Cover, Edition 181, April 19-25, 2009

Cover, Edition 180, April 12-18, 2009

Arondizuogu celebrates Ikeji

BY ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA
THIS Easter, one of the places to be is Arondizuogu, Imo State, where the Aros are celebrating Ikeji Festival.
This yearly cultural fiesta, which spans four days, begins on Thursday, April 16, and ends on Sunday, April 19, cutting across three local councils of the state — Ideato North, Okigwe and Onuimo.
Ikeji is the celebration of yam, perceived as king of all farm produce in Igboland, hence it is venerated. The regard given to this food crop is also extended to the farmers, whose barns are filled with them.
Visitors to the cultural fiesta will be treated to masquerade performance, which is usually the symbol of the festival.
According to the chairman of the festival organising committee, Dr. Emmanuel Chidi Marume, masquerades of different types from across the communities and representing various ages, and subject matters will be on parade in colourful performances.
So, expect to see at the arena and around the street corners long stretch of masquerades, some presenting fearsome stunts while others spot exotic look.
All these, the organisers say are the elements that add to the festival’s thrill; making it a-must-attend for the Aros; who visit family members and friends while partaking in the yearly feast that has come to define not only the cultural essence of the people, but their spiritual existence.
A lot of important personalities are expected at this year’s event with the state governor Ikedi Ohakim as the special guest of honour at the grand opening ceremony.

Programme of Events
Sunday March 15 – Easter Monday April 13
Pre- Ikeji promotional carnival in selected cities in Nigeria – Lagos, Owerri, Abuja, Onitsha, Aba, etc.
Wednesday April 15 (Eke odu)
Ekpe procession.
Thursday April 16 (Orie Egbugbu)
Emume (Feasting and thanksgiving) – all homes; Eze’s palace
Special Emume Ikeji – Eze’s palace.
Friday April 17 (Afor)
Colloquy – theme: ‘Making Ikeji festival a world class carnival: problems and prospects’ - LN Motel Plaza, Ndiukwu, Arondizuogu
Masquerade displays – Afor – Ndiukwu.
Saturday April 18 (Nkwo)
Formal opening ceremony – Arondizuogu civic centre project site
Masquerade displays – Nkwo achi, Ndiakame Uno.
Sunday April 19 (Eke)
Masquerade displays – Eke Ndianiche Uwakonye, Aro Umuduru
Monday April 20 (Orie) – Thursday April 23 (Eke)
Farewell outing of all masquerades – In various markets in Arondizugou

Event begins at 9am daily.

Easter Billboard
Beach Carnival For Tarkwa Bay
TARKWA Bay will come alive on Easter Monday as Lagos State Ministry of Tourism and Inter – governmental relations, stages a beach carnival.
The carnival, which runs from 10am to 6pm, will feature artistes such as D’Banj and P-Square. Besides the musical show, the Easter carnival will showcase movie stars and comic acts.
The show is a non–fee paying one while people will be treated to free drinks and other items. There will be free transportation from the CMS and Obalende as well as the Army Officers’ Mess to the venue.
The carnival is part of the activities of the state government to promote tourism and “to bring sanity to the Island.”

CATE Camp Greens Africa With GTRIP 2
CATE Creativity Green Club invites children and young people between the ages of seven and 15, to be part of its culture, eco-tourism and creativity awareness initiatives tagged: Green Africa Easter Day Camp, and Green Trip 2. The camp is scheduled to hold from Tuesday April 14 to 19, at 7b Adebiyi Close, Onitiri, Yaba, to mark International Children’s Book Day; and also Earth Day.
The Founder of Heritage Home, an orphanage, and Courage Education Foundation as well as the Editor-in-Chief of Timeless Newspapers, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, will be the special guest at the event.
This year’s camp, being the sixth in the series, has as theme: I am the World – Unite To Combat Climate Change. It is in line with the 2009 International Children’s Book Day. It is also in support of the Lagos State Government’s ‘Operation Green Lagos’ initiative and the UN Millennium Development Goal Seven [MDG7].
“The Camp will give children and young people the opportunity to learn about Africa’s cultural and historical heritage; the environment and how to look after it; make new friends and spend time away from the house. It will also afford parents the much needed break,” notes the coordinator of the programme, Sola Alamutu.
Also included is a trip to the historical town of Badagry with the support of Jethro Tours, to see the first Storey Building in Nigeria, where the legendary Ajayi Crowther translated the Bible into Yoruba.
Campers will also go on excursions to the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA); Picture works Colour Laboratory, both in Yaba, Lagos and a branch of Bank PHB.

Jazzing up in Cape Town

Guests soaking up in jazz. Inset, Hugh Masekela.

BY CHUKS NWANNE
RIGHT from the Cape Town International Airport, the atmosphere was lively and busy with guests flooding the city for the 10th Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Event promo banners dotted the streets, with branded festival buses conveying guests to their hotels. There were radio and TV adverts at intervals, raising the hopes of tourists, who had paid their way into the city for the event; indeed, the publicity was huge.
At the Cape Town International Convention Centre, venue of the show, excitement filled the air as the technical crew worked day and night to set up five stages for Moses Molelekwa, Bassline, Rosie, Manenberg, and Kippies stage — with Kippie having the biggest site — where the legendary South African trumpeter, Hugh Masekela, was also billed to mark his birthday.
The press conference, held at the Southern Sun Hotel, Cape Town, turned out to be a show on its own; locals, who couldn’t wait for the concert, trooped into the hotel to catch a glimpse of the international acts as they go one-on-one with the world press. “Expect the best,” was on the lips of the artistes at the briefing.
However, the free concert staged on Wednesday, April 1, at the Greenmarket Square, was an insight to the main show; the turnout was massive and the artistes were at their best. The night of jig featured artistes such as The Incredibles, the Stylistics, Claire Philips & Perquisite, Nomfusi and the Lucky Charms among others. After the all night show, many who never planned attending the main show, suddenly had a change of mind; by then, the tickets were all sold out.

