By Nseobong Okon-Ekong
The Igbo highlife music talent hunt which started two months ago has entered the quarter final stage with seven dance groups and 14 singers ready to fight for a place in the final. The HiLife Fest is sponsored by Life lager continental beer.
The fest is a reflection of Life beer’s commitment to preserving and promoting the cultural values of Igbos through traditional Igbo highlife music.
The music competition will hold in Aba after moving around select Southeast states. Aba is home to Bright Chimezie and many other delectable highlife music icons.  The quarter final of the Hi-life fest will hold at CS Park, Aba on Sunday, May 20. Some of the artistes expected to perform include the Obiligbo Brothers, Tipsy Kelvano, 2017 Hilife Fest King Chibest David and superstar Highlife music sensation, Flavor N’abania.
The quarter finals will be an interesting medley of the best of highlife music and cultural dance. From the singers, the judges will be looking out for gripping renditions steeped in soulful vocals touching on social issues and moral values. Whereas the dancers will be expected to tell a story with every dance move matched with the beats of Igba, calibrated pitch of Oja, percussive tunes of Ogene and rhythmic sound of Ekwe. At the end, 10 singers and five dance groups will advance to the semifinal stage.
