Sunday, 1st of Feb, witnessed an evening of great music with a contemporary fusion of hip hop that brought back memories of the good old days of the Nigerian era.

960 Music Group and Hypertek Digital hosted Sir Victor Uwaifo, Nigerian living legend, to his “LEGEND REBORN” album listening session at Club Rumors, Ikeja.

The event hosted by Cordelia Okpei, General Manager of Metro 97.7 Fm had in attendance Patrick Doyle and wife, actress Ireti Doyle, 2face Idibia, Efe Omorogbe , Dotun Omotoye, Chinedu Chukwuji, GM of Premier Music and other dignitaries of the Nigerian music industry as well as various media representatives. His young musician/music producer son, Andre Vybez who is one of the producers of the album was also present.

Leriq, J sleek, Del B and J Martins also produced songs on this double album which boasts of features from 2Face, Ice Prince, Waje, Ozone and Queen Moda

A documentary of SVU’s legendary sojourn in the music industry with a commentary by SVU infused with anecdotes was broadcast to the members of the audience. Snippets of his popular songs like Joromi, Guitar Boy as well as Tupepe and No Leave Me Alone which features 2face and Waje respectively were played while the music maestro humorously answered questions asked to the amusement of everyone present.

The Legend Reborn album promises to bring nostalgic memories of the 60s and 70s as well as create new memories for the younger generation and incite a deeper appreciation for the high life genre of music. In the words of SVU on the Legend Reborn album, ‘to marry digital technology and analog has given birth to what we call a mongrel of sound’

DOWNLOAD VIDEO: Sir Victor Uwaifo Releases Double Album

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Somebody should please tell Mrs Annie Idibia that she needs to calm down and just chill.
While she’s busy fighting all their battles, 2face who clearly knows how the game works, doesn’t even bother himself.
The African superstar is presently in Los Angeles – USA, where he is definitely having a good time.

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Faze returns after yet another hiatus from the scene. One reason to respect Faze is that when he’s not dropping some new heat he stays away from the lime light and he has steered free of controversy for a while.

The new joints Lambo & Ifeoma remind us of the Faze we’ve grown to love over the past decade. Nice enjoyable tunes, and Ifeoma has the potential to definitely do well especially with the romance loving peeps, and also those named Ifeoma

As for Lambo the verdict is still out on it, and depending on the dance for it, it just might blow big time.

Enjoy.
Produced by Cook Beat.
*** Lambo

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*** Ifeoma

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A while Back MTV Africa All Stars threw a massive bash in 254 then headed to Nigeria and now just the other day Africa's biggest events and MTV All Stars Tour Grand Finale went down in South Africa.
The event saw the likes of our very own Camp Mulla, Kanja, South Africa's Professor, Speedy, Big Nuz, Nigeria's Dbanj, Chidinma , Flavour ,Fally Ipupa and a whole lot of artists, Shut It!
All eyes though were on Snoop Lion who put up a marrd show! Dressed up in his jeans and a traditional Zulu attire he was no doubt the star of the night.
MTV All Stars is somewhat a campaign that provides a platform and exposure to the continent's hottest music pacesetters.
Check out how it went down in Durban (pics)
Snoop Lion

DBanj

Shappamann Of Camp Mulla

Flavour

Kus Ma of Camp Mulla

Big Nuz

Zahara

2 Face Idibia

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Ghanaian actress Yvonne Nelson has found love again after ending things with Ice Prince and Iyanya. She’s now dating Hypertek signee, Dammy Krane. The two have known each for a bit but only started dating about five weeks ago after Dammy appeared in a movie with her.

