By Dipo Olowookere
Onimama Fausiya and Leye Williams have both emerged overall winners of the 2017 edition of Ariya Repete, the Yoruba cultural music talent hunt, at the grand finale event which held at Trans Amusement Park, Ibadan on Friday, July 21, 2017.
Fausiya, a budding female Fuji musician from Ilorin, Kwara State clinched the overall prize of One Million Naira plus a recording deal in the Fuji category, while Leye Williams, a talented Juju artiste from Osun State clinched the same prize of One Million Naira with a recording deal in the Juju category.
An elated Fausiya, who is the first female artiste to clinch the Aare 1 of Fuji music under Ariya Repete platform, could not hide her excitement when announced the winner as she responded to the hearty cheers of the crowd who was astonished by her breath-taking performance.
She revealed that her belief in herself due to the inspiration she got from her dad who is also a Fuji musician led her to choose music as both her passion and career. “I always watched my dad during rehearsals with his musical band while I was growing up, and it instilled the level of confidence and inspiration that has helped me in my own musical sojourn,” she said.
“Words cannot express my feelings at the moment but I know that Ariya Repete has changed my life for the better. I will never forget this day,” she further said.
Leye Williams, who was crowned the Aare 1 of Juju music that same night also made history by being the first Juju artiste to be crowned under the cultural music talent hunt platform. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Goldberg and Nigerian Breweries for making the cultural contest an expanded music platform that also identifies with aspiring Juju artistes in Nigeria.
“I have not seen any other cultural music contest like Ariya Repete in the Southwest. My story and victory is a testimony that Juju music is alive again and will be revived fully amongst the youths who aspire to promote our Juju musical heritage, courtesy of Goldberg,” he said.
Azeez Ajani and Wasiu Onilewura emerged first and second runners up in the Fuji category and carted away Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira and Five Hundred Thousand Naira respectively, while Adeniyi Temitope and Yomi Bright emerged first and second runners up in the Juju category and also went home with Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira and Five Hundred Thousand Naira each.
Other contestants in both Fuji and Juju category who made it to the final this year received consolation prizes of One Hundred Thousand Naira each.
Franco Maria Maggi, Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc congratulated the winners and implored them to be good ambassadors of the platform, Ariya Repete, which has brought them to the limelight. “Congratulating you will not be enough, but I must enjoin you to be good ambassadors of this platform that seeks to discover and promote indigenous Yoruba music genres that has made you the newest Fuji and Juju superstars in Nigeria,” he said.
He challenged the other contestants to keep alive their dreams saying that they are all winners and must remain good ambassadors that should represent their musical passions in a positive light.
Fuji legend, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM1) used the occasion to acknowledge the success of Ariya Repete in its maiden edition saying that Nigerian Breweries has proved her capability of growing an entire music industry in Nigeria.
“To those of you that bring Fuji and Juju music back to reckoning, the industry thanks you. I hereby use Ariya Repete platform to commend Nigerian Breweries for their immense support to boost the industry that will preserve the cultural heritage of our people,” he affirmed.
It was a night filled with spectacle and musical excitement as the contestants and legendary artistes kept the audience excited by their magical performances.
Legendary Juju icon, King Sunny Ade, Pasuma Wonder, Taye Currency and pop star, Adekunle Gold all created an exhilarated euphoria that kept the crowd glued to their positions for over seven hours of undiluted entertainment that spiced up the night and lit up the city of Ibadan.
With Ariya Repete, Goldberg continues to bring to its consumers the best of Fuji and Juju music, two indigenous Yoruba music genres, aimed at promoting the culture of the people of South Western Nigeria, in line with the brand’s 3-point agenda of culture, respect and enjoyment.
