Category: Entertainment

MODENINE, who is known for his control lyrics, on Thursday dropped a single.

He started the New Year on a good note by featuring US/Jamaican rapper, Germaine Williams, aka Canibus, in the new project.

He was said to have contacted Canibus sometime last year and has been working on the song, which is yet to be given a title.

The act, in one of his interviews last year, talked about his latest projects, Taking You Home and Some More featuring Don jazzy.

He also revealed his plans on a song featuring Morell called Bottles, Elegushi Anthem.

RENOWNED music producer and singer, Cobhams Asuquo, was one of the few celebrities who threw their doors open for their friends, colleagues and loved ones recently, as they marked their birthday.

On Monday, the top Nigerian music producer received a deluge of loving words from fans, well wishers and fans via his twitter page.

In appreciation of the kind gesture, he replied: “To everyone that sent out a birthday message. Spoken words cannot express my gratitude! I am truly thankful for you all!”

Cobhams, who recently released a brand new single titled Ordinary People, said, “We are all ordinary people with ordinary desires, demands, strengths and expectations. But we are all capable of doing extra-ordinary things.” Cobhams has been able to make an enviable track record in music production, song-writing, and singing since he started his career.

Previously signed to Sony/ATV UK publishing as a songwriter, Cobhams is also the CEO of Cobhams Asuquo Music Production (CAMP), a music label and production company that serves as a home to popular Nigerian artiste/Glo ambassador, Bez and Stan Iyke.

He also has in his repetoire extensive production works in the past 12 years for numerous notable recording artistes, including Darey ArtAlade, Timi Dakolo, Nikki Laoye, Rooftop Mcs, Asa, Bez, Banky W, Tiwa Savage and Waje.

AS if charged by National Broadcasting Commission (NBC)’s renewed fight at ensuring that broadcast stations comply with its 80 percent local content, EbonyLife TV, has announced the commencement of its much awaited 100 percent homegrown entertainment programming.

NBC, in a public statement yesterday, pronounced 80 percent local content for members of Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) and Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria (IBAN), who had threatened to boycott songs belonging to members of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) over royalty tussle.

But EbonyLife has always promoted itself as Africa’s first Global Black Entertainment Network, and its readiness to go fully local, brings a closure to the number of hours the channel had hitherto dedicated to the broadcast of acquired western content.

“This development is in being consistent with the channel’s vision, which is to be the preferred global network for premium African entertainment through the creation and broadcast of original, homegrown and premium content.” Mo Abudu, founder of the Channel said in a statement.

She disclosed that “In addition to the channel going 100 percent homegrown, a brand new, must-see drama will be showing on the channel every new week. This means viewers can sit back, relax and continue to enjoy all the great “Global Black” entertainment shows they have come to love on the channel while bracing up for new, non-stop and refreshing drama series, enthralling sitcoms, engaging pan-Africa talk shows, fresh outstanding home-grown reality shows, musical video chart show countdowns and many more.”

KC Ejelonu fits perfectly into the description of a lady with a come-hither look. Apart from her ravishing beauty, she is also brainy. Before she launched her acting career in the nation’s movie industry, otherwise called Nollywood, she had lived and worked in the UK, where she obtained a Master’s degree in International Marketing.  In this interview with MERCY MICHAEL, KC Ejelonu, who is a toast of movie producers, speaks on her foray into Nollywood and love life, among other things.

IT is four years now since you relocated to Nigeria from the UK to pursue your acting dream; so, would you say the decision has paid off?

Yes, it has paid off. I say this because I knew what I wanted from a tender age. And when I set my mind to do something, I just go for it. So far, it’s been great, fun and challenging.

While you were in the UK, it seemed you had quite a lot of friends in the Nigerian movie industry …

(Cuts in) When I was about 15 or 16, I started an online blog or magazine. I was doing that and I got noticed by DJ Abass, Ayo Shonaiya and Ronke Apampam. They were with Ben Television. Anytime they were recording, they would call me to come to the studio, so I was meeting people and learning things. Then, there was a magazine show that I had to co-host from the age of 18 or 19. But my dad was like, “No, you are too young for this.” So, I had to step back.

In the past years, you have acted in a number of critically acclaimed movies. So, what will you say is your unique selling point?

When they call for auditions, I go for it. Apart from this, I am myself when I attend auditions. They look at me and say, ‘She stands out’. Sometimes, when you see me at an audition, you probably won’t recognise me because I will have no makeup on and will probably be in jeans and shirt. But sometimes, I dress up if I know what character I am going to audition for. If I know I’m going to audition for a mother, then, I will dress the part; if I know I’m going to audition for a spoilt brat, I dress the part and I act it the whole day. So, I stay in character. Basically, it’s just me being myself. I would say good communication skill, good diction and being able to interact with producers.

