Ogbazi… From runway to studio

Nigerians living abroad, whether in Hollywood, Paris, London or Milan, are breaking barriers in the movies, music, fashion industries and sports, too. Many of them have etched their names in gold. The story of Jason Ogbazi is no different. In a few years, he has transited from the art studio to the runway, along the line, becoming a famous photographer and a model for international labels. MARK EHIDIAME JOHN speaks with him.

Background
My name is Jason. Jason is actually ‘Son of God’. If you pronounce it the way it should, it becomes Jah son — the son of Jah — that is, Jesus from the Greek mythology. You know our names have a lot to do with what we are and the way we act out our destinies. I mean, look at the acting president, Goodluck Jonathan, and how he has managed to get to where he is now. He is Goodluck and he has had good luck in his political career, I’m not saying I’m Jesus Christ, I don’t even know how to pray, but because I have great belief in God, certain things just come to me naturally.

So, as a painter, how did you get into modeling?
Well, while I was in London, I used to go to the gym a lot to keep shape. So, when I was working out in the gym one day, somebody approached me, asking if I would like to model. And I answered in the affirmative, yeah! They organised a photo shoot with a major photographer called Darren Paul. So, he shot my first portfolio and sent them out to a lot of modeling agencies and eventually, I got hung up with one, BMA Models, in the outskirts of London. So, everyday they send me articles, to cast a particular product in fashion line or something; that was how I started modeling. I did a lot of fashion campaigns for companies such as London fashion, Adidas, Guess Jeans and Costa Coffee among others.

What about the photography...?
In retrospect, I think the whole photography thing just came natural to me, you know at a point I decided that I will not model anymore; I will rather be behind the cameras, that’s how my whole photography career started. With some training and advice, I started. I have worked with top photographers in England such as Paul and a whole lot of fashion photographers in London.
What is your area of specialisation?
I do creative photography. It is the kind of photography, where we pick different pieces of photographs to create something beautiful. I’m somebody, who likes to be original in what I do; I started adding my own originality, so, whenever you see my photographs, you know it’s me.
What was your experience as a student in England?
I was a normal Nigerian youth living in London and trying to make it. You know, going to school and working in some of the offices and then, somewhere along the line, this modeling thing started to happen and somehow, my life had a shift in focus. It got a major shift that took me towards art, art is all I could think of, is all I could see and everything about me became art, you know I couldn’t do anything else but art! I mean I sleep and live art, I can’t imagine a day without doing art.

Has photography been rewarding?
Of course, it’s been very rewarding, but I guess in Nigeria here, if you’re a mediocre, you won’t get anywhere. You have to do top photographs for advertising, billboards or working for large companies to make big money. But just shooting normal people won’t give you the money. Well, if it were abroad, you could make so much money with that but here, it’s not so. You cannot really sell your photographs for good money because importance are not attached to it apart from the learned and exposed ones who know the real value of photography. My customers are mostly people, who have traveled wide and see what photography is, they can pay big buck for paintings and photographs.

Letter to my Val

Dear Vivian,
It is another St. Valentine’s Day. Each time the day comes, I sob. I don’t always wish to remember that day you left the country for France. I’m still sitting very close to the tree at the Village Square, where you left me 11 years ago, ruminating.
Though, the day is supposed to celebrate love, I sob because of the love I lost due to distance. I cry because this is the 11th year I will be celebrating Valentine without you.
I don’t know how relationship work when you are so far from your loved one, but all I know is that when I am in love, I like everything in my partner: how she is working, how she is eating and sleeping. I like to hear her voice and to hold hands with her.
Now, I am thinking about you again and beginning to dream dreams prophesised in the bible. I’m becoming more interested to see you after 11 years, because I know that love, happy family, health cannot be bought with money. But love.
I am very excited because you are the main thought in my heart now. I feel that you may still be my fate… my marriage. I do not want to lose this chance to meet my fate, again. Maybe, if we open correspondence again, it will become the beginning of the great love we desire.
I know it is very difficult building relationships through facebook, hi5, netlog, email and phone calls, but once in a while, you may find out that the voice you hear regularly makes your heart flutter a little quicker.
Our conversations on phone will help us to know that we are still real to each other. The sound of our voices will help us to feel our feelings, again.
My interest in you has continued to grow and I sincerely hope our friendship will not rust unburnth.
Love and relationships are truly one of the most paradoxical aspects of being human. For it is in love that we find the greatest of strengths and the deepest of sorrows.
Love can seem to be so fleeting and unachievable, yet it remains well within our reach if we only learn how to embrace its power.
To experience true love, we must be willing to open ourselves up and sacrifice part of our heart and part of our soul.
We must be willing to give of ourselves freely, and we must be willing to suffer.
It is only when we expose our inner selves to the white hot flame of rejection, that love can burn so brightly as to join to souls, melting the two into one, creating a bond that joins forever.
It is from this bond that we draw strength eternal and power ever lasting. It is in this thing that we call love that we find the means to achieve greatness, both in ourselves and in our lives.
Feelings have not a price, feelings have soul, heart and you can be happy only if you have a balance in your heart, if you are honest, faithful and caring.
True love is about doing everything in your power to see to it that your mate, or your children are happy and achieve their goals.
Many people in the world yearn for love. Two people, who live in two different cultures and countries, who both have the same wants and desires in life, should never surrender to the obstacles that may block the road ahead of them.
As I drink from Cupid’s cup of love, I say Vivian, Happy Valentine!
Greg

