The Naija Night held last weekend was full of drama. One of the organizers. Angela Angwenyi, stood aside, smiling as fellow radio presenter Ciku Muiruri was being manhandled by bouncers.
Ciku had been chatting with a female pal when D’Banj entourage, groupies and hanger-ons came passing by.
“I just felt someone push me roughly to the side,” said Ciku. “This is insane. Why should somebody do that to me?
I came to have a good time not to get assaulted,” said Ciku upon our inquiry. We aren’t sure if there is bad blood between the two female radio presenters but seeing that Angela left Radio Africa, which employs Ciku, to join Easy FM, she might have crossed Ciku from her list of pals.
Meanwhile, D’Banj’s groupies wore nothing under their skirt or were ‘commando’ if you prefer using street lingo. It seems that ‘ngothaless’ society is the new fad amongst the girls who throng around celebrities.
BLU 3 singer Lilian Mbabazi is a mum. The artiste gave birth to a son last month. Her pregnancy made great gossip fodder as she had initially denied that she was pregnant. Some truths are however difficult to conceal. According to reports, Lillian’s baby was fathered by Moze Radio from the duo Radio and Weasel. Moze was reportedly in the US on tour when his son was born. However on his return, he had a party at their Goodlyfe’s Makindye Neverland home to celebrate.
Barely a month after the birth of her son, Lilian is reportedly back on stage. Last week, the singer was spotted at Goodlyfe Magic Studios where she had gone to record a song titled kankutwale and over the weekend she performed with the Goodlyfe crew at one of their shows. Talk about being a trooper.
Multi-talented acoustic band Sauti sol and comedian Eric Omondi better known as Eriko have gone green. The two are a part of the Go-Green campaign by Beryll Foundation.
The foundation has organized the GreenFest Music and Arts Festival, a three-day annual green music and arts festival to be held at the Splash Water World December 31-January 2, 2011.
“The campaign aims to celebrate environmental stewardship in art, fashion and song, reminding us that the choices we make have long-term consequences for the planet,” says Sheila Koki, GreenFest spokesman.
Eric Omondi and his troupe are expected to unleash green comedy at the GreenFest Music and Arts Festival, while Sauti Sol will headline the ‘Green New Year’ celebrations among other acts.
The event will feature many genres of music including Soul, Rock, Reggae, Afro-fusion, Benga, Kapuka, Bongo, Hip-hop, Gospel music, golden oldies as well as clean energy and green art exhibition.
Artistes working on green songs include Wyre the Lovechild, Saint Crooner reggae artiste, Mashauri Rising hip-hop artist, Wamathai the poet and rapper Abbas.
The artistes will be attending creative environment workshop facilitated by environmental scientists this month.
The workshop will feature how art and music can enhance our ability to think and act differently and how artistic capacities can develop and run an environmental solution project in local communities.
GreenFest Afrika is the first-ever fully carbon neutral and environmentally conscious music festival in Africa.
WITH only a few days left to the much-anticipated Nzumari Awards, the event organizer Eve Adhiambo is confident that things will run without a hitch. The annual awards were set up in 2008 to celebrate Coastal talent in music.
This year’s Nzumari Awards has 26 categories, with the main categories being the Best Male and Female artistes from Mombasa, Nairobi and Tanzania. Also the Best TV channel and best Magazine will be awarded.
This year’s guests of honour for the event will be Mombasa Mayor Ahmed Mohdhar, Kisauni MP Hassan Joho and Fisheries Minister Amason Kingi.
“Unlike the Kisima Awards, mine will be of high standards. It was supposed to be at the Big Tree, but the owner Luciano, who has been by my side, was denied permit by NEMA over noise pollution,” said Eve. The event will now be held at Club Sea Front. “It will be a real Red Carpet event. Guests will be arriving in style. The trophies made of glass were ordered from the UK and they cost me a fortune,” she added.
Among the artistes who will be performing include Wanaume TMK’s Chege, Jua Cali, Avril, Amani, Lady B, Size 8, Kingsting and Mustapha.
Eve also took the time to deny the allegations that late last month she fought with the girlfriend of the owner of a new club in Mombasa.
“I am a celeb of my own. My foes are trying hard to bring me down but thank God they can’t do it.
“I have got a serious boyfriend who is now out of the country,” she said.
The event organizer will also be having a series of events in November and December at Wild Waters Mombasa and Dar-es-Salaam where artistes from Nairobi and Mombasa will perform.
Pinky Ghelani and Raj finally got their bundle of joy- a baby girl-Ariyana, which means noble in Persian. Ariyana Raj Sehmi came into the world on Monday just after 10pm. The healthy little girl-weighing 3.5kg-was delivered at the Hospital. Speaking to UEG on phone, Pinky said both Raj and her were filled withed much joy and excitement with the arrival of Ariyana, that they are over the moon and are enjoying every moment of being parents.
