Season 5 of the most competitive music reality show in Ghana, the Voice Factory, wrapped up on Saturday, September 16, 2023.
The show, organised by Ghana’s leading television station Citi TV, aims to transform the musical careers of talented contestants from Ghana with a cash prize of GH¢20,000 and a fully paid trip to Dubai at stake kicked off with a two-day audition in May 2023.
Participants all over Ghana, including the Upper East Region, presented a wide range of musical genres, including Rap, Dancehall, Afrobeats, Highlife, Gospel, and Reggae.
After an exhaustive audition process, the final 11 contestants were chosen from an impressive pool of over 200 entrants: Bella, Seyiram, Manuel, Ernest, Titi, Princess, AG Wilson, Kleos, Cielo Bee, Rigwello, and Jerry EL.
The contestants then embarked on a 13-week journey of themed competitions, covering a wide range of musical genres, including reggae/dancehall, rhythm and blues, soul, pop, Afrobeats/hiplife, highlife, inspirational gospel, duets (team-ups), and acoustic night
This extraordinary journey began on Saturday, June 10 at 6:30 PM, exclusively on Citi TV. During the Week three live performance, Kleos was evicted for receiving the least votes.
Although together with Rigwello received the fewest votes, he was let go while the judges saved the latter. But the rules of the show were amended.
The organisers brought the league table format that ranked the contestants based on their votes.
Per the league table addition, Kleos was recalled into the show. His return was announced after the live performance of Week 4 on July 8, 2023.
In the week 11 round of live performances on Saturday, August 26, 2023, the contestants were tasked to face off against each other in a series of duels, where they performed the same song and the judges decided who sang it best.
In the first round, Kleos and Ernest performed “Jesus Take the Wheel”. Kleos started the song, but Ernest’s energy level was lower than Kleos’, so Kleos was declared the winner.I
In the second round, AG Wilson and Seyiram performed “Ordinary People” by John Legend. Seyiram gave a more profound and emotional performance, so she was declared the winner.
In the third round, Manuel, Cielo Bee, and Bella performed “Ensesa” by Akwaboah. Manuel started the song, followed by Bella and then Cielo Bee. Bella gave the most energetic and engaging performance, so she was declared the winner.
In the fourth round, Jerry EL and Titi performed “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke.
The final round saw Princess and Rigwello perform “Kiss From a Rose” by Seal. Princess started the song, and her puissant vocals blew the judges away.
Despite being impressed by the performances of all 11 contestants, Jerry EL’s unwavering performance won the hearts of the judges and earned him the title of Golden Mic Performer for the face-off edition.
The competition got increasingly challenging, with the contestants having to sing more difficult songs and being under more pressure to impress the judges and the audience.
After enduring the grill and thrills of the competition, the final showdown was set. The grand finale was cleaved into two rounds. The first round saw five of the contestants evicted due to having the fewest votes.
Bella, Jerry EL, Rigwello, CieloBee, Ernest and Seyiram advanced to the final round. Cielo Bee was crowned winner of the Voice Factory Season 5.
She triumphed over the ten other consummated contestants after amassing the highest votes and with her unflinching live performances throughout the competition to win the grand prize of GH¢20,000 cash and an all-expense paid trip to Dubai sponsored by Koppan Hospitality.
Gospel superstar Nana Yaw Boakye better known as MOG Music graced the stage as the guest artist of the grand Finale.
In an interview with one of the co-hosts of the competition, Chris Kata, MOG praised the exceptional talent of the contestants.
Fans who filled the Citi TV lounge to watch the grand finale live also commended the contestants.
Here are the five major points that culminated in the success of the Voice Factory season 5
1. Gifted and accomplished contestants
The Voice Factory Season 5 featured some of Ghana’s most talented singers, with diverse vocal styles and a shared passion for music. Their enrapturing performances kept viewers hooked. They were genuine contenders with a realistic chance of winning.
2. Judges with a knack for identifying talent
The Voice Factory judges were Fred Kyei-Mensah (Fredyma), Abiana, and Edinam Bright-Davies. Fredyma is a legendary Ghanaian sound engineer, Abiana is a celebrated Ghanaian singer and songwriter, and Edinam Bright-Davids is a praise and worship singer and a media personality at Citi FM. All three judges are all experienced musicians and vocal coaches.
They have a keen eye for talent, and they are able to give the contestants valuable feedback. This helped the contestants to improve their singing skills, and it also made the show more informative for viewers.
There were instances when guest judges were brought in. These judges were accomplished musicians, such as Tic Tac, Pat Thomas, Akwaboah, Nii Okai, and Perez Musik. Their presence was a valuable asset to the contestants, as they were able to provide expert feedback and guidance.
The contestants were grateful for the opportunity to learn from these legends of the music industry.
3. Golden MIC Performer:
The Golden MIC Performer was a very engaging format. The award is given to the contestant with the most outstanding performance on the night by the judges.
This format motivated the contestants to work extra hard and was very exciting for viewers. Kleos, Bella, AG Wilson, Rigwello and Princess, and Cielo Bee were some of the recipients of the Golden Mic Performer Award.
4. Great production values:
Over the years, Citi FM and Citi TV have really carved a niche for being a major force to reckon with in the events industry.
Over the last 18 years, the media house has never failed to produce top-notch fun-packed events with tickets selling out several hours, if not days, ahead of time.
The Voice Factory was produced to a high standard. The sound quality was excellent, and the visuals were stunning. This made the show a pleasure to watch, and it helped to create a sense of excitement.
Lourdes Alexandra-Oppong and Chris Kata were outstanding co-hosts of the show, delivering their lines eloquently. Music director Nii Quaye was amazing, using his vast knowledge of music to help the contestants improve their vocal dexterity.
5. League Table:
The League Table was a new addition to the show that really made the competition more keen. The table ranks the contestants based on their votes, and it adds an extra layer of suspense to the show.
The show was brought to you by Ebony Condoms, refreshed by Eddys Pizza, with Nalo Solutions as the official voting partner, refreshed by McBerry Twist Cupcake, and sponsored by Koppan Hospitality.
It was powered by Citi TV with support from 97.3 Citi FM, Alisa Hotel, LEENASH Beauty Parlour, and Stitched by Wenia.
These distinguished companies played a vital role in the success of Voice Factory Season 5, and their contributions deserve to be recognized.
