Watching Edaoto Olaolu Agbeniyi perform for the first time on stage, one would not be wrong to take him for a reggae artiste; with dress sense, dance steps, and of course, his dreads. But the leader of Edaoto And The Afrogenius Band actually plays Afrobeat; a music genre he has performed in different stages across the globe.

Started playing music at his tender age, the dreadlocks wearing artiste said, “although, I play Afrobeat in its folkloric state, I must point out I didn’t choose the genre; rather it chose me a long time ago, even before I ventured into music. The music genre has enabled me to express myself in songs, share my thoughts with my audience,” he noted.

Disclosing how he came into music, he said, “I started playing music at a tender age, but went professional in 1999. I grew up enjoying the bliss of the 80s; in fact, I was inspired by the music of the time. I grew up with the music of Fela Anikulapo, Bob Marley, Sunny Ade, Marvin Gaye, Akeeb Kareem and a lot others that influenced my stagecraft.”

Though his late father wanted him to be a lawyer, go to court and defend people, but young Edaato chose music, even when he was popularly known as ‘The Law.’ The father was disappointed that his son went against his wish, but the mother embraced him with an open hand, wishing him the best in his chosen career.

“My father wanted me to be a lawyer and from my childhood I have been called, ‘The Law.’ It was a name coined from the English name, which I have since renounced. I never wanted to be a lawyer, so I went the way of my passion, which is music and I have no regrets.

“My father never liked the idea of me going into music, but he didn’t do anything about it. He left me, when he knew I was not ready to be a lawyer, but my mother was indifferent. But later, when my father began to see me on TV, read about me in the newspapers, he began change his mind and at a point began to cherish me as an artiste. In fact, till the time he passed away, he was grateful that I am an artiste,” he recalled.

Edaoto, who released his first album in 2013 and hopes to release another very soon, disclosed that corruption, which is rocking the economic and political space of the country, has also crept into the entertainment sector.

He said: “The level of corruption in the country has collapsed everything, including the music industry. Unless we properly address this evil, particularly in the judiciary and the police, we won’t have any headway against pirates and other vices in the industry.”

Comment on Nigerian artistes, the Lagos State Polytechnic-trained mass communicator turned musician observed that most Nigerian artistes are working to be relevant. He disclosed that some of them do not know what it takes to produce good music.

“Some of the artistes wait for the street to dictate to them what to write for their songs, while some dictate for the street. If you ask some of these boys why they came up with some of the gibberish they have as songs, they will tell you it’s what the people want; and I kept asking them, where and when did they meet with people to decide?

“Real artistes discuss think deep and come out with something that will impact on the people for good, improve his act and move the frontiers of music. However, I am very optimistic that our art will one day improve for good. It is not about the very few that are doing it right, but our art in general,” he said.

Strongly believing in his music, Edaoto revealed that he is not in a hurry to do anything. Philosophising, he said: “I take one step at a time and leave the rest to posterity; I try to work very hard to satisfy my soul.”

Mo Abudu, CEO Ebonylife

As a follow up to its earlier release FIFTY, the Ebonylife Films is working on a new romantic comedy directed by award-winning filmmaker and New York Film School alumni, Kemi Adetiba. Titled The Wedding Party and written by playwright Tosin Otudeko, the film, which is expected to hit the cinemas later in the year, is collaboration by some of Africa’s leading film outfits such as EbonyLife Films, FilmOne Distribution, Inkblot Productions and Koga Studios.

Set in Lagos, The Wedding Party is a riveting tale of the complexity of love. It is the story of Dunni Coker, a 24 year old art gallery owner and only daughter of her parents about to marry the love of her life, IT entrepreneur Dozie. The couple took a vow of chastity and is looking forward to a groundbreaking first night together as a married couple.

The date has been set and the bride’s parents, who have recently enjoyed a surge in their fortunes, are going all out to make this the wedding of the century. Dunni’s about to be mother-in-law, Obianuju is having second thoughts about allowing her son marry into a family she considers as beneath them.

Between matchmaking attempts on the bridal train, a wedding planner on a mission to succeed, the unruly behaviour of some ‘village’ guests and the groom’s ex-girlfriends looking to make their mark, it is clear the Wedding Party will be the talk of the town.

Will it all be too much to bear for the bride or will true love stand even the most chaotic of wedding celebrations? This romantic comedy is set to tickle, challenge and resonate with moviegoers nationwide.

Illbliss (left) late Nomoreloss, show anchor Emma, Vector and Mode 9 on set of The Gist.

For those who follow the Nigerian entertainment industry, Emmanuel Ugolee is not a stranger in this business, having played a vital role in the development of the new age entertainment industry almost two decades ago.

After an eleven year break, the former MBI presenter is back with the current wave of an all entertainment-based talk show, which is causing weekly ripples on social media with trending topics and video clips. The entire week on social media hovered around the hip-hop episode featuring rappers Ikechukwu, Mode 9, Vector and Ill Bliss. With Ikechukwu and Vector’s confrontation, making the week’s number 1 viral video.

Tagged The Gist, the show strictly discuses issues around the entertainment industry in general with key players including Musicians, Actors, Writers, Sports men amongst others as panelists. The high level engagement on social media platforms after each show makes the show a must see.

The programme has so far featured guests such as Bovi, Timaya, Simi, Uti, Saka, Monalisa Chinda, Joseph Benjamin, Alibaba, Segun Arinze, DJ Jimmy Jatt and many more.

Showing on HipTv Channel 324 on DSTV every Monday at 10:30pm with a rerun on Saturdays at 10:00am, the show gives an inside scoop to the inner working of the industry through the dissecting minds of its practitioners. It also has a comedy segment and plays trendy music videos along with a vox pop that samples the pulse of the streets on the subject matters discussed.

Basketmouth

Comedian Basketmouth is set to become a co-host on the set of the all-new MTV Base comedy video clip series Ridiculousness Africa.

Characterised by insane antics, crazy stunts and life-threatening feats of senselessness, the show airs weekly on MTV Base, DStv channel 322.

Hosted by Basketmouth alongside two South African co-hosts, Thomas Gumede and Boity Thulo, Ridiculousness Africa hunts the length and breadth of the Internet on your behalf seeking out the weirdest, wackiest and stupidest stunts ever committed to video. So, if you love to watch people doing strange, unusual and frankly idiotic things in boats, cars, bikes, pools, on trampolines and more, then this is the show for you.

