Showing posts with label Edition 227. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edition 227. Show all posts
Saturday, 6 March 2010
All for their hubbies
BY OMIKO AWATHE Thriving Business Women Fellowship (TBWF), an interdenominational business fellowship platform that empowers women for wealth creation alongside prayer, organised its yearly U and I Event on February 27 with the theme “Just the two of us.”
The event, specially meant for married people and singles already in courtship, started in 2008 under the umbrella of Daystar Christian Centre, until March 2009, when it became the business arm of Victorious Praying Women Ministry (VPWN).
The gathering spiced with games and Bible principles on marriage amidst serenading background music that could rejuvenate marriages is aimed to bond, appreciate and celebrate spouses in cozy, and relaxed atmosphere.
According to the Co-ordinator, Mrs. Mayokun Oreofe, “the feast is to tell our husbands that no matter the height of our success, in business and in life, we still remain loving and submissive wives to them.”
This year’s gathering, being the third in the series, marked the group’s second anniversary.
To celebrate this, prizes were given to hubbies of members, for encouraging their wives whose immense contributions have led to the increase of members and better service.
The fellowship, which is divided into sub-groups for effectiveness and efficiency gave out prizes to some group members, which include Mr. and Mrs. Salawu of Abigael group; Mr. and Mrs. Esada Igwe (Deborah); Mr. and Mrs. Niyi Alake (Esther); Mr. and Mrs. Sammy Ekpeyon (Hannah); Mr. and Mrs. Akinwande (Elizabeth); and Mr. and Mrs. Adebisi. Others are Mr. and Mrs. Oni (Dorcas); Mr. and Mrs. Olunuga (Naomi); Mr. and Mrs. Adetola Mafe; Mr. and Mrs. Olaniyu (Praise team); and Mr. and Mrs. Kuti; while leadership award went to Mr. and Rev. Ogunleye.
Holy Mallam anchored the programme while Perception band thrilled guest with titillating tunes.
Tope’s drum of a life
BY OMIKO AWAObanikoro Street in the suburb of Lagos is roused from its serenity by sounds filtering out of the Breath of Life Church auditorium, venue of the Wonder drums Live-In-Concert.
I’m ushered into an empty seat in the almost filled hall, as the sound from the drum sets on stage continues to enchant the audience; watching the drummer hit the gadget in a tutored rhythm.
Within seconds, “pam, pam, gre…gre…gree…greee… pam, pam, pam” and a lady springs up from behind the drums.
“You are welcome to my show,” she says gasps for breath as a result of exhaustion.
“I am Tope Odebiyi (a. k. a. Topsticks) of Wonder Drums; with me in live-in-concert is Emeka on keyboard and Philips on bass,” she informs, bowing in obeisance.
Her last word, which is not far from ‘thank you’, is drowned by applauses that sends her off the stage for another performer to step in. Topsticks’ performance is almost cyclic, as she comes on and off stage giving room to other invited upcoming artistes performing.
“I feel so great, so good that the event was a success,” she says after the concert. “Putting things like this together was not easy for me with my limited resources.”
She adds, “I thank God for the audience, I never knew the turn-out would be this much even with the little publicity given to it.”
TOPE’s joy reflects on the way she responds to greetings. She hugs some, shakes hands with others and almost kneeling to acknowledge the greetings of an elderly woman.
What’s next with this outing?
“I cannot say for now, but definitely there is going to be another outing before the year runs out,” she says looking satisfied with the just concluded one.
“I look forward to having an all-female band, where all the instruments would be played by ladies; though I have not started putting things together in that direction, I must mention that it has been penciled as one of the things to do this year.”
As if not satisfied with her response to the question, Tope in emotion-laden voice reveals her other plans.
“I also want to mentor upcoming drummers to play the instrument better and to tutor interested youths, who want to come into this aspect of the art form.”
WHAT is your relationship with ( K-Sticks), Kunle Ponmiloye?
“He is my mentor and coach. He advises and directs me on drums, and I hold him in high regards. He is like a father, a teacher and mentor. He is all put together,” Tope says with a giggle
But people say he is your secret lover.
“No-o-o-o! Our relationship does not go beyond mentoring. He is more experienced than I am, and guides me professionally. Besides, the gap between us is too wide for him to descend so low, to be involved in extra-marital affairs with me. Please, it is not true.” Her otherwise happy mood is changing already.
And the men, are they coming?
Tope, drummer girl, not yet recovered from the last question, says, “let’s keep that for now. “They have been coming and God in His infinite mercy has been giving me the wisdom to handle them because I can’t give everybody a chance. It is not that I do not want to marry, but I want to use this period to concentrate and acquire more musical skills, so, that I could be firmly established, like some of the men, in the field.”
THE queen of drums, a product of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, is not in a hurry to be joined in matrimony, in fact, she is more interested in building her musical career and mentoring the youths than settling down to make babies.
So, when would the bell ring for you?
“I will let you know when the time comes,” she says amidst laughs.
And your leisure
“I enjoy listening to music or being around drums. I hardly go out to leisure places on my own, except to shows. I’m always thrilled by music, especially the sound of drums.”
Just like always wanting the best for herself, Tope is not in a haste for the market…
“I am not in a haste to bring out a CD, I am taking my time and as soon as the guys working on it is through, I will push it to the market. Surely very soon,” she enthuses.
Your parents”
“Oh! I have their backings for all I do as you can see that they came to cheer me up. When I started, they never supported me because they found it difficult to see their daughter drumming, but seeing my dedication and success, they, especially my father, had no choice than to support me.”
Talking to the parents, the elated father the father, Odebiyi, an engineer, says, “I was not willing to allow Tope to take to drumming as a career because nobody in my family does that. But with what I saw this evening, she has won my heart, I never knew she has gone this far; her confidence, prowess and following are what I never expected. I’m happy because she has made me and my family proud.”
A day with mama ACCA
BY GREGORY AUSTIN NWAKUNORIT is raining. The thunder rolls into far distance. Rain pours down like a deluge. It is a stormy afternoon. Fat drops of rain continue to smear the ground. After some minutes, the noise of the rain ceases, but flashes of lightning attract attention.
There’s a gentle knock on the door. “Come in,” the lady inside answers.
Standing up and curtseying is Toyin Ademola, Country Manager, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). She is a middle-aged lady with a graceful figure and look. Her complexion is fair and brilliant. Her eyes? Bright and sparkling. Pains cannot trace a line, or grief shadow in the sweet face. I’m a bit stuck. The thought of how she manages her career bubbles in my heart.
“I have to give glory to God because he is one that gives me the wisdom and ability to manage the home. I will also give a lot of thumbs up for my husband because he is very understanding and supportive,” the ACCA boss mutters. She runs her eyes on the files to be treated. She rises from behind the broad desk, crosses to the other side where some pictures are displayed. She points, “when I was offered this ACCA job, he knew about it. From the very beginning, he knew about it, even when I was asked to prepare the presentation, my husband was involved in every aspect of it. Not that he wrote it, but I would tell him this is the presentation I’m going to make, what do you think about it? Even when I went for the interview, there were three stages, he was always calling to ask, how was it? What did they ask and what did you say? When I eventually got the job, we sat down to discuss the advantages and disadvantages we discovered there will be a lot of travelling involved and everything.”
Leaning her back on the seat, Ademola does not waste words, adding: “I think it is more of a lot of organisation, prayers and communication.”
She checks her daily diary appointment book, and then confirms what happens next. She says, “I always communicate to my husband this is what we are doing, so, I’m going to be in the office late. But ultimately, he would have known that we are doing it because I always put him in the know: the way we talk on phones and all that. I think that what ruins most marriages is that most partners don’t know what the other person is doing. If everybody is open, this is what I’m doing and this is what he is doing, you know the right hand not knowing what the left is doing, everybody going different ways.”
SHE lifts the switch of the intercom and presses a number. She calls an aid to bring a bottle of table water. She looks at me again and gives a friendly smile. She says couples should have things they share together. She snorts, “what are the things we have together? We have the same values, beliefs, and ultimately, we have the same goals. As long as we know what we are trying to achieve, there won’t be any problem.”
She adds, “I talk a lot about football. When we first got married, I wasn’t use to talking about football. My husband insisted that I must like something that he likes so that we could share it together. And I remember the first match I ever watch was the first time DStv came to Nigeria. And they were showing the match at Pyramid. The match was between Manchester United and Liverpool. Half of the people there did not like Manchester United, because at that point in time, Andy Cole had just moved over to the club. And they were abusing his every move, and I felt for him. I then said I’m going to support his team. And it happened that Man U won, that was how I got into football. I don’t like cricket, but I find myself watching it because he will sit down, watching it so. I think that couples should think of mutual things they can do together and also, like together. If a man likes to play golf and his woman doesn’t, it wouldn’t help the home. This, however, does not mean that they should choke each other. A man should have the things he wants to do by himself and she also should have those things she wants to do by herself. They should look for the things that they do together that they enjoy.
Ademola stares out at the now inky sky and says, “inform him that we are going to be late. I don’t even drop it on him, say, tomorrow. I give him notice. While we are there, he will call; I will call, because of his upbringing as well, he is a very communicative person. He likes tapping in at information. He likes asking questions. He will ask me questions, and I will do likewise.”
She warns: “Job will come and go, but your family will be there for you and with you.” There is an air of hope in her face as she speaks. “Even when my mother was a career woman, she was always at home before my father got back, so, when I got married, she would tell me, Toyin, there is no basis for you to go out at 9pm or at night and leaving your husband at home.”
