African Entertainment
May 13th

My path to lovely hair

By Queen B
Hello ladies,
I have been meaning to do this for a while, I have been quite busy and apologise.  Thank you all for joining this group.
I will share my path to the natural hair I have today, please feel free to share your own stories, comments and suggestion regarding products you find on http://www.beehivehair.co.uk/

I started my hair journey at a very young age, my mother permed (relaxed) my hair.....MISTAKE!  I started my struggle with relaxers in secondary school.  No matter what products I tried I just couldn't get my hair straight enough!  I even used a product call GLATT (I think that's what it was called) to make my hair seem longer.
Ladies, I need you to feel my pain!
On moving to the UK it seemed my problem just got worse, my hair was in the worst state it had ever been in and now I had an even wider selection of products to KILL my hair with.
At this stage I was not even sure what hair colour I was born with.

I continued perming, straightening and now I can't explain why.....I never did wear my natural hair in public. I always had weaves or braids.

I started losing my hairline (gasps). 

I took my husband to Nigeria in 2007; (first time in Africa for him) had my hair in what I thought was a bad ass weave.  I had told the hairdresser to make the weaving tight and the sewing on of the hair weft even tighter as I wanted it to last for the entire holiday.  To my horror 10 days into the trip I was styling this bad ass hair when RIIIIIIIIIIIP an entire line came off taking the full perimeter of my natural hair with it!  I had enough...I am shaving my head I screamed! ...and yes I did it. (Check one of my pics I had cut my hair off)
On my return to the Uk it was my mission to grow the hair God gave me (I discovered my natural hair colour is black not various shades of brown and orange lol).
I stumbled on an article by Tyra Banks.... "Full lace wigs".  So that's how they did it! Hating all these black celebrities for years, wondering why God gave them that hair, and they are all full lace wig units.  Oprah, Whitney, Beyonce, Tyra, Lil Kim, all of them had deceived me.
Well not for long, now I have my own stash...he he he he he he he (laughs like Dracula).
So now I have my long full natural African hair...the units allowed me to leave it alone and let it grow!
So now I rock my Afro in different styles (see the mohawk pics), and rock units as well. Goodbye bad hair days!

I set up my business to give every woman an option. A big thanks to all my clients. 
A properly applied full lace wig unit will stay in position for up to 6 weeks (I only leave mine on for 2-3).
So please share your hairs successes and disasters with us all.

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MAC COSMETICS.   COMMING SOON!

PS.. I have uploaded some videos.....comment, comment, comment, ladies!
4 Comments
May 12th

Grace, Grace and more Grace

By Lady Eno
Grace comes free of charge to people who do not deserve it and I am one of those people. I think back to not too long ago to who I was-resentful, wound tight with anger, a single hardened link in a long chain of ungrace learned from family and church. Now I am trying in my own small way to pipe the tune of grace. I do so because I know, more surely than I know anything that any pang of healing or forgiveness or goodness I have ever felt comes solely from the grace of God.

 I long for the church of Christ to become a nourishing culture of that Grace. I sometime let my mind wander and imagine a world without any forgiveness. What would happen if every child bore grudges against his or her parent, and every family passed down feuds to future generations? I let my imagination run further, to a world in which every former colony harbours grudges against its former imperial power, and every race hates every race, and every tribe battles its rivals all if all of history’s grievance amass behind every contact of nation, race and tribe. I get depressed when I imagine such a scene because its seems so close to history as it now exist. As a Jewish philosopher Hannah Arendt said, the only remedy for inevitability of history is forgiveness; otherwise, we remain trapped in the predicament of irreversibility. Not to forgive imprisons me in the past and locks out all potential for change. I thus yield control to another, my enemy and doom myself to suffer the consequence of the wrong.


We forgive not merely to fulfil some higher law of morality; we do it for ourselves. As Lewis Smedes points out “the first and often the only person to be healed by forgiveness is the person who does the forgiving. When we genuinely forgive we set a prisoner free and then discover that the prisoner we set free was us. More often than that not forgiveness is directly connected with grace, if one does not have grace it is impossible to separated the wrong from the doer. A friend of mine questions whether forgiveness of those who have not repented makes sense. This man daily sees the result of evil from child abuse, drugs, violence and prostitution “if I know something is wrong and forgive without addressing the wrong what am I doing? He asks “I am potentially enabling rather than freeing”. My opinion is that Justice has a good, righteous and rational kind of power. The power of grace is different: unworldly, transforming, supernatural. Grace is unmerited, undeserved favour that roll away burden of guilt. The New Testament shows a resurrected Jesus leading peter by the hand through a three-fold ritual of forgiveness, after all he did Jesus knew peter didn’t need to go through life as the one who betrayed the son of God.

Forgiveness breaks the cycle of blame and loosens the stranglehold of guilt, its accomplishes these two things through a remarkable linkage placing the forgiver on the same side as the party who did the wrong. Does grace apply to a helpless child who was abused? Is the message of grace relevant to man who was wrongly imprisoned twenty years for a crime he didn’t commit? It must be, or black South Africa, Yugoslavia will have no hope of living together. As so many abused children learn, without forgiveness we cannot free ourselves from the grip of the past, this same principle applies to all circumstance and it can only be done if you see like God sees, God loves us regardless of ourselves, nothing you do can separate us from his love, I have come to this one understanding that when we sin, we hurt ourselves but God in his infinite grace is always ever willing to forgive us.


There is one catch to grace that I must mention in the words of C.S.Lewis, “God gives where he finds empty hands”. A man whose hands are full of parcels can’t receive a gift; grace in other words must be received. Lewis explains that grace abusers stems from confusion of condoning and forgiving, to condone evil is simply to ignore it, to treat it as if it is good. But forgiveness needs to be accepted as well as offered if it is to be complete; and a person who admits no guilt can accept no forgiveness. There are two types of guilty people; the ones who acknowledge their wrong and the ones who expect the offended to understand their point of view. These two groups of people are converging in a scene recorded in John 8. The incident takes place in the temple court where Jesus is teaching, a group of Pharisees and teachers of the law interrupt this church service by dragging in a woman caught in adultery, adultery takes two, but the woman stands alone before Jesus. John makes its clear that the accusers have less interest in punishing a crime than in setting a trap for Jesus, and quite a clever trap it is. Moses’ law specifies death by stoning for adultery, yet Roman law forbids the Jews from carrying out execution; will Jesus obey Moses or Rome? All eyes fixed on Jesus at that moment Jesus does something unique he bends down and writes on the ground with his finger. John does not tell us what Jesus wrote on the ground. In his movie of the life of Jesus, Cecil B. Demille depicts him spelling out the names of various sins; adultery, murder, pride, greed, lust. Each time Jesus writes a word a few Pharisees file away. Thus in a brilliant stroke Jesus replaces the two assumed categories; self righteous and guilty (sinners who admit their sins and sinners who deny. Far more problematic were people like the Pharisees who denied or repressed guilt, they too needed hands empty for grace.

