The Nation Newspaper

Category: Entertainment

  • Calabar Festival kicks off in style

    Calabar Festival kicks off in style

    Saturday night, marked the beginning of the line-up of events fin this year’s edition of the popular Calabar Carnival, with the ceremonial lighting of what organisers touted the tallest Xmas tree in Africa.

    True to their hype, the ceremony kicked-off with colour and panache, as it was witnessed by top celebrities, captains of industry, politicians and revelers, including the host governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, who were treated to high octane entertainment at the Millennium Park, Calabar, Cross River State.

    The event, which lasted two hours, saw the lighting of the Christmas tree at midnight, accompanied with fireworks.

    Before then, there were performances by up and coming musicians discovered during auditions for the 2013 Festival.

    Ace comedian, I Go Die left the guests, which included the Governor’s wife, Obioma, Minister for Tourism, High Chief Edem Duke, former Military Governor of the state, Air Vice Marshal Gregory Agbonemi and Nollywood stars Kate Henshaw, Rita Dominic, Gideon Okeke, Bryan Okwara and Executive Director of First Bank, Mr. UK Eke on the edge of their seats.

    “We remain that place in Nigeria where every Nigerian would be proud to be, where every Nigerian will say there is one state in Nigeria where you can see the governor walking about, associating with his people, he is not afraid, he is part of the crowd, and the people are warm, happy and beautiful”, Imoke said.

    While urging youth to make use of their talents, Imoke recalled that like music star, Inyanya, many talents are discovered every year during the festival.

    The governor contended that the two brands recognised by the world today are Nollywood and the Calabar Carnival, noting that, the tree-lighting exercise will go down in the record of Nigeria that next to the tallest and biggest flag in Nigeria is the tallest Christmas tree.

    Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, stressed the need for government to galvanise resources and train young artistes in order for them to use their creative abilities to better their lots.

    Duke also urged ‘Cross Riverians’ to find in each of them their creative talents that they may showcase to the world instead of waiting on government to provide their needs.

    He hinted that the siting of over N2 billion project for a creative academy in Ikot Nakanda, Akpabuyo Local Government Area remains a clear testimony of how important government holds the works of creative arts among youths in the area.

    Edem Duke also used the opportunity to announce the offer of 10 scholarships by the government of Trinidad and Tobago to provide opportunities for people to learn creative arts of carnival.

    He disclosed that the scholarship would be available from next year, adding that carnival has transformed from a street party into an economy.

    Executive Director Public Sector, South, First Bank of Nigeria, Mr. UK Eke, lauded Cross River government for its initiative which has also helped in uniting people from several cultures while bringing happiness to Nigerians.

  • U.S actor Walker killed in auto crash

    U.S actor Walker killed in auto crash

    United States actor Paul Walker, who starred in the Fast & Furious series of action films, has been killed in a car crash in California.

    Walker, 40, was a passenger in a Porsche sports car driven by a friend – who also died – when it crashed north of Los Angeles.

    Walker was said to be attending a charity event at the time.

    He starred in all but one of the films in the Fast & Furious franchise, the sixth of which opened in May.

    Walker also starred in the suspense drama Hours, a movie that is set for release this month.

    The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department said the crash happened in the community of Valencia.

    It said deputies found a car engulfed in flames when they responded to a report of a collision. Two people found in the car were pronounced dead at the scene.

    BBC reports that images showed the burnt-out wreckage of a red Porsche by the side of the road.

    “It is with a truly heavy heart that we must confirm that Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident while attending a charity event for his organisation Reach Out Worldwide,” a statement on the actor’s Facebook page said.

     

  • Ibinabo to address IP World Summit

    Ibinabo to address IP World Summit

    PRESIDENT of Actors’ Guild of Nigeria, Ibinabo Fiberesima, will, come December 6, be speaking at World Intellectual Property Summit at Abidjan, Cote D ‘Ivoire. This is contained in a letter of invitation signed by Muriel Nazarie, WIPO’s Regional Bureau for Africa.

    The letter invites the AGN boss to make a 20-minute presentation on the topic, Improving Actors’ Socio-Economic Conditions.

    The letter reads in part: “I have the pleasure to send your letter of invitation as a speaker for the above mentioned meeting which will take place in Abidjan on December 6, 2013. I also have the pleasure to inform you that the World Intellectual Property Organisation , WIPO, will organise, in collaboration with Cote D’ivoire, a Ministerial Meeting of Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, on Creativity And Access to Knowledge: A Social And Economic Impetus For Africa, which will take place in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire on December 6, 2013”.

