Cover, Edition 176, March 15-21, 2009

‘African films should challenge stereotypes’

BY Shaibu Husseini
RUMBI Katedza, the award -winning writer and filmmaker, who has lived in the USA, Japan, Italy, Canada, UK and Zimbabwe, was in Nigeria recently as a member of the Screening College of the 2009 edition of the African Movie Award (AMAA 2009). The lady, who has also worked as a radio presenter/producer on the popular former Zimbabwean station, Radio 3, has written a lot of articles, which have been featured in numerous magazines; and her fiction writing has been published in Women Writing Zimbabwe and the BTA/Anglo-Platinum Winners Collection. Over the years, Katedza has worked in production management on several film and video productions with companies from around the world. The soft spoken filmmaker was at a time Distribution Manager at Media for Development Trust, responsible for a the catalogue of over 200 films and later, she became Director of the Zimbabwe International Film Festival, before going out on her own as a producer and director of narrative and documentary content through her company, Mai Jai Films. In addition to co-producing and line producing projects, Katedza who is on the verge of launching zimbabwefilm.com, a comprehensive Zimbabwean film promotion website, has led Mai Jai Films to run successfully, Postcards from Zimbabwe, a children’s audio-visual and life-skills training project. She spoke with SHAIBU HUSSEINI on her career and visit to Nigeria…

Visit to Nigeria
I am here on the invitation of AMAA as a member of its 2009 College of Screeners, alongside some other members of the college from Ghana, Cameroun, Kenya and Nigeria.
This visit is my first proper stay in Nigeria (several years ago, I transited for a day). It has been quite an eye-opener to come and experience Lagos. I had wanted to come to Nigeria for many years now. Because I have been closed up in screenings since my arrival, I have not seen much of the city, but I intend to stay on for a couple of days, so, I can enjoy what it has to offer.

AMAA and living up to its billing as a continental award scheme
There is still a lot of work to be done to raise the profile of AMAA on the continent as a continental award scheme and to encourage filmmakers from different countries to submit their films. Peace (Anyiam-Fiberesima) and her team are working tirelessly to promote AMAA abroad and I admire that tremendously. Africa needs awards where it recognises its achievements and talents, so in time, I believe AMAA will be such an event.

Film making in Zimbabwe Zimbabwe has a very interesting history in film production. From independence in 1980, until the late 1990s, Zimbabwe played host to numerous film productions from Hollywood and beyond. We even had one of the only fully functional film laboratories in Africa. However, this has changed as we lost a lot of business to South Africa after they gained independence. We also lost many of our most gifted filmmakers and technicians to other countries. On one hand, this reduced the amount of production happening, but on the other hand, it encouraged Zimbabweans to take the initiative to make more of their own productions for local audiences. In recent years, digital short film production has enjoyed something of a renaissance in Zimbabwe. These films have served as valuable learning platforms for new talent, and ultimately, I believe, will contribute to the resuscitation of feature film production.

Nollywood
Nollywood has succeeded in creating a model for filmmaking that is unique and that works very well within the Nigerian market. The films are incredibly popular outside of Nigeria because we, as Africans, can relate to the characters and to the stories. The one thing that has to be constantly tackled is issue of technical quality, which can be addressed through increased training and exposure. As the market for Nigerian films grows, there will be increased demand for not just a good story, but a good quality film as well, so, this will raise the bar of Nollywood films, and ultimately encourage competition around the continent.

Government and the funding situation in Zimbabwe
Although government officials appear to understand the importance of film, there is very little support compared to before. Long-term sustainable structures for development, training, production, distribution and advocacy need to be set up collaboratively with government, filmmakers and stakeholders in the industry. This obviously would require a great deal of political will. Many of the active filmmakers in Zimbabwe work independently, seeking support from different sources to ensure survival of the industry.

The Zimbabwe International Film Festival
I loved running the festival. It provided me the opportunity to meet people from around the world and to host them in my country. “There is very little information about Zimbabwe in the international press, other than the challenges we are going through. There is so much more to our people and our nation. We have talented filmmakers, actors and animators, who are so passionate about what they do. Our cultural industries, though small, are vibrant, and I believe that there is no better time to collaborate with filmmakers, than when they are living in a place where history is in the making every day.” It was also very difficult running the festival. It was a nightmare to budget and plan in an environment where inflation was out of control and shortages of cash and petrol could affect your event. That said, the overwhelming support we would receive from local businesses, embassies and well-wishers allowed us to achieve great things in a seemingly impossible situation.

Children and gender based issues in African movies
I’m glad that there are several projects across the continent that are promoting training of young people in audio-visual production. I run a project for teens in Zimbabwe called Postcards from Zimbabwe, and that has allowed me to network with other filmmakers, who are involved in similar projects. Plus, there are youth-focused film festivals in Kenya and Egypt, and the Children’s Broadcasting Forum. All of these are a good step in the direction of hearing from young people about the Africa they want to live in. They are tomorrow’s leaders, so we really need to listen carefully to what they have to say. I am also glad to see not only more films with female protagonists that cover gender-based issues, but to see more women behind the camera, writing, producing and directing. These women inspire me a great deal. One thing I feel we need to do now is to challenge stereotypes about ourselves. Life is ever-changing, and our films should reflect that.