 I sincerely believe those who find it hard to forgive others and move on are the ones who cannot forgive themselves when they do wrong. If a person believes in God’s grace they will forgive people and move on. As much as we sometimes try to over look this, but Grace is very vital if you want to work in love.
5 Comments
May 12th

What is a Mother??

By queen
She is someone who gives and cares and works and worries and dreams and plans and rushes and hurries and does the imposible all year long...
and she is officially recognized one day a year.
She is someone who keeps going and giving and running around and putting out fires and caring and helping...saving the day...even though she doesn't get the praise she deserves.
she is someone we'd never make it without..sooo many times the last to be thanked, but always first in our hearts.

My mother is special to me...

What about you????
4 Comments
May 10th

Nollywood Child Actors vs Hollywood Child Actors

By Ms Akos
In Hollywood we have uncountable and numerous child actors - such as Dakota Fanning  and Tatum Oneal (oscar at age 10)

I watch a lot of black and white movies and sometimes when i see child actors from the 60's such as
- Hayley Mills (Parents Trap)
- Shirley Temple (oscar at age 6) 

Then from the 80s and 90s we got the
- Drew Barrymore (uncountable movies as a child)
- Raven Symone (was phenomenal child actress in Cosby Show as Olivia)
- Keshia Knight Pulliam
- Olsen Twins (Mary Kate and Ashley)
etc etc

In Black Hollywood we have young actors who have now grown into successful teen such as
- Keke Palmer (Akeelah and the Spelling Bee)
- Journee Smollet (Eves Bayou and the Great Debaters)

i find it amazing how they were able to intepret their roles like that. I remember years ago (around mid 80s) watching a movie starring Angelina Jolies dad Jon Voight and a then 9yr old actor Ricky Schroder - it was called "The Champ" (released in 1979). I was utterly butterly AMAZED! by Ricky Schroders acting.

The story was about Billy Flynn, an ex box champion, is now horse trainer in Hialeah. He makes just enough money to raise his little boy T.J. over which he got custody after his wife Annie left him seven years ago. T.J. worships The Champ who is now working on his come-back in order to give his boy a better future. But suddenly Annie shows up again

Ricky Schroder at age 9 played his role so damn well in a scene where he accompanies his dad to one of his boxing matches and something happens- that scene was unbelievable, I cried my eyes out uncontrollably. I forgot i was watching a movie - i promise you - u will ball ya eyes out if you watch this movie. Here is a link to memorable quotes from that movie

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078950/quotes

The kids from Slumdog Millonaires did a good job for first time actors. I was very impressed.

One of my all time favourite actors is Leonardo Dicaprio (and no its not because of  lovey dovey romantic Titanic) - I had never seen or heard of him before until  i first watched a movie of him (i think he was 19yrs old) titled "Whats eating Gilbert Grape" (1993 release) where he plays a retard.

For months on end, i was 100% convinced Leonardo was indeed Retarded in real life to have played that role and thus thinking "Oh oyibos in hollywood are kind enough to give equal opportunity for even disable people to play a role in their movie.) No one could tell me different until i recognised his face again in another movie - I was shocked.

And from that day onwards Leonardo DiCaprio became my number 1 hollywood white actor (and thus why i have boycotted Oscars Shows until they give him one - he is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay overdue - how long would  it take before they give him his oscar due - they shoulda given it to him for Titanic or even Gilbert Grape)

I guess one of the reasons are child actors are not so experienced as their HOllywood conterparts  is cos they dont have the experience or training  and "Acting" is still not "fully" respected nor accepted by our (west) african parents and as such auditions or any extra curricular training for a child whilst still in school is not seen as important. Becoming a doctor, lawyer, engineer or banker is all that is foremost in their mentality of success - anything else is secondary. 

There are many and numerous success stories of hollywood successful actors who still have degrees under their belt from great Ivy League Schools and at the same time doing well with acting in Hollywood.

Thank God in the last few years it seems "some parents" or our society are finally warming up to their adult children acting in Nollywood movies. There is hope for change.

I have so much hopes and aspiration for our african movies and actors and i hope our society or african parents are able to embrase creative arts such as acting for our youth, even at young ages. It is still possible for these kids to go through school and with their education and still train as successful actors and be successful at both.

Though i cringe hearing most of our child actors intepret their roles in Nollywood movies - which always sound so rehearsed, however there are four Nollywood Child Actors whose performance are memorable to me are as follows (i dont know their names per se)

- Blood Sisters (The young girl who played Omotola's daughter)
- Romantic Attraction (RMDs daughter - her name is Sharon ???)
- Alice my First Lady (the young girl who played Alice's daughter)
- Prophecy (the young girl who played Genevieve's Daughter)
 (unfortunately i dont have any memorys for young boy actors)

QUESTION:
If you are an african parent and your gifted child showed interest in acting, would you encourage them.  If not why?

I would like to pose this question to all and particularly those already in the industry (actors and actresses)
0 Comments
May 9th

Koko mansion: forms now out!

By Habeeb
At last, young Nigerian girls that have been enthusiastic about getting into the famous Koko Mansion, now have the opportunity to do so. A statement signed by HiTV’s Public Relations Manager, Justin Akpovi-Esade, revealed that the road leading to Koko Mansion, a reality show, is now a click away as revealed by Morayo Aka-Bashorun, HiTV’s Business Development and Sales Manager.

All, the potential Kokolette needs to do, Aka-Bashorun said, is to “walk into any GTBank branch nationwide and pay the sum of N5, 000 (five thousand naira only) into the Koko Mansion Account. The Kokolette is advised to keep her teller number for registration. She 

should thereafter key in theteller number and GTBank branch number on the kokomansion.tv website which will make her have access to the application forms.” She continued: “In case she is without her portrait, she has an option to either save her data or cancel the application until she's back with her portrait, which she downloads on her form. After application, she clicks on Submit and it is sent to the IBST officer.