    According to the Geneva-based organisation, “The objective of this high level meeting is to address policies and strategies which need to be put in place to create a conducive framework for the economic and social states through creativity and access to knowledge and its dissemination.”

    It further stated that discussions will centre on the new historic landmark treaties recently adopted by the member states of the WIPO, namely the Beijing Treaty on the Protection of Audiovisual Performances of June 24, 2013, and the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or otherwise Print Disabled of June 27, 2013; and will highlight the key to what these treaties can play in achieving these goals.

  • Olaiya gives out daughter in marriage

    Olaiya gives out daughter in marriage

    HIGHLIFE musician, Dr. Victor Olaiya (OON), recently played the perfect host as is expected of him when he gave out his daughter’s hand in marriage. The traditional marriage rite, which was performed in Olaiya’s massive Surulere home, pulled friends, relatives, well wishers and some society bigwigs to the ceremony.

    In attendance were celebrities like Chief Fola Meadow and Moji Olaiya, Nollywood star actress. The young couple, Mr. and Mrs. J. Bola Oyekunle, had a blissful time, savouring the excitements that trailed their memorable traditional wedding.

    Dr. Olaiya recently came back into reckoning as a result of a duet with sensational singer, Tuface, in his nostalgic all-time classic, Baby Jowo.

  • Mike Abdul is Good 2 Go

    Mike Abdul is Good 2 Go

    MIKE Abdul of Midnite Crew will be releasing his solo album titled Good 2 Go today, December 1, 2013. Elated at the prospect of the album, the artiste said that his run with the group which spans over a decade has helped him with his personal project.

    According to Abdul, “Growing up, some natural tendencies began to unfold in me and I made several discoveries. I found innate abilities that I never rehearsed or trained for. In my walk through my path, I met great people who made the walk worth the input, people who helped to find my place. Iron sharpens iron so I still roll with the best team,” Abdul said.

    The album is a twelve tracker which features seven other music artists including MoniQue, A’dam, BNG, David Jones David, Pv Idemudia, Temi Susan Myles and FLO who also shared their experiences which made up the album.

    Tracks in the album include: Oba Wa, Morire, Ready To Praiz, Iye Re, Pray For Me, I Believe, Serve You Forever, Reign Forever, No Other Name, In The Name Of Jesus, Twenty-One Jesu as well as Next Fuji Thing featuring Midnite Crew.

  • Desmond Elliot Finding Mercy

    Desmond Elliot Finding Mercy

    CONSUMER products manufacturer, Procter & Gamble Nigeria, has partnered with Denziot Films in the production and release of a blockbuster movie titled, Finding Mercy.

    Produced and directed by Nollywood actor, Desmond Elliot, Finding Mercy tells the intriguing story of two friends, played by Blossom Chuks Chukwujekwu (Flower Girl) and Uti Nwachukwu, who find themselves in a complicated situation with a motherless baby.

    On P&G’s involvement in the project, Ifeoma ChuksAdizue, P&G’s Brand Operations Media Leader, explained that the outfit is proud of Nollywood and that the company was pleased to use the opportunity to support the industry. According to her, P&G is committed to supporting Nigeria, its people and the rich diverse culture of the nation. “An intrinsic part of that rich culture is Nollywood. It is proudly Nigerian – entertainment we proudly export for millions of people around the world to enjoy,” she said.

    Other notable Nollywood stars in the movie include Rita Dominic, Desmond Elliott, Chioma Akpotha, Biola Williams, Tamara Eteimo and Dabota Lawson. The movie has already been nominated for honours in multiple categories at the upcoming GIAMA Awards in Houston, Texas, United States of America.

    Finding Mercy premiered on the 14th of October in Calabar and on the 15th of November in Lagos and is currently on a nationwide premiere tour of Nigeria’s major cities, showing to audiences in major cinema houses across the country.

  • How Dan Foster fell flat

    How Dan Foster fell flat

    DAN Foster, top OAP with Inspiration FM, has devoted time and resources to discovering talents in Nigeria, evident in his participation as judge on different talent shows. Though he was least prepared for the experience he had during the taping of Nigeria’s Got Talent in Calabar on Saturday, October 12, 2013.

    In the widely-watched TV show, which enters episode three this weekend, Foster couldn’t put himself together as a comedian dished out hilarious jokes. “I haven’t laughed this hard in quite a long time. Your jokes are almost as good as the ones that the professional comedians we have in the industry tell,” stated a thrilled Dan Foster.

