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Tag: Wizkid

  • Wizkid, Davido, Falz others make 2018 Forbes Africa under 30 list

    Popular Nigerian singers, Davido and Wizkid have made the list of the 2018 Forbes Africa under 30 individuals that are making waves in their industries across the continent.

    The list is divided into three: Creative, Technology and Business.

    Other celebrities across Africa that made the list are Sarkodie, Nasty C, Cassper Nyovest, Falz, Yemi Alade, Beverly Naya, and Sonia Irabor among others.

    Also, fashion entrepreneurs Adebayo Oke-Lawal of Orange Culture and Tania Omotayo of Ziva Lagos; beauty entrepreneurs Anita Adetola Adetoye of Anita Brows, Joyce Jacob were also named.

    In its fourth edition, the analysts described the list as “our authentic and most definitive list of Africa’s most promising young change-makers.”

    They say they are, for the first time, inspired by the growing number of young men and women entrepreneurs, hence they have expanded it to bring 30 game-changers, all under the age of 30, in each of the three sectors – business, technology and creative.

    The 90 in total are challenging conventions and rewriting the rules for the next generation of entrepreneurs, creatives and tech gurus.

    “We put in months of rigorous research, sifting through over 600 nominations, vetting them for weeks, verifying and investigating them. We favored entrepreneurs with fresh ideas and took into account their business size, revenue, location, potential, struggles, social impact and resilience. A panel of judges then debated the final 90. You may not know many of their names now and they may not be richest people in Africa, but they could be the billionaires of tomorrow gracing our future covers. This compilation is exciting, inspiring and offers a sneak peek into Africa’s future,” said the researchers.

     

  • Wizkid, Davido, Falz others make 2018 Forbes Africa under 30 list

    Popular Nigerian singers, Davido and Wizkid have made the list of the 2018 Forbes Africa under 30 individuals that are making waves in their industries across the continent.

    The list is divided into three: Creative, Technology and Business.

    Other celebrities across Africa that made the list are Sarkodie, Nasty C, Cassper Nyovest, Falz, Yemi Alade, Beverly Naya, and Sonia Irabor among others.

    Also, fashion entrepreneurs Adebayo Oke-Lawal of Orange Culture and Tania Omotayo of Ziva Lagos; beauty entrepreneurs Anita Adetola Adetoye of Anita Brows, Joyce Jacob were also named.

    In its fourth edition, the analysts described the list as “our authentic and most definitive list of Africa’s most promising young change-makers.”

    They say they are, for the first time, inspired by the growing number of young men and women entrepreneurs, hence they have expanded it to bring 30 game-changers, all under the age of 30, in each of the three sectors – business, technology and creative.

    The 90 in total are challenging conventions and rewriting the rules for the next generation of entrepreneurs, creatives and tech gurus.

    “We put in months of rigorous research, sifting through over 600 nominations, vetting them for weeks, verifying and investigating them. We favored entrepreneurs with fresh ideas and took into account their business size, revenue, location, potential, struggles, social impact and resilience. A panel of judges then debated the final 90. You may not know many of their names now and they may not be richest people in Africa, but they could be the billionaires of tomorrow gracing our future covers. This compilation is exciting, inspiring and offers a sneak peek into Africa’s future,” said the researchers.

  • Wizkid, Tiwa Savage Love or something like it?

    His safe to say that Nigerian superstar, Ayo Balogun, a.k.a Wizkid, is on top of his game. From the beginning of the year, the pop singer has been on a winning streak, the latest being his impressive United Kingdom (UK) tour. Wizkid reportedly sold out London’s 20,000-capacity O2 Arena earlier this week, making him the first Nigerian to do that. And even though he has been recording hits, picking up awards and touring the world in the last six months, the artiste’s personal life has elicited interest among his fans.

    Since the beginning of the year, when he collaborated with music diva, Tiwa Savage, and released the track, ‘Malo,’ all eyes have been on both singers.  Entertainment buffs argued that the chemistry displayed by both artistes doesn’t feel like they were just singing. It also didn’t help that ‘Malo’ is a love song. As a testament to the performance put up by the artistes in the song, the video generated over 20 million views on YouTube, making it one of the most viewed videos in Nigeria.  At the backdrop of speculations about the true nature of their relationship, it appears Wizkid has encouraged rumours of romance.   Having put up a superlative performance at the recent AfroRepublik concert, Wizkid stopped the show midway to invite Tiwa on stage to perform their hit duet, ‘Malo.’ So doing, he referred to her as ‘someone special.’  There have been other instances where the singers left fans guessing. For instance,