ADEMOLA smiles as if at fond memories of her growing up. With gleam concentration in her eyes, she gushes encouraging tones. “My parents are in their 70s and are still together. There was no way I could just say I’m going out at night or for a party and my husband would just be at home. The way I was brought up, the family comes first. For me, I wouldn’t have taken the job if he had not been okay with it, to be honest with you. Like I said, I grew up in a home where the family comes first before career. Ultimately, if I had a career that is threatening my family life, I will leave it. It is not because we are extremely rich or whatever, but for me, the job will come and go. Even if you’re very good, at one point they will tell you that you’re either too big, or they will sack you or whatever. For me, your family will always be there for you and with you. For me, family life is the key. Maybe because of how I grow up, my mother compromised a lot for her family, I know she would have had positions in her field, onshore or offshore, and she didn’t take it. I remember vividly when the woman was being posted to America, and she turned it down. Let me tell you, they will even call me at home and ask me, what are you doing?
SHE’s the central character in ACCA’s mission to get more Nigerians certified. So, when she is not in the office discussing strategy, Ademola is to be found doing interviews, holding talks in the accounting body. She’s unflinching about why she transited from the arts to the numeric. She actually read French in school. She speaks without a caveat. “The association is the global body for professional accountants and is guided by high principles of integrity. It offers business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.”
The Career Day Celebration, which held recently, is part of the corporate social responsibility of the body. “It is part of our strategy to give youths opportunity to meet with career experts and certified professionals who will guide them on right career paths.”
THE ACCA office, which was opened in 2006, is meant to serve the interest of it trainees in Nigeria who want to become certified professional in their field by learning and cultivating global standards and principles in the accounting profession.
“ACCA trainees can now register, pay for their tuition, receive lectures and conveniently write their exams right here in Nigeria, through our office without necessarily having to travel to the UK,” she discloses.
As part of the ACCA activities in Nigeria, Ademola discloses that her organisation engages in a continuous professional development programme, where members have the opportunity to get updated on current global developments in the accounting profession. Members also use the forum to listen to experts and technocrats in the accounting field, and they have time to network among themselves
ACCA Nigeria also partners other organisations in the country on a continuous basis to facilitate programmes that will edify and add value to their professional career.
FOR Ademola, a perfect weekend for her is the one spent with her family. Who in the world would she like to sit next to go on a long-haul flight?
She looks at me and breathes, “my husband of course. He is my best friend.” She adds, “maybe it is different in this environment, if my husband is having a late meeting; he will call me and tell me. I think what has worked for us is the fact that first, we are friends. We were very good friends and we are still friends now. We gist a lot about things. My husband is my best friend. We talk about everything and sometimes, we realize that we shouldn’t be saying these to each other because we are husband and wife.”
She’s in La La Land!
Kemi ‘Lala’ Akindoju has distinguished herself on stage, literally. As one of the very few young women committed to stage acting, Kemi, an insurance graduate, has shown that with passion and talent, it is possible to shine anywhere. We sat her down with after she defeated Mercy Johnson and Omoni Oboli to become The Future Awards Actor of the Year Were you surprised at awards considering the people you beat to the award?
Yes I was really surprised, I didn’t expect it.
Where did the name ‘Lala’ come from?
From my childhood, my nursery school teacher used to hail me with kemolala and growing up, the lala just stuck, it’s the identity now.
What was your response when you heard you were nominated for the awards?
It was very emotional because my friends, who had heard on the radio, were already screaming and causing a stir, so, when they told me, I almost didn’t know how to react. I think shock is the right word.
You are an insurance graduate and even came out with a Second Class degree in Upper division – why stage?
I’ve always wanted to express myself, even as a child, so, I knew the corporate world was not for me. Frustration would have killed me. When the opportunity to continue expressing myself on stage came, I took it!
After The Future Awards, what next?
More work! I need to complete my master’s programme and continue acting.
Challenges of being an award winner and how are you coping?
I think the only challenge is people wondering how a stage actor won, but when they see a performance, they are not surprised.
Role models
Joke Silva, Taiwo Ajayi-Lycett and Wole Oguntokun.
Driving force in life
The joy and satisfaction I get from doing that which I love, the desire to make a positive difference in Nigeria and in this industry, and most importantly entertaining people.
Life’s lessons
To be consistent at whatever you do.
Can you share your happiest moment in life with us?
I think I’m extremely happy at the end of every play. There’s joy every time I take a bow before the audience... and of course winning The Future Award was also a happy moment.
What about your saddest moment?
Quite a few low moments but not enough to be a saddest moment, at least not yet.
What keeps you going in theatre?
Fulfillment, joy, passion trust me the big money will come.
The state of live theatre in Nigeria
At a point, theatre was big in Nigeria; I grew up watching stage plays. I think there is a wrong impression in Nigeria, that theatre is boring or only for a certain kind of people, so most people (especially the young) would rather watch a movie than a play. The poor management of the national theatre (even though there is a revival now) also aided this supposed death of theatre. Money is also a key factor, theatre did not appear to be lucrative business, but all that is changing now.
Does being such a key part of the Theatre @ Terra project stop you from doing other jobs?
No it does not.
What makes your style different?
Versatility. Being able to swiftly switch from one character to another. It’s hard work though.
How would you describe your career at the moment?
Still growing. I haven’t even reached half of where I desire to be. This is just the starting point.
I know that actors in Nollywood have their names linked to scandals. Is it the same with theatre and what has been your experience?
I think this is more about the individual. There are people in other fields who are involved in more scandals than the actors but because actors are in your face, there is more attention on them. I haven’t had any experiences as regards this. But like I said, it’s about the individual.
I’ve heard people say that single people succeed (in terms of getting roles in movies) than those
who are married in the industry, how true is this?
This argument has no basis.... Ability, availability and talent are the factors necessary to get roles. We cannot neglect the actor’s personal life and responsibilities, but it all depends on the actor.
We are aware you are also a pastor. How does that combine with acting – where some parents and even young people think the immoral is inevitable?
People tend to look more critically at me because of this, but because everything I do springs from who I am, there are no issues. I must also say that I have to think carefully before taking certain roles or doing certain things so I’m not misunderstood
Besides acting, what else do you do?
Studying for my master’s degree in media and communication at the Pan African University.
Do you have any intentions of going into TV or the movies? And why haven’t you done that yet?
Yes I do. The right script and director just hasn’t come. When it does, you’ll know.
If you had to change anything about yourself, what would that be?
Nothing!
Do you think your award – and awards in general – have any impact on young Nigerians?
Yes I do. Mine in particular because young people know that if you work hard, you’ll be recognised and celebrated. Awards in general make young people try to pull their weight in their various fields. It also encourages creativity and innovation... the awards must be credible though.
How do you relax?
I watch movies and I hangout with my favorite people, I listen to music.
Marriage?
Not any time soon.
You’re involved in the V monologues this year – again as the youngest actor – can you tell us about it?
I must say, it’s been a beautiful experience so far, especially when you are working with A-class actors and a great director. I can’t wait for the performances to start.
What is the greatest lesson life has taught you?
Life has taught me not to trade my joy for anything.
Charades
(Just Life)
BY OMOLIGHO UDENTA
CHARADES, believed to have its origins in 18th-century France, is a classic party game that’s generally fun for all ages. It is a game of pantomimes where you have to “act out” a phrase without speaking, while the other members of your team try to guess what the phrase is as quickly as they can. Whichever team guesses an agreed number of phrases correctly in the shortest possible time wins.
Phrases chosen are usually titles of books, TV shows or movies, or famous quotes and sayings.
These are written on individual pieces of paper, which are then folded and then put in separate bowls, one each for each team.
Team members each take turns picking these pieces of paper from the other team’s bowl; you read its contents to yourself and then without speaking, help your team try to guess the title by giving gestures, clues and signals till a member of your team guesses the title or time runs out.
Sometimes in our day to day life we play games very much similar to ‘charades’ especially in relationships and office politics. Women, especially, are usually guiltier of this as half the time they leave men guessing, only telling them when they are ready what is on their minds.
These days we have come to see that our politicians’ (and those around them) can also be really good at playing ‘charades’. I, mean who would have thought that anyone could keep us all guessing for almost ninety days about the state of anyone’s health!
WE, Nigerians haven’t had too many clues about what is wrong with the President, what state he is in etc but with the little we’ve been given, a lot of guesses have been made by virtually everyone.
Pity though that no one has come forward to tell us if we are right or wrong. When after an embarrassingly long delay, our ‘representatives’ went to visit him, they were turned away. Perhaps the doctors caring for Mr. President didn’t take them seriously!
After all, who goes to visit a sick boss, friend, etc months after the said sick person was hospitalised?!
The fact that there has been no word directly from Mr. President doesn’t help matters much and the fact that nothing has been done to refute or dispel the rumours (and they are many) is worrying, to say the least.
And, although South South leaders have been reported to have strongly condemned the way President Umaru Yar’Adua was brought into the country (he was brought in the dark because there was a power outage at the airport) without informing the Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan or us, the common Nigerian, the only response we’ve had (as at the time of writing this) has been that press statement released by the Special Assistant to the President on Communications, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi made on Wednesday. In the said press statement Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was pointedly referred to as ‘Vice President’.
THIS game of ‘Charades’ being played really shouldn’t go on for much longer. How difficult can it be to tell us all what the true situation is so we can make necessary changes and move on? Unless of course some are afraid of the outcome of those changes and would rather leave things as they are, which is ultimately, us with two heads, one visible and the other invisible but very much in control, it would seem. A headless body is as much of a monstrosity as a two-headed body.
omoudenta@yahoo.co.uk
Five things we wonder
(Strictly for the young)
My friend lives in America. We have not met officially ever. I cannot shake his hands, and he cannot touch my face. But we see. You see, there is this thing called a webcam. I know what he looks like because we have pictures of each other. And just the other day, we spoke. On the phone. And also online. You see, technology (or, te ki ina lo ji) is a special thing. Even when someone is far away, you can still be in touch. It doesn’t matter if they are ill, or healthy, young or old, follower or leader. The issue is, when will we admit that in this day and age, with the leaps and bounds being taken technology-wise, confirmation and communication are just clicks away.
