By Walter Wilson Nana
Buea, Cameroon.
16-year-old Sarah Mussango and the youngest candidate from Yaoundé, was recently crowned winner of the first season of African reality TV show ‘Number One Girl.’
She takes home US$5000 and a trip to South Africa, where she will feature in the music video of the song Number One Girl by Wax Dey featuring Nigerian singer, Dontom.
The reality TV show – ‘Number One Girl’ is the idea of Cameroonian-born but South African based, Wax Dey, to launch his same-titled single and first urban album. In the past three months, Canal 2 International, a private TV station in Douala, Cameroon, has been airing the show ‘Number One Girl’ with 20 girls on the set, competing and exploiting other aspects of their talents.
Wax Dey & Sarah Mussango winner of number one girl.
20 ladies between the ages of 16 and 30 were chosen from auditions across Cameroon. They entered into ‘the house’ at Seme Beach Hotel, where they had to co-habit and compete against each other in a series of tasks to avoid elimination.
Mussango made the difference from co-finalist Murielle Mengong, also from Yaoundé, to take the lead. She has also earned a recording deal with Lolhiphop Records, and her first single, ‘Share Your Love’ is due for release in Cameroon this week.
(L-R) Dbanj Wax Dey and Ikechukwu in a backstage scene.
“I’m really excited,” Mussango told journalists. “Things are happening so fast. I not only have the cash, I also have a single, and my first video shoot is in a few days. Wax Dey has been very understanding, and has agreed to work with me on establishing my dream, the Diamond Association, through which I want to develop the talents of young people like myself, to encourage and enable them to achieve their dreams”, she added.
The show went beyond choosing a video girl based on her physical beauty. It set out to help aspiring artistes develop their talents and self-confidence, and to ultimately create a likeable public figure with character and charisma.
The song Number One Girl has also become a hit on the playlist of pan-African reality TV show, Big Brother Africa – THE CHASE.
Auditions for ‘Number One Girl’ Season 2 kick off in February 2014 in Lagos, Johannesburg and Douala.
‘Number One Girl’ Season 1 was sponsored by Hotel Seme Beach (official sponsor), Riverr Soy, Beaufort Light, Biopharma, Croket, Seme Water, Big Gum, and Sophin Sarl.
Born Nde Ndifonka, Wax Dey is a graduate in Law from the University of Buea. He is a son from the Northwest Region of Cameroon.
