 |
|
|
|
|
| |
FIRST FEMALE ARTISTE JOINS ALAPOMEJI RECORDS
TJ on 06/27/2009 at 3:39pm (UTC) | | | The latest addition to the Alapomeji Crew is an American based import named Zara. Born Margaret-Mary Joseph on July 30, 1985, Zara brings a refreshing mix to the already established entertainment company who houses artistes such as 9ice, Ajayi Brothers, Streetwise, Snow and Keyifi. The creativity in her music boasts an understanding and range that is more veteran than debutante. With a combination of afro-themed beats and a caribbean vibe laced with heavy yet playful lyrics, Zara's down-to-earth but confident charisma and charm is what sets her apart from the pack. Her collaboration with Zaina on the monster track "Naughty Girl" has left many curious about this sweet sounding versatile artist. Zara who is currently being managed by Toni Payne-Akande of Alapomeji has a Z swagger popularly known as Zwagger that can be felt on such tracks as "The Flyest", "Mummy Mi", and "Su mo bi". Listening to Zara leaves you without a doubt that she is the next best female phenomenon to happen to the Naija music industry.
To listen to her current single “Flyest” visit her myspace at www.myspace.com/zwagger, her manager said.
| | | |
|
B-BOY SET BENIN ON FIRE
TJ on 06/27/2009 at 3:38pm (UTC) | | | The Ancient City of Benin is known for its youthful energy.On June 13th over thirty b-boy crew from around Edo state converged at the event hall of Excalibur Hotel to battle for their spot in the Battle Of the Year Nigeria 2009 finals. Ecstatic fans hustled their way into the venue to support their favorite crew and enjoy a good show. Loud cheers filled the air as the dance crew show cased raw talent, crews Immortalz and Oomph Dance earned their ticket to the National final in Lagos after the knock out battle stages, with the former seizing bragging rights as champs in the Edo state region. Young Benin-City based music artistes got a chance to thrill the excited audience with spirited performances. The Benin regional qualifier was a success as the previous in Jos, and the organizers are set to pull off the Lagos qualifier on Thursday the 18th of June to pick the strongest b-boy crew from over three scores of Lagos based crew who have entered for the competition, the media relations officer of Battle of the Year Nigeria, a dance reality show said. | | | |
|
N 19 MILLION FOR CENTAGE SUPERSTAR WINNER
TJ on 06/27/2009 at 3:37pm (UTC) | | | The biggest music talent show to ever hit Nigerian television ‘Centage Superstar’ is here! The reality television show which is themed around the search for a fresh Nigerian music superstar who will represent the Nigerian music within and outside the country is being put together by Centage Savings and Loans Limited (Mortgage bankers) with Kennis Music, Nigeria’s foremost music label. The finance bank whose strong point includes a dynamic board comprising some Ex- Directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria has teamed up with Kennis Music to discover the best artiste in the country through a chain of nation- wide auditions. The eventual winner is expected to go home with a brand new Toyota Prado Jeep worth 7 million Naira, 2 million naira cash, a 10 million naira deal with Nigeria’s leading and most influential record label. This is not the first time Kennis Music will be involved in nurturing emerging winners from talent hunts. Since Star Quest debuted in 2002, the record label has consistently been involved one way or the other with the winners of the show. They have signed, released and promoted winners including KC Presh, Diamondz and The Pulse. ‘What can we say, our interest is making the Nigerian music industry boom, so when the responsibility is vested on us to see to it that we groom and nurture new acts, it actually means that we are recognized in and outside the industry as one a pathfinder and credible actor in the Nigerian music scene; Kenny Ogungbe says. Kennis music founded by Kenny Ogungbe is Africa’s number one record label. The record label