    on the music diva’s birthday, Wizkid sent her an affectionate online greeting. He said: “Big birthday, shout out to a Queen!! Our Queen, My Queen! Hard worker!! @tiwasavage.” In that post, he shared five of her photos on his page. Also the songstress gave a shout out to her ‘bestie’, referencing the ‘Star Boy’ after receiving her award at the 2018 Headies. Not so long ago, on Friday, March 30, to be precise, Wizkid joined Tiwa while she performed at the Gidi Culture Fest, at Hard Rock cafe beach front, Oniru VI. But while some are excited for both artistes, others berate Tiwa Savage for divorcing her husband and giving the impression that she is dating a younger artiste.

    Wizkid and Tiwa Savage on stage 1
    Wizkid and Tiwa Savage on stage 1

    A social media follower was particularly quoted as saying that it is not complimentary if indeed she is dating Wizkid. This is among the several expletives that have been vented on the songstress. On the flip side though, some of the artistes’ fans have risen to their defence, citing the case of the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry and his newly wedded bride, Meghan Markle. Not only is the Duchess older than him, she was also a divorcee; factors she allegedly shares with Tiwa Savage.

    A Twitter user, Dayo ‘Segun, for instance, aired his view: “Meghan Markle, 3 years older can marry Prince Harry but Tiwa Savage can’t date/love/marrry Wizkid because she is older than him. Can you see your hypocrisy?” Idris Bahuballi, however, argued that Wizkid and Tiwa have every right to have an affair because “they are adults and have all the right to date who they want to. Age, race, tribe, religion etc shouldn’t be a barrier when it comes to love.” Not left out of the discourse is Kiki Osinbajo, daughter of Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. She expressed her view on the romance between the musicians when she shared pictures of the two singers on stage at the Afro Republik and captioned it: “Can I just say I’m in love with this friendship/love?” While fans eagerly wait to see where the story leads, there are several theories about the artistes’ newfound friendship.

  • J Cole, Wizkid, Davido, others stun at #CastleLiteUnlocks

    With multi-platinum selling American rapper, Jermaine Lamarr Cole aka J Cole holding up the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos stage last friday, AB InBev Nigeria further stamped its imprint on the Nigerian music scene with a concert tagged ‘Castle Lite Unlocks.’

    When anchors of the event, Do2dTun and Pearl Thusi, and he took a while to come on the stage, a crowd had started chanting, ‘J-cole, J-cole, J-cole.’ After he finally came, the Dreamville top dog act who dressed in green with white striped t-shirt reeled out many of his hit tracks including songs from his fifth album, KOD, which was released on April 20 such as ‘Can’t Get Enough’ (from his studio debut album, Cole World), ‘Role Modelz’, ‘Apparently’, ‘Wet Dream’, ‘Deja Vu’, ‘Immortal’, Crooked ‘Neighbors’, and ‘Work Out.’

    1. Cole who performed for the first time in Nigeria was also joined by some of Nigeria’s finest like Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, MI, Falz the Badh Guy and Davido.

    To add spice to the event, DJ Obi, DJ Xclusive, DJ Neptune and Cool DJ Jimmy Jatt engaged in 10 minutes deejaying battle.

    Speaking to journalists, the Marketing Director, AB InBev Nigeria, Arne Rust said Castle represents the array of star Nigerian musicians who seek to be different.

    “Innovation is what drives Castle Lite as the brand is always at the forefront of technology, making beer drinking easier and fun in every space.” said Rust.

    “As a result, our innovation approach is geared at unlocking new spaces for consumers to enjoy Castle Lite. Also, Nigerian music has over the years showcased its innovative, progressive and extremely expressive streak.  This explains why we have this rich assemblage of Nigerian music stars who push boundaries and do things differently like Castle Lite.”

    Since 2011, Castle Lite has brought music heavyweights like Drake, Kanye West, Timbaland, Bryson Tiller, Travis Scott, Wiz Khalifa, Nas & Chance the Rapper to Africa to share the spotlight with local artistes on the Unlocks platform.

  • How Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, others shut down Gidi Fest 2018

    The fifth edition of the annual concert, Gidi Culture Fest held sway recently, featuring pulsating performances by top rated artistes like Adekunle Gold, Brymo, Aye, Ycee and Dj Spinall.

    Gidi fest 5 succeeded in providing a platform for local Nigerian artists with the introduction of the Next Gen Stage. Twenty year-old Tay Iwar shone through as a breaking act on the main stage, demonstrating the festival’s impressive spread of artists and a strong receptive crowd. 2Face’s amazing show also resonated with the young Nigerian audience – a testament to his legendary status and catalogue of timeless classics.

