For Evangelist Adenike Fakunle, aka Omo Imole, the romance with Gospel music started while she was a chorister at El-Yaworah Church, Ojo, Lagos.  However, when she resolved to go professional, her parents gave her total support and even propped her so impressively. The coast was clear at the outset of her career because she also didn’t fail to have a tertiary education, as desired by her parents.

“Another thing that helped my music career is my parent’s calling. They later established their church called El-Shaddah, Abule-Ado in Lagos. They are wonderful people of God and they really contributed immensely to what I am today,” she intoned.

When she released her debut album, Olorun mi, not a few believed that she would go a long way in the music industry, particularly because of her strong voice and inspiring lyrics. She later followed it up with Ileri Ayo and Mo m’ope wa. “The three jobs I have done so far are good quality music and Afeezco Music was my major marketer,” she added.

With three albums to her credit and with over 12 years of active music career, it is doubtful if her place in the music industry has not been established.

Interestingly, she said though there are several people whom she respects in the industry, her greatest mentor is God. “He changes not and He fails not. Human beings would always let you down, but God will never do. I don’t want to be like anybody else. I am who I am.”

In her characteristic bluntness, she didn’t shy away from talking about some serious issues, particularly sexual harassment, which hangs on the necks of most entertainers like an albatross. She said: “In this context, a lady has to uphold her virtue. Men will always come after you and it is every lady’s right to consent or disagree. It all depends on one’s choice.  Our body is like a temple; so, if you allow every Dick and Harry to come in and out of you, the end might not be good. “What ladies don’t know or maybe do not realize is that no one can make you a star, except God,” she said.

Imole, who has performed in such countries as America, United Kingdom, denied the reports that she has quit music. “I do no other thing than music; it’s my life and I can’t even dream of quitting it,” she stated.

When asked to discuss the future of Gospel music in Nigeria, she said it is bright. However, she said: “We need good music promoters, great marketers who are really interested in the development of gospel music and not the proceeds they would get from our music. As they strive to make money, artistes’ survival too should be put into consideration. Meanwhile, government and other authorities should wake up to their responsibilities for our future to be secured. Piracy cannot be fought individually; it is the responsibility of the government. Our hard-earned labour must not go down the drains.”

For what music buffs described as an off-pitch performance, American singer, Mariah Carey, came under attack by fans, after she performed, weekend, in Tokyo, Japan.

The concert was the first leg of her world tour concerts.

The fans, some of whom are asking the songbird to retire from singing, noted that Mariah’s voice wasn’t as strong as it used to be. They said the perfect pitch they have come to expect from her seemed to have gone AWOL, describing her show as a dodgy vocal display.

This is coming a few weeks after it was announced that the singer has separated from her husband of six years, Nick Cannon.

The 44-year-old songstress, and best selling female artiste of the last millennium, who is known for five-octave vocal range, was said to have struggled to reach any of the high notes in My All, while also sounding shaky on Hero.

Video of the arena show has already hit, giving room for more commentaries.

Sources said that Mariah also battled with microphone difficulties, with her gigantic butterfly ornament falling off her microphone stand during her rendition of We Belong Together, causing the singer to tell the audience: “I can’t go on.”

One disappointed Twitter user commented: “I don’t get how Mariah Carey went from one of the greatest voice of all time to sounding the way she does now,” while another wrote: “I love Mariah Carey but I think she should retire… She’s ruining her voice with every note she sings.”

Several others simply said: “She can’t sing anymore.”

However, the star’s rep denied any complaints, saying: “The comments we have heard from the fans have been great!”

The 23-song Elusive Chanteuse (classic modest Mariah) tour is set to travel to South Korea, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Phillippines and Thailand, before moving on to Australia and New Zealand. There have been no UK dates announced so far.

Mariah’s husband Nick confirmed that the couple had separated several months ago, and the rapper has already replaced a tattoo of his wife’s name on his back with a gigantic Jesus Christ depiction.