GTBank sends us a daily list of confirmed payment, which we forward to IBST. Only applicants whose payment have been verified are contacted via email and advised to look out in the newspapers to know when we'll be coming to their neighbourhood for screening.

There will however be auditions in three zones, Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt cities,” Aka-Bashorun said. Meanwhile, barely a day after the release of the application procedures, hundreds of applications have been received. Aka-Bashorun reacts: “I am not surprised, when an idea is a brilliant one that will eventually impact positively on the society, people do not have a choice than to embrace it, that is Koko Mansion.” She cleared the air on some perceived notions about the show billed to start very soon. “I want to state that this show is not about looking for a wife for D’banj, no, it is about the search for an ideal African woman with the right qualities that a man is looking for.”

Koko Mansion revolves around the quest of 12 beautiful, talented girls that will live in a mansion for eight weeks, to become the ideal Kokolette (wife). The Mansion is situated in an undisclosed area in Lagos. Hip hop superstar D’banj will play a vital role in the oncoming show.

In these weeks, the young women will be groomed and tested in various activities in order to determine the one with the greatest Koko Virtues, worthy of being a wife –a Kokolette. Also, the Actors Guild of Nigeria is the first body to endorse the show being packaged by HiTV, Nigeria and Africa’s fastest growing satellite company. The Guild through its president, popular actor Ejike Asiegbu, has described Koko Mansion as the biggest thing that will happen in the entertainment horizon this year. The show is expected to begin in June.
8 Comments
May 6th

Nigeria ....Which ....Way?......

By kojak

“Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country” JFK - January 20th 1961 –“

The average American is fanatical about their country and will die protecting and promoting it which could explain why American is a great nation (whether you are anti American or not, it still is a great nation). Now let us explore this fact in a little detail.

Citizenship is defined as a covenant or agreement between a citizen and a country where by the former agrees to abide by the laws of the country, protect and promote her as necessary amongst other things. The country on the hand provides protection, where possible a welfare system, good governance, health care, law /order and other relevant amenities and services.

America as a nation has always kept its own side of the covenant (arguably to a fault sometimes) and the citizens have reciprocated which is why most Americans are very fanatical in the way they talk about their country and will go to any length to protect it..

I refer to a book  written (over twenty five years ago)  by the Late Amino Kano - PDP Presidential candidate in the second Nigerian republic, titled “the trouble with Nigeria” in which after a few chapters of analysing the issues we have had since independence, the aftermath of colonialism etc he concluded that the trouble with Nigeria is  leadership.

I completely agree with the late Amino Kano we have never had true and responsible leadership and that my fellow Nigerians may well be our cross to bear.

I am suggesting, in fact I am stating, here and now  that it is about time that we take our destiny in our hands and stop blaming our failings as a country on colonialism, tribalism, religion etc .

Nigeria is blessed with very intelligent people, mineral resources (to include oil, gas deposits,, cocoa and many others), however we have always lacked charismatic, focused, dedicated and committed leadership which will continue to hinder us as a nation in realising our true potential.

 I challenge any one to carry out an experiment, pick out ten of the most reputable organisations in the world to work in and I dare say that you will find a significant percentage of Nigerians or (of Nigerian descent) in these organisations and in well established positions of authority taking decisions that affect many lives on a daily basis.

I mentioned earlier that citizenship is a covenant between a citizen and a country. We as citizens need to ensure that in whatever little way, we are contributing in promoting and protecting our country. From the trader who goes to china and buys substandard products to sell to his fellow countrymen(especially poisonous healthcare products) to the supplier who is awarded a contract to supply cement in the building of a primary school. We all need to lend a hand in developing our beloved country

We as Nigerians need to stand up and say enough is enough, I am somebody and I am a proud Nigerian.

In my view the problems with Nigeria are as follows;

·        Irresponsible Leadership

·        Large scale bribery & corruption even at the highest quarters of government

·        Tribalism and nepotism

·        Lack of moral values

·        The quest for wealth by whatever means necessary

Each of us as individuals have to contribute in ensuring that our nation is a great nation, the true giant of Africa offering leadership to other smaller African nations who look to Nigeria as a country for guidance

From ensuring that whatever service you provide, the job that you do, you execute it in such a way that you are contributing in your own little way in creating a better Nigerian society both for the present and next generation. Carry out our work diligently; strive for the best in any service we provide, emphasis should be on quality and deliverables.

In Martin Luther King’s words, I have a dream that one day, we will vote in, a charismatic, focussed, intelligent and wise leadership. I have a dream that one day this great thing that happened in America that brought Obama to power will happen in Nigeria. And on that fateful day, together with our renewed attitude to strive for the best for our country, we will create an even greater nation.

Next week I will put my thoughts to pen again, this time on South Africa and their recent elections.

Remain blessed and have a good day.

Kojak – United Kingdom – 04/05/09

1 Comments
May 5th

Nigeria ....Which ....Way?......

By kojak

Nigeria ....Which ....Way?......

“Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country” JFK - January 20th 1961 –“

The average American is fanatical about their country and will die protecting and promoting it which could explain why American is a great nation (whether you are anti American or not, it still is a great nation). Now let us explore this fact in a little detail.

Citizenship is defined as a covenant or agreement between a citizen and a country where by the former agrees to abide by the laws of the country, protect and promote her as necessary amongst other things. The country on the hand provides protection, where possible a welfare system, good governance, health care, law /order and other relevant amenities and services.

America as a nation has always kept its own side of the covenant (arguably to a fault sometimes) and the citizens have reciprocated which is why most Americans are very fanatical in the way they talk about their country and will go to any length to protect it..

I refer to a book  written (over twenty five years ago)  by the Late Amino Kano - PDP Presidential candidate in the second Nigerian republic, titled “the trouble with Nigeria” in which after a few chapters of analysing the issues we have had since independence, the aftermath of colonialism etc he concluded that the trouble with Nigeria is  leadership.

I completely agree with the late Amino Kano we have never had true and responsible leadership and that my fellow Nigerians may well be our cross to bear.

I am suggesting, in fact I am stating, here and now  that it is about time that we take our destiny in our hands and stop blaming our failings as a country on colonialism, tribalism, religion etc .