CAPETONIANS woke up on April 3 to discover that roads leading to the International Conference Centre had all been blocked in readiness for the gig; motorists had to use alternative routes. As at 4pm, guests had started trickling into the venue one-by-one, group-by-group; before long, the venue was full of people. While some opted for Manenberg stage, where Ndumiso Nyovane was performing, jazz enthusiasts headed for the Rosies stage to see Dr Malombo Philip Tabane, The New York Voice and others. Kyle Shepherd Quartet took the centre stage on Moses Molelekwa while South Paw opened at the Bassline stage; the atmosphere was fully jazzed up, with guests moving from one stage to the other to see their favourites.
But the Kippies stage seems to be the centre of attraction this year. By the time Jonathan Butler came on stage, the crowd had filled the space; that was the man they all wanted to see. Well, Butler is from Cape Town; so, it was like a homecoming for him. He opened with his version of Nkosi Sikelele and the crowd sang it back at him, with rapturous applause greeting his dedication of Pata Pata to one of the great spirits of Africa; Mariam Makeba. His duet with Patty Austen moved the crowd, but the high point was his gig with trumpeter, Dave Cox, who came on as a special guest.
Butler nearly broke down in tears while singing Bob Marley’s No Woman No Cry to his late mum; the guitarist was away when his mother passed on recently, and has since been buried. In fact, he was coming into the country for the first time since his mother was buried. He was in a sorrowful mood with the performance and the crowd mourned with him; you could feel the calm.
South African group, Freshly Grounds, re-ignited the atmosphere after Butler on the Kippies stage with their appearance. The seven-man band got guests, especially the youths swinging to the sound of Pot Belly, a song that has won several awards. Lead vocalist, Zolani Monica Mahola, did justice to the songs, coupled with their choreographed dance steps that saw the crowd screaming in excitement. Pretty Kyla Rose Smith’s hand was very sharp on the violin, combining with vocal backup. With Neil on bass guitar, Peter on the drums, Julio on electric guitar, Seredeal on keyboard and Simon shuttling between Flute, Mbira and saxophone, the band kept the audience on its feet all through the period. The stylistics wrapped up performances that night.

DAY two of the festival came alive with Jonathan Ruban on Manenberg stage, followed by Abigail Kubeka on Kippies, while Maurice Gawronsky Quartet was featuring Feya Faku on Moses Molelekwa stage. On Baseline stage was Napalma, while Cape Town Jazz Orchestra held the audience on Rossies stage.
Mos Def, Maceo Parker, Dianne Reeves, Peter White, Loading Zone, Al Foster Quartet, Emily Bruce, and Zaki Ibrahim and others also had their own share of the stage on Day-two, but Mos Def and Hugh Masekela were the artistes to watch. However, the two were billed for almost the same time, with Mos Def starting first on Baseline Stage. So, guests opted for Mos Def first, hoping to hook up with Masekela on Kippies stage minutes later.
Unfortunately, there was sound problem on Baseline stage, thereby delaying Mos Def’s performance. Minutes after, guests especially South Africans pulled out, heading for the Kippies Stage when news filtered in that Hugh was already on stage. It took frantic effort of the security operatives to control the teeming crowd, struggling to get close to the Kippies stage. Before long, the whole place was full with people, not even standing space was left. However, some physically challenged guests forcefully wheeled their way into the already crowded hall; there was actually a reserved area for them. Others, who couldn’t make their way in, resorted to viewing from the big screen positioned outside the hall.

Hugh got a huge blues
At 70, Hugh Masekela is still energetic on stage; there was no sign of old age except for his gradually fading voice. But as for stagecraft, Hugh is still intact; blowing his trumpet with dexterity. His fascinating dance steps earned him applause from the excited crowd. “He’s still his very self,” a guest observed. Truly, he is! Brashly outspoken, the musician is far from frail after turning 70 that weekend. He’s still mixing politics with music.
Surprisingly, Hugh tuned to his version of Nigeria’s Orlando Julius’ Asiko, paying tribute to Orlando, whom he described as a true African. Orlando originally recorded Asiko, but Hugh did a remix of the song, which didn’t go down well with the composer.
From Asiko, he moved to the rendition of Fela Anikulapo Kuti with Lady, a song that exposed the Nigerians in the large crowd; you could hear them from different corners, echoing, “she go say I be lady oh!”
Though there was no Nigerian artiste on the bill, Hugh Masekela played a ‘big brother’ at the event, giving hundreds of Nigerians in the hall reason to party. And for Nigerians; listening to Fela’s song live in far away Cape Town, is enough honour for the country, and the Afrobeat legend.

THE festival director, Rashid Lombard and the production director, Billy Domingo, later presented Hugh with a beautiful birthday cake. “Happy Birthday to you,” rented the air as the trumpeter cuts his birthday cake on the Cape Town International Jazz Festival stage. Meanwhile, Mama Africa, the late Mariam Makeba, was also honoured through a photo exhibition at the festival.
For most South Africans, two things made this year’s edition of the yearly festival special; apart from marking the 10th edition, the event actually coincided with the 70th birthday anniversary of Masekela, who is presently considered as the father of South African music.
In fact, the youths prefer to call him ‘Uncle Hugh’. No matter your opinion about the trumpeter, for an average South African, he’s an idol. To them, this is an opportunity to celebrate the energetic performer, who has kept the country’s flag flying for years as far as music is concerned.