    As the event picked up steam, special guest Tiwa Savage, mounted the stage to give a superlative performance. During WizKid’s headline performance the pair got cosy, sparking a relationship rumour that is still trending.

    Organisers of the show revealed that this year saw a marked increase in visitors from outside Lagos, as attendees flew in from London, New York, LA, Kuala Lumpur, Berlin, Johannesburg, Accra, Dar es Salaam, Taipei and more.

    Excited that the Gidi Tribe is going global, its cofounder, Chin Okeke states that; “This year was definitely the best so far. From the performances to the experience, everything was elevated. I’d like to apologise of the delay in programming caused by technical issues… and thank the Gidi Tribe for their patience. We continue to learn and strive to deliver a world class experience for our guests”

    As well as running more concerts throughout the year, Eclipse Live is already looking at 2019 with plans to continue innovating experiences for the Gidi Tribe.

    “We aim to finally realise the dream of expanding to a 2-day event with increased programming around the festival, and look forward to welcoming even more international travellers. Now that we’ve settled in to our new home, #Gidi2019 promises to be a blow out,” Okeke adds.

  • Nigerians applaud Beyonce for honouring Fela, Chimamanda at Coachella

    Some Nigerians on Twitter have applauded the American music star, Beyonce for paying tribute to Afro beat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and honouring Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie.

    Beyonce, who became the first black woman to headline Coachella on Saturday, did so with a two-hour performance and had her band perform a rendition of Fela’s 1976 classic ‘Zombie’.

    Fela Kuti was a Nigerian musician and activist, who launched Afro-beat, which then fused American blues, jazz and funk with traditional Yoruba music.

    Nigerians were excited that she decided to honour two Nigerians, alongside other black legends including Nina Simone and Malcolm X.

    Nigerian singer, Emma Nyra wrote @emmanyra tweeted, “Beyonce just made me so proud to be who I am. Unapologetically black, female and talented. Our voice matters. She even paid tribute to Fela! I will forever be a fan.”

    @Blackdot_Mandy tweeted, “Beyonce just paid a tribute to Afroking and Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti during her Coachella performance. I stan Beyonce Knowles.”

    @Erhuwrites wrote, “Who else got chills when they heard Chimamanda’s voice at the end of Beyonce’s glorious performance at Coachella? I still have goose bumps.”

    @DrDendere tweeted, “Beyonce is now new level amazing. Chimamanda blasting out during her Coachella performance is life.”

    @Ganga_A wrote, “Within Beyonce’s Coachella performance in the little bit where the band was going off, they play Fela Kuti’s Zombie. This is why she is number one, a cultured queen and an unshakeable throne.”

    @KLCHII tweeted, “Beyonce really brought Fela to Coachella with that lil hook.”

    The ‘irreplaceable’ crooner also featured Chimamanda Adichie’s speech ‘We Should All Be Feminists’, which was sampled on her song ‘Flawless’,  at the end of her performance.

    Adichie is a multi award winning writer and her second book ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ won the Orange Prize.

    Beyonce has been trending since after her performance for the groundbreaking routine, song selections and surprises, including bringing her defunct group ‘Destiny Child’ on stage.

    She performed old classics of the group with former members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams; and her husband music power-weight Jay Z.

    Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Ayodeji Balogun aka Wizkid is billed to perform at Coachella next weekend on April 21.

    The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival commonly referred to as Coachella or the Coachella Festival is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, located in the Inland Empire’s Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert.

    NAN

  • NACCIMA urges FG to make increasing population an asset

    National President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Iyalode Alaba Lawson has urged the Federal Government to turn the country’s 198 million population into an asset.

    Speaking on the recent announcement, The national president of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Iyalode Alaba Lawson has urged the Federal Government to turn the country’s 198 million population into an asset. by the NPC, Lawson said that Nigeria’s Population is now estimated to be million thus making our country as the 7th largest in the world.

    “Population could be an asset, but if not planned it equally poses a lot of challenges in various areas like provision of infrastructure, adequate health care system and service; an appropriate educational system and employment for the populace,” she said.

    “Therefore, in meeting these challenges,the NACCIMA national President said it require proper planning by Government at all levels and close collaboration with other stakeholders.

    She disclosed that NACCIMA as the voice of business and a national body engaged in promoting activities of the private sectors in all major sectors is ready to work with Governments at all levels to ensure that the Nigerian population becomes an asset.