    Dan Foster with the help of his fellow judge, Kate Henshaw, got his groove back after a couple of minutes and was able to give his verdict on the comedian’s performance.

  • Invasion LOL electrifies Abakaliki

    Invasion LOL electrifies Abakaliki

    SUNDAY, November 24, telecom outfit, Globacom, invaded Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, with its Laffta Fest Invasion LOL. The event saw East Africa’s celebrated comedian, Salvador from Uganda, sending the crowd through bouts of laughter as he related the peculiar ways of life of his native Ugbokolo village.

    Complementing Salvador’s act was one of Nigeria’s most brilliant standup acts, Bovi, who excited the audience with his classic joke that juxtaposed a typical Nigerian political rally with that of the United States of America. His parody of Barack Obama at a political rally was the clincher.

    As is the custom, Basketmouth led 12 other comedians and three Nigerian music sensations to the show. The show was opened with the voice of Vinissi, Abakaliki based female vocalist. It then spiralled into a series of comedy sessions with 2CanTalk, Parrotmouth, SIM Card, Bash, Gandoki, Julius Agwu, Bovi, Akpororo and Okey Bakassi dishing out spontaneous and contemporary jokes to the delight of the audience.

    Nigerian music stars, Chee the Voice, Burna Boy and Mr. Incredible, MI, kept the people on their feet during their different sessions with their superlative renditions. The Glo Laffta Fest which kicked off in Lagos six weeks ago has toured Abuja, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Benin and Abakaliki.

    The show will be held in Enugu this Sunday while Asaba, Uyo and Ibadan will take their turn in subsequent weeks. It is rated as Africa’s biggest comedy show and it is organised by Globacom to thank its subscribers for their massive support in the past 10 years.

  • Oprah Alade lights up Ikeja

    Oprah Alade lights up Ikeja

    FRIDAY, November 22, it was a charged ambience at Ikeja, heart of the nation’s former capital as younger sister to the popular Olu Maintain, Adegbulu Opeyemi, who goes by the stage name Oprah Alade, thrilled fans all night.

    Oprah was the cynosure of all eyes at the prestigious Eagles Park Hotel, Ikeja where she entertained guests with her live band. The last child of the Adegbulu family, Oprah Alade took guests on a delightful adventure of great musical fun and back to the days ‘when men were boys and women were girls’, with her melodic rendition, performing an eclectic fusion of Juju, Hi-life, Afro, Hip-hop and more.

    Chief Marketing Officer of the Hotel 1960 Group, Ochola Jocelyn, explained that the hotel wants to add variety to Friday night life.

    Oprah Alade, who spoke after the show, said that she was coming with her own kind of songs, which is different from that of her elder brother. “I love Hi-life and Juju music and always derive pleasure from performing them. I have been in the music industry for the past three years, with an album Happy Faaji, released in August this year.”

    Apart from Oprah Alade’s performance, comedians also spiced up the show. Notable among them was Kelly Blind who kept people laughing till the end of the show. Guests were elated as they commended and showered encomiums on the organisers of the show.

  • Celebrity marriages are not the first to crash–Chica

    Celebrity marriages are not the first to crash–Chica

    Actress, TV presenter and singer, Andrea Chika Chukwu, is no stranger to the arts. She started out singing with Eedris Abdulkreem, also played with the late Sammie Needle and his band but her first solo effort was many years ago the soundtrack for Jeta Amata’s movie titled Tears of a Woman. In this chat with OVWE MEDEME, the artiste who goes by the stage name Chica, a coinage from her three names, talks about her latest video, Music from the Soul, which was shot in New York City.

    WHAT have you been up to lately?

    I have been very busy putting my album together. I just finished shooting the video of my song Music from the Soul in New York City. The song was written by me and another singer, Aramide. It is already trending all over the internet but the official release date is December 1.

    What is Music from the Soul all about?

    I like to describe it as a neo-soul jazzy song borne out of the need for something that was deep enough. The concept behind the video is to key into that warm feeling of New York in the summer time; that feeling of the calm, classy look that New York brings to you. That was what I wanted; I also wanted to put in the whole African print.

    How did you manage to pull off shooting a video in New York?

    It was a solo journey. I was responsible for the financing. I had a very good team to work with and I am proud of the work I have. The video was directed and produced by Stacey Holman. From the time Stacy and I first spoke, we hit it off. She was amazing from then till the video was done and I am looking forward to working with her again.

    You are better known as an actress. How did music come into the picture?

