Category: Entertainment

NOLLYWOOD actor and businessman, Jim Iyke, recently premiered his own reality show and had Ghanaian actress Nadia Buari as escort for the night, and since then there have been speculations of a possible romantic involvement between the two. But the actor openly debunked the rumours, stating that he is not in a romantic relationship with the actress.

According to reports, both stars have been seen around each other in suggestive ways and places which brought about the rumours. Reacting to the reports, Jim Iyke’s image maker, Mitch Ngaman, informed that Jim Iyke and Nadia “are just best buddies; they are not dating.” He said it is very normal for people to think that both stars are dating due to the closeness that exist between the two “marriageable adults”.

“Both share a lot of personal and emotional stuffs together, they are close, but as at this moment, romance is out of the equation,” Ngaman said. When asked if Jim is still dating his Jamaican lover, Kentura, the actor’s publicist answer was a resounding, “Yes!”

Beautiful actress, Empress Njamah is an amiable lady and fun to talk with. Living her passion in the fashion world, the thespian currently owns a boutique in Abuja called House of Empress. She also owns a Spa and a Saloon among other fortunes. The bundle of talent, who shot into limelight with the movie Girls Hostel, opens up to MERCY MICHAEL in this interview, on why she’s into a new line of business. She also reveals some of her fashion-fetish while speaking on the topic, marriage.

WHAT is your favourite breakfast? I don’t have favourite dishes. I can take anything that is available. For breakfast, I can’t do without tea. I can take tea like a hundred times a day. Wherever I travel to, I always have my tea bag. I found out that tea is actually good for the body. I must drink it first thing in the morning. I thought I didn’t have a favourite dish. I love Amala for lunch. I crave for it. Anywhere I can get it, I go for it, but eating it here is not like eating it abroad.

You have refused to grow old. Tell about your beauty regime?

I try as much as possible to stick to a product. I’m not adventurous with beauty products. What many people don’t understand is that it has to take more than a year for a new product to work on you, because it has to kill some cells to get into the main skin. Most people start with trying to use something and when it doesn’t work with one jar, they say it’s fake.

People should understand they need a lot of time to get into a particular product. I try as much as possible to moisturize. I can make do with any kind of soap. What I use for my face is what I use for my body. I don’t do make-up all the time. Sometimes you need to allow the face to breathe. I am this type of person; it’s either I am wearing make-up or not (laughs). Of course tonight you are going to see me wear….

What’s your favourite fashion item?

I can’t do without a lip gloss. I’m a hair person, but I don’t go out of my way. One thing I do that’s not regular is that, I wear like five people’s hair at the same time. Over the years it has been my style. My hair has to be very full. I can’t do without my claws. That’s why I don’t do epic movies. I call my nails claws. I can’t do without them. People criticise me for not doing epic movies because I have the physique for them.

But you could take them off for the movie…

I can’t remove my claws. I can’t. My nails are who I am.

How do you eat Eba with them?

I just did. Oh! You weren’t there when I ate with Lancelot Imasuen? I ate Amala with them. I eat anything. I told you I’m an African woman, leave the nails. I can’t function without them, but maybe with time, like my publicist will say, maybe when I have my baby.

How long have you been wearing your claws? And what made you to start wearing them?

I have been wearing them for over eight years. The first time I fixed my nails, they were acrylic and they were long for a character movie. After the movie, it wasn’t easy to say I wanted to take them off, so being with the nails for over a week brought me into it.

You once said you used many perfumes at the same time…

Oh I’m a freak. I have a shrine. I’m not kidding. You can ask two or three people here who know me. I have over three hundred perfumes. Over three hundred perfumes.

Do you have a few favourites?

I wear masculine perfumes. I love strong perfumes, because they always have an after smell. I’m not particular about the designers. I’m particular about smell. And I can never wear one perfume. I wear like three or four perfumes at a time, so you definitely don’t know. I’m that bad. I can tell what someone is wearing, if you are wearing a known perfume. Perfume is me. I can give you a few names.

Okay, I’m wearing a Tom Ford, Black Orchid, Eaudemoiselle de Givenchy, Poison and Trouble. I think I’m wearing over six because I went to my hotel room like three times and each time I try to step out, I must always use a perfume. I also wear oil perfume most times. Sometimes, when the weather is hot, I use the oil perfume so that my skin doesn’t get burnt or affected. I have loads of perfumes (laughs). That’s the only question I love answering.

What’s new about Empress Njamah?

I have House of Empress Boutique based in Abuja, I have a spa and I have a saloon. I’ve been working on so many things, my brands, loads and loads of travelling too. At my free time, I do one or three movies and I’m working on two more. They keep shifting because my movement no dey pure (laughs).

You see one thing with the movie; it’s always there. But what people don’t understand is that we also need a lot to fall back on. And then it’s not easy to bring out something like that, you just let it be. You have to work in it. So far, it is standing. I have a branch in Abuja. I also have another one in Wuse 2. I will be coming to Lagos sometime soon. Lagos is clustered for me, but it’s not an excuse. I’m still working on Lagos. I still need a lot of people to psyche me on that because it is one place that I want to do this thing, but there are loads of competition in Lagos.

And then a lot of people don’t want to do their stuff, but when they see you doing well with your stuff, they want to get into your stuff. Do you understand? So, I’m actually taking my time, but I have loads of customers in Lagos that I bring stuffs for more than every other place. However, I love Abuja right now.

Aren’t you gradually falling apart with acting?

Do people ever fall out of it?

People do fall out of love. Isn’t it the same thing?

When you say fall in and out of love, most people don’t fall out of love. They just let love be. We all have love in us. People only fall out of the wrong love. So, if you are giving your love to the wrong person, you will definitely get it back. I always try to make people understand that, not because someone says something out of depression then you let it stick to you. So you don’t fall out of it.

A lot of us are either born to act or we were made to. So if you have it in there, it is always going to be there. The industry does not have an expiry date. I could get up tomorrow and say I’m not going to act for ten years and after then I come back and act like a mother because of age and time. But it is still there. So there is always a role for everyone. There is no expiry date on things like that.

I try to do the movies that are worth it. The industry is filled with square-pegs in round holes. Most people don’t go far because there are loads of distractions once they come in. But basically, with the level I have attained in the industry, I don’t think I should be everywhere. That’s the truth.

Coming from a family of actors, aren’t you worried the name might fade away if you keep away?

A good name will always remain even if you are off for five years. You will always be remembered for your good works. You don’t have to do a hundred movies to be what someone wants you to be. I know someone that has done loads and loads of movies, once you don’t have the star streak, you don’t have it.

You can just do one movie, and that one may be it. We all know Funke Akindele and how she’s been there all these years. She came up with this one movie that told a lot of stories and that was it. Even if for any reason Funke is not in the scene for a particular time, she will definitely be known for that work.

So what was the movie that brought you to limelight?

The movie that gave me my breakthrough is Girls Hostel. Till tomorrow I’m shocked that people still call me Tunika Robert. And when I hear it, I’m like, e don tey. At some point, I didn’t remember my character name but oh my goodness! Tunika Robert.

What is it about you that attracts controversy?

That’s a difficult one. First, I don’t know about controversies. But it’s just that a lot of people. Without me, they probably cannot sell their magazine.

But why are you such a magazine seller now?

I like to make money into people’s pocket. Okay now, let’s define controversy. Most people just want to give stories to what people want to read. It might not be what it is but most times all those stories help us to grow.

I know you love dogs. How many of those expensive dogs do you have now?

I have five.

A lot of your colleagues have delved into film production. How does it feel to see your colleagues doing this and you are not?

I think someone asked me that question before. I can’t be forced to do something and I’m not very competitive. And especially my family, we are adventurous. What I like to do might not be what the next person likes to do. I’m not saying all, but most people who come doing this thing, most of them are square pegs in round holes. So basically, because they are doing it does not mean Empress should do it. Another thing is that how many of those people that they are trying to compare me with have come up with what I have come up with?

A lot of people don’t even understand that Nollywood is not that strong. If it’s just one movie done in Hollywood, I know that that money can actually sustain me for a particular time. We all know that there is no much money in this industry so use your talent and do what you have to do. I have flare for so many things.

People have flair for wanting to be a star but after that, what else? That’s why I said movie is always there I can always fall back to it. I do it when I can do it. I travel a lot. This year I think I have travelled over twenty times because I need to stock up. I started early. The name is still there so I need to do a lot of things because I would definitely fall back to the movies. You can’t leave the industry just like that. It’s not possible.

As an entrepreneur what was it like starting off at the initial stage?

Initially, it was not that easy but let me tell you something about life. If you’re doing something that you love, and you are making money out of it, it’s a plus. I love the movie. I love to act. It’s just like they are paying me for my hobby. I love fashion. I love it in the sense that I love to dress people.

Alright, I was in charge as Mercy Johnson’s bride and I was happy about my work. A lot of people don’t know that there are other things I do aside that. I do bridal makeup. I tidy weddings. I try to be adventurous with people and I don’t like the regular thing. If you come to me, I tell you straight up, if it’s the regular thing I can’t help. I just did one beautiful wedding a few Saturdays ago and I got like four other jobs from that one. So that’s it. I don’t have to put it on the billboard. I’m not a loud person. I let my work speak for me.

What do you do when you are not working?

Travelling is a hobby for me. I was busy at Tuface’s wedding. I was one of the people organising things and after work, I think I used two days to unwind. So there is always time to unwind. I’m an adventurous and industrious person but the little time I have I make sure I spend it well.

A lot of people don’t understand that the body needs rest. I cannot do that because body is not wood. Inasmuch as the spirit is willing, the body is weak. Always listen to your body. That is why a lot of people breakout, breakdown and break up. Always know that the body needs rest.

As one who is brilliant, beautiful and curvy, why are you still single?

I’m gonna say this alright; I don’t care how people take it, the days when marriages were sweet and all beautiful are no more. If you listen to how your parents got married and how those days it was sweet, it’s not like that anymore. I’ve escorted a lot of people into marriages, I won’t say I’ve escorted them out but I’ve witnessed them come out of it.

So psychologically it’s not good for people and then being what we are, a lot of people think because she’s this, because she has that I don’t think I will be able to handle them. A lot of people can’t stand an industrious woman especially if she’s doing well. It’s the mentality of the people. If a man looks at me, I’m a car freak alright. I have five cars and I’m not doing it because I’m trying to show off, a lot of people don’t even know that they are my cars.

But I’m trying to be honest with you and I’m always trying to say it the way it is, not minding whatever. If a man comes and says because of blablabla, he cannot handle me, then he shouldn’t bother. Every woman’s dream is to get married but it’s not just to get married but to get married to your friend. I want to marry my friend.

And have you met your friend?

I’m yet to meet my friend. If I meet my friend and I know that he is my friend, I don’t think that question should actually pop up because what am I doing if I’ve met my friend? If I’ve met my friend I will get married. And then, I’m this type of person that even if I meet my friend; I don’t want to have a fairy tale wedding.

Really?

Yes, don’t judge a book by its cover. People always look at Empress oh she’s flashy. She’s this and that. Trust me; I’m the simplest person you can ever meet. I’m playful, I’m jovial, and I’m interesting. I’m not blowing my trumpet. But I don’t have a dull moment.

Afro jazz pianist, Dapo Dina is widely travelled, having visited about 19 countries. In his view, the appreciation of jazz is not as low as is perceived in Nigeria.  The young artiste speaks with OVWE MEDEME on his decision to return home, his love for the piano, maintaining his dreadlocks and sundry issues.

WHAT does being an Afro Jazz artiste entail?

The afro I guess would be interpreted as African so it is more or less an African jazz musician or pianist

Why jazz music?

I always love jazz because I think it is superior and very challenging. It is also a very intellectual music. I don’t just want to go for something less. That is why I chose jazz.

How commercially viable is jazz music?

That is the problem people have with jazz, they want to stay commercial. Jazz is very wide. It is huge and there is also some element of commercialism in it. Smooth jazz, pop jazz, afro pop jazz and different kinds of jazz could be commercial but it all depends on how you are looking at it and how your mind can embrace a little bit of technicality into the commercial.

For how long have you been doing this?

For a couple of years now, I have been performing jazz music but I only picked up my career as a professional some years back, about two years ago.

How many albums have you released so far?

I have one album and I am currently working on the other one. The first one was initially titled wealth of knowledge because of my experiences around the globe. But when I came back home and I had to infuse the African thing, I decided to change the title to Ile, which is an African name. Ile means home. There is a particular track there which talks about home being the place to rest.

In the course of doing music, what countries have you been to?

I have been to about 19 countries around the globe both in Europe and Africa. I started out from South Africa. Then, I played with a band which took us to Dubai and Brazil. It was a pop band so when I came back, I decided to play a little bit of Jazz or crossover music. That was when I decided to travel to Europe. When I got to Europe, I toured a bit of Paris. We went to Berlin, Germany and Czech Republic. We were in Istanbul, Sweden. We went to Amsterdam a couple of times because there was a guy I was also working with as a producer. He is a gospel artiste called Uche and I produced some of his tracks. He booked me a couple of times in Holland. I have also been to a number of African countries, Cameroun, South Africa, Lesotho and Zimbabwe. I moved around.

What is your take about the Nigerian audience and acceptability to jazz music?

Actually I lived about one year in Berlin and I met a lot of musicians there. I realised that I had to actually register my presence at home and also to learn some of my culture just to get acquainted to the African or Nigerian roots and some of the instruments. That is why I came back home to register my presence. The first time I was here, which was July last year, before I travelled to Sweden, every time I say I am a jazz musician, people reacted by saying that jazz does not sell in Nigeria and there were a lot of negativity. In September, I started to play a lot of gigs.

I played in about six major shows because I had to fly out in December. One was the Mandela Day which was put together by the South African consulate. I played a Tale of Two African Cities, the MUSON Jazz Festival and some other shows before I left for Sweden. That can answer the question. I think maybe people don’t really know what jazz is around here. They just hear the name. It scares them and they say jazz does not sell but I have been busy since last year. This year too, I have played a lot of shows.

How do you think that impression can be corrected?

I think jazz is all about education; people need to educate themselves about this genre of music before they are able to embrace what jazz is. If you are not aware of what it is, what jazz means, then you will be scared of it so you need to educate yourself and find out what exactly it is. If you find the meaning of jazz then you will also find the areas that is commercial and that you can embrace.

With all the issues bugging Nigeria, why did you decide to come back home?

I did not come to stay forever because I am a touring artiste. I realise that I must come here and showcase myself and move around and register my presence. I have to do this in spite of the situation because there is no other way for me to show myself to the people. The electricity and the other problems that we face, for me, I overlook them. I use it as a story in some of my music but I don’t want to make it too political. I just want to connect with my roots and see what it going on; see how I can infuse it and preach morals with my music.

Aside that, what other themes do you address with your music?

I can sing about the issues we face but I don’t talk to the government. I don’t want to be too political or direct. For instance, I can sing about not having electricity which is the truth. Everybody knows that but not to the extent of being an activist.

How would you react to those who say jazz music is too intellectual?

There is instrumental jazz music and then there is afro jazz music. The afro jazz part of it has to do with infusing the culture and the language to bring the African tradition.

When was your first encounter with the piano?

I am from a music family so we had some instrument lying there. I fiddled with them at will but after going to school to study Business Administration, I realised that I wasn’t focusing. I went to Owo Polytechnic but I was always going for one music function or the other so I decided to just follow my passion full time. I chose piano because it is the principal instrument. With piano you can achieve so much actually. We don’t really have pianos here in Africa. Most people here are keyboard players but there are also more possibilities in playing the keyboard. You can have other sounds, you can have the strings, you can be a producer so I just thought piano was the best.

Why did you choose to align yourself with Inspiro Productions as a label?

Inspiro stands for jazz. Some years back when I wanted to come home, I wanted them to listen to my music and all that. We ended up having something together now because our heart is there and we are serious about what we are doing. Inspiro has a vision and he knows where he is going. We had to connect and build a new movement that is very futuristic.

How long did it take you to groom your dreads?

That area of my life, I call it imaging. You need some kind of image. A lot of jazz players don’t have dreads. Actually people have misconceptions about me. They thought I was playing reggae music. I don’t think it is really a reggae thing because out there a lot of people have dreadlocks and they are not even musicians. It is about having some kind of image.

Is it true that carrying dreadlocks come with some sort of spiritual undertones?

I decided to grow my hair not for any spiritual reason but for the social image kind of thing.

How expensive is it to maintain?

For sure it is very expensive. I have to go to the salon to make it look neat all the time. I have had it for about four years now and I intend to grow it very long.

So you don’t have any hopes of cutting it soon?

Not now. Maybe in the next ten years.

ISCORDANT voices among members of the Nigerian film industry called Nollywood, have assumed a fresh dimension. From opposition disparaging to exchange of unpleasant electronic messages, some members of the industry who are not in the three billion naira grant committee, set up by the Federal Ministry of Finance, are already biting their fingers to signify bitter threats.

President Goodluck Jonathan at a presidential dinner with filmmakers in Lagos, on March 2, 2013, promised a N3 billion package to help the movie industry.

The largesse was a consolation for the effort of the filmmakers whom he said, have developed the industry in 20 years; starting from the release of Living in Bondage, the acclaimed first direct-to-VHS film phenomenon in the country.

The package, to be launched as ‘Project Nollywood’, and managed by the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is expected to include grants for the best film scripts; capacity building and infrastructure development.

