ZMIRAGE TAKES MAMA AFRICA TO CAPE TOWN
By popular demand, Miriam Makeba: Mama Africa the Musical returns to its home base -Cape Town - this week courtesy of the United Kingdom office of the Lagos-based ZMirage Multimedia Company led by the ace theatre technician and producer, TejuWasee Kareem.
The production, which premiered in Cape Town mid last year, is coming up at the The Artscape Theatre Centre after its intensive tour of Missouri and New York last October.
The story of the life and career of the Grammy-award winning singer and civil rights activist, is delightfully told in the musical, written/directed by Niyi Coker Jnr, winner of Washington DC Kennedy Centre Award for directing. Coker is the E. Desmond Lee Distinguished Professor of African/AfricanAmerican Studies, Theatre & Cinema Arts at the University of Missouri, Saint Louis.
The cross-continental cultural project, Mama Africa TheMusical, started three years ago as a collaboration between the University of Missouri, St. Louis USA, and the University of Cape Town, South Africa with the collaboration of the ZM Makeba Trust.
INTRODUCING GWILZ
He is hot, fresh and daring. He is the one-man riot squad who cannot wait to give all the major rappers in Nigeria a run for their money.
Not caring whose ox is gored, he says to everyone’s hearing “I am Gwilz. I am the King of the Word, the ToastmasterGeneral and the Minister of Rap. I am lyrically licensed to kill!”
Hopefully, Gwilz will soon get girls everywhere swoon his music of Gwilz and recite his lines. Gwilz is an exceptional talent. He knows how to weave words together and create unique impressions. Gwilz has the uncanny ability to start a rap line in uppity English, swing to Igbo, pivot to Yoruba, come back to pidgin while keeping the beat pumping.
Gwilz is an original street boy and he has the scars to prove it. Not too long ago, he was a barber, cutting fancy hairstyles in the Egbeda area of Lagos.
“I do what I have to do and say what I have to say. I grew up wanting to be a very good dancer but dancing in Egbeda was highly discouraging, so I gave all to music, irrespective of what everyone said to me. I am the third child of my parents and I have strived hard to become somebody in order to avoid mediocrity. At this point, I don’t think there is any amount of discouragement that can break this wedlock of my music and me,” said Gwilz
For several months, the unique sound of Gwilz, a Libra born on October 1, Nigeria’s Independence Day, has been cooked in the TOPS kitchen.
LIGHT WILL COME PREMIERES
It was indeed a parade of who-is-who in Nollywood as celebrities and top notch actors stormed the exquisite Silverbird Galleria, Victoria Island, Lagos for the premiere of a new movie,
Light Will Come.
Leading the pack of the cast was screen diva, Mercy Johnson-Okojie, who plays Viola, a hooker with a tough exterior and heart of gold. Resplendent in her black shimmering dress, she looked gorgeous on the red carpet. Also, Nuella Njubigbo, Eniola Badmus, Shaffy Bello, Ada Ameh, Rahama Sadau, and Hafiz Oyetoro (Saka) all cast members brilliantly at the event. Ashawo singer, Flavour, was not left behind as he breezed in half way to the premiere. Other guests at the occasion include star actress, Princess, Roy Murray Bruce, Jonathan Murray Bruce, and Gabosky to mention a few.
Written, directed and produced by Tchidi Chikere, Light Will Come is distributed by Silverbird Film Distribution Limited.
The movie tells the story of Lukas (Hafiz Oyetoro), a bumbling and comical Personal Assistant to his chronic bachelor boss, Raymond (Majid Michel). Raymond’s parents mandated him to get married and the desperate search together with Lukas to find the ideal woman his elite parents would approve of goes wrong repeatedly.
Time is running out on Raymond and he secretly engages the services of an escort agency that presents Jessica (Nuella Njubigbo) to pose as his fiancée, but the plan ends in disaster. There comes Viola (Mercy Johnson) who agrees to the plan but there’s a snag, as they are both from different worlds. The web of deceit is continuously spun before Raymond’s parents until something finally goes wrong… And add to all these, is Lukas, who has to contend with his domineering and abusive wife, Aisha (Eniola Badmus), who takes delight in physically assaulting him at home.
