Egbe Alu Dundun has clinched the overall prize in the traditional drumming contest at the Ilorin edition of the Goldberg Excellency Tour on Sunday, February 26, 2017.
The winning band outshone four other finalists at the contest held at Forest Guest Inn, Old GRA, Ilorin and took home a cash prize of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira. Ayanwale band came second and won One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira while Arowolo band took the third position and went home with One Hundred Thousand Naira. The fourth and fifth finalists, Egbe Omo Ayan and Ori Oye also got cash prizes of Fifty Thousand Naira each.
The event, aptly captioned ‘Ilorin Excellent Nite’, created a spectacle for residents and visitors who trooped to the venue to witness a display of creativity in traditional drumming by the five finalists who made it from the audition stage. Originality, stage craft, appearance and presentation were the criteria for selecting the winning groups who dazzled the crowd and judges during the contest.
While speaking at the prize presentation, band leader of Egbe Alu Dundun, Oladosu Babalola, expressed his delight that the Goldberg Excellency Tour stopped at Ilorin to promote local drumming talent which not only advances the culture of the Yoruba people, but also rewards talented youths in the community. “For most of us in this band, this is the first time we will be honored and rewarded with such a prize,’ he said.
Funso Ayeni, Senior Brand Manager, Regional Mainstream Brands, Nigerian Breweries Plc explained that the Excellency Tour will deepen the brand’s identification with the cultural values of the South West people. He congratulated the contestants and applauded their efforts for developing such unique skills and assured them of the brand’s support to always reward local talent. He added that the tour is scheduled for four other cities: Ado-Ekiti; Ikare Akoko; Ile Ife and Benin City.
Pop star, Adekunle Gold was on hand to thrill the excited crowd who could not have enough of his hit songs. His performance sent the crowd into a party mood before the DJ took over, hitting several climaxes as the night wore on.
The Goldberg Excellency Tour is coming on the heels of the unveiling of Goldberg Lager Beer as ‘Your Excellency’ in 2016, and it is in line with showcasing the brand and the unique credentials that position it in a class of its own, away from its peers in the market.
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