In what could be described as a shocking, surprising and sympathetic climax, Michael Achul, last weekend, walked away with the coveted prize of a brand new car and N10million, in the first edition of Nigeria’s version of Star The Winner Is music game show.

Like a blind game, Job Idoko, Achu’s co-finalist was not sure how the show will turn out, thus, he chose to walk away with N2million, rather than go empty-handed – It turned out he could have been the original winner of the top prize.

After six semi finalists went against each other, the battle for the life- changing grand prize of 10 Million naira and a brand new car intensified in the grand finale, with two great singers, doko and Achu delivering the best of their vocals to wear the much-desired diadem.

As is the tradition on the show, both contestants were offered two million naira to walk away or wait to see the 101 Jury results which would reveal who actually won the duel round.

Apparently, Job fell more to the pressure and walked away with the money on the table – this automatically qualified Achu as winner of Star The Winner Is Season 1.

When the real result was revealed, it turned out that Job had higher votes, but it was late, as he had forfeited his spot to Achu.

Ironically, Achu has so much to thank Idoko for. If Idoko did not press the dreadful buzzer to walk away with the N2million dangling carrot, Achu would have gone home empty-handed.

Fans of the show went on rampage on social media, expressing their thoughts on the most shocking results of all time.

Other spectaculat performances during the semifinal were put up by Brenda, Rhema, Shimar, Daniel and Roxy.

A group of artistes, under the aegis of Ibinabo Fiberesima Campaign Organisation, have come together to pledge support for the candidacy of the current national president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Ibinabo Fiberesima, for a second term.

A member of the group, actor Charles Inojie, who has pledged his support for the reigning president, said: “I don’t need a president who will share money to the members. We need a president who will put policies in place. The passion with which Ibinabo does it is what endears me to her and I support her for a second term.”

Also, actor Victor Iwuagwu, the current president of the Lagos State chapter of the guild, insisted that the actress and former beauty queen must continue her stay in office. “Even if she says she will not run, I will go and carry my Bishop and Vicar. We will drive to her place and beg her to run. She is the AGN’s messiah. I say no to selling of generators and stealing of air conditioners in the secretariat,” he added.

As part of initiatives to ensure a hitch-free electoral process in 2015, Tuface Foundation, in partnership with Young Stars Foundation, National Democratic Institute (NDI) and other partner organisations, has flagged off the Vote Not Fight, Election No Be War campaign.

The campaign, as revealed by the management of the Foundation at a press conference last Tuesday in Lagos, is an initiative championed by multi-award winning star, Tuface Idibia, and is targeted primarily at the youth.

In addition, the project’s theme music recorded by Tuface Idibia as part of the Million Voices for Peace (MVP) project and a public service announcement video by the BBC Media Action to sensitise the electorate on the need to Vote Not Fight were unveiled at the event.

However, the highlight of the launch was the signing of the pledge by Tuface Idibia, Henry ‘K Slim’ Kosiso, a Now Muzik artiste and collaborator on the MVP Break the Silence single, Ms. Ransome-Kuti and EiE’s Yemi Adamolekun, among others.

Other partners on the Vote Not Fight, Election No Be War campaign include the Enough Is Enough (EIE) Coalition, Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative, Development Initiative For African Women, Hip TV, The Bridge Youth Development Foundation, One Life Initiative for Human Development and The Bridge Yout

Again, popular Nigerian singer turned politician, Abolore Akande, aka 9ice, has proven to all that he has not given up on his political ambition, as he led a group of artistes, including Jaywon, Lord of Ajasa, LKT and Outrageous,  to  the just-concluded Ladoke Akintola University Students’ Union Week in Ogbomosho last Friday, as part of his campaign activities for the House of Representatives election.

At the LAUTECH main campus in Ogbomosho, J L Wise Music act, Damilare Abdulganiu, aka Outrageous, and Alapomeji Records signee, Tunde Fasasi, opened the show with their new song titled I beg Sir.