Nigeria is blessed with very intelligent people, mineral resources (to include oil, gas deposits,, cocoa and many others), however we have always lacked charismatic, focused, dedicated and committed leadership which will continue to hinder us as a nation in realising our true potential.

 I challenge any one to carry out an experiment, pick out ten of the most reputable organisations in the world to work in and I dare say that you will find a significant percentage of Nigerians or (of Nigerian descent) in these organisations and in well established positions of authority taking decisions that affect many lives on a daily basis.

I mentioned earlier that citizenship is a covenant between a citizen and a country. We as citizens need to ensure that in whatever little way, we are contributing in promoting and protecting our country. From the trader who goes to china and buys substandard products to sell to his fellow countrymen(especially poisonous healthcare products) to the supplier who is awarded a contract to supply cement in the building of a primary school. We all need to lend a hand in developing our beloved country

We as Nigerians need to stand up and say enough is enough, I am somebody and I am a proud Nigerian.

 

In my view the problems with Nigeria are as follows;

·         Irresponsible Leadership

·         Large scale bribery & corruption even at the highest quarters of government

·         Tribalism and nepotism

·         Lack of moral values

·         The quest for wealth by whatever means necessary

Each of us as individuals have to contribute in ensuring that our nation is a great nation, the true giant of Africa offering leadership to other smaller African nations who look to Nigeria as a country for guidance

From ensuring that whatever service you provide, the job that you do, you execute it in such a way that you are contributing in your own little way in creating a better Nigerian society both for the present and next generation. Carry out our work diligently; strive for the best in any service we provide, emphasis should be on quality and deliverables.

In Martin Luther King’s words, I have a dream that one day, we will vote in, a charismatic, focussed, intelligent and wise leadership. I have a dream that one day this great thing that happened in America that brought Obama to power will happen in Nigeria. And on that fateful day, together with our renewed attitude to strive for the best for our country, we will create an even greater nation.

Next week I will put my thoughts to pen again, this time on South Africa and their recent elections.

Remain blessed and have a good day.

Kojak – United Kingdom – 04/05/09

1 Comments
May 4th

A lot of Nigerians are hypocritical about sex—Bunmi Sofola

By Jane bond
 
Written by JEMI EKUNKUNBOR   
www.vanguardngr.com
Sunday, 03 May 2009

When veteran journalist and relationship expert, Bunmi Sofola launched the collection of her works about ten years ago, it was an instant hit. Page after page, you are brought face to face with knotty issues that affect relationships and of course, some of the intrigues that also go with relationships.

 Aunty Bunmi as she is fondly called, is frank, down to earth and will call any sex organ by its name and not by any contraption.
Sex is a major issue in her writing and counselling. These are issues parents will not address.  The churches are too spiritual to talk about it. Faced with sexual problems, a lot of people turn to Aunty Bunmi for help. Over the years, these problems have drawn hundreds and thousands of people to her column.  

As she turns 60 next week, the amiable journalist is set to launch another collection of her works, entitled “Yours Sincerely  - The Vanguard years”. Billed for Wednesday, May 6th at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the event will attract friends and well wishers to a programme expected to be a memorable one. In this chat at the Vanguard office in Lagos, I took up Yours Sincerely on the knotty issue of sex. She had a good laugh at my questions as she spoke once again very frakly and true to type. Enjoy

The issue of sex is big with your column. Even though a lot of people wouldn’t like to be seen reading soft sells, they hide behind serious newspapers to gulp information on sex.  Why is sex such a big issue?

My column is not just about sex. It is about relationships but sex oriented. You’d discover that in Nigeria, the average person is either enjoying sex or not enjoying sex or having too much or too little sex. And of course, there are problems attached to sex that they take so seriously. When you are young, you have all these STDs and when you start getting older, the women have menopause to grapple with while the men have prostrate issues to grapple with. At one stage or the other, you always have one sexual problem or the other and that is what I try to address in my column. It’s not strictly sex all the time.

So our lives revolve around sex?
Yes, because without sex, you won’t have children.

But sex sometimes is not for the purpose of having children?
Yes, I agree but let me tell you, without good sex, you won’t have a good marriage. One thing you should know is that with good sex, bad marriages have been sustained. So sex is part of you. It is part of everybody, therefore, it has to be addressed. It’s a big deal. I talk to people on one on one. When you read my answers, you feel as if I am talking to you. I don’t preach. I don’t admonish except if I have to. I just put the person in my position as if the person is in front of me and make it as personal as possible.

When are we going to get to the point where people can be open about sex and not hide under anonymous to ask questions?
The average Nigerian is hypocritical about sex. When you are having sex, you don’t talk about it. But now, the younger ones are open. They know what they want. The men talk about sex.

They brag about sex all of the time. Women seldom do. A few of them do these days but they seldom do. It’s going to stay that way for a long time except you want people to give you a bad name. If your focus is to get married, you can’t start bragging that you’ve slept with about 6-7 men in the last three, four months. People would not want to marry you. You are not  marriage material. So whatever you do, you keep to yourself.

So for young people who need counselling, can’t parents be open so that children can have correct information?
Some parents are open with sex but most of them are afraid that if they urge their children to go for it or don’t go for it, they might take them more seriously. If you have a 19 or 20 year old child, you suspect she might be having sex, but you won’t take her to the doctor’s to kit her with birth control pills.

It’s like you are saying now, I know you are having sex, then go ahead and do it. Because you don’t want that, you sort of skirt around the matter. It’s a very difficult situation. Each parent will have to use her own method. You tell her, let me know when it happens. She will never tell you.

However, let her know that whatever friend she has in this world, you are always her number one best friend and she would always come to you to talk. But some of them will come to the mother when they realise that their friends are not telling them the truth. The truth is you have to be your own counsellor. You know what you want, you know what you want for your children because even your friends will come and as
k you questions they already have answers to. They are just testing your own ground. It’s a very tricky thing.
So beside sex, what are the big issues with relationship?
Deceit is very rampant. Men have two to four women on the wing. Women do the same too sometimes. You cannot be sure who has affection for you. These days, you have couples coming together to get married. Then three to four months to the time, the wedding is called off and in the next six months, the girl has remarried.