It is believed that there are different cliques in Nollywood; so, which of them do you belong to?

I don’t belong to any clique.

I thought you would say Emem Isong’s?

Not really with Emem Isong. It was a bit funny because I got introduced to Emem Isong through Omoni Oboli. She said she was having an audition, but she hadn’t fixed a day. She wanted to see me, so I went to see her. While she was on location, I waited for her. Lancelot was the director. While they were filming, he was waiting for one of his cast members and that girl kept taking ‘forever’ to come. She was late and Lancelot was really upset. When she came in with her Louis Vuitton luggage, bag, hair and all sorts of crap, she was really dressed up. And I was like, ‘this girl is so pretty.’ Immediately, Lancelot was like, ‘Are you the girl we are waiting for?’ And she said, ‘Yes’. She walked in with so much air and confidence. I was saying to myself, ‘Oh my goodness! They’ve been waiting for this girl for like over an hour and here she is strolling in like she’s the boss’.

So, Lancelot was like, ‘Get into makeup.’ The next thing he said was that they should let them rehearse and it was with the late Mr. Enebeli of blessed memory. While they were rehearsing, I found out that she couldn’t speak properly and her diction wasn’t so great. And I thought to myself that if you go through your script and you realise you can’t pronounce some words correctly, make sure you learn how to pronounce them before you get on set. So, Lancelot was so upset and he started shouting. Then, she started crying and I felt sorry for her. I was scared because I was like, ‘Oh my God! Look at this director just talking to this girl anyhow.’ That was the first time I was seeing that.

But then, I understood where he was coming from because time is money and you can’t keep a director waiting. Next, he just looked at me and said, ‘You read this’ and I did. And he just said, ‘Get into makeup.’ So, that was how I got into the first movie with Emem Isong. So, I kept going for auditions and they were asking me why I was coming. But I insisted that I play different roles, so they have to audition me to see if I can play those roles. I know as an actor, you should be able to play any role. Nevertheless, I prefer to go for audition.

Do you still go for auditions as much as you used to?

Hmm! I still go for auditions, but not as I used to. Back then, when I heard of any audition, I won’t even bother about whose audition it was or what it was about before attending it. But now, if I hear of any audition, I try to find out if it is a movie, a series or stage play. So, I still attend auditions.

Have you ever experienced what happened to the girl you talked about earlier?

Not really. Usually, I am good at time management. If you stay in the UK, time management is really important. So, I think the only time a director screamed at me was when I first moved back. My accent was really strong. Vivian Ejike noticed it and said I needed to switch. At that time, I was still learning how to switch and it was difficult. So, I was filming and I was supposed to speak Nigerian accent.

I don’t want to say that I got lost, but the English accent just came out and the director screamed! He said, “You this girl” and I said, ‘I’m sorry.’ But over time, I have learnt to switch. Africa Magic actually helped me. I watch Africa Magic every day; I am not kidding you. I watch Africa Magic Yoruba and Hausa. And my maid will speak to me in Pidgin and Yoruba. In a matter of months, I could switch accent.

You said in one of your interviews that people initially were seeing you as a hustler or a prostitute when you introduced yourself as an actress after your return. Did that make you want to change your mind at some point?

No!

Do you live solely on acting?

No. A lot of people don’t know I actually do have a 9-5 job. When I moved back, I did my NYSC and went for a job in an oil and gas company. After that, I dedicated a year straight for acting and I went back to my 9-5 job.

So, you still keep your regular job?

Yes, I still have it. I actually don’t tell that to people because most directors will think that I won’t have time for their jobs. But my job is very flexible. All I need to do is give a proper notice to my boss.

With your accent, there is the tendency for some of your colleagues to think you are actually ‘forming’…

If you think I am ‘forming’, then, you actually must think I am better than you are and you must feel threatened by me. People do and I read about things. Sometimes, some colleagues tweet about it. I really do not let it bother me because at the end of the day, I am here to work. If you have a problem with me, that’s your business.

I read an article you wrote for a newspaper titled: ‘Serial Liar’. Is lying what you dislike most about people?

My dad always told me not to use the word hate; rather, he said I should actually use the word dislike. So, when I use hate, it means I really, really can’t stand that person that is lying. I have met a couple of serial liars along the way. I met this certain guy who was a serial liar and he was my friend and I hate him for that.

So, he inspired you to write that article?

Yes. His own was way out of it. Sometimes, you watch a movie and you see stuff like a guy asks someone’s hand in marriage; and later, you see the same guy getting married to someone else. That was it.

Do you still have time to write as a columnist?

I don’t actually write for Daily Independent anymore. But I still do some writings. I just finished writing a series and a movie actually. Yeah, I am doing a bit of that at the moment.

You’ve featured in one or two music videos. Is video vixen something you want to pursue on the side?