Cover, Edition 170, February 1-7, 2009

The Future man... is the ‘Entertainer’ • 9ice, Cobhams... they got theirs too

BY CHUKS NWANNE
JUST few weeks after winning multiple awards at the first-ever MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) held recently at the Velodrome, Abuja, Koko master, D’Banj has grabbed one more plaque. The Why Me crooner was last month enthroned as the Young Person of the Year at this year’s edition of the annual Future Awards held at the Shell Hall, MUSON Center, Onikan, Lagos.
The colourful event saw D’banj beat Asa, TY Bello, Yagazie Chukwumerije, Damola Osayomi, Oluchi Orlando, Cobhams Asuquo and his producer Don Jazzy, to clinch the coveted award, which is the most prestigious of the awards. Though presently out of the country, his friends, who stood in for the energetic performer, received the award on his behalf.
D’banj’s emergence as the Young Person of the Year generated arguments among guests present at the event that culminated in an all night party at Swe Bar, just opposite the award venue. While some were of the opinion that Chukwumerije, having won a bronze medal for the country in the last Olympics, deserves the awards, another group insists Nigerian songbird, Asa, would have been a better option. As for producer Cobhams, his supporters believed that for a physically challenged young man to be churning out hits in the industry, he deserves to be unveiled as the winner in that category. The agitations continued in small groups as guests depart the venue for the after party.

HOWEVER, a mini-research conducted amid the heated arguments shows that, of all the agitators, a good number of them never voted in any of the categories listed for the award ceremony; even when that of the Young Person of the year was done right inside the award venue! Now, why are they questioning the result? The fact remains that to win in any of the categories, a nominee must score enough votes more than the others. In this situation, D’banj, who seems to have more active and participatory fans, pulled more votes than the rest.
Notwithstanding, it would be recalled that last year, D’banj embarked upon a charity work through his Koko Foundation, visiting motherless babies homes and orphanages, where he donated food items and cash. On the other hand, his last album launch is still on record as one of the biggest in the past years, with both current and former governors of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola and Bola Tinubu in attendance.
Meanwhile, Gongo Aso crooner, 9ice, who recently won the MOBO Award, was declared Artiste of the Year at the event, thereby taking over from D’Banj, who won in that category last year.
Like his colleague, 9ice was not present to receive his award. However, Derenle Edu, a TV presenter with Soundcity, who is also a close associate of 9ice, received the award on behalf of the CEO of Alakpomeji records.

THE crowd roared in excitement as Cobhams was declared Music Producer of the year. As far as this year’s Future Awards is concerned, the emergence of Asuquo as the winner in the category, received the nod of almost all guests present. “He deserves it, he deserves it,” was on the lips of many, who gave the Cross River State-native a standing ovation, followed by a resounding rounds of applause, as the award-wining producer made his way to the elevated stage, supported by an excited young lady. Cobhams dedicated the award to his fans for their support over the years. It would be recalled that the producer had in the past, worked with popular artistes such as Queen, Charly Boy, Ifeoma and Rooftop MCs among others.

Mission to save the rainmaker, Majek Fashek

BY CHUKS NWANNE
He was in the league of young journalists that pioneered the brand of entertainment reporting called celebrity journalism in the country. Then, he was with The Punch Newspapers, running Saturday Highlife –– a page that became very popular among readers due to its gossip columns.
With many years on the beat, Azuka Jebose Molokwu played major role in the career of most young Nigerian musicians, who trooped in and out his office, seeking media publicity, which they most times got. So, when Molokwu speaks about any Nigerian artiste, be rest assured you are listening to a very reliable source.
However, the Delta State-native, who has been in the US for years now, as a reggae music presenter with WSHA 88.9Fm, North Carolina, breezed into the country recently to stage his father’s funeral rites. He was briefly at The Guardian and we got talking. Along the line, the condition of top Nigerian Reggae artiste, Majek Fashek, came up; Molokwu had known Majek back in the day.
“I’ve known Majek way back; we used to hang-out in Tabansi records, where he was handling voices. I was a young reporter then, going round for stories and we met there. We later became friends and he would come around The Punch. If you look at the late Sonny Okosun’s musical video, Ziga Ha Ozi released around 1982, both of us were sitting side by side Sonny in that video,” he informed.
From meeting occasionally at Tabansi Studios and The Punch premises, the relationship of both men became closer, sometimes hanging out at the Fela’s Shrine. Before long, Majek wormed himself onto Fela’s stage.
“Fela was jailed around 1983 and they needed somebody to be opening up for Femi Kuti at the Shrine. Somehow, Majek and his group got the slot,” he noted. “I would go to Anthony Village on Sunday afternoons and we would walk to and fro the Shrine, for him to perform before Femi,” he hinted.
Leveraging on the popularity he garnered performing at the shrine, Majek got a contract from Tabansi Records, which saw the release of his album, Prisoners of Conscience, the work that brought him to limelight.
Having relocated to the United States, their relationship went low; there were no face-to-face meetings as it used to be due to distance, but sometimes in 1991, the Little Patience singer was featured in David Leatherman’s show in the US, which was one of the biggest TV shows on CBS as at then.
“Majek performed live in that show. I was like, ‘wow! Majek on David Leatherman’s Show?’ You know, David had all the movie superstars. If a governor of a state can go to David Leatherman to announce his candidacy… then Arnold Swaznegger, even Barack Obama was there and Oprah… all these top people,” he quipped. “So, for Majek to be on the show ahead of all these people was indeed amazing. It doesn’t matter if he had just few minutes on the show; for me, it was the ultimate for him. But all crashed years later; I’m still trying to find out why and how,” Azuka said with a changed mood.
As a bosom friend, Molokwu never ceased to pave way for Majek, who at a point, went into oblivion, until in 2006 when he returned with Little Patience, produced by Charles Novia of November Records.
“I came back at the top of the album released by my friend, Charles Novia. Charles and I met; at that time, Thisday Music Festival was around the corner. So, I called Nduka (Obaigbena), who quickly put Majek on the bill thereby bringing him home in about seven to eight years to perform,” he remarked.