Speaking on his involvement in the show, Basketmouth said, “I’ve always been a huge fan of Ridiculousness, and I always dreamed of being a guest on the show, so it’s totally amazing to become one of the hosts. It just goes to show: dreams do come true!”

Basketmouth will be joined by two co-hosts and co-conspirators in the form of South African actor, comedian and TV host, Thomas Gumede and South Africa TV presenter and celebrity Boity Thulo, as they laugh, shriek, hide behind the sofa, and generally dissect the jaw-dropping exploits of irrational individuals who just can’t control the urge to do something incredibly stupid in front of a camera.

Also speaking about the shows, Thomas Gumede remarked, “I’m Ridiculousness’s number one fan and I’ve literally been glued to the screen since the first episode, so when I got the call it was like a summons from on high! I feel like I’m getting paid to do what I normally do - which is watch internet clips with my friends, and my co-hosts make my job easier because Basketmouth is funny and Boity is beautiful. We’re the dream team.”

Bearing the warning “don’t try this at home” Ridiculousness Africa is the homegrown version of Ridiculounsess, MTV’s long-running video clip show hosted by Rob Dyrdek. The series is taped on location in Spain, with with Gumede, Thulo and Basketmouth all currently in Madrid on location.

Sky J

Basil Onyekuru, popularly known as SkyJ, has released his latest single, Carolina. The songwriter and CEO of Golden Records based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States.

The artiste, who has been doing music professionally for five years, sings a fusion of R ‘n’ B, hip-hop, highlife, afrobeat and reggae and has done collaborations with some notable artistes, including Waconzy on the track Otise.

A Mechanical Engineering graduate from Baltimore, with certificate in Visual and Performing Arts from Maryland Institute College of Arts (MICA), listed Don Jazzy, Phyno, Waconzy and Davido as his role models.

His earlier releases include Money Money, Carolina and Blow Mind. “Nigerian artistes are making big impact in Africa and all over the world. Though we are not there yet, but I believe we can get better and grow stronger,” he said.

Kcee performing in Onitsha.

After the Okokomaiko gig in Lagos, the Legend Real Deal Experience train recently stormed Ekwulobia Township Stadium, venue of the Onitsha edition of the show. On the bill were pop superstar Kcee, Oritsefemi and others, who met with their fans and treated them to best of their recordings.

Apart from the performances, there was a full-sized rotating Legend bar, several exciting acrobatic attractions, the Taste, Tell and Win promotion and the Real Deal Experience game show, where contestants won several prizes including generators, refrigerators, TV sets, recharge cards and many more.

Commenting on Kcee’s Onitsha appearance, Brand Manager, Legend Oluseun Lawal remarked,

“Kcee is a huge name all over Nigeria, and particularly here in Onitsha so it’s something we knew would appeal to a lot of people here if we could bring him here to perform. It’s been a lot of fun here with all the other attractions and prizes in addition to Kcee, and I hope everyone continues to have a very good time at the Real Deal Experience.”

According to the Corporate Media and Brand PR Manager, NB Plc, Edem Vindah, “In choosing this location, we have recreated the intimate and relaxing atmosphere of a bar with this compact Ekwulobia venue and I think that the fans loved this opportunity to get up close with Kcee”.

For Kcee, “It’s always nice to come back here and meet with my fans. Many people don’t know that I studied in Nsukka, which is just next-door in Enugu, so I’m very familiar with Onitsha. I love the fans and they always respond very well to me, so I am super excited we all had a real deal experience”.

Seun Kuti

Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti will tomorrow lead the Egypt 80 Band to the New Africa Shrine, Ikeja Lagos, for their monthly gig. The all night gig, which starts from 9pm, will see the band treat guests to the best of Afrobeat music. As usual, Seun will play both his personal recordings, as well as popular tracks by his late father, Fela.

“We wanted to create a platform for our fans back home to have the opportunity of watching us play live. If you observe well, we play more shows abroad than here in Nigeria, even in Africa. As much as we are open to playing gigs in Nigeria, the reality is that we get more concerts abroad. So, to ensure our home fans are not left out, we decided to have this monthly gig. So far, it’s been nice,” Seun Said.

From all indication, playing at home has become a major concern for Seun and the band.

“Afrobeat is a music from Nigeria, so, it’s natural that we find space to play here. What we’ve done is to ensure the tours don’t clash with our monthly show, which holds every last Saturday of the month. Even when we are on tour, we usually break to play at home,” he explained.

Mr 2Kay

It’s going to be a homecoming for Mr. 2Kay, as Grafton Entertainment is set to host another leg of the Count It All Joy EP Launch concert in Bonny Island.

The concert holds today, at LNG RA. Confirmed to join the singer for this event are Mr. Capable - Banky W, Ice Prince, Cynthia Morgan, Skales, Faze, Ketchup, Doray and others.

The party will be hosted by Beverly Osu of Big Brother Africa, with special appearance from Uti Nwachukwu, Ex-beauty queen Munachi Abii and Osam. The event will also feature comical performances by Senator, Pencil, Funnybone, Prince Hezekiah, Dan de Humourous and Kenny Blaq.

American Hollywood megastar, Arnold Schwarzenegger to becoming a Governor in the United States.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: From An Immigrant To Becoming A Governor In The United States.

The life and unique rise of Arnold Schwarzenegger testifies to the truth that the fate of every man resides solely in his faith in God and himself. Every man can rise above their background, no matter how obscure a man is, a great future still awaits everybody. We must be able to picture ourselves in the future in order to feature in it!

The amazing, remarkable and inspirational story of American Hollywood megastar, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is a true “rags to riches” tale of a penniless immigrant making it in the land of opportunity, the United States of America. A man that rose beyond a very poor background and neighbourhood, Schwarzenegger recalled that one of the highlights of his youth was when the family bought a refrigerator. The family was literally so poor that they had to celebrate the purchase of a refrigerator. He once said, “I finally arrived here in 1968. What a special day it was. I remember I arrived here with empty pockets but full of dreams, full of determination, full of desire”.

He went through series of rejections and frustrations but was undaunted. At a time, he was rejected for the lead role in The Incredible Hulk because of his height. Arnold enumerated his ordeals in rising to stardom in one of his emotion-laden interviews when he said, “It was very difficult for me in the beginning – I was told by agents and casting people that my body was ‘too weird’, that I had a funny accent, and that my name was too long. You name it, and they told me I had to change it. Basically, everywhere I turned, I was told that I had no chance.”