Currently on her plate
I’m currently developing a short film and a feature, as well as continuing my work with Postcards. I love to write, so, every opportunity I get, I write for magazines and write short stories. In the next few months, I’ll also be launching a new website, zimbabwefilm.com, which will highlight films made in Zimbabwe since 1980, and promote those involved in the industry today.

Gains of this trip to Nigeria
An address book full of new contacts. I’ve made a lot of good friends here!

Ravi, Rene, Joshua, Femi… Steps away from their father’s track

BY BENSON IDONIJE
THERE is now a whole new generation of musicians who do not embrace the ‘like father, like son’ syndrome where the children lean on their parents’ music for impact and survival. Among them are Rene McLean, the son of Jackie McLean; Joshua Redman, son of Dewey Redman; Ravi Coltrane, son of John Coltrane; Femi Kuti, son of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti among others. Common to all of them is the fact that they all play jazz and jazz-inspired music; and their parents are dead. They believe in self expression from self development. Stepping out of their parents’ shadows, they are determined to find and establish their own individual voices.
Worthy of appraisal are Femi Kuti’s Afrobeat exploits, which stand out as original performances even in the face of the overwhelming influence of his father. True, his music has its roots deep in his father’s Afrobeat; and why not? He was nurtured by Fela’s Egypt 80 Band where, as sideman, he played the alto saxophone, soloing and contributing to melodic themes until he formed the Positive Force. So remarkably original is his approach that he attracted attention for a “Grammy” nomination.

Perhaps the youngman who is truly finding his own voice despite the profound influence of his parents is the tenor and soprano saxophone player, Ravi Coltrane. The son of the late John Coltrane (who also doubled on soprano and tenor saxophone) and pianist Alice Coltrane, Ravi was not even two years old when his father died in 1967, but he was in his early 20s, when he seriously started playing jazz.
His father’s music was a big influence even though he did not grow up to play with him. His mother fed him on the music, playing it and explaining its intricacies to the young Ravi, who was made to understand early in his life that his father was the real saxophone colossus; the dean of the faculty of avant-garde.
Notwithstanding, Ravi Coltrane now sounds closer to Brandford Marsalis and Joe Henderson. He picked up valuable experience playing with Elvin Jones’ band during 1991-93 and has since performed as a sideman with many top musicians including Geri Allen, Kenny Barron and Cindy Blackman.
However, Ravi Coltrane’s maturity – his prowess on the saxophone as well as his increasing ease with leading and collaborating – has come a long way since he took the plunge as a novice player at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia in 1986, and made his bonafide launch into the jazz scene as a member of Elvin Jones’ band in 1991. He’s stepping out of the shadow of being John and Alice Coltrane’s offspring and casting his own shadow over the jazz world.
At 43, Ravi seems poised to break out. The urgency evident in his recent Birdland performances underlines his personal commitment to his horn. “I didn’t want to be an improviser because I’m John Coltrane’s son,” he says, “but because I love to improvise. It’s why I love John Coltrane, Joe Henderson and Wayne shorter. We gravittate to it, and it consumes us.”
But his last name still induces a suspicious pause with some jazz aficionados who think and honestly believe that the son of Coltrane would have had an easier time securing a stand in the fold. His father’s name is as big as the entire modern jazz activity. The name is an institution, but Ravi modestly balks at the notion of being an opportunist set to lay claim to a hereditary throne.
“I want to be as personal as I can”, he says. “To respect and honour musicians and their legacy – whether it’s John Coltrane, Lester Young or Dexter Gordon – you can’t copy their sound. You can trace their roots and see they are in the shape of their development, but you can’t be a copycat. The only means to create something new is to become inspired and express it in a personal way.”
Ravi has developed a distinctive way of playing. And, from his recent accomplishments it can easily be observed that he is not necessarily interested in being a trail-blazer like his father. He appears to be more interested in contributing to the legacy of improvised music.
Notwithstanding, Ravi has been through a rough time in the last couple of years. The dust has yet to fully settle from a series of the shifting tremors, some joyous, others calamitous. His second son, Aaron, was born two and a half years ago, but six months after the child’s birth, his mother and mentor, Alice Coltrane, died of heart failure while they were putting finishing touches to their final album – the follow-up to her 2004 triumphant return to recording after a 26-year-old hiatus, Translinear Light, which Ravi produced.
Ravi is still mourning. While he never knew his father personally, he was close to his mother, even though they lived on separate coasts. While she was his great inspirer, he served as the prime motivator for her to return to the jazz world. It began in 1998 when he asked her to join him and his band at Town Hall in New York as the opening act for Ravi Shankar.

Privileged to watch Rene and his father Jackie McLean on the same stand at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 2004, I observed the two sounded miles part in tonal conception and style. While his father’s solos followed the conventional pattern with which he teamed up with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers (with Horace Silver on piano, Donald Byrd on trumpet and Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone) – in the late 50s, McLean was nevertheless admired and considered revolutionary at the time because he deviated from the Charlie Parker direction. However his son, Rene sounded more progressive, imbibing a variety of influences he hoped to fuse into his own to forge a definite direction for himself.