FAKE HOUSEMATES BRING INTRIGUES TO BBN HOUSE
Not a few ardent followers of the reality show, Big Brother Naija believed the two new housemates; Debbie Rise and Bassey would be the last the surprise in the Big Brother Naija house. No one knew Biggie had so much up his sleeves. During the live eviction show; Big Brother again introduced two new housemates Jon and Ese. But they are both fake housemates.
Now in its fourth week, the tempo has not slowed down. Viewers are excited over the new twists. Social media platforms are on fire, regardless of the fact that the new housemates are there solely to spice up the drama and possibly break up the cliques and alliances and perhaps forge new ones. It is the general opinion that the game is beginning to take a more intriguing dimension and only those who know how to turn with the tide will survive it.
At last Saturday’s party, housemates may have been a little tipsy from all the alcohol supplied by Biggie. This emboldened them to again embark on the ‘Truth or Dare’ game that require them to tell that truth about a question asked or dare them to do something crazy. This time around, CoCoIce who was eventually evicted was dared and without wasting much time, she unzipped her dress and proceeded to respond to the dare which sent the internet on a melt-down.
So far, the game has been exciting and keeping viewers glued to their TV screens. When you think it is becoming predictable, Biggie throws in a twist and creates more suspense for viewers. After the eviction of CoCoIce, the female rapper in the house, two new housemates, Jon, an artist and Ese, an actress/comedienne were introduced to the amazement of housemates. Ese and Jon’s mission is to create even more drama and give housemates a run for the N25 million prize money. Unbeknownst to the other housemates, the new guys are not in the game for the ultimate prize; they are there to infuse confusion and possibly evoke deeper emotions from other housemates and hey, who says winning N25 million is going to be an easy task?
During the diary session with housemates, Biggie asked what they thought about the new housemates. It was a unanimous view that Ese is giving Bisola a run for her money on who the loudest housemate is. Winning the task of the week and getting the Head of House title made it an arduous task for anyone to relegate Ese, who is beginning to hold sway. Ese herself has been quite assertive and playing the game with gusto. She is surely one of the ladies to look out for.
As for the guys, it is obvious that cute Jon is a threat. Although he assured Ebuka he was not going to be another ‘Miyonse’, he is already very close to TBoss. It is the general opinion that she may be missing Miyonse very much, which is why she is attracted to the light-skinned Jon. Jon says his sight is set on Bally who has been very quiet and coasting slowly to the finish line. Bally is confident so much so that he has not put his Green Card to use. This gives credence to Jon’s observations. With the current chemistry between him and TBoss, one wonders if Jon will be focused on his mission or if he will be distracted by a pretty lady.
#BREAKFREEFLASHMOB SURPRISES SHOPPERS
It was such a spectacle at the Ikeja City Mall on Friday, when dozens of young people orchestrated a flash mob with a ‘BreakFree’message, urging shoppers to break free from situations that limit them from actualizing their full potential.
The campaigners who wore shirts with the inscription: #BreakFree, held manypeople spellbound as shoppers stood to watch in amazement. There was dancing, singing, and some comic display whilethe spectators, who were thoroughly entertained, took photographs and recorded video clips with their mobile devices.
It remains unknown what the #BreakFree campaign is all about, many who witnessed the show said they believed it must be associated with something revolutionary, which they look forward to.
“This is very inspirational. They are motivating us to break free from things that hold us bound. So it’s a good message. I just don’t know who is behind this and what they want to achieve but they have entertained us and challenged us to break free. I’m going to sit down and think deeply to identify the things I need to break free from in order to live a life fulfilling life,” Deborah Adetutu, who came to shop at the mall, said.
When asked, one of the campaigners, Collins Abudu, said the #BreakFree campaign is aimed at empowering Nigerians to live in freedom, having the power to make their choices in life.
“This is about encouraging Nigerians to live outside the box and explore the various opportunities that they have in life.” he said.
The unique flashmob has since gone viral after it was published on social media.