Ezekiel Omowunmi Funsho, aka Easy Plus, also thrilled the gathering with his current songs, Bariga Layewa and Area.

While L K T stormed the stage with his popular song, Follow Follow, This Year crooner, Jaywon, showed great dexterity on the stage with his songs, Gbon Gbon Gbon and Madantin. Lord of Ajasa was not left behind, as he also urged the crowd to show their commitment to 9ice’s cause.

The president of the Students’ Union Government LAUTECH,  Areo Ajibola Oyegoke, said: “Ogbomosho youths, alongside LAUTECH SUG, are in support of Adegbola Akande ‘9ice’ Abolore to contest for the House of Representatives in 2015. That is why we are supporting him. We want to encourage other youthful people in Ogbomosho to contest for elective positions in order to represent and protect the youths of this town. We are tired of endless promises from politicians who don’t recognise the youths of Ogbomosho not to talk of carrying us along in their policies.  Our future is now and not tomorrow. We believe in 9ice for the fact that he has us in his programmes and we are ready to support him totally.”

Interestingly, while addressing the Ogbomosho youths and LAUTECH students, 9ice said: “Our future is now. There must be a change. And the change is the youths of LAUTECH and Ogbomosho. We have programmes that are suitable for the youth. This includes building of hostels, transportation system and youths empowerment.  We need to open our eyes.”

Fast and Furious, will have a glimpse on the trailer of the seventh installment next month, Distribution Company, Universal Pictures has announced, saying that Walker and trailer will shock the world.

After the sudden death of the series’ key actor, Paul Walker, in a car accident, last year, fans of the movie series have been more interested in watching the Fast and Furious 7, which was ongoing before the actor’s demise.

Expectedly, to see Walker again, for the last time, in a big screen is surely an effective marketing strategy for the movie because many have been waiting for this.

Walker’s co-star Vin Diesel, reportedly felt “emotional and bittersweet” after watching the movie’s trailer. “We all went above and beyond to make Pablo proud, but man, I wish he could see what we have created and just how far we have come,” he said in an interview.

Tyrese Gibson, a singer and an actor, is one of the first who confirmed the release of the movie’s trailer on social media. In a report, Gibson, like Diesel, has been emotional after watching the new trailer.

“Fast & Furious fans worldwide… The new Fast7 trailer is gonna drop Nov. 1. We did this in Paul’s honor,” Gibson posted in his face book account. He also said that the most anticipated movie will surely shock the world.

Reports say to be able to finish the movie, franchise producers asked Paul Walker’s brother, Caleb and Cody Walker, who share the same look as Paul, to stand for their brother in the unfinished scenes. Keen eyes will surely notice the difference between the Walkers even with the aid of computer technology.

Aside from Paul Walker, his brother who stood as his double, and Vin Diesel, Fast and Furious 7 will include the majority of the series’ cast. On the other hand, the movie has a new director – James Wan. It was Justin Lin who was credited for the Fast and Furious’ precious success but it was Wan who was responsible for the movie’s seventh installment.

Reports say there is high hope for Universal Pictures, the movie’s distributor, to be able to regain its big investments on the franchise, because according to sources, projecting the potential gross of films these days is rather difficult, especially for major sequels.

Despite the rumours making rounds about an impending divorce between Tiwa savage’s and Tunji Balogun aka Tee Billz. Tiwa releases 2 singles; My Darlin and Colours of Love.

Many have seen through this move as a publicity stunt to drive sales for her new single.

Onyeka Nwelue, Nollywood producer based in Paris has been vocal about his views on Twitter:

Could the divorce rumours be a publicity stunt or is Tiwa simply riding on the increased fame the rumours have brought her?

Popular blog by Linda Ikeji of www.lindaikeji.blogspot.com has been shut down by Google due to a claim by cybersquatter with the twitter handle ‘AyeDee.’