BACK in the US, Molokwu and other Nigerians had rallied round Majek, who is presently the opposite of his old self.
“He’s a fantastic guy; Majek is really a fantastic person,” Molokwu confirmed. “He has issues; he is alcoholic and I’ve seen him in his extremes –– worst and best forms. I’ve done the best I could with my friend Charles Novia.”
He paused, adjusted his seat, then he continued: “People have helped Majek; a lot of people such as Jimmy King in New York, Victor Essiet, Ras Kimono, myself and Charles Novia. We’ve all helped him at one time or the other.”
Having tried everything possible without success to convince the Send Down The Rain singer to quit drinking and face his career, Molokwu resigned to fate, until the day he saw him in Maryland, US, three years ago, where he opened for Tuface Idibia.
“I wept the night I saw him”, he said looking very moody. “I cried for four hours, as I drove from Maryland to my house. When I got home, I turned on the TV and on it was Arts and Entertainment (A&E)”.
“There’s something called intervention. This is a programme that counsel people with drug and alcoholism problems,” he explained. “I wrote a fascinating letter to the producer to see if Majek could be invited to the perogramme. After three days, an e-mail was sent to me, inviting Majek on the show.”
Was he on the show?
“Well, they said they would give me a camera to do a documentary on Majek, but that we should not tell him that the documentary was for him to go for treatment. However, they insisted that Majek must call them, which he never did. I kept asking him, ‘Majek, call these people, call these people.”
Tired of pressing Majek to make a move, Molokwu decided to play a fast one on the musician.
“I had to call my friend in Chicago, Pamela Mojekwu, to pretend as the secretary calling from the A&E office, asking Majek to call them now,” he revealed.
And he called?
“When Majek called, he was asking to be paid; these people don’t pay you,” he informed. “They just chronicle your life and after that, they tell you surprisingly right there, to go and do the treatment. They can give you up to 90 days, but Majek never took that advantage,” he frowned.
For the journalist, Majek could have been a better replacement of Fela Anikulapo, who championed the cause of the common man through his music. But for his condition…
“After Fela’s death, a vacuum was created for the disenfranchised Nigerians; there was the need for a voice of the people. Majek could have been that replacement because he has the charisma, the charm, the language, the style and the personality. He’s a people’s person. Despite his situation, he walks down the street and people still admire him, they adore him, they want to care for him, but he didn’t want to care for himself.”
If you think Majek’s present condition has got something to do with drugs, then hear Molokwu, his close associate:
“A lot of people think he’s on drugs; I’ve never seen him with drugs unless you consider marijuana as drug, which is debatable. When you drink brandy – hardcore liquor – Monday through Sunday, it will have an adverse effect on your liver; on your body, your physical appearance and behaviour.
“That’s what happens when you wake up in the morning and you brush your teeth with alcohol; you eat your breakfast with alcohol; you eat your lunch with alcohol; you eat your dinner with alcohol and take your shower with it, what do you expect?”
Recalling his experience in the hands of Majek at the John F Kennedy Airport, United States in 2006, on their way to attend Thisday Music Festival in Lagos, Molokwu nearly broke down in tears.
“I stayed 12 hours at the John F Kennedy Airport waiting for Majek; what saved us was the change of flight departure time to later time of the day to enable Beyonce and Jay Z’s crew to meet up with us; it was a chartered flight,” he noted. “I never got hold on Majek, so, they moved the departure to 10 -10.30 as against 3.00; they had to delay the plane till 10.45, when I walked down to pick up Majek.”
“Before then,” Molokwu continued, “I was calling Charles Novia in Nigeria, I was calling Ras Kimono to track him (Majek) down. I had like four different people looking for Majek.”
And where was he at that point?
“I don’t know,” he responded with laughter.
Molokwu sipped his drink, then he said: “Can you spend 24 hours, thrown out of the plane and you have to wait for the next 24 hours for another flight? I was once thrown out of the plane for Majek, so, that he could get himself before the next plane.”
While coming for Thisday concert?
“No, it was when we were coming for the Calabar Christmas Carnival in December 2006,” he noted. “I’ve been in close contact with him, trying to help him out. But the truth with alcoholics is that, you cannot tell the victim to stop; he has to accept the fact that he has hit the end of the road, and then, he will cry out for help. When he cries out for help and go for treatment, he will be saved. But until then, no amount of pushing and prayers can help the person.”
Despite all efforts to save Majek, the rainmaker considered himself ‘a social drinker.’
“That’s the way he sees himself,” Molokwu said. “In fact, at a point, I told him, ‘look Majek, if anything happens to you now, the media will come after me. You must get in touch with me within 48 hours, so, that I will know that you are breathing somewhere.’ That’s the way we’ve kept our relationship because he’s in Atlanta Georgia and I’m in North Carolina; sometimes he goes to New York to see his family.”

BESIDES his drunkenness, there’s the other side of Majek, which many people are yet to discover.
“What people don’t know about Majek is that he’s a very passionate man; he’s a very wonderful family man, who doesn’t joke with his children and wife; he’s married to one wife. His family comes first in everything he does,” Molokwu said.
Talk of kindness, “Majek is so kind that if he has $300 now and you tell him you need $299, he will give you the money and he will say, ‘this man needs the money, Jebose, let him go, Jah will provide.’ That’s why most of us tag along with him, because we see the other side of him.”
For Molokwu, all hope is not lost in the effort to get Majek back to his real self.
“Majek is a very creative man; he can sit down here and write a song and create the beat for you. That’s why people such as Charles Novia and I keep trying to help him, because we know, he’s a wonderful person. We just want him to get well; we hope we will in our time.” He added, “Charles Novia is doing a movie on him; you should watch out for that.”

