Last Saturday, the Western regional edition of Nescafe African Revelation contest came of successfully in Takoradi.

As has been the format for the regional shows, two days were spent on auditioning during which 70 groups of three or four singers were screened and the best eight among them were selected for the final.

When on Saturday, the eight mounted the stage one after another, it became clear that the judges were going to have a hard time making their choices of two groups who will represent the region at the national final.

Indeed, those who followed the audition session in Takoradi may have observed from the onset that the contest was going to be tough because of the huge talents that were demonstrated even at that first-day stage.

What has been happening is that contestants who had participated earlier in other regions, but who could not make it to the final, try their luck at other regions.

This means that the judges will not only be saddled with separating the best from such huge numbers like the 70 groups who turned up in Takoradi but they will also be tasked to either once again reject groups they have seen before or let them in.

There doesn’t seem to be an easy way out of the problem because the long queues at the various audition venues so far is an indication that there are many young men and women out there who have talents to exploit but who have no avenues for doing so.

NAR is one good avenue — indeed the only one since the Pleasure music and dance series collapsed a couple of years ago.

The organisers say that the annual Nescafe African Revelation is a talent hunt that seeks to discover and nurture a music group made up of three or four people. Nescafe views music as representing some of the ideals of their product.

“Music is a symbol of dynamism and open mindedness. It represents the same values that Nescafe tries to nurture among its youth-driven target market”, the organisers say.

The preliminary events are being held to precede the final, where a group will be chosen to represent Ghana at the grand final of the West and Central African event scheduled for early next year.

As it was done for the maiden edition of NAR last year, the country has been divided into five zones. Volta, Eastern, Western, Northern and Accra.

At the end of the Takoradi show, two groups, Nkwatanan and Ranking Family emerged winners and they will join 12 O’clock and African Drum (Volta) Key Holders and Nkenten (Eastern) as well as four other groups yet to be selected to vie for the title.