Although he was one of the great avant-garde tenors, the late Dewey Redman never received anywhere near the acclaim that his son, Joshua Redman gained in the 1990s even though, ironically, Dewey was an innovative player.
The entire jazz media went out of its way to make Joshua Redman its darling in 1991. Events have since proved that this media support was not a hype and that it was well deserved.
Not leaning on the avant-garde approach of his father, Joshua is a talented loop-based player whose fluidity has continued to intrigue jazz critics. In the main, Joshua is a throwback to the styles of Red Holloway and Gene Ammons, but he also has an inquisitive spirit and can play intriguing music when inspired.
Unlike what is happening in popular music where some musicians are just furthering the legacies of their parents, jazz musicians are poised to create their own paths. Rather than bask in all the glory of their parent’s lineage, they are discovering themselves. And because they are eager to learn, they are articulating in different ways and reaching out with distinctively different voices.

Beauty in Railway Junkyard

BY AYODELE ARIGBABU
I THOUGHT Legacy was dead. How wrong I was; the environmental and historical interest group was still up and about. I was just the one who hadn’t taken the effort to look them up, during a chance visit to their office on Boyle Street in January, my membership was renewed.
And then, a notification popped into my mailbox for a visit to Quarter 17 at the Railway Compound, Ebute Metta — now renamed Francis Jaekel House — the headquarters of the Legacy / Nigerian Railway Joint Committee and protem location, where the committee’s Railway Museum is domiciled — as if affirming beyond all doubts, the organisation’s continued existence.

PREVIOUS excursions with Legacy (sometimes, in conjunction with the Field Society) had led at different times and with different mixes of students, expatriates and other professionals to interesting spots like the old pre-colonial relics on the Orimedu beach on the fringes of Epe, the old lighthouse and other fortifications on Tarkwa-Bay, the Osun groves in Osogbo (where we did get to pose for photographs with the late Suzanne Wenger — then in her 80s — in her house on Obokun road); and of course, the immensely enjoyable Lagos walkabouts, where John Godwin , an invaluable backbone to Legacy, no doubt, would take us like intrepid explorers down Broad Street and up the Marina and other side streets on Lagos Island, on a quiet Sunday morning, discussing the architecture and history of the buildings we encountered.
Other visits carried out in the past include to buildings of historical interest in Epe and the famous earthworks credited to Bilikisu Sungbo in Eredo, Colonial and other slave relics in Badagry, and the Nigerian Railway compound in Ebute Metta from which a couple of train rides had been organized to Abeokuta.
Besides the historical and environmental excursions though, Legacy’s main successes lie in their publication of a map of historical sites and monuments in Nigeria and their different restoration projects such as the Lumpkin House — the Leventis Foundation Building in Lagos Island and Quarter 17, also known as Francis Jaekel House in the Railway Compound, Ebute Metta.

THE museum project had come a long way since Legacy’s first visit to the Railway Compound in 1996. According to Mr. Willie Nwokedi; that visit sparked off interest in the store of historical treasures that the Railway Compound had become, those: Treasures lay in the old buildings, locomotives, workshops and other artifacts that had survived from the glory days of the Railway.
Legacy’s interest paid off a couple of years later when in 1998, the Railway authorities officially handed over Quarters 17, 21 and 24, which had been designated as antiquities buildings and all of the 4.38 acres of what was known as the Carriage and Wagon Running shed where the foundation of the Railway Museum was launched by the then Minister of Transportation —Rear Admiral Porbeni in 1999. Ten years since then however, while some preliminary reclamation work had been done to the Carriage and Wagon Shed, which was planned to house the museum, some more mileage had been achieved at Quarter 17 with the exterior of the building and the whole ground floor having been renovated. It thus made perfect sense to have a mini version of the museum up and running there while funds to put the main facility in shape were being sought.
Hence the summons, Quarter 17 was being put to some use, with a mini exhibition of old photographs showing different scenes from the history of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, old uniforms, equipment, first class cutlery and crockery, maps, aprons, buttons, and a documentary film on the Nigerian Railway Corporation.

IN attendance to receive guests were Prof. John Godwin, Mr. Willie Nwokedi and a few other members of Legacy. On the lawn outside the building were exhibited sample tracks with a maintenance trolley on display and a segment of the old Lagos tramway salvaged by Prof. Godwin from construction workers on the Marina recently.
The railway compound is replete with an air of nostalgia, even for those who never experienced the glory days of the Railway Corporation; there is something about trains, rail travel and the infrastructure that supports them that, for want of a better word, is simply captivating.
The New York subway, for example, so captured the imagination of American youths in the 80s to the extent that a whole new artistic sub-culture was birthed on the sides of the train carriages in the name of graffiti.
There is a serenity that pervades the air at the railway compound in Ebute Metta that gives the place the feel of a time capsule and makes you feel like exploring, and if you are a design enthusiast, given the right kind of guided tour, you will find sufficient material to engage your curiosity as suggested in this excerpt from an invite for a visit to the Railway Compound organized by Legacy in February 2001: “We shall be looking at some of the exhibits, which, although dilapidated, will be restored and painted in their original colours.
“These are awaiting the day, hopefully not too distant, when they will be stripped down and repainted by Legacy volunteers with the assistance of the NRC paint specialists. In the meantime, visitors will be able to take the “before” photographs, some of which will be dramatic, such as the large 40 tonnes breakdown cranes or River Class Steam Loco 207 still standing in the “elephant grass”.
“In addition, Railway staff will be showing us the main repair workshops built by Sir Armstrong Whitworth in the 1920s once described as the finest in Africa, and it is hoped to have access to the drawing office, where we will be able to see the record drawings of our exhibits as well as other items of rolling stock. It may be possible to see Mr. Taylor and Mr.Nwakairie, both ex– steam loco drivers, who can tell us more about the days of steam...”
Hopefully, with the Lagos State Government’s plans for putting a metro line in place, our interactions with trains will not be limited to museum visits in the near future, meanwhile, thanks to Legacy, the glory days are not all lost to us just yet.