According to Linda, Ayedee informed Google, about alleged plagiarism/copyright infringement of his works on her blog; and Google has finally shut down the blog

She explained this in 2 separate blog posts:

So something has been going on for the past couple of days that I haven’t reacted to because I wanted to see it play out and see how far these people will go. They have gone far and it’s now time to react.

The only reason this is happening to me is because I’m number one…so I am flattered. I am No.10 on Alexa.com, more read than all the other news sites in Nigeria, so I understand why I am the target, I understand. If I were them, I’d hate me too…lol. 

So here’s what’s going on. Sometime last year, some guys decided it was time to run me out of business (duh, like you can…lol). So they began to spam by blog. And when your blog gets a lot of spam, Google (which hosts my site) can take your blog down. But instead of taking my blog down, Google took my Adsense down for a few months and eventually re-instated it. So they didn’t succeed. These same people started sending strange emails to me…looking for different ways to have access to my blog. But I wouldn’t let them. If they could, they would have hacked it, but they couldn’t so they continued to look for different ways to attack my blog. Please continue…

In April 2014, these guys decided to close down the blog again. In the emails they exchanged back and forth, they said ‘plagiarism is a good excuse to finish her’. (they forget that if they succeed in closing down LIB because I’m on blogger…I could easily start a website). Now let me tell you who these guys are. They are IT people, security experts who know how the internet works. They are hackers and cyber-squatters…and only go after the biggest internet setups. 

Immediately after I shared photos of my new SUV, these guys re-connected again and decided it was finally time to end LIB because there were quite a few people who were mad that I bought the car and they wanted to play on their emotions. The head of this team is a guy who goes by the name @Mr Aye Dee on twitter. They decided to use the plagiarism card. He said it was the strongest claim to make and easiest way to get support from other people. And then the campaign started with him claiming that I took something from him without crediting him or asking for permission. 100% false. If he owns a website, I’ve never visited it. He started by writing all sorts to get people to notice…and then he acted. Like I said these guys are IT experts, they know what to do to get blogger/Google to come after you. So he and his team started filling several reports, sending links of my blog and making claims to Google. Outrageous false claims. And because Google acts first before they contact the blog owner, they took down some posts and asked me to file a counter claim if I felt I had a right to re-publish those articles. Now that my blog is under Google review, these guys have started to spam it again.

They want Google to shut it down. That is their aim. Will they succeed? I sincerely don’t know. I’m not an IT expert…I know they are spamming and filing complaints, I don’t know what else they are doing behind the scenes but they are relentless.

Now let me give you guys a bit who this Aye Dee guy is. He’s anonymous on Twitter. Nobody really knows who he is but according to those investigating him, his name is Emmanuel Efremov simply known as EE by his friends. He’s the owner of 15Past8.com media group. Based in Manhattan. Gets funding from some US organization. (His number – 212 9608127). He’s apparently been stalking me for years now and have registered quite a number of my domain names…lindaikeji.net plus 8 others. He also owns 9jalife.com…yep, he owns a blog. He accuses me of copyright infringement but when you go to 9jalife and other websites he owns…98% of the things he has on there are other people’s content. You see pot calling kettle black? Lol.

Immediately he was found out yesterday, the IT expert immediately started to redirect lindaikeji.net to my blog. If you click lindaikeji.net now, it will redirect you to this blog. He panicked yesterday and quickly did it. A name he register as far back as 2011. Lol. Choi!

Not only that, he’s also a cyber squatter. Yep, he registers 100s of websites belonging to others around the world and tries to make money off them. Guess one of his aims is to run me out of blogger so I come to him and his team and pay thousands of dollars of get one of the several names he’s registered. Not going to happen, boo! Hehe

Below is an article from lawyer and blogger Uduak Udouk Africa Music Law about this guy and his cybersquatting criminal activities

“According to a twitter handle owned by @MrAyeDee, celebrity blogger Linda Ikeji was accused of copyright infringement of his works. He reported these infringing activities to Google and what resulted was a take down of his articles/works on her site. He also claimed with the rate and way things looked, Linda Ikeji’s site could be shut down within a week.

