New Edition to perform in Lagos and Port Harcourt, as Bobby dedicates gig to Whitney

Lagos| Nigeria It’s official! – Grammy award winning American musician Robert Barisford Brown (Bobby Brown) is coming to Nigeria for the first time ever. And he’s making the trip with his pop group New Edition!

The R&B Singer, Song writer and dancer confirmed his appearance for the high budget concert organized by R28 events in an audio statement released on Monday from his base in America. The concert is scheduled for Friday March 9 in Lagos and Sunday March 11, in Port Harcourt.

In the audio message, Bobby Brown confirms he’d be in Nigeria in March “We’ll be rocking the stage live in Nigeria live on March 9 and 11. Don’t you dare miss it.”

This is the first time New Edition will be performing in Nigeria, a city where they have millions of fans and followers.

According to their management, the former group members will travel to Nigeria with a crew of 50 band members and associates.

And as fans, the music industry and R&B lovers gear up for the event that has been tagged “The show of the year”, the organizers have confirmed that 2face, Banky W, Duncan Mighty are getting set to perform alongside the visiting group.

Other co-headliners include Omawumi, eLDee, Burna Boy and Modenine.

“Music fans who appreciate the quality of good musical performances will be thrilled by the collection of the finest musicians we are putting together, this is a concert you don’t want to miss,” Gbolahan Balogun MD of R28 Events says.

R28 Events is a Lagos-based events solutions company set up to deliver simple, insightful and creative solutions through events, experimental marketing and corporate hospitality. The company says they are organizing the two-city concert as a way of redefining the quality of events in the country. ‘This promises to be a world-class concert, not like anything you’ve seen here before. Both in terms of production, and the quality of talent…’

Bobby has been touring the world with his group New Edition since last year. Although he cancelled a performance in honor of Whitney Houston two weeks back, the event producers say “Bobby Brown considers performing as therapy to get him through a difficult time. He wrote to us last week that he’d like to do this concert in memory of Whitney, and we said fine”.

The Lagos and Port Harcourt concerts will be dedicated to Bobby’s ex-wife Whitney Houston who passed on February 11. 2012.

Brown was openly emotional at a show in Mississippi on Saturday February 11, 2012 following news of Houston’s death, then pulled out of a New Edition performance in Nashville on Sunday February 12, 2012 and flew to Los Angeles to be with his daughter.

New Edition is made up of Ronnie Devoe, Ricky Bell, Mike Bevins, Ralph Tresvant and Bobby Brown. The group’s hits include “Candy Girl“, “Cool It Now“, and “Mr. Telephone Man”

Produced by R28 events, the concert will hold at the Eko Hotel and Suites on Friday March 9, 2012 and at the Polo Club, Port Harcourt on Sunday March 11, 2012.

Nigeria's U.S-based actress, Chisom Oz-Lee

If the buzz around the movie, TOBI (a Nigerian flick shot in New York) is anything to go by, then the Nigerian movie industry might be on the verge of witnessing one of its most exciting cinematic episodes since the days of Ije and Unwanted Guest.

It therefore hardly came as a surprise when Nigeria’s flamboyant singer, Muma Gee recently expressed her unreserved anticipation and excitement towards watching the movie.

The gorgeous singer and recently made this known in a chat with Simply Samad noting that she was glad the countdown to the premiere had begun.

Previously, Mr. Nigeria 2007, Bryan Okwara had equally described the production of the TOBI, a Nigerian movie shot on the streets of New York as a remarkable feat for the producer, Emmanuel Ijeh and the nation as a whole.

Muma Gee’s marriage to Prince Eke finally took place in December 2011, after being shifted for her music video shoot in November.

Nigeria's U.S-based actor, Chet Anekwe

The drama in the movie, TOBI explores the consequences of what happens when 21-year-old Tobi (Mark Williams) bows to the dark side of gang pressure. In a flash, a seemingly morally upright young man gets caught in a web of violence, guns, bloodshed, drugs, parental expectations and conflicting voices in his head. Interestingly, the bond of brotherhood also stretches the thematic window of choices and sacrifice. The director, Bethels Agomuoh further bridges the gap between the Nollywood and Hollywood by shooting a Nigerian picture in the United States with a healthy blend of American and Nigerian cast.