• “I am the Minister of Information and I have no information”. When great quotes are made and re-quoted through the years, I doubt the speaker thought they had stumbled on something that would last. And Professor Dora Akunyili might have said many things that fateful day when she spoke up and out about the current situation with the President, but the one we will all take away is that simple sentence, which was criticism, condemnation and plea all summed up together.
• So how did the interview process for the new Super Eagles Technical Advisor go? Were they given times, made to sit outside an office and then ask their interests and hobbies? Did they wear suit and ties? And how did the negotiation go, I wonder? And why are we paying so much? And will we win the World Cup? And Congo? Really? Really?!
• How can one person make a difference? How can you make a difference? You could write a book, sign a petition, buy a teeshirt, join a walk, tweet, donate your status update, pray, talk about it, cry about it, write a letter, go to Taruwa, call a radio station, talk to someone... The point is, the things we care about might seem bigger than we are... But all it ever takes is one.
• Why was ‘We Are the World’ remade, if they could not be bothered to keep the heart and intention of the original song? Why did Justin Bieber start that song and get a solo? Why was there autotune? Why did all the rap artistes on that track actually deliver such a weak rap? If you are not going to do it well or better, then don’t do it at all. We will admit though that watching the video makes the song a little easier to listen to. But we don’t care.
And there you have it folks. Our random things to wonder about on an average Sunday like this!
It’s a few weeks to Jeans for Genes 2 so please support the cause!!!
www.thesegenes.blogspot.com, tosinornottosin@yahoo.com
BY OMOLIGHO UDENTA
CHARADES, believed to have its origins in 18th-century France, is a classic party game that’s generally fun for all ages. It is a game of pantomimes where you have to “act out” a phrase without speaking, while the other members of your team try to guess what the phrase is as quickly as they can. Whichever team guesses an agreed number of phrases correctly in the shortest possible time wins.
Phrases chosen are usually titles of books, TV shows or movies, or famous quotes and sayings.
These are written on individual pieces of paper, which are then folded and then put in separate bowls, one each for each team.
Team members each take turns picking these pieces of paper from the other team’s bowl; you read its contents to yourself and then without speaking, help your team try to guess the title by giving gestures, clues and signals till a member of your team guesses the title or time runs out.
Sometimes in our day to day life we play games very much similar to ‘charades’ especially in relationships and office politics. Women, especially, are usually guiltier of this as half the time they leave men guessing, only telling them when they are ready what is on their minds.
These days we have come to see that our politicians’ (and those around them) can also be really good at playing ‘charades’. I, mean who would have thought that anyone could keep us all guessing for almost ninety days about the state of anyone’s health!
WE, Nigerians haven’t had too many clues about what is wrong with the President, what state he is in etc but with the little we’ve been given, a lot of guesses have been made by virtually everyone.
Pity though that no one has come forward to tell us if we are right or wrong. When after an embarrassingly long delay, our ‘representatives’ went to visit him, they were turned away. Perhaps the doctors caring for Mr. President didn’t take them seriously!
After all, who goes to visit a sick boss, friend, etc months after the said sick person was hospitalised?!
The fact that there has been no word directly from Mr. President doesn’t help matters much and the fact that nothing has been done to refute or dispel the rumours (and they are many) is worrying, to say the least.
And, although South South leaders have been reported to have strongly condemned the way President Umaru Yar’Adua was brought into the country (he was brought in the dark because there was a power outage at the airport) without informing the Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan or us, the common Nigerian, the only response we’ve had (as at the time of writing this) has been that press statement released by the Special Assistant to the President on Communications, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi made on Wednesday. In the said press statement Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was pointedly referred to as ‘Vice President’.
THIS game of ‘Charades’ being played really shouldn’t go on for much longer. How difficult can it be to tell us all what the true situation is so we can make necessary changes and move on? Unless of course some are afraid of the outcome of those changes and would rather leave things as they are, which is ultimately, us with two heads, one visible and the other invisible but very much in control, it would seem. A headless body is as much of a monstrosity as a two-headed body.
omoudenta@yahoo.co.uk
Five things we wonder
(Strictly for the young)
My friend lives in America. We have not met officially ever. I cannot shake his hands, and he cannot touch my face. But we see. You see, there is this thing called a webcam. I know what he looks like because we have pictures of each other. And just the other day, we spoke. On the phone. And also online. You see, technology (or, te ki ina lo ji) is a special thing. Even when someone is far away, you can still be in touch. It doesn’t matter if they are ill, or healthy, young or old, follower or leader. The issue is, when will we admit that in this day and age, with the leaps and bounds being taken technology-wise, confirmation and communication are just clicks away.
• “I am the Minister of Information and I have no information”. When great quotes are made and re-quoted through the years, I doubt the speaker thought they had stumbled on something that would last. And Professor Dora Akunyili might have said many things that fateful day when she spoke up and out about the current situation with the President, but the one we will all take away is that simple sentence, which was criticism, condemnation and plea all summed up together.
• So how did the interview process for the new Super Eagles Technical Advisor go? Were they given times, made to sit outside an office and then ask their interests and hobbies? Did they wear suit and ties? And how did the negotiation go, I wonder? And why are we paying so much? And will we win the World Cup? And Congo? Really? Really?!
• How can one person make a difference? How can you make a difference? You could write a book, sign a petition, buy a teeshirt, join a walk, tweet, donate your status update, pray, talk about it, cry about it, write a letter, go to Taruwa, call a radio station, talk to someone... The point is, the things we care about might seem bigger than we are... But all it ever takes is one.
• Why was ‘We Are the World’ remade, if they could not be bothered to keep the heart and intention of the original song? Why did Justin Bieber start that song and get a solo? Why was there autotune? Why did all the rap artistes on that track actually deliver such a weak rap? If you are not going to do it well or better, then don’t do it at all. We will admit though that watching the video makes the song a little easier to listen to. But we don’t care.
And there you have it folks. Our random things to wonder about on an average Sunday like this!
It’s a few weeks to Jeans for Genes 2 so please support the cause!!!
www.thesegenes.blogspot.com, tosinornottosin@yahoo.com
The A – Z of water packaging business
(Biz tool Kits)
BY BRIDGET OLOTU
LAT week, we started a discussion on water packaging business, here is the conclusion of the series: Water Purification Technology
The packaged water business requires a high level of water purification so consumers’ health wouldn’t be compromised for monetary considerations. Those already in this business and those venturing into it could utilise the latest water purification system called Reverse Osmosis Purification System.
This system removes all contaminants, odour, harmful chemicals, volatile organic compounds, and totally dissolves solids and pathogens. It has been discovered that chlorinated water is carcinogenic. The US Council of Environmental Quality says that the risk of having cancer is 93 per cent high among people who drink water treated with chlorine.
Gradually, concerns are being raised as to the hazards created by chlorine-treated water as research now shows that not only does chlorinated water cause cancer, it also leads to immune system impairment, diabetes, neurotoxicity, birth defects, decreased fertility, hormonal imbalances and reproductive dysfunction in men and women.
It is therefore of utmost importance that those going into or already in packaged water business should mind the health of the consumers and upgrade their technology, totally eliminating the use of chlorine as is now done by the Coca-Cola company in Europe, Namibia, and the US and some other parts of the world.
Target Market for Packaged Water Products: The target market for packaged water products includes everyone, from the young to the old. It covers school children, workers, schools, business places, worship centers, marketplaces, eateries, posh and local restaurants, formal gatherings and events, parties and celebrations.
Technical and other requirements: Organisations that are into packaged water are to seek registration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), which is the regulatory agency in the country that monitors and controls the food and drugs sector. NAFDAC insists that water and water-based industries must not be close to a cemetery, abattoir, petrol station, refuse dump, sewage system, saw mill, etc.
Owners of this business need to get clearance from NAFDAC before commencing production. The technical and architecture of the business will determine its overall success. For instance, in this business, the owner needs bottling/sacheting water machines, a factory environment for production, cloak room, packaging material room, finished product room, a water treatment plant (using preferably Reverse Osmosis Purification System), borehole or a water source, and so on.
Income Potentials: Let’s take for instance Lagos State with an unofficial population of about 18 million people (from the Lagos State website). If 85 per cent of this number patronise packaged water products, what we have will be 15.5 million potential customers. If 75 per cent of the market take sachet water, then the number comes to approximately 12 million, while 3.5 million represent those who take bottled water.
If your business captures 1 per cent of the sachet water market, you will be serving 120,000 customers. If every day, each one takes three sachets of water on the average, we are talking about 360,000 sachets.
Since a bag of sachet water contains 20, this means you’ll be selling 18,000 sachet water bags daily.
If the cost of producing a bag is N40 and you’re giving it out at N55, you’ll be making N15 per bag as profit and N270,000 daily.
For a 24-working day period in a month, you will be talking about N6.48million as profit monthly and N58.32 million for a nine-month business year (factoring in the rainy season).
If you achieve 50 per cent of your income potential in the first year, you’ll be talking about N29 million profit. I have not worked out the income and returns on bottled water.
You however need a good and comprehensive business plan to show you how to effectively market and promote your packaged water products, build a strong and effective business and technical architecture and evolve a workable corporate strategy for overall business success, competitive advantage and customer growth.
Olotu is the CEO/Lead Consultant, DEAIM Innovative Resources Ltd., bridgetolotu@gmail.com
How to get what you really want
(LIFE COACH)
BY AGBOLADE OMOWOLE
IN life, you can really get all the good things you want like buying a new car, building a new house, getting an award, finding your true love, and the list goes on.