I get the fact that this guy was concerned about Ikeji’s activities and got Google to do something about it. What I don’t get is his very strong response and continued massive tweets talking about the same issue in an almost vendetta like style towards her. This got me curious to know who he was and what could be a motive behind all of these.

I began by looking at his twitter page and narrowed in on his website www. 15Past8.com. The description of the services he offered through his media group raised my curiosity. He says his media group owns “hundreds of websites.” He also claimed some of the infringing content on Linda Ikeji came from his site. Well one of his hundreds of websites is 9jalife.com because it has the 15Past8.com media group stamped on it. I did a basic search on 9jalife.com to see who owns it. The name ‘Emmanuel Efremov’ came up as the registered owner of 9jalife.com. 9jalife.com is clear it is owned by 15Past8.com media group, @MrAyeDee’s company.

For my article on Linda Ikeji, many have been saying they are surprised she does not own her own domain. Purely out of curiosity, I looked up Lindaikeji.com and noted it is owned by someone else, a case of cybersquatting. I also look up Linda Ikeji.net and see the same ‘Emmanuel Efremov’ come up. Now I am very curious. How is it that Emmanuel Efremov owner of 9jalife.com, a subsidiary of 15Past8.com, also owns LindaIkeji.net? Am I missing something?

Needless to say, I google the name ‘Emmanuel Efremov’ and lo and behold, there is a case by Volkswagen against an Emmanuel Efremov for cybersquatting. Looking at the description of 15Past8.com, the registered domain owner of 9jalife.com and Lindaikeji.net and the case by Volkswagen against Emmanuel Efremov, I am left feeling that the credibility of @MrAyeDee is shot and very weak at best. It also makes me wonder about any prior existing relationship between him and Linda Ikeji as to the issue of domain ownership i.e. cybersquatting. It is not uncommon for cybersquatters to ask you the legitimate owner of a trademark to pay them to own your own website.

If you accuse someone of copyright infringement, it is a good idea to make sure your hands are very clean and there is no connection whatsoever with a possible bad faith attempt to hijack their domain name. I am curious to see where all of these leads.” Uduak Udouk

Now talking about copyright infringement, Mr Aye Dee feels that crediting source is not enough, that I have to write a written permission to the website owner. That’s laughable at best. So if there’s a breaking news on TMZ, I will first write to the editors and wait for the 2/3 days it will take them to reply me…that’s if they even bother to. 

I admit that I take content from other sites. Plenty of it sef, but the question is, which website in the world doesn’t? If you go on Bossip.com, 50% of what is there is from other sources. Daily Mail UK takes from other sites, re-writes and give credit. UK Mirror takes from other sites. MediaTakeOut quotes other sources. E! Online, Us Weekly, People and even CNN take news from other sources and give credit, so why is mine an offense to the extent that my blog deserves to be shut down? Even in Nigeria, which site doesn’t take news from other sites? Which? That is how media runs. Perez Hilton makes $10million a year from blogging and 50% of content on his site is not originally his. As long as you give credit…which I do! Except in cases where you don’t know the original source of the story or photo. So many blogs take content from my site, how many of them have I gone after? In fact, I’m happy that they do so, I have nothing against it. If I take content from another site and they approach me to take it down despite giving credit, I will take it down. But that doesn’t happen. 

I try as much as possible to get as many exclusives as I can, but because I work from home my team is so small. I’ve been planning to employ more hands which I will do eventually and then get a proper office. I’m kinda glad this happened. It’s now pushing me to act and take my business more seriously.

So Mr Aye Dee, Mr EE, Mr #bringmedown or whoever you are and Jeremy Weate (look who is talking ..lol) and all the others talking, I am not afraid of you! You didn’t bring me this far and you’re not enough to bring me down. Like if you dream it, speak it, act it, hope it, envision it, see it, pray it….YOU are not enough! You can’t bring a good woman down. You can try boo, or please keep trying…but you see this lady, she ain’t going nowhere. You don’t even know who you are dealing with. You don’t know what drives me and how far I plan to go. I’ve been a hustler since I was 17, doing it on my own…on my own terms. Plus I have the backing of God…and of course my hundreds of thousands of readers. I repeat, YOU are not enough!

