This week’s Stanza 9 of the Hymnodia reality TV show took a different dimension when the remaining nine hymntestants (contestants) had popular hymns translated and rendered in Pidgin English as the race for the ASAPH gets hotter at the Hymnstitute.
The novelty of hearing hymns in pidgin performed with such consistent dexterity elicited ovation from the audience as each Hymntestant came and went from the magnificent stage.
The combination of tones and ranges had further a sensational twist with the hymntestants showcasing their talents by adding additional twists of jazz, afrobeat and indigenous music styles to their musical arrangements. The stanza also witnessed the first Faculty Day of Hymnodia season one, and the pidgin bug of the hymntestants, also the judges who expressed their delight in the same language.
This week’s (Stanza 9) episode of the show had hymns rendered in Pidgin English. Hymns performed included Na Me Be Bread of Life, Shawa of Blessings Go Full Ground, Ten Tauzand Angels, Jesus Must Hear Me, and Hail My Jesus. Others were E dey Alive, Dis Na My Yarn o, No waka Pass Me, and Who E be.
Abigael Nnadi and Olumide Dada were adjudged the top two performers for Stanza 9 in what the judges described as a very tight contest. The hymntestants on probation for the stanza are Blessing Agu, Mobolanle Oladimeji, Uduakobong Akpan and Juliet Nwabia. Elimination on Hymnodia is by public votes and the process is audited by the reputable firm of Gbenga Badejo & Co.
Other hymntestants still remaining in the hunt for the ASAPH are Kenneth Ekhuemelo, Jemine Edukugho and Rachael Darley.
The reality TV show, which will climax on April 24, 2019, will reward the winner with the Asaph (a specially designed award named after David’s chief musician), a brand-new car and N5 million.
Hymnodia commenced airing in February 3 as a one-hour programme on Lagos Television (Channel 256 on DSTV, Channel 90 on GOtv and Channel 118 on Startimes) with a magazine show on same channels on Thursday evening. It is also streamed live online via the LTV App available on the app store and on the dedicated YouTube channel, Hymnodiahq.
According to Kufre Ekanem, Managing Director of Philosoville Limited, initiators of Hymnodia, “we are pleased to announce that, Hymnodia will now show on eight additional stations around the country. They are GITV, Kaduna; Anambra Broadcasting Service, Onitsha; Ondo State Radio/TV, Akure; ITV, Abuja; Cross River TV, Calabar; Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation (AKBC); Kwara TV, Ilorin and Plateau Radio TV, Jos. All the stations will show Hymnodia on the same days (Sunday and Thursday) but at different times”.