The tips I will show you are simple, but effective to help you get what you really want in life. The tips are determination, vision and focus.
Determination: One day, a disciple asked a wise man what it takes to obtain wisdom. The sage led the disciple to a river and plunged his head under water. After a few seconds, his anxious follower began struggling, afraid that he was going to drown. But the teacher continued to hold his head under water. The student’s struggle grew harder.
Finally, the wise man let him go just before he would have drowned and asked him, “When your head was under water, what did you want most?” “To breathe,” the frightened boy answered. “Well, there you have it.”
How bad do you want to succeed? Understand that there are different levels of determination. To be among the top 10 people in your field, you need a red-hot desire. The proof of your determination is dependent on the amount of comfort you are willing to sacrifice, to achieve your dreams.
Vision: Paint a picture of your future. The first time I was asked what I’d like to be in future, I replied that I would like to be a medical doctor. I usually picture myself then putting on a white overcoat with my stethoscope to diagnose patients. Today, I am an emotional doctor. That’s what life coaches are.
A life coach is a healer. He/she helps others to determine their emotional problems by asking open-ended questions and let the ‘coachee’ come up with his/her own unique solution.
Determine your life vision. While growing up, the charming, easy-going and humble youngman D’banj had one major ambition: To be the biggest living African artiste in the world. By and large, today, he has achieved his ambition. D’banj has recorded songs with notable artistes such as Ruggedman, Dare Art Alade, Sasha, JJC and 419 squad and others. He has also performed alongside international artistes like Bennie Man, Wayne Wonder, Ja Rule, Nas and Nelly.
Once you have a vision for your life, just like D’banj, then you need to focus on that vision, taking one step at a time towards its attainment.
Focus: To focus means to bring to view or concentrate on an image. If a photographer does not focus on the image, he/she will only produce a blurred picture.
Focus on your focus. D’banj is one artiste that has mastered the art of focusing on one thing at a time. That is the ‘koko.’ The ‘koko’ as used by D’banj is his focus at the moment. The ‘koko’ can be powerfist, Globacom, a new product, a nite club, or simply an event.
When you focus on your focus, people will focus on you. “A trained genius can never be hidden.” ( E.W. Kenyon).
agboolaa_coach@yahoo.com
BY BRIDGET OLOTU
LAT week, we started a discussion on water packaging business, here is the conclusion of the series: Water Purification Technology
The packaged water business requires a high level of water purification so consumers’ health wouldn’t be compromised for monetary considerations. Those already in this business and those venturing into it could utilise the latest water purification system called Reverse Osmosis Purification System.
This system removes all contaminants, odour, harmful chemicals, volatile organic compounds, and totally dissolves solids and pathogens. It has been discovered that chlorinated water is carcinogenic. The US Council of Environmental Quality says that the risk of having cancer is 93 per cent high among people who drink water treated with chlorine.
Gradually, concerns are being raised as to the hazards created by chlorine-treated water as research now shows that not only does chlorinated water cause cancer, it also leads to immune system impairment, diabetes, neurotoxicity, birth defects, decreased fertility, hormonal imbalances and reproductive dysfunction in men and women.
It is therefore of utmost importance that those going into or already in packaged water business should mind the health of the consumers and upgrade their technology, totally eliminating the use of chlorine as is now done by the Coca-Cola company in Europe, Namibia, and the US and some other parts of the world.
Target Market for Packaged Water Products: The target market for packaged water products includes everyone, from the young to the old. It covers school children, workers, schools, business places, worship centers, marketplaces, eateries, posh and local restaurants, formal gatherings and events, parties and celebrations.
Technical and other requirements: Organisations that are into packaged water are to seek registration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), which is the regulatory agency in the country that monitors and controls the food and drugs sector. NAFDAC insists that water and water-based industries must not be close to a cemetery, abattoir, petrol station, refuse dump, sewage system, saw mill, etc.
Owners of this business need to get clearance from NAFDAC before commencing production. The technical and architecture of the business will determine its overall success. For instance, in this business, the owner needs bottling/sacheting water machines, a factory environment for production, cloak room, packaging material room, finished product room, a water treatment plant (using preferably Reverse Osmosis Purification System), borehole or a water source, and so on.
Income Potentials: Let’s take for instance Lagos State with an unofficial population of about 18 million people (from the Lagos State website). If 85 per cent of this number patronise packaged water products, what we have will be 15.5 million potential customers. If 75 per cent of the market take sachet water, then the number comes to approximately 12 million, while 3.5 million represent those who take bottled water.
If your business captures 1 per cent of the sachet water market, you will be serving 120,000 customers. If every day, each one takes three sachets of water on the average, we are talking about 360,000 sachets.
Since a bag of sachet water contains 20, this means you’ll be selling 18,000 sachet water bags daily.
If the cost of producing a bag is N40 and you’re giving it out at N55, you’ll be making N15 per bag as profit and N270,000 daily.
For a 24-working day period in a month, you will be talking about N6.48million as profit monthly and N58.32 million for a nine-month business year (factoring in the rainy season).
If you achieve 50 per cent of your income potential in the first year, you’ll be talking about N29 million profit. I have not worked out the income and returns on bottled water.
You however need a good and comprehensive business plan to show you how to effectively market and promote your packaged water products, build a strong and effective business and technical architecture and evolve a workable corporate strategy for overall business success, competitive advantage and customer growth.
Olotu is the CEO/Lead Consultant, DEAIM Innovative Resources Ltd., bridgetolotu@gmail.com
How to get what you really want
(LIFE COACH)
BY AGBOLADE OMOWOLE
IN life, you can really get all the good things you want like buying a new car, building a new house, getting an award, finding your true love, and the list goes on.
The tips I will show you are simple, but effective to help you get what you really want in life. The tips are determination, vision and focus.
Determination: One day, a disciple asked a wise man what it takes to obtain wisdom. The sage led the disciple to a river and plunged his head under water. After a few seconds, his anxious follower began struggling, afraid that he was going to drown. But the teacher continued to hold his head under water. The student’s struggle grew harder.
Finally, the wise man let him go just before he would have drowned and asked him, “When your head was under water, what did you want most?” “To breathe,” the frightened boy answered. “Well, there you have it.”
How bad do you want to succeed? Understand that there are different levels of determination. To be among the top 10 people in your field, you need a red-hot desire. The proof of your determination is dependent on the amount of comfort you are willing to sacrifice, to achieve your dreams.
Vision: Paint a picture of your future. The first time I was asked what I’d like to be in future, I replied that I would like to be a medical doctor. I usually picture myself then putting on a white overcoat with my stethoscope to diagnose patients. Today, I am an emotional doctor. That’s what life coaches are.
A life coach is a healer. He/she helps others to determine their emotional problems by asking open-ended questions and let the ‘coachee’ come up with his/her own unique solution.
Determine your life vision. While growing up, the charming, easy-going and humble youngman D’banj had one major ambition: To be the biggest living African artiste in the world. By and large, today, he has achieved his ambition. D’banj has recorded songs with notable artistes such as Ruggedman, Dare Art Alade, Sasha, JJC and 419 squad and others. He has also performed alongside international artistes like Bennie Man, Wayne Wonder, Ja Rule, Nas and Nelly.
Once you have a vision for your life, just like D’banj, then you need to focus on that vision, taking one step at a time towards its attainment.
Focus: To focus means to bring to view or concentrate on an image. If a photographer does not focus on the image, he/she will only produce a blurred picture.
Focus on your focus. D’banj is one artiste that has mastered the art of focusing on one thing at a time. That is the ‘koko.’ The ‘koko’ as used by D’banj is his focus at the moment. The ‘koko’ can be powerfist, Globacom, a new product, a nite club, or simply an event.
When you focus on your focus, people will focus on you. “A trained genius can never be hidden.” ( E.W. Kenyon).
agboolaa_coach@yahoo.com
Garden edge
BY EKWY P. UZOANYATHE different ways the edge of a garden is defined will invariably define the mood, formality, geometry and overall impact of a landscape. Hardscape elements, such as a path made of cobblestones, brick, or cement, will give an exact boundary at the ground level. Softer possibilities include a row of trees or hedges, a trellised vine, or merely another variety of garden.
A low fence is the most traditional strategy to define the edge of a garden. A simple wooden picket fence will do the trick. Iron railings or vinyl fences work the same way but give a different impression. Fences let one see through the garden, or past the garden, yet give an exact linear boundary.
Creating a design that will define the edge of a garden may be as simple as taking edge its edge to the end of soil. In this kind of boundary, the garden gives way to artificial flooring. It may be a narrow meandering meandering path of pavers, a square brick, patio, or a cement walkway.
More inventive ways to define the edge of a garden include using sculptural or water elements. For instance, a koi pond, reflecting pool, or even wine barrel filled with horsetail will interrupt the dry ground with the peace of water.
Sculptures, whether birdbaths, kinetic metal art pieces or topiary, are other noticeable elements that can define the edge of a garden. Decorative birdhouses can sit on pedestals, as can birdfeeders or birdbaths. Finally, a change in elevation, flanked by short, rock walls or planks, gives steps to your garden. For centuries, people have terraced their gardens to take advantage of sloping hillsides. Stairs or ramps can connect the different levels of the garden yard and define the edge of a garden in an interesting and aesthetically pleasing way.
White inspires me
BORN on November 21, 1973, Samuel Ishaya, the third runner up at the Arise Nigeria concert last year, is from Sabonkisha in Kaduna State. He attended Special Signs Secondary School, Ikara, Kaduna State. He later worked as a textile designer in Kaduna from where he delved into music in 1998. Samuel, who has collaborated with some Nigerian artistes, among who are Daddy Showkey, DCM boys in Warri; and reggae artist, Mayar General, and is set to embark on a 36-state musical tour, tells DAMILOLA ADEKOYA what fashion means to him.Definition of fashion: Fashion is distinction! Setting one aside and giving oneself a spectacular image.
Style of dressing: I like cultural looks; a little bit weird and African; I’m not too much of a corporate person. I like being so unique, something that would give me an outlook of distinction among people.
Uniqueness of style: Being humorous!
Favourite colour: Wow! White. It depicts to me, excellence. Anytime I see white, I feel so inspired, rich and strong.
Turn on: Beautiful women move me.
Turn off: Ugly face!
Most embarrassing moment(s): I think it was the day I was called to sing at a concert and when I got to the stage, I started singing not knowing that the microphone was bad. It was quiet embarrassing.
Happiest moment(s): The day I found my wife!
Describe yourself in three words: Humorous, musical and deliberate.
Inspiration: God inspires me.
Motivations: I like attention, so when I discover that music interests me, it gave me a good picture, direction and something that could give me attention with people. I love to interact. That motivates me a lot.
Philosophy of life: Just sincerity!
If you were given an opportunity to change something in Nigeria, what would it be?
The Nigerian music scene. I will say that there are a whole lot of what I consider noise in the music we listen to. The lyrics are not too relevant. I’ll really do something on the industry.
His style is couture
BY KEHINDE OLATUNJIWHILE some designers entered the fashion trade by accident, same cannot be said of Oriyomi Adebayo of Toorad Couture. In fact, creating attractive designs was what he was born into.
From his early age, Adebayo had started sketching designs on papers, which led to his parents giving him the encouragement he needed to pursue a career in fashion designing.
According to him, “I developed interest in fashion at a very tender age. So, after my O’level, I decided to acquire professional training in the business. With the support of my parents, I was enrolled at the RSK Creation School of Fashion, after which I established Toorad Couture in 2002.”
By the time he was two years in the business, Adebayo’s strong impact had begun to be felt. First was in the Nigeria Television Fashion Show (NTFS), where he actually made a mark. In 2007, he competed in the Nigeria Fashion Designer of the Year contest and emerged the overall winner. After this, he represented the country at African Designer of the Year competition in Cameroon.
In Cameroun, he battled 16 designers from other African countries. Though he didn’t win, Adebayo made strong impression, coming fourth in the process. In 2009, he also won Couture Designer of the Year.
BUT beginning was not rosy for him. “At first, I thought I was not going anywhere with it because of the discouragement I got from friends until I met Modella, who happened to be in the same line (couture). He advised and encouraged me,” he said.
“I believe I’m destined to do this job,” he said. “Within these few years, I’ve been involved in a lot of jobs. I was one of the official designers for LASU Pageants in 2005/07, Face of OAU in 2006/07 and Face of Benin.”
Though not limited to any particular fabric, there’s always a touch of Africa in almost all of Adebayo’s designs.
A specialist in couture, Adebayo said, “I engaged in it because it’s very unique. If you can make couture, you can make any kind of wear.”
He added, “couture is not something you can wear on the street; it is an occasional wear. Models wear them during fashion shows, beauty pageant and carnivals; Calabar people wear it during their Christmas Carnival.”
On inspiration, Adebayo thanks Modella, but noted that inspiration to create fabulous designs comes from God. “He’s my role model because God used him to discover me. I was really discouraged by so many people in the beginning, but he encouraged me to maintain my style; he’s the type that loves seeing people around him.”
The designer recalled his experience during his first attempt at staging a fashion show. “The people I invited to see my design didn’t show up because they thought it was just a waste of time. However, people that wanted to know what couture is all about came and they were not disappointed. I thank God that today, people have come to appreciate my work.”
As part of his contribution to the on going campaign against HIV/AIDS, Adebayo recently created some designs, using materials such as scissors, tape rule, CD, plastic tread, basket and palm tree to pass messages across to the general public about the danger of the virus.
Cascades of hope on canvas
BY TAJUDEEN SOWOLEIN Cascade, the painter Ben Osaghae taps from waterfall to get a theme for his ongoing show at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos.
With works such as Battle for Survival, Black Market, Absentee Father, Prayer Warriors series, Pump Price and Prison Foods among 32 others on display, there is no mistake about the show’s focus. “The theme really represents my feelings,” he declares.
Osaghae uses what he describes as the force of waterfalls to express his thought. A depiction of mother and child surrounded by rifles and other related arms, explains how the artist sees an average Nigerian attitude to survive in life. Job Hunt, Pump Price and Pay Toilet also underscore this so-called survival instinct.
Is the average Nigerian really as resilient as Osaghae’s thoughts on canvas are? “Yes,” he argues. From Lagos to Enugu and part of the North, the artist recalls his experience, saying, “I had lived in some of these places and seen all sorts of hardship people go through to make a living. Nigerians would do anything, legitimate, to earn a living.”
Few years ago, Osaghae did something on the country’s fuel crisis, bringing out the sufferings Nigerians pass through.
“We just can’t give up as there is more potential for this country to excel,” he intones as he uses works to solicit for better society.
And this decay in value starts early with what he notes as “the young facing the rigour of education.”
The piece, Page 75, oil on canvas, says much about this real and imagined ‘rigour’ of a student, who on graduation is thrown into the labour market with little or no hope to survive.
Really, the student hardly enjoys the fun of being a youth, because “the excitement is no longer there in schools,” Osaghae argues as he compares his school days with what prevails today.
VISUAL art, naturally, is intellectual enough. But with Osaghae, it’s deeper, a potential for exclusivity in an environment that is less receptive to higher intellectual reasoning.
Perhaps, this is one subject he would rather avoid as he says, he is not conscious of any “unusual intellectuality” buried in his work.
In Prison Food and the Prayer Warrior series, among others, these intellectual depths are delineated. Treatment of prison inmates as exemplified in the quality of foods, is as divisive as the bars that separate the prison inmates and their guards. A prison system should be reformative and not “hardening the inmates.”
To survive, many cling to religion, which is fast becoming a money-spinning venture as against the spiritual lifting and direction it’s purported to serve. However, Osaghae’s Prayer Warrior has hope that the religious institution, despite the challenges, could offer “optimism and counseling.”
FOR Osaghae, being conceptual is total. He argues that the power of the artist’s imagination should not be eroded just because there are models and photo assists. He states: “If I come across a scene that fascinates me, I simply record it in my memory and go straight to the canvas.”
The best in every scene is achieved if “you experience it first”, before releasing on canvas, the former art teacher at the Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State stresses.
Coltrane and the Indian connection
BY BENSON IDONIJETHE soprano saxophone had been in existence since the New Orleans jazz days — with Sidney Betchet as major exponent. The instrument was later adopted in the modern jazz style and context by Steve Lacy. But it was not until John Coltrane took it over in 1959 that the it became widely known, taking Coltrane himself to a new level in his career by placing him so firmly in the public eye that he received a feature story in Newsweek, something which rarely happens to a jazz man.
The irony of the whole thing was that it all happened and began by chance, without planning for it. “Three of us were driving back from a date in Washington in 1959,” he said in that magazine interview. “Two of us were in the front seat and the other guy, a saxophone player, in the back. He was being very quiet. At Baltimore, we made a rest stop, then got back in the car; and thirty miles later, realised that the guy in the back wasn’t there. We hoped that he had money with him, and drove on. I took his suitcase and horn to my apartment in New York. I opened the case and found a soprano saxophone, I started fooling around with it and was fascinated. That’s how I discovered the instrument.”
Eventually, Coltrane got himself a soprano saxophone and settled into it. Said he. “It helped me get away — let me take another look at improvisation. It was like having another hand.”
His use of the saxophone not only brought him greater popularity, it helped make him an influence so powerful that the praises and superlatives previously heaped on Sidney Bethet were being reviewed, with all eyes now on Coltrane.
THE first Coltrane recording to employ the soprano was My favourite things. Some idea of the effect it creates is indicated by the experience of pianist Ceil Taylor, who heard Coltrane play the piece in a club and was unable to convince several young musicians present that it was a Rodgers and Hammertein song made famous by MaryMartin, rather than the East Indian musician, Ravi Shankar. Although he was not what he called “an astute observer of the music,” he had found much of what he had learned of it applicable to the sort of jazz he wanted to play. Indian music is based on ragas, Indian scales which ascend differently than they descend.
There are countless ragas, and each has a particular significance, concerned with religion, time of day, etc. Coltrane had found My favourite things could be played almost as a raga. His next soprano recording, Greensleeves, also played on the principles of the raga, was an even more eeringly hypnotic performance, Coltrane had been fascinated by the Indian water drum, essentially a drone instrument which keeps a steady tone going while others improvise around it. To simulate this, he used two bassists because he “loved music to be heavy on the bottom.” One of the bassists was virtually imprisoned while the other remained almost completely free.
Coltrane was quite pleased when he later discovered that Ali Akbar Khan, considered the greatest Indian musician liked to play Greensleeves. “I wish I could hear him do it,” was his disarming remark. “Then I’d known if I was playing it right.
“Most of what we play in jazz”, he continued,” has the feeling of just that one raga. The Indian musicians don’t play the melody, they just play their scales. But may be that’s the melody to them. But what they do with it, the little difference, that’s the improvisation.” For a time, Coltrane pursued this so far that he would call off a chord sequence for his sidemen to play on, rather than an actual tune. They would then improvise on the mood suggested by the chord sequence and the tempo. “Yeah, I did that,” he admits somewhat ruefully.
To be able to keep the feeling of the raga, but yet not play just chord changing (“I want to play tunes, he said, “want to play the feeling of the song”), he began looking through old song books for folk tunes, perhaps turning to folios rather than recordings so that he would not be influenced by another’s interpretation. He came up with Ole, based on the Spanish Folk song, Venga Jaleo.
It is a remarkable synthesis of Indian elements, ideas propounded of Spain, and a growing concern with multiples of 3/4 time. Coltrane contributes one of his most famous solos, and Art Davis plays some of the most intricate, superbly musical bass that has ever been heard on a jazz record. In another song book, he found a piece he called spiritual, which he played with the irreducible minimum of one chord.
COLTRANE’s approach may owe as much to Miles’ Davis as to India. Davis had become preoccupied with “modal” jazz, based on scales rather than chords. As he remarked to renowned critic, Nat Hentoff in 1958, “When you go this way, you can go on forever. You don’t have to worry about changes and you can do more with the line. It becomes a challenge to see how melodically inventive you are. When you’re based on chords, you know at the end of 32 bars that the chords have run out and there’s nothing to do but repeat what you’ve just done-with variations. I think a movement in jazz is beginning away from the conventional string of chords, and a return to emphasis on melodic rather than harmonic variation. There will be fewer chords but infinite possibilities as to what to do with them.” Davis thus predicted the development of both Coltrane and, to a lesser degree, the more extreme, more melodic Ornette Coleman.
Coleman, who is also interested in the music of India, had, conversely, been an influence on Coltrane. It was not surprising that Coltrane’s insatiable curiosity and insistence on fewer chords should have led him to Coleman’s music. For Coleman, who has all but done away with traditional harmony, had taken the step which Coltrane’s deeply harmonic sensibilities might not allow him to take. As the composer George Russell put it, “Coltrane, it seems to me, is just bursting at the seams to demolish the chord barrier, and because of this, he is enlightening everyone to what can happen on a single chord.”
Coltrane and Coleman were good friends, and when they were working a few blocks from one another in New York, each would leave his own club between sets to hear the other man play. Coltrane said of Coleman to French jazz writer Francois Postif, “I have only played with him once in my life; I went to listen to him at a club and he asked me to join him. We played two pieces — twelve minutes to be exact — but I think that was the most intense moment of my life.”
WHILE displaying an ever more voracious appetite for all things new, Coltrane still managed to combine commerce and art; although his playing is basically the same on both tenor and soprano saxophones.
“I think you have to have musical conviction, rather than let the instrument dictate to you”, his soprano saxophone is primarily responsible for a popularity that, in 1961, enabled him to appear at all four of New York’s major jazz clubs. He judiciously combined the elements of his success. Early in an evening, he would feature the soprano on pieces like my favourite things and Greensleeves. Afterwards, he might as to a friend, “The next set will be different. The next set I’ll play all my non hits.” The soprano disappeared, to be replaced by the tenor and long, furiously impassioned and basic blues. This was in the early ’60s, the year following his Downbeat rating as best combo and instrumentalists in 1961. The situation was different in the mid-sixties, done to his death, in 1967. He faced his art squarely, recording such furiously atrocious sounds as Ascension, infirmity and A love Supreme.
However, off the stand, Coltrane became the shy, friendly man whose cigar was the only indication that he knew he was a success. His main concern with his constant work on the road was the protracted absence from his wife, Alice who played piano in some of his last sessions alongside McCoy Tymer. “She really know me, and understands the problem I have as a leader,” explained Coltrane, who loved his wife greatly .
Ravi Shankar, named after Coltrane’s Indian teacher, Ravi Shankar, was not even two years when his father died in 1967. Ravi Coltrane is already making an impact as a new tenor voice.
UNN breathes new deal for staff and students
BY TOPE TEMPLER OLAIYA
The University of Nigeria Nsukka has outlined plans to encourage publication of academic books and research works by lecturers and staff of the institution.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barth Okolo disclosed this during an interactive session with #members of the university community that the move is part of efforts to increase output of the university’s staff in the core area of research.
According to Okolo, the university management “would support staff in finding research collaborators, research grants, sabbatical positions and participation in exchange programmes.”
Only recently, an American university, North Dakota State University in Fargo, had announced its partnership with the university whereby both institutions collaborate in teaching, staff training and research work. “We are now identifying areas where we will focus for collaboration,” explained Kerri Spiering, NDSU associate vice president for Equity, Diversity and Global Outreach. “One priority area of discussion is agriculture, with a lot of different areas of interest. Communication is another possible area for partnerships.”
Spiering also said joint research efforts would be the initial step as the universities work together. She suggested the faculty might join forces to prepare journal articles for publication of develop research grants.
UNN also recently signed on as the 33rd member of the prestigious New York Academy of Sciences. It will in the immediate period register 500 students and 300 academic staff to access the facilities of the Academy. The agreement with the New York Academy of Sciences was signed Thursday, February 4, 2010 at a ceremony at the 250 Greenwich Street New York offices of the Academy. ?Dr. Chima Nwanguma of the Department of Biochemistry led two others – Dr. Nnaemeka Chukwuone and Dr. Ben Okwo – to sign the agreement.
Nwanguma said: “The significance is that as many staff as possible would get the opportunity of unrestricted access to the online resources and archival materials of the Academy dating back 100 years. In this age, it is important to have international linkages and to be abreast of developments across the world of scholarship.”
The US-based Nigerian Higher Education Foundation facilitated the arrangement with the NYAS. Post-graduate students of the University of Nigeria would also benefit from the initiative. They would be enrolled as members of Science Alliance, a programme that provides career education, development and training.
15 months after, disciplinary case still lingers in UI
BY KAYODE BELLO
THE disciplinary case that started in November 2008 after protest by students of the University of Ibadan following hike in fees payable by them is yet to be concluded, as another round of sitting by the Students Disciplinary Committee commenced recently.
Investigations revealed that three out of the seven affected students who are expected to proceed on National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) would not be mobilised for this year’s service, due to the pending case.
The affected students, who expressed dissatisfaction over the lingering case, said that the case had taken too long, saying it is now affecting their future plans, as they added that they were not guilty of the offence they were accused of.
Sources in the Students’ Affairs Division disclosed that the affected students pleaded not guilty, and that the case had been referred to the Central Students’ Disciplinary Committee that would finally decide sometime this month.
One of the cases revisited by the disciplinary committee last week was that of Mellanby Hall students who protested epileptic power supply to the hall last year.
The students were accused of destroying vehicles parked at the Maintenance Unit where they took their grievances to, with the view to ensuring restoration of electricity to the hall.
The students had protested when they discovered that other halls of residence were having electricity.
Some students who spoke CampusLIFE, said the several disciplinary committee letters served the protesting students were aimed at clamping down on students’ activism in the institution, which has been without a Students’ Union since 2000.
Nonetheless, principal officers of the institution have at several occasions affirmed that the authorities would not punish any students in the aftermath of the October 13, 2008 protest over hike in fees.
finestkay2003@yahoo.com
Bamiro gives reason for admission implosion in UI
BY ABRAHAM OLADIPUPO
IN a recent interaction with members of Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ) University of Ibadan, vice chancellor of the institution, Prof. Olufemi Bamiro, explained why the university admitted more students, which led to the population implosion experienced in the school.
At present, some halls of accommodation now house six students in a room against its originally designed four.
Bamiro told the campus pen pushers that the saddest period in his life is during admission, “because you see these bright and young candidates, but you cannot admit beyond a limited number. For a particular course, we can only take 20, so whoever is number 21 will be sent away. In the last exercise, those who applied to UI were over 42,000, out of which we have taken 3,800. If we can manage our asset, we have no reason not to double that. The asset deployed here can handle more than 20,000 students, a university of this size in the United States will have more than 60,000 student population. You turn back somebody because there is no accommodation, and you deny him or her access to knowledge.”
Bamiro said the institution decided to increase its admission quota when the projected post-graduate enrolment dropped. “We wanted to become a post-graduate university, in the sense that in terms of admission, it will be 60 per cent post graduate and 40 per cent undergraduate. But the reality is that while we are reducing the number of undergraduates for the post-graduate students, the PG enrolment is not increasing at the rate we projected. So, why can’t we just help the undergraduate? When we saw that the PG project is still in the long term, we decided to help the nation by admitting more undergraduates to reduce the problem of university admission.”
abrahamprecious@yahoo.com
Rapid increase in overseas postgraduates in UK
BY DIANE SPENCER
BRITISH universities have seen a rapid increase in numbers of international postgraduate students, according to a study commissioned by the Higher Education Policy Institute and the British Library. In 2007-08, half of masters degree students and 44 per cent of doctoral students were from overseas, the majority from India and China. The UK has almost 12 per cent market share of all international postgraduates, second only to the United States.
Bahram Bekhradnia, director of the institute, said: “This report of the current state of postgraduate education, describes a diverse, growing and successful sector. The growth in overseas students recognizes the strength of UK’s research base but also demonstrates the need to encourage more UK based students to undertake postgraduate study in the UK.” HEPI is also concerned about the declining numbers of British students registering for courses in computer science and engineering where they are significantly outnumbered by international students.
India has the highest number of postgraduates studying in the UK and shows the most rapid rise. Figures from the student records of Higher Education Statistics Agency say that in 2002-03, there were 6,520 first-year enrolments; in 2008-09, the number had risen to 19,615. China’s numbers show a steadier increase from 12, 485 to 15,350 in the same period.
Student numbers from Nigeria rose from 1,615 to 6,335, while those from the US increased from 3,960 to 5,025 and Pakistan from 1,105 to 3,850. Ireland, Germany, France and Taiwan also showed a steady increase. Greece bucked the trend by declining from 7,665 to 3,815 from 2002-03 to 2008-09.
The HEPI study found that business and administrative studies was the most popular subject area taught at postgraduate level, followed by social sciences. The proportion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM subjects, to non-STEM has not changed significantly in the last five years.
At the research postgraduate level, science subjects dominate, especially engineering and technology, biosciences and physical sciences, while social sciences top the non-STEM subjects.
The study also notes the changing nature of teaching. In 2002, only a small number of universities, such as Nottingham, were offering education to students studying wholly abroad through pioneering overseas campuses, and the Open University was the main institution offering postgraduate programmes by distance education.
Last year, 111 out of 166 institutions were offering some form of offshore education to more than 190,000 students, of who around 61,000 were postgraduates. This is a rapid area of expansion for UK higher education institutes, it says.
diane.spencer@uw-news.com
The University of Nigeria Nsukka has outlined plans to encourage publication of academic books and research works by lecturers and staff of the institution.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barth Okolo disclosed this during an interactive session with #members of the university community that the move is part of efforts to increase output of the university’s staff in the core area of research.
According to Okolo, the university management “would support staff in finding research collaborators, research grants, sabbatical positions and participation in exchange programmes.”
Only recently, an American university, North Dakota State University in Fargo, had announced its partnership with the university whereby both institutions collaborate in teaching, staff training and research work. “We are now identifying areas where we will focus for collaboration,” explained Kerri Spiering, NDSU associate vice president for Equity, Diversity and Global Outreach. “One priority area of discussion is agriculture, with a lot of different areas of interest. Communication is another possible area for partnerships.”
Spiering also said joint research efforts would be the initial step as the universities work together. She suggested the faculty might join forces to prepare journal articles for publication of develop research grants.
UNN also recently signed on as the 33rd member of the prestigious New York Academy of Sciences. It will in the immediate period register 500 students and 300 academic staff to access the facilities of the Academy. The agreement with the New York Academy of Sciences was signed Thursday, February 4, 2010 at a ceremony at the 250 Greenwich Street New York offices of the Academy. ?Dr. Chima Nwanguma of the Department of Biochemistry led two others – Dr. Nnaemeka Chukwuone and Dr. Ben Okwo – to sign the agreement.
Nwanguma said: “The significance is that as many staff as possible would get the opportunity of unrestricted access to the online resources and archival materials of the Academy dating back 100 years. In this age, it is important to have international linkages and to be abreast of developments across the world of scholarship.”
The US-based Nigerian Higher Education Foundation facilitated the arrangement with the NYAS. Post-graduate students of the University of Nigeria would also benefit from the initiative. They would be enrolled as members of Science Alliance, a programme that provides career education, development and training.
15 months after, disciplinary case still lingers in UI
BY KAYODE BELLO
THE disciplinary case that started in November 2008 after protest by students of the University of Ibadan following hike in fees payable by them is yet to be concluded, as another round of sitting by the Students Disciplinary Committee commenced recently.
Investigations revealed that three out of the seven affected students who are expected to proceed on National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) would not be mobilised for this year’s service, due to the pending case.
The affected students, who expressed dissatisfaction over the lingering case, said that the case had taken too long, saying it is now affecting their future plans, as they added that they were not guilty of the offence they were accused of.
Sources in the Students’ Affairs Division disclosed that the affected students pleaded not guilty, and that the case had been referred to the Central Students’ Disciplinary Committee that would finally decide sometime this month.
One of the cases revisited by the disciplinary committee last week was that of Mellanby Hall students who protested epileptic power supply to the hall last year.
The students were accused of destroying vehicles parked at the Maintenance Unit where they took their grievances to, with the view to ensuring restoration of electricity to the hall.
The students had protested when they discovered that other halls of residence were having electricity.
Some students who spoke CampusLIFE, said the several disciplinary committee letters served the protesting students were aimed at clamping down on students’ activism in the institution, which has been without a Students’ Union since 2000.
Nonetheless, principal officers of the institution have at several occasions affirmed that the authorities would not punish any students in the aftermath of the October 13, 2008 protest over hike in fees.
finestkay2003@yahoo.com
Bamiro gives reason for admission implosion in UI
BY ABRAHAM OLADIPUPO
IN a recent interaction with members of Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ) University of Ibadan, vice chancellor of the institution, Prof. Olufemi Bamiro, explained why the university admitted more students, which led to the population implosion experienced in the school.
At present, some halls of accommodation now house six students in a room against its originally designed four.
Bamiro told the campus pen pushers that the saddest period in his life is during admission, “because you see these bright and young candidates, but you cannot admit beyond a limited number. For a particular course, we can only take 20, so whoever is number 21 will be sent away. In the last exercise, those who applied to UI were over 42,000, out of which we have taken 3,800. If we can manage our asset, we have no reason not to double that. The asset deployed here can handle more than 20,000 students, a university of this size in the United States will have more than 60,000 student population. You turn back somebody because there is no accommodation, and you deny him or her access to knowledge.”
Bamiro said the institution decided to increase its admission quota when the projected post-graduate enrolment dropped. “We wanted to become a post-graduate university, in the sense that in terms of admission, it will be 60 per cent post graduate and 40 per cent undergraduate. But the reality is that while we are reducing the number of undergraduates for the post-graduate students, the PG enrolment is not increasing at the rate we projected. So, why can’t we just help the undergraduate? When we saw that the PG project is still in the long term, we decided to help the nation by admitting more undergraduates to reduce the problem of university admission.”
abrahamprecious@yahoo.com
Rapid increase in overseas postgraduates in UK
BY DIANE SPENCER
BRITISH universities have seen a rapid increase in numbers of international postgraduate students, according to a study commissioned by the Higher Education Policy Institute and the British Library. In 2007-08, half of masters degree students and 44 per cent of doctoral students were from overseas, the majority from India and China. The UK has almost 12 per cent market share of all international postgraduates, second only to the United States.
Bahram Bekhradnia, director of the institute, said: “This report of the current state of postgraduate education, describes a diverse, growing and successful sector. The growth in overseas students recognizes the strength of UK’s research base but also demonstrates the need to encourage more UK based students to undertake postgraduate study in the UK.” HEPI is also concerned about the declining numbers of British students registering for courses in computer science and engineering where they are significantly outnumbered by international students.
India has the highest number of postgraduates studying in the UK and shows the most rapid rise. Figures from the student records of Higher Education Statistics Agency say that in 2002-03, there were 6,520 first-year enrolments; in 2008-09, the number had risen to 19,615. China’s numbers show a steadier increase from 12, 485 to 15,350 in the same period.
Student numbers from Nigeria rose from 1,615 to 6,335, while those from the US increased from 3,960 to 5,025 and Pakistan from 1,105 to 3,850. Ireland, Germany, France and Taiwan also showed a steady increase. Greece bucked the trend by declining from 7,665 to 3,815 from 2002-03 to 2008-09.
The HEPI study found that business and administrative studies was the most popular subject area taught at postgraduate level, followed by social sciences. The proportion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM subjects, to non-STEM has not changed significantly in the last five years.
At the research postgraduate level, science subjects dominate, especially engineering and technology, biosciences and physical sciences, while social sciences top the non-STEM subjects.
The study also notes the changing nature of teaching. In 2002, only a small number of universities, such as Nottingham, were offering education to students studying wholly abroad through pioneering overseas campuses, and the Open University was the main institution offering postgraduate programmes by distance education.
Last year, 111 out of 166 institutions were offering some form of offshore education to more than 190,000 students, of who around 61,000 were postgraduates. This is a rapid area of expansion for UK higher education institutes, it says.
diane.spencer@uw-news.com
Onos, Keep Moving
BY CHUKS NWANNE The publicity drive for official launch of her debut album, Keep Moving, was massive, especially online, where some lucky members of her facebook group won complementary invitation cards to the event. Everyone looked forward to the day; even the artiste had a sort of countdown to the show online.
To many, the venue of any launch and the quality of artistes on parade, to a large extent, give an insight to the strength of the host artiste. Little wonder Onos Bikawei opted for the prestigious Grand Ball Room, Eko Hotel & Suites for her launch, with notable artistes such Timi Dakolo and Eric (of Idols West Africa), Lara George, Sammie Okposo, Efe and others on parade. The expectation was high.
As at 4pm on the D-day, guests had started arriving one by one, group by group, with a special red carpet reception. Before long, the hall was full with friends, colleagues, celebrities and family members of the artistes, with her parents seated at a strategic part of the hall–– not too far from the stage, which was jam-packed with all sorts of musical instruments; it was a live show.
Her producer, Flo, alongside some notable artistes, including Sammie Okposo, who arrived the venue in the company of actress, Ufuoma Ejenobor, cornered another part of the hall to themselves. The likes of Timi Dakolo and Eric preferred strolling up and down in expectation, as guests awaited the appearance of Onos. The turnout was impressive.
The live band ensured there was no dull moment, until the anchormen; MC Abbey and Steve Onuh (Yaw of Wazobia FM) took charge of the stage. Abbey was at his best, reeling out jaw-dropping jokes, while Yaw, the broadcaster he is, kept him under control; the comedian touched almost every aspect of the country, even the ailing president formed part of his materials.
ONOS’s first appearance was greeted with rounds of applause and cheers from the audience. She made her way to the stage through the back door, clutching a microphone with both hands. Dramatically, she took time to exchange pleasantries with guests, shaking and waving hands to her fans. But to her parents, she gave hugs. You need not ask how happy the young lady was after months of working on the album; it was written all over her face.
Her stage performance was energetic, with the band backing up on instrumentation. From slow to fast beat, Onos held the gathering spellbound. “She’s different,” a guest observed. Yes, the difference is clear in her compositions and vocals strength. She was in full control of the band, keeping eye contact with her band members at every point.
Timi, Lara, Eric, Sammie Okposo, Efe and other raised the tempo of the night with their electrifying performance, but Onos’ Dance, one of the tracks in the new work, was the attraction; the reception was huge. The likes of Sammie and Flo, could not hold back too long as they were caught digging it live on stage with Onos, who treated the guests to the best of her music.
