Up-and-coming singing group, the Smooth Boiz of Glo X Factor, received a rousing welcome from family members, friends and neighbours in a rustic Odonguyan community in Ikorodu, Lagos State, as they returned home after their elimination from the world’s biggest singing reality TV show brought to Africa by Globacom.
The show offers the biggest prize money in singing reality shows in Africa, N24 million (USD 150,000), and a recording contract with the internationally acclaimed label, Sony Music.
The SmoothBoiz were the first to be eliminated out of the top 9 finalists as the television show entered the eviction stage three weeks ago. The first result show did not produce any elimination as the judges could not agree on who should leave between Vicky and SmoothBoiz who were in the bottom two in the voting. The group finally went out in a blaze of glory in the second result show.
The SmoothBoiz, made up of Peter Godwin, Victor Simeon, David Oboh and Festus Oboh were driven by Globacom into a waiting reception party organized at the home of the parents of David and Festus, Mr. and Mrs. Thaddeus Oboh, in Odonguyan, in Ikorodu town.
Those who waited to receive the boys included leaders of the community led by its Treasurer, Alhaji Rahman Sambo, uncles, aunts, siblings of the boys, cousins, friends, neighbours and a large crowd of well wishers.
As soon as the SmoothBoiz came out of the car, they were hailed by the waiting welcome party as they stepped into the warm embrace of their parents.
Speaking during the reception party sponsored by Globacom, Mr. Oboh recalled how the boys would sing in the wee hours of the morning, thereby “disturbing his sleep”. “…but today, these same boys have brought my family into limelight”, he enthused. The senior Oboh thanked Globacom for giving his sons and adopted sons the rare opportunity to project their skills in front of a worldwide audience.
In his remark on behalf of the community, Alhaji Sambo commended the enterprising spirit of the boys and said that Globacom had done well to project the community onto the world stage.
Speaking on behalf of the SmoothBoiz, Festus Oboh said that, despite their elimination, they were happy to have reached the Top 9 stage, meaning that they are not losers but are among the best in Nigeria and Ghana. “It was a very tough competition as we contested with some of the very best in the sub region, but, as you know, somebody has to be eliminated every week until one person emerges winner,” Oboh explained. He enjoined viewers to ensure that they vote for their best contestants after every live performance to ensure that the good talents are not eliminated prematurely.