dreamarts.designagency@gmail.com, www.designpages.blogspot.com

‘The cutting... is my love’

BY GREGORY AUSTIN NWAKUNOR
THERE’s a sheath gown on the mannequin at the right side of the shop. The drape is narrow and fitting. It hugs the silhouette and its most flattering for tall, slender figures. Also, an A-line gown that has a fitted bodice, which extends to a full skirt at the natural waistline is displayed in the showcase outside. The A-line cut creates an illusion of height for the petit figure.
Puegeren Tubore Victoria, the proprietor of Trends Viva, located in Ikorodu, Lagos, looks at the clothes in the show glass and heaves a sigh of relief. She’s just completed sewing a prom gown. An addition to the number of clothes she has prepared for her coming show. She walks to where her apprentices are to cut some fabrics, using the paper draft-out, and says, “I’m really excited that this gown has been completed. Hopefully, we will complete the others tomorrow.”
You could tell by her giggle and the apparent delight of freeing a memory from a normally guarded vault that she’s going to have a great show. She says, “dresses are fun to make and very rewarding, whether it’s a simple sundress or a gown. Making your own dress is a big accomplishment.”
She points out that she is very comfortable with light weight 100 per cent, cotton, denim, corduroy, light weight wool, wool blends, silk, rayon, velvet and knit.
Victoria says, “I’m very comfortable with every fabric. Everyone has its texture and manner of manipulating them to bring out their own creative look.”

THE 2002 graduate of Fisheries and Aquatic Biology from the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, says she took to dressmaking in 2003 because when she graduated, she didn’t want to work for anybody at all and was also not interested in owning a fish pond or working in one.
Though from childhood, she had been very good in creative things, she was not comfortable enough to venture into the fashion world. Friends advised her to go into it since she had the flair and was good at making dresses.
She actually took up fashion and dressmaking, when she came in contact with a designer in South Africa called Sam Pierre, whom she trained under for two years before coming back home to Nigeria.
So what’s the difference between dressmaking and styling?
Victoria answers cheerfully, “dressmaking is the art of draft-out and bringing a fabric alive on paper, while styling is the art of shaping out the desire of the customer on the fabric.” She adds, “dressmaking is calculated measurement of a person on a brown paper before transferring to the material.”
She says, “in making a dress, it is important to understand everything about it: putting together the shape, the line, the feel of the fabric, and more to enhance the wearer’s figure.”

HOW did she come about a fashion school?
She says, “because of the need to train more people in the art of fashion design and dressmaking. When a lot of people trust what you can do with the fabrics, you don’t have any choice but to train others in that art.”
Since November 2007, till date, she has been teaching workers in the art of dressmaking through pattern drafting (draft out). Since then, most students have been workers and housewives, who do so on part-time basis.
Her Inspiration? “It’s God. My mum too. She’s a hardworking woman, who is dedicated to what she is doing. People I meet everyday and things around me also influence me.”
Initially, it was challenging because I was a novice — my clothes encouraged people to come; from then, the number of clients grew. The joy made me to start teaching people. Really, since 2008, it has been financially rewarding.”
Victoria says to succeed in life, “you have to be close to God as a person. You also have to be focused and working towards your goal, no matter the trial, you’ll get there. Be diligent and natural and you’ll see how life will treat you; also, be friendly, simple, cautious and careful and, take life as it comes.”
Her message for young ladies, who are trying their hands on the art of dressmaking, “they should try to be focussed, good things in life don’t come free. They have to work towards it. They just have to be dedicated.”

THE lady, who has spent all her life in Lagos, had her primary education at Kosofe Prrimary School and later went to Kosofe College, Ketu.

Beachy stuff

BY OYINDAMOLA LAWAL
BEACH fashion can be tight, short and very form – fitting. Just because you are going to the beach does not mean that you have to dress shabby. Style is fashion.
The bikini is the quintessential piece of fashion accessory that can be found in almost every woman’s wardrobe
A stylish bikini will enhance your looks and appeal and guarantee you make heads turn at the beach! The best way to do that is to choose a bikini that is not only trendy but also suits your figure.
Swimsuits
Beach fashion is all about the swimwear — it’s the building block of the rest of your summer look, so, it’s important to find pieces that work well for you.
Shorts
Shorts are a beach essential. Giving coverage and shielding you from post water chill, they look as great on the beach as they do everywhere else.
Cover-Ups
They keep you warm out of the water and also keep the sun and wind off you. These are great options for girls who are a little shy to sit on the beach in just their swimwear.
Dresses
A beach dress is essential! All of choices will look just as good off the beach and are made in fabrics, which are easy to care for.
Fun and Floaty
Feminine floaty keeps one cool with the breeze flowing through them but will also keep the sun off. They have simple casual beachy feel to them.
Totally Terry ?
Terry cloth or towelling just makes a whole lot of sense when it comes to beach fashion! Not only does it look super cute, it will dry you off after you have finished swimming.