Hook me on my jewelries and footwears

LEKAN Tunde Olayade (a.k.a LKT) is a native of Ilesha, Osun State and a back up artiste for Olu Maintain. He is currently working on his debut album. He tells DAMILOLA ADEKOYA what fashion means to him.

Definition of fashion
Fashion is putting on fitting clothes. It is something that expresses you better.
Music and you
I eat, drink, sleep and wake up with it. I can’t do without it; everything about me is just music.
Style of dressing
I like to wear shirts, shorts and trousers. I just like to be simple.
Most favourite piece of clothing
My jewelries; I can’t do without them.
Favourite colour
I love sharp colours such as green, yellow and red, but most often, I deal with white.
Most expensive item
My jewelries and my foot-wears.
Whatwould you not be caught wearing?
I can wear anything, as long as it is fashionable.
What brought you to limelight?
The song ‘Yahoo zee’ by Olu Maintain.
Turn on
Music
Turn off
Bad character
Most cherished possession
Jesus Christ
Describe yourself in three words
Cool, hardworking and fun-loving.
Food
I love spaghetti and plantain, outside egg with bread or custard. I also love rice.
Happiest moment
The day I performed with Olu Maintain during the reception held in honour of the victorious World Golden Eaglets by President Umar Musa Yar’Adua and his vice, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, alongside some senators.
Embarrassing moment(s)
It was the day I had to take a bike because of the traffic to keep up with my appointment. While I was on the bike the ‘Agberos’ stopped me and demanded for money (as a well known person). I had to spend almost all the money I had on me just for them to let me go.
Favourite designer
It’s Elphydia; a South African designer, he’s good.
Signature scent
It’s Elphydia by Elphydia.
Stylish icon
I love P- Square, Dbanj, Tuface, Face, 9ice and a friend of mine, Chaplin. They are all good!
Role model
Internationally, I love Wyclef, R Kelly and Akon, then in Nigeria, Pasuma, Malaika, Adewale Ayuba and King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal.
What do you do at your leisure time?
I just go to the beach.
Favourite spot
Ski’s place, on the Island.
Hobbies
I like traveling preferably by road. I also enjoy football and visiting places.
Philosophy of life
Life is not a bed of roses, and you can achieve what you want, if you are focused.

Nigeria’s New Jazz... shooting beyond the ‘smooth’ and ‘crossover’ beats

BY BENSON IDONIJE
IT would be beneficial if organisers of the Lagos International Jazz Festival, whose second edition is due in March, could invite Joshua Redman, a young, top jazz saxophonist and bandleader as major headliner and top of the bill.
His presence will instruct the Nigerian jazz scene as well as prove a point. Tenorman Joshua Redman’s participation will help dismiss the wrong notions that the Nigerian Jazz Club and some young musicians hold about the essence and development of the artform.
It is the belief of this set of people that the ‘smooth,’ ‘crossover’ jazz played to attract commercial attention is a solid brand of jazz that came into existence as a result of the search for artistic continuity. Far from it.
It is an accidental venture that artists such as Eddie Harris, King Curtis, Grover Washington Jnr., Herbie Hancock, George Benson, Earl Klugh, Bob James, Eric Gale and others spearheaded in the early 70s solely to attain the success that such popular music luminaries as The Temptations, The Staple Singers led by Mr. Roebok and his daughters, The Impressions headed by Curtis Mayfield, Earth, Wind and Fire, Marvin Gaye and several other outfits whose music seemed at the time to be driven by elements of soul-rock and rhythm and blues.
Initially, the crusade was led by saxophonists who wanted to take advantage of their jazz orientation and the fact that the saxophone lends itself profoundly to commercial acceptance. It was later that rhythm instrumentalists such as pianist Bob James and guitarists George Benson, Earl Klugh and Eric Gale, pianist Herbie Hancock joined for commercial reasons.
The wrong notion that we are talking about believes, strongly too, that what these musicians pioneered, and which has influenced a new class of musicians, is a generational thing that marks it out as the new jazz that should now be seen as contemporary.
They believe that the straight-ahead modern jazz that Charlie Packer, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane and others stood for, is now ‘old’ school. What they do not know is that genuine art endures, and remains valid for as long as it exists. The mistake they continue to make is that they equate ‘art’ music to pop music, which soon fizzles out as disposable music because it is devoid of art. They want to tie art to age limits and barriers when it is most uncalled for.
The pioneers of ‘smooth’ jazz did not place any name tag on their music. As far as they were concerned, they were taking prevailing popular music to inspired ‘commercial’ heights. Critics, in search of the truth labelled the music ‘smooth’ and ‘cross over’ jazz obviously because there was some element of jazz in the music. They all played cooperatively together at the time – Bob James, Eric Gale, Steve Gadd, Randy Brecker, Loius Jordan and all. They were the regular session men.
Bob James, a white pianist who had listened critically to Herbie Hancock in his brilliant days with the Miles Davis Sextet, Wynton Kelly and all the black pianists became relevant, playing electric piano and synthesizer. Most of the music that earned Grover Washington Jnr. great success including Feels so good was arranged by pianist Bob James.