Schwarzenegger’s American story sounded improbable, except to those who knew him. “This is a man of bottomless ambition, he sees himself as mystically sent to America,” said George Butler, producer and director of Pumping Iron, in a 2003 interview. His fame knows no bounds as The Guinness Book of World Records called Schwarzenegger “the most perfectly developed man in the history of the world;” he is considered among the most important figures in the history of bodybuilding. With an almost unpronounceable surname and a thick Austrian accent, who would have ever believed that a brash, quick-talking bodybuilder from a small European village would become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, marry into the prestigious Kennedy family, amass a fortune via shrewd investments and one day be the Governor of California?!!

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger was born on July 30, 1947 near Graz, ThaI, Austria. He rose to fame as the world’s top body builder, launching a career that would make him a giant Hollywood star and later, the governor of California. His father, Gustav was an alcoholic police chief and one-time member of the Nazi party, who clearly favoured Arnold’s brother over his seemingly less athletic younger son. Gustav is reported to have beaten and intimidated Arnold and, when he could, pitted his two young boys against one another. He also ridiculed Schwarzenegger’s early dreams of becoming a body builder.

Regardless of his father’s intimidation, the young Arnold held tenaciously to his dream and would not allow his father mould him into what he was not. On several occasions, he vehemently refused to tread the path that his father had laid for him. He had strong passion for the sport of body building, weight lifting and acting. He vehemently refused to be manipulated by his parents and became a fugitive for his passion, an intense passion that later brought him to limelight. As an escape from all ridicules at home, Arnold turned to live his passion: body building and the movies. Arnold turned to the movies, in particular Reg Park, a body-builder and star in Hercules movies was a great source of inspiration to the young Arnold and later became his mentor and hero. The films also helped propel Schwarzenegger’s own obsession with America, and the future he felt awaited him there.

Schwarzenegger, who had immigrated to the United States in 1968, helped propel the sport into the mainstream, culminating in the 1977 documentary, Pumping Iron, which tells the tale of Schwarzenegger’s defence of his Mr. Olympia crown. In all, Schwarzenegger would win an unprecedented five Mr. Universe titles and seven Mr. Olympia crowns during his body-building career. He used this platform to launch himself into Hollywood.

Arnold had dreamed of making it big in Hollywood, with his great physical strength and sense of humour, he catapulted himself into the top echelon of the acting world and has become the highest-paid action film star in Hollywood, with several films to his credit- Conan the Destroyer, Conan the Barbarian, Terminator, Commando, Predator, The Last Stand, True Lies, Running Man, Red Heat, Total Recall and many more. The defining moment in his acting career was the release of the science fiction thriller, The Terminator in 1984. Though made on a relatively modest budget, the high voltage action / science fiction thriller was incredibly successful worldwide, and began one of the most profitable film franchises in history.

The dead-pan phrase “I’ll be back” quickly became part of popular culture across the globe and his teeming fans were always looking forward to his next return. After years of blockbuster movie roles, Schwarzenegger went into politics, becoming the 38th governor of California (2003 – 2011). Arnold was the first foreign-born governor of California since Irish-born governor John G.Downey in 1862. Arnold ran as a republican in 2003 in the California recall election that ousted the incumbent Democratic Governor, Gray Davis. He was re-elected in a landslide victory in the 2006 elections. Because of his personal wealth from his acting career, Schwarzenegger did not accept his governor’s salary of $175,000 per year throughout his tenure!

In 2012, he returned to his acting career, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone in the star–studded film, The Expendables. Within just one week, the movie had climbed to the No. 1 spot at the box office bringing in nearly $28.6million. He was also in action in The Expendable 3(2014) and Terminator Genisys (2015). His foray into politics has made him an active and respected member of the Republican Party with the hope of becoming a possible future Republican presidential candidate of the United States of America.

While Schwarzenegger is not eligible to run for the presidency by present laws (as a naturalized citizen, not a native-born citizen as required by the Constitution), some members of Congress are currently considering an amendment to the Constitution to allow foreign-born US citizens to be allowed to run for the Presidency, specifically with Schwarzenegger in mind, although other members of Congress are strongly opposed to the idea. Time will surely tell of the extent to which he can attain in the politics of the United States.

In one of his famous speeches in 2001, Schwarzenegger reached out to parents on the reason why they must never manipulate their children to live a life that they were never designed to live. He said: “My own plan formed when I was 14 years old, my father had wanted me to be a police officer like he was, and my mother wanted me to go to trade school. My hair was pulled. I was hit with belts. So was the kid next door. It was just the way it was. Many of the children I’ve seen were broken by their parents, which was the German-Austrian mentality. They didn’t want to create an individual. It was all about conforming. I was one who did not conform, and whose will could not be broken. Therefore, I became a rebel. Every time I got hit, and every time someone said, ‘you can’t do this,’ I said, ‘this is not going to be for much longer, because I’m going to move out of here. I want to be somebody.”

Finally, to the youths, you are an unrepeatable miracle! You are unique and valuable. Don’t ever allow your conditions to determine your destination. Accept no one’s definition of your life, define yourself; don’t allow someone’s opinion of you to become your reality. Life will never give you what you deserve; life will give you what you demand. No matter where you are from, no matter what you are passing through, no matter your limitation, you can rise beyond your background. You are made of the stuffs of legends.

Tiwa Osibodu and Tolani Tubi are blowing our collective minds with their amazing debut collection, which was launched recently in Lagos.

Described as an online fashion and lifestyle brand, the collection boasts of modern, sophisticated and affordable clothes that are not only stunning but are also very affordable.

According to the co-founders, “87ORIGINS is in the business of making great designs accessible, therefore, we don’t follow the traditional retail culture of high mark-ups for good quality clothing. As a brand our culture is to make the customers a priority at every level of our company.”

The debut collection features well put together items with excellent finishing and the best part is that prices range from N5,000 to N11, 0000.

According to Osibodu, one of the co-founders, a lot of factors were considered in turning out this world-class collection such as climate, durability, affordability and quality.
Bearing in mind all class of Nigerians, they still went ahead to produce clothes made with quality fabrics while still keeping prices affordable in order to appeal to a wider range of Nigerians. Catering to men and women, the collection also features jackets and hats in addition to a wide range of clothing.

Yemi-Alade

Nigerian pop singer, Yemi Alade, has been unveiled as this year’s Africa Fashion Week Nigeria (AFWN) and Africa Fashion Week London (AFWL) brand ambassador.