Funky Flip Flops
No beach outfit would be complete without the essential flip flops. Flops are available in all kinds of materials and styles today. There are leather ones, which look great for beach wear, as well as for casual wear like women’s sundresses or a polo shirt and Bermuda short combination for men. There are some designs, which have bamboo soles, suede straps, velvet straps, and rubber soles, which have massaging footpads. There are even some styles made with denim or hemp.
Kaftans (or Caftans)
It has emerged as the hippiest and hottest cover-up of the season.
Today’s kaftans (or caftans) can be slim-fitting, figure-hugging and trendy. Now to be found in a variety of lengths, they have chic embellishments, drawstrings, cinched waists, kimono sleeves, and can be found in almost every cut and shape you can imagine. From see-through chiffons to floaty cottons, no longer the diaphanous tents of the past, you can add shape and definition by choosing a style that accentuates your figure rather than drowns it.

‘It’s Green for me... it’s prosperity’

Seun Akindele, a one-time model for Celtel, and the 2nd runner up at the Mr. Nigeria Pageant, also featured in the Amstel Malta Box Office (AMBO), a TV reality show before going into acting. The native of Igede Ekiti was born on October 7 in the early 80s. He had his primary and secondary education in Lagos and Jos respectively, before going to the University of Jos for his bachelor’s in Civil Engineering. Since leaving the university, he has been into modeling and acting; and is currently featuring in a soap opera titled Spider. He tells DAMILOLA ADEKOYA what fashion means to him.

Definition of fashion
Fashion is what you are comfortable in, and what you showcase to people. It’s basically trying to make a statement.
Position in the family
I’m the last of nine children. My Dad is a Pastor and my Mum, a Deaconess.
Style of dressing
I’m not a corporate person; I’m very casual because I like being free. I wear more of sneakers; occasionally I dress corporately according to the situation.
Most favourite piece of clothing
It’s my wristwatch, bracelet, and my ring.
Most expensive item
It’s my Italian shoe.
Most cherished possession
It’s my talent.
Turn on
It’s my acting career. I feel really alive when I’m on location
Turn off
Liars! I can’t stand them. I get pissed off the more they try to cover up.
What would you not be caught wearing?
An Agbada. It’s archaic and too bulky; I can’t put it on.
Happiest moment
It was my first appearance in a movie with Ramsey Noauh, and Onyeka Onwenu; it was titled Different World by Dickson Oreagbu.
Embarrassing moment
It was in my secondary school days in Jos, when I was caught cheating in the examination.
Food
My favourite dish is yam porridge with plantain, but my regular meal is rice.
If you were an opportunity to change something in Nigeria, what would it be?
It’s just the mindsets of Nigerians. I believe when one’s mind is changed, what he or she believes about one’s country or oneself would also change.
Life as an actor and as a model
I started modeling in 2001 and my first job was for STB McCann, a modeling firm at Yaba. Currently, I’m fully into acting and does modeling whenever it comes.
Favourite spot
The swimming pool at Country Club.
Signature scent
Light Blue by Dolce and Gabana.
Favourite colour
It’s green because it signifies prosperity.
Stylish Icon
In Nigeria, it’s Richard Mofe Damijo, and internationally, it’s Brad Pitt.
Role model
Generally, it is God; but in my career, it’s Richard Mofe Damijo.
Philosophy of life
Keep moving forward.

Naija pop... Balls and Bums... for the Boys Sense and Depth... for the Girls

BY CHUKS NWANNE
JUST as the last act for the concert signed off, the lady beside me, gave a huge sigh: ‘Good mercy, this is the first concert I would attend where these so-called Nigerian hip hop stars will not be holding their flies and screaming obsenities in the name of singing.” I turned sharply towards her, and she gave me a sharp, tough look ‘Oh yes, those boys that you guys promote in the media as superstars, can’t they ever sing without holding onto the flies of their trousers and singing about women’s breasts and bums... My God, they are so childish in their stage character and gestures; they abuse women’. Oh yes, they do, i nodded. “And you don’t see the girls singing about such noinsensicals about a man’s genitalia or how many men they have dated,” continued the woman, who though in her early 50s, is very pretty, her fair complexion glowing... the type that amorous old Yoruba men, would call ‘Atupa Parlour.’
Suddenly, her face reddened, signs that she was getting emotional about the matter at hand, “And yet those nonsense, juvenile songs is what you media workers will be crowning the best music or song of the decade or of the year... how many of you would allow the private properties of your wife, daughter, sister or even mistress to be so ridiculed in the public.. eh, how many of you?” I was speechless; not just because the person talking was old enough to be my mother, but because she was saying the truth.
But, I picked on her words... Yes... just what do those boys sing about beyond the ‘nonsensicals’ as she had termed it.

