JUSTUS ESIRI TO BE LAID TO REST BY APRIL

The family of the late veteran actor Justus Esiri, are making plans for the burial of the former Village Head Master who passed on, on Tuesday, February 19, 2013.

There are hints that he will be buried in April, and that some of his family members within the burial committee have travelled to his-home-town in Delta State to commence plans for the funeral.

One of his sons of the late thespian, Dr .SID declared “we are okay for now, when the plans are concluded, we’ll let you know.”

By Imohiosen Yvonne

Joke Silva becomes MD of Malete Film Village

Nollywood icon, Joke Silver, has added another feather to her cap, as she has been appointed as the Managing Director of the Kwara State Nollywood Studio  better known as” Malete Film Village”.

Malete Film Village is an autonomous project instituted by the Kwara State University, for the production of films and training of film actors, actresses and other experts for Nollywood, particularly the Nigerian film industry and the African film industry at large.

The Vice Chancellor of Kwara State University, Prof Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, stated in his remarks that “Joke Silva, who is a seasoned actress and a world class film director, will be the face and image of the Malete Film Village for some time to come”.

In her reaction to the appointment, the Veteran actress said “I would be building a movie studio from scratch and making it viable. More importantly, it is supposed to be

Davido Dismisses ‘Gobe’ Theft Rumour

Fast rising Nigeria pop act, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has quashed the rumour that he stole the song ‘Gobe’ from another Nigerian artiste Password via the release of a picture on his twitter handle showing him, Password and his manager.

It will be recalled that after the release of the official video of the song ‘Gobe’ on youtube, the social media was awash with report that he stole the song from a Nigerian artiste known as Password, alluding to the fact that Password, the supposed original owner of the song ‘Gobe’ kept on his twitter handle that Davido stole the song from him.

But the Dami Duro crooner was quick to respond to the allegation by posting a picture showing him and his supposed accuser Password, on his twitter handle to dismiss the report of the alleged property theft.

Vchannel Unveils Presenters Today

VCHANNEL will today, Friday, February 22 unveils nine presenters to invited guests at Troy Lounge in Ogba, Lagos.

VCHANNEL is a new entertainment channel on cable TV, Startimes; it’s on channel 221.

VCHANNEL is an entertainment platform targeted at youths and women.  It’s a fusion of Popular and fresh African Movies, Drama Series, Celebrity Lifestyle Shows, Fashion & Style, Reality TV Shows, Kiddies Programme, Comedy, Musical Content, Game Shows and other exciting television experiences.

AY Spent 9 Years for a Four-Year Course at DELSU

Popular and award winning comedian, Ayo Makun also known as AY may be making his millions on a per second billing at the moment but, the AY Show producer did not have it all rosy at his alma mater, Delta State University, as he spent nine ye

British Singer Adele Saves Chris Brown from Grammy Award Mess

Having been trapped between two young beautiful and enterprising ladies recently, one a musician and the other a model, the social scene was like a hell of place for the American pop star, Chris Brown. He was like a gold fish that had nowhere to hide, as both ladies took to the social media: twitter and instagram dissing each other and as well expressing their undying love for him.

Foluke Daramola Is Finally Hooks Kayode Salako

Certainly, Yoruba actress, Foluke  Daramola, has not been finding life easy since her marriage break up  some years back. The unfortunate incident affected her and her career that it was rumoured that she couldn't afford an apartment of her own, last year.
“Single parenthood has made me stronger and more alert to face different family issues, particularly the ones that concern my children’s welfare. More importantly, it has brought me closer to my children,” she said.
The talented actress was reported to have moved in with her lover, Mr. Kayode Salako,who lives at Omole Estate, on Friday February 1st, 2013,  and invited her friends and family to a small get together party afterwards. Foluke finally got married on Friday 15th February 2013 to her heartthrob Olukayode Ezekiel Salako having dated for a year.

Tonto Dike’s litmus test

Her notoriety and popularity in the last 12 months cannot be matched by any other celebrity in Nigeria. Soaring Twitter following, frequent location call-up, and record-breaking music downloads for a new comer are all evidence of Tonto’s celebrity status.

However, her notoriety and popularity will be put to test come March 1, when she makes her cinema debut in the movie, My Life, My Damage. The movie will mark Tonto first cinematic debut. In cinema, success at the box office is determined by the commercial viability of the star in the movie.

Genevieve Nnnaji is the most bankable with totally gross revenue at the box-office at N83 million, Omotola and Funke Akindele made N60 million and N56 million respectively.

If My Life, My Damage crosses the N10 million marks, Tonto would be the first to combine notoriety and commercial viability. If you think, it’s a mean feat, ask Cossy Orjiakor or Saint Janet.

