A Dartmouth College senior from Portland is about to find out how far his singing talent can take him.
Michael Odokara-Okigbo, a Portland resident who went to Waynflete School, will be competing this fall on NBC’s group singing competition show, “The Sing-Off.”
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Odokara-Okigbo and other members of the Dartmouth Aires, will be competing against 15 other a cappella singing groups for the show’s grand prize: $200,000 and a Sony Music recording contract.
The show premieres on Monday, but the Dartmouth Aires aren’t scheduled to appear on air until Sept. 26. The show will air weekly, with groups being eliminated each week.
Once the competition is down to three groups, viewers will get a chance to vote for their favorites. The winner will be announced during the finale on Nov. 28.
Odokara-Okigbo was not available to talk about the show Tuesday, but NBC publicists said he would be able to give interviews at some point during the show’s run.
Besides being a member of the Dartmouth Aires, the college’s oldest a cappella group, Odokara-Okigbo has also sung with the school’s Gospel Choir. In 2009 he won a competition called “Dartmouth Idol” and his prize was a summer job singing on a cruise ship.
At Dartmouth, which is in Hanover, N.H., Odokara-Okigbo has also been a member of the rowing team and was quoted in an interview about rowing as saying he was hoping to spend time working at an orphanage in India. The Dartmouth Aires webpage item on Odokara-Okigbo says he’s thinking about majoring in global health.
On “Sing-Off,” the Dartmouth Aires will be competing against an eclectic mix of groups from around the country, including: The Cat’s Pajamas, an all-male “vocal band” from Branson, Mo.; The Collective, a group of singer-songwriters from Nashville, Tenn.; The Fannin Family, an eight-member family group from Hortonville, Wis.; Messiah’s Men, a group of men who survived war in Liberia and now live in Minneapolis, Minn.; and North Shore, a Boston-based “street corner” group that has been performing for 30 years.
“The Sing-Off” is in its third season. It’ll air Mondays from 8 to 10 p.m. The show is hosted by singer Nick Lachey (98 Degrees), and groups are judged by a panel of singers that includes Sara Bareilles, Ben Folds and Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men).
Staff Writer Ray Routhier can be contacted at 791-6454 or at:
rrouthier@pressherald.com
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