Oh, no! I won’t call myself a video vixen and I won’t call the characters I played video vixen. I actually played the role of an actor. They said they didn’t want a model or a video vixen. They actually wanted an actor. So, I actually did the things they wanted. With Tiwa Savage, there was a bit of acting in it. The video the public can see is not what we actually did. They were a lot more. There was actually a short film we did before the main video. They just put a little bit; we had a script.

Have you got the opportunity to actually play a romantic role?

Wow! Not really. I would say the only romantic role I have played is in A New You for Ebony Life TV. A New You is a romantic comedy. I played alongside Diana Yekinni and Shawn Farguar.

So, what was it like?

It was fun. It’s a small cast and I got to play the lead, which was a bit hectic. I got to play a married woman who felt her husband didn’t find her attractive, so she never used to take care of herself so much until I saw my husband’s colleague and she was hot. So, I had to step my game up. You should watch it.

What about the kissing part…you once said that kissing in Nollywood movie isn’t always real…

Yes, I did. I made it believable and people actually thought, ‘Oh my God! That was deed. Meanwhile, the interview you are referring to is old. That was a reference to old movies. When you see people kissing then, they were actually kissing each other’s necks.

Whom did you kiss?

Amsean.

If he was an actor you were not in any way attracted to, would you make it that believable?

Yes, I’m actually not attracted to any actor in Nigeria.

Since then, have you been able to give love or dating a chance?

Hahahaha! The word love is strong.

Dating?

I haven’t given it a chance.

Why?

I think it will come. What I have noticed with people who walk up to me is that they sort of size you up and then try to put up themselves up to your level. But it will only take a matter of time. If you give that person a month or two, his true colour and attitude will come to the open. So, that has been the case. I’m not in a relationship. I meet people and I go out on dinner dates. I just try to get to meet people. I have found myself and I believe I will find the right person for me.

What about the proverbial ‘biological clock’?

I mean if my parents are not putting pressure on me, I don’t care what the society thinks.

Do you still live with your uncle?

I wanted to live by myself. I wanted to get my own place, but my dad was against it. He feels I still need that family grounding, but I am my own person. Everyone in my family has known that since. For your information, I still make my decision and I tell him. I don’t go to him and tell him these are my options, so he can help me to choose. I make my decision and I tell him.

Do you have a social life?

I actually don’t. I am trying to. I go to watch movies alone; and sometimes, I get calls from my friends. If it’s a friend’s birthday, I go. Within my estate, there is a bar, so I am usually there. That is about it. In Nigeria or in Lagos, they don’t do so much activity. If it is not clubbing, there is nothing. But I want to go bowling, playing games and doing so many other things. It is not about clubbing and I really don’t like clubbing. With clubs, you get your hair done; you go in and come out and you smell cigarette. I really don’t like that.

IN a renewed crack-down on illegal filmmakers, the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has given filmmakers in Benue State a three-month ultimatum to withdraw all uncensored movies from the market or face the wrath of the law.

Director-General of the Board, Ms. Patricia Bala, sounded this warning at the

end of a three-day Road Show which held recently in Makurdi, the Benue State Capital.

The NFVCB boss said she “observed with dismay the profusion of illegal movies in Makurdi, most especially the wrong usage of the long obsolete logo and classification symbols of the Board.”

She said during the interactive session with filmmaker and actors at the Joseph Tarka Foundation that “the ultimatum expires in March 2014, stating that it is in the interest of the movie makers to either withdraw the movies from the market or present them to the Board for the formal censorship and classification.

On what action the NFVCB is taking to track down film producers who stream uncensored movies on the internet, the Director-General said the Board has been collaborating with sister agencies to contend the situation.

According to her, “Regulating online distribution of films presents an enormous challenge because of the nature of the internet. Internet activities cut across territorial boundaries and as such it is difficult to regulate even for developed nations that have a greater degree of technology. However, the NFVCB, will synergise with relevant authorities with a view to curbing the distribution of unapproved films”.

The Road Show began with a four-hour rally in tree-lined Makurdi metropolis from the sprawling J.S. Tarka Foundation through High Level, Wadata, Government House, Wurukum, Gboko Road and North Bank Street. Staff of the Board, backed by Tar Ukoh’s Mambissa dance troupe positioned on two trucks, trekked the long distance, distributing hand bills and flyers bearing enlightening literature on the

Board’s activities.

Several papers were presented, while locally-produced films were screened during the Road Show.