One of the aims of AFW is to promote beauty and style from Africa, both the creative and business side of fashion, while also discovering new exciting brands and striving to provide them with a platform to build and promote them so they meet international standards.

Founder of AFW, Ronke Ademiluyi, had this to say about the choice of Yemi Alade as their brand ambassador: “This year, we chose someone who embodies the true African woman. A strong intellectual and musically inclined woman, her music reflects what’s good, great and best about the motherland. We couldn’t have chosen anyone more suitable to be our ambassador”.

AFWN would be celebrating its third anniversary with yet another fashion show and exhibition from July 1 to July 3, 2016 with a host of upcoming and established designers. There would be five different shows, brand new designers that would showcase for the first time as well as new and existing designers getting the opportunity to break into the industry and gain a bigger platform and wider audience.

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment,… Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty…. which is of great worth in God’s sight.” — 1 Peter 3:3-4(NIV) “God has given you one face, and you make yourself another.” — William Shakespeare(Hamlet)
Gwyneth Paltrow once said: “Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin.” We are living in a world where being natural is no longer fashionable, what a monumental psychological loss! Don’t ever bleach away your natural colour so that people will like you; be yourself and the right people will love the real you.

The appalling trend of bleaching among Nigerian youths has become unprecedented and portends a great danger to their future, as most of them have actually bleached themselves irredeemably beyond ‘redemption’. The legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti, in a sarcastic style that belongs only to him, totally condemned the deteriorating effect of skin bleaching among the Nigerian folks in his album (Yellow Fever, 1976).

He labelled skin bleaching as one of the artificial sicknesses that is ravaging Nigeria and Africa at large, making the ‘bleaching fever’ to be even more devastating, damaging and destructive than malaria fever, Jaundice fever, hay fever and so on. In his typical mix of Yoruba and Pidgin English, the Afro beat legend and his Africa 70 Crew lashed out against the demented way with which Nigerians bleach their skin with blatant impunity.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” We are living in a world where we are so accustomed to disguising ourselves to others that, in the end, we become disguised to ourselves. It is very rare nowadays to see people with unadulterated, natural and authentic beauty. I want to emphatically underline that obsessive bleaching pattern is more than just a skin issue; it is actually a reflection of a deeper problem.

I have at various fora campaigned that skin- bleaching problems are more than skin deep; in fact, it permeates deep into our values and mentalities. It is a cover-up for a deeper psychological problem of unhealthy and low self-esteem. The only thing some people have is facial value, they lack intrinsic worth; your self-worth and not your face-worth determines your net-worth. We must first deepen our relationship within ourselves before we get preoccupied with how we look ‘outside’. There is nothing more attractive than a healthy self-esteem, once you see your own beauty, so will everyone else. The best self-image is not facial; it is the one that is internally motivated.

The global skin lightening industry was calculated at a worth of $10 billion USD for 2015. The products cost anywhere between 50 cents and $150, affordable by everybody, with Nigerians being the greatest patrons. The bleaching statistics is highly alarming especially in Africa. According to the World Health Organisation, 77 per cent of Nigerian women use skin lightening products on a regular basis, as do 59 per cent in Togo, 35 per cent in South Africa, 27% in Senegal and 25% in Mali. These products are also used in Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Gambia and Tanzania.

These figures seem unusually high, but even if they’re overblown, the problem is more than just cosmetic, it is culturally destructive. It encroaches on our culture, values and heritage. We might really have gained independence from the ‘whites’ but we are really in dire need of mental emancipation and Bob Marley had in a prophetic way delivered this message succinctly long time ago in one of his songs, Redemption song, “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind. Have no fear for atomic energy, ‘Cause none of them can stop the time…… Won’t you help to sing, these songs of freedom? ‘Cause all I ever had, Redemption songs…..These songs of freedom.“

We are actually fighting to free ourselves from modern colonialism; it is actually a classic case of colonial mentality in the post-colonial world. Colonialism didn’t end that long ago. As Africans, we freed ourselves and won our independence, but psychologically we continued to view ourselves through the lens of ‘whiteness’. In other words, we were left with the shackles of colonial mentality. It is not the dark skin that is the problem; it is our dark, jaundiced and uncultured way of thinking. Skin-lightening/bleaching is a problem, but it’s only a sign of much deeper inter-related issues: self-hatred, a race-based identity crisis, and the internalisation of Western-created cultural ideas that are inimical to the mental health of black people.

This internalised form of racism is an invisible presence in our psyches, and some of us don’t even realise it is a factor in how we perceive others and ourselves. The plague of skin bleaching is a classical matter that borders on the issue of identity, self-worth and self-acceptance.

Martin Luther King, Jr., had a vision of a sane world where people will so much focus on the content of their character without jeopardising the colour of their skin. He once said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.” The black pride movement that was pioneered by great minds like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela et al must not be allowed to dwindle in the face of infective globalization. We must definitely be global in expression but we must never globalize our skin. The Black Pride movement celebrating heritage, personal pride, authenticity and afro-centricism needs to be consciously and actively injected into expressions of pop culture by artists, musicians, filmmakers and writers. In the face of acute self-degradation, we must not allow our sense of self to be distorted through a white lens.

Skin bleaching comes in different forms, so are the side effects. Its attendant side effects can be short or long-term and most times are irreversible. Those with little resources use the soaps, creams and powders which are common in the market. Others prefer steroids that bleach the skin from the inside. These substances contain high level of hydroquinone (above 2%), mercury and acids that suppress the enzyme responsible for producing melanin. Melanin is the substance that gives the skin and hair its natural colour. It protects the skin from Ultra Violet rays. Melanin is produced to darken the skin when exposed to the sun for extended period of time to keep the body from burning.

Fortunately for blacks, the skin produces more melanin than light-skinned or white people making us less susceptible to skin burns and skin cancer resulting from UV rays exposure. The side effects of using these bleaching substances are life threatening. They include: thinning of the skin that results in poor health, skin infection and surgical failures; skin cancer, leukaemia, kidney problems, premature aging, mercury poisoning, pungent body odour, permanent skin discoloration and allergies. In some cases psychiatric and neurological problems are associated.

Many ladies, women and men have become victims of their own uncontrollable and obsessive addiction to toning and bleaching of their natural skin to the extent that they have lost touch with their natural selves. I am reaching out to the African and Nigerian youths to be more comfortable in their natural skin. Stop depending on your facial worth in order to get people’s acceptance, be secured from within, and put more effort into building your self-esteem and stop spending too much time on things that are ephemeral and transient. I am advising the Nigerian youths to be more comfortable in their own skin, real beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.

