Personality

Double E exposed!

R-L: Double E, Senator Liyel Imoke, & colleague

…Unveiling Double E- Calabar’s Extraordinary Entertainer

He rocks the Calabar Festival stage every year as the official MC of the 32-day Christmas Festival which is Africa’s biggest Christmas celebration. Double E has excelled in the media and entertainment landscape, traveling far and wide several shores, over the years, his warm and amiable personality has endeared him to be allies with the high and mighty in show business, government and the corporate world. Having a year over a dozen years experience in radio & Television presentation, this in turn gave birth to a 10 year experience in Mastering of Ceremonies.

Double E alias Effiong Ekpeyong speaks, ‘I started by reading news in front of the mirror, and sometimes for my grandmother’.

He is now a graduate of Mass Communication from Cross River University of Technology. Apart from working with Cross River State Broadcasting Corporation, Double E, is also sought after by top brands in Nigeria, to anchor functions and voice over jingles, he has been a regional judge at the MTN Project Fame music talent hunt and TV Reality Show for five (5) years and still counting.

You can call Double E an extraordinary entertainer, as he sings too,’ you won’t believe that I almost had my single out courtesy Terry G who was ready to cook a hit for me, but Timaya who was supposed to be on the track slowed me down, as he was too busy to lay his hook on the track’, this makes it obvious that as an all round entertainer, growing up in Lagos imbibed in him the consciousness of having an audience to please.

Although he prefers to be called a broadcaster, Double E has also had a stint in the movie world, playing significant roles in movies like ‘I’ll take my chances (with Desmond Elliot) and ‘Streets of Calabar’ amongst others.

Recounting his experience and starting up, he had this to say ‘I owe my success to my Godfather in person of Godfada Petertex Etim, who rediscovered me, gave me the name ‘Double E’ and an opportunity to showcase my talent on the radio. My story will also be incomplete without Segun Arinze and late veteran broadcaster Ikenna Ndaguba’.  I cannot forget erstwhile Governor Donald Duke, who helped me to explore my talent, and Senator Liyel Imoke, who gave me a platform to excel as Cross River State’s official Master of Ceremony.

Over the years, Double E has now become a mentor and inspiration to many, the likes of Double Black- his younger brother whom he refers to as ‘the other side of me’, and Calabar’s fast rising disc jockey- Preppy. On plans for the future, Double E says he is nursing a dream to set up his own radio station, be guaranteed it will be in Calabar, ‘I also hope to quit the media soon for politics and oil & gas, but not totally. I believe all human beings are political animals, and very soon, I will delve into politics, and offer myself to serve my beloved people of Odukpani Local Government Area in Cross River State where I come from’.

The interview session ended with his favorite quote and word of advice to the younger generation who will like to walk in his shoes “Don't go broke trying to look rich, act your wage and be yourself”.

Nelson NseAbasi reporting

Travel the music world with DJ Preppy… Calabar’s turntable whiz kid

                                                                                 

Rave of the moment disk jockey-DJ Preppy is currently trending in the music community in Calabar, the capital of Cross River state, not only because of his ‘Move A Leg’ Mix Tape, but also for his versatility and dexterity in the art of providing musical entertainment.

DJ Preppy, real names Effiong Nya has been spinning the wheels of steel for almost a decade now under special tutelage by DJ Tip Top who was dubbed Calabar’s number one music mixer. His rise to fame was at the 2012 Calabar Festival where his talent won the admiration of the teeming crowd and professionals in the music mixing business.  

He played for Wizkid and Iyanya at the MTN All Stars Concert in Calabar and at Calabar Festival, which he describes as his biggest stage and break.

He is currently special DJ attached to Saturday Sunrise on CRBC radio with Double E, presently on a management deal with female DJ Aii’s Brick City Music.

It is interesting to know that Preppy is a graduate of Accounting from the University of Calabar. A survey in Calabar’s entertainment circle has confirmed that he is indeed talented, and if he stays true to the game, he will become the envy of the competition and the most sought after DJ in the South of Nigeria.

Nelson NseAbasi Reporting