Indeed, the Nigerian music industry has exploded in recent times. The hyper activity on the scene has, no doubt, upstaged the days of yore when local TV and radio stations feed the public with foreign songs, especially from the US; a period when the craze for foreign songs, which most of us barely understood the lyrics or even make any sense out of them, were in vogue.
Days are gone when you go to a Nite Club and dance to American beats from dusk till dawn without complaining. Those days of Shaba Ranks, Patra, Buster Rhymes, Chakademus & Pliers, 2Pac, Shagy… these guys ruled the country’s music industry for long, and we had no option than to love them. No option! Those days, it was like a taboo to play a Nigerian song or video on air. A radio station was even so audacious as to decree that no Nigerian music except Fela will grace its air.
Today, things have changed; Nigerian songs are making waves all over the world, with the artistes winning international awards for their works. Even American superstars have seen reasons to collaborate with our artistes –– good deal!
But critically studied, much of the music coming from the artistes these days, especially the male folks, is shallow and meaningless in lyrical content, beats and composition. If the singers are not rasping about sex or some other lewd subjects; it will be about how many women they have beded or dated or jilte; or about 419 and related issues; or what they call ‘beefing’ (abusing perceived enemies)… it’s like a band wagon thing! Once an artiste sings about money, everybody follows. Then another sings about sex, and the rest will file in. The beefing has in fact become an industry, much in the light of the eighies’ rash of abusive songs by the Fuji musicians, who now in their late 60s - an burnished with the wisdom that comes with old age (?) -- must be regretting those dirty words they were trading with their opponents on the scene then.
The exasperating part is that a good number of the so-called superstar artistes today can hardly play a single musical instrument or even do a live performance of their song, yet they answer ‘stars’, winning multiple awards every now and then. Their stage performance is characterised by the truly obscene act of grabbing their ‘scrotum’ and shouting ‘yea, yea’ from one corner of the stage to another–– very boring and indeed insulting to sense of decency! Sometimes, you wonder how some of them got into music.
And yes, the ‘Yellow Madam’ was right. These are the people we, the media, celebrate as the future of the industry.

The female artistes, in truth, have greater depth and more sensible compositions of songs and accompanying beats, yet they are always sidelined by promoters, the media and even show promoters.
The list of nominees for this year’s Hip-Hop World Award is out without a single female artiste making it! How come? Who made the nomination? What are the criteria for nomination? Sometimes you wonder what music means to a lot of people, especially media workers, who are behind some of these awards.
Music is not just about crooning off-key and grabbing your balls; it’s not about featuring in multiple videos; surely, not about media hype; certainly, not about how much you spent shooting the video or having cheaply-sourced nude ladies shaking their bums and boobs in front of the camera. It’s not a band wagon stuff; it’s not commercial; it’s not about wearing blings and earrings or weaving the hair with different colours and shouting ‘yooo men, whatz up’… yet, these seem to be what some of the award projects set out to reward. Music is about depth; meaningful lyrics; proper arrangement and memorable beats.... these are certanly off the radar of the some of the award organisers in the country.

Well, the concerns raised by the ‘Yellow Madam’, whom i must hint is a senior culture bureaucrat, with long, extensive service even in the United States, is the reason I have decided to pay tribute to the authentic heroes of Nigerian contemporary music... I mean those who still make effort to sing sensibly, and carry themselves with dignity... the female artistes. Not all of them are featured here, but a select few from among those whom LIFE has celebrated in recent times are here. These are the young flowers of Nigerian music... coming behind the incredible credentials that had been established by the Nelly Uchendus (late), Onyeka Onwenus, Christy Essiens, Bunmi Olajubus, Veno Marioghaes, Stella Monyes, Evi Edna Ogholis, Yinka Davies, among others...
Here, I present the profile of some of these ladies and invite you to draw your own conclusion. Their profiles show that a good number of them grew up with music and spend more time honing their craft.

ASA
Born in Paris as the only girl in the family, Asa had to share her parents with three brothers. At a tender age she began to look after the house during her father and mother’s frequent absences. That was when she started singing. The desire to sing came to her and didn’t go away, carving out a permanent place in her soul. She preferred singing to talking, improvising endlessly — until her mother made her stop!
Over the years, her father had built up a fine collection of records on soul classics and Nigerian music. The little girl grew up to the sounds of artistes such as Marvin Gaye, Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, Aretha Franklin, Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey and others; and drew inspiration from them.
When she came home, she discovered Erika Badu, D’Angelo, Rafaël Saadiq, Lauryn Hill, Femi Kuti and Angélique Kidjo, in whose footprints she dreamt of following. At 18, Asa was very familiar with frustration. The university was on strike; the choirs were snubbing her. Nevertheless, she managed to get her voice heard on a few radio talent shows, and her first applause brought her boundless pleasure. She then signed up, in secret, for the Peter King’s School of Music; and learnt how to play the guitar in six months.
Asa, in her own opinion, is not a commercial product and not a sex kitten. She was offered contracts, concerts and money, but she was determined to make her music just the way she wanted. In 2004 she met her manager, Janet, who introduced her to Cobhams Emmanuel Asuquo, who in turn became her musical partner.Cobhams enabled Asa to find her bearings: songs in English and Yoruba, music falling somewhere between pop and soul, inspired by her musical heritage — with particular care paid to the melodies — and reflecting the feeling she puts into it. Her lyrics talk about her country, the things in life, the things in her life, all delivered with feigned naivety and real irony.
It was at this stage of her life that Asa finally returned to Paris. This was her chance to test out her talent on the French musical scene, playing with artistes such as the Nubians, Manu Dibango, Doctor L and Tony Allen. Today, her songs Eyé Adaba, Jailer, and Bibanke have become classics.