Fredrick Douglas said, “I prefer to be true to myself even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and incur my own abhorrence”. I dedicate this piece to all the African queens that have vehemently refused to join the mad and demented race of skin bleaching, we have been inspired with your flawless, natural and exquisite beauty! I look forward to your comments on today’s publication because I would really love to publish it next week in the YOUTHS WITH PURPOSE column. Please send your brief comments to 08053139316 or gentletouch927@yahoo.com with your name and location. I sincerely welcome your diverse opinions. Watch out for the second part of “STOP BLEACHING AWAY YOUR DESTINY”.

Gaisebaba

9ice, ID Cabasa, Isaac Gerald, Ranti, Saco Others on The Bill
The Ace Olivia Hall, City Mall, Onikan, Lagos, will come alive tomorrow, as fast rising afro-fusion artiste, Akinade Ibuoye otherwise known as GaiseBaba, hosts music lovers to his maiden revolutionary concert, Korinsódì: an evening with Gaise.

The gig, which opens at 5pm with a special red carpet reception, will feature performances by 9ice, producer ID Cabasa, Isaac Gerald, opera singer Ranti, Saco, Emma Oh My God and other talents.

On the inspiration behind the project, GaiseBaba said, “music can actually do much more than what we currently know. Having nurtured this idea for quite a while; I’m thankful the time has finally come. Truth is, no one can be like you, and that’s the power of you. We’re not rewarded for our similarities; we’re only rewarded for our difference.”

On the title of the concert, the artiste explained that, “Korinsódì is about celebrating the power of our uniqueness as individuals and as a people. It promises to be a standout experience of musical dexterity and pure ecstasy. It is a special evening that will parade the best of talents in jaw-dropping performances that leaves audience spellbound,” he
said.

Meanwhile, the singer recently dropped his latest single, Titilai, with the video set for release in coming weeks. The song is an ingenious love song set to reverberate through history as a classic masterpiece. Produced by ID Cabasa of the Coded Tunes fame, Titilai is filled with lovely rhythm laced with rich African punch lines alongside heavy Afro beats.

“It’s great to be challenged again at this exciting phase of my career with the privilege to present something deep, fresh and original. It feels great doing what can get the right attention, strengthen love amongst people, drive passion and connect me to a traction filled with people, who share common ideals,” he said.

Widely regarded as Nigeria’s leading Afro-fusion
artiste, GaiseBaba uses conscious music to influence societies’ moral journey, while promoting strong upright values. He released his debut album in August 2011 under Sanctified Records. He was awarded New Revelation at The Scepters 2011 and Best New Artiste at the premier edition of Crystal Awards in 2013.

In October 2013, he was the youngest of 14 eminent entertainment and arts practitioners honoured by the Ekiti State Government as Cultural Ambassadors. With a rapidly growing fan base, many have described the young man as a “fresh breath” in the country’s music industry.

Tiwa displays her award at the 2014 MAMAs in Durban, South Africa.

Gone are the days when you searched for Tiwa Savage on the Internet and stories of her numerous exploits in the music industry popped up. In fact, her music videos and that of her star-studded traditional marriage in Nigeria and classy white wedding in Dubai got massive hits online.

Just spare few seconds today and search Tiwa Savage on Google; you will be bombarded with different versions of her ‘love gone sour’ story with her hubby, Tunde Balogun, popularly called Teebliz. Particularly, her recently ‘no holds barred’ video interview with Azuka Ogujiuba has since gone viral, with 1,35,808 views as at the time of writing this story.

However, it’s funny that some over sabi viewers decided to launch attacks on the interviewer for ‘being insensitive’ with their lovable artiste during the chat, even as she broke down in tears. Yet, no one cared to appreciate the reporter for letting fans into the untold stories of a marriage once regarded as ‘made in heaven.’

While most fans have taken sides, others, who were obviously shocked by the sad revelations by the couple, are seriously praying for a miracle, even when Tiwa already said, “it’s over.”

Well, their adorable son, Jamal, who has become popular with that Pamper TV commercial, would have to live with the fact that his parents are separated; that’s the reality for now.

But beyond the hullabaloo about the couple’s marriage crisis, the reality is that Tiwa’s music career is being put to test. Her many years of struggle to achieve fame and fortune is currently being threatened by her domestic life, with some already peddling rumours of Tiwa losing her endorsement deals. One begins to wonder if the deals came because Tiwa is a wife or for her success story in the showbiz industry?

All through the Tiwa-Teebliz drama, one recalled Tiwa’s first interview with The Guardian after her resolve to move back home from the US and pursue her solo career. The late Ogbonna Amadi of the Vanguard newspapers facilitated the meeting, which held at D’Banj’s Koko Lounge in Yaba, Lagos. Her mission that day was to promote her latest single, Kelekele Love and possibly sell her brand at home.

Throughout the session, the Isale Eko-born singer was calm and somehow very shy, as she fielded questions from showbiz reporters, who had gathered to drill the returnee singer. You needed to see how she struggled with her tiny voice to impress the journalists, who were bent on ascertaining the reasons for her decision to leave the United States for Nigeria.

When Tiwa Savage resigned her lucrative job with the Royal Bank of Scotland, only to head for the United States in pursuit of a career in music, many tagged it a crazy move; even her parents could not come to terms with her decision to quit banking. But for the business administration graduate of the University of Kent, music is a passion, too precious to let go.

“I’ve always done music, but my parents encouraged me to do a degree in business administration, which I did. As soon as I graduated, I got a job with a bank in London as a junior accountant, which I did for a year and half. Along the line, I got a call to join Mary J. Blige as a backup singer during her European tour; I quickly resigned my appointment. Everyone thought I was crazy, but my mind was made,” she revealed.

Though the experience was an eye opener for young Tiwa, it was a bittersweet one too.“Sweet in the sense that I was together with the artistes on tour buses; I got to see how artistes prepare for concerts, the rehearsals and all that. I learnt that it’s not always rosy for artistes; it’s all about hardwork. But basically, I was just me; I had to be patient to study my craft, so that when my time comes, I would be better prepared to handle it,” she said.

Tiwa’s fondest memory with music was in a high school band as a trombone player; an instrument she had to give up playing since she could not afford to buy one. This incident brought about the novel idea of picking up an instrument that she did not need to buy — her voice.

