Tonestar in the making

Tonestar’s career has been blossoming in the United States but he's still keeping it real to his Nigerian roots.

Anthony “Tonestar” Igbozulike, a native of Imo State, Nigeria. At the young age of 22, he has opened shows for artists including Faze, Dbanj and Rick Ross. He's also performed in Nigeria and Washington DC.

Tonestar comes out with a blend of both American and African hip hop and you can not forget this young man.

In a recent interview tonestar was heard saying “Follow your dreams and what you believe in and don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t do it,” Just believe basically..

Many more things are to come from this talented young Naija star..

ARISE magazine

The 'ARISE' magazine was launched at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
'The Africa Issue' features designs by Naija designers such as Fati Asibelua of MOMO Couture and Deola Sagoe. Go get your copy now..

FDC Young Designer Awards 2008

Fashion Designers’ & Craft Makers’ Network held the annual, innovative 2008 Young Designer Awards and Gala Showcase at the Novotel London Hotel St. Pancras 100 Euston Road London NW1. The press, friends and families gathered together for what was an impressive and exciting award ceremony. The awards was established by knitwear designer Joanna Marcella with the aim to help raise profile of exceptionally gifted avant-garde young designers from multicultural backgrounds aged between 15 – 25 years.

Winners in the different categories were:

Young Designer Award category

Catherine Mc Aleer aged 19

Avant-Garde Award 21 – 25 category

Flett Bertram aged 21

Award winners will be given an opportunity to participate on a year long UK tour and showcase, which is a new exposure and awareness initiative. They will also receive mentoring and support accessing resources, such as, public relations, marketing, advice and general support, as they launch and build their fashion businesses.

MTV Africa Music Awards

The highly expected first ever MTV Africa Music Awards finally took place at the Veloderome in Abuja. Nigerian artists represented the winners table immensely.

The table looks like this:

BEST MALE
D’Banj (Nigeria)

BEST FEMALE
Wahu (Kenya)

BEST GROUP
P Square (Nigeria)

BEST HIP-HOP
9ice (Nigeria)

BEST NEW ACT
Naeto C (Nigeria)

BEST LIVE PERFORMER
Jozi (South Africa)

BEST ALTERNATIVE
Seether (South Africa)

BEST R&B
Alicia Keys (USA)

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
D’Banj (Nigeria)

BEST VIDEO
Ikechukwu (Nigeria) – Wind Am Well

MAMAs LEGEND
Fela Anikulapo Kuti

LISTENER’S CHOICE AWARD
D’Banj (Nigeria) – ‘Why Me’

BIG UP Naija!!!

Nkem Owoh 'Osuofia in London' is alive and well

Recent rumours have it that popular Nollywood star, Nkem Owoh died of complications from rupture of hard drugs he allegedly ingested for trafficking in Saudi Arabia.. but it is all false rumours...he is neither dead nor involved in any drug trafficking.

Nkem Owoh is widely known for producing and acting in the hit movie, 'Osuofia in London'.

Members of the public have been asked by the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) President - Mr Asiegbu - to stop spreading "such rumours about icons of Nollywood". He further claimed that the members of AGN are responsible and law abiding citizens.

Who is Amplifyd

Peeps are loving the new song from Amplifyd called 'Babi Babi' especially after Disco Peperempe. I have become a fan too. Have a listen

Students of Project Fame go on probation

The remaining seven students of Project Fame were all placed on probation following a series of performances. Five of the academy's students placed on probation last week were: Caroline, Kojo, Inyanya, Bisola and Dorcas. Dorcas and Caroline were finally evicted from the academy.

The judges'after complimenting the students for a job well done still chose to place all of them on probation.

With all seven students on probation, the two students with the lowest amount of votes will be evicted at the end of the week. So vote now to save your favourite student from being the next to be evicted.

