Olashore Alumnus, Falz wins 2016 BET Awards

FALZ

By COLLINS IKENNA

An Olashore International School Alumnus, Mr Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, has just won the 2016 Best New International Act for BET Awards under the Viewers’ Choice category. This was presented at the weekend ahead of the main event which is to take place at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles in the United States of America.

Falz had been nominated earlier in the month of June, amongst peers in South-Africa, France, Australia, and UK. The Nigerian Comic Rapper and fast rising entertainer slugged it out with other talented up and coming artists around the world to emerge the best. He was nominated at award shows winning Best Actor in a Comedy Movie/Series at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards for his role as ‘Segun’ in Funke Akindele’s TV series ‘Jenifa’s Diary’. The 2016 BETS Award was hosted by Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross. The BET Awards recognizes artists, entertainers, and athletes across 20 categories. The nominations are selected by BET’s Voting Academy, which is comprised of fans and an esteemed group of entertainment professionals in the fields of television, film, music, social media, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, and the creative arts.

While at Olashore International School, he started out with a music group by friends and released a compilation mixtape titled ‘Shakara’ in 2009. By 2011, he released another album titled ‘Waz Up Guy’, ‘High Class’ and ‘Currency’ which gained him grounds in the Nigerian Music Industry. Later in 2015 he released ‘Stories that touch’.

Recently, Falz also won the award of the ‘Most Influential Personality’ at the Friends of Olashore Event organized by the Alumni of the school and concerned personalities.  He got this award based on the fact that he had shown exemplary strides in his profession and in life generality, and has been able to shape how people act or how things occur in their sphere of influence and beyond. Receiving the award on his behalf, his father, a legal luminary and Human Rights Activist, Femi Falana (SAN) spoke, “We are glad our son has carved a niche for himself on the sands of time through passion. We actually sent him to school to study Law but he went ahead to marry his passion with his course having been nurtured to his full potential by the Olashore International School which he attended then. He chose to go into music and today he is doing well for himself. I’m proud of him. I also appreciate Friends Of Olashore for giving him this award”.

At the Friends of Olashore Event, several awards were given out to those who deserved it for their contributions and impacts.  One of those who also won awards was the Chairman, Board of Trustees of Olashore International School, Prince Bimbo Olashore. He won the Significant Achievement Award for his outstanding performance in service and accomplishment of his profession and industry that has a positive effect on humanity. He spoke concerning this, “I’m happy that I’m being recognized today. It’s interesting to find our ex-students come back again to unite under the umbrella of an Alumni association. It is far more interesting to see that our alumnus and alumna are doing great wherever they are. Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz has made us proud, same goes with others. This is a validation of what we do at Olashore International School. We train the students academically based on standards, but we also believe that there’s a need to nurture a child to his or her full potentials knowing fully well that some students may grow into becoming an admirable brand outside their profession, just like Falz did. So we teach them a whole lot of music, dance, leadership projects and many more. We hope that more graduates of this school joins the alumni. We hope to see many more stars emerge having had the best education from our school. I’m glad once again that I was recognized for my impacts, and I hope to keep doing more for the betterment of humanity.”

On his part, the Chairman Committee Friends of Olashore, Mr Ladi Smith, said “I’m happy that we were able to organize the first edition of the Recognition Nite Awards of the Friends of Olashore International School. We believe that we have a duty to start a movement in honour of Olashore which binds us all. Olashore International School has produced young leaders who have gone to do great exploits in their chosen careers, and the graduates are distinct in all they do. These young individuals who see needs and diversify ways to meet the identified needs in their immediate community. Some of the alumni have gone on to be top students in various higher institutions worldwide obtaining even two or more degrees, created startups and so on. Some of them have also seized the opportunities of the extra-curricular activities to be in fore-front of the entertainment industries. Indeed Olashore has produced world class disciplined leaders. We are proud of them. With God on our side, we all promise to try our best to surpass the achievements of our founding father”.

Friends of Olashore is a group of people made up of Parents, Staff, Old Students, Organizations or any group of people with common interests geared towards the preservation of the legacy that is Olashore International School in all its different facets.