Rita Dominic’s The Meeting scales N17 million marks

Who would have predicted that a movie with small publicity budget, hinged on up and coming stars, Linda Ejiofor and Femi Jacobs (both of Tinsel) and guest appearances from established acts would become a box-office hit and rub shoulders with heavyweights like Last Flight to Abuja and Phone Swap?

This is not taking anything away from The Meeting, a movie which has continued to generate interest in and out of the industry, however many things would have made The Meeting, one of the ‘wannabes’ movies at the cinema.

Firstly, the movie was scheduled to be release on October 19, 2012 a time dimmed more favourable (at the cinema) but days to the grand premiere, the computer where edited copy was filed crashed. The one used for the premiered was a hurriedly put together material.

Secondly, after expending personal money and not getting corporate sponsors, Audrey Silva, the company that produced the movie had to rely on skeletal publicity with limited funds.

Trouble over Nollywood at 20

Nollywood at 20 is supposed to be a moment of retrospection, celebration, and a showcase of achievements of the Nigerian motion picture industry in the last two decades. But with the development of things, the two decades milestones might turn to legal combat and mudslinging, as the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) and Peace Ayan Osigwe set to hold two different events amidst exchange of vile correspondences.

Peace Ayam Osigwe had conceived an idea to celebrate Nollywood at 20 with a dinner, coffee table, symposium and the likes, long before Ibinabo Fiberesima emerged as the president of AGN.

Peace, we learnt would drafted Ibinabo into the planning committee so as to carry the AGN along. She had commissioned people to write the coffee book, conducted interviews and gotten the support of the Federal Government, and was in talks with several corporate organizations. She was on the verge of having a photo shoot for the book, when Ibinabo pulled out saying the Guild should be at the fore-front of planning, not Peace Osigwe.

Emeka Ike is a nuisance- Ejike Asiegbu

EJIKE ASIEGBU

He’s a frustrated loser- Emeka Ike

One would have thought that with time Ejike Asiegbu, one time president of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) and celebrated actor, Emeka Ike would have sheathed their swords and forget hurts of the past.

However, recent encounters with the two gave an indication that they still bear grudges and have unsavoury impressions of each other.

It was Ejike who fired the first salvo describing the continuous legal battle Emeka is waging against the guild’s leadership over the position of the presidency as ‘unnecessary’ and labeling him (Emeka) a‘nuisance’. In an exclusive interview, Ejike further stated, ‘I hate to discuss him because he has no case as far as I’m concerned. He’s just seeking attention. The Bible says, ”You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” As far as I’m concerned, he is a non-issue. What he says he is fighting for, we already did during my administration. You cannot seek power illegally anywhere. On several occasions he has tried to scuttle the administration. No one is bigger than the association. He has shown through his action that he is bigger than everybody in Nollywood. To that I say, “He is not, he cannot.” My talking about Emeka Ike is giving him some weight. He is a non-starter. He should follow due process. Emeka Ike is not important. He is a nuisance’.

Goldie: we didn’t take you seriously. We apologise.

It was a hot, Sunday afternoon when the BBM request beeped on my phone. I was totally engaged with the English Premiership football match showing on my TV. Not in the mood for any chit-chat. Checking out the identity of the sender showed me a 'Goldie Harvey' and my first impulse was I was face-to-face with another impersonator trying to take the place of one of Nigeria's many hardworking entertainment celebrities. My curiosity got the better of me and I confirmed the request consciously granting the 'impostor' some measure of access into my life.I figured he\she will delete the connection in due course like others usually do. As at then, Goldie and I had never actually met in the true sense of the word. We weren’t friends. Neither were we enemies. We had bumped into one another a couple of times at events and that was it. Nevertheless, I was still surprised as to how the ‘impostor’ got my PIN.

Goldie gone with the wind

Nigeria’s lady Gaga, Susan Oluwabimpe Harvey, popularly known as Goldie, has passed on yesterday the 14^th of February, 2013, after she returned from her trip with her label management, Kennis Music, to the United States, where she witnessed the Grammy Award. The news was of her death was made public by one of her best friends Denrele Edun, who was with her at the Reddington Hospital, in Victoria Island, Lagos, till her last moment.

Her management also confirmed the news of her death with a post via her Facebook page that reads “It is with heavy heart that I have to inform you all that Goldie passed away this night shortly after arriving Lagos from LA. May her soul rest in the eternal peace of the Lord – Admin!!” February 14, 2013

A statement was further released by the CEO of Kennis Music, Kenny Ogungbe, in a condolence message that states “With a deep sense of loss, we announce the shocking death of our darling music star, Goldie Harvey. Goldie, 29, died on Thursday after she complained of a severe headache shortly after her arrival from the United States where she went to witness the Grammy Award. She was rushed from her Park View, Ikoyi Lagos residence to her official hospital, Reddington, Victoria Island, Lagos, where doctors pronounced her dead on arrival at exactly 7:30pm in the evening.

