Sunday, June 30, 2013

Sexiest in Nollywood: Behold the 25 men in the ‘quest’

By Ayo Onikoyi


Last week we welcome on board the 25 women who have made into the ‘quest’ for the Sexiest Woman in Nollywood. Now is the turn of the men and as we promised last week, we present the 25 men who have scaled the hurdles to join the race in the ‘quest’ for the Sexiest Man in Nollywood.

The 25 women to compete in this year’s Sexiest Woman in Nollywood are : Uche Jombo, Stephanie Okereke, Tonto Dikeh, Biodun Okeowo, Colette Orji, Rita Dominic, Ebube Nwagbo, Amanda Ebeye, Angela Okorie, Queeneth Hilbert, Maureen Cyril, Anita Joseph,  Nadia Buari, Yvonne Okoro, Yvonne Nelson, Queen Nwokoye, Chita Agwu, Chika Agatha, Jackie Appiah, Damilola Adegbite, Tope Osoba, Nuella Njubigbo, Cynthia Agholor, Uche Iwuji and Ejiro Okurame.
Some of the sexiest men

Some of the sexiest men

The 25 men are: Ramsey Nouah, Pat Attah, Sunkanmi Omobolanle, Mike Ezuruonye, Uti Nwachukwu, Benjamin Joseph, Benson Okonkwo, Kenneth Okolie, O.C. Ukeje, Kalu Ikeagwu, Odunlade Adekola, Gideon Okeke, Gbenro Ajibade, Alex Ekubo, Emeka Onyioncha, Chigozie Atuanya, Van Vicker, John Dumelo, Majid Michel, Frank Artus, Yul Edochie, Pope Odonwondo Jnr., Bobby Obodo, Michael Okon and Ali Nuhu.

Vanguard has had no hands in the selection process except in compilation of votes which have been sent in. If truly beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, then the readers who have come up with these 25 remarkable men and women in Nollywood have got their task spot on.

As it was made clear from the beginning of the ‘quest’: every man and woman who acts in Nollywood has eligibility to be voted, with exception of only those stars who have been past winners of the quest.

It would be recalled that Genevieve Nnaji and Jim Iyke won the maiden edition in 2009 as the Sexiest Woman and Sexiest Man respectively. In 2010, the stakes got higher and we had several categories included in the ‘Quest’.  Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde and Desmond Elliot emerged the Sexiest man and woman respectively for 2010.

Other winners who emerged from the categories include Mercy Johnson, Chioma Chukwuka- Akpotha, Chidi Mokeme, Yemi Blaq, Nonso Diobi, RMD, Ini Edo, Emeka Ike and Chike Ike. All these people are not eligible to participate in this year’s edition.

Now the die is cast for 2013. Only your votes can decided who emerges as the Sexiest Man and Sexiest Woman in Nollywood 2013. From next Saturday the star that gets the list number of votes will be eliminated from the ‘Quest’. Keep voting

Courtesy: Vanguardnews

Let Ye Who Have Done Better Cast The First Comment


Let Ye Who Have Done Better Cast The First Comment


Thursday, June 27th, 2013
On June 24,one of Nigeria’s major actresses, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, shared the joyous news on her Twitter account that she would be making her US television debut  in the hit series “Hit The Floor,” which airs on VH1.
The Nigerian…

Courtesy: Bellanaija

Does the Fire of Teenage Love Die with Maturity?


Does the Fire of Teenage Love Die with Maturity?

…Nothing beats the thrill of being 13 and having a crush that likes you. There you are, on the brink of puberty, experiencing the first of firsts. The act of crushing alone is enough for you. Is it the hearts.

What is your comment about this?

BlackFace Says Yet To Get Backdated Payment For ‘African Queen’





Blackface the former member of Plantashun Boiz has opened on the issue surrounding the song African Queen sang by fellow Plantashun Boiz member and friend Tuface Idibia as he claimed that both of them wrote the song African Queen back then and he is yet to be credited for his effort financially.

“You know how the industry is then it was just evolving, there was a time that if someone signs you up to his record label and they find out you have a song that somebody else wrote for you, they won’t give you that credit because they will feel that they are promoting the person as against the person who is not on their record label
But then a writer is supposed to have his credit regardless of him being on your label or not and that did not happen the first time”.
When asked if the fact that his efforts were not recognised by the record label got him upset, he responded “Uhn, not really very upset because i know what the international law says, you being a Writer, if they omit you, they know that the law still stands internationally”
he mentioned the fact the song ‘African Queen’ was redone by a Jamaican artiste which he wasn’t he even aware of and for the fact that he co-wrote African Queen he was meant to be aware of that intention before it was done and he’s been trying to find answers to it which he says he is yet to get.
On the issue getting credit for the song African Queen, he said “No I have credit, like now am a writer, now is all like am a writer, I have 50 per cent of the publishing, which I didn’t used to have before, so it’s a different ball game right now”
Asked if he got any backdated payment on the song as the song was a major hit in the Face 2 Face album released in 2004 by 2face Idibia.
Blackface responded that he hasn’t gotten any backdated payment for the song.
“I still haven’t still haven’t because they have to backdate it they have to check the revenues of the music, what it has generated, what is due to the co-writer and all that, all those things are just still hanging but I still have one or two things that I am doing to find out what the issue behind all these stuffs are”
African Queen became a major hit selling up to 2 million copies initially in Nigeria, but quickly spreading through western and southern Africa, and eventually making an impact in Europe as well, going as far America where it was used a soundtrack for 2006 comedy movie ‘Phat Girlz’ written and directed by Nnegest Likké starring Mo’Nique.

Culled from Channelnews

Ghanian music group R2Bees loses out on BET award to Ice Prince





  The Ghanaian music group R2Bees has lost out on the 2013 Black Entertainment Television (BET) award to Nigerian musician Ice Prince.

The Ghanaian duo was nominated in the Best International Act (Africa) category alongside Ice Prince, 2Face Idibia (Nigeria), Toya Delazy (South Africa), Radio and Weasel (Uganda), and Donald (South Africa).

Ice Prince, known in real life as Panshak Zamani was announced winner of the award ahead of the main event scheduled for the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles Sunday night, June 30.

The Chocolate City rapper is winning the award after losing out to Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie and Nigerian Wizkid who were joint winners of that category last year.

R2Bees, made up of Faisal Hakeem (Paedae da Pralem) and Rashid Mugeez (Mugeez), who won Artiste of the Year at the 2013 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, were hoping to make it another win for Ghana after last year's success.

Ice Prince, shortly after winning the award, tweeted that: "We won the BET2013 award at the staple centre LA live!!! Words cannot describe this!! God bless you."

Who goes down? Nuella, Okoro, Iwuji, Gideon, Ekubo or Okon? - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/category/entertainment/#sthash.yNHcRqhr.dpuf



The countdown has really begun! While there are no cut and dry evictions this week some stars are having so poor a run in the quest that they have got themselves looking down the barrel of the exit gun.

Who goes down? Nuella, Okoro, Iwuji, Gideon, Ekubo or Okon?

on June 30, 2013   /   in Music 8:07 pm   /   Comments

The countdown has really begun! While there are no cut and dry evictions this week some stars are having so poor a run in the quest that they have got themselves looking down the barrel of the exit gun.

The countdown has really begun! While there are no cut and dry evictions this week some stars are having so  poor a run in the quest that they have got themselves looking down the barrel of the exit gun.

Sexiest.men

In the women’s category, the trio of Nuella Njubigbo, Yvonne Okoro and Uche Iwuji haven’t got enough going for them to look like staying in the quest for long or would they?

Neither are Michael Okon, Gideon Okeke and Alex Ekubo looking like real contenders. The quest is going on like a Russian roulette and the lot to go down may just end up on anyone’s doorstep.

Keep voting to save any of these stars. Who goes down? Nuella, Okoro, Iwuji, Gideon, Ekubo or Okon?
Courtesy: www.vanguardngr.com

New Video: Flavour – Ada Ada







Flavour is a promising singer who has been working harder to launch  is a new video for his romantic single, “Ada Ada”

How Doris Simon Destroyed Her Marriage With S3x--Insider Alleges






The recent controversies trailing an alleged secret marriage between Stella Damasus and Daniel Ademinokan may not die down soon if the latest information made available to is anything to go by.