TOBI been scheduled to premiere in Nigerian cinemas on April 13, 2012 and will feature a red carpet premiere in Lagos.

The movie is proudly supported by Silverbird Cinemas, Nigeria Films, Wazobia FM, STV, Blue Pictures, Emani Studios, AIT, City Mall, DSTV, ROK Productionz, Galaxy TV, Acada Magazine, Showbizhub247, Simply Samad MEDIA, Nollywood America, Swish Interactive and a growing list of others.

Synopsis

This drama explores the consequences of what happens when 21-year-old Tobi (Mark Williams) bows to the dark side of gang pressure. In a flash, a seemingly morally upright young man gets caught in a web of violence, guns, bloodshed, drugs, parental expectations and conflicting voices in his head. Interestingly, the bond of brotherhood also stretches the thematic window of choices and sacrifice. The director, Bethels Agomuoh further bridges the gap between the Nollywood and Hollywood by shooting a Nigerian picture in the United States with a healthy blend of American and Nigerian cast.

The ARISE Magazine Fashion Week – Lagos 2012 fashion extravaganza will run for an extended period of SIX days from Tuesday 6th March to Sunday 11th March 2012 in THREE tents on the grounds of the luxurious 5-Star Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria.

The much-anticipated designers selected to participate include:
Adama-Paris (Senegal/France), Amine Bendriouich Couture and BS (Germany/Morocco), Amrapali (India), Angelo Van Mol (Belgium/Ghana), Be-Grey (Nigeria), Bestow Elan (UK/Ghana), Bridget Awosika (Nigeria), Buki Akib (UK/Nigeria), CHICHIA (UK/Tanzania), Christie Brown (Ghana), CLAN (Nigeria), David David London (UK), Davida (Nigeria), Duaba Serwa (Ghana), Ejiro Amos Tafiri (Nigeria), Eki Orleans (UK/Nigeria), Frank Osodi (Nigeria), Funlayo Déri (UK/Nigeria), Gavin Rajah (South Africa), Gloria Wavamuno (Uganda), HOUSE of DIVAS (Nigeria), House of Farrah (Nigeria), House of Nwocha (Nigeria), ICONIC INVANITY (Nigeria), Imane Ayissi (France/Cameroon), Jacob Kimmie (UK/South Africa), Jewel by Lisa (Nigeria), Kastle Designs & Treasure Chest (USA/Ghana), Kaveke (Kenya/UK), Kevan Hall (USA), Kezia Frederick (UK/St.Lucia), Kiki Clothing (Ghana), Kinabuti (Italy), Klûk-CGDT (South Africa), Koke (Botswana/India), Korto Momolu (USA/Liberia), Lanre Da Silva Ajayi (Nigeria), LaQuan Smith (USA), Laurenceairline (France/Ivory Coast), Loza Maléomsho (USA/Ivory Coast), Madam Wokie’s Couture (Sierra Leone), Mai Atafo (Nigeria), Maki-Oh (Nigeria), Mataano (USA/Somalia), Meena (Nigeria), Mustafa Hassanali (Tanzania), NKWO (UK/Nigeria), Odio Mimonet (Nigeria), Okunoren Twins (Nigeria), Osman (UK), Paul Hervé ELISABETH (Martinique), Poisa (Kenya), Re Bahia (UK/Nigeria), Sandra Kennedy (Jamaica), Sandra Muendane (Mozambique/Portugal), Sunny Rose (Nigeria/UK), Taibo Bacar (Mozambique), the Vessel. By Lois (USA/Jamaica), Tiffany Amber (Nigeria), Timo Welland (USA/South Africa), Tsemaye Binitie (UK/Nigeria), U.Mi-1 (UK/Nigeria), Virgos Lounge (UK/Nigeria), Viv La Resistance (Nigeria), William Okpo (USA/Nigeria) and Zekaryas Solomon (Eritrea/UK).

ARISE will invite this year’s intake of 77 designers to participate in its fashion extravaganza from Tuesday 6th to Sunday 11th March 2012. The event will end on the night of Sunday 11th March 2012 with the spectacular ARISE Magazine Fashion Awards where each designer will hope to secure a Golden Ticket to showcase their designs at the Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week 2012 this September.
Award-winning New York-based producer, Kevin Krier & Associates and celebrated UK-based Inca Productions have been appointed AMFW 2012 show producers.

