Hive Open Mic Week 142 || All We Do Is Win; Funaab Got Talent 2022

It's winter again (harmattan here), and it's so chilly already. I don't have a song this week, just as I don't have plans for the holidays 😂. But, there is something I'd love to share with my Hive family as a way of saying thanks to everyone for a wonderful year.

Every year, there's a talent hunt held in my university. I participated once about 3 years ago, but I didn't know to stay hydrated during this dry season, and a sore throat dropped me from the game. This year, I saw the flier last month and decided on the registration deadline. I wanted to keep my options open so if I eventually felt like participating, I wouldn't regret not registering when it was available. Thanks to my friend @monioluwa, he made sure I didn't bail on registering 😂. At the time I registered, he was the only one aware. During the first audition, my roommates learned about my decision. I had all yeses on the first audition, but I wasn't sure I'd continue any longer because I was super shy and my voice was quavering at some point, and the next audition was going to be at the motion ground! That meant everybody had access to the venue; everyone would see us. I almost freaked out at that point. My roommate had to remind me of the efforts I put in already. That made me feel like going, but I was pretty sure I wouldn't qualify because I didn't know how to face the crowd.

En-haddah is a name I've always admired. It means Well of Gladness.
Why En-haddah? I wanted a name that wouldn't make anyone guess it's me, I'd forgotten we'd use pictures also 🤦🏾‍♀️😂

We were asked to bring friends along for support, so I just had to inform some of my friends already. It wasn't easy, but I did it, and they came through. I learned that day that support from people you love helps with nervousness. I'm usually embarrassed to sing in front of these people, but knowing they were there helped boost my confidence, but this girl still forgot the lyrics. I was still so flustered that I forgot my lyrics; fortunately, I didn't have to sing for long. I got all yeses at this stage too, despite my shyness, which one of the judges corrected at the first audition. It was after this stage that the real work began.

We proceeded to the finals, and we were paired. At the finals, there would be two disqualifying stages: one with your partner and one with you alone before the final of the finals. I was paired with two great singers, and I knew there was little work for me. We had our first rehearsal on Saturday, the 10th of December, and I had a fun time. It was really amazing to bond with everyone. I laughed so hard there were tears in my eyes—that's a rare sight 😂. The next rehearsal was scheduled for Monday, December 12th. The instrumentalists didn't show up, and most of us were pissed because it was a waste of time. I was more pissed because I realized I was going to have a new partner because her partner dropped out of the competition. That was like starting over for me, but for her sake, I had to keep my cool. We were allowed to pick our song due to the peculiarities of the situation; that wasn't easy, but we did it.

There was another rehearsal on Wednesday; it was supposed to be a vigil, but security issues around the school currently made them change plans. In summary, we still had rehearsals up until the morning of the competition, which was on Friday, December 16th. I was not happy about the situation at all. @chosenfingers and @mayorkeys tried helping with rehearsals, but there was no time at all.

By Thursday, I was ready to drop everything and continue enjoying my life because I'd never been so stressed in my entire life. I wanted a grand dress, but I couldn't design one because of time, so I decided to use a makeshift petticoat. Lo and behold, the young lady I paid ruined my dress. I wasn't allowing it to get to me, so I asked her to fix it. When I reconsidered, I recognized that that might be a bigger disaster so I asked her to just undo it, I'd pay for the stress. Her rudeness caught me off guard. She asked me to undo it myself and send my account details so she could refund my money. Twas like a blow to my face. Here's someone I've never exchanged words with, just pleasantries. I tried being calm and explaining the situation, promising to pay her for the stress, but she said she didn't need my money. I was hurt and angry. The whole stress just came rushing at me. Hard Girl cried that day. She later came to explain herself, but I wasn't interested. I just asked her to do whatever she wanted and return my dress. My roommate, also a stylist just had to direct her on what to do. I still had to fix it up myself using pins and good ironing.

A friend of mine came around at that moment, and I'll never forget her for a long time. She assisted me with things I hadn't prepared for the competition, which relieved me of a lot of stress. I left for rehearsals with my glasses because I didn't want unnecessary questions about my puffy eyes. I guess I needed the tears, because I didn't feel bad after that. not even when I didn't get to rehearse one of my songs. I went to the competition with the consolation that I was going to enjoy myself and clap for the winners. I was already apologizing to my friends and family in my head because I wasn't going to kill myself. Another lesson, don't be ashamed to cry, it's sometimes what you need.

All this while, my manager was constantly in touch. In fact, we cried together. He sent the tears virtually. On Friday morning, something happened. If I had been a minute late, it would have altered the course of my entire life. Perhaps I'll share that someday, but that day made me grateful to the Holy Spirit and to God for the gift of friends. That happening made me late to the competition, but I wasn't a bit anxious.

It wasn't just a competition; it was a series of little victories for me. I learned to trust; I learned to cry; I learned to hear God; I learned to cope outside my comfort zone; and I learned to persevere and enjoy the process. Most of all, I learned to share the process with people around me, not just the victories. It was the perfect Christmas gift.

At the end of the competition, I emerged as the first runner-up. It was a close call, but I didn't have enough votes (the voting process was super tedious, and I didn't stress it enough to my friends).

It was a great competition, I met several awesome people, and I learned the power of friendships.

Thanks to Hive, I had support from great friends like @mayorkeys, @bobbydones, even @josediccus was ready to bring the fan base from Lagos😂. @chosenfingers is the best manager you can ever get; you don't get a chance to think about giving up. In fact, he had a buyer ready for the land prize even before we got it. And, thanks to @olujay, the video above will give you a taste of the competition. If you ever need a cheerleader, Olujay is the best there is; don't look too far 😂 (you can tell from the videos). @babymoyin and @joshuajessie were there to share the moment as well. You all are amazing people 🤗❤.

Finally, big thanks to Hive Open Mic; you all make me confident in my music and have been instrumental in my growth. I once asked @obaro how he keeps getting better, and he said he does nothing special, just the usual Hive videos, I now understand and can say the same. All songs I did for the competition were influenced by my entries here. I never imagined being brave enough to rap in front of a crowd. Thank you, Hive Open Mic; it's been a ride 😌❤.