Vanessa Obioha
The US Consulate has welcomed American recording artist and songwriter Maya Azucena as a co-producer of the upcoming Nigerian reality TV show, ‘Stars and Legends.’
Known for her invaluable industry experience and passion for nurturing emerging talent, the U.S. Consulate is confident that Maya will play a pivotal role in shaping the contestants’ journeys as they embark on a quest for success in Nigeria’s vibrant entertainment industry.
“We are excited to welcome Maya Azucena to Nigeria for the first time and collaborate with ‘Stars and Legends’ to empower budding talents looking to break into the entertainment business,” says U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Officer Joe Kruzich in a statement. “This collaboration underlines the U.S. government’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship in Nigeria’s vibrant arts and creative industries.”
Maya has toured over 40 countries including Tanzania, South Africa and Lesotho and has collaborated with stars from Croatia, Turkey, Italy, and India; notably performing on a Grammy Award-winning collaboration with Jamaican-American musician, Stephen Marley.
In addition to producing and hosting many live shows in America, Maya is also a published writer, and has lent her voice to themes of women and youth empowerment with songs like ‘Fearless,’ ‘Prettiest’ and her latest, ‘I Am Enough.’
“’Stars and Legends’ will be more than just another talent show,” says Maya. “It will celebrate Nigeria’s young entrepreneurs and nurture universal business skills through the arts. This will help to create an enabling environment for them to excel and reach their full potential.”
Supported by the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos, the reality TV show is set to captivate Nigerian audiences and inspire aspiring creative industry talents from across the country.
Maya will work with the Creator/Executive Producer of ‘Stars and Legends’ reality TV show, Samuel Peterson, alongside leading Nigerian artists like renowned flutist and former President of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria, Dr. Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli; and celebrated singer, producer and songwriter Cobhams Asuquo. Together, they will conduct the ‘Stars and Legends’ “Becoming” Masterclass at the University of Lagos for college students.
The overarching objective of the workshops, scheduled to begin on October 6, is to equip participants with the skills, knowledge, and opportunities required to thrive in the competitive creative industry. ‘Stars and Legends’ is currently in pre-production and will be rolling out the “Audition Phase” of the TV show soon. Young Nigerians aged 18 to 30 are eligible to partake in the show.
On October 14, there will be a “Maya Azucena with Stars and Legends” concert at Terra Kulture in Lagos with a special guest performance by the Nigerian Army Band and a host of other Nigerian artists.