An insider sent a mail to us explaining some unknown details about the marriage crash of Doris Simon and Daniel Ademinokan.

A copy of the email is presented below;

"Hello,

I have stood by in the last couple of days to see this drama about Stella Damasus and Daniel Ademinokan unfold. I have read countless blogs, reviews and comments from all over the world and I have come to the conclusion that people have no clue what they are talking about.

"I LIVED WITH DANIEL AND DORIS FOR ABOUT 4 YEARS SO, I CAN TELL YOU FACTS!

[This is] not a hearsay or assumptions, I will even mention names that can be verified. Let us not be distracted by this stunt that uncle Daniel just pulled with the party and the gift.

"Let us focus on the root of this matter. When we know the foundation, we will know how to direct our anger and 'insults'.

"I lived with Daniel and Doris because my sister was close friends with Doris and at that time I needed accommodation in Lagos because my parents were based in the South-South part of Nigeria. I lived with them when they were still on Salami Street in Mende, Maryland, Lagos and even when they moved to their Idowu Akindele Crescent residence in Magodo GRA, Lagos.

"Daniel was a good man and the perfect husband to Doris and he made her feel special in every way. He always spoke to her nicely and was quick to defend her in many ways. He supported her career and was determined to make Doris rise to the top above her colleagues. He used to say that a lot and felt she deserved to be at the top. He would always say, 'Dem Toyin, Funke, Dayo and co no fine pass you. Dem nor act pass you. I have to position you at the top'.

"He did everything in his power to put her there. Daniel cannot come and boast to people, especially me that he single handedly financed all of Doris' films. HE CAN'T. He was responsible for getting the finances but it was not HIS money entirely that did films like ONITEMI and OMO IYA KAN. The marketer named EPSALUM financed these films. I know that Daniel may have added about 10%-20% of his cash at some point but it was almost insignificant.

"The only film he did with his money for her 100% was the film ASIRI. So if he ever claims he did those films for her....quote me or ask EPSALUM.

"Doris was a good wife in her own right. She supported her husband's passion to change the industry. She dragged him into making Yoruba films which he really didn't want to get into. She enjoyed the fact that out of most of her colleagues, she was the one that had a STEADY home with a young and successful guy...ambitious man too. She was the minister of finance.

"That's what Daniel used to call her in the house because he always gave her all the money to handle. He would bring money home an hand it ALL over to her because she was efficient in money management, unlike him who was a free giver and really had no respect or regard for money! Whether he had enough or not, he never did care so much about cash. NEVER!

"For the four years that I lived with them, not for ONE day did I ever hear them raise their voices at each other in arguments or quarrels.

"You would see them come out of their bedroom sometimes with weird expressions and we would all know they just fought but you would NEVER hear Daniel raise his voice. NEVER!
One thing that the world never know was how much both families NEVER wants them to get married.

"Doris' parents didn't like Daniel and Daniel's mother (in particular) never like Doris. She was against the relationship from the beginning. She is known to be a heavy prayer warrior and she said God was against the marriage from scratch but Daniel never listened to his mother.

"Now, the HORRIBLE thing about Daniel is his stubbornness and hard headed nature. He never listens to people and if he believes in something, it would take a manifestation of the 10 plagues in Egypt to change his mind. He is an extremely stubborn and very determined person. Which was one thing I hated about him.

"Yes, he is nice, loving to his family and friends but do not think for a minute that you can convince him easily to change his mind when he has already formed an opinion or decided on what he wants to do.

"He went on with the marriage. His family believed that Doris trapped him with the baby but that is a big lie. I have always disagreed with his mother on that note: I respect the woman but Doris DID NOT trap Daniel with a baby. They were already living together for 3 years before David was born. So the woman should get her facts straight. Her son (I believe) wanted the child as much as Doris did.

"I think along the line Daniel started to realize that in many ways he and Doris were different. Much different than he had thought. I believe Doris started to relax on several things because she felt she had her husband and he was going nowhere. He was always very expressive about his love, she was the opposite. He would run around the house and want to play love games with her but she thought that was a waste of time and energy.

"I personally experienced that with them on several occasions. I guess Doris was more concerned about how people perceived the relationship on the outside and not how sweet it really was on the inside. She always wanted pictures of them out there. Daniel was more concerned about making his marriage very 'Oyinbo-ish' because that's who he has always been.

At some point I started to feel that Daniel started getting tired of her excuses about being expressive with her feelings even in the house. I think it suddenly dawned on him that they were from two different worlds. Their command of English was too far apart, their ideologies were different, approach to situations, educational background, family, upbringing, etc. I believe she just stopped being his wife and turned herself into a MAMA in the house. I remember him buying her all sorts of short clothes and sexy outfits from the US. I thought they were too daring but he didn't mind.

"The marriage meltdown goes as far back as 2009. I know that I heard them talking in hush tones a few times about how sex was a problem in the marriage. I know for a fact that Daniel used to joke about it around the house but you could see he was serious in those jokes. He was always clowning about how he had to fill forms like an embassy to have sex with his wife. I know at some point it was so bad that for almost six months they didn't do anything.

"One thing I can tell you for a fact is that in the course of their marriage, Daniel never cheated on Doris. This was a known fact and EVERYONE knew how crazy he was about his wife but really....is lack of s3x enough to ruin a marriage?

"Some people Daniel confided in where his bosom friend ALEX EFFIONG who was there when Daniel and Doris hooked up originally. I know I overheard Daniel and Alex talking about it in the editing studio at the BQ in Magodo. Two other people I know for a fact that Daniel confided in when he was in America where his friends BUKKY EBUN of Nollywood View and 'LAMIDE DAVIES TALABI. You can ask them because they are on Facebook.

"These two people will tell you the whole story and how they tried to step in to advice. Even Bukky came to the house in Magodo at some point when she visited Nigeria. She came with KAHA the singer. That's how I found out. He was desperate to save his marriage that's why he took drastic steps to talk to people.

"I blame Doris in some ways because she just relaxed, trusted that everything was OK and that her marriage was going to last forever. In marriage, you gotta keep working to make it good.

"What annoyed Daniel the most was when he found out his wife had a shop that he didn't even know about. He found out from outsiders and when he confronted her, she said she was trying to surprise him. That really pissed him off! He was enraged! This was when he grabbed his son and left! Daniel was a very, very patient man but I hate the way he did it. He just left!

"While everyone was celebrating the happy lives these people shared, the marriage was already over!! They were just patching things up! They kept holding on because of 'What people would say'.

"Doris also messed up in certain ways because she could not fight to keep her man. She was too comfortable and never imagined that Daniel would get frustrated and leave. Not in this lifetime. I could see it in his eyes everyday that he was just tired of struggling to make it all work.

"Look for people like ALIU SHORINMADE who was his personal assistant for five years. These were the people who knew Daniel very well and how he avoided women like a plague. Let them tell you facts. Let them tell you truths. Stella Damasus did not break up Doris Simeon's home.

"That home was scattered long before Stella came into the picture. I believe Daniel got the attention that he craved so much at home in someone he considered a friend and sparks flew.

"When i read that Daniel moved to Abuja and was being taken care of by a woman, I laughed because the people saying this have no idea who Daniel is. He is so arrogant in certain ways that he would rather die of hunger than take a dime from any woman. HE IS THAT KIND OF MAN!

'He will be too embarrassed to take a dime from any woman. The dude is a workaholic....I give that to him. Films, Fashion, Documentaries, Writing, Photography, Music, Publishing, Visual Effects, name it! He is a master at them all.
There is so much I know and if all these names I mentioned here deny anything...they are lying! I can open a big can of worms!

"Look for ALIU and ask him to tell you about the girl BLESSING that DORIS brought into their house that stayed for almost three years. Daniel sent her away from the house over four times and Doris kept bringing her back. Why? Nobody knows! Can never be explained! He NEVER WANTED THE GIRL IN THE HOUSE but she kept bringing her back. We know that at some point Daniel discovered that this girl was s3xually abusing Daniel's son DAVID! WHAT DID DORIS DO ABOUT IT???

"If all the parties involved think I am lying, let them confront me! Let them deny it! Daniel cannot deny it! Doris cannot Deny it! Aliu cannot deny it! They know the truth!! There is a girl called SUNMISOLA that used to visit the house some weekends then. She was close to Doris...find out and ASK HER TOO!