She first started out by listening and imitating the riffs and runs of singer friends at school. She would listen to commercial jingles and songs on the radio, using the vocalists as her instructors. Realising her undiscovered talent, Tiwa began to try-out at several music auditions. It was in that process that she met a group of local talented musicians, who exposed her to gospel, jazz, soul and R&B music.

Since her first breakthrough, Tiwa has done backup for artistes such as George Michael, Blue Cantrell, Kelly Clarkson and Spice Girls among others. She participated in the X-Factor – the British competition that spawned American Idol and made it to the top 24. She has worked with A–list artistes such as Fantasia, Akon, Snoop Dogg and Babyface and also shared the stage with the likes of Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas and 50 Cents.

Along the line of playing and touring with big artistes, Tiwa got a scholarship to study Music at Berklee College of Music, where she finally honed her music skills.

“When I came to Berklee and saw a lot of younger students, their drive and passion recharged my batteries. They are not thinking, ‘I’m going to save about $10,000 before I move,’ no, ‘I’m just going to get my backpack and move.’ I needed that fresh air, that atmosphere,” she recalled.

At a time when most youths were soaking up in the hip-hop tradition, Tiwa opted to major in jazz.“I wouldn’t say I’m a jazz singer, but jazz is one of the hardest genres of music; I wanted to start with jazz because it’s very technical. I know with the knowledge of jazz, doing R&B would be very easy for me. I studied people like Billy Holiday and other great jazz artistes; I have that background, but I’m still a soul/R&B singer.”

It didn’t take long before her creativity attracted the attention of Sony Music in the US, which signed her on as a songwriter, writing for top rated artistes. With strong vocals, she was also invited to sing background on the last Whitney Houston’s album I Look to You.

“I’ve been handling songs for other artistes, but I got to a point that I saw other artistes singing my story. So, I went to London to meet with my mum and she said to me, ‘Tiwa, God didn’t give you this talent to give to other people, it’s time for you to take the step.’ It was scary for me to make the move, but I’ve decided to do that now.”

This was part of the reasons Tiwa returned home in 2010, though not without the usual discouragements.“A lot of people discouraged me from coming back. They said, ‘people coming back now are not really accepted because they can’t connect with Nigeria, especially as a female.’ They said, ‘there’s no way a brand would endorse you; you can’t be on the same stage with the likes of Tuface, Wizkid, D’Banj and others.’ I got discouraged a little bit,” she recalled.

Somehow, the discouragements forced Tiwa to move back to the United States temporarily, hoping for the right time for a ‘second missionary journey’ to fatherland.

“After I dropped Kelekele, I moved back to Los Angeles. But after I released Love Me Love Me and it started growing even bigger, I came back for the second time; some people around me encouraged me to move on. They told me, ‘you can do this if you are just insistent and consistent in what you are doing.”

As it turned out, few gave Tiwa a change to make it in Nigeria. While some faulted her style of music, others were of the opinion that ours is a male dominated music industry. But through hardwork and determination, Tiwa has joined the league of A-List stars in Nigeria. Aside from playing both local and international gigs, the sexy artiste remains a popular figure in the corporate world, with lucrative endorsement deals.

BEYOND being just an album tag, Once Upon A Time, Tiwa’s debut effort, comes with a whole lots of meaning.“You know when you hear once upon a time, you say ‘time, time;’ it’s a story. My life has been an amazing journey and I wanted the album to reflect that. I also wanted to motivate upcoming artistes; once upon a time, I was a little girl in Isale Eko that wanted to achieve her dream and here am I today living it; I also want their once upon a time to turn to reality,” she said.

With tracks such as Olorun Mi, Once Upon A Time, His Voice, Without My Heart, Folarin, Efe Wa Gbona ft. Leo Wonder and others, Tiwa’s debut album is truly inspired by her experiences in life.

“This album speaks from my heart; it’s something that I worked so long for,” she hinted. “A lot of people wondered why it took so long, but like I said, we had to go through a lot of legal processes to clear some of the sample that we used and that takes time. I didn’t want it to be the usual Nigerian album of party, party tracks; I wanted to have meaning and that’s why I took time to get the job done.”

In one of the tracks in the album released under MAVIN Records, Tiwa paid tribute to Teebillz, whom she described as her major source of strength and encouragement.

“He wiped my tears,” she noted. “But you know in the culture we are living in Nigeria, if you are not married and you are just focusing on your carrier, people start to ask if something is wrong with you. But he understood my journey; he was the man that was able to push me career wise. He’s someone that really encouraged me, so I had to do a song for him,” she enthused.

Unlike most artistes, who would not take negative criticisms, Tiwa Savage is open to such comments on her works. For her, it’s an opportunity to re-strategise and do more.

“Everybody has an opinion; that’s life. Michael Jackson’s Thriller, even as beautiful as it seems, there are people out there, who didn’t like it. If Jesus Christ can have enemies, who is Tiwa Savage. For me, I’ve done something from my heart; I didn’t compromise my integrity, I haven’t compromised musically. I’ve satisfied my heart and I’m going to leave the rest to God,” she declared at the album listening session.

From her tone and body language, Tiwa seemed not threatened by the emergence of strong female artistes in the country’s music industry. For her, the trend is of great advantage to the industry.

“Why should I be scared? In the United States, you have Nikki Minaj, Rihanna, Beyonce and others and they are all big artistes, doing very well. Why should there be only one female artiste? In Nigeria you talk about D’Banj, Tuface, P-Square, Davido and others, so, why do we only allow room for one female? I’m actually glad that more females are coming up because it opened more doors. My mum once told me that when you point a finger, you can only push so much, but when you roll up the fist, you can actually knock down the door. I’m happy more females are coming up these days,” she said.

Looking back to her journey, she said, “my friends didn’t take me serious because then, people don’t value singers; even my parents didn’t like the idea of me becoming an artiste. But today, she are my number one fans.”

Though the limelight is difficult to deal with, Tiwa appeared ready for the realities of taking up a singing career.“You have to always realise that people are watching, so you still have to learn to hold that until you get home. People admire you and want to see that you are strong; they don’t want to see you breakdown.”

Indeed, Tiwa, this is not the time to breakdown; MAVIN Record knows this. Good enough, the singer is said to be back at work, with multiple sources confirming she was in a video set over the last holidays. There are indications that she’s trying her best to stay strong and positive; she’s not taking her mind off her work and her son- even for a minute.

It would be recalled that Tiwa’s maternity leave, alongside Omawumi, to a large extent, paved way for the emergence of Yemi Alade as a strong female voice in the music industry, with a MAMA award to show for it. So, for the First Lady of MAVIN Records, this is time to put aside Kelekele Love and try to cover lost grounds; fans are waiting for that collabo with Busy Signal.