ARISE Magazine founder Nduka Obaigbena says: “There has been a surge of interest from around the world including major UK and American brands this year, following our successful inaugural event last year, which is why we have decided to give even more designers an opportunity to participate. The world has recognised that Nigeria has much to offer in the way of vibrancy and extraordinary talent in abundance making it the cultural capital of Africa. Once more we are proud to be associated with nurturing new designers from the vast continent – and continuing our support of those who are more well-known in Nigeria and in the Diaspora. . .”

Binta Shuaibu

Binta Shuaibu is the Creative Director of Vintage Colette (VC), a Kano based fashion house. She believes a woman can be conservative yet stylish, beautiful and very fashionable. Shuaibu won the MTN/British Council Young Designer Award for 2011 at the recently held MTN Lagos Fashion and Design Week in November last year. In this interview she shares her passion for fashion and other things. (Excerpt)

What does the word fashion mean to you?

Fashion means three basic things to me; comfortable, artistic and stylish. Fashion is a personal self expression that reflects the radiance from within one’s individuality.

How would you describe the Nigerian fashion industry as it is today?

The Nigerian fashion industry has really improved over the decades and is still on the verge for more improvement. Nigeria is a country with a lot of talented and creative minds. The last decade has unveiled a lot of potentials from the Nigerian fashion industry featuring in the most famous fashion shows in the world.

What are the kinds of fabrics you work with?

Most times I work with silk, cotton and some other fabrics but usually Nigerian, African and western fabrics.

What is your personal style?

My personal style is simple and artistic.

Tell us a little about your background, education, career and how your fashion career started?

I am an indigene of Gombe state but was born and raised in Kano State. I attended St. Louis primary and secondary schools in Kano. I studied Biochemistry and also had my Cisco certified networking academy course from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. After serving in FCT I got married and moved back to Kano where I enrolled at Alliance francaise and obtained an equivalent degree certificate in French language. I then enrolled for a Masters course in International Affairs and Diplomacy (MIAD) at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria which I completed earlier last year that is 2011.

My fashion career was something that started as a hobby from the age of eight when I watched the late Maryam Babangida on television. I began sketching and my fashionable parents also helped me with styling my wardrobe and dressing smartly from a tender age. At the age of 13, my mum sent me to a tailoring school at the women’s centre in FCT for a three month course. I didn’t like the classes because I preferred the cookery classes and also because I was the youngest in the class and was constantly teased by the other women that my parents sent me there because they had plans of marrying me off as soon as I completed my secondary school. They teased me and said I was going to be a tailor in the future. I hated going for the classes.

I eventually continued to sketch as a hobby for myself, family and friends but stopped after a while because people thought my designs were too eccentric. Later on, after having a baby I decided to continue without worrying so much about what others thought. I simply focused on what I felt from the inside and put it down on a piece of paper.

Asides fashion and designing what are your other interest?

Before auditioning for the MTN LFDW, I only worked as an event planner and also did some creative writing. I was asked at the audition how I joggle all that up with family life and my designs too. It is quite simple actually for me because everything I do is creative and I get inspirations from all over. Life itself is also creative from my own perspective. Fashion design is something I have always done effortlessly but I now intend to take it up as a full career and give it my best shot.

What would you say inspires your work, that is, your designs?

I derive my inspiration from the simplest things to the most complicated. It could be architectural, nature based, art or lifestyle.

How do you keep fit?

My personal regimen for keeping fit is dieting and a high metabolic rate which by the way I think is genetic. The combination of these two things helps me keep in shape.

What is your area of specialisation in fashion designing and why do you focus on that aspect of designing?

My area of specialisation at the moment is haute couture. It a bit complex while putting together because of the amount of detailing involved in creating one dress but it’s something I am passionate about and well worth it at the end. I absolutely love it.

Why do you feel you can make success out of a career in fashion and just how confident are you about this?

I am very confident that I would make a wonderful career out of the fashion industry because I am hardworking, and also a perfectionist. From the age of 8, my primary school teacher thought me a poem by Mamman J. Vasta that ended with the words ‘from beginning to end must leave nothing pending’. I have always entwined these words into my daily life and career as a human being, the results have always left me with a smile on my face.

