The Voice Nigeria… Triumphant Idyl gets SUV, all-expense paid trip to UAE

Following his success story at the just concluded second edition of The Voice Nigeria, Daniel Diongoli, popularly known as Idyl, has been presented with an SUV by the organisers and sponsors of the show. The formal presentation ceremony held at the Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos, was witnessed by members of the media, with lead sponsors Airtel Nigeria and Coca Cola, as well GAC motors. The event also saw Idyl receive his all-expense paid ticket to Abu Dhabi courtesy Ajala.ng.

Originally launched in 2010, The Voice has won audiences in the US, Australia, South Africa and the UK, where renowned artistes have occupied the show’s famous red chairs as coaches. The second season of the show followed the success of the first season and employed the same format including a panel of four respected coaches, Waje, Yemi Alade, Patoranking and the winning coach, Timi Dakolo.

Speaking at the press conference, the Head of Public Relations, M-Net West Africa, Efosa Aiyevbomwan said, “We are extremely delighted with the success of The Voice Nigeria. It’s the second season and we are thrilled with the outcome. For three months, Nigerians and indeed the rest of the continent were treated to the best entertainment on television with our amazing coaches and contestants putting their best feet forward. Today we celebrate Idyl, who is undoubtedly a deserving winner and in the same vein thank our sponsors whose support made the show possible.”

While thanking the organisers, sponsors, fellow contestants and viewers at home, who voted for him, excited Idyl said, “It has always been my dream to do music. The Voice Nigeria has given me the platform to pursue my dreams and I want to assure my fans and all who voted for me that I will not let them down. I plan to do music for a very long time and I am ready to hit the ground running.”

Particularly, Idyl thanked his coach Timi Dakolo for mentoring him and supporting his growth in areas even outside the competition. “From the day I was selected for the show, I decided that Timi Dakolo would be my coach; he’s someone I admire so much. I want to use this opportunity to thank him for bringing the best out of me. He was like my father, brother and mentor; I learned a lot from him,” he enthused.

While addressing the gathering, Dakolo thanked the organisers and sponsors of the show, whilst also congratulating the winner and other contestants for making it to the finals.

“I like success stories; I’m happy that Idly won the competition. But like I told them, you don’t have to win this competition to be the best; the exposure you got for contesting is enough to build your music career. So, to all of you that participated, this is an opportunity to build your career, the world knows you. A lot of people pay millions to get the kind of mileage you got on this show, you must make good use of it,” he said.

On the successful hosting of the show, the Senior Brand Manager, Coca Cola, Soji Omoigui, said: “The Voice Nigeria is Nigeria’s biggest singing competition and after the success of the first season, it was an easy decision to partner with MultiChoice and M-Net for a second season. The production values of the show were exceptional as was the mass following the show garnered over its three month run. At Coca Cola we recognize the importance of entertainment and this easily seen not just from our ongoing support of The Voice Nigeria but also from our various campaigns and other activities like Coke Studio.”

On his part, Ahmad Mokles, the Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, said: “As Nigeria’s smartphone network, Airtel is always excited to enter partnerships that connect the Nigerian youth to their dreams. The Voice Nigeria presented an amazing opportunity to do this and we were more than excited to come on board as lead sponsors. The sponsorship of The Voice Nigeria is yet another example of Airtel’s commitment to empowering young, talented Nigerians like Idyl, a deserving winner who embodies the spirit of youth, passion, skill and perseverance.”

Sunday’s finale took off on a grand note as season one participants, DNA entertained the audience with their hit single, How Can. The audience and viewers were then treated to amazing performances by the various teams and their coaches. After each performance, one contestant from the voting pool was revealed to move to the top four stage.

Yemi Alade, Syemca and Chris Rio performed Yemi Alade’s, Knack Am, while Timi Dakolo, ably supported by Jahtell and Idyl, gave an emotional performance of Timi’s new song Find You There. Up next were Waje, J’Dess and Wow, who performed Waje’s new single In The Air and finally Patoranking, Ebube and Yimika performed Love You Die by Patoranking. The final four contestants revealed were Syemca, Idyl, Wow and Ebube.

Syemca from #TeamYemiAlade took to the stage with his rendition of Back to the Matter by Maleek Berry ft WizKid, while Ebube from #TeamPatoranking performed Come Closer by WizKid. Up next for the evening was Idyl from #TeamTimi, who gave an amazing performance singing You Suppose Know by Bez ft Yemi Alade, while Wow from #TeamWaje gave a very entertaining rendition of ‘Fada Fada’ by Phyno.

Following these performances was the next phase of the voting results; Wow came in fourth place, while Syemca came in third. Which left Ebube and Idyl in the Top 2. The Top 2 took to the stage next to give their final performances on the show.

Idyl took the first slot and gave an emotional rendition of John Legend’s, This Time, while Ebube performed Celine Dion and R Kelly’s, I Am Your Angel. The DNA twins subsequently returned to the stage singing their new single, Queen.The climax of the evening came as the host IK announced Idyl from Team Timi as the winner, with Ebube coming second.