They always have contingency plans. I don’t blame them. With all these things they see happening every day and with this economic situation, women are earning fantastic salaries now. So, they can do what they want and they can tell a man to go and take a jump. All these are a fall out of the economic independence. And when they get married and see that this man is a nasty man, they just decide to hang around, have two or three children and then leave.

And some can even discover that after the two or three children, they can sort of manage him. So they hang it there as long as it doesn’t bother them too much. But when it is an abusive relationship, then that is an entirely different kettle of fish you have to deal with. A man will be goody-goody before you get married then after marriage, the fangs are out.

Isn’t it ironic that our mothers who didn’t have a choice in who marries them have more lasting marriages than young people today who by themselves decide who they want to marry?
Do those marriages really last forever? Most of those women weren’t doing anything. The highest level of education some of them attained was secondary school. Those women didn’t have a say in the matter. Today’s woman have a say in who she wants to get married to. Our mothers would have loved to leave but they didn’t have any place to go to because the parents had sent them out and they couldn’t take them back and they didn’t have any job to go to. For better for worse that is why they cling to their children. You’d find mothers in law not letting go of their sons, not letting go of their daughters, interfering in their affairs because they aren’t really happy. They didn’t get that satisfaction in their marriages.

What are some of the new issues that have arisen between your first work and the one you are about to launch?
If you compare the first book I launched ten years ago, you’d see a lot of maturity with this new one and you’d see a lot of problems that didn’t crop up then. Like these relationships we are talking about now, how flippant and uncaring people are and all these sexual problems. We didn’t hear too much of AIDS and all these religious things, it's like a cult now.

People are so despondent and discouraged. They are hanging on to religion for an answer they are not getting. Sometimes, they are conned and you read about all these things in the papers. You have to be your own counsellor. You talk to yourself. You can’t deceive yourself when you are having a good conversation with yourself. This is what I have, this is what I can give out and this is what insult I can take. With that, you can have a focus and move on with your life without much interference.

Before the Vanguard years, what are some of the knotty issues that affected relationships?
Well, I’ve told you all these nonchalance towards relationships then these mega bucks, girls are now earning, driving fantastic vehicles and you see that in their attitude. You go to all these society weddings, millions of naira are pumped into them, three or four months later, the girl has packed her things and gone. They don’t want to hang on. They prefer to have children rather than go through a bad marriage or a bad relationship. Some will just settle down have two or three children by two or three different men. They don’t care as long as they have the money to bring up the children

Do we encourage this kind of thing?
No, we don’t. But they see it as an alternative to an abusive marriage. You see a man who ordinarily wouldn’t talk down at you talking down at you and then you say what the heck! and you walk away. Why would you want to stay with a mediocre when you know that first and foremost, you earn a better salary, you have better brains than he does? Why would you want to hang around so that he can lord it over you, tell you what to do? So things like these are the issues. It will stabilise with time but it’s going to take a long time or never. In spite of these, we have some good marriages because there are some mothers who really stay at the background and beg their wards to please stay.

Would you say your readers are the ones who actually give this sex slant to your writings?
No, not at all. I talk about whatever I want to talk about but if it is sex they are always hankering after, you discuss that and move on to other things. Sex is not everything. Some are worried about their future, some are worried about their education and some others are worried about their children.

They say as you grow older, thoughts of the spiritual become upper most on one’s mind.  But here you are talking sex most of the time. How does this whole thing affect you?
I’m a very happy-go-lucky person. What I write has nothing to do with me.  Like I said, I don’t think sex, sex all the time. But if you don’t think about it, you won’t write about it. And even if one were not writing, sex is something we think about. At 60 I am re-branding myself. They say 60 is the new 40. So now, I am a 40 year old.

And hot...
If I don’t look hot to you, I look hot to me. That’s what matters.

For the launch what do you look forward to?
I look forward to people who have read me to come and rejoice with me, to come to the hall maybe buy the book if they can and ask questions after the launch because I am going to be around. It is going to be very interesting and entertaining, no dull moment. I have a committee chaired by Dr Omolara Adadevoh and they are working hard to help package the launch. It’s going to be a lovely get together and then I’m cutting my birthday cake there.

After the launch, where can people get the book to buy?
After the launch, I’ll put it in my column where they can get the book to buy.

You’ve been in this profession for many years now. What has the practice of journalism been like for you?
It’s fun. If it wasn’t fun, would I still be there? It has its challenges, it’s a very tasking job but you are still there. Larry King says it all the time that it is the best job in the world, doing what you love and getting paid for it. It has its hassles too but I wouldn’t change all that for any thing.

6 Comments
May 4th

MANY NIGERIAN ACTORS HAVE FALLEN ON HARD TIMES - BOB MANUEL UDOKWU

By Jane bond
Bob Manuel has made a name for himself in the movie industry. The current Gulder Ultimate search anchor spoke with Funmi Elugbaju and Ada Onwuanum ... Being a celebrated artiste in the industry, how does that make you feel?

It makes me humble, really, because I didn’t start out thinking about the fame and what comes with it because I had always been a performer all my life. My first recollection of performing for the public was in primary school, my mum tells me about all the traits I displayed when I was a toddler, things I cannot remember anymore. I was trained by the late Professor Ola Rotimi who wrote The Gods Are Not To Blame. With this, I was able to tap very deeply into the man’s reservoir of knowledge in theatre. He was a very strict theater practitioner and of course with the training and experience came the good fortune of being part of what is today being called Nollywood pioneer. We did Living in Bondage in 1992 and the industry sprang up from there. So, I can’t say that I walked into this line of business with my eyes open. But, of course, you can never tell the picture so you won’t pretend to know everything that is going to happen because one had the idea that actors were popular people, judging from what we have in America. We didn’t have an industry and even those who were doing TV soaps were quite recognized. But the dimension it would take, one did not know until it became apparent that one was a force to reckon with. With that in mind, the answer to your question is it makes me humble, it gives me a very large sense of responsibility; that I have a lot of people who look up to me, especially young people. I have parents who admonish me and I have older people who draw inspiration from me as well, so it cuts across and it is a huge responsibility.

Was Checkmate your first exposure to the industry?

