“I was shoved out of the band” was how Ajumoke Nwaeze a.k.a AJ began her story, when asked what led to her exit from the Diamondz band and why she went in for the Idols reality show.
“I was in Idols as AJ. The AJ in Diamonds was lost in the band. She didn’t have an identity.
I’m young and I tried to be adventurous but the guys wouldn’t have none of that.
They said if I participated in another competition I should consider myself as having left the group.
I told some Nigerian Breweries officials and they said the decision of the group was binding. So I had to leave”
But did her leaving the band to bid for honours bring the expected succour?
At last week’s result show, it was a shocker for many to see the talented singer leave the competition.
“I’m excited about being in the competition, but if there was anyone I thought would have made it, it will be AJ and Godson.
Godson, because he has real depth and AJ because she really has control”, Zoe the sixth contestant to make it to the top 10 phase said minutes after she was announced the contestant with the highest number of votes in group three.
Before now, the 22 year old singer who is a 300 level undergraduate of Genetics and Biology was a member of ‘Diamondz‘-the 2008 winners of popular talent show Star Quest and had gone on to perform with them at tours and shows.
“She always wanted a solo career for herself, and saw Idols as an opportunity to make this happen. Other members of the band didn’t approve of this, so she had to leave the group, the house they all lived in and refused to play Star Mega Jam last year”, a source tells NET.
Nwaeze dedicated two of her renditions to one of the judges, Jeffery Daniel. During her audition in Calabar, she sang with a guitar and devoted the song to Jeffery. “He will be my sweet love today” she said to co host Misi back stage minutes before performing on Sunday January 2, 2010.
“Cool little AJ, from the day you sang to me with a guitar in Calabar, you have grown. It’s really good to see a lot come out from that cute little body of yours” Jeffery Daniel said amidst cheering from the crowd after AJ’s performance of Anita Baker’s ‘Sweet Love’.
Four days later, at the result show, everyone was shocked to hear Co host Anis announce AJ as one of the contestants who will be leaving the competition. Amidst murmurs and mutters, she left the stage. But it was the same AJ that was a shoulder for the seven other contestants, explaining to them that it was not the end of the world and that they should be happy for the opportunity.
“It is true I left my band to be a part of the competition, and even though I didn’t make it, Nigerian Idol has exposed me to a lot of things, it’s not the end of the world, I am ready to launch my solo career and I am so sure that I will succeed. It’s the beginning of new things for me”, AJ disclosed