Dammy is said to be so madly in love with Yvonne that he wrote a song for her called “Really Love You” which leaked last week. See Yvonne’s Tweet last week…

In the song, Dammy sings:
“Senior broda mi Johnson. Sey you know my taste. Shomo Yvonne Nelson. I no just want Ur Waist, because…I do, I do really love you.”
See a video of them together and listen to the song

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Congrats to Mr & Mrs Idibia

Annie walks down the aisle with her father

The Groom – 2Face

The wedding is presently going on at the beachside at the famous 5-Star Jumeirah Beach Resort in Dubai. Red is the color theme for the ceremony with red roses all around.
The Venue

Guests Seated

The Wedding Programme

Celebrity Guests

Rita Dominic & Susan Peters

Ini Edo, Kate Henshaw & Mike Ezuruonye

Basketmouth

Don Jazzy

Don Jazzy & Dr SID

Papa Omisore, Eldee, Don Jazzy, Dr SID, Andrew Esiri

Tunde Ednut

Eldee & Tunde Edbut

Uti Nwachukwu & Alex Ekubo

Banky W

Tunde Demuren & Banky W

Tunde Demuren, Ubi Franklin & Banky W

Ubi Franklin & Davido

Pretty Guests

Chidi Mokeme & Uti

Uti, Andrew Esiri & KC

MBGN Tourism 2012 – Ifeoma Umeokeke

Alex & Ifeoma

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ASA

Courtesy of Factory 78, watch some live performances from top Nigerian musicians including soul singer Asa, African Pop king 2face Idibia, Naeto C, Tiwa Savage and guitarist Keziah Jones.

Watch below…

Naeto C performing…

Tiwa Savage performing…

Asa performing…

2face performing…

Keziah Jones performing…

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Late Latin Pose

Popular Nollywood actor, producer and comedian, Bolaji Amusan a.k.a ‘Mr Latin’ has been reported dead by unconfirmed reports in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The 47-year-old actor who had been receiving medical treatments over ailing heart disease at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta was reported dead at around 3:45 pm, Monday.

A hospital source who spoke on condition of anonymity said Mr Latin had been receiving medical treatments at the hospital for several days now before his death and has been taken away at around 5.30 pm.

Hospital officials at The Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta declined to comment on the issue saying only the families and relatives of the ace comedian are allowed and authorised to make such pronouncements.

The office of the Chief Medical Director, Dr Dapo Sotiloye was cordoned by hospital security guards who refused to allow even patients approach him.

All attempts to reach the families and relatives of the actor/comedian proved unproductive as calls to his Abeokuta residence and Lagos family home were not immediately returned or responded to. Calls to his wife, Ronke Amusan who is also a Nollywood scriptwriter were abortive as her telephone lines were switched off.

No official or recognised social media page can be attributed to him as of the time of report as a Twitter page which claimed to be owned by the actor saw him made hilarious tweets some few hours ago. A Facebook page attributed to him however saw activity for several months backs.

Bolaji Amusan a.k.a. Mr Latin was the Governor of the Ogun State chapter of the Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP).

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Asa

This is the best place to be at this time. If you are not experiencing Calabar this Christmas season, then you are not experiencing anything at all. So I would advise those who are outside the city to take some time out and visit Calabar this period. There’s just everything. Peace, hospitality and an atmosphere filled with fun and excitement. I can’t wait for the carnival. Everybody just has to be here. As they say, the taste of the pudding is in the eating.”

For 32 days, Calabar, the Cross River State capital will witness exciting cultural events and colourful activities that usually attract millions of people all over the world. Since inception, this festival, which has become one of the biggest tourism and leisure attractions in West Africa, has grown tremendously in popularity and scope.

Over the past years, the Cross River State government has used this carnival to drive its tourism sector and provide exposure for its citizens, as well as develop its vast tourism sites and infrastructure such as the Obudu Ranch Resort, the Tinapa Business Resort, Marina Resort.

The festival commenced with a tree-lighting ceremony on November 30 at the Millennium Park, Calabar and will end with a thanksgiving ceremony on January 1 of the succeeding year.

Usually, musical concerts that feature renowned national and international artistes are used to make the carnival very attractive. People like the late Lucky Dube, Joe, Alpha Blondy, Hugh Masekela, Oliver Mtukudzi, Akon, Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, Chevelle Franklyn, Fat Joe, NeYo, Asa, D’banj had at one time or the other graced the event with their rhythms and lyrics.

Other attractions of the festival include awareness campaign and seminars on contemporary issues of global concern, children’s Christmas camp, theatre performances, vocational training for youths, fashion and food fair, a weekend at the Obudu Mountain Resort to celebrate Africa, and so many other side attractions. Of course there is usually a two-day carnival to spice up the season.

