, they have done so much for her, although she cannot repay them for all that they have done, she owes it to them to be the very best she can be.
Deborah’s hobbies include singing, talking, socializing, and exercising.
RUKY MERCY OLOTU
Beautiful, sassy, and friendly Ruky is a 23-yearold lady who loves to sing, dance, read, and write. She was born in Abuja into a family of 6. Ruky is currently on internship in a construction company in Abuja while awaiting her National Youth Service.
Music, children, loving people, and a peaceful environment inspire her. She fell in love with music before falling in love with singing. She was the choir leader back in secondary school, and she has two recorded songs to her credit. Ruky says she has a lot of love to give and does not know how to hold grudges.
For Ruky, she feels most fulfilled about her music when people walk up to her and tell her that the songs inspired them she sang in church. Mary Mary has influenced her music. She would love to do a duet with Eva, Tiwa Savage, Mary Mary, and Janelle Monae.
Ruky believes Project Fame will give her the opportunity to grow, and reach a wider audience. She feels blessed and fortunate to have made it this far on her first shot at the competition. She sees herself making it to the final 3.
KOFOWOROLA AKINTOYE
This 22 years old, enjoys singing, playing football and her charming eyeballs stand her out of the crowd. Apart from playing football as a defender for three years in secondary school, she also nurtured her music skills carefully which she discovered as a child.
Nurturing her talent was particularly easy as Kofo’s dad kept encouraging her to grow; he went to the extent of buying her quite a number of Whitney Houston’s albums to rehearse with especially after the demise of her mum whose death dealt a huge blow on the family. She kept faith as she grew, which accounts for her ability to sing very well and instill in her the confidence to make it to the top.
Kofo would like to pass her message through soulful R&B songs. This is partly influenced by the deep-seated relationship she has with the man, whom she fondly refers to as her ‘guardian angel’ and partly due to life’s experiences.
Kofo describes herself as dynamite, ready to explode and she’s here to make the most of her second chance as she didn’t make it past the final 24 stage last season.
Success for her is getting to the finals, as this would change a lot of things for her.
GEOFFERY OJI
Is a Nigerian who lives and schools in Ghana. He is a determined and relentless young man who kept auditioning since the first season of the competition till he made it this time.
He thinks life has not really been fair to him as he has been through rough roads, which he later confessed did make him strong.
His ability to sing and lead earned him shelter and scholarship at the Zenith College, Accra, Ghana. His unique attribute is the ability to stay focused without complaints.
He has interests in acting, watching movies and loves to draw. He seemingly has a ‘bad-boy-look’ but he is very quick to tell anyone ‘not to judge a book by its cover’.
He is from Benue State and looks forward to making his family proud in this competition as he looks up to God for support.
DEBBIE STEPHEN-OLOTU
This 22-year-old is a free spirited, diplomatic and no nonsense lady. She is an Abuja based film-maker and a creative artist who makes clothes, bags, shoes, paintings, and interior decorations after graduating from Creative and Film School, Accra.
What she loves the most about herself is the liberty and innate ability to create. She also enjoys swimming and dancing. Her utmost goal in life is fulfilling purpose as life is said to be very short.
Debbie grew up in Sierra Leone and having survived the war with her family, she craves deeply for the power to stop chaos in the Nigeria and make peace reign.
One thing she cannot do without is her guitar, which keeps her going in lonely times.
Her inspirations are tied to three things- nature, music and family while the most important things to her are – family, God and herself.
She pulls strength from her jazzy/baritone voice and her artistic nature. She has had the opportunity to perform with great Ghanaian artistes and has been coached by Freeman Davies. She believes there is a price to be paid for everything, with perseverance, strength and personality. She has what it takes to win this competition.
OGECHUKWU OKAFOR
She is 27 years old, an open-minded graduate of University of Port Harcourt who loves to cook and watch movies. She also has a knack for martial arts. Her lifelong dream is to make world-class music and own an NGO for kids.
Although she doesn’t have a music background, she was drawn to music at a tender age.
If she was not into music, she would be a bridal designer with a big bridal store or own a restaurant.
She sees Project Fame Academy as a big shot for her as she looks forward to learning all there is to learn and her goal is to be a better person all together after this season.
In her words, to make the world a better place, people need to overcome the quest for power.
UGOCHULWU NWAOKOBIA
Is a 25-year-old Delta State cum Lagos gentleman. He had his formative years in Ikorodu, Lagos with his siblings and parents. He has a very supportive mother who encourages him to chase his dreams and be the best he can be. He is currently an Accounting student at the Lagos State University.
He is a multi-talented dude who not only sings but also plays the guitar and piano.
Ugo’s favourite food is eba and vegetable soup. He is a fun-loving person and enjoys making new friends. He sees his magnetic memory and love for soccer as strength and his deepest fear is not reaching his full potential in life.
He aspires to change the current face of music by unifying the past generation and this present one through excellent music delivery. His music-oriented background drives him to be much more.
He sees Uncle Ben as an artist who constantly draws out the best in people. Winning Project Fame would translate into a success story for his friends, family, classmates, loved ones and of course for him.
RAUHEL HALIDU YAKUBU (LAAMI)
Is a 24-year-old Kumasi-born beauty. She auditioned in the last three seasons and now deeply grateful for finally coming this far. She auditioned in both Accra and Kumasi just in a bid to have a chance in the competition
She is the first of five children; her grandmother raised her and this moulded her into being an independent, disciplined and amiable young woman who loves to be happy and make other people happy.
She has the heart of a philanthropist and desires to make an impact in Ghana by lending voice to the voiceless.
Due to her upbringing, she fears rejection and failure. She eagerly awaits the various trainings awaiting her in Project Fame Academy.
She’s determined to win this competition and make Ghana proud. Rauhel is a graduate of Islamic University, East Legon.
CHRISTIAN K. AMOAH
He is a 27-year-old with a unique voice from Ghana. He is also training as a sound engineer.
He has made several attempts to get into Project Fame Academy and now he is finally living his dreams.
Life has been a little rough for him as he grew from a very humble family. He has also lost a dear friend in times past but in it all he has learnt to find succour in music through singing and playing of his guitar.
Having done some stints of commercial music here and there, he hopes to get in to the Academy and win big.
EMEKA NELSON
26-year-old EMEKA NELSON is currently a Guidance and Counseling student of the Abia State University. Having lived a seemingly rough life, he is coming to Project Fame with a fighting spirit.
Emeka is a gentle and humble soul who detests lies. Not only does he sing, he also writes songs and someday soon, he hopes to collaborate with Tuface.
Emeka sees his mother as a treasure that he would go to any extent to make happy even if it means helping her fry yams for sale, which is what she does.
Poverty is one thing he fears the most and as such he is willing to give Project Fame all he’s got. To him, winning Project Fame Season 7 means ‘Levels go change’ and on a lighter note, he wishes he was taller.
GORGEOUS MELODY GABRIE
He is a 24-year-old graduate of Industrial Relations of University of Benin. She is the third child of her family and started singing at a very early age of four. She is blessed with wonderful parents who mean the world to her.
While Melody loves touching lives through music, she gains inner satisfaction when playing basketball, modeling, catering and managing events.
She is a go-getter, as such hard work and music have kept her going. She is fun to be with, creative and loves to dance. She sees her uniqueness in the ability to hold on to whatever she deems right.
Her greatest fear is to wake up one day to find that rapture has taken place.
Getting into the Academy would be a starting point for her but she would miss her family and friends.