The programme was chaired by Professor Illah Egwugwu Sani of the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Jos (UNIJOS), who delivered a paper on “Indigenous Language Movies and Contemporary Challenges”. Other papers presented are: “Film Censorship and Classification Regulation and Compliance” by Mrs. Lizzy Uwaezuoke, FCAI, Zonal Co-ordinator, (South-East), NFVCB; Dr. Adekola Okloba, Theatre Arts Department, University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) on “Ethics and Values of Indigenous Language in Nigerian Film and Video Production”; Danjuma .W. Dadu, Ph.D, Managing Director, Nigerian Film Corporation, Jos, on “Film and Movie Production: Ethics, Values and Cultural Influence” ; Dr Teddy Hanmakyugh, National Film Institute, Jos, on “Appreciating the Technical Environment in Film/Video Production; a sine qua non for quality production”; and Mr. Cornel .A. Agim, former DD (LDD) now DD(Ops) NFVCB, on Distribution and Marketing of movies “Rights, Obligation and Regulations”.

Crystal Okoye, a 300-level student of Business Administration at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, is a fast-rising Nollywood actress. The Nnewi, Anambra State-born movie star, in this interview with GBENGA KUTELU, talks about her passion for acting, challenges and more. 

WHEN precisely did you join the movie industry?

It was two years ago when I went to see a friend at a movie location in Asaba, Delta State. The cast members were just getting ready for the shoot. They waited for an artiste who, unfortunately, did not show up. So, they decided to feature me in the movie: Though I had wanted to be an actress before I got on that location that day, I didn’t know how to go about it.

What does it feel like being a movie star?

I feel like a star already. You can’t imagine what I go through in the public. There was a time I went to a shop, where prices were fixed to all the items. I paid for all the stuff I bought; but to my surprise, the owner said that as a movie star, I should pay a different price. She said, ‘You actors have money, so you should be able to afford whatever I price I give you.” I was speechless at that moment. Also, most of the time, people stop me on the road and request for photographs with me. At times, I feel shy, but that is the prices of stardom.

How did your parents react initially when you were coming into the industry?

Yes, I had the support of my parents until they passed on in 2010. It was a painful moment for me when that happened.

Who are your role models in the industry?

My role model is Pete Edochie. He plays a fatherly role in my life. He was one of first set of people I met when I joined the movie industry. My other role model is Stephanie Okereke.

Do you get sexually harassed by men in the movie industry?

It’s a choice you have to make. If you decide you want to sleep around with men in the industry, it may favour you or turn the other way round. Everyone has his or her own choice to make in the industry. I’ve heard about sexual harassment in the industry. There are also stories about ladies who really go out to have sex with producers just to appear in their movies. My belief is that if God does not want you to be in a movie, you won’t. But if you are fated to be in any movie, you will surely get it. So, I believe that becoming a star is about destiny. If God says that is your destiny, then, it will be.

How do you manage advances from men?

All my life, I get several men who admire me. I’m a beautiful lady and I know it; so, it depends on the way it comes.

What part of your body do you treasure most?

I treasure and protect my whole body. I spend lot of money to maintain my skin, just to keep me sparkling.

What’s your unique selling point?

I know I’m blessed with my shape. Some girls have walked up to me to ask how I gained the figure. They say: “I want to be curvy like you”. And my simple answer is: it is the way that God created me. It’s natural. People admire me for my height, looks and figure. When you talk of Crystal Okoye in the movie industry now, people always describe me as being beautiful and curvy. I know my figure, height and beauty opens the doors for me easily. There’s no way people will walk past me without noticing my waist. It’s a gift from God.

What attracts you most to men?

I go close to people that are intelligent and people that I can learn something from.

Can you talk about the movie that has transformed your life?

It is The Priceless, a Ghanaian movie. The storyline caught my attention. It was the only movie that I have ever made, which made me shed uncontrollable tears.

What was growing up like for you?

It was interesting. My parents were there all along before I lost them few years back.

Could you recall your first experience in the first movie you featured in?

It was in Speak the words. I was very young then. My dad introduced me to his friend, who then referred me to his brother. This was a long time ago. I was much younger then, but my hips were there. My hips have always been a major attraction for me. It’s one of those things that attract men to me. It isn’t my fault that I’m curvy in figure.

What would you have been doing if you were not an actor?

I would have gone into importation of female clothing.

Doesn’t your profession affect your education?

No, it doesn’t in any way. I run a part-time programme (CEP). I go to school only on weekends. When I’m sitting for examination, I don’t accept acting jobs. I have my textbooks, which I study even while I’m not in school.

Would you mind if any of your children go into acting?

I think a child has the right to choose a career for him or herself. You have to give your children the support they need, so you don’t have to impose any profession on them.

Have you won any award?

No, but I know it will happen soon.

Which is your choice: sex or money?

(General laughter) Money is good. With money, I’ll be able to build the houses of my choice and buy the best of cars. Without money, you can’t do anything. Sex is a momentary enjoyment that does not translate into anything. With money, I’ll invest into things that will help and not a few seconds of enjoyment.

What brand of car do you like?

Porsche because I like classic things.