For the Nigerian jazz club and its emerging young musicians, Grover Washington Jnr. is the reference point while George Benson and Earl Klugh are the guitarists. This explains why so much was done to celebrate Washington’s day of exit last December, even displaying his photograph prominently on the monthly jazz magazine.
Actually, there is no harm in making preferences, but it must be understood that parading a smooth jazz performer as the ideal, totally negates the spirit of jazz which defines its hallmark and essence as improvisation. Besides, demonstrating Washington as role model where Sonny Rollins continues to inspire everybody on the instrument is erroneous. To place the artistic effort of Washington above those of John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Branford Marsalis, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, John Gilmore and others is misleading. Young musicians should be allowed to inspire to high artistic ideals, not limit their capabilities with commercial values. And to reduce all of this to age and generational preference is ridiculous.
This is why the example of a young guy like Joshua Redman who was born in February 1969 and was only four years old in 1973 when Groover Washington Jnr. was ruling the smooth jazz world with Mr. Magic; pianist Herbie Hancock with Head heaters; saxophonist King Curtis with Ode to Billie Joe, helps to deconstruct this wrong notion.

Josuha Redman’s new album release hit the streets two weeks ago. He calls this album of original tunes “a further exploration of the trio format, an expansion on, and an extension of Back East,” his acclaimed 2007 trio session.
Since taking on the music world, Redman has released five critically acclaimed albums, and has performed and recorded with some of the world’s greatest musicians including Chic Korea, Charlie Haden, Lionel Hampton, Quincy Jones, B.B. King. Christian McBride, Path Methany, Jack DeJohnette among others.
“It is all important to take sideman opportunities when they come my way,” Redman says. “My number one priority has always been to play with great musicians, especially great older musicians who can teach me about music and life.”
Redman also appeared as a featured musician in Robert Atman’s jazz film, Kansas City and has won numerous Down Beat, Jazziz and Rolling Stone Magazine’s Readers Polls, and was nominated for a Grammy in 1994.
At age 39, Redman has strong views about music and how best to get to the top: “Sometimes musicians can get overwhelmed by definitions,” he confides. “Especially with jazz, the technical and philosophical demands are so great that you can forget that music is supposed to be your expression. If your priorities get mixed up, you spend too much attention on the ideal of what jazz should be.”
Redman knows all about focus, an essential ingredient for success in every human endeavour. After graduating as valedictorian of his Berkedey, California high school in 1986, Redman attended Harvard, where he not only received his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Social Sciences, but graduated Summa Cum Laude, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and was accepted to Yale Law School. And then something happened that changed the course of his life. Redman won the First Prize in the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz Saxophone Competition. He declined his matriculation to Yale Law School and has since become perhaps the most important new musician in 20 years.

Joshua Redman was born on February 1, 1969 in Berkeley, California. By the time of his birth, his father, noted saxophonist Dewey Redman, had moved to New York and was playing with Ornette Coleman. Young Joshua’s only contact with his father was hearing his records around the house, and during his infrequent visits to town with Ornette Coleman, Keith Jarrett, Old and New Dreams and others.
His mother Renee Shedroff, a dancer and librarian was the driving force that nurtured his creativity. Redman’s formal music training began at the age of five, when his mother enrolled him in Indonesian and Indian music classes at Centre for World Music. These unique artforms, along with the recordings of Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane and Dewey Redman were his early influences. Joshua soon learned to play the recorder, guitar, piano. He listened to popular music by James Brown, Earth, Wind and Fire, The Commodores, Parliament – Funkadelic, Led Zeppelin and The Beatles who topped the household playlist.
At 10, Joshua had settled on the tenor saxophone, he had been exposed to it since birth and felt naturally drawn to the sound. He started with the clarinet and moved on to the tenor the following year.
The Berkeley Public Schools had an exceptional jazz programme, which Joshua took an advantage of. Experimenting with the guitars and keyboards, he would seldom practice the saxophone. The Berkley High School Jazz Band won several commendations with Joshua usually named the best soloist. His High School Jazz quartet started working professionally. Then, he still did not practice, he was listening more and more, rediscovering the music of Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Coltrane and also absorbing the styles of Parker, Joe Henderson, Stanley Turrentive, Ben Webster, Wayne Shorter, Ornette Coleman and others.
Always a serious student, Joshua’s academic studies took precedence over music. With straight ‘As’ throughout high school, he graduated in 1986 and was admitted into Harvard where music, his first love intervened with encouragement by the outstanding performance that won him the First Prize of the Thelonius monk Institute for Jazz Saxophone.
Since then, his career has progressed in leaps and bounds, setting the pace not only for the new generation of young musicians to imbibe the ideals of jazz and its tradition, but also the jazz world for which he is already discovering new vistas and approaches especially with the exploration of the trio format.

Conversing a fashion rebel

BY CHUKS NWANNE
HE is busy working on his laptop when I call at his shop located on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi Lagos. As usual, Emmy Collins, Nigerian-born London-based fashion designer is his usual self; he is clad in one of his outfits, which normally stands him out on every occasion.
“Hi, you are welcome,” he says as we shake hands. “Please make yourself comfortable.” I quickly pull one of the stools closer, ready for the chat; we actually schedule to meet at his shop, but as it turned out, Emmy’s hands were a bit full with work.
“Please give me sometimes let me round off with this,” he quips, with his eyes glue to the screen. Well, it’s obvious that whatever the Imo State-native is working on this afternoon is of very importance to the business, so, I had to make do with some colourful magazines lying on one of the stools.

THOUGH based in the UK, Emmy returned to the country two years ago to open what he simply described as a ‘flagship store’, with the intent of creating an avenue for his cliets, who wear his label. Currently, the London trained fashion designer is planning a fashion show, which he predicts, will be the best in Nigeria.
“It’s holding sometime in March but I can’t tell you the particular date for now. What I’m promising is that, with the creativity and planning going into the event, it is going to be big,” he boasts.

