Entertainment
FirstBank’s The Voice Nigeria Season 3 Holds Second Live Show
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By Israel Bolaji
Eight contestants survived the heat and are up for viewers’ votes as The Voice Nigeria, Season 3, held its second live show over the weekend. This followed energetic performances of various songs and display of raw talents by vocalists in a bid to outdo one another as the world class talents reality series glitters to the grand finale.
To keep your favourite contestants on the show, viewers have to vote by dialing *894*7*talent’s code#.
Full details of the voting code of all contestants can be gotten in the video clip below:
Four talents, including Kitay Naomi Mac, Eazzie and Esther, who were earlier saved by the four celebrity coaches cum judges following the first live show were joined by four other saved by viewers out of the eight up for votes. The lucky ones were Anu, Dapo, Nuel Ayo and Kpee who returned to team Yemi, Falz, Waje and Darey respectively for a chance to perform courtesy of viewers’ votes as verified and endorsed by the highly respected KPMG.
Toeseen, Tamara, Inioluwa, and Jeremiah have now dropped out of the very intense competition.
The last eight contestants all performed during the second live show to the excitement of coaches and a small audience in compliance with Covid-19 protocols. Following the show, all eight now depend on the viewers’ votes as the coaches can no longer save anyone and only the top six with the highest votes will perform at the third live show.
Meanwhile, all eight talents gave great accounts of their artistry with scintillating performances of various songs at the second live show.
It was team Yemi that opened the second live show kicking off with a natural performer, Kitay with a cultural performance of “Ada Ada” by Flavour followed by the soprano singer Anu with an assertive delivery of “This is Me” by The Greatest Showman.
Team Falz then took over the stage first with Naomi Mac who wowed the audience with an emotional delivery of Whitney Houston’s classic “I Will Always Love You” followed by Dapo who sang Dbanj’s “Fall In Love”.
It was soon Team Waje’s turn to dazzle with Eazzie’s soulful performance of “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner, then Nuel Ayo delivering Asa’s inspirational song “Eye Adaba”.
Esther’s beautiful rendition of The Greatest Showman’s “Never Enough” ushered in Team Darey, followed by Kpee’s awesome close out with Rema’s dance song “Lady” which got all judges on their feet.
With an electrifying mix of pulsating musical performances, music training, glamorous fashion and life enriching entertainment, the The Voice Nigeria 3 continues to dazzle to the very grand finale.
Scores of vocalists have performed on the highly competitive show but dropped out going through the Auditions, Blinds, Knockouts, Battles and Live Show stages.
Lead show sponsor, FirstBank in a statement by its Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Folake Ani-Mumuney, reiterated that The Voice Nigeria 3 is a Reality TV show designed to discover and promote talented singers to actualise their dreams of becoming international stars which aligns with FirstBank’s commitment to providing a platform for nurturing and showcasing talents and driving social cohesion.
The Financial giant added that its support for The Voice Nigeria 3 is a demonstration of its commitment to contributing to the projected revenue of US$86m by 2021 from Nigeria’s music industry aimed at promoting a diversified economy in line with the Federal Government’s diversification policy.
So what are you waiting for, get voting so your favourite is among the six victorious vocalists with the highest votes that would be expected to perform selected songs and keep hope alive for the third live show billed for this Saturday.
More details on the show is on https://www.firstbanknigeria.com/the-voice-nigeria/
Entertainment
Actor Gene Hackman, Wife Found Dead in Their Home in New Mexico
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Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their home in New Mexico along with their dog, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office told CNN. He was 95.
Their causes of death have not been confirmed, but foul play is not suspected, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Denise Womack-Avila told CNN on Thursday morning.
Deputies responded to a welfare check request at the home around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday and found Hackman, Arakawa and a dog deceased, Womack-Avila said. An investigation is ongoing, the sheriff’s office said. The gas company is assisting in the investigation, The Associated Press reported.
The welfare check was conducted after a neighbor called authorities, concerned about the couple’s well-being, CNN affiliate KOAT reported.
A search warrant shows that Hackman, his wife and their dog had been dead for some time, and the couple’s bodies were in different rooms when deputies found them during the wellness check, the AP reported.
Hackman was found dead Wednesday in a mudroom, and Arakawa was found dead in a bathroom next to a space heater. There was an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on the countertop near Arakawa, the AP reported.
