The Nation Newspaper

Category: Entertainment

  • ‘I may not live long’ – Kunle Afolayan

    ‘I may not live long’ – Kunle Afolayan

    Multi- award winning actor cum movie producer, Kunle Afolayan posted a shocking statement on his Facebook page, sending chills down the spines of his fans.

    The filmmaker whose efforts in the industry have earned him respect and recognition, said he is afraid he may no live long due to his obsession with film making.

    He wrote: “My Obsession with filmmaking makes me think I may not live long. I forbid it though. I got back to Lagos yesternight very tired and sleepy after 42days of shoot, got home ate then went to bed. All I see through out my sleep are the shots I took and those that I felt I should have done differently. Woke up this morning and all I have in my head is the deadline of the Trailer release which is October 1 2013, in about 11 days and the completion of the whole project. Yes, am very passionate about film making but I think being too obsessed is not healthy”.

    There are reports that the movie has already gulped about  N100million while N200million is still needed to complete the project.

  • Ace comedian Bovi welcomes new baby

    Ace comedian Bovi welcomes new baby

    Ace Comedian, Bovi Ugboma and his wife Christabel Ugboma Wednesday night, 25 September, welcomed their new baby.
    Bovi revealed the arrival of the bundle of joy via his twitter handle @officialbovi: “And the greatest gift of all has just arrived. My beautiful daughter just arrived 8:47 pm. Celebrate with us!!!”
  • P. Diddy tops Forbes World’s Highest paid Hip-Hop artist list

    P. Diddy tops Forbes World’s Highest paid Hip-Hop artist list

    Sean Puffy Combs ‘P. Diddy’ topped the list of the ‘Cash Kings’ list of 2013 for the World’s Highest-Paid Hip-Hop Artists by Celebrity website Forbes.

    Below is the details of the list

    1. Diddy – $50million
    2. Jay Z – $43million
    3. Dr Dre – $40million
    4. Nicki Minaj – $29million
    5. Birdman – $21million

    6. Kanye West – $20million
    7. Lil Wayne – $16 million
    8. Wiz Khalifa – $14million
    9. Ludacris – $12 million
    10. Pitbull – $11million

    11. Drake – $10.5million
    12. Snoop Lion – $10million
    12. Eminen – $10 million
    14. Kendrink Lamar – $9million
    14. Pharrel Williams – $9million
    14. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis $9 million, tie

    17. Swizz Beatz – $8.5million
    18. Tech N9ne – $7.5 million
    19. 50cent – $7million

    20. Lil Jon – $6million
    20. Rick Ross – $6million
    20. Mac Miller – $6 million
    20. Young Jeezy – $6 million
    20. Questlove – $6 million

  • ‘I am like a prodigal son’ – DJ Switch

    ‘I am like a prodigal son’ – DJ Switch

    First prize winner of the maiden edition of Glo X Factor, Obianuju Catherine Udeh popularly known as DJ Switch has described herself as a prodigal son.

    She won the music reality TV show sponsored by Globacom Limited walking away with a whooping sum of N24million, an SUV and a recording contract with Sony music.

    “I am sorry mum for being away from home for so long while in search of glory. Now that I am back, I will take good care of you,” she apologized in tears.

    DJ Switch is a former member of Da Pulse, the band that won the 2009 edition of STAR QUEST music talent show.

    The 29-year-old rapper and Geology graduate was a part of the band that signed up with KENNIS Music and released the street anthem ‘So tey’ with a remix featuring Busta Rhymes. The band broke up and left DJ Switch working on her music career.

    While singing her song as a winner, the Enugu State indigene said she felt bad for abandoning home for more than a year while pursuing a career in music and she sought forgiveness having made it to limelight.

    The rapper whose single, Landing Safely, will be released next week, promised to continue working as long as she lives. “For me, it’s going to be work, work and work,” she promised.

     

     

  • ‘I am single and searching’ – Linda Ikeji

    ‘I am single and searching’ – Linda Ikeji

    Popular blogger Linda Ikeji has declared that she is single and searching.