"All I can say is that Daniel and Doris deceived EVERYONE for a long time about how good the marriage was even when everything was BITTER and SOUR! So those hating on Stella are really wasting their time because STELLA DAMASUS DID NOT RUIN DORIS' MARRIAGE. Daniel and Doris know what scattered them that led to their divorce in 2011. If any of them feel I'm lying, let them challenge me.

Courtesy: Nigeriafilms

I’m Most Comfortable In N#de – Omotola Jalade Tells City People Fashion And Lifestlye Magazine






The headline will definitely grab your attention! Check out the latest cover of City People Fashion And Lifestlye Magazine, cop the magazine and find out why Omotola is that comfortable n#de.

Courtesy: Nigeria Films

Everyone's Wearing: Sheer Skirts

FASHION

Everyone's Wearing: Sheer Skirts




Courtesy: Glamourmagazine

OJB kidney ailment: Govt officials withdraw support

By Charles Mgbolu

Efforts to raise the $100,000 needed to carry out a kidney transplant for ailing singer and producer OJB Jezreel has suffered a setback as govt officials who had earlier made financial pledges have withdrawn all support to save OJB’s life.

Nomoreloss who heads the fund raising committee announced via social networking site twitter that the officials withdrew following misinformation on the exact amount already raised for OJB’s treatment.

Yesterday, stories had emerged on blogs and social networks that  D’banj, Wizkid, Tuface had all donated 7m, 3m and 1.5 million naira respectively. Nomoreloss calls these stories false and has even asked D’banj to clear the air.

Courtesty: Vanguandngr

South African Designer Thula Sindi gives a “Window into the Thula Sindi Woman” at Labo Ethnik Fashion Weekend in Paris

The 7th edition of the Labo Ethnik Fashion Weekend (LEFW) just rounded off in Marais District of Paris on Friday 21st June 2013, and it was a labyrinth of artists and designers from different backgrounds, who presented their creations to the world.
Among the talents that showcased their designs was South Africa Tourism “Designer of the Year 2012″ Thula Sindi. The designer presented his ready – to – wear female collection to fashion influencers such as Alphadi (Fashion Designer and creator of the International Festival of African fashion, Nigeria) and American R&B neo-soul singer Eric Bennet. His collection had an infusion of urban African influences and elements of his recent Johannesburg Fashion Week collection which took place in March.
According to Thula, “I wanted to give them a window into the Thula Sindi woman and how sophisticated she is, as well as how all the elements of what I have shown these past two seasons can work together.
Other South African designers who represented SA at the Labo Ethnik Fashion Weekend were Stoned Cherrie, Abigail Betz and Sindiso Khumalo.
View his showcased collection below.


I'm A Witch--Veteran Actress Confesses To TB Joshua (Pictures)

Worshippers at Prophet TB Joshua's Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN), Ikotun, Lagos, were taken aback when one of their darling actresses, Camila Mberekpe, allegedly confessed to being a witch.

The incident reportedly happened on Sunday, April 28, 2013, and it was beamed live on Emmanuel TV, a religious cable station run by TB Joshua's church.

Camila allegedly confessed to have been responsible for her daughter's dwindling career.

What reportedly surprised worshippers of the church was the fact that Camila acts like a good mother in most of her movies.

The scenario of Sunday was a contrast of what the actress plays in her movies.






















Courtesy: Nigerialfilms


Chris Brown And Drake Fight Over Rihanna In Nightclub






It is reported that US music acts – pop singer Chris Brown and rapper Drake got into a fight at the popular ‘after hours’ night club WIP, allegedly over Chris’ ex-girlfriend Rihanna.

It is believed that Chris Brown and Drake have had a ‘difficult’ relationship for the past three years over Rihanna. The Bajan pop singer is said to have allegedly cheated on Chris with Drake and the former has kept a grudge ever since.

At the club, Chris Brown allegedly sent a bottle of champagne to Drake’s table as a peace offering; but Drake reportedly sent the bottle back to Brown with a note referring to Rihanna: ‘I’m f*ckng the love of your life [Rihanna], deal with it’.

Chris Brown is said to have been angered by the message and immediately went over to where Drake and his crew were sitting to confront him.

Meek Mill, another rapper who has had a fling with Rihanna was also present.

Mediatakeout reports that Drake punched Chris Brown in the face and before Chris could retaliate; someone hit Chris in the mouth with a bottle, bruising his chin badly.

Security swooped in and broke the fight, Drake and his crew left before the Police arrived and Chris, reports say, went to the hospital to be treated.

Chris Brown later took to micro-blogging site Twitter to rant on the incident and twitted a picture of his badly bruised chin. He later deleted all tweets.

Meek Mill some hours ago tweeted ‘It wasn’t me…. (shaggy voice) lol’

sourced: Leadership

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Wizkid, Ice Prince Nominated For 2012 BET Awards






Homeboys  Ayo ‘Wizkid‘ Balogun and Panshak ‘Ice Prince‘ Zamani have been recognized by the the 2012 BET Awards.

Both acts have been nominated in the ’Best International Act: Africa’ category.

The nominations were announced in New York with Mindless Behavior, Big Sean, Melanie Fiona, DJ Khaled, Astro, A$AP Rocky and Diggy among those present for the nominations ceremony.

The list which was unveiled last night sees the two gifted Nigerian artistes up against the likes of Kenyan Hip-Hop/R&B group Camp Mulla, Ghanian rapper Sarkodie, South African singer Lira and French speaking Malian rapper Mokobe for the coveted Best African Act prize.

Wizkid who released his debut album ‘Superstar‘ last year has had a fantastic run; winning a MOBO Award, signing up with Akon’s Konvict Music and touring Nigerian and the UK. He is to kick off his US tour later in the year.

Ice Prince has also had it going pretty well for him; also releasing his debut ‘Everybody Loves Ice Prince‘, collaborating with Jamaican reggae singer Gyptian and winning the  ’Best African Act’ at the 2012 Ghana Music Awards.

Last year, African pop giants D’banj and 2face came out tops and received a joint award prize in the same category.

US rapper Kanye West leads this year’s nominations list with seven nods, six of which are from his star collaboration with Jay Z off the ‘Watch the Throne‘ album

The awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, July 1, 2012 at the Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium and will be hosted by veteran Hollywood actor and ‘Avengers’ star Samuel L Jackson with performances from Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj.

Best Female R&B Artist
Marsha Ambrosius
Beyoncé
Mary J. Blige
Melanie Fiona
Rihanna

Best Male R&B Artist
Chris Brown
Bruno Mars
Miguel
Trey Songz
Usher

Best Male Hip-Hop Artist
Big Sean
Drake
J. Cole
Lil Wayne
Rick Ross
Young Jeezy

Best Female Hip-Hop Artist
Nicki Minaj
Diamond
Trina
Brianna Perry

Best Group
Bad Meets Evil
Diddy-Dirty Money
Maybach Music Group
Mindless Behavior
The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West)

Best New Artist
A$AP Rocky
Big Sean
Diggy
Future
Meek Mill

Best Collaboration
Beyoncé f/ J. Cole – “Party”
Big Sean f/ Kanye West & Roscoe Dash – “Marvin & Chardonnay”
DJ Khaled f/ Drake, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne – “I’m on One”
Drake f/ Lil Wayne and Tyga – “The Motto”
The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) f/ Otis Redding – “Otis”
Wale f/ Miguel – “Lotus Flower Bomb”

Video of the Year
Beyoncé – “Countdown”
Beyoncé – “Love on Top”
The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) – “Ni**as in Paris”
The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) – “Otis”
Usher – “Climax”

Video Director of the Year
Beyoncé and Alan Ferguson
Benny Boom
Chris Brown and Godfrey Tabarez
Kanye West
Hype Williams

Best Gospel
Yolanda Adams
Kim Burrell
James Fortune & FIYA
Fred Hammond
Trin-I-Tee 5:7

YoungStars Award
Astro
Diggy
Jacob Latimore
Keke Palmer
Willow Smith

Viewers’ Choice Award
Drake f/ Lil Wayne & Tyga – “The Motto”
Beyoncé – “Love on Top”
Chris Brown – “Turn Up the Music”
Mindless Behavior – “Hello”
The Throne f/ Otis Redding – “Otis”
Wale f/ Miguel – “Lotus Flower Bomb”

Centric Award
Common
Estelle
Robert Glasper
Robin Thicke
Tyrese

Best International Act: U.K.
Estelle
Labrinth
Emeli Sande
Sway
Wretch 32

Best International Act: Africa
Camp Mulla (Kenya)
Ice Prince (Nigeria)
Lira (South Africa)
Mokobe (Mali)
Sarkodie (Ghana)
Wizkid (Nigeria)

Best Actress
Angela Bassett
Viola Davis
Taraji P. Henson
Regina King
Zoe Saldana

Best Actor
Don Cheadle
Common
Idris Elba
Kevin Hart
Denzel Washington

Best Movie
Good Deeds
Jumping the Broom
Laugh at My Pain
Red Tails
The Help

Sportswoman of the Year
Skylar Diggins
Candace Parker
Brittney Griner
Serena Williams
Venus Williams

Sportsman of the Year
Carmelo Anthony
Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
Victor Cruz
Kevin Durant

Source: Leadership

‘Why I Celebrated My Wife In A Truck ‘







How do you feel becoming the new chairman of AGN Lagos Chapter?

I want to thank God for everything because without God, the possibility of becoming the leader of Lagos Actors Guild of Nigeria(AGN) will not have come to pass. It is a big responsibility.



How prepared are you to face opposition in your pursuit to effect changes?

The bible says that the kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force. So the new EXCO is ready to take the bull by the horn. Anybody who wants to take the Actors Guild down, we are ready for them. Every of my members are God fearing and are passionate. We cannot sit down and watch things go wrong. We are ready to fight and do whatever is right to bring the Lagos AGN to its glory days.   In my 16 years of Nollywood, I have sat down to watch at our collective responsibilities, our collective liberty being eroded by quacks, untutored, uncouth, unreasonable human beings coming to take positions in AGN. That is the problem we have. This is the motivation that has pushed me to come out.



What agenda do you have for the AGN?

If I want to sum it up, I will call it, the Restoration Agenda. Repositioning the Actor’s Guild to where it ought to be is uttermost on our minds. I don’t want to bug you with many points but the truth is there is disintegration of the Actor’s Guild of Nigeria. That is the area we are fighting right now. To be candid with you, part of our campaign is to reunite the Actor’s Guild of Nigeria which we have begun to achieve during the campaign. That election witnessed a lot of stars who have not been attending meeting for almost five to seven years now; we saw a great number of them. Let me take the example of my good friend Chinedu Ikedieze MFR and Benedict Johnson, Obi Madubuogu aka the King of Mosanga. I saw some veterans, Big Freddo, elders who have not been attending meetings. The place was filled up with stars and this is the gap I want to bridge. I want us to have a centralisation of ideas, policies with the elders and these upcoming ones will learn from them.

After that, we will be pursuing the secretariat. We will be doing these things together. As we are trying to get the guild reunited, we will be building our secretariat because without a secretariat there is a limit to what we can do. We need a secretariat where we can meet and deliberate and find out what is going on in the industry. Already there is a health insurance policy that the national president has started. We are going to cue in to that and make sure the Actor’s Guild of Nigeria Lagos Chapter benefit from such scheme.

During the Lagos AGN election campaign a lot of things happened, some came with fake tellers, some with photocopied tellers.  Some didn’t even know what was called AGN. It was when INEC looked into this that they found out that some of these people didn’t know what was going on. Those that lost out we are already extending the arm of fellowship to them to support us to move AGN forward.



Your beginning as an actor

I’m from Mbaise in Imo State and a graduate of Theatre Arts from University of Port Harcourt. I started acting right from childhood. As at the age of seven I had been involved with stage acting with my church’s youth organization in the village. I was involved in debate and drama clubs entertaining people in my secondary school. I got involved in my first movie Evil Passion II in 1994 and this was during the long university strike that lasted for almost a year. Many of us relocated to Lagos to look for jobs during the strike. A friend I stumbled on spoke to me of an ongoing movie audition and I went there and as God would have it I got the role.    



Your name has echoed in the movie industry, how have you been able to sustain the brand till date?

My name is a brand and I intend to use that brand to reposition AGN. If I can manage myself as an artiste, why won’t I be able to manage AGN as a guild? If I can remain stainless, I can always make AGN remain stainless. Most Nigerians believe AGN is where you find riff raffs, touts and ne’er-do-wells. But we are ready to change that with our performance.



Why did it take you almost 14 years before taking your wife to the altar?  

Some people even said it was because I didn’t have money to organise the wedding. But to me, it was a deliberate act. It was a promise made to God that when he blesses me I’m going to celebrate my marriage in a very big way. I don’t  owe my in-laws, everything about marriage was done in 2002 but I promised God that if he keeps me alive by the time my last born would be five years old, I would celebrate my marriage, alongside my children. And that was exactly what I did immediately my last born clocked five.



What motivated you to have your wedding in a truck?

That was my own way of entertaining people because the entertainment must continue and that is my job as a comic actor. I must apply all the tactics within my disposal to make my fans happy. It is not only on screen that I can make people smile and laugh. I felt that I could also achieve same without being on TV. I was using the occasion to celebrate my wife having endured for a long time waiting for me. I made my fans realise that I’m a core entertainer on and off the screen. Port Harcourt knew that someone was wedding on that day.



As the Lagos AGN chairman, are we going to see less of your acting?

The constitution does not stop me from acting but on my own I’m going work hard and drop a lot of other things; things that will make me  not to work for this association. But I can still go to set and come back to work because I have capable hands around me that can take charge when I’m not around. Already the movie producers know my new status and will work around it. I’m around to work tirelessly for AGN till these two years expire. My fans will see more of me as actor in and out of the screen. As am talking to you in this press conference, there is always a way to make people relax and have fun which is me.



And your family will not suffer?

My family is already happy. They even want me to go and live in that office (general laughter).        



As a popular actor and married man how do you cope with women seeking intimate attention from you?

If these female fans are not there, there won’t be me. But basically part of what I’ve learnt in life that has sustained me so far is how to manage myself as an artiste. Women are part of my success and they need to be treated with care.

They will always be there. No African woman will come and tell you she loves you and you should take her to bed. It’s not our culture. These women respect me apart from just admiring me and I respect myself. Besides, I’m a happily married man so why would any woman want to have something intimate with me especially when I’m not that kind of man. I’m not a womanizer and I don’t think I would ever be. My wife has always been enough for me. She is a precious gift to me.

 Comedy for you was it inborn or you learnt it?

It’s inborn and runs in the blood. It’s a special talent that God has given me. Even if you learn it you won’t be able to do it like someone who was born with it who is gifted.



How come you don’t do stand up comedy then?

I still do stand up comedy but it’s not my specialty. Most times I’m always on the set when I’m being called for stand up comedy shows. I have an annual comedy show titled Owerri Must Laugh and normally invite some other artistes to come and entertain people.



What has fame denied you over the years?    

I don’t see fame as having denied me anything rather it has given me lots of prospects in life and favours. Apart from the fact that there are places I used to go in the past that I can no longer go, I don’t see any other thing fame has denied me of. If you see me in a motor park eating, it becomes news, so I try to be more careful of what I do now. Because of what you call fame, I no longer have the opportunity to sit out and enjoy my usual mama put. On the other hand, fame has given me the opportunity to interact with anybody both the young and old. Sometimes I walk on the street and discover that mad women on the street would recognise me calling my name- Victor Osuagwu (laughter).



How did you meet your wife?

I met my wife while she was still in secondary school. Then I was in the university. I saw her and found out she was good for a wife, not just a girlfriend. Roseline is from a royal family, so I allowed her to grow and mature. The family knew me and welcomed me. We were moving on till she got admission to the university. In fact, we courted for almost 9 years before we started talking of marriage. She is a friend, a mother and everything to me. She is everything a woman can be to a man.



What attracted you to her?

She is homely. If my wife cooks for you, you will hate eating outside. She is the kind of a woman that makes home out of a house. Her homeliness has been something else. I’m always relaxed when I go to locations being rest assured that I have a woman at home.



Can you tell us what people don’t know about you?      

I take life as it comes. I’ve never experienced poverty as someone; somewhere would always come to my rescue. Though it has not been all rosy, there were times we were using legs to walk from one place to another. Sometimes, it was Molue, then bus, motorbike and now we have money to buy our own kind of cars. That is life for you, it keeps getting better. 

Culled from Leadership

2face, Ice Prince Compete For Best Int’l Act In Bet Awards






As the Black Entertainment Television BET Awards holds in Los Angeles, California in the United States on Sunday, musicians from Africa are eager on who grabs the Best International Act award.

The award which will be hosted by ace comedian, Chris Tucker will have great performances from American pop diva, Mariah Carey, Nicky Minaj, Ciara and Soul singer, Eryka Badu.

Already leading in the African nominees’ category is award winning Nigerian star artiste, Tu Face Idibia , who will slug it out with another Nigerian and emerging star rapper, Ice Prince.

Competing with the duo are R2bees from Ghana, Radio and Weasel from Uganda, Donald from South Africa and Toya Delazy from South Africa.

Ice Prince is already in the States. He was spotted early in the week posing with an American rapper inNew York City.    

Beyonce is up for a tight contest with Rihana, Alicia Keys Tamar Braxton and Elle Varner in the Best Female R&B/ Pop category. 

For the male R&B / Pop, Chris Brown, Usher, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars and Migue jostles for the star award.

2Chains is the favourite to win the Best male hip hop category over Justin Timberlake, Kendrick Lamar. Others star awards are in the female hip hop, the Best Collabo and Best Video Director.

Video of the Year Award have the largest nominees and they are 2Chainz Feat Drake – No Lie, A$ap Rocky Feat Drake, 2Chainz, Kendrick Lamar – Problems, Drake – Started From The Bottom, Lil Wayne Feat Drake – HYFR, Kendrick Lamar Feat Drake – Poetic Justice, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Feat Wanz – Thrift Shop, Miguel – Adorn, Rihanna – Diamonds, Justin Timberlake Feat Jay Z – Suit & Tie, Kanye West Feat Big Sean, Pusha T, 2Chainz – Mercy.

Culled from Leadership

As the Black Entertainment Television BET Awards holds in Los Angeles, California in the United States on Sunday, musicians from Africa are eager on who grabs the Best International Act award.
The award which will be hosted by ace comedian, Chris Tucker will have great performances from American pop diva, Mariah Carey, Nicky Minaj, Ciara and Soul singer, Eryka Badu.
Already leading in the African nominees’ category is award winning Nigerian star artiste, Tu Face Idibia , who will slug it out with another Nigerian and emerging star rapper, Ice Prince.
Competing with the duo are R2bees from Ghana, Radio and Weasel from Uganda, Donald from South Africa and Toya Delazy from South Africa.
Ice Prince is already in the States. He was spotted early in the week posing with an American rapper inNew York City.    
Beyonce is up for a tight contest with Rihana, Alicia Keys Tamar Braxton and Elle Varner in the Best Female R&B/ Pop category. 
For the male R&B / Pop, Chris Brown, Usher, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars and Migue jostles for the star award.
2Chains is the favourite to win the Best male hip hop category over Justin Timberlake, Kendrick Lamar. Others star awards are in the female hip hop, the Best Collabo and Best Video Director.
Video of the Year Award have the largest nominees and they are 2Chainz Feat Drake – No Lie, A$ap Rocky Feat Drake, 2Chainz, Kendrick Lamar – Problems, Drake – Started From The Bottom, Lil Wayne Feat Drake – HYFR, Kendrick Lamar Feat Drake – Poetic Justice, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Feat Wanz – Thrift Shop, Miguel – Adorn, Rihanna – Diamonds, Justin Timberlake Feat Jay Z – Suit & Tie, Kanye West Feat Big Sean, Pusha T, 2Chainz – Mercy.
There are other awards outside music which are best actor and actress, sportsman and others.
- See more at: http://leadership.ng/news/290613/2face-ice-prince-compete-best-int-l-act-bet-awards#sthash.ZmWZFMRG.dpuf

Davido Denies Being Arrested In Budapest For Possession Of Fake Currency






Word went round that Davido, his brother Adewale Adeleke and his manager Kamal Ajiboye had been arrested in a club in Budapest, Hungary. Over some fake Euro currency they used in paying for drinks.

According to the story, Davido and show promoter Osariemen Ekiudoko Frank had some issues, which led to Frank's refusal to pay Davido his balance.

This supposedly led to Davido being stranded in Budapest as he missed his flight. So, he had to spend another night in Budapest.

Then he and crew decided to go to a party with fake euro notes, given to them by the show organizer only to get arrested by Hungarian police.

Well, according to Davido's management, Davido didn’t get arrested. And here's the official statement they sent out to tell their own version of the story.

It has come to our notice that some unscrupulous rumour peddlers have chosen to malign Davido’s hard work ethic and reputation.

Davido has been on his European tour for a few weeks and landed in Budapest, Hungary on Friday June 21 for his Budapest stop. He was met with what is perhaps the worst case of unprofessionalism from a promoter in his career as a touring artiste. The promoter in this case is known as Mr Frank of BLACK DIAMOND ENTERTAINMENT.

To the dismay of his management, the agreements on Davido’s ryder were not met despite assurances written and verbal that everything was set.

Please note the following facts:

• Against their agreement, Davido and his management were given a one-bedroom suite to house them during their stay in Budapest.

• The promoter had issues with the venue for the show. Up until the night of the performance, the venue had not been paid for and Davido’s management were informed that he might not be able to perform on the stage. This was finally sorted a few minutes to the show.

• When it was finally time to perform, the promoter had not arranged for sound and Davido only managed the situation and decided to perform because of his fans that had paid to attend the concert.

• A fight broke out at the club and the promoters did not arrange any form of security for Davido, it was the intervention of the venue security guards that ensured that he got back to his hotel room in safety.

• Davido and his management did not receive any direct payments from the said promoter. Infact the promoter is yet to pay up in full Davido’s performance fees as agreed.


Davido and his management team catered to their every need while in Budapest from their personal funds Davido’s management wishes to state distinctly and clearly that Davido was not at any point arrested in Budapest, Hungary. He is currently in Paris, France where he is set to perform on the 28th and the 29th of June.Thank you.

Culled from Nigeriafilms

Michelle Williams Reveals How Destiny's Child Reflects Gospel Influences








Michelle Williams, one third of the R&B group Destiny's Child, is gearing up to release a gospel album, and recently revealed the inspiration and name of her new gospel record and how her former group members influenced her.

Williams, 32, recently spoke with Michigan Avenue magazine where she revealed the inspiration for her upcoming solo album "Journey To Freedom."
"People identify when your music comes from the heart and speaks truth," Williams told Michigan Avenue. "There was a time last year when I didn't know if I could record and finish one song, and it took me a while to really be comfortable and allow other people to help me with my thoughts. We had some incredible writers who were able to help me with my own situation, and it really helped deliver me out of some of those dark moments."
Williams may be working on her solo album, but she admitted to being influenced by former Destiny's Child group members Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland.
"Being in the group that long-with even Bey and Kelly, being in the group that long for them-just rubs off on you," Williams said to the publication. "The friendships continue to inspire, but the genres are so different now. I can't wait for them to hear [my new album], so I can be like 'Okay, what do y'all think?'"
She revealed that while Knowles and Rowland have had an opinion on her work, she also maintains her freedom as a solo artist.

culled from Christianpost

Davido Denies Being Arrested In Budapest For Possession Of Fake Currency







BN Saturday Celebrity Interview: “I Like A True Gentleman” Beauty Queen/Rapper Munachi Abii Speaks About her Perfect Man, Handling Rumours, Focusing on her Music Career + More!


BN Saturday Celebrity Interview: “I Like A True Gentleman” Beauty Queen/Rapper Munachi Abii Speaks About her Perfect Man, Handling Rumours, Focusing on her Music Career + More!


Saturday, June 29th, 2013
For former beauty queens, there is often the challenge of remaining relevant and sustaining the glitz and glamour of their positions, or otherwise, vanishing into oblivion immediately after their reign. Munachi Abii, better known as Muna, had a …

Source : Bellanaija

What have Your Favourite Celebs been up to? Find out on #WorkFlow – Your Weekly Entertainment News Bulletin


What have Your Favourite Celebs been up to? Find out on #WorkFlow – Your Weekly Entertainment News Bulletin

Welcome to “WorkFlow”, a weekly column where I give you all the juiciest ‘gist’ of what’s been going on in the industry, especially some reports we missed during the week. That is, the ‘news’ news and the ‘not-so-news’ …news. So,

 

culled from Bellanaija

Jewelry Brand Cornucopia to unveil its “My Treasure Box” Collection in Lagos | Saturday 29th June 2013






Victor Osuagwu is a known face in Nollywood. In his 16 years in the movie industry, the Theatre Arts graduate of University of Port Harcourt has been able to carve a niche for himself as a comic actor featuring in numerous movies. In this chat with SAMUEL ABULUDE, the father of four spoke about his career, his celebrity marriage in a truck and his agenda for Lagos AGN.
How do you feel becoming the new chairman of AGN Lagos Chapter?
I want to thank God for everything because without God, the possibility of becoming the leader of Lagos Actors Guild of Nigeria(AGN) will not have come to pass. It is a big responsibility.

How prepared are you to face opposition in your pursuit to effect changes?
The bible says that the kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force. So the new EXCO is ready to take the bull by the horn. Anybody who wants to take the Actors Guild down, we are ready for them. Every of my members are God fearing and are passionate. We cannot sit down and watch things go wrong. We are ready to fight and do whatever is right to bring the Lagos AGN to its glory days.   In my 16 years of Nollywood, I have sat down to watch at our collective responsibilities, our collective liberty being eroded by quacks, untutored, uncouth, unreasonable human beings coming to take positions in AGN. That is the problem we have. This is the motivation that has pushed me to come out.

What agenda do you have for the AGN?
If I want to sum it up, I will call it, the Restoration Agenda. Repositioning the Actor’s Guild to where it ought to be is uttermost on our minds. I don’t want to bug you with many points but the truth is there is disintegration of the Actor’s Guild of Nigeria. That is the area we are fighting right now. To be candid with you, part of our campaign is to reunite the Actor’s Guild of Nigeria which we have begun to achieve during the campaign. That election witnessed a lot of stars who have not been attending meeting for almost five to seven years now; we saw a great number of them. Let me take the example of my good friend Chinedu Ikedieze MFR and Benedict Johnson, Obi Madubuogu aka the King of Mosanga. I saw some veterans, Big Freddo, elders who have not been attending meetings. The place was filled up with stars and this is the gap I want to bridge. I want us to have a centralisation of ideas, policies with the elders and these upcoming ones will learn from them.
After that, we will be pursuing the secretariat. We will be doing these things together. As we are trying to get the guild reunited, we will be building our secretariat because without a secretariat there is a limit to what we can do. We need a secretariat where we can meet and deliberate and find out what is going on in the industry. Already there is a health insurance policy that the national president has started. We are going to cue in to that and make sure the Actor’s Guild of Nigeria Lagos Chapter benefit from such scheme.
During the Lagos AGN election campaign a lot of things happened, some came with fake tellers, some with photocopied tellers.  Some didn’t even know what was called AGN. It was when INEC looked into this that they found out that some of these people didn’t know what was going on. Those that lost out we are already extending the arm of fellowship to them to support us to move AGN forward.

Your beginning as an actor
I’m from Mbaise in Imo State and a graduate of Theatre Arts from University of Port Harcourt. I started acting right from childhood. As at the age of seven I had been involved with stage acting with my church’s youth organization in the village. I was involved in debate and drama clubs entertaining people in my secondary school. I got involved in my first movie Evil Passion II in 1994 and this was during the long university strike that lasted for almost a year. Many of us relocated to Lagos to look for jobs during the strike. A friend I stumbled on spoke to me of an ongoing movie audition and I went there and as God would have it I got the role.    

Your name has echoed in the movie industry, how have you been able to sustain the brand till date?
My name is a brand and I intend to use that brand to reposition AGN. If I can manage myself as an artiste, why won’t I be able to manage AGN as a guild? If I can remain stainless, I can always make AGN remain stainless. Most Nigerians believe AGN is where you find riff raffs, touts and ne’er-do-wells. But we are ready to change that with our performance.

Why did it take you almost 14 years before taking your wife to the altar?  
Some people even said it was because I didn’t have money to organise the wedding. But to me, it was a deliberate act. It was a promise made to God that when he blesses me I’m going to celebrate my marriage in a very big way. I don’t  owe my in-laws, everything about marriage was done in 2002 but I promised God that if he keeps me alive by the time my last born would be five years old, I would celebrate my marriage, alongside my children. And that was exactly what I did immediately my last born clocked five.

What motivated you to have your wedding in a truck?
That was my own way of entertaining people because the entertainment must continue and that is my job as a comic actor. I must apply all the tactics within my disposal to make my fans happy. It is not only on screen that I can make people smile and laugh. I felt that I could also achieve same without being on TV. I was using the occasion to celebrate my wife having endured for a long time waiting for me. I made my fans realise that I’m a core entertainer on and off the screen. Port Harcourt knew that someone was wedding on that day.

As the Lagos AGN chairman, are we going to see less of your acting?
The constitution does not stop me from acting but on my own I’m going work hard and drop a lot of other things; things that will make me  not to work for this association. But I can still go to set and come back to work because I have capable hands around me that can take charge when I’m not around. Already the movie producers know my new status and will work around it. I’m around to work tirelessly for AGN till these two years expire. My fans will see more of me as actor in and out of the screen. As am talking to you in this press conference, there is always a way to make people relax and have fun which is me.

And your family will not suffer?
My family is already happy. They even want me to go and live in that office (general laughter).        

As a popular actor and married man how do you cope with women seeking intimate attention from you?
If these female fans are not there, there won’t be me. But basically part of what I’ve learnt in life that has sustained me so far is how to manage myself as an artiste. Women are part of my success and they need to be treated with care.
They will always be there. No African woman will come and tell you she loves you and you should take her to bed. It’s not our culture. These women respect me apart from just admiring me and I respect myself. Besides, I’m a happily married man so why would any woman want to have something intimate with me especially when I’m not that kind of man. I’m not a womanizer and I don’t think I would ever be. My wife has always been enough for me. She is a precious gift to me.
 Comedy for you was it inborn or you learnt it?
It’s inborn and runs in the blood. It’s a special talent that God has given me. Even if you learn it you won’t be able to do it like someone who was born with it who is gifted.

How come you don’t do stand up comedy then?
I still do stand up comedy but it’s not my specialty. Most times I’m always on the set when I’m being called for stand up comedy shows. I have an annual comedy show titled Owerri Must Laugh and normally invite some other artistes to come and entertain people.

What has fame denied you over the years?    
I don’t see fame as having denied me anything rather it has given me lots of prospects in life and favours. Apart from the fact that there are places I used to go in the past that I can no longer go, I don’t see any other thing fame has denied me of. If you see me in a motor park eating, it becomes news, so I try to be more careful of what I do now. Because of what you call fame, I no longer have the opportunity to sit out and enjoy my usual mama put. On the other hand, fame has given me the opportunity to interact with anybody both the young and old. Sometimes I walk on the street and discover that mad women on the street would recognise me calling my name- Victor Osuagwu (laughter).

How did you meet your wife?
I met my wife while she was still in secondary school. Then I was in the university. I saw her and found out she was good for a wife, not just a girlfriend. Roseline is from a royal family, so I allowed her to grow and mature. The family knew me and welcomed me. We were moving on till she got admission to the university. In fact, we courted for almost 9 years before we started talking of marriage. She is a friend, a mother and everything to me. She is everything a woman can be to a man.

What attracted you to her?
She is homely. If my wife cooks for you, you will hate eating outside. She is the kind of a woman that makes home out of a house. Her homeliness has been something else. I’m always relaxed when I go to locations being rest assured that I have a woman at home.

Can you tell us what people don’t know about you?      
I take life as it comes. I’ve never experienced poverty as someone; somewhere would always come to my rescue. Though it has not been all rosy, there were times we were using legs to walk from one place to another. Sometimes, it was Molue, then bus, motorbike and now we have money to buy our own kind of cars. That is life for you, it keeps getting better. 

- See more at: http://leadership.ng/news/300613/why-i-celebrated-my-wife-truck#sthash.hb1pOI2Y.dpuf
Victor Osuagwu is a known face in Nollywood. In his 16 years in the movie industry, the Theatre Arts graduate of University of Port Harcourt has been able to carve a niche for himself as a comic actor featuring in numerous movies. In this chat with SAMUEL ABULUDE, the father of four spoke about his career, his celebrity marriage in a truck and his agenda for Lagos AGN.
How do you feel becoming the new chairman of AGN Lagos Chapter?
I want to thank God for everything because without God, the possibility of becoming the leader of Lagos Actors Guild of Nigeria(AGN) will not have come to pass. It is a big responsibility.

How prepared are you to face opposition in your pursuit to effect changes?
The bible says that the kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force. So the new EXCO is ready to take the bull by the horn. Anybody who wants to take the Actors Guild down, we are ready for them. Every of my members are God fearing and are passionate. We cannot sit down and watch things go wrong. We are ready to fight and do whatever is right to bring the Lagos AGN to its glory days.   In my 16 years of Nollywood, I have sat down to watch at our collective responsibilities, our collective liberty being eroded by quacks, untutored, uncouth, unreasonable human beings coming to take positions in AGN. That is the problem we have. This is the motivation that has pushed me to come out.

What agenda do you have for the AGN?
If I want to sum it up, I will call it, the Restoration Agenda. Repositioning the Actor’s Guild to where it ought to be is uttermost on our minds. I don’t want to bug you with many points but the truth is there is disintegration of the Actor’s Guild of Nigeria. That is the area we are fighting right now. To be candid with you, part of our campaign is to reunite the Actor’s Guild of Nigeria which we have begun to achieve during the campaign. That election witnessed a lot of stars who have not been attending meeting for almost five to seven years now; we saw a great number of them. Let me take the example of my good friend Chinedu Ikedieze MFR and Benedict Johnson, Obi Madubuogu aka the King of Mosanga. I saw some veterans, Big Freddo, elders who have not been attending meetings. The place was filled up with stars and this is the gap I want to bridge. I want us to have a centralisation of ideas, policies with the elders and these upcoming ones will learn from them.
After that, we will be pursuing the secretariat. We will be doing these things together. As we are trying to get the guild reunited, we will be building our secretariat because without a secretariat there is a limit to what we can do. We need a secretariat where we can meet and deliberate and find out what is going on in the industry. Already there is a health insurance policy that the national president has started. We are going to cue in to that and make sure the Actor’s Guild of Nigeria Lagos Chapter benefit from such scheme.
During the Lagos AGN election campaign a lot of things happened, some came with fake tellers, some with photocopied tellers.  Some didn’t even know what was called AGN. It was when INEC looked into this that they found out that some of these people didn’t know what was going on. Those that lost out we are already extending the arm of fellowship to them to support us to move AGN forward.

Your beginning as an actor
I’m from Mbaise in Imo State and a graduate of Theatre Arts from University of Port Harcourt. I started acting right from childhood. As at the age of seven I had been involved with stage acting with my church’s youth organization in the village. I was involved in debate and drama clubs entertaining people in my secondary school. I got involved in my first movie Evil Passion II in 1994 and this was during the long university strike that lasted for almost a year. Many of us relocated to Lagos to look for jobs during the strike. A friend I stumbled on spoke to me of an ongoing movie audition and I went there and as God would have it I got the role.    

Your name has echoed in the movie industry, how have you been able to sustain the brand till date?
My name is a brand and I intend to use that brand to reposition AGN. If I can manage myself as an artiste, why won’t I be able to manage AGN as a guild? If I can remain stainless, I can always make AGN remain stainless. Most Nigerians believe AGN is where you find riff raffs, touts and ne’er-do-wells. But we are ready to change that with our performance.

Why did it take you almost 14 years before taking your wife to the altar?  
Some people even said it was because I didn’t have money to organise the wedding. But to me, it was a deliberate act. It was a promise made to God that when he blesses me I’m going to celebrate my marriage in a very big way. I don’t  owe my in-laws, everything about marriage was done in 2002 but I promised God that if he keeps me alive by the time my last born would be five years old, I would celebrate my marriage, alongside my children. And that was exactly what I did immediately my last born clocked five.

What motivated you to have your wedding in a truck?
That was my own way of entertaining people because the entertainment must continue and that is my job as a comic actor. I must apply all the tactics within my disposal to make my fans happy. It is not only on screen that I can make people smile and laugh. I felt that I could also achieve same without being on TV. I was using the occasion to celebrate my wife having endured for a long time waiting for me. I made my fans realise that I’m a core entertainer on and off the screen. Port Harcourt knew that someone was wedding on that day.

As the Lagos AGN chairman, are we going to see less of your acting?
The constitution does not stop me from acting but on my own I’m going work hard and drop a lot of other things; things that will make me  not to work for this association. But I can still go to set and come back to work because I have capable hands around me that can take charge when I’m not around. Already the movie producers know my new status and will work around it. I’m around to work tirelessly for AGN till these two years expire. My fans will see more of me as actor in and out of the screen. As am talking to you in this press conference, there is always a way to make people relax and have fun which is me.

And your family will not suffer?
My family is already happy. They even want me to go and live in that office (general laughter).        

As a popular actor and married man how do you cope with women seeking intimate attention from you?
If these female fans are not there, there won’t be me. But basically part of what I’ve learnt in life that has sustained me so far is how to manage myself as an artiste. Women are part of my success and they need to be treated with care.
They will always be there. No African woman will come and tell you she loves you and you should take her to bed. It’s not our culture. These women respect me apart from just admiring me and I respect myself. Besides, I’m a happily married man so why would any woman want to have something intimate with me especially when I’m not that kind of man. I’m not a womanizer and I don’t think I would ever be. My wife has always been enough for me. She is a precious gift to me.
 Comedy for you was it inborn or you learnt it?
It’s inborn and runs in the blood. It’s a special talent that God has given me. Even if you learn it you won’t be able to do it like someone who was born with it who is gifted.

How come you don’t do stand up comedy then?
I still do stand up comedy but it’s not my specialty. Most times I’m always on the set when I’m being called for stand up comedy shows. I have an annual comedy show titled Owerri Must Laugh and normally invite some other artistes to come and entertain people.

What has fame denied you over the years?    
I don’t see fame as having denied me anything rather it has given me lots of prospects in life and favours. Apart from the fact that there are places I used to go in the past that I can no longer go, I don’t see any other thing fame has denied me of. If you see me in a motor park eating, it becomes news, so I try to be more careful of what I do now. Because of what you call fame, I no longer have the opportunity to sit out and enjoy my usual mama put. On the other hand, fame has given me the opportunity to interact with anybody both the young and old. Sometimes I walk on the street and discover that mad women on the street would recognise me calling my name- Victor Osuagwu (laughter).

How did you meet your wife?
I met my wife while she was still in secondary school. Then I was in the university. I saw her and found out she was good for a wife, not just a girlfriend. Roseline is from a royal family, so I allowed her to grow and mature. The family knew me and welcomed me. We were moving on till she got admission to the university. In fact, we courted for almost 9 years before we started talking of marriage. She is a friend, a mother and everything to me. She is everything a woman can be to a man.

What attracted you to her?
She is homely. If my wife cooks for you, you will hate eating outside. She is the kind of a woman that makes home out of a house. Her homeliness has been something else. I’m always relaxed when I go to locations being rest assured that I have a woman at home.

Can you tell us what people don’t know about you?      
I take life as it comes. I’ve never experienced poverty as someone; somewhere would always come to my rescue. Though it has not been all rosy, there were times we were using legs to walk from one place to another. Sometimes, it was Molue, then bus, motorbike and now we have money to buy our own kind of cars. That is life for you, it keeps getting better. 

- See more at: http://leadership.ng/news/300613/why-i-celebrated-my-wife-truck#sthash.hb1pOI2Y.dpuf
BN Stylistas get ready to bejewel yourself this June with Cornucopia.
On Saturday 29th June 2013, jewelry brand Cornucopia will unveil its new collection – My Treasure Box Collection in Lagos.

Victor Osuagwu is a known face in Nollywood. In his 16 years in the movie industry, the Theatre Arts graduate of University of Port Harcourt has been able to carve a niche for himself as a comic actor featuring in numerous movies. In this chat with SAMUEL ABULUDE, the father of four spoke about his career, his celebrity marriage in a truck and his agenda for Lagos AGN.
How do you feel becoming the new chairman of AGN Lagos Chapter?
I want to thank God for everything because without God, the possibility of becoming the leader of Lagos Actors Guild of Nigeria(AGN) will not have come to pass. It is a big responsibility.

How prepared are you to face opposition in your pursuit to effect changes?
The bible says that the kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force. So the new EXCO is ready to take the bull by the horn. Anybody who wants to take the Actors Guild down, we are ready for them. Every of my members are God fearing and are passionate. We cannot sit down and watch things go wrong. We are ready to fight and do whatever is right to bring the Lagos AGN to its glory days.   In my 16 years of Nollywood, I have sat down to watch at our collective responsibilities, our collective liberty being eroded by quacks, untutored, uncouth, unreasonable human beings coming to take positions in AGN. That is the problem we have. This is the motivation that has pushed me to come out.

What agenda do you have for the AGN?
If I want to sum it up, I will call it, the Restoration Agenda. Repositioning the Actor’s Guild to where it ought to be is uttermost on our minds. I don’t want to bug you with many points but the truth is there is disintegration of the Actor’s Guild of Nigeria. That is the area we are fighting right now. To be candid with you, part of our campaign is to reunite the Actor’s Guild of Nigeria which we have begun to achieve during the campaign. That election witnessed a lot of stars who have not been attending meeting for almost five to seven years now; we saw a great number of them. Let me take the example of my good friend Chinedu Ikedieze MFR and Benedict Johnson, Obi Madubuogu aka the King of Mosanga. I saw some veterans, Big Freddo, elders who have not been attending meetings. The place was filled up with stars and this is the gap I want to bridge. I want us to have a centralisation of ideas, policies with the elders and these upcoming ones will learn from them.
After that, we will be pursuing the secretariat. We will be doing these things together. As we are trying to get the guild reunited, we will be building our secretariat because without a secretariat there is a limit to what we can do. We need a secretariat where we can meet and deliberate and find out what is going on in the industry. Already there is a health insurance policy that the national president has started. We are going to cue in to that and make sure the Actor’s Guild of Nigeria Lagos Chapter benefit from such scheme.
During the Lagos AGN election campaign a lot of things happened, some came with fake tellers, some with photocopied tellers.  Some didn’t even know what was called AGN. It was when INEC looked into this that they found out that some of these people didn’t know what was going on. Those that lost out we are already extending the arm of fellowship to them to support us to move AGN forward.

Your beginning as an actor
I’m from Mbaise in Imo State and a graduate of Theatre Arts from University of Port Harcourt. I started acting right from childhood. As at the age of seven I had been involved with stage acting with my church’s youth organization in the village. I was involved in debate and drama clubs entertaining people in my secondary school. I got involved in my first movie Evil Passion II in 1994 and this was during the long university strike that lasted for almost a year. Many of us relocated to Lagos to look for jobs during the strike. A friend I stumbled on spoke to me of an ongoing movie audition and I went there and as God would have it I got the role.    

Your name has echoed in the movie industry, how have you been able to sustain the brand till date?
My name is a brand and I intend to use that brand to reposition AGN. If I can manage myself as an artiste, why won’t I be able to manage AGN as a guild? If I can remain stainless, I can always make AGN remain stainless. Most Nigerians believe AGN is where you find riff raffs, touts and ne’er-do-wells. But we are ready to change that with our performance.

Why did it take you almost 14 years before taking your wife to the altar?  
Some people even said it was because I didn’t have money to organise the wedding. But to me, it was a deliberate act. It was a promise made to God that when he blesses me I’m going to celebrate my marriage in a very big way. I don’t  owe my in-laws, everything about marriage was done in 2002 but I promised God that if he keeps me alive by the time my last born would be five years old, I would celebrate my marriage, alongside my children. And that was exactly what I did immediately my last born clocked five.

What motivated you to have your wedding in a truck?
That was my own way of entertaining people because the entertainment must continue and that is my job as a comic actor. I must apply all the tactics within my disposal to make my fans happy. It is not only on screen that I can make people smile and laugh. I felt that I could also achieve same without being on TV. I was using the occasion to celebrate my wife having endured for a long time waiting for me. I made my fans realise that I’m a core entertainer on and off the screen. Port Harcourt knew that someone was wedding on that day.

As the Lagos AGN chairman, are we going to see less of your acting?
The constitution does not stop me from acting but on my own I’m going work hard and drop a lot of other things; things that will make me  not to work for this association. But I can still go to set and come back to work because I have capable hands around me that can take charge when I’m not around. Already the movie producers know my new status and will work around it. I’m around to work tirelessly for AGN till these two years expire. My fans will see more of me as actor in and out of the screen. As am talking to you in this press conference, there is always a way to make people relax and have fun which is me.

And your family will not suffer?
My family is already happy. They even want me to go and live in that office (general laughter).        

As a popular actor and married man how do you cope with women seeking intimate attention from you?
If these female fans are not there, there won’t be me. But basically part of what I’ve learnt in life that has sustained me so far is how to manage myself as an artiste. Women are part of my success and they need to be treated with care.
They will always be there. No African woman will come and tell you she loves you and you should take her to bed. It’s not our culture. These women respect me apart from just admiring me and I respect myself. Besides, I’m a happily married man so why would any woman want to have something intimate with me especially when I’m not that kind of man. I’m not a womanizer and I don’t think I would ever be. My wife has always been enough for me. She is a precious gift to me.
 Comedy for you was it inborn or you learnt it?
It’s inborn and runs in the blood. It’s a special talent that God has given me. Even if you learn it you won’t be able to do it like someone who was born with it who is gifted.

How come you don’t do stand up comedy then?
I still do stand up comedy but it’s not my specialty. Most times I’m always on the set when I’m being called for stand up comedy shows. I have an annual comedy show titled Owerri Must Laugh and normally invite some other artistes to come and entertain people.

What has fame denied you over the years?    
I don’t see fame as having denied me anything rather it has given me lots of prospects in life and favours. Apart from the fact that there are places I used to go in the past that I can no longer go, I don’t see any other thing fame has denied me of. If you see me in a motor park eating, it becomes news, so I try to be more careful of what I do now. Because of what you call fame, I no longer have the opportunity to sit out and enjoy my usual mama put. On the other hand, fame has given me the opportunity to interact with anybody both the young and old. Sometimes I walk on the street and discover that mad women on the street would recognise me calling my name- Victor Osuagwu (laughter).

How did you meet your wife?
I met my wife while she was still in secondary school. Then I was in the university. I saw her and found out she was good for a wife, not just a girlfriend. Roseline is from a royal family, so I allowed her to grow and mature. The family knew me and welcomed me. We were moving on till she got admission to the university. In fact, we courted for almost 9 years before we started talking of marriage. She is a friend, a mother and everything to me. She is everything a woman can be to a man.

What attracted you to her?
She is homely. If my wife cooks for you, you will hate eating outside. She is the kind of a woman that makes home out of a house. Her homeliness has been something else. I’m always relaxed when I go to locations being rest assured that I have a woman at home.

Can you tell us what people don’t know about you?      
I take life as it comes. I’ve never experienced poverty as someone; somewhere would always come to my rescue. Though it has not been all rosy, there were times we were using legs to walk from one place to another. Sometimes, it was Molue, then bus, motorbike and now we have money to buy our own kind of cars. That is life for you, it keeps getting better. 

- See more at: http://leadership.ng/news/300613/why-i-celebrated-my-wife-truck#sthash.hb1pOI2Y.dpuf

UK based Design label DiDi Creations presents its “BouBou” Collection






The last time we saw DiDi Creations on the BN Style page, they were taking us into the world of their beautiful hand bag  and jewellery collection }. Now the UK based fashion brand, owned by Tina Ndidi Ugo is bringing to you its “BouBou”.

At DiDi Creations, part of their ethos is standing for creating unique statement pieces for men and women. This collection takes that ethos into practice. The pieces from this collection were made from silk, chiffon, lace and jersey fabrics with some pieces having a touch of ankara. The collection was inspired by the Western African traditional BouBou and kaftan attires worn mostly by the Senegalese and Nigerians.
Check out the collection.























  






Courtesy Bellanaija