has since inception signed acts like The Remedies, KSB, Lagbaja, OJB, 2face, Marvelous Benjy, Azadus, Sound Sultan, Baba Dee to mention a few. The basic objective of the Centage Superstar is to discover and promote young music Nigerian superstars. Every winner that emerges from each region goes back home with One million Naira, and an opportunity to represent his/her region in the grand finale in March 2010. The second prize is a Toyota Corolla and One Million Naira, while the third position goes home with Five hundred thousand Naira and a yet-to-be announced consolation prize. ‘It is the first time in the history of Nigeria that this will be happening’ the organizers told news men in Lagos. Also at stake for the contestants and member of the public is a house located in Abuja. Meanwhile, the official launch for the show held on Friday, June 12, 2008 at the Civic Centre, and the forms have started selling at all UBA, Intercontental and Centage branches across the country for three thousand five hundred naira. The launch event which was hosted by Basorge Tariah Junior was attended by the Crème-de-la- crème of Nigerian Entertainment industry including Stephanie Okereke, Susan Peters, Nneka Obi, Moji Dopesi, Kenny St. Brown and Weird MC, Sheyman & Dr Pat of Hotter Dan Fire fame. Others include; rapper Kel, DJ Zeez, Sound Sultan, D banj, Jesse Jags, Wande Coal and many others . Artistes like DJ Zeez, Weird MC, Diamondz, The Pulse, Yemi Sax and Dbanj thrilled fans with their various hits. The highest point of the show was the unveiling of the Centage Superstar after which Entertainer D banj mounted the stage and serenaded fans with hit songs from ‘Tongolo’ all the way to ‘Igwe’. He was not alone as new kid on the block Wande Coal also dished out hit singles from his debut album ‘M2M’ | | | |
|
ETCETERA CELEBRATES WITH CLASS
TJ on 06/27/2009 at 3:35pm (UTC) | | | Moving on after he was named winner of the Recording Of the Year Category at Hip hop World Awards in May 2009, Soft Rock Act, Etcetera shocked fans and the Entertainment industry as a whole when he teamed up with his record label X3M Music to throw the first ever black tie gig in the Nigerian Music scene. As usual, a black tie invitation calls for formal attire. Men wear tuxedos, women wear cocktail, long dresses or dressy evening separates. The event gave room for trendy interpretations of formal wears and the guests didn’t fall below expectation as they appeared in different hues of tuxedos and dresses. With a cocktail of drinks, spoken word, beautiful poetry and soft music, guests lounged and networked; spending the entire evening hob-nobbing, back slapping and exchanging banters. The high octane black tie gig which was well attended by the crème de la crème of the Nigerian music industry, media practitioners and artistes held at Black Pearl Restaurant, 10A, Akin Adesola Street , VI. ‘I feel so happy that people responded well to my gathering. It was just three hours of networking and banter but the impact it has on me is everlasting, and it is going to linger for a long time’, Etcetera told news men in Lagos. Hosted by Singer, Writer Tosyn Bucknor, the event recorded the presence of X3M boss Steve Babaeko, Kiss event’s Howie T, CEO of Hip hop world awards Ayo Animashaun, Singer Tosin Martins, GT the Guitar man, Weird MC, Rapper Terry tha Rapman, OD and Mode9. Others include Talent Manager Joice Ize-Iyamu, Rapper Kel, Singer H man, Big brother Nigeria alumnus Ebuka Obi- Uchendu, Writer cum publicist Ayeni Adekunle, Poet Sage Hasson, Ade Bantu, Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi, and many others. Pascal Ejikeme popularly known as Etcetera is a singer-song writer signed on X3M Music, a record label founded by Steve Babaeko. His self titled album ‘Etcetera’ was released in May, 2008 from which further singles like ‘This is not a song’, ‘Michelle’ and ‘ Biafra ’ were released. ‘The journey continues, this is just my starting point, and I am so glad that people now appreciate good music’ he says on a final note.