Despite the fun and relaxed atmosphere around the carnival, a great degree of thought, creativity and discipline goes into the interpretation of the carnival theme under a strict adjudication process. The result is pure magic – an outpouring of colour, sound and spectacle, unmatched by anything else on the continent.

Calabar Carnival takes place on December 26 and 27 each year, and is the highlight of the 32-day festival which runs from  November 30 to January 1. The carnival is the largest cultural festival in Africa, with 50,000 costumed revelers, 2 million spectators and an audience of over 50 million television viewers on NTA Network, NTA International, AIT, CRBC and Continental TV (Africa Magic, Channel 0 and MTV Base).

The carnival features 5 major competing bands and many others.

The major bands comprise of approximately 10,000 revelers each, including up to five kings and queens wearing large scale costumes that interpret the annual theme and set the tone for the other outfits.

Sections of these costumed revelers create a riot of colour and sparkle, accompanied by live music, DJs, well-decorated floats and steel bands. The carnival parade terminates at the U. J. Esuene Stadium which is the final adjudication and end point of the competition for the ‘Band of the Year’ in various categories. This competition attracts an additional 15,000 seated spectators and 10,000 others in and around the stadium, as well as 50 million TV viewers.

Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State unveiled the theme for the year: “Endless Possibilities” during a ceremony tagged, “A Glimpse of Destination, Cross River.” He described as “tedious and tasking, the process of finding a suitable theme for the carnival because it is more than dancing and costuming as the latest does not reflect the previous ones.”

Each of the five carnival bands are guided by the theme and expected to work hard to interpret them into dance, float and costume as they affect the people and the future.This year’s festival is well-packaged and better than the previous editions as it is driven by the visions shown a few years ago.

The Calabar Festival was initiated by the immediate past governor of the state, Mr. Donald Duke.  Unveiling the ceremony was only a tip of the iceberg as more await those that intend to visit Cross River State this December.

All things being equal, business booms as the Calabar festival village begins. For revelers and fun seekers in the country, there can be no better place to be in this yuletide season than the Cross River State capital, especially with the opening of the festival village at the cultural centre complex. The festival village, strategically located at the middle of town at the moment, is the hub of economic activities and revelry and the perfect place to relax, socialise and have a good time.

However, it is not all about song and dance, the organisers of this landmark event said. “It is a festival that showcases the best of music, culture and talent. The festival is Cross River State’s tourism niche,” says Nzan Ogbe, special adviser to the state governor on Events Management.

Youths in particular stand to benefit from the festival as there are programmes aimed at training interested youths in various aspects of events production, management and entertainment. According to him, the festival committee worked round the clock to ensure that visitors to the serene city of Calabar during this period go away with a full sense of satisfaction.

New activities have been introduced, such as the Calabar Water Carnival—a boat regatta that would showcase the state’s rich culture on water, a food fair, which will also bring to the fore the state’s cuisine, the governor’s masked ball, a unique charity event and a host of other fascinating programmes.

“The festival is a compendium of activities with diverse scope and content, which we try to improve on every year,” Ogbe concluded, adding, “With new initiatives introduced this year and a strong committee, I can say we are going places and reaching for the higher height.”

However, due to reports of persistent stealing of handbags, snatching of GSM Phones, raping of innocent women and other atrocities perpetrated during Christmas festivals in the state, the Cross River State government has reeled out rules for Calabar Festival.

Government had warned spectators and participants at the festival not to attend the various ceremonies with their handbags or any other bag, noting that the safety and comfort of participants were paramount to the government.

The statement made available to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND said, “Spectators are advised not to come with handbags or any other bag to the venue of the festival events. Your safety and comfort is our topmost concern. Enjoy the Calabar Festival peacefully. The statement added, “The general public is hereby advised to note that the Calabar Festival stadium entrance, through the Naval Base, is strictly for holders of paid tickets.”

Other spectators to grace the event at the stadium who are not paying are advised to use the entrances through the Murtala Muhammed highway as well as the IBB Way, with their destinations clearly marked on them.