Medical examiner’s reports with the final cause of death “generally take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to generate,” said Chris Ramirez, spokesperson for the New Mexico medical investigator’s office.
CNN has reached out to Hackman’s representatives.
The actor’s death comes just days before the Academy Awards on Sunday.
Hackman’s performances in such films as “The French Connection,” “Hoosiers,” “Unforgiven,” and “The Firm” elevated character roles to leading-man levels.
Hackman’s best roles were often of conflicted authority figures or surprisingly clever white-collar villains, such as the iconic, evil Lex Luthor in the “Superman” film series in the 1970s and ’80s. Many held a hint – sometimes more than a hint – of menace.
He won an Oscar for his portrayal in 1971’s “The French Connection” of New York cop Popeye Doyle, a detective who gets his man but at a high cost. His surveillance expert in 1974’s “The Conversation” is single-minded to the point of obsession, losing all perspective.
He won his second Oscar for his performance as Little Bill Daggett, the violent sheriff in Clint Eastwood’s 1992 film, “Unforgiven.”
Source: CNN
Entertainment
Glo-sponsored African Voices Features Patoranking
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Nigerian music star, Patoranking, is guest this week on the Glo-sponsored African Voices, the magazine programme of the Cable News Network (CNN) International.
He will share the story of how he rose from the slums of Lagos to global fame to host of the programme, Larry Madowo.
The programme will equally host Ghanaian Derrick Cobinnah, who has been using his “Forces Help Africa” to turn round for good the fortunes of Ghanaian war veterans.
Patoranking, whose full name is Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie, hails from Onicha in Ebonyi State. He was born in Lagos on 27 May 1990. He is a Nigerian Afrobeats and reggae-dancehall singer and songwriter who starred out in life as a street musical performer.
He has won notable awards including Headies, Vodafone Ghana Music Awards as well as the MTV Africa Music Award in recognition of his hit albums including God Over Everything (2016), Wilmer (2019), Three (2020) and World Best which was released last year.
Patoranking has used his wealth and his position as a UNDP Regional goodwill ambassador to champion the cause of youth development in Nigeria.His counterpart, Derrick Cobinnah, has been employing his Forces Help Africa, a non-government organisation to render help and support to war veterans who are sick, injured, displaced or destitute.
The current edition of African Voices started airing on DSTV Channel 401 om Saturday, with repeats coming up on Sunday at 7p.m. and at 4 a.m. on Monday.
Entertainment
Behold the Prophetess: DJ Cuppy Foretells End of Singlehood in 2025 As Nigerians Offer Advice
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Disc Jockey, DJ Cuppy, has prophesied that Valentine’s Day 2025 will be her last one as an unmarried woman.
The 32-year-old, in a post on X, expressed faith in God to help her get a husband.
“Happy #ValentinesDay to me! Manifesting that this is my last one unmarried… Lord, do your thing!” she wrote.
There have been diverse reactions to her post. While some professed love to her, others dished out unsolicited advice and even made recommendations for life partners.
Ogunniyi Taiwo (@tcarz45) wrote: “Baby come let me give you love unconditionally.”
Another X user “SanTa ExqCobar”≠ (@SanTaExqCobar) commented: “If na bad character make you never marry, change am. Happy Val.”
Mr Gibenny (@mrgibenny) suggested: “@uchecrypt is single @cuppymusic. @Crypto__hub is single @cuppymusic. Choose either of them, you won’t regret it.”
Mezie Abia (@MezieAbia) had this advice for Cuppy: “I hope you do realize that the Lord will not find husband for you? Go out there and make use of your woman skills to lure a man who will stick with you. We can’t have a good number of handsome and single men roaming the cities, and you’re always worrying and disturbing Lord to do His thing every damn year.
“Heaven helps those who help themselves, therefore, make a haste while the sun shines (sic).”
Olubunmi Aro (@bummiearo) wrote: “Don’t be under any pressure to marry please.”
Sulucious (@sulucious) asked Cuppy to marry him. “Let get married, na you they fine who get money,” he wrote.
DJ Cuppy announced her relationship with British boxer, Ryan Taylor, in December 2022.
After getting to know each other for 25 days, she disclosed that they got engaged.
However, after un-following one another on Instagram in July 2023, the couple gave rise to rumour that they were no longer together.
Cuppy later opened up about the failed relationship while recounting the setbacks in her life at an event.
Born as Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola, DJ Cuppy is the daughter of billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola.