Category: Entertainment

ACTRESS Juliet Ibrahim has come out to explain why most celebrities find it difficult to live a simple, care-free life.

According to Juliet, ““You know as a celebrity, it is difficult to repeat what you wear. I am careful about what I wear, I am a crazy person; I can try out crazy things. It’s unfortunate for me the kind of things I want to step out in most of the times, they (referring to the general public) might not just get that”. she told host Sandra Ankobiah the edition of Fashion 101 held recently.

AFRO-SOUL singer, Omawumi Megbele has joined the likes of Majid Michel, Eddie Watson and others on a movie set to star in an Yvonne Nelson production titled House of Gold according to information.

The songstress is said to have also posted some pictures on her Instagram page during the week showing her on the movie set with the cast of the movie.

The law graduate and mother of one came into the lime light when she emerged first runner-up in West Africa Idol in 2007. Since then, she has established her presence in the entertainment world.

AFTER the last Bez concert at the Expo Hall of Eko Hotel and Suites, Flytime Promotions is up for another show. This time, it is pitching tent with Made Men Music Group to present an “IYANYA Vs DESIRE Album Launch Concert”

Scheduled for Saturday March 2nd, 2012 at the Eko Convention Centre, the late evening show will have the celebrator, Iyanya, performing some of his latest hits. He will be supported by an array of wave-of-the-moment stars including: Dbanj, MI, WizKid, Tiwa Savage, Timaya, Flavour, Davido, Seyi Shay, MAY D, Bracket, Vector, ICEBERG and Lola Rae.

Nollywood actress and UN Ambassador for Peace Mary Uranta is one actress who appears unassuming to many. Beneath her simplicity, modesty and her pristine beauty is a young lady who demonstrates an incredible critical thinking alertness. Labeled Nollywood good girl, the actress the River State born thespian in this interview with MERCY MICHAEL, opens up on growing, her love for the good things of life, friends, among other things:

YOU studied Secretarial Administration. Why not Theatre Art?  I’ve always loved the theatre but I said to myself that I wasn’t going to studyit; I would rather study Mass Communication or Linguistics and then have a certificate in Theatre Art. I didn’t get any of them though. I applied for Linguistics in University of Port-Harcourt and got Sociology. I applied for Mass Communication in Rivers State University of Science and Technology and I got Secretarial Administration. I then said to myself that I will not waste any more years.

The most important thing is getting a degree. That was how I settled for Sec. Admin. By the time I was done with school, I was already in the movie industry but when the jobs where not really coming, I had to take a break off. I thought, rather than to be idle, I should go and better equip myself. I then went to London School of Art where I obtained a certificate in Theatre Art.

How has that been of help?

It has in no small way. Anyone who has seen my movies before now will know that I’ve improved. My works speak for me. Of course the scripts are coming more now. The more you work the better you get at whatever thing you are doing. When you shoot one movie then you have to wait another ten months or so before you go on set again, believe it or not, it affects your skill.

Talking about movies, what are you working on right now?

This is a New Year but thank God I’ve done one movie this year. I’m even about to hit the next movie location soon. I’ve been very busy actually. This year I’ve travelled abroad and back. I travelled to London.

What took you to London?

I went for business. I know a lot of people don’t know that side of me but apart from acting I also do business. I need to make money.

In one of your interviews you said acting alone can’t pay your bills…

This thing I said has really gone far but truth is that is what it is. I don’t know about anyone else. I was just speaking for myself. Acting alone can’t pay my bills. I have a lot of bills so I need to make money and that’s why I do other things that are legit anyway.

I do little contracts here and there. I’m also into buying and selling. I sell stuff from shoes to perfume, even automobiles just to be comfortable.

How do you ensure it doesn’t clash with your acting job?

Yes, scripts don’t come all the time. There are times I don’t shoot for up to three months. At those times, I just get on the plane to go buy stuff to sell. I’m always thinking of the next available thing to do just to make money.

Where did you get this trait from?

I’ve always been an independent woman from my childhood. I’ve always been that kind of girl who wouldn’t even take money from home. Growing up, those days you carry things on your head on the tray. I remember packing rice to sell on the street because I wanted to make money. But guess what? My father caught me hawking and he gave me the beating of my life. Still talking about growing, even in my house I sell, I sell little, little things just so I have money. That’s how I am.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Port-Harcourt. I’m a Port-Harcourt girl. I’m from River State, Opobo to be precise. I lived all my life, schooled in Port-Harcourt before I relocated to Lagos.

Was it that things were so bad then?

They were not bad at all. I never had it rough or tough growing up. I’m from an average home but it has never been bad. One thing I can say about me is that I love to have money on my hand right from my childhood.

For someone who can’t be without money, did you find yourself in a situation where somebody offered you money to date you or something?

That’s far from it. I don’t take huge gift from people. It has never been part of me. I can accept little gifts but not huge gifts like cars, big money and all that because it doesn’t work for me. Anytime I take something really big from someone I end up paying for it so I stopped taking from people. For me, loving money doesn’t mean I can take money from anybody. I work for my money. I appreciate whatever money I can make myself to what anybody can give me.

What’s the biggest amount you made as a teenager?

I think it was N500, 000.

What were you doing then?

I used to go to Ghana to buy clothes. I used to buy this fabric called Kente. I think the first transaction I did was with about N200, 000 and that gave me about N500, 000. I also used to buy their beads and other accessories, bring them back here to sell. In my house, I can say I’m the odd one out. My sisters can stay without money and feel good but not me. I can’t stay without money because I love to have everything I want and I don’t like to ask from people.

What was the most trying times you had in your business back then?

It was when someone gave me money to go get Ankara in large quantity. It was meant for Aso-Ebi and I lost the money. It was about N350, 000. It wasn’t easy refunding it to the person.

How many are you in your family?

I’m from a family of thirteen. My mum has seven children while I have four stepbrothers.

What fun memories do you have of growing up?

It was fun growing up with my brothers and sisters. With my stepbrothers, you will never know that we are from different mum. We are one. We grew up walking and holding hands or even holding each other by the neck. We eat in one plate and all that. That was how we grew up.

As a pretty, hardworking lady, do men fall at your feet?

Men? That is secondary. I’ve always being a one-man-kind-of-girl. I’ve never been that girl who wants to date all the men on the street because I need money. I’m focused. I know what I want.

What was your net worth before you came into the industry?

I may not be able to tell you specifically how much I had but I can tell you for sure that I didn’t come into the industry a poor girl. I’ve always been comfortable before I came into the industry and that’s how it’s been. I wouldn’t say I have too much or that I’m there. I’m just a comfortable person.

How did you find yourself in the movie industry?

I’m very passionate about drama. I used to come to Lagos then from Port Harcourt just for auditions. I and a few friends used to go to Asaba, Enugu, Owerri and even within Port Harcourt, just to get auditioned. After sometime, I said to myself, If Lagos is the place where it’s happening, I think I should just move into Lagos instead of coming and going. And that was it.

What was your first movie role?

The first time I got a role was in Port-Harcourt and it was in the movie titled Girls Hostel. It was a very big one. Girls Hostel was my first movie. There was Olu Jacobs, Ngozi Ezeonu, Uche Jumbo, Empress Njama there were a lot of us. It was all girls thing.

What was that experience like for you?

I was still in school then. The movie was shot in Port-Harcourt. There was an audition in Port-Harcourt and I went with my friends who were in Theatre Arts Department. When we got there they each got a role. The Director turned to me and asked if I don’t want to act. I was very shy. He then auditioned me for a role and surprisingly I did well. That was how I got the role. I played the role of the hall President in the movie. After that, he brought us to Lagos for another movie Silver Spoon.

After that it was Church Committee. Movies were always very big then. At a point I stopped because I was still in school so it wasn’t easy for me to do movies because any movie I do and my HOD gets to see it on screen it was always a big problem for me. I had an extra year because she saw me in one or two movies. After school I took up that challenge.

Did you have any form of harassment back then?

That is a natural thing in the industry and I don’t think it’s peculiar to our industry. It’s the same thing everywhere. I think those in banks and other firms also get harassed. It’s not what I love to discuss when granting an interview. Definitely they will come but it’s a choice thing. Movie or no movie, a producer can see you and get attracted to you. An actor can see you and like you. A marketer can see you and like you so for me it’s not a story to talk about.

So how did you cope?

Like I said it’s a choice thing but when I see it’s a condition for getting a movie role I just take a walk. If you don’t want to give in, you miss getting a role and those where the times I left for like two years to do other things. I came back just for the love of it and still it was the same thing. I left again for another two years went to study at the London school of Art. And then I came back again. I keep finding myself here so I decided to stay.

You decided to give in?

(Laughs) I looked for those I didn’t have to ‘give’ and started working.

How did the man in your life cope with the pressure?

Naturally, you know men, even our parents; now that they are beginning to come to terms. They can allow you to go and pursue a career in acting because people are beginning to be famous and make money from acting. Then, when we started, it was for the love of it. We never knew that we could make money from the industry. So no parent at that time encouraged you to run all over the place looking for roles. They had a way of discouraging you. One other thing that actually pulled me back was my relationship. Nobody ever wanted his girlfriend to go and do movies. They have a way of coming up with “don’t go now”, okay, “go for the next one”.

I never had the full support at the initial stage from anyone around me. Actually my parents didn’t have a problem with me doing it in Port Harcourt but when I have to leave home, it was a big deal because I was still very young. Coming to Lagos was even a problem. Initially, I didn’t tell them I was relocating to Lagos. I already came, got a house, furnished it and kept going to Port Harcourt as if I was around. Later I had to tell my mum and she asked how I would cope all by myself. I assured her that I will. So that’s how I came and became a Lagos girl. I’ve been here for about six years now.

What movie would you say announced you?

That will be Secret Mission done in 2006. I played the lead role in the movie. I played the role of Ngozi Ezeonu’s younger sister who married her husband. There was Desmond Elliot, Tonto, Chioma Chukwuka, and others. That movie stands out for me because I had problems interpreting the role. I had to go to the producer twice to return the script. I shot to a point and I went to the producer to plead with him to look for someone else to continue my role because it was so difficult for me.

I wasn’t just getting it at all. I was just fumbling. While we were shooting I even escaped to Port Harcourt. They were looking for me everywhere. They called me and asked me to come back to Lagos because I had already shot half way. It taught me that it wasn’t about getting a big role but interpreting it. I guess it was because it was my first lead role. Of course now, I’m a pro, if I can use that word. My work speaks for itself now.

Who are your friends in the industry?

I have colleagues. I don’t think I have a very close friend in the industry. I have people who are my senior colleagues who I respect. I also know those who are my junior colleagues. I really don’t have a particular friend that I roll with. I know I have colleagues. If I have anything to do I call them. If they have anything to do they call me and I attend. Once in a while we say hello to each other on phone but I don’t have that friend that I roll with in this industry.

Is it because you’ve had a rough deal with them?

I think so. I had so many rough deals so I think its better I stay on my own and be friends with everyone. It’s safer than having one close friend because there is no way, you guys won’t fall out.

Why is there that lack of bond among actresses?

Sometimes I also sit down and wonder why we can’t do things as one. I wonder but that’s how it is. You can change it.

A lot of actresses now are delving into movie production. Any plans in that regard?

Yes that will come later. We are working on that.

What has changed about you?

I love Junk. I love eating things like Akara, puff-puff, fried yam all those things that in the evening, you stroll around, looking for where to get them. A lot of things like that. I just can’t see my life normally anymore. Now, I watch my back, trying to see who is looking. Recently, I drove to a friend’s place within my estate to get some CD’s. I now saw Akara and I was like wow! Mehn I must chop this Akara this night whether devil likes it or not. So I crossed over to get the Akara.

As I was going towards the woman selling the Akara, a boy saw me, I’m sure he recognized my face. He was looking at me like, what is she doing? What is she actually trying to do? I saw him I didn’t even look at his face. My friend was, see that boy is looking at you. Do you want to go and buy this Akara. I was like na him sabi, dis Akara I must chop am today. I crossed over bought my Akara and Agidi to go with it.

What are your likes?

I love music. I love to dance. I’m also addicted to ice. My friends call me Ice Queen because I actually chew ice from morning till night without food.

Who is that man in your life?

I don’t want to talk about my relationship.

Does your level of independence scare men away?

Sometimes, yes. Men will always be men. When you are independent they worry like, are you sure this one can stay. When you are dependent on them they are like, this girl your bills too much. So it’s like that. When the right person comes he will understand that you are doing what you have to do.

Critically acclaimed instrumentalist, singer and song writer Bezhiwa Idakula popularly known as BEZ is considered one of the best things out of the Nigerian music scene in recent times. His unusual fusion of different genres that cuts across Soul, Rock, Jazz and R’n’B has endeared him to many and that has also added to his rising stock. He opens up on a number of issues like how he met with Cobhams, his musical background and how his late father influenced his career in music.

HOW did music start for you?  Music started from birth I would say. It chose me from day 1. I remember that my childhood was spent with a lot of music. It’s more like a second skin now…

Where you influenced into music by any family member?

The biggest influence I would say I’ve had in my music was my father. He taught me how to play the guitar like a pro and bought me my first guitar box. He used to play the guitar himself and he would ask me to back him up way back then. That was how the first stirrings of professional music started for me. My sisters were also influential to my music because they were in the choir and they used to help me out with the special numbers they used to sing in church then.

What about your mum was she in support of your taking to music as a career?

My childhood was very musical and so we have all been performers. My father was a politician but his love for music was legendary. My father died when I was in early secondary school so I don’t know exactly how he would have felt about me doing music professionally, but one thing was sure about him, in so many ways, music was his life, he loved it so much. My mother and siblings have been incredibly supportive of my career and I think that has been of great help to me.

What’s your educational background like?

I studied Information Communication Technology, it wasn’t my thing, but I was good at it.

How did you feel when you recorded your first song?

I was ecstatic and beyond the moon. That was the first time I could say I saw my future every step of the way.

How did you meet with Cobhams?

One of the reasons I came to Lagos from Jos was because of my music and because I was determined to work with Cobhams. When I came to Lagos, I searched for him and tried to meet with him. One day, out of the blues, he calls me and says…“hello, my name is Cobhams. I heard about you and I would like to work with you, if you are interested, come over to the studio, let’s audition you.” I was so shocked; here I was and the person I was running around for just called me up. The next day I was at the studio and he liked my work, the rest as they say is history.

Does he still have any influence in the kind songs you do today?

Of course yes. He remains a great inspiration. We generate ideas while in the studio and we can make changes to what we already have.

How hard has it been trying to sell your kind of music to the average listener who may consider your kind of music as elitist?

Every new sound might take a while for people to get used to. Once it happens though, it will become a movement. That is the goal, there are no average listeners, what we have out there are songs that need to grow on people. It was like that for Fela and Afrobeat, for Bob Marley and Reggae. A few years ago, Asa was pelted with pure water sachets on stage! Today she is respected globally. My sound is still evolving but people are beginning to notice it. That in itself is encouraging and liberating.

Do you consider the average listener when you write your songs?

Of course I do! I consider the music and the people.

How well did your album Super Sun fare in the market?

Super Sun was listed by Boston Globe as one of the world’s top ten albums of 2011. ‘Stupid Song’ was the first African music video to be premiered on 106 and Park on BET International. Super Sun beat my expectations! On December 29, we had the first ever ‘Super Sun’ live concert in Nigeria, the crowd was massive at N15, 000 per ticket, I was humbled.

How would you rate your album?

That is not for me to say…I think you should ask people but the reviews have been great thus far.

Did the response you got from the album meet your expectation in terms of acceptance?

It surpassed my expectations and I am grateful to God, my team and the fans without which there would be no point.

How often do you perform with a live band?

Always, I’ m a live performer

How do you feel about the international exposure your videos have been getting?

I feel humbled and excited at the same time. This is the stuff dreams are made of and I am grateful that people have reacted to my music in this way. From my induction to the MTV Iggy Hall of Fame to ‘Super Sun’ being named no 3 in the ‘World albums of 2011’ by the Boston Globe, it has been in many ways, the ride of my life! And we are just starting. I’ve been incredibly blessed.

How did you and Praiz come about “That Stupid Song”?

It was at the studio, we started playing around with stuff and that was how the ‘Stupid Song’ was born.

How do you relate with your female fans?

I’m grateful for my fans.

Do you have a girlfriend? Are you in love?

Love is a beautiful thing. I’m in love with life and its many gifts such as music, falling in love, family and friends.

Despite your relative fame back home; you seem to be earning rave reviews and followership outside Nigeria. How do you feel about that fact?

It’s a blessing to be seen in this way. I’m grateful,

How soon should we expect another album from you?

This year