Whizkid Emmanuel Motirolaoluwa (sixth from left), flanked by other winners.

 By Nehru Odeh

Six-year-old Emmanuel Motirolaoluwa has been discovered as a music genius ready to take the world by storm. The kid, who is adept at playing drums and keyboard was unveiled at a music talent hunt to mark the ninth edition of the Music Minds get-together and Christmas party on Sunday 8 December 2024 in Yaba, Lagos.

The music talent hunt was part of the Legacy Project organized by the Music Minds, a group of music lovers from all streams of endeavours who came together nine years ago in Lagos, Nigeria to form it.

L-R Tunde Fagbenle, Tee Mac Iseli,.Prince Yemisi Shyllon

Guests present at the event included former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Segun Osoba, who is the Chairman of the Music Minds group; Philanthropist and largest art collector in Africa Prince Yemisi Shyllon: Veteran broadcaster and advertising guru Dele Adetiba: Leader of Prime Quest Band, Mr Yinka Alakija; veteran journalist and columnist Mr Tunde Fagbenle; and renowned flautist Tee Mac Iseli.

The contestants performing.

However, the interesting thing about Music Minds is that it started as a WhatsApp group and has over the years grown, like the proverbial mustard seed, to nurture music talents and leave legacies.

Emmanuel, who reduced so much confidence, maturity and dexterity, emerged as the winner in both the Drums and Keyboard categories, beating other older contestants. There were other winners in the Saxophone, and Guitar categories.

Still, an intriguing thing about the contestants is that they were between the ages of six and thirteen and they displayed exceptional talents that day, performing to the admiration of guests.

Ten-year-old Poopola Oluwafolajinmi won the Saxophone category. Oluwajeyito Jeremiah (11 years old) and  Okonta Simon David (13 years old) were first and second runners up respectively.

Six-year-old Emmanuel Motirolaoluwa was the winner of the Keyboard category. Thirteen-year-old Adegboye Abolade and eight-year-old Olaleye Darasinmi were first and second runners up respectively.

Again, six-year-old Emmanuel Motirolaoluwa was the winner of the Drums category.   10-year-old Adegboye Samuel and 11- 11-year-old Gabriel Pamileri were first and second runners-up up respectively.

Tee Mac Itsueli and Patrick Doyle.

Eleven-year-old Omole Chidera was the winner of the Guitar category. While nine-year-old Ibiyemi Oreoluwa Esther and 11-year-old Olughenga Olufemi Olufunke were first and second runners up respectively.

It was indeed an evening of music, of dance, of nostalgia, of merriment and of networking. Prime Quest Band owned by Mr Yinka Alakija performed classical highlife music, evoking sweet memories.

Mr Patrick Doyle, a veteran broadcaster who anchored the show, set the ball rolling with a speech spiced up with jokes and anecdotes. According to Doyle, since the Music Minds was formed nine years ago, it’s an annual get-together and Christmas gets better every year.

Doyle also referenced the Legacy Project of the Music Minds, which was kick-started last year in order to discover and nurture music prodigies.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the ninth edition of the Music Minds Christmas get-together. Last year, a unique project was added to the mix. And that is the Legacy Project of the Music Minds where young talents are nurtured and launched into a life of music, melody and all the good things that come to people who love and practise music. Today will not be an exception because the second edition of the Legacy Project initiated for the development of young musical talents will be taking place,” Doyle said.

Mr Yinka Alakija.

The veteran broadcaster also spoke about Prime Quest Band that regaled the audience with classical highlife music ranging from Onyeka Onyeka’s ‘One Love to E.T Mensah’s ‘All For You.’

“This is the Yinka an Alakija Prime Quest Band. This band has consistently been providing good music to members of the Music Minds over the years. But it has a mission and that is to rejuvenate, reinvigorate and give all of us a good sense of classical highlife music.  Over the years they have re-recorded and remastered many of our classic high-life tunes of days of yore.

Dele Adetiba, for his part, welcomed the guests to what he called a family gathering. “This is supposed to be a formal welcome. There is nothing formal about this evening at all. This is a family. We got together nine years ago and we’ve been together since then.

Aremo Segun Osoba and Yinka Alakija.

“This is the Legacy Project where we discover musicians and encourage them. That started last year. This is the second edition and one of the highlights of our get-together from last year. I welcome all our friends who have made it a point of duty to be here every time of the year,” Adetiba noted.

Prince Yemisi Shyllon, Chairman of the Legacy Project, in his speech, used the opportunity to thank members of the Music Minds for their contributions to the growth and success of the group.

“We have a lot of surprises for you today,” Shyllon said. “One of our discoveries is six-year-old Emmanuel Motirolaoluwa who plays the drum perfectly and is also a guitarist. We also have an eight-year-old.

“The whole essence is for us to be productive socially and not just meet and greet. While talking about that we are begging everybody to contribute a little bit. This is not how far we want to go. We want to discover young musicians. We want to help them. And part of that help we are beginning to achieve by being part of the Legacy Group.

Dele Adetiba and Prince Yemisi Shyllon.

“But please we need help. We don’t need help only for money  We need help for effort and time.  If you are a Christian know that giving is the best thing you can achieve in life.  And giving does not have to be money. Giving can be time and effort. But if you give us money we would be most grateful. We want people to join us at the Legacy Group and take our meetings very seriously,” Shyllon maintained.

Still, another interesting highlight of the get-together was when Shyllon while commending the Managing Director of Premier Music, Mr Mike Odion for supporting last year’s winners, announced that he (Odion) would combine the winners of the two editions of the talent hunt to produce a medley.

“We’re going to do Tosin Jegede’s music. But we’ll update it. It’s going to be a medley you will all be proud of,” Shyllon averred.

Prime Quest Band performing.

The philanthropist cum art collector also motivated the talented kids, saying that they are all stars.

“Young children there is something that we have that we want you to learn from it. We believe in giving. We believe in giving happiness to others and in the process get happiness from it.  When you grow up try to be like us. Whatever success you make in life, remember those who need help. And God Almighty will bless your effort. You will grow to become stars,” Shyllon noted.

The high point of the ceremony came when the winners of the talent hunt were presented with certificates. They also went home with cash prizes.

Guests who presented certificates to the winners included Aremo, Segun Osoba, Tee Mac Iseli, Mr Dele Adetiba, Prince Yemisi Shyllon, and his wife Oloori Funmilayo Shyllon. And Ms Bunmi Sofola.

Tee Mac Iseli also used the opportunity to advise the young contestants. “There is no shortcut. There is a little secret. And the secret is: Before you rehearse, do a little prayer or meditate. By so doing you learn much faster and your brain remembers,” he said.

The Prime Quest Band’s seemingly endless renditions of classic highlife music indeed signalled the end of the glorious ninth edition of the Music Minds group get-together and Christmas party.