Promising Singer, BamBam, Shares His Experience at ‘Nigerian Idol’

• Talent hunt shows no longer for future stars

The eighth season of one of Nigeria’s reality TV singing competitions, Nigerian Idol, is leaving one of the partakers, a fast-rising singer, Kayode Bamise a.k.a. BamBam, with a sour experience. To Bambam, the talent discovery show fell short of his expectations regarding his brief partaking in the audition when it was unveiled on Tuesday, March 28, 2023.

“I had high a dream applying for the season; I thought it was the greatest opportunity for upcoming singers to realize their dreams, but I was wrong,” BamBam disclosed during an encounter with journalists in Lagos.

BamBam developed a passion for entertainment at a young age, singing in the church and attending music shows before he gained admission into the university where he started making comedy videos and constantly creating good content. However, he said his immediate concern for going for the Nigerian Idol auditioning was not the money, but thirst for fame.

“I really was not after the big wins; cash, car or trip abroad, my long time desire was to find a platform to excel and be known. I saw that opportunity in Nigerian Idol, so I applied to partake,” he expounds.

His words;

“I felt disappointed at the Nigerian Idol because of the way I was treated by the judges. The audition time was supposed to be 9 am and I was already at the venue hours before 9 am. There were other contestants too. So, we waited for the judges to arrive and start the audition but nothing happened. We were still waiting when one of the judges sauntered in around 3pm; a show that was supposed to start at 9am. It was Simi that came first. Then, Mr Obi Asika came around 4pm, and D’banj came around 12 am the second day.

“Some of us who came for the audition left when they had waited and got exhausted. I decided to wait behind because I had my target. So, at 2am the second day, I was called for the audition. But, honestly, by that time I had become weary and exhausted, so I couldn’t do well in my performance. Musically, my voice was sleeping and when I was singing I knew I wasn’t doing well. This was not my fault. I came at the right time but the judges decided to drag it on for almost 24 hours. Yet, we were not given enough time to relax and rearrange. But the judges felt it was NO for me. I really felt bad to have been disqualified after waiting that long, which wasn’t my fault. It was frustrating, disappointing. And I daresay that my disqualification was done unjustly because I came prepared.”

Asked if he would be giving the show another shot next time, Kogi State born, Lagos based Accounting graduate declared it over with Nigerian Idol or any other talent hunt show. According to him, “I’m done with seeking help at talent hunt shows, I am sure I’m going to be bigger in the entertainment industry before the next season. And this is the advice I would offer young entertainment persons like me. They should focus only on their dream and work to be big, not seeking help where there’s none.”

BamBam has announced his preparation to go into entertainment full time, hoping to release some hit songs soon to make a statement.