Nationally, yes. But before Checkmate, I was doing things. Before I got admission to study theater professionally, I was already doing stage performances. I was a presenter on FRCN Enugu. I was a guest presenter and I was also doing Television presenting. So, by the time I got admission to do that, I was already familiar with studio life for radio and on TV and of course performed as an amateur on stage. And so for me, it was a natural step from one end to the other. But even then, while I was in school, I was doing something for the TV in Port Harcourt. I did one or two things for national television but they were all one-offs. People usually know you for soap operas because you are on air almost every week especially when you play a vital or major role. In a sense, Checkmate was a drama series that gave me national attention and people could see me and call my name saying this is this person as opposed to when I was doing one-offs. Yes those who knew you before would still identify you but for Checkmate it was different. It became such that even when you go to Kano, Bayelsa, kogi people recognized you because every week on TV, 8-9 pm, they stayed glued to their TV sets and watched us display

You have really done a good job at remaining relevant in the industry. What would you say has kept you there?

First of all, I will talk about Providence. In this country where we are used to mounting guns all the time, even when it is obvious that people are conscious about religion in this country, but without saying I am not into the line, God has kept me where I am, personal effort and also hanging in there. I am from Anambra State, core Igbo land, where people look at the entertainment industry with disdain. Going to study Theatre Arts at that point in time when somebody was telling my father that how could you allow your son study Theatre Arts? And that what would he do when he comes out? That was the mentality, it still hasn’t changed much. Even Nigerians as a whole , the attraction to the industry is more of curiosity to survive and of course in this era of “Yes We Can,” we have shown that we can. So, personal discipline, because a lot of people do not believe this, but as an individual I am reserved, very quiet and shy and that is why I draw the line between those who I call fly shiners who create the impression that for you to be an artiste, you have to either look weird or act silly or downright stupid. Like they say, the robe does not make the priest, its only costume. For me, when talent comes into play, I play. That means, I remove myself as Bob Manuel and play the role so I can do any creative thing. It is creativeness drawn from the source of creativity which is God because the world was created out of nothing. So, when you finish that, you drop your costume and be yourself. It is that discipline, it is that not playing to the gallery; that thing that makes me not to be noticed when I shouldn’t be or when I basically want to keep my peace, even as an actor I draw a line between my work as an actor and myself as an individual. Yes, they say as an artiste you have no privacy, however where your right to invade my privacy starts, that is when my privacy begins, I discipline myself, I don’t do anything in excess, but I try to key in to what will help the industry and I have sincerity of purpose. Finally, being relevant, because what am doing in the entertainment sector is a calling that was dropped upon me when I was born and so it is something that you can’t keep me out of, like the musical birds that reinvent itself I guess somehow God helps me to keep reinventing myself, there is so much to be done and I work hard to be a catalyst to bringing back the industry to where they should be in the world of entertainment, am not talking about Africa but all over the world. For example Slumdog Millionaire the movie that swept the Oscars was shot in the slums of India. It cleared eight awards in the Oscars. God where are we?

Since you have been in the industry for a long time, how rich are you?

In terms of money, I can afford to eat my daily bread, because I work to get paid and people can see my means of livelihood, it is very visible. It is not like somebody who is nobody today suddenly becomes somebody tomorrow and we don’t know the source and yet we shout Hallelujah. So, in terms of physical cash, I work to get paid and I get by. But in terms of goodwill acting has put me in a pedestal where I can walk into Aso villa without an appointment and am admitted to see who I want to see, it has also earned me real star treatment on an international airline precisely north American airline, flying back from New York in march last year. They recognized me in John Kennedy airport in New York. They didn’t weigh my bag out of courtesy and while the flight was just starting, the flight attendant came to me and said you act in African movies, and they moved me out from there to the First Class and gave me the star treatment. These are just a few things. I mean people want to be associated with you. You go into the bank, and most of the bank staff will want to know why you are standing on the line. They will remove you from there and attend to you and majority of people want to do stuffs for you. During fuel scarcity, you park your car across the road, walk in to see the manager and he makes fuel available for you, of course not free of charge but there are things people want to do for you because they recognize the importance of your job. In a nutshell, I am very rich, not in terms of physical cash but the goodwill I have is much more than money. A phone call for me can open a door for me and I think the goodwill and the ability to do a lot without carrying cash means more to me than physical cash, I want to build a reputation that I should be able to move things in a positive direction without having to struggle to do that and helping others in the course of doing that as a result of what God has deposited in me from my ability to create things.

Are you married?

I am married with two children. The girl came first, her name is Hellion it’s a Hebrew name meaning Most High and my son, I named him after the great African Jamaican called Marcus Garvey and so my son’s name is Garvey. My wife's name is Cassandra and she understands what I do although she is the only one that can answer that question. I give her a lot of credit because the truth is it is not easy to be Bob Manuel, to be who I am, so how easy will it be for me to be the next person in the world of today where there are so many things calling for your attention at the same time. I am hardly around but when am home I try as much as possible to be with my family, play pranks with my kids and do lovey dovey with my wife. I always try to strike a balance but they are very understanding. I love my family.

What can you say went wrong at this year's AMAA as non-Nigerians carted away the awards

Well, as an individual I didn't even attend the Award because of some other engagements but we had a dismal performance at this year's AMAA. Well it goes to show that we need to buck up and do a lot of work. I must say that the organisers of AMAA too should think of investing in the industry. AMAA is an award that came as a result of the works we do. Millions is pumped into AMAA by the Bayelsa State government and U.B.A. I think it is not fair of the organisers of AMAA, to just organise AMAA ,bringing Americans actors and actresses and pay them well to come and enjoy themselves without even putting them here to do a film with us. Bring these people, yes but as they are coming let them know that under one week they will shoot a film with us. It is not enough to bring them here pay them money, give them all the necessary things they need and then they go back. Of what benefit is that to us? AMAA has not to put food on people's table in the industry.

Oh! Yes, the Award is about actors and actresses. Let me tell you what it should be, Nigerians should expect that immediately after AMAA comes a major movie follows. Even if it is one every year. A major movie involving American actors and actresses with some of us that are here so that they will truly know that they came to Africa. Take them to our villages and shoot films. Let them feel Africa. It is not about putting them in a big hotel in Lagos or Abuja or Yenagoa and then they go back home without even tasting the soil of Africa or smell Africa. Most of them, when they come here during press conference, the first thing they will say is I'm so glad to be here, why wouldn't they be glad to be here. They are paid to come, they are given the best treatment, let them come and see how we do movies.

Are you now blaming the organizers of AMAA for Nigeria's poor outing?