    I actually started out doing soundtracks. After doing that for a while, I started getting movie roles which was quite lucky for me. It just kicked off from there. I did my first individual soundtrack for Jetta Amata for a movie called Tears of a Woman. In his new film, Black November, I also did soundtracks in it. Going back, there was a time I used to sing with Eedris Abdulkarim. We did songs like Player Meji, Life in Yankee and a host of others. I also sang with the late Sammie Needle and his band. At a certain point, I figured that I love music and I had just finished doing Peace AnyiamOsigwe’s GRA Women, which is a soap opera. I then decided to go ahead and pursue my music career.

    As an artiste, where do you draw your inspiration from?

    I admire great women artistes who have for generations done music and done it well and succeeded at it. Also, I have come to realise that people have varied ideas about my music. They tend to think that it is a battle of voices. For instance, the song Rocking My Freedom was one I did with a lot of influences. It wasn’t about the voice for me where that song is concerned. It was about just expressing myself, being happy and rocking my freedom.

    It is a bit of an 80s pop rock thing, so if you did listen to Cindi Lauper’s Girls Who Want To Have Fun and you liked it, then you would like Rocking My Freedom. My influence for the song Beautiful is Indie Aire. A few years back, while I was schooling in London, Indie Aire released an album and it was phenomenal. In it, she had a song called Good Man. I have shot a few videos anyway. I have another one called Music from the Soul. I shot the video for Rocking My Freedom and Music from the Soul in New York last year and so far that is what I have been doing.

    Most of your influences are foreigners. Are you not concerned about acceptance?

    I have a song I am doing and my influence for it is Onyeka Onwenu because I love her. She symbolises everything strong about a woman. She is one of those people who are evergreen. Every time I see her, I hope I have as much strength as she does. As artistes, I think we shouldn’t worry about who accepts or who does not accept our works. Music is universal. It shouldn’t be about the country where you come from or where you live. It should just be about communicating and I think every kind of music finds a way to its audience. It shouldn’t be about your nationality. I think we should all seek to be free as artistes in order to bring out what we believe in.

    What is the title of the album?

    Right now I just have the singles but the album itself is titled Live Love Leap. I think that is what we should be doing as individuals. We spend too much time worrying where to go, where not to go, what to expect, what not to expect while the moment we are living in is passing by. People who we see today die tomorrow. We waste too much time thinking as individuals. Live where you are as best as you can. If you are struggling, allow yourself struggle and come out of it. We tend to think that life is a mystery for us to solve, but it is not. It is a journey which we should take on and you go through it and keep moving till you get to the end of where it is for you.

    Would you agree that Fuji House of Commotion is what made you who you are today?

    Yes and no. I say that in the sense that, I haven’t shot Fuji House of Commotion in a while now and the last time they were actually in camp for a shoot, I was in America. You get to a point where you want to delve into other things but once you are a Fuji House child, you are always a Fuji House child. I don’t think nobody would take away the fact that I am Jumoke. I still do answer the name. The fact that people presume that I am as young as Jumoke is the greatest gift I can get from that character.

    There seems to be a transition in the kinds of roles you play. Is that deliberate?

    It is not so much a transition. It is more the fallout of working for different directors which I am elated to do. It feels good to be back on the screen again. The character I played in Phone Swap, this outspoken, Lagos, hybrid waffi chick who thinks she is hybrid. I work with the lead character, Nse Ikpe Etim. She is a loud character. For The Meeting, I play an older woman from the East. I say that for everybody who was a part of that production is phenomenal. The same thing applies to Phone Swap. I had an amazing time on both sets.

    Is Chica married?

    I tend to want to keep those kinds of things out of my business but no, I am not. Marriage is a fabulous thing. I know because some of my younger siblings are married and two of them have kids. When you find the right partner, it loves. Let’s just say right now, I am happy to be Chica.

    Is it right to say that your career path is coming in the way of marriage?

    I don’t think so. That would depend on what clause or shelf you decide to place it. I do know that most females tend to get worried about what they would do when they get married, like what they are doing now is not a job. If it is, it is not to my knowledge.

    Would you marry an artiste?

    Yes, I would. The truth of the matter is, I think for a lot of reasons we all get it slightly twisted. When you are looking for a partner, you are looking for your friend, a support system, a lover, somebody who without a doubt will follow you through fire and water. Does that mean that there would be no down days? No. The reality of it is that some people think that when some of the blues go away, it means that the relationship is dead. Some of us don’t really try hard enough. Some of us try but if one person is trying, it wouldn’t work. Celebrity marriages are not the first to crash. Marriages crash everyday but people just talk about the ones who are artistes just because we are public people.