While close friends are currently working to help her hubby Teebliz recuperate and get rehabilitation, the show must go on for Tiwa; there are bills to be paid. And most importantly, this star must not dim.

In a Nation where hunger, poverty, unemployment, power failure, killings, kidnappings, accidents, and hardship, etc, have become the order of the day, it is pertinent for our leaders, both past and present, to come together and think of the way forward.

It is a pity that things have deteriorated to this level, yet our leaders are unperturbed. Rather than come together as one to proffer solution to these challenges, they are busy nailing each other. You flip through the pages of a newspaper and there is nothing to hope for. You turn on the TV and it’s the same thing. Propaganda has come to stay as everyone keeps fighting to stay relevant.

In the midst of all this, the poor masses are suffering. How can we make progress when our hearts are filled with so much hatred? Our youths have been torn apart as some of them don’t even know which camp to belong.

Most comical is the fact that those who defected to the ruling party have become saints. The question is, if we are all saints, then how did we get here? I am calling on our leaders to please forget the drama, and come together and think of the way forward before we lose it completely. This is not the time to apportion blames, the child is already born in the market square, hence there is no need telling the mother to close her legs. We need solutions, not more problems.

We are the change we seek, let’s strive for the common good of our beloved country and bury our personal interests. Let’s give peace a chance, let love be our greatest virtue. Let’s arise and build one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity. The time is now; tomorrow might be too late.
• Miss Umoren is a recent graduate of the University of Calabar.

Kingsley Iniobong Essien

Repositioning Nigeria’s educational system to bring it back to standards requires a critical look at the existing curriculum and adjusting it. This was the submission of the Global President, Birch Freeman High School Old Boys Association (BIFOBA), Kingsley Iniobong Essien.

Essien made the declaration during the 2016 Homecoming Ball of the association held at the school auditorium in Surulere, Lagos, noting that the country needs an outstanding Minister of Education to achieve the feat.

said: “With dedication and determination, we should be able to fix our educational system and make it functional once again. We need a good Minister of Education that will look at the curriculum and adjust it. Nothing is impossible; it has to do with determination and devotion and we will just get it right.”

Essien, who was sworn in as Global President 2016/2018 of the association at the event, noted that Old Boys Associations have roles to play towards transforming the educational sector.

“Old Boys Associations must love their schools and support them. In every other school, they are strangers. It is only the school they left from that they can say this is my school. So, they must be proud of their school and associate with it. There is no reason to run away.

“Some people think that because they have not yet made it, other people would laugh at them but it is not so. You see the fingers are not equal. If you donate N20, 000 and I donate N5, 000 while another person donates N3, 000 collectively we have generated N28, 000. But if you stay away you would not have made your contribution. By the time the history is written it would cover everybody that contributed something and your name will not be there,” he said.

Essien said that BIFOBA has impacted greatly on the school since it came on board in 1999, noting: “What we met on ground was not presentable at all. This school you see here today was an abandoned place. So, it was a challenge to us and we said that we must make the school worthy of a pride. We started off and went up to the point of finding a land towards Epe where we wanted to relocate the school to. The school’s premises were waterlogged and nobody wanted to send his/her child to this place. But we decided to remain here and slowly and steadily we have been able to lift the school to an enviable position.

“Every good thing you see here BIFOBA has a hand in it. The school hall was built by BIFOBA singlehandedly. BIFOBA also attracted the classroom block that was built by the Lagos State government. As you can see, the government is constructing another block and it took our persuasion for them to embark on the project because what they will spend here is three times the amount they will spend in another school,” he said.

Essien added: “We get teachers that will augment where there is deficiency. We have just launched the basketball, volleyball and tennis courts. So, in terms of sporting, educational facilities and moral building we are assisting. So, we are molding the students in all facets of life.”

He pledged that his administration would stick to BIFOBA’s ideal, which according to him, “is to give to ourselves a school that would be the pride of everybody that has left it (the Old Boys) and to the students that are still here a centre of excellence. We want people to note that this school is meant for excellence because that is the legacy that those who were ahead of us left for us.”

If you are fan of Tuface Idibia, this is an exciting time, as the singer has announced plans to take some fans to Nairobi, Kenya, on an all-expense paid, weeklong trip. The lucky fans, according to 2Baba, will be picked through a dance competition tagged Trip and Treat Trip 2016.

Unveiling the project via a video post on his instagram page, the African Queen singer said the initiative is a deviation from the usual norm. Instead of the usual ‘pick the winner based on likes accrued’, he wants to give every fan an opportunity, whether the person has a huge social media following or not. Therefore, fans with the best dance videos will be selected as winners.

There would be multiple entry platforms for the competition to cater to a wider range of fans.2Baba first hinted at the competition last week when he asked fans to suggest the number of people to take to Kenya with him. The responses were overwhelming, as he stated in the video, with some saying he should take as many as a thousand people.

To enter the contest, interested participants are to make videos of them doing a cool dance move to the chorus of 2Baba’s new song featuring Kenya’s Sauti Sol, Oya Come Make We Go. Post it on Instagram and tag @official2Baba, @hypertekdigital and @officialhiptv.

MD Katunga Media Betty Abang (second left) giving vote of thanks after the play.

To mark this year’s Workers Day, Comedy maestro Ali Baba, supported by a 20-man cast, were on stage recently for a scintillating genre-crossing performance in the much-anticipated satirical stage play Loud Whispers. An adapted from the same-titled book written by socio-political commentator cum investment banker, Joseph Edgar, the play was staged at the Agip Recital Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

The command performance played host to theatre enthusiasts, who were treated to a mind-blowing theatrical experience, as Alibaba alongside other thespians such as Patrick Diabuah, Paul Alumona, Tony Offiong, Kehinde Fasuyi, Nissi George, Olarotimi Fakunle, Yemi Oyewo, Inna Erizia, Toyin Oshinaike, Toritseju Ejoh, Charles Alumona, and Chantal Edgar, gave life to Joseph Edgar`s collection of humorous satires that celebrates the Nigerian spirit.

Particularly, Ali Baba brought exceptional brilliance and energy into his performance as he played Ali Okiemute, whose family`s journey depicts the experiences of a typical Nigerian family through various economic dispensations.

