This Is Why Sauti Sol’s Bien And ‘Chips Funga’ Singer Have Been Regularly Flying In And Out Of Nigeria (Photos)

Sauti Sol’s Bien and Anto Neo Soul have frequented Nigeria thanks to the Africa’s most entertaining reality competition, TECNO Own The Stage.

The maiden season of TECNO Own The Stage, Africa’s first televised karaoke competition, started out not with the 15 contestants from Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania who converged on Lagos for the contest, but with the thousands of would-be contestants who thronged the various audition venues in those three countries for a shot at stardom.

It was thereafter the job of the judges at these audition centres to prune the number to a manageable 15 to contest for the star prize of $25,000, a recording deal, and a brand new TECNO Phantom 5 smartphone.

But if selecting the 15 was a tough task, an even tougher one awaited the three judges selected for the finals in Lagos.

They were Yemi Alade, M.I. Abaga, and Bien-Aimé Baraza. In addition to the judges, there were also the trio of Anto Neo Soul, A.Y. and I.D. Cabasa, who acted as the contestants’ mentors.

And the judges immediately got down to the business of sorting out the wheat from the chaff by eliminating Vickey, a Nigerian, at the end of Episode Two of TECNO Own The Stage.

By the end of Episode Three, another Nigerian, Chime Carl, had also been eliminated. But the trend of Nigerians getting dumped from the show was interrupted in Episode Four when Banye, a Tanzanian, was eliminated from the race.

And in the very next episode, another Tanzanian, Kechu, was sent packing from the show thus leaving the Kenyans with a numerical advantage over their counterparts from Nigeria and Tanzania.

And the numerical advantage the Kenyans enjoyed got even wider at the end of Episode Six as one each from Nigeria and Tanzania – Gazby and Jeff – were eliminated from the show.

The episode was however the first time viewers caught a glimpse of renowned model and television personality, Vimbai Mutinhiri, as the show’s co-host. Up until then, Uti Nwachukwu had been the show’s sole host but the arrival of the Tanzanian beauty injected more vigour into a show that was already taking over the airwaves in Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania.

By Episode Seven, which was the Christmas edition of TECNO Own The Stage, the nine contestants left on the show were made to perform Christmas themed songs.But not all performed up to the judges’ expectations and they decided to pull a prank on everyone by announcing that the quartet of Nandy, Yubu, Ramar254 and Mary had been evicted from the show.

It was a pronouncement that was greeted with shock and disbelief by everyone, most notably the remaining five contestants who watched on in disbelief. But moments later, shock turned into tranquil calm after Bien announced that it had all been a prank and that no one was getting evicted, especially as it was Christmas.

But that wasn’t the case by the next episode though as the judges sent Tosin, a Nigerian; Zooccu, a Tanzanian; and Yubu, a Kenyan, packing, thus leaving only six contestants to battle for the $25,000 star prize.

By Episode Nine, another Kenyan, Mary, was shown the exit door. And by the end of Episode 10, yet another Kenyan, Ramar254, made a departure from the show.

But there still remained the Kenyan duo of Sikin and Pascal, as well as the Tanzanian, Nandy, and the Nigerian, Shaapera. And it was these four who went all the way to the Grand Finale, even though Yubu, albeit briefly, was recalled to the show in Episode 12.

So it was a sight to behold on the February 7 date of the Grand Finale as after months of competing against some of Africa’s finest talents, and in front of a huge global audience, Shaapera emerged as the maiden winner of TECNO Own The Stage.

It was a culmination of months of hard work for the Nigerian who finished ahead of Nandy, Pascal and Sikin respectively.

Fans across the continent are now looking forward to Season Two but with that still a couple of months away, they can continue to follow the show on

YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbG37SOg6yfKXnD0byZUkUA),

as well as via the show’s social media accounts on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Tecno-Own-The-Stage-1620883718194632/),

Twitter (https://twitter.com/tecnoowndstage)

and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tecnoownthestage/).

Pacal, Sikin, Nandy and Shaapera all progressed to the Grand Finale.

Ramar254 was eliminated in Episode 10.

Shaapera emerged victorious at the end of Season One.

Shaapera emerged victorious at the Grand Finale.

Tosin was eliminated in Episode 8.

Yubu made a brief return in Episode 12 … rom progressing to the Grand Finale.

Bien, Yemi and M.I. were the show’s judges.