I'm not casting blame, I'm just stating facts. I don't believe in blames, other people can see it as blame but for me any objective thinking person will know that Bob Manuel is stating the facts. I mean it may not occur to them but this is a forum for them to know that some of us don't feel what is going on. You see the height and excitement is all long gone. Now AMAA has to re-event itself. It is not a question of blame, if anybody sees it as blame all well and good but I think there is something called constructive criticism.

What is really Nigerian movie practitioners?

There is meltdown. A meltdown is effecting Nollywood in fact it is a pity, It is horrible. Go to Winnies

a lot of our practitioners have falling on hard times, many people are in poverty and you don't shout praise the lord on empty stomach . You can't effectively entertain when people are hungry. Some of those awards should even be extended to veterans in the industry who have falling on hard times, give them hundred thousand of that millions that they vote for AMAA every year. Call some of them recognize them and give them two hundred thousand each from AMAA'S money . Five of them is one million and ten of them at hundred thousand each is one million, vote it aside and give it to this people they are falling on hard time.

Let us talk about your contract with Gulder, How did you get the job of anchoring the Gulder ultimate search?

I was auditioned, we were ten that were auditioned . After the audition by insight, the insight is the company that handles the Gulder account. We were auditioned on recorded and camera after that they sent it to Nigerian breweries. Well they know what they are looking, I believe that they looking for the best, eventually I was the person they selected. I'm glad, so far so good will be on it and I have a good relationship with them and the brand also, the ultimate Gulder.

Your face is scarce in movie now, will it be a sign or an indication that Gulder ultimate search is bringing more money?

My face is not scarce, I have been shooting films. There is a number of films I have shot that have not released, beside how many people's faces are all over the places now? How many posters do you see on street of Lagos? Is not only my face. How many films has any body featured in this year, this is first quarter of the year before Mile 2 you will see space, Ojuelgba you will not see space. The meltdown has melted everybody but we are still surviving. In this meltdown were screaming I was far away in America shooting a movie. The ultimate search is still done on T.V it is still the media. What if I become a governor tomorrow would you say you are no longer acting because you are a governor. Richard Mofe my friend is a commissioner if you give him a script he will do it fast and go back to his commissioners job.

I noticed that former Gulder ultimate search anchors are both tall guys, is it meant for only tall guys?

It will not be out of place if you say that height also enhances charisma. How many shot people have you seen cast in roles of king in films even in oyibo land? Height has a role to play. How many short people have won Miss Nigeria or any beauty pageant for that matter. I'm talking about short people not average, they have their place. In real life a short person can be a king but there must a reason for you to cast a short person to play the role of a king. But like I said if it is my height alone there there were those who came for the audition that were taller than me. There are combination of factors that only Nigerian breweries can answer.

What impact do you think that Gulder Ultimate Search is making in the life of youths?

Oh! It is changing a lot. Now if you bring 10 young people, I mean the age rate and none is up to 30 years yet but once they enter successfully as one of the 10, they don't go home empty handed. It is not a winner takes all event, the exposure is also there as a spring board. Most of them in the past are gainfully employed. Now, those that are still in school are doing very well, after the search all of them get paid very well and they have open access to Nigerian Breweries. They are free to come and do things and Nigerian Breweries does things for them as well. So it changes their lives a lot, and not just Gulder Ultimate Search only. All the brands are targeted at helping the youths.

How long are you staying with Gulder Ultimate Search?

It is left for the owners of the production of show to say. But for me, they have not given me any cause to say I'm not happy with them and I believe that I have not given them any cause to say they are not happy with me . So I think we have a wonderful relationship.

Is it true you are a friend of Wesley Snipes?

It's true. Wesley is a good friend of mine. He is having some problems lately, but I pray he gets over it.

6 Comments
May 4th

So sad! My parents are not witnesses to my success story - Rita Dominic

By Jane bond
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Sunday, 03 May 2009 00:00


Born 34 years ago in Mbaise, Imo State, Rita Dominic is no doubt one of the most celebrated Nollywood actresses. Her consummate love for the... arts, especially music, dates back to her childhood years and this had prompted her to enter and win several dance competitions with vocal expressions in the art of traditional music. In this interview with the Nigerian Compass on Sunday, alluring Rita tells her story to Funmi Salome Johnson. Excerpts:

How is life with you?

Life is very well, thank you. I am taking one day at a time.

What has been happening to you movie wise?

Movie wise, I have been very selective with the kind of work that I do in the last two years. If you notice, you will find that I have not been jumping from one set to another because I think I have done my fair share of doing very typical commercial movies. Now I do jobs that will stretch me more as an actress, work that will challenge me more because I feel at a point in your career, in this industry, you have to set certain standards for yourself, which is what I have been doing in the last two years. This is my eleventh year in the industry, so I feel if at this point in my career I am still being seen in some movies that does not make sense or movies that are not good, then it only means that I am not trying to go further with my career or that I have not learnt anything.

Now that you are more selective with the movies you do, what are those type of movies will meet up with the standard you are talking about?

I have to read the script, the story has to be good, the character has to be challenging and it has to stretch me as an actress.

Can you mention some of such movies you have done in recent times?

Yes, there is a film I did about two years ago but it is just coming out now. It has just been released in Nigeria and it has also been released in other countries like Ghana, America and some other foreign countries.

What is the title of the film?

The title of the film is ‘Distance between’ and it was directed by Izu Ojukwu and Mercy Johnson was in it, Kalu Ikeagu and Yemi Black. It has a fantastic story, a kind of story that I hope will impact knowledge in people when they watch it. It is a very deep story. There is also ‘White Waters’ and then there is another one I did with Izu as well, we just finished it about a month ago, I think it is undergoing editing right now. Movie is like that and unfortunately we don’t have too many good scripts around. That is just the truth. Most scripts that people send to me are scripts that I have done the type over and over again, and right now that is not what I am looking for. I am looking for a more challenging work.

Of all the works that you have done in recent times that has met up with your standard, which of them has been the most challenging for you?

I cannot really say. The issue is that every role is challenging because you are going to play what you are not, so they are all challenging. The thing is that they are good stories; they were shot well and directed well. They are not the typical commercial films. I have been working on a lot of things with my management and hopefully, they will be coming out before the end of this year.

How soon are we expecting to see a movie produced and directed by you?

It is part of what my management and I are working on.

So can you let us into it?