Chinedu Obasi and TSG Hoffenheim

Nigerian international Chinedu Ogbuke-Obasi kept TSG Hoffenheim second in the German Bundesliga on goal difference from Bayer Leverkusen with a goal 20 minutes from time

Bundesliga league top scorer Vedad Ibisevic and Eduardo had put Hoffenheim twice ahead but Wolfsburg twice came back before Chinedu Ogbuke-Obasi sealed a 3-2 win for the surprise team of the Bundesliga, his eighth this season.

The results leave Leverkusen and Hoffenheim three points clear at the top ahead of third placed champions Bayern Munich.

Supermodel Oluchi comes to Africa with next top model

The next top model is coming to Africa in January 2009 and supermodel Oluchi is going to be the host. The show will follow the same format as the original American’s Next Top Model created by Tyra Banks.
West Africa’s next top model show will be produced by StatsMedia Group who have been granted the exclusive rights from CBS Paramount International Television to produce this reality show in Africa. Check back here for more..

ElDee and Dolapo

Happy wedlock to the rising Naija artist ElDee (lanre Dabiri) and his wife Dolapo.

The couple started dating since they were students of the University of Lagos. They have grown together and are madly in love and are now husband and wife. Congratulations..

Nigerian Artists at the World Music Awards in Monaco

Nigerian artists Tuface Idibia, Sasha Alabi, Tola Odunsi and Dayo Adeneye were at the World Music Awards over the weekend in Monaco. The World Music Awards recognizes the best selling artists worldwide.

Guests included Mariah Carey, Beyonce & Solange Knowles, Leona Lewis, Alicia Keys and many other international stars. TuFace performed his mega-hit ‘African Queen’ during the main awards show and won the ‘Best Nigerian Artist’ award.

Miriam Makeba dies at 76

South African music legend, Miriam Makeba has died at age 76 after taken ill near the southern Italian town of Caserta after a concert. She died overnight after singing with Roberto Saviano, a writer threatened with death by the Mafia.

Known as "Mama Africa", she was the legendary voice of Africa.

Makeba became a symbol of the fight against apartheid in her home country. She was born in Johannesburg on March 4, 1932. She made an international farewell tour in 2005.

Born from a Swazi mother and Xhosa father, Makeba captured international attention as vocalist for the South African group, The Manhattan Brothers, while they toured the United States in 1959. The following year, when she wanted to return home to bury her mother, the apartheid state revoked her citizenship and later also banned her music. As a result she spent 31 years in exile, living in the United States and later in Guinea.

She became the first black African woman to receive a Grammy Award which she shared with folk singer Harry Belafonte in 1965. Two years later her fame sky-rocketed with the recording of the all-time hit "Pata Pata" (Xhosa for "touch, touch" describing a township dance) although she unknowingly signed away all royalties on the song.

She hit an all-time low in 1985 when her only daughter, Bongi, died aged 36 from complications from a miscarriage. Makeba did not have money to buy a coffin for Bongi, and buried her alone barring a handful of journalists covering the funeral. But she picked herself up again, as she did many times before, like when her father died at a young age, or when she recovered from cervix cancer, or her many unhappy relationships, or unfounded rumours of alcoholism, according to her biography.

She returned to South Africa in the 1990s after Mandela was released from prison but it took a cash-strapped Makeba six years to find someone in the local recording industry to produce a record with her. She since released "Homeland" which contains a song describing her joy to be back home after the many years in exile in which she spoke out against apartheid and testified twice before the United Nations.

"I kept my culture. I kept the music of my roots. Through my music I became this voice and image of Africa and the people without even realizing," she said in her biography. {SOURCE}

Barack a hot name for new babies

Decontee Williams was so excited by Barack Obama's victory on Tuesday night that she started jumping up and down — and went into labor. Twelve hours later, Barack Jeilah was born at Phoenix Baptist Hospital to Williams and Prince Jeilah. The baby was 8 pounds 9 ounces and had a full head of hair.