    She stated this on Teju Babyface Show aired Saturday on Television Continental Channel (TVC) in Lagos.

    She also  listed the qualities of the kind of man she hopes to marry.

    They include a man who has respect for women, willing to support her work and has a job.

    “He should have a job, not necessarily to support me financially,”said Ikeji who confirmed that she earns well from advertisments on her blog, lindaIkeji@blogspot.com.

    She spoke of her plans to continue blogging for sometime to come and veer into television production.

  • Secular music does not change who I am

    Regina Coulter, a recording artiste at La Cave Musik, Paris, recently dropped her promo single titled Tele e. The graduate of the University of Abuja with a degree in English and Literary Studies speaks to DUPE AYINLA-OLASUKANMI on her life as an artiste, and why she does not socialise with other celebrities, among other issues.

    WHEN did you discover you had the gift of being a musician?

    I have had a very humble beginning all my life. I was in the church choir, so I have always been in music. I was one of the best choristers in my church back then. I have always loved music, it is spiritual thing. There is something about music, it eases you. It is just inborn; nobody can take it away from me. If you make me angry, because I am hot-tempered, I can just put on music and that does the magic.

    You started in the church but ended up a secular singer. Why is that?

    You know the funniest thing; everybody starts from the church. The church is just the foundation of much stuff. Like we had David in the Bible, he was an instrumentalist. People take religion to be something else. The church is in you, it is what you believe in. God is not partial. We have time for everything but business is different. We are in life; we are in the world, so you have to flow with the world. We are human beings, not angels. Singing secular music does not change who we are. It is just what we do, it is nature, and we can’t change it.

    Under what genre would you place your music?

    I do house music and techno. That is what I do.

    Being an outspoken person, how much of your personality do you put in your music?

    As I said earlier, I have a humble beginning. I have been through some tough times too. Besides, I was a solo artiste before signing with an international record label. I have always been pushing myself. Yes, there have been ups and downs. You know how the industry is, I went through a lot but I just kept focusing because it was what I wanted to do.

    You stated that you are on an international label; don’t we have good ones here?

    God has a way of doing His things. I just don’t know how it happened. I said earlier that I do house music and Europe is the home of house music. So they got to me through my producer, saying that they have listened to my song and they liked it. Before I knew it, I was already in. When it is time, nobody can stop it.

    What do you have cooking at the moment?

    I just dropped my single Tele e. It was a great success. It was on Soundcity and some blogs have also done some reviews on it. I will be in France to do some projects which include concerts and tours. I also hope to shoot videos for my other singles which I will release soon.

    Compared to Nigeria, what is the reception to your music like over there?

    You know Nigerians; it takes a little while before they can accept you, though the acceptance has been good. I can’t compare it to France. I believe it is just a matter of time and then they will come to terms with it.

    When did you start your career fully?

    I have been doing music all my life, but professionally, I will say two years. I have been able to do well for myself because of persistence. I had to keep doing what I love doing, because I could not just stop.

    Tell us about your background

    I won’t want to go into that because it wasn’t that all rosy. So that is for another day please. I would like to keep that part of me private.

    How did you come about the name Coulter?

    People give themselves names. As artistes, we give ourselves names that would suit us. I decided to take Coulter because I like it. It is Jewish. You can decide to take it upon yourself to find out the meaning.

    To keep up the game, you need funds. How do you handle that aspect of your career?

    It is God. I woke up one morning and saw a tree in front of my house and the spirit said I should go there and I got there and saw some money. But trust me; the finance is from that Man up there (pointing to the sky). Miracle can just come now; I can dig this ground now and see like 20 pounds.

    How religious are you?

    I am very religious. I don’t have to go to the church to prove it. I am not a hypocrite too.

    Talking about Tele e, when it came on air, how was it received?

    Trust me, it was a big hit. When the audio came out I had 10,000 downloads in three hours, worldwide in Europe, London, and South Africa. So I had good downloads home and abroad.

    What is your association with other musicians?