No I’m sorry, it is still cooking or rather it is about to cook.

Your being selective on the type of movie you do, don’t you think it will affect your purse in terms of income?

I understand where you are coming from but before I took this decision, I have thought about that. But you see in life, when there are no pains, there will not be gains. If you are trying to set a certain standard for yourself, you know you are going to lose out for a short while at this stage. But you also know what you are looking for and you know that you are going to reap the reward in future. So that is what it is. But I am very fine.

Has that not changed your personal schedule in a way, giving you more time for other things?

You’re right because with that time now, I get to rest, I get to work out and I get to do things that I want to do. Besides all of that, I have other works that I do and there are also social events and appearances. Inasmuch as I am not doing so many movies, I am still doing some work in other areas that are related to the kind of job that I do. Also, there is a new website; www.tansali.com. They approached me so I get to blog on that website like every other day. It is a social website where I get to reach out to my fans.

Learnt you are going to represent Nollywood in Malawi very soon. What about it?

Well, African Magic is celebrating its fifth anniversary in Malawi and the indigenes of Malawi felt that they will like to see a Nollywood act or a Nollywood star. I don’t know how it happened but my name came up and they contacted my management and I am going to Malawi to represent Nollywood next month.

What do you think was instrumental to your being the choice?

I don’t really know why. It just happened.

What runs through you each time you watch yourself on set?

I always feel something like: this stupid girl, why do you have to act like that? This is not the right thing to do. I am myself’s greatest critique. I like to criticize myself a lot. I don’t like watching my films when there are people there. I like to watch it alone because I feel stupid and I just feel funny. When I watch my movies alone, I see my mistakes. People might not see them but I see the mistakes and I tell myself that I can work better on them next time.

Looking back over the years when you first started out as a child acting in school and how you have made it this far, how does your parents feel about the success you have become now?

My parents are late and that is one thing that I regret in life that my parents are not here today to see me become what I am today. All my life, this is what I have always done and my parents actually supported me and that, at that time, was a bit strange for a medical family… because my dad was a medical doctor and my mom was a nursing officer. So, it was actually strange that coming from such a background, you will get all the support from them to be an actress to do my act and luckily for me, I had all the support from my siblings and from my parents and it is just so sad today that they are not alive to see me become what I am today.

As a person, how have you used your position as an actress to impact positively on the society that has given you so much?

Yes, I am doing something in that line and I am still working on some other things which are part of those things I said I was not going to talk about previously. Last year I did some charity work with Desmond Eliot in Liberia and the Malawi trip I’m about to make, I already told my manager that I will like to use the opportunity to do some charity work while I am there. So they added that to my schedule. I am going to be visiting the less privileged. I like to put that in my schedule anytime I am going for things like that.

If you have the opportunity, what are those things you will like to change about the movies being churned out in Nigeria?

The stories and professionalism in the way we work. I think at this stage, we should transcend to certain kind of movies and pull the audience along with us. I think we should just raise up the quality of our movies a bit. I don’t know why people think it is all about money. You hear people say, if we don’t have money, we can’t do Hollywood standard… nobody is saying we should do Hollywood standard but at least let the shooting be up the quality just a bit and you will be surprised and amazed at what will happen because I think for Nollywood to go forward, there is a certain class of Nigerians we should try and reach out to with the nature of our movies and we have not done that. It is only when we start shooting certain kinds of films that we will reach out to those qualities or class of Nigerians who will get interested in Nollywood and who will help Nollywood go further.

How well do you get along with your colleagues or are there some that you can not actually work with?

I am an artist first and foremost and I should be able to work with everybody but the truth is that there are some people that I will prefer to work with than others…

In terms of chemistry?

Everything.

People like?

(Laughs) So you really think I am going to start mentioning names eh? You must be joking!

Not long ago, in an interview with Uche Nancy, a costumer, she mentioned that some artistes are stubborn to work with. What do you have to say about that because she spoke about the film, Girls Hostel, which you featured in?

My argument on that set was that the girls in the story of that set, ‘Girls Cot,’ do runs which in the literary sense means that the girls have sugar daddies or Aristos as they call them on campus. If you have Aristos, you will look good; at least you should be able to afford some certain things like buying good clothes and looking good. I know that when you go to universities, there are some girls who do these things and they look good and that was my argument. If you say that these girls are doing runs, they should be able to afford some certain things or are you trying to say that even with the runs they are doing, they will still wear rags? No. The only thing is that when the President’s daughter now came, she now introduced them to a higher level of men and they started wearing designer clothes and that was how I interpreted my role, I don’t know about any other person.

In many of your movies, you smoke. Do you smoke in real life?

No, I don’t smoke.

So how is it possible or is it a film trick?

If the character has to smoke in film, then I just smoke.

Do you have any regret being an actress?

None particularly. Just that the only thing I am not so comfortable about which I have learnt to live with is that fact that you don’t have any privacy. You live your life for the public.

Thinking back over the years, is there any experience you find very memorable or remarkable that you will like to share?

The very first AMAA edition in Bayelsa State: this girl just walked up to me and started crying and she was crying and crying and everybody gathered around her and she was asked what her problem is. She said that there was a film I did called ‘All my life’ and the film touched her because she could relate to my character that she had been through a lot. That is one thing I can never forget. It was like an eye opener for me because that showed me how much these movies we do touch lives and impact knowledge on people. That was one experience I can never forget because it was such an emotional one.

When are we expecting the wedding bells to ring?

When the time is right, I will let you know.

So who is that special man making you happy at the moment?

I don’t discuss my personal life in issues like this.

So who is your kind of man?

It is still personal…

Well, but it is a generalised one?

I like a man who respects the family values, a man who respects women and is God fearing and hardworking. I like a man who knows when to play and when to work.

What do you do to relax?

I watch a lot of movies, I am a movie addict, foreign and Nigerian. I also work out a lot. I have been doing this exercise routine called Taibo, which is a mixture of Taikwando and boxing created by an American and it is really good. Once in a while, I hang out and most times, I am on the Facebook and then the new website I told you about, I blog on it.

What special things do you do to take care of your skin to give it that youthful look?

I do body treatment so I go to the spa for massages, steams, raps. I don’t joke with that because of how harsh our weather is and the light we shoot with. We shoot under very harsh condition so I don’t joke with taking care of myself by going to the spa to pamper myself. I also drink a lot of water.

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