AFTER last year's numerous tragedies, singer Jose Chameleone might just be saying bye to his troubles.
The singer, who was recently in the US on a working holiday with his wife Daniella and his two sons, had the chance to work with the legendary P-Diddy's musical protégé Jeremy Greene.
Jeremy Greene is an R&B, pop and rock artiste signed to P-Diddy's Bad Boy Records. He has written a number of songs with P-Diddy and collaborated with other artistes like Pitbull and Sean Kingston.
After recording the yet to be titled single, Chameleone posed on his Facebook wall, “What are they gonna say now?”
This year, Chameleone got a chance to perform at the World Cup where he met Shakira. He has also had the chance to work with Bennie Man and Kelly Rowland.
The controversial and flamboyant newly elected Makadara MP Gideon 'Sonko' Mbuvi Kioko made a surprise appearance at last Saturday’s first ever Red Carpet Annual Golden Mic Ceremony courtesy of Smirnoff at club Florida 2000 popularly known as F2.
The MP who was flanked by two bodyguards stole the show as revellers jostled to shake his hand. “Mike Sonko is in the house,” announced the MC amid wild cheers from hundreds of people who had turned out for the event.
The MP's bodyguards had a rough time keeping the revellers at bay. However Sonko smiled all through as he sipped from his bottle of Tusker Malt. Mtu wetu! Mtu wetu! The revelers chanted as Sonko was welcomed to the podium to present one of the trophies.
The showbiz awards were set up to celebrate the artistes who used the club's popular jam sessions to as launching pad for their careers during the 1980's and 1990's.
Those feted at the ceremony included Ally B, Abbas Kubaff, Poxi Presha, Shanky Radiks, Nonini, Jua Cali, Fundi Frank, Nazizi, Chris Darling, Kanda King, CrackerMunyao, DJ Kaydee, the late Mighty King Kong, Jaguar, Redsan, Pilipili, Kalamashaka, Ogopa deejays, Calif Records, FrenchBoy and Mustapha.
“This is like a family re-union. I have been in the game for 12 years. It's about time the Kenyan industry got some recognition” said Redsan one of the night's winners as he presented Poxi Presha’s award.
Politician and businessman himself and former club MC Omar Kongo appealed to other sponsors to support performers saying there is money to be made in the entertainment business.
Forget previous occasions when Nzumari awards ran on zero funding. The big breakthrough is here. After teaming up with the New Big Tree CEO and former Nike marketing and strategy adviser Luciano Senzani, in putting together this year’s Nzumari Awards, things are looking up for Eve Adhiambo alias Queen Eve. The Nzumari founder together with senzani recently sealed a deal with Smirnoff to sponsor the gala party.
“They have come on board and we are happy. They are taking care of most of the event’s expenses and that means that we can only expect Nzumari to be more organized this year,” affirmed Eve. The nomination list for the event was released last week and the voting is ongoing and will be held next month.
Award-winning gospel singer Daddy Owen will make history at this year’s MTV Africa Music Awards by being the first gospel artiste to perform at the awards. He will be sharing the stage with Nigeria’s Banky W, Congolese star Fally Ipupa and South Africa’s Teargas.
“Banky W, Teargas, Fally Ipupa and Daddy Owen are all thrilling performers that epitomize the awesome spirit and passion of contemporary African musicians. Their involvement in this year’s awards is sure to guarantee that 2010 will be the most creatively inspiring and exciting MAMA event so far,” revealed Alex Okosi, senior Vice President & Managing Director, MTV Networks Africa.
Andre Beyers, Chief Marketing Officer Airtel Africa, reckons, “Music in all its genres or origins strikes a chord with our continent as it provides a platform to express ourselves at each turn in our daily lives. The choice of the performers at the 2010 edition shows an excellent choice of musicians with a wide appeal in the continent.”
The four artistes are the first performers to be announced for the 2010 edition of the awards which take place on December 11 at the Eko Expo Hall, Lagos, Nigeria.
Jitu Films is planning to stage a horror film festival during this year’s Halloween. The company has produced five horror/thriller movies; some of them have not been released yet. One of them, Otto the Blood-bath was banned last year by the Kenya Censorship Board and branded “too horrific even to an adult”.
Jitu Alex Konstantars said, “Our idea is to have a unique screaming of the other four Kenya horror/thriller movies every night starting on October 29 to October31 on the actual Halloween Day when we can have a possible double screening.”
SAME NIGHT , SAME VENUE DIFFERENT FLOORS & ONE PEOPLE SATURDAY OCTOBER 1st 2011 ARIYA PLAZA 1028 Broad St Downtown Newark ( Next To Newark Symphony Hall ) MUSAIMO & MUGITHI >> On The 1st Floor RAMOGI NITE & BENGA LIVE BAND >> On The 2nd Floor Doors Open @ 8PM Till 4AM | CASH BAR ONLY