    I am not like those musicians that try to fams with you. I just try to take my star to myself. I won’t say because one musician is trying to fams with one person, I should do the same. If we get to meet and we click as friends, we are friends. I have celebrity friends, the ones that we are very cool. I have Jimmy Jatt, Sexy Steel, KC and some others. There isn’t any beef and right now, my song is not the kind that anybody should beef me for because it is different from other genres that we are used to.

    Do you think you have what it takes to keep up in the music industry?

    My music is not like that of other artistes who do it for themselves. Yes, I want to live in luxury basically but I have my dedication to humanity. I have NGOs I work with that involve us dealing with issues like sickle cell. I work with orphanages, widows, rape victims, children with heart problems and HIV infected persons. I have lot of work that I do with these organisations.

    Sometimes we go to national hospitals like the one in Abuja. I was based there. When we visit, we look out for people with severe cases, take care of them and pay their bills. My music is a message, it is for a purpose; to heal and bring people together. I am just trying to do the little I can for humanity. When I visit orphanages in Abuja and I hear the children shouting Aunty Gina, it gives me joy.

    Considering that celebrities’ marriages don’t last, do you still plan to get married?

    I am a different celebrity. But my private life is my private life. I do not like to flaunt it to the public. I am Gina and I want people to see me for who I am. I am not just a celeb, I am a role model and I am some people’s mentor because they look up to me. I have an image to keep and a standard to maintain. I am a diva. So I can’t twist it. I don’t have to marry somebody. Know me for what I sing but when it comes to my private life, it is my business. There should be a part of me that I can say let me rest.

    Do you have anybody you look up to in the industry?

    We have people like Michael; he started as a child star and didn’t give up his dream. We have the likes of Whitney Houston; she married the wrong husband, was on drugs, but still kept on going. There is Oprah. Where do we start from? We have people who have done so many things.

    In Nigeria, I am sorry to disappoint you; they have not wowed me enough. I have people like Onyeka Owenu, Tee Mac, Asa, Waje, Tuface and Nneka. We have people that I listen to their music and I love them more. Those are my mentors. I am sorry, you see the people I am calling their name? You don’t expect me to call children. I just keep it real. You hate me, fine, but I love you still.

    Any plans to delve into movies?

    Funny enough I did a movie with John Dumelo. A friend called me and said she wanted me on the movie. That was my first ever. It was stressful, but a very good movie. It will be premiered later this year. Other ones have come too but there is a soap opera we are doing in Abuja. That is on hold now because I want to focus on my music.

  • Actress Thandie Newton is busy in pregnancy

    FEW minutes to the end of the Q and A session of the premiere of Half of a Yellow Sun at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)’ penultimate Sunday, British actress Thandie Newton, who played the lead in a romantic plot set within the Nigeria/Biafra civil war, excused herself to catch a flight to Vancouver, where she was billed to be on the set of another movie. News making the rounds now says Newton has been saddled with the responsibility of doing the countdown to British Airways’ A380 taking off on its Red Carpet route.

    The A380 superjumbo will leave Heathrow on its maiden long-haul flight on September 24, bound for the bright lights of Los Angeles and the actress has described the aircraft as a grand hotel in the sky.

    “It’s luxurious and ultra modern. I feel particularly lucky because I make frequent trips to Los Angeles, and now even a long weekend to LA seems appealing because the holiday begins as soon as you get on the superjumbo. Who thought travelling could get any more exciting?” she said.

    Reminiscent of Hollywood glamour, Newton is pictured on the aircraft’s sweeping staircase, which leads to the upper deck with Club World (business class), World Traveller Plus and World Traveller (economy) cabins. The main deck hosts the First class cabin, along with further Club World and World Traveller cabins.

    Twelve A380s will join the British Airways fleet over the next four years as part of the airline’s £5bn investment in products and services for customers. The aircraft are due to fly to Hong Kong from October 22 and Johannesburg from February next year. The innovative design of the A380 makes it much quieter during take-off and landing and 16 per cent more fuel efficient than a Boeing 747.

    The airline is also taking delivery of 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliners over the same period, three of which are now with the British Airways fleet and already operating to Toronto.