Mfon Umana
Mfon started out as an innocent kid chorister at about eight in a church choir, alongside her mother, who was a member of the group. A year after, she attempted composing a song, which resulted in I Wanna Dance.
Moving over to the Republic of Benin, she stayed in touch with music, singing with friends as hobby. She used to sing in a karaoke with a friend, before she gained admission into the University of Benin Republic.
While in the university, Mfon won Miss Campus Beauty Pageant, and was later wooed into joining the University Band, les Kasseurs, as a back-up singer. She later rose to be the lead singer, touring all the departments of Bénin Republic and featuring in almost all the mega shows, before going professional in Dubai as a solo artiste.
Mfon’s experience in Dubai, to a very large extent, played a vital role in her career as a musician. She sang all kinds of songs; secular, gospel, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, rock, rap, dancehall, African beats, reggae… anything that her audience liked.
After years of performing in Dubai clubs and bars, Mfon took a bold step to return home in 2003, in pursuit of her music career. First, she picked a job with the French Cultural Centre, Lagos, still combining the job with her music.
A resourceful artiste with a unique approach, Mfon’s art reflects the aspiration of the African continent to transcend her fears and pains, her hopelessness and years of wandering in darkness; and to show the entire world the incomparable richness of her heritage; the universality of her restored values, and the immense diversity of culture. Mfon’s songs usually stewed in folksy, soul and jazz music with African rhythms spicing it, speaks of the essences of African values.
The singer, composer and guitarist came home in 2007, with a single called Nigeria, which was to boost the poor image of the country outside. Right now, she’s putting finishing touches to her latest work titled the Brand New Page, which is expected to hit music shelves next month.
However, Mfon is no doubt sufficiently equipped to climb to the very top of the music chart, if the tempo is sustained. Personally, she’s very confident that her work will make a difference.

Diana Bada
Diana’s decision to play music was not accidental; it’s something she had always loved doing as a kid. Her father had a big collection of music and her Russian mum came from a music family; so, it was natural for Diana to do music.
In school, Diana would do everything within her reach to be part of every music group; she was in the school band or choir and also took part in all the entertainment events. As she grew older, she started composing songs. Along the line, she became more in tune with her musical side.
Though she holds a Business degree from Hungary, Diana enrolled at the MUSON Centre, Lagos, where she studied music. Even as a business student, where there’s music was where you would find the pretty, light skinned singer. You will always find her in the studio, hanging out with a lot of Deejays and emcees in the university; and going for live events –– that was when she started recording her music. Sometimes, she sleeps over, watching how the whole build-up of a stage takes place.
Though not the kind of musician you see at major gigs in town, Diana has been performing for long with her band, Expressions, a jazz band. Basically, they do mostly private gigs as well as collaborate with other bands.
For Diana, music is not complete without a live performance. Though she has no problem with other artistes, especially the guys, who do just CD and miming on stage, the singer feels more comfortable on stage, hearing live sounds coming from the speakers.
“Rehearsal has been a better part of Diana’s schedule. She says: “whatever you want to do, you have to practice to get a better result. As an artiste, you must always practice; I see it as something very important, I don’t play with it because it helps you as an artiste,” the dreadlocks wearing artiste said during a recent interview.
Aside her music, getting her poems published is one thing Diana would love to achieve in no distant time. She also plans to set up a music studio, where people can come and rehearse and record music.
“I see myself basically trying to make good music, even if not my own, I will also want to involve the next generation.”

TY Bello
A graduate of Economics from the University of Lagos, TY Bello was a member one of urban gospel band, Kush, made up of Emem and Lara. The band made noticeable impact with their music, especially Let’s Live Together, which was an anthem, before the girls went their separate ways.
Even in her solo effort, TY stamped her authority in the country’s music scene. Her debut album, Greenland, took over two years to write, but the end product truly justified the long period spent in penning down the words and cooking the beats in the studio. Her music is eclectic; urbane, groovy and soulful; and is laced with hip-hop, jazz and R&B.
The video for Greenland, the lead track in the work, which TY shot, was hailed as one of the best ever produced from Nigeria.
TY spared no expense with Greenland. Each song on the album manifests the uninhibited expression of an artistes in an otherwise inhibiting environment. From love, to family to nation; TY bore her soul in words that are bound to capture the hearts of all, who listen; she wrote the title track for her countrymen to levitate from a place of despair to that of hope. The album was very successful with massive airplay, topping music charts and clinching different awards.
An internationally acclaimed portrait photographer, TY Bello stages an annual photography exhibition to raise funds for orphans across the country. She is also a Director of Link-a-Child; an NGO dedicated to propagating information on orphanages in Nigeria, and soliciting sponsorship on their behalf.
The colours, shades and textures, which she captures in her photographs, are expressed in her music as well. “Art is about collecting experiences and expressing them. For me music and photography are similar art forms. I collect experiences, stir them in myself and express it in my own language. Just like my photography, music is my language,” she said in an interview.
In Ekundayo, TY wrote about her first encounter with Mrs. Ekundayo, who runs Ekundayo Children’s Home, an orphanage in Isanlu, Kogi State.
“The song is about a conversation that took place among Toyin Subair, Mrs. Ekundayo and l, which made me to realise how empty my life was. I saw someone who was doing a lot more than I was and had much less than I did.”
Through her songs, TY Bello seeks to take fans through the journey of her life and the lessons she has learnt on that journey.