Hank Mobley… Inspired by Miles, Blakey

Hank Mobley

BY BENSON IDONIJE
I HAVE been listening to the many individual sides of tenor saxophone favourite, Hank Mobley for Blue Note Records and have finally come to the conclusion that he was more inspired playing with elder musicians such as Miles Davis and Art Blakey than his own outfits.
Among Mobley’s individual groups listened to is the cD, Hi voltage featuring Blue Mitchell on trumpet; Jackie McLean, alto saxophone; Bob Cranshaw, bass and Billy Higgins, drums. All six compositions are by Hank Mobley, who shares solo opportunities with trumpet player Blue Mitchell and saxophonist, Jackie McLean. His own solos are more brilliant and authoritative for what he is as a great soloist. But his effort is enhanced here for reason of the fact that he is the composer. As composer, he is familiar with not only the chord changes but also the nuances of the various melodies whose arrangements he has also crafted.
Some of the songs are the opener, Hi Voltage, a blues structure which sets an immediate and irresistible groove for the entire session. Two and one, which opens with a 2-chord piano introduction; No More Goodbyes, a peaceful song, which demonstrates Mobley’s ability at writing ballads; Advance Notice; Bossa De Luxe with theme based on the Brazilian Bossa and Flirty Gerty, a tune that swings along with a happy, humorous feeling.
The entire session is impressive with equally impressive solos as flash points. And in terms of cohesiveness, the entire ensemble grooves along as if they have been together for a considerable period of time, but this is understandable. Hank Mobley, Jackie Mclean and John Hicks are all alumni of Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and so understand the chemistry that propels them along melodies and progressions. From 1954-1960, Mobley and McLean were members of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers with Horace Silver sitting behind the piano. John Hicks joined the Messengers much later in 1964, but they all have imbibed the Messengers’ propulsive tradition, a feeling that drummer Billy Higgins successfully introduces even at the rhythm section level with patterns that owe their influence to Art Blakey.
On the whole, Mobley is in this elements as a leader, but his phrases, those unpredictable lines and the feeling of release and suspense associated with his stint with the Messengers and the Miles Davis sextet in 1961, are conspicuously absent. It stands to reason that Mobley was inspired by the high profile image of these artistes and the creative guidelines they introduced to performance and interpretation.
Mobley was highly charged and inspired in such Messengers’ sessions as At the café Bohemia, Art Blakey with the original Messengers, Originally and more. He was highly rated with Miles Davies as capable of absorbing and releasing the modal spirit that went into such album as Saturday night at the Black Hawk, Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall and more where he alternated solos with Miles Davis with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers, bass and Jimmy Cobb, drums. This legendary performance attracted cheers from the entire audience not only because of the directions in which solo exchanges between Miles Davis and Hank Mobley went but also because Gil Evans 21- piece orchestra was also on stage.

Accurately described by critic Leonard Feather as “the middle weight champion of the tenor” due to his sound which is not as light as Lester Young’s or as heavy as Sonny Rollins, Hank Mobley tended to be taken for granted during his career but recorded a long string of valuable rewards for Blue Note.
Mobley first gained attention for his work with the drummer, Max Roach and Dizzy Gillespie from 1951 to 1954. An original member of the Jazz Messengers from 1956, Mobley joined Horace Silver when the pianist broke away from Art Blakey to form his own group from 1956-1957. Mobley was back with Art Blakey briefly in 1959 and spent a brilliant period with Miles Davis from 1961 to 1962. But in the main, he worked as a leader, on his own in the 60s.
Hank Mobley, one of Jazz’s finest soloists with the right improvisational concepts was in Europe during much of 1968-1970 and recorded with the pianist Cedar Walton in 1972. But by the mid- 70s, he was largely retired due to bad health.
Mobley led isolated dates for various record companies including Savoy, Prestige and Roulette, but it is for his 25 Blue Note albums recorded during 1965-70 with the who’s who of hard bop including such sidemen as Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, Milt Jackson, Art Farmer, Donald Byril among others that he will be best remembered.
They include, Hi Voltage, Hank Mobley Sextet, Jazz message of Hank Mobley, Soul Station, Roll Call, Workout, Another Workout, Far Away Bands, Reach Out, The Flip, No Room For Squats, The Turn Around. The list is endless.
Tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley recorded quite frequently for Blue Note in the ‘60s’ and although over-shadowed by the flashier and more avant-garde players, Mobley’s output was consistently rewarding. For his overlooked sessions, which was not issued until 1980 and has yet to resurface on CD, a regular contingent of top Blue note artists including Mobley are joined by guitarist Sonny Greenwich. The result is Third Season.
The music is mostly in the hard bop vein, with hints of modality and the gospellish piece, Give Me that Feeling. But Greenwich’s three solos are a bonus, and the performances of five Mobley originals and one by Morgan are up to the usual calibre of Blue Notes.
However, a slice of the top is one of the tenor saxophonists more intriguing sessions, for the talented composer had an opportunity to have four of his originals plus the standard, There is a Lull in My Life performances by an octet in the cool toned style of Miles Davis’ Birth of the Cool nomet arranged by Duke Pearson. Although, recorded in 1966, this work was not released until 1979 and unfortunately has not yet been released on CD.
Mobley, who continued to evolve into a more advanced player throughout the 1960s, fits right in with such adventurers players as altoist James Spaulding, trumpeter Lee Morgan with whom Mobley recorded frequently, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Billy Higgins.
All of Mobleys Blue Note recordings are recommended for his harmonically advanced, tricky, yet originals, in addition to consistently brilliant soloing from some of the top mainstream players of the era. These albums, especially Dippin helped define the Blue Note sound of the 1960s. For this date, a straight CD released of the original LP, Mobley, trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Larry Rilley and drummer Billy Higgins performed four of the tenorman’s originals, the highly appealing Ricardo Bossa Nova and the standard ballad, I see you face before me.

Henry “Hank” Mobley was born on the seventh of July 1930, in Eastman, Georgia, but grew up mostly in Elisabeth, New Jersey. He played piano as a child, but switched to saxophone at 16, playing alto for a while, then settling on the tenor. He soon turned professional, working with pianist Pay Gaytens R & B band, based in Newark. By this time, he was also playing baritone and was already recognised as a fine composer and arranger.
After recording a dozen tracks with Gayten, he left in 1951, to take a job with the house band at a local nightclub. Amongst the touring stars he backed was prophetically, Davies.
Over the next couple of years, Mobley worked with many established and up-coming figures, but spent most of 1954 with Dizzy Gillespie. By the time of his last recording with Gillespte in September 1954, he was preparing to join pianist Horace Silver’s new quintet for an engagement at Minton’s. Soon after, Silver was asked to put together a quintet for a Blue Note session, and brought in Kenny Dorham and Art Blakey to join Mobley and Dug Watkins from the Minton’s group. They first went to the studio and cut Room 608, Creepin In, Doodlin, and Stop Time, and then four others including the Preacher. Initially issued under the banner of the Horace Silver quintet, all eight would eventually appear on LP under the title…and the Jazz Messengers, an album widely regarded as a canonical document in the genesis of hard bop.

Hearing from Cora de Lang again

Detail of ‘I want’. 2 008. Acrylic, permanent ink on digital print on canvas

BY SENAKA ABEYRATNE
THE works of the gifted and versatile Argentine painter, Cora de Lang, who is currently residing in Colombo, were displayed from January 18, to February 9, 2009 at the Red Dot Gallery (Pitakotte) as part of the Theertha Exhibition Season. De Lang could be viewed as a modern, transnational artist with a strong leaning towards magic realism, mysticism and eclecticism. A unique blending of reality and fantasy is achieved through the use of intense, vivid colours and archetypal images and symbols. The bright greens, yellows, oranges, blues, pinks, purples and reds woven into intricate, surreal patterns are as captivating and energising as ritual music or dance.
The media used in de Lang’s works include permanent ink, acrylic, polymer, digital collages and mixed media, while the surfaces range from canvas to paper bags and boxes. The exhibits could be broadly grouped into the ritual art series, the flight bag series, the lady’s bag series, the paper bag series, and the pop art series (cosmetic advertisements). My favourite is a large mystical painting titled “Bangles” (acrylic, permanent ink on digital print on canvas), where the dominant colour is red. A bright and colourful Dior ad titled “Hello Paradise” composed in the cubic style (digital collage on photo paper) is another painting I would not hesitate to hang in my living room.
The spatial template for her paintings comprises several regions, including South America, Africa, the Indian sub-continent, and Australasia. Her work is multi-cultural as well as multi-religious, for there are elements of Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and animism in her work. In the catalogue Anoli Perera writes, “De Lang’s personal history is inextricably bound with her work: growing up in the background of a political dictatorship and amidst Beatle mania, electric guitars and imagining of a world without boundaries, the woman from Argentina who has nurtured roots in Germany, a frequent flyer within and between continents, living with a notion of impermanence in other people’s countries and cultures. This is the reality of de Lang’s life; this is the topography of her work. All these factual markers let us process our perceptions of de Lang’s work allowing us to read them within a broad canvas. They also make her intensely cosmopolitan in her approach to lif e and art.”
Some of her paintings take the form of giant tapestries and their emotional impact is profound, for they succeed in distorting and expanding the mind at one and the same time. Perhaps that is the artist’s intention – to provoke the mind to enter a kind of hallucinatory state through total immersion in her lush, psychedelic patterns, motifs and designs. Says Anoli, “Her series of work titled Pandora’s Box cannot distance itself from the ideas of women as keepers of memory … Each box invokes a particular memory and desire of the artist, a desire to remember and record through the transformation of a simple box into a unique time capsule. This series of works creatively and sensitively presents the dilemma of the nomad who is caught between the desire for rootedness and the demands of transiency. One wonders if the artist’s purpose in Pandora’s Box is to tell us that the only thing permanent in such a predicament is the memories and the nostalgia that one harbou rs.”

FIGURATIVELY speaking, de Lang’s powerful subliminal impulses and desires spring not from a single mind, but rather from a kind of collective consciousness. Anyone with the ability to transcend the boundaries of the conscious mind and access the collective unconscious will have discovered the enchanting world of Jungian imagery. This world is as magical as it is mysterious, where the boundaries between the rational and the irrational, between sensory and extra-sensory perception, and between the mundane and the supernatural are extensively blurred or distorted.
Whether de Lang consciously uses Jungian perspectives in her work is difficult to say. But she is clearly someone who has tuned into the collective unconscious and channeled its primordial energy and memory traces into a highly original and eclectic art form. Her work embraces mysticism, modernism and pop art, and her passion for surreal imagery is both fierce and compelling. Because her style is unconventional, her paintings may not appeal to those with traditional tastes and preferences. But the free thinkers and innovators, who are looking for something different, are likely to find her work extremely interesting, if not intensely appealing, as well as intellectually stimulating, given the deeply symbolic, ritualistic and iconic aspects of her work.
De Lang (in my opinion) is an incredibly bold and stylish artist, with a keen eye for detail, a passion for colour, and a potent desire for innovation. We need time to imbibe the thoughts, ideas and feelings embodied in her paintings. The more we look at them, the more we realise how startlingly beautiful they are. Her compositions are amazingly complex and her choice of colours, designs and motifs is such as to unsettle the mind and provoke a hallucinogenic response. To be honest, I was on a “high” for quite a while after seeing her exhibition, which was of mind-blowing proportions.

Delang practised her art in Nigeria between 1999 and 2003 when her husband Richard Lang was Director, Goethe Institut, Lagos.
First published on March 4, 2009.

Rebirthing the land... ...Ade Bakare’s way

BY BIMPE ADEBAMBO
Ade Bakare though British born, is always proud of his roots and cultural heritage which is usually reflected in the lovely designs he has produced over the years since he launched his label in 1991. Recently at the new Federal Palace Hotel, he showed his Spring/Summer couture collection “Nigerian Renaissance” gracefully modelled by local and international models to a crowd of high net-worth dignitaries, glamouristas, celebs, beautiful people of Lagos and the press.
The event also showcased the designs of 10 finalists of the Young Designers Creative Competition, which Bakare set up as part of identifying and encouraging emerging talents in Nigeria.
The competition saw a huge number of entries from all over Nigeria and 10 finalists with the best five fashion illustrations, design ideas and fabric swatches for day and evening wear, had two of their designs on the runway that evening. Chisom Ogundu emerged the winner of the competition and took home a cash prize and other goodies.

The ‘Nigeria Renaissance’ collection was inspired by the richness of our culture and textiles -- Adire and batik from the South, rich and detailed embroidery from the North and dramatic ‘puffed’ sleeves from the East.
The collection was a labour of love for sixmonths. Silks were flown in from London dyed in Abeokuta, taken to London for the construction and back to Lagos for the show.
The richness, diversity, warmth, energy/vibrancy synonymous with our beloved country were brought to the fore in the way of bright yellows, rich greens, warm burgundies, rich purples and pinks.

Nigeria renaissance is so apt for the current national project of looking inward and appreciating what is ours.

‘Do me baggy... no sagging, pls’

Blessing Jane

Blessing Jane Asibe, who is popularly known as Amaka for her role in the Super Story series, Enough Is Enough, was recently given an award by the African Youths Society, as a role model of the generation. Asibe an indigene of Ubakala, Umuahia in Abia State was born in Sapele, Delta State, where she had her primary and secondary education before moving to Delta State University to study Business Administration. She tells DAMILOLA ADEKOYA what fashion means to her.

Definition of fashion
Fashion is your person; it is your inner mind and all about you.
Position in the family
I am the second in a family of six children. My dad is a retired civil servant and my mum is businesswoman.
Style of dressing
Basically, I like being simple. It’s just jeans, a top and a fez-cap.
Most expensive item
My Bible
Most cherished possession
Jesus Christ. I cherish him so much and nobody can take that away from me.
Favourite colour
I love blue and brown. I love blue because of its distinctive effect.
Food
On a good ground, I love eba and Ogbolo soup; but because of my weight I now go on light food. Instead of eba, I eat agidi with more fish and vegetable; and a whole lot of water.
Favourite piece of clothing
My jeans, I don’t mind wearing it to church.
Favourite body product
I love Mary Kay, Black Opal and Mac; these three are just perfect for me.
Signature scents
I love irresistible couture by Givenchy. I also love Dune by Christian Dior and Escada by Estilalda.
Favourite designer
Givenchy, he’s good.
Role model
I love Joke Silva; I see her as a mother in all spheres of life, and as a force to reckon with. Internationally, I love Julia Roberts.
Stylish icon
I love Lillian Bach. She has a fantastic dress sense.
What do you do at your leisure time?
If I’m not watching movies, then I’ll be sleeping because I love to sleep.
Describe yourself in a few words
I am like the girl next door, homely and Godly.
What would you not be caught wearing?
I can wear even baggy jeans, but can’t sag my trousers for any reason.
Turn on
The presence of God. I draw my strength and my hope from God.
Turn off
Misconception and false accusations, I can’t stand them.
Happiest moment
The day I realised the power of God, and the efficacy of prayers in my life.
Most embarrassing moment
I can’t really remember any.
Philosophy of life
Life is what you make out of it.
If you were given a chance to change something in Nigeria, what would it be?
I will change the system of governance by removing the sycophants in power.

Re-engineering NANTAP @ 20

Cross section of guests

By Gbenga Salau and Florence Utor
THE need to reposition the theatre profession in Nigeria was the preoccupation of various speakers at the recent six-day celebration by the Lagos State Chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Theatre Arts Practitioners, to mark the organisation’s 20th anniversary and the 2009 International Theatre Day.
Speakers at the main conference of the celebration held Thursday, March 26, specifically raised issues, which they said are key to reviving the theatre, as well as help build other sectors within the industry, like the movie to grow.
Mr. Ben Tomoloju, the renowned actor, director and culture advocate observed that “for the industry to grow, we must know that the theatre is a nucleus of certain other industries and vocations. And we have to pass the legacy down to the younger generation to be able to grow within these nucleus–– movies, stage, radio, television and so on and so forth.
“So we must draw youth development programmes. Let this be a consistent part of our activities. Then the private initiative is essential and government participation, we should not say the government should go. I have always said it: if the government can build stadia and fund it, why should they not build theatres all over the place and fund it.
“There should not be any double standard in our social life.”
“Then our artistes should aspire to the level of professionalism based on relevant standard to be accorded the right financial rating,” said the former Arts, and Deputy Editor of The Guardian.
In a presentation that could pass for the keynote of the session, Tomoloju probed further into the heart of the problems bedeviling the industry.
“If you were not at the right professional standard, you would not get the right financial rating; you must aspire to that level. The power of lobby… we must lobby; a new minister comes, let us go to him, ‘welcome sir, we have an agenda for you in theatre’.
“The image count, we are not happy that what the media write, especially on movies and music, is how many girlfriends somebody has, and how many wives they are going to marry and how many people get pregnant for another person? As an art journalist, I never encouraged it and I will not encourage it. The dignifying aspect of the art should be what we should project.
“Under the performing arts, which of course is what we are talking about, you have the various disciplines and these disciplines have things in common, which should also give them a unity of purpose,” said the writer, director of such highly rated plays as Jankariwo, Muje muje Askari, Amona among other major theatre works.
Tomoloju also said: “We cannot solve one in isolation; issues like copyright, vetting of the quality of production, marketing, brand management — all these come under some kind of umbrella for the various disciplines that operate under the performing art, and this necessitate consensual coordination of the activities.
“For instance the theatre practitioners in the core theatre, the actors either in the movie or on stage, radio or television, technicians whether lightings men, who also operate on stage or on screen, set designers, they should come together and tackle matters that concern their various disciplines together.
“And in any case, the motivation also for a vibrant cultural sector cannot be left in the hands of each of these units in isolation. So, I think that it is something worthwhile as being suggested by the panelists for these professionals in the various disciplines to come together and tackle them. It is also in the best interest of the professions under the theatre arts. There are also the activism and advocacy aspects, so that they can influence government policies.”
On the effect such could have on the nation, Tomoloju, who recently directed Ola Rotimi’s Kurunmi for the National Troupe of Nigeria to high acclaim, said: “I believe that it will solve economic problems. I have already mentioned something about the need for the government to be involved in building cottage theatres around the various neighbourhoods in the country.”
The culture activist added, “the national cultural policy, which was promulgated into law in 1988 stated that the Federal Government should build cultural centres in each state, and state governments should build cultural centres in each local government, and each local government should also identify various wards and neighbourhoods and build cottage theatres there.
“When you look at the quantitative analyses of these in terms of job creation, it is manifold. You have more people getting involved in production and creativity and it will be mostly young people.
“So, I believe the cultural sector can actually take care of the jobless in terms of getting them jobs within the theatre and cultural circle. There is also a multiplier effect in terms of the other professions that people can be involved in.”
On what could be done to change the dying theatre going culture, Tomoloju said, “if the film industry is moving well, we should celebrate it, though we know that there are substandard aspect of whatever is done in the film industry, but in terms of the theatre, let us not say the theatre is down; let us say it has not assumed the level of full development.
“There are brilliant talents in the theatre–– on stage and in the movies. But they need all the encouragement possible, financial for instance. The corporate sector should try as much as possible to patronise the theatre for what it is. It is a commune; it creates a community, people can go for recreation, people can learn more, people can be sensitised politically, even if the theatre is going on with religious programmes, theatre is theatre; that is what we believe”.
Tomoloju continued, “there should be a full-scale encouragement; people should not denigrate the theatre by treating it in a very derogatory manner, some religious leaders do not want to hear about theatre. They feel that it is a place for idol worshiping and that is a very, very uncivilised way of accessing and appraising the theatre.
“We have to also correct the attitudinal problems that are attached to the theatre; people should have a positive attitude to it. We cannot stop the preaching from the holy books, we can also teach, talk and relate from our life experiences, and everything is tied to a moral thrust. Nobody is producing or writing a play simply for the sake of it. There is no art for art sake, art is for life and we should join in celebrating life wherever life is being celebrated, whether in the theatre or on the pulpit.”
Commenting on the role theatre can play in the rebranding project of the Federal Government, Tomoloju in a separate interview with The Guardian said, “the rebranding project is worth the while, and I personally encourage it. I also encourage it from the point of view of the motivator, in the person of Prof. Dora Akunyili. I think she is a very sincere person and we should give her a chance to succeed and we should also cooperate with her and her ministry and the Federal Government and all the state governors that key in into the project.
“It is essential but we should not just reduce it to a mere lip-service; we should be very, very committed to it, locally and nationaly.
“Now your question is: what the theatre can do? We need locally to mobilise; theatre is a good tool for mobilisation of the populace. We can also sell Nigeria by encouraging cultural exchange programmes with the various embassies and nations that have embassies in Nigeria.
“There was a time when we had a lot of cultural exchange programmes going on for us in this country, going abroad to project the image of Nigeria. I think we should go back to that, invite all the ambassadors, and let us look at our diplomatic documents, the memoranda of understanding we signed with various countries; let us dust it and let these various countries give opportunities for Nigerian artistes to move out to their countries and also talk about Nigeria, bring wisdom from these foreign countries back to Nigeria; that is why it is an exchange on the bases of mutual respect and mutual understanding.”

THE President of Actors Guild of Nigeria, Mr. Ejike Asiegbu, noted that indiscipline is a bane of the theatre industry.
His words: “we need to be more proactive than we are. I remember quite vividly several years back before Actors Guild of Nigeria was formed. I am a member of NANTAP, I am a trained theatre practitioner and I am proud. I joking told uncle Deji that if I was invited I should have been on stage in the anniversary production.
“People these days contest for positions, which they cannot maintain and sustain, people want other people to make sacrifices and they forget that such sacrifices entails a lot of self denials. Most of our big stars do not attend meetings; as far as they are concerned, there is no reason do not see reasons they should be a member of any theatre organisation.”
He added, “the issue of indiscipline; a lot of us are not disciplined, that is why we need to go back to the issue of reorientation, and have this kind of workshop that can bring people together.”
Asiegbu said, “we should try to see and work and sign MoU that can make us work as one; having the kind of law that can cut across board, an MoU that will make other guilds to know their relationship; relationship between directors-producers, producers-actors.”
The bulky actor continued, “what we have today is a one-sided contract talk; producer, most of them tell you ‘just sign for me and that is your money,’ but because the actor is greedy, the actor is hungry, the actor wants to collect that money and sign, and he signs away the future.
“We need to re-orientate ourselves for us to commonly work together and also respect people we have elected.”
For Charles Novia, a film producer, theatre practitioners should embrace home movie industry because this is the time for them to do that.
“Look at the good films you see, you will see that the directors and the producers are strictly theatre trained; many of them. The creative mind is not necessarily a business mind. So a lot of producers today can afford to take a lot of trash from executive producers and say do it this way.”
Novia added, “I am looking for new talents. Right now, the trend is that we must look for new faces. Basically the orientation has to change, we have to get more trained people, the training part of theatre.”
Joke Silva, the popular actress berated the Nigerian producers for shortchanging the actors noting that producers underestimate their budget “because I can’t imagine why a producer should budget the sum of N5 million for a film production.”
The notable producer and covener of the yearly BOBTV conference and market, Amaka Igwe, however, disclosed that “actors take more than 90 per cent of what is obtainable in any other part of the world. In most part of the world, producers believe that 30 per cent of the budget should be allocated for actors while the other 70 per cent should be used for logistics and overheads”.
To round up the conference, there was a performance of the play The Mote in the Eye. Individuals and organisations, which over the years had supported NANTAP, were given awards.
Also different stakeholders and bodies in the theatre industry and the National President of NANTAP, Mr Gregory Odutayo were present at the celebration.

Twin Chefs...

From America with pasteries


BY CHIEMEREM UMENNE
YOU could easily conclude they are models at first sight because of their height and fine statistics. These twin sisters, Regina and Dominica, are not only beautiful, they are good entrepreneurs. From age 10, they had begun to manifest such attribute in America.
The 19-year-old twin — fondly called Gina and Nica by their father — are one of the famous entrepreneur kids discovered by producers of Public Broadcasting Corporation Show (PBS) in Bremerton, United States of America through its Bizkids Club; a competitive platform for skilful minded kids.
At the age of 17, on July 6, 2007, PBS made a trip to the twins’ kitchen, hence, turning it to a television studio. One of the local newspapers, Bremerton Patriot, had the headline Twin Sweet goes national with PBS filming. There, they displayed their love for pastries and other baking and decorating talents.
In March 2008, PBS made another trip. This time, the twins had a dollar sign on the finished cake
The focus of the girls at the Bizkids Club, however, attracted so much attention and is currently published on www.bizkids.com.

THROUGH their father, Chief Dominica Ogazi , I was able to link up with the twins from Mbieri, Mbaitoli Local Council of Imo State.
Gina and Nica Ogazi had launched ‘Twin Sweets’, a joint business which they hold with so much passion.
On what they offer, “we bake, decorate, and sell a variety of cakes for different occasions. From where we manage the money realised from the sales.”
What was their starting point?
“Our love for baking dates back to when we were kids, when our mum, Joan, used to do lot of such activities. We always enjoyed making Christmas cookies and many other treats with my mum. My sister and I would sometimes fight over who got to add the ingredients to what my mum was cooking,” states Gina.
This zeal grew stronger until they were 12, when their first working gift came from a cousin, in the form of a decorating kit. After this, they were enrolled for a decorating class by their aunt. Their instructor initially felt they were too young to take the class. “Once we got started, our instructor was much impressed with our maturity.”
The prices of their cakes range from $15 for a small birthday cake to $500 for a wedding cake. Here, they ensure that the cost of the ingredients and overhead to make the cakes are covered. “We are really not motivated by the profits but the learning experiences and exposures that are accrued in the processes of making all the Twin Sweet cakes. The cakes are made either for people’s sweet tooth or for a special occasion.”
Biggest challenges?
“So far, it has been on pricing the cakes. It is labour intensive to have a well-garnished cake and most customers don’t want to pay very much for a cake, and are shocked at the initial price. But they end up liking it at its taste.”
Can anything separate this joint business? Marriage?
“No,” Gina says. “We don’t really want to split up.”
Other business plans?
They hope to specialise in baked goods that are healthier for consumers. They owe their success to their mum, who they say has been the major supporter of their venture, both financially and instrumentally. Their role model is God.

GINA graduated from high school in Bremerton, Washington in 2008 and has started her college at Seattle Pacific University, US where she plans to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Dietetics and become a registered dietician. Nica, on her part, is currently at the premier cooking school, the Culinary Institute of America, in New York, where she also plans to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Baking and Pastry to become a master chef.
They were born in Great Falls, Montana, America but grew up in the Puget Sound area of Washington State.
They said they embrace their Nigerian-American heritage gracefully and are looking forward to relating with their Nigerian relatives during the summer break in July or perhaps, the winter period, December 2009.

BIZKIDS Club and Twin-Sweet is a television show that promotes financial literacy amongst young people. The show interviews different kids that have started their own businesses.
Nica initially met some of the producers of the Bizkids programme, while they were running a television segment for Kitsap Credit Union, where she volunteered.
“One of the administrators at the Credit Union thought the Twin Sweets cake business would be great to film for a television segment and told Bizkids about us,” says Gina. “When they caught word of our business, they did an interview and then came to our house for a day to film us making a cake. It was quite exciting.”

Singing as second nature

BY BISI ALABI WILLIAMS
DOOWESE Gaadi is a 400 level Industrial Microbiology student of the University of Jos. She had wanted to be a medical doctor, a profession whose work ethic and dress sense she fancied. However, she couldn’t get into the department, so, she opted for Industrial Micro Biology.
Doowese, who started singing at 10, hardly miss any opportunity to show off her good voice. She says, “singing comes naturally to me. It is part of me. It’s not just a gift, a hobby or an art, but my love. I enjoy doing live performance with top artistes such as Ceecee Winans, and Kirk Franklyn among others that have made name in music, and impacted on the lives of many youths.”
Her playing different kinds of music such as gospel, R and B, Hip-pop and reggae shows the depth of her passion. But that’s only one aspect of Doowese. She is into acting as well as dancing.
“For me, it’s entertainment all the way. I try to excel in all I do. So, I always put in it my best. And that’s me. Dance is an art, as acting is. It depends on how you are looking at it. But all is about the body, and how you use it. Whether it is dancing or acting, you are communicating. You are sending a message across, and your message has to be good and clear for it to be understood,” she says.
The Unijos student says, “I always looked forward to winning prizes for dancing any time I attend birthday parties. I always stand out at parties because I learn every latest dancing step in town just to keep up with the trend and display them at parties. There was ‘galala’, ‘Petra’, and ‘flex’among others. I was that kind of a little girl.”
As she grew older, she lost track of dancing the way she used to, in her younger days. “I now dance only in the church and in my room,” she smiles.

HOWEVER, her love for the arts led her into a talent hunt show in Jos called Project 33, which aims at fishing out talented young people in singing, dancing, script writing and playing of instruments.
In the show, the contestants come together to watch a stage performance and then, write a script as well as songs that will go with the story line. They are also expected to learn the dance steps that will go with the written songs. It was here that she showed her versatility.
The lady, who started her acting career at the Air Force Secondary School, Ikeja, says, “I counsel a lot of young people. I talk to them about building healthy relationships, following their dreams, and being all they want to be in life. I believe that young people are like virgin lands waiting to be explored or discovered. So, many of them have affections and dreams for the future, but they don’t know or understand how to channel them aright.”
Her parents have helped to channel her dreams. “They are my super models, especially my mum who has always believed in me. She made my dream of waxing my songs a reality. My first CD came out beautifully because of her tireless support,” she retorts.
As a youth counsellor, Doowese tells the young ones never to give up easily and to tilt their behaviour towards what they want to be.
In her words, “many great people have succeeded not necessarily because they had never failed, but because someone believed in them, which motivated them to greater heights.”
She adds, “many dreams, hopes and aspirations are long dead and buried because many failed to believe in themselves or have someone to encourage them. The person closest to you is the one that can easily recognise your potentials as well as your fears, and inadequacies. You can be whatever you want to be in life, only believe and work towards it.”
One aspect of hers that she hopes to develop is modelling. She says: “People tell me, I have what it takes to be a good model; fine face, good legs, great body, and a good head. I think it’s true; and I want to give it a try.”

Wining Ogidi Omo @ 53

Daniel with wife

BY GBENGA SALAU
LAST Monday, Ogun State indigenes trooped out in large number to celebrate the 53rd birthday of their governor, Gbenga Daniel (OGD).
For Daniel, fondly called ‘the Peoples Governor’ by admirers, it was not just an opportunity to unwind, but also praise God, while rededicating his life to the service of God.
At a church service held at the Valley View Auditorium, Agbein Hill of the Government House, Abeokuta, Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly, who gave the exhortation, urged Daniel to be firm in the face of the on-going political crises rocking the state, saying: “In the midst of crisis, continue to do good and who is wrong and what is wrong will later wear out.”
He enjoined the governor not to worry because the Lord will help him to overcome them.
But it was not all a preaching session, as guests were treated to good music from the PMAN Evergreen Awardee and soul winner, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi, who dished out melodious tunes at the event.
The wife of the governor, Yeye Funke Daniel, was not left out of the show, as she was everywhere, moving from one table to another appreciating those who had come to celebrate with her husband.
Prominent people at the event include the General Overseer of Foursquare Church in Nigeria, Rev. (Dr) Wilson Badejo; the Alake of Egbaland; Oba Adedokun Gbadebo, the Olowu of Owu and Oba Adegboroye Dosunmu, among other traditional rulers.

Meal time on the Ogidi Omo

Wedding made easy

Participants at the first Bridal Workshop orgnised by
Zapphaire Events looking through some of wedding exhibits

RECENTLY, Zapphaire Events held its’ first Bridal Workshop, an event that was revealed to be just one of the innovations lined up under Zapphaire Lifestyle Series.
C.E.O of the firm, Funke Bucknor-Obruthe, had earlier explained in a press conference, that Zapphaire Events is taking things up another notch, with Zapphaire Lifestyle; an arm that would handle projects like workshops for brides and aspiring event planners, books and other literature, and other ideas that are still being worked on!
At the first edition of the Bridal Workshop, Bucknor-Obruthe and her friends (other event service providers) took guests on a visual walk through what to expect before, on and after a wedding!
Some of the other speakers were Debola Lewis, Body Lawson, Juyin Demuren, Omoyemi Akerele and Tee-A, and topics covered included, Planning a Honeymoon, Drawing up a Budget, Making a Checklist, Booking your Photographer, Grooming and Styling for the Bride, Groom and Bridal Party, and Choosing the venue, theme and décor for the wedding!
There were also exhibitors such as Abiola Aso-oke, Bay Bloom Limited, Beyond Faces, Ajala Travels, House of Tara, Clothsense, Buckstone Ventures, Perfect Occasions and Water to Wine!
The stands were strategically placed outdoors, and guests could walk through and meet the exhibitors, during breaks at the Workshop.
Apart from lectures and exhibitions, guests also had a great time as they networked, chit-chatted, and won fantastic prizes; while also getting good discounts from some of the exhibitors. They also went home with notebooks, pens, folders, resource fliers and other souvenirs from Zapphaire.
Guests included Lamide Akintobi, Kemi Lewis, Noble Igwe, Mubarak Adegunwa of MBK Studios, Mandy Noelle, Kehinde Adollo, and more, and the event was hosted by Niyi Badmus and T-Laff!

A run to nip cancer

Participants at the Cancer Awareness Campaign race

BY CHUKS NWANNE
IN a bid to sensitize the public on cancer related issues, an American based breast cancer awareness campaign organisation; Susan G. Komen Foundation in collaboration with Onari Duke’s CS Don, recently A Run Towards the Cure, in Lagos.
The race, which started at 7am from the premises of the American International School, Victoria Island, through Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, then Adetokunbo Ademola Street, through Ajose Adeogun roundabout, and back to American International School via the same route, attracted distinguished guests, who participated. The event was holding in Nigeria for the first time.
Speaking during the flag off of the colourful event, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Renée Sanders, who also participated in the race, informed that through education and self-breast examinations, coupled with mammograms, the mortality rate of the disease could be turned into the survival rate in Nigeria. Her participation, she further revealed, is due to the importance she attaches to the Foundation instituted in 1982.
Ambassador Sanders, who praised the collaborators for their tireless efforts towards the initiative, however, observed that, “the event had a good and sad side to it.” To her, “it is sad news because the foundation is starting its first edition too late as scary statistics reveal that 80 percent breast cancer patients in Nigeria die because it is detected too late. While the other side of it is that it took off at last.”
“Breast cancer is a disease that claims the lives of millions of women and a much smaller number of men, world-wide. Western countries have made great strides in the fight against breast cancer by early detection and aggressive treatment of the disease, reducing mortality to about 10% when the disease is detected early. You already heard that unfortunately, 80% of breast cancer patients in Nigeria die because the disease is detected too late. We can change this grim statistic with your participation in this race.”

IN her remarks, wife of former Governor of Cross River State and founder of Children Survival and Development of Nigeria (CS-DON), Onari Duke express her joy over the involvement of other corporate organizations in the campaign.
“We have come together to be counted in the fight against breast cancer, as concerned members of the American International School Community. But we should remember that we are not alone.
“In particular, there is a Foundation in United States that has contributed an amazing amount of funds and resources to this particular struggle inspired by Susan G. Komen who fought breast cancer with her heart, body and soul. Throughout her diagnosis, treatment and her endless days in the hospital, she spent her time thinking of ways to make life better for other women battling breast cancer instead of worrying about her own situation. That concern for others continued even as Susan neared the end of her fight.”
Moved by Susan’s compassion for others and committed to making a difference, Duke continued, Nancy G. Brinker promised her sister (Susan) that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever.
“That promise is now ‘Susan G. Komen for the Cure’, the global leader of the breast cancer movement, having invested more than one billion USD ($1 billion) since inception in 1982. As the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, we are working together to save lives, empower people and ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures.”

ACCORDING to Ebere Mbanugoh, the chief organiser, “for every race registrant, $5 (five dollars) will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The rest will go towards the purchase of a mammogram machine for the Calabar Women and Children Hospital; a new health institution in Cross River State, established to provide free healthcare accessible to underprivileged women and children.
“By the end of the day our hope is to raise greater awareness and sufficient fund to improve facilities necessary to reduce the plague of this disease in our communities because we are aware that 90 percent of it is treatable if detected early. It is worrisome to note that 80 percent of breast cancer patients in Nigeria die because it is detected too late. So today, we are walking for the millions of women in Nigeria, affected or at risk of being affected by breast cancer.”
Meanwhile, first three men and women in the race were presented with gift items, courtesy of the organizers.