    Ernest Wooden Jr., President and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, said: “The home of endless entertainment, Los Angeles is a plethora of exciting and hip new trends from food to fashion, arts to architecture. After reaching a record 41.4 million visitors last year, we’re prepared to reach new heights and with the help of the new A380 route we’re now setting our sights on the 50 million visitor’s milestone by 2020.”

  • Olamide, Vector light up Ibadan for Hennessy Artistry

    IT was a time to celebrate music lovers in Ibadan as Hennessy Artistry took, for the first ever, its club tour to the historic town on Saturday, September 14, 2013.

    To kick off the day, supporting acts, Kay Switch and Vector, paid a visit to the Beat FM studio in Ibadan where they had a fun session with Beat FM OAP, Tripple X as they spoke with fans that called into the studio.

    The train later moved to popular nightclub, E-Bevande, where lovers of Hennessy and music fans came to witness the first ever Hennessy Artistry Club Tour.

    With pulsating performances from Vector, Kay Switch and Olamide, fans could not get enough of the fun and excitement as they sang along to their favourite songs from the artistes.

  • Saeon releases ‘Burst my Brain’ with General Pype

    RECENTLY back from a singing break, singer, charity ambassador and NAFDAC advocate, Saeon, is back with a smoking hot single titled, Burst my Brain. In collaboration with General Pype, the budding artiste says that her best is yet to come.

    Real name Seun Oni, the singer who came into the industry professionally in 2012, says that she is currently working on her album. “The single is basically and all-year round hit. I met him at a radio interview through a popular NEA nominated DJ Sose and the rest is history. By the special grace of God, we will be coming out with a video for it soon,” she enthused.

    A singer, songwriter and all-round entertainer, Saeon (pronounced Scion) holds a degree in International Studies and History from Babcock University and a post graduate degree in International Relations with focus on Terrorism and Counterterrorism as well as the covert activities of the CIA. Aside music, she also makes theme songs, jingles, souvenirs and general merchandise.

    “I’m an advocate for NAFDAC’s campaign against drug counterfeiting. I was commissioned to create a jingle for the agency’s newest cutting edge technology. The scratch and text process to verify the originality of a drug before purchasing,” she says of her other endeavours.

  • Fortunes of an entertainer who stole the show

    SHE was one of the three mentees of Jude Abaga (MI), who was a judge in the just concluded Glo X Factor music reality show, and even though he didn’t know how far a rapper like her would go in that music competition, he kept hope alive, because, indeed, she proved to be a multi-talented artiste with a great stagecraft. Thus, the victory of Obianuju Catherine Udeh, otherwise called DJ Switch, an erstwhile member of Da Pulse, the group which won the 2009 edition of Star Quest, became the most unexpected delight to Mr. Incredible (MI). He had said shortly before the verdict: “Switch, people scream when you perform because you inspire us all. When you came for the audition, I felt you tried. I had already made up my mind that you wouldn’t make it to my final three mentees, but you changed my mind. Everybody here needs to know that no matter what people say about you, it doesn’t matter as long as you fight.”

    Indeed, she fought on, emerging the first ever winner of GLO X Factor music talent show by beating co finalists, Eshun and Vicky, at the finale which was recorded last Tuesday at Dream Studio, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos.

    A sensational rapper, 29-year-old DJ Switch, by this feat, won a cash prize of N24m, an SUV and a recording contract with SONY music. Ghanaian contestant, Eshun came second, getting the sum of N1m for her efforts, with the same cash prize going to Vicky, the second runner-up.

    Before the announcement of the results, the expectation of the audience, judges and contestants alike had built to a crescendo as everybody waited anxiously to find out who the first X Factor winner in Africa would be.

    The suspense was to last even longer as Glo ambassador from Ghana, Efya, came on stage for a wonderful performance that had the audience applauding rapturously. After her performance, X Factor host, Toolz, turned to the judges and sought to know how they felt about the night.

    Reggie answered first: “I’m so excited that I brought my wife with me so we can both be excited together. It’s been a beautiful journey; I can’t wait to see who will walk away with the money.”