Superstars Who Dropped Out Of School

More than ever before, Nigeria’s music scene is increasingly getting saturated with stars and superstars who abandoned their various educational institutions in a quest to pursue fame and stardom. Contrary to what formerly obtains, where education is given utmost priority before anything else, a larger percentage of young people now care less about getting ‘educationally certified’ before venturing into the music business on a full scale. They practically leave their studies at different levels when the demand from musical career becomes overpowering to manage while schooling. One of the major motivations behind this strange move, which is fast becoming an acceptable practice even amongst the parents of some upcoming musical acts, is the bountiful financial gains the career promises. Factually, the benefits that await any recording artist whose music becomes widely accepted are pretty numerous. Aside the huge revenue that comes in from the sales of the music album, income from corporate branding, vast attention, popularity, respect and fame gained from the media, artists also rake in a huge chunk of money by performing at different corporate shows within and outside the country. All of these and a whole lot more contribute to igniting the burning obsession that makes almost every average young scholar crave such a glamorous lifestyle. iCampus takes a look into the lives of these superstars and presents you the story of their journey from ‘drop out’ to ‘sought out.’

Argo, Win Best Picture, Director at BAFTA Award

The British Academy of Films and Television Arts award, (BAFTA) held at the Royal Opera House, on 10th February 2013.BAFTA is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in cinema, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.

BAFTA as an independent charity with a mission to "support, develop and promote the art forms of the moving image, by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public,” Since the inception 1947,winners have emerge till date.

BAFTA 2013 winner   in different categories include:

GRAMMY AWARDS 10TH FEB 2013

This years, 55th Grammy award held at Staple Centre, Los Angeles, took a different tone compared to the 2012 award where Adele  was cleared as the show’s sweetheart, hauling home six gramophone statuettes.
This year’s ceremony couldn’t come up with clear winner as the British sensation, who added to her lifetime total with a win in the “Best Pop Solo Performance” category, but it put a spotlight on artists outside the vaunted pop realm. This year’s show felt like a coming out party of sorts, which arguably included the strongest live performance of the night with “Lonely Boy.” The pair, however, were shut out of the bigger categories of the night, namely “Record Of The Year,” which went to Gotye, and “Album of the Year,” which went to Mumford & Sons’ Babel.

Love in the air, Tiwa gets diamond engagement ring

Tiwa Savage showing off her diamond ring

Kele kele love crooner,Tiwa Savage is definitely done with the hide and seek game in the dating world as her manager and lover, Tee Blizz proposed to her during her birthday dinner.

Tiwa, who turned 33 on Tuesday, February 5 got a dazzling diamond ring at the popular Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos.

The love birds returned recently from a Dubai trip where it was gathered that Tee blizz whose real name is Tunji Balogun spoilt the songstress with expensive things.

Our curious eyes however went to where the lovely Tiwa placed the N.3 m ring and alas! it was on her wedding ring finger and this has been generating comments.

Just so you know, the birthday had in attendance Tiwa’s record label members, Mavin, family, friends and it was organised by Lagos socialite, Elohor Asien.

With celebrity weddings and proposals in the air even as Valentine approaches, one can only wonder who is next!

By  Oludolapo Odewumi

THE ASSASSIN’S PRACTICE

It was a gathering of movie producers, Nollywood professionals and journalists at the press screening of a new movie, The Assassin Practice held at the Silverbird Galleria, Victoria Island, Lagos.

With a short and catchy title, one would not expect anything short of a good story line from the Andrew Ukoko produced movie which paraded veterans in Nollywood such as Justus Esiri and delectable actress, Kate Henshaw. Fast rising actor David Nnaji and Eve Pearson also starred in the film.

The movie, shot in both Lagos and London, tells the story of a wannabe psychotherapist who had a history of insanity and was on a mission from London to assassinate a man, Eviano in Nigeria.

Yaw raises ‘The Bar’

Award-winning OAP and popular entertainer, Steve Onu, better known as ‘Yaw’ is out with another stage play tagged “The Bar”.

Like he has done for the past five years, Yaw is confident that this year’s edition will blow the audience away. For starters, it promises to x-ray events in the Nigerian polity through a comical approach.

The light-skinned radio ‘big boy’ says the idea of the stage play is to highlight critical events on the Nigerian political scene with the use of satire. ‘The Bar’, scheduled to hold at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos on March 3rd, 2013 will feature popular actress Funke  Akindele aka ‘Jenifa’ as the main act of the night.

Other high-profile musicians and comedians who will perform on the night are Choc Boiz’s MI and Brymo,Inyanya, Funny bone, Akpororo, MC Abbey, African China amongst others.

The Bar is a two-man play written by Obi Martins and directed by Stand up Nigeria Producer, Bunmi Davies.Yaw, whose voice wakes up many Lagosians with his morning show on Wazobia Fm, is no doubt raising the bar with this year’s event.

By Oludolapo  Odewumi