“Bringing out this album was very challenging,” Onos says. “I funded the whole project myself because I had no sponsor. There’s competition out there, so, to be on top of my game, I had to do something that people could easily relate to. If you listen to Dance, I started with English and at some point, switched to pidgin, before wrapping up in my local dialect. If you don’t listen to the words properly, you might not even know it’s a gospel track.”
TO make the best out of the album, Onos involved Flo and ID Cabassa, who also feature in one of the tracks, in the production.
“I spent sometime putting together this album because I wanted a quality production. I decided to work with tested hands to achieve desired result.”
On the choice of Cabassa, who is noted for making secular beats, Onos says, “it was deliberate; I wanted to achieve a mixture of sounds, so, I needed people who could interpret sounds in their own unique way; producers have their strengths, but If you know I D Cabassa, then you will understand that he doesn’t do just any job.”
To the Waffarian, the choice of Keep Moving as the title for the work featuring Lara George, Mike Aremu and others, is deliberate.
“When you have dreams, you have to be very passionate about it; you need to push for it. I settled for the title just to let people know that they should keep moving in realising their dreams.”
Though a gospel work, Onus observed that, “people tend to lay rules for artistes, but to me, it’s a form of expression. Gospel is about sending good messages. We might want to say the same thing, but we have different ways of doing just that. When you hear Keep Moving, it means don’t stop; live your dreams, do what God has called you to do and be the best the best that you can.”
As for inspiration, “different things inspire me to write songs. There is a song in the album titled I Don Tire to Dey Waka Waka; I wrote that song after producers had turned me down several times. Different events and situations inspire me to write my songs.”
Though Onos started singing in the church at the tender age of six, her professional career in music took off in 2006, when she started performing at events. By 2008, the French graduate from the Delta State University, recorded her first single, Dance, which is currently enjoying airplay on radio and TV stations across the country.
As for her debut album, which is already on music shelves, Onos is leaving that to the general public to judge.
“I don’t want to start blowing my trumpet now. So far, the response has been very fantastic and I am confident it will be something different. But it’s left for people to listen to it and make their comments.”
One-on-one with F-STINCT
Born Olufunmilayo Modupe George, the Microbiology graduate of the University of Agriculture Abeokuta, is out to make a mark with her gospel hip-hop, fused with rap, R&B, dancehall and a bit of highlife. Popularly called F-STINCT on the music scene, Funmi, who is currently working on her debut album, The Quest, speaks to DANIEL ANAZIA on her plans to pass the message of Jesus Christ to the young generation through her music.How was it like growing up?
Growing up was fun because I have a close-knit family. I’m the first girl and second child in a family of five –– two girls and a boy. I’m a Lagosian, but was born in Ibadan . My formative years, was in the ancient town of Ibadan , though I proceeded to Abeokuta for my higher education.
How it did you get into music?
We are musically inclined in my family; everyone in the family has unique musical ability that stands him/her out. My dad, mum and siblings have natural music abilities. I started singing from a very tender age; I was involved in various musical groups both within and outside the church. While I was at UNAAB, I was a member of a four-man group, The Revelators. It was a gospel hip-hip group and we performed within and outside the campus.
What is your style of music?
I’m a hip-hop artiste; I do more of gospel hip-hop, R&B, and rap. I intend exploring a variety of other musical styles by infusing different beats and genres into my own style. The aim is to develop my creativity. When I say different beats, I mean highlife, dancehall and other beats, which I’m working on right now.
Any major concert/performance so far?
Not really mega events like The Experience, MTN Music Festival and others, but I’ve performed at the DJ Gosporella’s Mixtape, Combo Phonix Jamz, One-Stick Music Concert and so many church appearances.
Your upcoming album, The Quest, what is it all about?
Our society is filled with so much moral decadence, especially among the youths. I intend to reduce this through my kind of music by passing on the gospel of Jesus Christ to this generation in a way the youth will understand it. It is also a pursuit of an ambition. All these immoralities such as prostitution, armed robbery, drug trafficking… are geared towards the ‘get rich-quick’ syndrome, which is common among Nigerian youths today. Shortcut and straight-forwardness are two parallel lines that can never meet.
So, when is it hitting music shelves?
It’s going to be a 9-track work, but with lots of varieties. It will be in the market before the third quarter of the year. We are seriously working on it and when it finally comes, it’s going to be a bomb.
Who are your influences?
…The likes of Kirk Franklin, Cece Winnas and Cross Movement influence me a lot. Trigga, MC Loph, Willisino are my pals in the industry.
What would you want to be remembered for?
(Laughs), with the help of God, I hope to build a lasting career in music, especially in gospel genre. Through my message, I want to influence the youth positively. I also hope to set up a non-governmental organisation that will focus on the youths with unique talents, nurture and help bring them to limelight. I will like to have a standard gospel Nite Club, where Christians could hangout like we have in conventional clubs.
HOMEFRONT
From Left: Keffe, Bouqui, Omawunmi and Annie at the eventKeffe, Omawunmi, Bouqui, Anne shine in UK
Nigeria was on the spotlight last week in the UK – this time, in a positive news - as three of her female artistes outshined their counterparts from other African countries at the Women In Entertainment & Arts (WIEA) Awards, held at Marriott Hotel, 22 Hertsmere Rd, Canary Wharf, London.
Idols West Africa’s Omawunmi got the award for Best Singer, while Annie was presented with the Best Gospel award. Rapper Bouqui was declared Best Rap Artiste, while Branama Queen, Keffe, clinched the Best Musician award at the event organised to raise fund in support of the Kanu Heart Foundation and Breast Cancer Care.
In a brief online chat with Life magazine, Keffe, who’s yet to jet into the country, was full of joy.
“I feel great and I’m happy things are turning out for me this way. I dedicate the award to my fans all over the world; na who know me before,” she sings.
Organised by WIEA, the award was instituted to encourage African female artistes for their contribution to the entertainment industry. This year’s edition, which had the Super Eagles Captain, Kanu Nwanwo and other dignitaries in attendance, featured performances from Keffe, Bouqui, Omawunmi and others.
Soundcity in early preparation for SMVA 2010
Nigeria’s foremost lifestyle, music and entertainment TV channel, Soundcity, has commenced preparation for this year’s edition of Soundcity Music Video Award (SMVA). Billed for October 1 (Independence Day), at the new Exhibition Hall, Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, the ceremony is being organized as part of activities to mark the country’s Golden Jubilee.
Billed to open at 6pm, with a special red carpet reception, dovetailing into the awards proper, the award will also feature Winners Concert, expected to last into the early hours of the previous day.
“We are committed to the recognition of the efforts of artistes, video producers and directors, whose strengths and abilities have been able to put Nigerian and African music videos on a global pedestal, helping the Soundcity channel maintain our reputation of adding value to life with the power of music,” said Tajuddeen Adepetu, Executive Producer of SMVA, and Chief Executive Officer of Consolidated Media Associates, Soundcity’s parent body.
He continues: “As you very well know, Soundcity is the 24-hour urban lifestyle channel, dedicated all the time with music videos, lifestyle content and interactive programming that is influenced by the viewers; and it is Nigeria’s premier medium that represents a repertoire of encompassing music videos - as far as it is music and it is good to someone’s eyes as it is to the ears”.
Activities kick-starting the 2010 edition of the Soundcity Music Video Awards are to be announced soon.
D’banj partners Mouka on Koko mattress
Foam-manufacturing company, Mouka has entered into partnership with D’banj; the two brands entered a commercial arrangement to leverage on each other.
Under the arrangement, Mouka is expected to produce beautifully branded Koko mattresses with Dbanj’s hit tracks written all over it. The company, on its part, promised that the mattress would come with all the trappings of the Mouka brand behind it, which include quality and durability.
Speaking after the ceremony, Adebajo described the arrangement as a win-win partnership, adding that Mouka will bring its time tested technological base into play.
“D’banj is a role model and a businessman who has focus and a vision for tomorrow. He’s an upwardly mobile figure in the entertainment industry that will find Mouka’s years and wealth of experience beneficial.
Dbanj revealed he had waited for long before the deal pulled through, commending Mouka for their support and understanding.
“The idea of producing Koko mattress came as I was researching on ways of reaching the youths in the country and letting them know that they can become anything they choose to be in life. I remember when I was in secondary school; I used to change my mattress every term. That was how the idea came to me before I approached Mouka for partnership.”
Dbanj said, “a good rest on Koko mattress after a hard day at school, will ensure that students wake up fresh the next day and I have Mouka to thank for that.”
Nneka goes to Jazzhole
MOBO Award winner, Nneka Eguna, will on Friday, March 12, perform live at the Jazzhole, 168 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. Billed to start at 7pm with N5000 gate fee, the evening will see Nneka entertain the gathering with her full band; for sure, Nneka is a live artiste.
In February 2008, the Germany-based-Nigerian-artiste, released a follow-up to her debut album, No Longer at Ease, a title she borrowed from a novel of the same name by Chinua Achebe and reflects the lyrical content of the record. Most of the songs are political, talking about the plight of the Niger Delta and the corruption in Nneka’s homeland. The songs are a mixture of soul, hip-hop and reggae.
However, the lead single from the work, Heartbeat, became her first song to break into the German Top 50. By September 2009, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number 20, while the following months saw the Anambra State native tours France, Italy and Portugal; she also supported Lenny Kravitz on his French tour in April 2009.
Nneka got three nominations at the 2009 Channel O Music Video Awards, though she lost all. But the big one came when she was awarded Best African Act at the 2009 MOBO Awards.
For those, who plan to attend, expect Nneka’s usual yabis; maybe, not too far from what she displayed at the Ion International Film Festival held last year in Port Harcourt–– she said it as it is!
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