Notable filmmaker, Amaka Igwe, who appeared to be more perceptible during the dinner with Jonathan, has been picked into the committee. Veteran Yoruba language film thespian, Jide Kosoko and actress turned producer, Stephanie Okereke-Idahosa are also on the committee, which has other professionals from the finance, judiciary and educational sectors.

But stakeholders under the auspices of Nollywood Monitors are vexed with the choice of three, querying the modalities for their selection. Although their message was conveyed through a communiqué sent by email to members and the general public by Mr. Chike Bryan, President of Screen Writers Guild of Nigeria (SWGN), it was suspected that other members of the Nollywood Monitors include Mr. Paul Obazele and Zack Orji. The group is demanding that only association heads, who were duly elected by members, should be co-opted into the committee.

Mrs. Igwe, recently invited some members of the film industry to a focus meeting, asking for their inputs on the best way to support distribution of film from whatever comes in from the N3 billion fund. She was going to collate participants’ view and present this as proposed guideline for the Federal Government Committee on the fund.

An important aspect of the focus discussion was also on the possibility of IP protection in Nollywood movies. The group had presented a pitiable situation of filmmakers, whom it said only makes 30 percent of gains coming from a movie, while pirates take 70 percent of their investment.

The committee which is being chaired by the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is said to have a total of 12 members, which may also include the Senior Special Assistant (Communications) to the Minister, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu and Mr. Hope Yongo a director at Nigerian Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank among others.

A filmmaker, Alex Eyengho, President of Association of Nollywood Core Producers, has condemned the agitation by members of the Nollywood Monitors, describing it as baseless: “My advice to this group is that, if they are really desirous of accessing this grant, they should immediately start to put proper personal corporate structures in place. The money will not be released to associations and guilds but to serious-minded companies based on the business plans and proposals submitted to managers of the fund. Once the guidelines for accessing the grant are made public, you don’t have to be a member of the committee to apply. Some members of the committees may even apply and fail to get the grant eventually! The grant is not and cannot be a dash to everybody in Nollywood. It is not Nollwood @ 20 jamboree. It is serious business for serious Nollywood stakeholders.” He stated.

SOUTH African city of Durban is set to come alive as Nigerian superstar, 2Face, joins the list of stars to perform at the MTV Africa All Stars concert. The artiste is to join Snoop Lion for the urban music extravaganza staged by MTV Base and KwaZulu-Natal Province in Durban, South Africa on Saturday 18 May.

Riding high in the charts with “IheNeme”, and fresh from his recent outing at MTV Africa All Stars, Lagos, 2Face joins Snoop Lion, Flavour and Zakes Bantwini at the concert, to be staged at Moses Mabhida Stadium, People’s Park, Durban.

The charismatic singer will be a hugely popular addition to the lineup at the All Stars gig, where he is expected to take fans on a musical journey starting with his early material in PlatashunBoiz through to recent hits like Implication, I Just Wanna Be There, One Love and No Dulling.

According to the organisers, more than 10,000 people are expected to enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime concert as Snoop Lion, formerly known as Snoop Dogg, the legendary hip hop icon turned reggae superstar, performs his greatest hits interspersed with his new, “Reincarnated” reggae-flavoured repertoire.

LOVERS of Kennery music popularized by late Dr. Orlando Owoh now have another reason to smile. The lull witnessed in the genre since the death of the ‘Doctor of Music’ is finally giving way to a robust hope for a better future, as more younger musicians are following in the footsteps of their late hero.

Taking the lead in the race to step into shoes left behind by Orlando Owoh is Fakorede Afe. The Irun Akoko, Ondo State-born musician started music in 2006 after a ‘revelation’.

“My foray into music started in a very mysterious way. I fell ill sometime in 2006, and it took a very long time before I became strong again. But the mystery in all of this was that while I was on the sick bed, I started singing. And before I knew what was happening, I had perfected the Kennery music as played by the late Orlando Owoh.”

Soon after he got up from the sick bed, Fakorede said, he organized a group to try his hands on his new-found love.

He took further steps to have a stronghold on music when he visited the late Orlando sometime in 2008. The young Fakorede, who is popularly called Fak by his fans, was left in awe when he finally met his mentor for the first time.

“I met the late Orlando at his home in Lagos. When I told him that I wanted to be a musician, he told me to be ready to persevere and not be in a hurry to make money. He also said that I should not indulge in vices that can ruin my career,” Fak recalls.