Vintage Colette is the name of your fashion label, when and how did you come about the name?

Vintage Colette is the brand name I came up with for my design house which infuses the use of Vintage designs with contemporary concepts to make any woman between the ages of 19-55 feeling comfortable, stylish and sexy without revealing too much. A woman can be conservative yet stylish, sexy and fashionable without indecent exposure.

What is your take on love, marriage and relationship?

I think it’s best to be married to your friend and someone who deeply understands you. Love is an important ingredient in the equation but in the long run it’s those two things that keep a relation or marriage going.

Locally and internationally, who are some of the people you consider your role models?

Late Maryam Babangida, my parents, Ituen Basi, Coco Chanel, Balenciaga, John Galliano, Elie Saab, Karl Lagerfeld and Oscar de la Renta.

How do you unwind?

I hang out with my close friends and family. Sometimes we go to the movies but generally I enjoy hang outs with my family and close friends.

How do you balance your personal life, home and family with your job?

The same with every woman with an ambitious drive, it’s hectic, but I’m neither the first nor the only woman in this position. I enjoy the full support of my family on this job, adjusting might be tough initially. If there’s anything I’ve come to learn in my few years of experience is that eventually things work out and you’ll reap the fruit of your labour.

What are your dreams and aspirations for Vintage Colette?

You can bet I’m already dreaming big because the journey towards a wonderful career has just begun. My vision is that in a few years from now Vintage Colette would be on all the continents in the world and it all started from the MTN Lagos Fashion and Design Week 2011 competition.

-By Niyi Tabiti

niyi@gistmaster.com

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His Mudi label has gained grounds in East, West and South Africa and he makes clothes for all celebrities and all classes of people in the continent. Like I always reiterate, O’jez Entertainment Awards was instituted to celebrate Nigerians that have distinguished themselves in their fields of endeavours. Consequently, we are celebrating Mudi on February 26 here at the only celebrity restaurant in Nigeria, for his achievements so far while encouraging him to strive more.”
O’jez and Evergreen bands will be on call to dish out soul lifting highlife tunes to Mudi and other invited guests while comedians MC Shakara, Elenu and compere Charles Inojie will all entertain the award recipient. Odobeatu said: “O’jez Entertainment Awards is fast carving out a niche for itself as one of the industry’s most credible awards.

It is given on merit to well deserving people in the society, it is not solicited for and cannot be bought like some many awards around that is why someone like Prof. Wole Soyinka, Prof. Femi Osofisan, Bahorun Dele Momodu, Ken Calebs Olumese, and Alhaji Bamanga Tukur among many others can proudly display our plaques in their homes and offices.

For over a decade now, we have consistently given this monthly award, (I don’t think there is any monthly award around) to achievers in the society. A time will soon come that if you are an achiever and you have not received the O’jez awards, you are not yet an achiever because the awards committee made up of people like Nollywood actors Zach Orji, Ejike Asiegbu, Charles Inojie and media lobbyist Justin Akpovi-Esade among many others ensures the right person is chosen monthly.

I am proud of the O’jez awards,” Odobeatu said.
Mudi in accepting the nomination for the awards in a statement posted on his Media Company, Media Image Managers’ website; www.mymediaimage.net and Facebook page, Media Image Managers, said he was indeed honoured to be O’jez’s award recipient for February. “I am honoured and I feel proud to be nominated for the O’jez Entertainment Awards.

I have attended same awards ceremony in the past where others were celebrated but I never knew it would be my turn. Truth is, I feel proud that some group of people somewhere are taking note of what others are doing and have decided to recognise these efforts. I will have to cut short my trip overseas to be here in person to receive this award.”
The show is expected to start by 7.30pm.

Tuface proposed to Annie Macaulay at Jay Jay Okocha’s Club.The Cross River state born Annie was moved to tears as she galdly accepted to marry the singer.

Already, she has a baby for the Tuface. Pero Adeniyi another woman in the life also has two children for him and she is expecting the third one in the US. Sumbo Ajaba, another mistresss of Tuface has two children for him. There are speculations that the singer has another baby from another woman.

-By Niyi Tabiti

SIMPLY GRETA 2012
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