Kween
Born Queen Chinyere Onokala in Enugu State, Kween started singing in a church choir at 10, in Abeokuta where she was brought up. She attended Command Secondary School Abakaliki, Ebonyi State before proceeding to the University of Abuja, where she studied Public Administration.
The Jebele singer grew up listening to artistes such as Erykah Badu, Toni Braxton and Whitney Houston and later started out in the music business with a band called Zuma Rock in the federal capital territory, Abuja. Since then, she has developed a uniquely international blend and has moved on very quickly to performing at credible concerts and festivals. She sings in English, Yoruba and Igbo her native language, combining Western and African elements
The Abia State native came to the limelight in 2001 when she released a single, Oluronbi, featuring Nigerian Fuji crooner, Pasuma Alabi Wonder. The song, which was recorded at the Eko FM studios in Lagos, with producer Da Capo and project co-ordinator Spitz Josef, received much media attention and airplay.
Kween’s music is combined with Afro funk, jazz, hip-hop, neo soul, lover’s rock and dancehall rhythms. She has been linked for her growls and swoops that link African tradition to American soul music. She produces dance music as well as slow captivating dance songs with a lot of sensuality.
Her self-titled album, kweendomcome — exactly as the name suggests — is about the faces of lives; speaking of her trials and experiences, pulling up strong emotions from its would be listeners, while managing to preserve an indisputable African feeling.
Kween’s philosophy is, “the wealth of experience you’ve gathered comes with time… nobody gives it to you as reward or price for credibility. I’ve come a long way with what I know, and only time is the greatest reward for that.”
In addition to being a singer and songwriter, Kween is also an actress, which has featured in some Nollywood movies.

Ashionye
A native of Utagba-uno, Kwale, Delta State, Ashionye Michelle Ugboh is a well known singer/songwriter. Born on October 17, Ashionye is undoubtedly among Nigeria’s top-rated female celebrities. Equally at home as a singer, actress or presenter, she is loved by male and adored by female fans nation-wide.
Always the showstopper, Ashionye turns heads on red carpets everywhere and leaves the audience screaming for more at her live concert performances. She’s the toast of her peers and the role model to many young female Nigerians.
Ashionye is passionate about ‘positive female empowerment’, working tirelessly to better the lot of Nigerian women from all walks of life and social backgrounds, in a most fundamental way. In a bid to inspire and empower young girls and women in Nigeria and the world over, she initiated the Girl Power Music Movement.
Her first album, A Piece of Me, made noticeable impact in the industry, endorsing her as a leading female singers, which earned her a stage appearance in the Nigerian version of the internationally acclaimed Vagina Monologues.
Meanwhile, the Delta State native raised the bar in the entertainment industry, when she launched her perfume, ‘Romance By Ashionye’. She has secured a one-year endorsement deal to serve as the brand ambassador for Pepsi Light.


Nneka
Born 1981 in Warri, Nigeria, Nneka Egbuna moved to Hamburg, Germany ostensibly to study Anthropology.
In Nigeria she sang in church, but never pursued a professional career as a singer until coping with the culture clash of being in Germany did songs began pouring from her as though she was on a purgative.
She hooked up with DJ Farhot, and they formed a partnership. In 2005, they produced a five-song EP, The Uncomfortable Truth, which brought her to the attention of major labels in Germany. By the end of 2005, she had produced a full-length debut, Victim of Truth, from which a series of singles was released
In 2008, Nneka released her second full length, No Longer At Ease with it’s lead single being, Heartbeat, her first record to break into the German Top 50.
She was in the country in 2007, where she performed live with her band during 2Face and Friends music tour.

From banking hall to the streets

BY GREGORY AUSTIN NWAKUNOR
BANK staffers are on the loose. Once, they were all confined to the office, counting or keeping money, now they are roaming free — not aimlessly — with a vision to make a difference.
Last weekend, staffers of Bank PHB gathered for the launch of the Bank’s Employees Volunteers Programme. Not the Bob-A-Job. They were everywhere cleaning and making impact with monies from their pockets.
Ig Ukpaka, an executive director of the bank, aided by the chairmen of Eti-Osa Local Council and Iru/Victoria Island Local Council Deve,lopment Area flagged off the event.
After Ukpaka’s speech, the volunteer groups — seven in all — gathered at the bank’s office from where they moved to various part of the city to carry out various community development programmes.
Simultaneously, all over the country, various staff of the bank were moving from their offices to different parts of their state to carry out agreed community development programmes: cleaning the streets, planting trees or teaching at the Bank’s National Scholars’ Scheme schools and other adopted schools.
One of the teams, V2, as the team calls itself, immediately moved to its adopted school, Methodist Boys High School (MBHS), Victoria Island, which the team has been supporting in the last one month.
Since January, it has been sponsoring extra mural classes for final year students of MBHS. It engaged part time teachers to take the students extra lectures in key subjects as they prepare for their school certificate and university matriculation examinations.
The principal said due to the support of V2, has been able to provide lunch for the few day students in the school so that they will be able to stay all day in school to be part of the extra mural classes.
Also on Sanusi Fafunwa Street of Victoria Island, another group of staff volunteers, Planet Volunteers, kept the street sparkling with their paint.
At the Ojota branch of the bank, staffers had taken on the responsibility of cleaning up the gutters, sidewalks and motor park within Ojota and Oregun Bus stop.
In Katsina, another group was at the Central Market to clean up the place to the amazement of Katsina residents who were at the market. The same thing happened in Jigawa, where volunteers carried out a sanitation exercise at the Hadejia Old Motor Park.
The volunteer scheme is purely a staff initiative to make give Bank PHB staff a platform to make a difference in their immediate community. It is not funded by the bank, rather staff contribute their own money and decide on which community development initiative they want to undertake.