EMMY Collins is an avant-garde and versatile designer, who is rapidly gaining a reputation for making garments that cut a real dash in a jaded fashion industry.
With clothes characterised by sharp, funky tailoring with a fresh, startling approach to colour combination, the light skinned designer is beginning to establish himself as one of London’s most flamboyant designers in recent history. Having stamped his authority on the London fashion scene, Emmy is now looking homewards in his quest for a glowing career.
Describing his designs as “never being in vogue therefore can never be out of vogue,” the one time student at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, before jetting out to London for further studies, has designed clothes for notable personalities such as footballer William Gallas of Arsenal FC, Jay Manuel of the Next American Super Model fame Phil Colen of the rock group Def Leppard among others.
However, Emmy’s resolve to toe the fashion line was not accidental; he has always been a fashionable guy from age 11 at the Government College, Umuahia, Abia State, where he started crafting designs for himself.
“I could remember when my sister was having a wedding and my parents bought some clothes for me, which I didn’t think was good enough; so, I had to source out my own suit for the wedding. So, I’ve always been into fashion for a long time. But if you are talking about Emmy Collins proper, the label has been on for about five years now, ” he says with broad smiles.
According to the designer, meeting American songwriter/artiste, Prince, in New York in 2001 was an inspiration to a hobby that has finally ended up as a passion.
“I met Prince in a lounge and I was with my friend around. Later, one of his men came to say that Prince wanted to see me. So, I went and spoke with him. I had this caftan on, it was really African but westernized; a fusion of African and western and he loved it because it was a kind of funky. He asked where I got it from and I told him I designed it myself. Then he asked if I was a fashion designer, I told him no at that moment and he said I should think about it.”
And “having been a fan of Prince for a very long time and having loved his fashion sense,” Emmy continues, “that was a major inspiration for me.”
With his father relocating from the US to Amsterdam, Holland, Emmy followed suit but stayed for just a while.
“Amsterdam wasn’t really a fashion city, so, I left for London. Sometime in 2003, I did my fashion management course in London under a guy called David Jones, whom I regard as my mentor; he’s been in the industry for a very long time and he has nurtured the career of a lot of designers,’ he informs. He’s like a guru. In fact, he’s the chairman of London Fashion Forum at the moment,” he notes. “Having done my fashion course and knowing all the nitty gritty of the industry, I formed my label in 2004 and since then, it’s been going from strength to strength.”

THOUGH his original plan was to start as women’s wear designer, inavailability of creative men’s wear designers at that point changed Emmy’s game plan.
“Everybody was just doing what everybody was doing. So, I thought I could bring some kind of attitude just to refresh the scene.”
However, one wonders how Emmy managed to convince his parents to settle for a fashion designer son in an era where medicine, law and engineering continue to be the more preferable?
“In my family everybody has known me as a rebel,” he reveals. “I’m the last of seven, so, I didn’t think they were waiting to get a lawyer son from me because I’m the last; they already got engineer and all they got. This was what I chose to do and I just did it and no one bothered me. But I could tell you, some of them don’t even understand what I’m doing right now; they just know I’m a fashion designer,” he says with laughter.
They must be happy for you now?
“Yes, they are actually happy that I’m being recorgnised in Nigeria, so, I don’t see any of them having a problem with that,” he notes. “When I started, I was already on my own; I wasn’t under anybody. I’ve been on my own for years doing my own thing; I’ve been into entertainment, I’ve been into other kids of business. I just decided at a point, this is the time for me to live my dream, do what I love doing; I believe I was born to do this.”
Ask Emmy what makes his designs outstanding, then you will get something like, “the details and cut. If you put on my shirt and you get on the street, people will tell you, ‘that’s Emmy Collins, so, that’s very distinctive.”
When it come to colour, Emmy is eclectic.
“I use colours, I blend colours,” he sings. “I’m not scared of using any colour because I believe that every colour is a good colour; it depends what you make out from it. For instance in one shirt, I could have three to four different fabrics in one shirt and I make them work.”
Right now, Emmy’s greatest ambition is to build a brand that will last after him.
“I like to think that when I die, people will look at me and say ‘that was the guy, who tried to bring a change in the industry.’ The ambition is to build the brand Emmy Collins in Nigeria and from here we can diversify to other places like South Africa and the rest.”
You are moving there soon?
“I’ve people bothering me to go to South Africa. In fact, their Embassy a while ago wanted to sponsor me to go and have a feel of the country’s fashion industry, but that time, I had a fashion show coming on. But if I get the opportunity once more, I’m definitely going to take it.”
For Emmy, inspiration comes from different angles.
“I think I’m, naturally inspired; I’m self-motivated,” he enthuses. “You see me sometimes and you think I’m just sitting there, no, I’m there thinking; I work all the time,” he says. “In fact, I had a girlfriend, who went crazy about the whole thing, because we could be asleep and something comes up, I will get up. She’s a light sleeper, so, immediately I get up, she gets up and she won’t be able to sleep again; we used to quarrel about that… a lot of things inspire me; I can’t really put my hands on them now.”
As for fabrics, “It depends on what I’m making. If I’m making like a long dress, I love something flowy like chiffon, silk… because I think it’s soft to the body and makes women look sexy. But for shirts, I could work with anything ranging from cotton, polyester, line and whatever as far as I like the colour.”
According to Emmy, the label has evolved within the last three years.
“I’ve got women’s wear range now. And I’m going to be launching what I called…It’s actually a fusion line, which is going to be a corporate from Emmy Collins. You know, I found out that a lot of them love my designs, but it’s not something I will advise people to wear to work.”
Are you trying to create a different clothesline?
“Yes, these are like your work wear, but in anything I do, there’s going to be a touch of Emmy Collins,” he assures. “It’s like you going to work in a very stylish wear and your boss is not going to be angry.”