     

  • Hollywood John Boyega to invest in Nollywood

    Hollywood actor, John Boyega has expressed willingness to invest in Nollywood to further boost the movie sector.

    Boyega, 27, spoke with our correspondent on Thursday night on the sideline of Glenfidich circle of maverick’s business meeting organised by PlayNetwork Nigeria in collaboration with Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

    The British-Nigerian born actor said he intends to spend some time in Nigeria to produce a movie based on and inspired by Nigerian lifestyle and heritage.

    “I intend to tour most parts of Nigeria for seven months to sort out few things and get inspiration for the movie.

    I am yet to find a writer to depict my idea of the movie; I’ll be staying a bit longer to find a writer”.

    The actor also revealed he has enjoyed his first official visit to Nigeria so far, insinuating this official visit will be the beginning of more collaboration with the entertainment industry in Nigeria.

    “There is a lot of potential in the industry here in Nigeria; I will be working closely from now to promote the industry to greater heights.

    “It’s a chance to merge Hollywood with Nollywood, to bring the genuine and most important stories to light but captured in a professional way”.

    The star wars superstar also stated the planned budget for the movie saying, “we are deciding what makes sense budget-wise; we’re probably looking at a budget of $20-$25 million dollars.”

    The “Whiskey Business Evening” with Boyega, witnessed a performance from a saxophonist as well as preparation of a Glenfidich infused chicken sauce made by chefs from Zuma grill.

    The actor is currently on a media tour to promote his latest Hollywood film, Pacific Rim Uprising.

    He spent last Christmas in Nigeria during an unofficial trip where he attended Wizkid’s concert that was held at Eko Hotel; Suites Lagos, and also took part in the Calabar Christmas carnival.

    NAN

  • Tubaba, Wizkid, others for Gidi Fest 2018

    Tubaba, Wizkid, others for Gidi Fest 2018

    Organisers of the annual Gidi Fest concert, Eclipse Live have announced the line-up of its 2018 edition.

    Scheduled for Hard Rock Café Beach Front on Good Friday, March 30, the show is headlined by none other than legendary hip hop artiste, Innocent Idibia, aka 2Baba who will be backed by the rave-making Wizkid.

    The duo will be supported by an array of some of the most sought after Nigerian acts making waves across the globe. Among them are Maleek Berry, Ycee, Adekunle Gold, Brymo, Show Dem Camp and Mayorkun.

    Speaking at the media unveil of the 2018 edition of Gidi Fest concert held at Hard Rock Café recently, one of the organisers, Chin Okeke said that this year’s concert will feature a second stage that will raise up the next generation of very talented artists that are moving the underground and redefining the Nigerian sound. This new wave, Okeke said, will be represented by D-Truce, Makka, Remmy Baggins, Lady Donli, D-O, Chyn, Jinmi Abduls, as well as Jamal Swiss.

    “The festival has in previous years featured African and international acts and this year will be no different so stay tuned for the second announcement that will fortify the Gidi Culture Festival as the foremost and most progressive music festival on the continent that has set out to empower the youth and bridge the gap on and off the continent,” he said.

    Also speaking at the event, 2Baba said; “It’s a pleasure and honour for me to be on this festival. Gidi Fest has been there and somehow I’ve always missed out so to speak. This year I’m happy to be a part of this. It’s only going to be bigger and better.”

    Gidi Fest 2018 is sponsored by Pepsi, Hard Rock Café, Power Horse with support from Eko Hotel, Virgin Atlantic, Mikano, as well as Universal Music.

  • Wizkid’s goat amuses Davido

    Wizkid’s goat amuses Davido

    When celebrities are not good with themselves, they either confront each other headlong at the slightest opportunity or simple avoid each other.

    This was the case between two Nigerian rave singers, Davido and Wizkid until they mend fences last December when they played at each other’s concert.

    Wizkid had announced on his Twitter page on Wednesday, about a new pet, saying it wasn’t what everyone was expecting. It turned out that the new addition to Wizkid’s home was a goat.

    To underscore the fact that both artistes are really getting along, Davido threw a jibe at Wizkid’s acquisition of a goat as new pet. It’s no longer news that Wizkid has gotten for himself a goat as a pet and Davido had a hilarious reaction to this latest development.

    The OBO crooner posted the photo of the goat that has amused everyone with the caption “Wizkid don buy goat lmao.”

    The conversation had since shifted from the weird kind of pet to Davido’s reaction, and one could tell that fans are happy that the two acts are getting along well.