"I love Barack Obama, and I love the name," said Williams, 31, who came to the United States as a refugee from Liberia in 2003. "In Africa, we call it a blessing. That is a good name."

In the last week, Barack, Obama, Michelle, Malia and Sasha have become inspirations for first and middle names across the United States, according to news reports. But the Obama baby boom has been even more pronounced in Kenya, particularly in Kisumu, an area in the western part of the country where relatives of Obama live.

From Election Day through Saturday afternoon, 43 children born at the Nyanza Provincial Hospital in Kisumu were named after the Obamas, with 23 boys given the first and middle name Barack Obama and 20 girls named Michelle Obama.

Pamela Odhiambo, who gave birth to a girl during Obama's victory speech in Chicago, named her Michelle Obama. "It's a new start, a new beginning," said Odhiambo, 18. {SOURCE}

Kelly Rowland and the MTV Africa Music Awards

R&B star Kelly Rowland will be flying to Abuja, Nigeria on 22 November to perform at the first ever MTV Africa Music Awards.
5000 tickets are to go on sale on 10 November, The tickets are priced at 5,000 Naira (standing tickets) and 10,000 Naira for Gold Access (seated tickets).

Tickets will be available at:

Lagos - The Silverbird Galleria and Planet One
Abuja - The Nicon Luxury Hotel, and the Mediterranean Entertainment Centre.

The tickets are expected to sell out so hurry on and grab those tickets.

Who is Stephanie Okereke

Nollywood star actress Stephanie Okereke launched her new movie ‘Through The Glass’ at the Silver Screen Theatre of the Pacific Design Centre in Hollywood, California. It stars Garreth Mckerchnie with Stephanie Okereke, Cheyenne Christenson, Brion Rose, Ranier L. Kenny, Geno Giordian, among others. Stephanie graduated from the ‘New York Film Academy’ and this is her first self-produced commercially released movie.

This new movie tells the story of a playboy who finds himself suddenly saddled with a baby, he then seeks the help of his neighbour (Stephanie Okereke). The Nollywood star received an Award of Recognition from the California Legislature Assembly.
Stephanie also has a clothing line called ‘The SO Collection’.
Great things are happening for Stephanie and we wish her all the best.

Check out Phunk Afrique

The raving designer at the moment..Is it the colourful fabrics, cuts or creativity..Phunk Afrique has got it..There's something to wear for any occasion from the collection..Check out these stunning photos...

Shoobeedoo video by Ikechukwu

By popular demand...watch video..

Ikechukwu and SHOOBEEDOO

Storm recording artiste, Ikechukwu just premiered his brand new video ‘SHOOBEEDOO (SHE MAKES ME GO)’. Ikechukwu won ‘Best Male Video’ at the Channel O Music Video Awards in October.The single comes off his brand new album ‘The Life & Time of Killz - Volume I’ which will be out by Christmas 2008.

Lewis Hamilton F1 Champion

ARGUABLY the most dramatic end to a world title race in Formula One history culminated in Lewis Hamilton becoming the sport's youngest world champion.

Hamilton's father Anthony was lost for words, telling ITV1: "I can't say (what I'm feeling).

"I can't find any words – it's absolutely great." With many of the Interlagos crowd booing the result, he added: "That's a shame the crowd is doing this – they should be fair sports people.

"Oh well – on to the next one." The 23-year-old himself was similarly speechless, saying: "Amazing, I can't get my breath back." [SOURCE]

Jahdiel and Gospel music

Jahdiel is a gospel artiste and is definitely doing her thang. Her hit song ‘Heritage’ is absolutely inspiring. Her voice is truely beautiful and has a lot of heart into it.

Omawumi and Music

Who is Omawumi and how is she affecting music? Well, meet this sassy and powerhouse singer from Idols West Africa that is making an impact in the music industry. Her performance always resonates power and her talent is unmeasurable. She is not only a singer but also a songwriter..Kudos to her...
Check out Omawumi's 'In the Music'. The song has an international appeal and is very memorable..