NO matter what you think about Emmy, his popularity is huge and he’s fully aware of that.
“Look, I’m a guy you cannot just ignore; even in America and Europe. When people see me on the street, they are already wondering what is he doing? Even before I came into the country, people already know me.
“It’s the dream of every designer to brand his label. In Nigeria, it just happened for me; not just because I went out and come back. Even when I was in UK, I was granting interviews to reporter, sometimes online. So, Emmy Collins is branded in Nigeria right now.”
He continues: “When I actually started, I used to put my logo on a few clothes. But now, I had to put it on all my designs, because people won’t buy it if they don’t see the logo. So, for people to have recognised the logo and see it as a sign of authenticity, it makes me glad,” he enthuses.
The designer recalls some negative comments from friends at the initial stage when he resolved to think home.
“When I came into this country, a lot of people said, ‘oh, no one is going to buy your outfits, you are too radical for them; you are too this, you are too that.’ But I’ve always been an optimist. If I believe in something, I chase it. If I lose, fair enough, if I succeed, so be it. But to get into the fashion industry, you have to be a rebel; you have to gatecrash”
Was that what you did?
“That’s what I did in places like UK, where you have solid designers with billions of pound, and this is the kind of people you want to compete with. You don’t just go in there and stay quiet; you have to make yourself noticed,” he says. “So, when I came in, I came in with very strong collections and people were like, ‘who’s that guy with such boldness?’ I mean, you might like it, you might not like it, but at least, you will take notice. That was the only way I could have done it.”

Bounce9ja... Slamming dream in the streets

CHIJIOKE IREMEKA
What is Bounce 9ja all about?
Bounce 9jà is a programme targeted at refocusing global attention on the game of basketball in? Nigeria, through its various youth and developmental projects, which started in Nigeria since May, 2008.
It is geared towards discovering raw, unbridled and talented basketball players in the country with a view to moulding, supervising their developmental and growth stages as well as helping them to achieve their dreams.
The project is committed to revolutionizing basketball in Nigeria to expose players to development and changes in the basketball world through the provision of training sessions and workshop as well as interactions with professional players, coaches and scouts.
Talking about the forthcoming Street Basketball tournament, what shape will it take?
Well, this is the maiden edition. It is a 3-on-3 street basketball tournament, tagged: “Kings of the Concrete.” The tournament comprises teams, made up of four players — 3 main players and 1 alternate, playing half-court knockout games to determine the overall winner of the two-day tournament.
The first team to score 16 points or the team with the highest scores at the expiration of a set period proceeds to the next stage.
All of the teams are fighting to get a slot. It is going to be a-two-day competition. The preliminary matches will be played on the first day. And on the second day, we gather for the quarter — final, semi-final and finals.
I am looking at limited number of the teams to be 19. The time duration set for each match will be 15 minutes, and if at the end of 15 minutes, the game was not yet over, whatever team that is leading with the greater number of points will move on to the next level.
It will not look like the normal game, where one goes to 21 or the way it is counted, but 15 point for the both. So, the first team to get 16 points or with the highest point at end of the allotted time for the preliminary stage, will move on to the next level.
In this exercise, there will be prizes to be won, which I don’t want to reveal for now. In the past, we have given out cash, but what I want to do now, is that even if cash will be given I want to get people, who can donate basketball outfits so, that they can as well spend this cash on the kits.
With this, we can actually get them stockings, gloves, boots among others. These are the things that can contribute to their career. That is actually what we want to do right now.
Apart from these, the winning team will get King of the Concrete championship Jersey. In fact, if we have sponsors, the end point of this programme will be to take final winners abroad to compete for the King’s of compete championship with their foreign counterparts.
This is a worldwide sport that is played in America and some other parts of the world. So, we need to take this home. The whole of this idea is to take it home.
The interested teams will have to register and give us the name of the players. It’s actually going to be the first come first — serve system, but there will be certain criteria for the registration. The forms will soon be uploaded to our website.
Who are your target audience and what is the cost of the registration?
Basically, this will be for the children trying to discover the hidden talent in them. We are targeting young people between the ages 12 and 25 years all over the country. As long as I am concerned, that is the prime age, where you can groom, train, focus and direct the youth. So, that is what this programme is all about.
Meanwhile, the registration for four people, which make up a team will be N1000; and that does not mean it will take care of hiring of Jersey, ball and other items needed for the competition, but at least, that forms the required guaranty for playing level.
Do you have enough accommodation to cater for the teams that might be coming from outside Lagos?
Well, we are in the process of getting this done. I can’t say for now whether we have enough accommodation for them or not. It still depends largely on the sponsorship.
Moreover, I have organised two other tournaments before now, and I do not foresee much people coming from outside Lagos. As I said earlier, this is the maiden edition. Some people would want to sit back and see this come through before they can join the subsequent ones. So, most people outside Lagos will be sceptical.
I planned that, when we have finished this edition in Lagos, we take another one to Abuja. I have travelled to Kano, Abuja and other places and I can see there are people over there to reach out to. Right now, I have somebody working in Zamfara State. We are planning seriously on how to get this done properly.
So, accommodation for now, I can’t say, but with sponsorship, we can forecast what happens. I will be glad to accommodate everybody in this project, because I want to make an impact on the youth.
What inspired you to go into this aspect of sports?
Bounce 9ja emerged due to my passion for the game. This is something that I initiated myself. It started as a pet project. Way back in the school, there were two places where you could find me; one of them was at the basketball pitch.
Upon my graduation, I started playing basketball for leisure in Lagos State, but due to the situation of the game in Nigeria, I didn’t want to go into professional basketball.
The very first programme - Jump Zone, which I organised, was successful, so, I concluded there are some organisations ready to support this project. It is really my personal initiative.
Apart from this, do you have other programmes, ahead for the youth?
None for now; but the in the recent time, Bounce 9ja, supported by First Deepwater Discovery Limited, organised the maiden edition of its six-a-side basketball competition — Jump zone — last year at the indoor and outdoor basketball courts of the University of Lagos.
That was a one-day event that opened to both male and female basketball players. ? Several musical and dance acts performed at the event. The winning team went home with the star price of N150, 000, while consolation prices were given to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th place winners.
Recently, we were able to come up with a team even at a short notice for the concluded Ilupeju Warriors Tournament, held in Lagos. Even with the team at that short notice, we came second — a team that practically didn’t train together!
Also, in 2008, we partnered with the same company to organise a 3-day basketball tournament — 2008 Battle for Supremacy — at the same venue. The tournament had four males and four females premier league basketball teams vying for the 2008 First Deepwater Supremacy title and the winner took all cash prizes in each category.
The First Bank Basketball team earned the 2008 Supremacy rights in the female category, while the Niger Potters Basketball Team earned that of the male category. The two teams went away with the star prizes of N500, 000 each.
What has been the people’s response to this project?
I have not made this public as such, because I’m trying to make Bounce9ja have a functional framework, from which it operates, but hopefully by March, this would have been in place.
What would you tell the public about this game?
Basketball is like the second most popular sports in Nigeria. I would like to appeal to all people and bodies interested in the game of basketball and all those, who have the means, and well to do, to partner with us to empower these children.
We have so much talent in this country to explore. I am trying to do my own bit, but I can’t do it alone. I will like anyone, who wants to help to come and identify with us.
Any other person(s) interested to create his own niche and make a difference in someone’s life to reach us; via e-mail: info@bounce9ja.com, or website: wwwbounce9ja.com, or call Adenike on 07033471975