According to the Managing Director of Katunga Media, Betty Abang, “it was such a thrilling experience, feedback from the audience revealed tremendous acceptance and a yearning for a repeat of the performance. Loud Whispers is a story that every Nigerian can relate with. The play makes bold to say what people will otherwise not divulge, and the story touches on themes that cuts through all strata of the society.”

Each of the two shows lasted for two hours as every scene, move, song, dance and word told the Nigerian story in the most acerbic yet humorous way that stunned the audience. Each scene weaved through the famous Agege bread seller turned supermodel story, the infamous “what if you are a widow? Go and die” story, a prominent politician’s 3-page letter, amongst other themes.

Also highlighted were the prevalent issues of fuel scarcity, Boko Haram insurgency, political instability, and the unfortunate kidnap of the Chibok girls, all narrated in the most comical yet thought-stirring way that left audiences giving resounding applause scene after scene.

One of the highlights of the day was budding 12- year old actress Chantel Edgar, who played one of the rescued Chibok girls. She delivered a heart-wrenching monologue that left the audience in tears as they clapped. She cried for peace and asked that the younger generation be given the chance to lead Nigeria. Then veteran actor Tunde Alabi gave a brief but heart-warming performance with his elderly wisdom and long-standing experience that awakened memories of the good old soap opera Village Headmaster in which he played “Aditu”.

Directed by Quebic 4 Productions boss, William Benson, Olisa Adibua, was the Executive Producer of the play, whilst Joseph Edgar, Shina Peller of Quilox and Mofoluwake Edgar were co-producers.

Mrs Olaleye in Dubai with daughter

With the aim of enriching every family through their mums, Three Crowns milk instituted Mum of The Year contest, a platform that celebrates mothers in particular and the family in general. Last year, Mrs. Olamide Olaleye won Mum of The Year out of 30 contenders, through her daughter, who emerged winner in a competition to prove that her mother deserves the honour. Ahead of the 2016 edition of the project, where Mrs. Olaleye will eventually hand over to a new winner, the mother of two spoke to CHUKS NWANNE on her reign as Mum of The Year and her experience during an all paid expense trip to Dubai with her daughter.

How did you get involved in the competition?
I never knew about the competition until my daughter told me. She did the competition in my name and only came to announce the good news after the final result was out.

How did you feel when you were announced winner of the 2015 Three Crowns Mum Of The Year?
It’s very difficult to actually express exactly the way I felt, but I will say it was a mixture of surprise, excitement and gratitude. It felt like a dream to me because I never expected to be the winner. So, when my daughter announced the good news, I was speechless; had to catch my breath for some minute before I hugged her and also thanked her for her effort.

Did you at any point feel that you couldn’t meet up or win the competition?
Well, there is nothing 100% certain in this world, but I would say that God made it possible for me to win, because if God does not have a hand in anything, you can’t succeed. Out of 30 mothers, I was selected to wear the crown as the Three Crowns 2015 Mum of the Year. That’s surely an act of God. Winning Three Crowns Mum of The Year was an amazing experience.

How has the competition affected your life?
When Three Crowns team came to my house to crown me and also present us with the Dubai trip ticket, my neighbours were all around, peeping to see what was happening. When they left the premises, my neighbours came and asked me “Mummy, what is happening?” It was then that I told them the good news and they congratulated. As the Three Crowns Mum of the Year, I’m entitled to a constant supply of Three Crowns Milk every month. What I do is that I take part of the milk to the Children’s department in my Church, and I tell them to tell their mothers to always give them Three Crowns Milk. Apart from the initial prizes presented to me, I was given a deep freezer as a Christmas gift last December, all the attire which I wore for the ‘Cook Like Mine Competition’ show was given to me by Three Crown, along with so many other gift packages on numerous occasions. I benefitted a lot from them.

The idea of taking milk to the Church, was it part of what you are supposed to do?
I decided to do it because that’s the right thing to do. Love is all about sharing which is why I specifically chose to reach out to our little children.

Part of your price was a trip to Dubai with your daughter, how was the experience?
The experience was nice; that was my first time to travel out of the country. Before now, I had never been to the airport; the Dubai trip was my first time to go anywhere outside of Nigeria. When I got to the Airport, people were still congratulating me. Even when I got to Dubai, they also congratulated me. My Daughter and I went sightseeing around the city.

You were part of the Judges at the cooking competition; can you share your experience with us?
As a judge in the Cook like Mine competition, my mind was set to judge different kinds of pastries from the contestants, but I was surprised and impressed by the creative meals that were prepared. Before now, I used to think that Three Crowns Milk was used for baking or making snacks only; I never knew that we could use it to cook other traditional meals like rice, porridge etc. I experienced other methods of cooking at the competition and since then, I have put what I have learnt into practice to the delight of my family.

What would you say was the most exciting moment for you?
My most exciting moment was getting into a plane for the first time; I had never been to the airport before, not to mention travel outside of Nigeria. My first overseas trip was because of Three Crowns Milk. When I entered the plane, I felt like I was in another world. A lot of people were sleeping including my daughter, who travelled with me. But I could not sleep at all, I was scared that something would happen to us while we were flying so I started to pray and didn’t stop until we got to Dubai.

As your reign comes to an end, what’s your advice to all mothers?
My advice to them is that they should always remember to take care of themselves and their families. That’s one of the most important responsibility as a mother, to ensure the family stays fit and healthy. In order to achieve that result, they have to provide their families with the right food at all times. That’s why Three Crowns Milk is good for families because it is healthy and low in cholesterol.

Has it changed the way you relate with people?
No, I can’t change because I won the competition. What happened is not by my power; its God’s doing, which I am also grateful for.

According the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of the online paper Azuh Amatus, the glamorous event, which will open with a special Green Carpet reception by 4pm, will be a star-studded evening.

“Several leading lights in the nation’s entertainment industry, especially Nollywood, have confirmed they would honour us with their presence. But we are keeping their names under wraps as a surprise,” he hinted.

Meanwhile, over 50% of DALA awardees were chosen from the nation’s vibrant entertainment industry, comprising Nollywood, music and comedy sectors respectively.

“We are celebrating them alongside other honourees for the good works they are constantly and consistently rendering as role models, national/international ambassadors of this great country and above-all, true leaders in their respective fields of human endeavours,” he said.

Already, the duo of comedian Okey Bakassi and actress Jennifer Eliogu have been unveiled as hosts for the ceremony, which will be spiced with music and comedy. Among artistes expected to thrill at the event are Klint Da Drunk, De Don, D’Lectura and Mr. Makati, alongside other music acts.