Interestingly, Governor Liyel Imoke expressed happiness over the number of private sponsors the festival has attracted, including Nigeria’s top brands, First Bank, Guinness and Dangote Group.

On the security of tourists in the face of the current situation in the country, the governor said he would not take anything for granted as effort is being intensified to revamp the Emergency Response Centre and reposition it for quicker response while 20 independent special security squad is to be strategically located at various points in the state to check any breach of peace.

Answering questions on why the festival is allowed into the night, he said  the initiative was deliberate because that is the right period for the  sponsors to get value for their investment as many people would be glued to their television sets.

D'banj and Tuface

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Monica is winner of MTN Project Fame 2011! Season 4

It was to everyone’s delight that the 22 year old was announced winner of  2.5 million naira, a fully loaded Toyota RAV 4 jeep and a
recording deal worth millions of naira.

The competition which has kept viewers glued to their TV set for 10 weeks was down to six finalists – Ethel, Ruth, Yvonne, Roy, Ese and
Monica came down to its final four this weekend, Sunday, December 18, 2011.

Monica emerged winner and went home with the grand prize while Roy, the last man standing came out as the first runner up (1.5 million naira and a fully loaded Toyota Corolla car). Ese was the second runner up and went away with 1 million naira and a fully loaded Toyota Yaris and Ghanaian Ethel was the third runner up (one million naira).

The final contestants also known as the “Sensational Six” presented two performances each during the show. They performed one of the memorable songs they had done earlier in the competition as well as their personal compositions.

Their music videos were premiered and sync ed with their stage performances. Monica stood out as she sang 2face Idibia’s “Only me” and her own personal composition “Na You”.

“You have an amazing voice and you know how to connect with the audience with your voice and your body language. You have greatly improved since you entered into the academy and you have evolved into a star…Weldone!” Kwame told Monica after her performances.

“You always know how to put the perfect amount of energy and body language into a song. You also know how to engage your audience in every song you perform and you have an amazing voice…you were definitely born to do this!” Ige said to Monica after her performance.

Speechless after being pronounced winner of the MTN Project Fame West Africa season 4, Monica appreciated God, the Project fame Judges, Faculty and fans. “I am very grateful for all the love and training I have received since I got into the academy. I feel very blessed and I promise not to let you all down.”

The event was well attended by the cream-de-la-cream in the society and also had surprise guest performances by International R&B group, Dru Hill who thrilled the crowd with amazing songs from their old time album. Award-winning rave of the moment, Wizkid was also at the show and he pulled the house down with an exciting performance. Winner of MTN Project Fame West Africa season 3, Chidinma who launched her first album titled “Chidinma” on Saturday, December 17, 2011 on the Project Fame stage, also performed at the grand finale.

The other 11 contestants who got evicted during the competition were also present to support the final six contestants and show them love.

Notable faces at the event include Member of the Federal House of Representatives, Honorable Abike Dabiri who presented Monica with her prize, Mr Bola Akingbade (C.M.O, MTN Nigeria), Veteran Actor, Chief Olu Jacobs, international artiste, Leanne Lyons from R&B group, SWV(Sisters with Voices), Ayo Animashaun, Saint Obi, Omobaba among other guests.

MTN Project Fame West Africa which started in 2008 has produced some of Nigeria’s rising stars and Monica has now joined the list of winners in Project Fame West Africa.

Hon. Abike Dabiri

Hon. Abike and Monica

The Winner of Project Fame West Africa Season 4

Chidinma PFWA Season 3 Winner

Dru Hill Performing on Stage

Dru Hill

Ese receiving her prize money and car keys

Ese Second Runner up

Ether Third Runner Up

Ethel Receiving Her Price

Monica hugging her Mum

Monica and Mum

Monica and the Hosts

Monica announced as the Winner of Project Fame West Africa Season 4

Monica Performing on Stage

Olu Jacobs presenting Roy (1st Runner up) with his prize money and car keys

Roy performing on stage

Roy and Mum

Ruth

Wife and Saint Obi

The PFWA Faculty

The PFWA Judges

Wiz Kid

Wiz Kid performing on stage

Yvonne

Yvonne

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