A life of picture-ing

BY GREGORY AUSTIN NWAKUNOR
FLOODS of cheerful sunshine welcome me to the home of Uche Okpa-Iroha, which also doubles, as his studio. Plenty of sunlight gain admittance through the wide gap between the window panes. This mid day, Uche’s eyes are heavy. His hair is tousled. He runs his finger through them and heaves, “God!… I’m tired.”
He’d worked so hard the previous day, and now, needs a shower and a few hours of sleep. But he cannot have anyone of them, now. He has loads of shots to edit.
He sits behind an armchair in his studio, stretches the stiffness out of his shoulders. This act exhausts him, every bit the more. He yawns. Suddenly, he zeroes in on a shot, and breathes, “photography is politics.”
An image he likes so much comes up, it is something he imagines of the world. A private fiction, so to say.
“Just look at these shots,” Uche says in a calm voice.
“Political statements about abandonment,” he whispers, in a pitch that seems to rival the earlier. “Good shots are memories of hope.”
Silence follows. After a few minutes, Uche gasps. His heart thumps audibly, as the afternoon sun begins to wear him down.
“I must finish this work today before I take any rest,” he smiles, almost aloud.

AT a first glance, Uche, born on January 2, 1972 in Enugu, Enugu State in the eastern part of Nigeria, appears simple and shy looking. But he is not.
Though an unassuming person, Uche, who holds a Bachelors of Technology degree in Food Science and Technology in 1997 from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, weaves intensely passionate stories with his shots.
“My main vision as a photographer is to raise awareness with the public and policy makers on issues that affect the local people and the environment,” he says.
Uche stares at the images that flash through on his slide, and sings: “My main area is making portraits of ‘street’ people and reportage. What goes on in the street; everyday people interest me.”
He adds, “a lot is going on in the country and we can’t shy away from the economic situation… you know, photography is the ‘no comment’ tv. Portraits have narrativity about them — time and immortality.”
His adventure in the arts was not by chance. His family is an arts’ one. His cousin, Uche James Iroha, is an award-winning photographer, who only recently, was given the Prince Claus Award.

Okpa-Iroha started photography in London, when Depth of Field (DOF) came for a show in South London Gallery in Peckham. Since 2004, he has been on it. By 2005, he was back in Nigeria.
He says, “the show was inspiring. It was a turning point. The following day, I bought my camera, tripod stand and started photography.”
When he came back, he needed a platform, and luckily for him, FootballWorlds at the popular Maracana Stadium, Ajegunle, organised by the Goethe Institut and conducted by Berlin-based Akinbode Akinbiyi came in handy.
Uche, a founding member of the Nigerian photography collective known as Blackbox, says, “as a photographer, you have to negotiate your space. That avenue, three weeks of photographing football, gave us opportunity to mingle and we were able to get what we wanted.”
Fourteen people were involved in the workshop; one relocated to Abuja, leaving 13 people, who formed the group, which subsequently has been reduced to nine members.
The group had its first major show titled Lagos: Nocturnal Vibrations in 2007.
For Uche, who learnt from his cousin, Uche James-Iroha, there is need for more platforms for photographers to express themselves. “Photographers are partners of government in reporting issues that are affecting the society.”
He says the artist can survive in the society as long as he “earnestly improves his/her creativity and also go for residency to widen the intellect.”

UCHE has participated in a lot of shows and competitions since he took up photography professionally. He was the first runner-up at the maiden edition of Life in My City, 2007 art exhibition and competition — held in Enugu and organised by Rocana Nigeria Limited in partnership with the Alliance Francaise, Enugu, with the work Late Nite Callers.
He has also shown his works in a series of other shows within and outside Nigeria such as the First African Photo Contest, Terifa, Spain, 2008; Paris-Lagos Exchange Project (a photography workshop and exhibition), Lagos, 2008; Loving Lagos show, Berlin, Germany, 2008. He is also a contributor to the new and updated book about the city of Lagos, Lagos - The City At Work. He is also a kidney-health campaigner.