Etcetera is presently in the studio working on his yet-to-be- titled second album.’
| | | |
|
TIANI ALBUM LISTENING PARTY
TJ on 06/27/2009 at 3:34pm (UTC) | | | The Album Listening Party for the newest and most-anticipated Hip Hop artiste in Nigeria, Tiani is set to hold at one of Nigeria’s most famous hang-outs, Club Papas. After the signing-on ceremony held at the White House Hotel & Conference Centre, Ikeja on April 16th, 2009, it is time to unveil the artiste’s works for public scrutiny. According to Bob Kelly, General Manager of Wake Entertainment, the outfit handling the artist, it promises to be a fun-filled, revealing and interesting date to remember. A few surprises have been lined up for the event which will be preceded by a Red Carpet reception. The event featuring Bovi, De-Don, and GodBless & Eboni Band will also have guest appearances by Elvina Ibru, Gloria Ibru, Obukome Ibru, Mudi (of Mudi Creations) and comedian A.Y. Also, in a departure from what used to obtain, there will be live performances by the artiste, Tiani, as well as the GodBless & Eboni Band. The event will be hosted by the upwardly mobile impresario TV personality, Deji Falope. According to his image maker, Tunde Animashaun, better known as Tiani, is a Hip Hop artiste who is not new on the scene was born in Owo, Ondo state in the late 70s. After his primary and secondary school education in Akure, and at Victory Grammar School, ikeja respectively, he began to be influenced by music while in his teens as he was a member of the revered C.A.C Choir in Lagos. Subsequently, he joined a group called Tripple T & IE while studying at The Polytechnic, Ibadan in Oyo state. There, he performed at many shows, campus gigs et al. The pull of music was so much that he found it hard to combine it with academics but with doggedness, he scaled through successfully. Tiani possesses a drive that gears his performance at the same pace and he has the advantage of being able to perform with a live band instead of the usual practice whereby artistes perform with the aid of a deejay. While on stage, he is able to carry all his fans (both young and old) along with his style of performance. In the past, he had performed at series of campus gigs while in school and after school, he performed at a couple of shows to announce his readiness for the profession he so much loves. Afterwards, he delved into music full time. The big break came when he was invited to perform alongside Sunny Neji, Alariwo, X-Strangers etc at the 2004 and 2005 editions of the Miss Tourism in Abuja. He has also recorded a song with award-winning Ego, whose career started with back-ups for the masked one, Lagbaja, we gathered. | | | |
|
SOYINKA TURNS 75
TJ on 06/27/2009 at 3:33pm (UTC) | | | The Season of stage plays celebrating Professor Wole Soyinka, the Nobel Prize for Literature winner was birthed by the Lawyer/Playwright and Theatre Producer, Wole Oguntokun and first took place in July 2007. Collaborating with the British Council and the arts and cultural centre known as Terra Kulture, Oguntokun’s Jasonvision brought four plays written by Soyinka and one by Oguntokun himself. The plays were The Lion and the Jewel, Death and the King’s Horseman, Camwood on the leaves and The Jero plays. Oguntokun’s ‘Who’s afraid of Wole Soyinka? made up the celebration of that year. The month-long fiesta which performed to mammoth crowds took place over all the Sundays in July 2007 and was sponsored by Legacy Realties Ltd. In 2008, the 2nd Season of Soyinka took place at Terra Kulture, starting on the first Sunday of June and continuing till the last Sunday of July. It consisted of many of his sketches and his plays. This year, the 3rd Season has been slated for all the Sundays in June and July once more, and the venue once again is Terra Kulture. The project, now bigger than the previous two, is to celebrate Professor Soyinka’s 75th birthday. Short plays and sketches written by Soyinka will precede each play. These include- Babuzu Lion Heart, Death before Discourtesy, Childe Internationale, Obstacle race, Population Control, Go North Old Man, Priority Project, Symbolic Peace Symbolic Gifts, Home to Roost, Polling Booth, Press Conference and several others. The play slated for the first two Sundays in June are The Lion and The Jewel (June 7 & 14), while Death and the King’s Horseman (June 21 & 28) will be presented in the last two Sundays of that month. In the month of July, his plays to be presented are Madmen and Specialists (July 5 & 12) and Kongi’s Harvest (July 19 & 26). Each performance is slated for 3pm and 6pm through the Season. The directors for the 2009 edition of the Soyinka Season are Wole Oguntokun, Peter Ikunna, Sola Roberts Iwaotan and Sunkanmi Adebayo. The 3rd Annual Season of Wole Soyinka is produced by Wole Oguntokun. | | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Today, there have been 12 visitors (21 hits) on this page!
|
|