    According to MI: “It’s been incredible. The crew, my fellow judges and the contestants have all been wonderful.”

    Toolz asked Onyeka, “Who do you think will be the winner tonight?” Onyeka answered with a smile, “I was so excited, I brought my Bible along with me. At this stage, I think the last three contestants have all won.”

    Shortly afterwards, 2008 UK X Factor winner, the delectable Alexandra Burke, got the hall on its feet with a resounding applause for a great performance of her hit track, Halleluyah. She was later joined on stage by the three finalists, DJ Switch, Eshun and Vicky, as they all spectacularly chorused the song together.

    Shake and Ada Ada crooner, Flavour, came onstage next to thrill guests with a scintillating performance. He proved why he was a crowd favourite as the audience rose to their feet to dance along with him. After Flavour’s performance, the contestants came out to sing the songs they sang at the audition stage.

    Vicky led the performances, and she got a standing ovation from the three judges. “How did your daughter perform?” Toolz inquired of Onyeka. “She has grown from a pupa to a butterfly. She sang with confidence and inner joy. I had goose pimples just listening to her. I have no doubt that she’ll make it. May God bless you.”

    Reggie added, “You just proved to us that our work has not been in vain,” while MI said, “Wow, Vicky is just so amazing. You are absolutely stunning. The way you’re radiating joy; don’t keep it to yourself, please, share it with the world.”

    DJ Switch came up next, garbed in a tight black trousers with a black top to match. Her entry engendered a boisterous response from the crowd with her performance of Jay Z’s Forever Young, which was heavily spiced up with raps. In a mild drama, the contestant switched over backwards, precariously clutching the mic as she raps. Her stagecraft even drew a wider applause when she stepped down the stage to hug her mother, while still singing without losing concentration.

    Reggie could not hold back his excitement: “DJ Switch, you are inspirational; you excite me. My children love you; everybody loves you!” And in the words of Onyeka, “Unlike the other judges, the moment you stepped on stage, I knew you had it.”

    When asked why she should win the X Factor, Switch simply said: “I work hard, I pray hard.”

    Eshun was the next to perform, and she pulled out all the stops as she shimmered in her green attire. “One of the best things on this programme is that I got to mentor Vicky and Eshun. She is exquisite, beautiful, gorgeous and talented. She walks onto the stage and lights it up. You have something that is very special. No matter what happens here, you have me permanently in your camp. You will take the world by storm!” Onyeka declared.

    MI said, “You are a perfect example of what this show is all about. You epitomise everything X Factor stands for. You’ve been one of my favourites.” Her Ghanaian compatriot, Reggie, said, “My story with my sister is different. We come from the same place and people expect me to give her a pass. It often seems as if I’m tough on you, but look at where you stand now. You have done well!”

    On why she thinks she should win the competition, Eshun said, “The potter in the Bible goes around looking for clay to mold them into the type of pots that he wants. X Factor came looking for me, found me and I am glad. These past weeks, I have gone through molding, and now, I’m ready.”

    Then the climax! The contestants held hands together as they anticipated the results that would change the lives of one of them forever.

    As Toolz invited the representative from Alexandra Forbes to the stage, she lingered a bit, teasing the audience as she twirled the green envelope containing the results in her hands.

    “The first winner of the Glo X Factor West Africa is DJ Switch!” she announced as the crowd erupted in jubilation.

    “How do you feel?” Toolz asked Eshun. She answered, “Fortunately, the Lord did what He wanted to do, and I’m happy for that.” Vicky said, “I want to thank Glo for this platform, and I think DJ Switch deserved to win.” Thereafter, DJ Switch performed her single, Safe Landing, which is billed for release next week.

    Switch, who currently resides in Abuja, hails from Udi, Enugu State. She studied Geology at the University of Port Harcourt. Her former band, Da Pulse, had signed with Kennis Music and released their hit song So tey, with a remix featuring Busta Rhymes. The band broke up a few years later with Switch remaining active. She was featured on Weird MC’s Da paper song in 2011.