I have been blogging for close to eight years and I plan to be around for many more years to come, so get used it. If you manage to close down LIB, I’ll come back bigger and better. So keep trying boo! And enjoy all the attention you will get from this post…you’ve earned it. Kisses!

Oh by the way Mr EE, one of your friends who you were doing the #bringlindaikejidown campaign with has turned against you and contacted me. He’s a LIBer just like you…hehe…but decided it wasn’t fair and reached out to me. God bless you Mr Aye Dee. I hope your hustle also pays. All the best.

To others reading this, if you want to be successful in life, please prepare yourselves for something like this. People don’t go after failures. You have to be really crazy to gather to plot the downfall of an orange seller or a gate-man (with all due respect). These people go after successes. Once you succeed in any field, they will come after you…it’s inevitable. Ask everyone who has succeeded. It’s not whether they will try, because they will…it’s how you respond to it that matters.

Don’t you ever, listen to me, ever let anyone defeat you. You didn’t work so hard to get to the top for somebody who didn’t know how you struggled to bring you down. You will be disappointing God. You don’t even know how disappointed He will be. How dare you let them win? They will come for you…that’s a guarantee just make sure you defeat them.

These people are not even haters..they are excuses…they are the natural reaction to success…put in this world to take actions against people who are climbing the ladder of success. If they see you’re about to fly, they will try to cut your wings because when you fly, there’s no stopping you anymore. And that’s what they want to do…to stop you! Don’t let them distract you. Stay focused on your dreams and keep flying.

Lastly, You know how negative voices can be so loud that you can’t hear the positive ones? In moments like that just quiet the noise and listen again…listen only to the positive ones…because they are all that matters.

May all your dreams come true! May everything you put your hands into succeed. May your enemies show their faces so you know who they are…but may they never win.

Thank you so much to all LIB readers for your loyalty all these years. I keep saying you changed my life and I will always be grateful. Long live LIB.

Thanks guys and have a blessed day.
Now back to blogging!

Like, these Cyber-squatters are not even playing. All my names have been taken.lol. Think it’s finally time for me to move to my own domain name (I was scared before because of hackers) but there’s no Linda Ikeji available online. Unknown people have registered everything there is to register. Some as far back as 2007 when I didn’t even know what blogging was all about though I was blogging at the time. I got some people to help me look for a lindaikeji domain name yesterday…and everything has been taken. I’m kind of flattered sha, didn’t know I was that much of a big deal…lol.Anyway, I will find one weird LindaIkeji name and let y’all know soon where I am moving to. I don’t want to give any of these guys the pleasure of buying those names from them.Secondly, I also think it’s time to expand. For almost 8 years it’s been mostly me. I think it’s time to get more hands to work at LIB. Doing it mostly alone has been fun but it can be quite exhausting. You don’t go out much and I practically didn’t have a social life. Plus now I can go out more and maybe find me a husband before menopause catch me for house where I sit down from morning till night dey blog…lol. I need sex again in my life I swear…choi…lol.I’m kinda glad this happened…it’s pushed me to want to expand. Will let y’all know. Kisses

She currently blogs at lindaikeji.mobi

University of Lagos (UNILAG) was all song-and-dance last weekend, when the popular music road show, Coke Studio, stormed the campus, treating students to live performances by rave-of-the-moment artistes, such as rap sensation, Olamide, R&B crooners Iyanya and Chidinma as well as dancehall artiste, Patoranking.
Other acts that thrilled the mammoth crowd at the school’s sports complex include Time Magazine-listed ‘rapper to watch’, Reminisce, Tekno, Selebobo and Emma Nyra.
The show started with a competition among upcoming musicians and dancers who battled each other for a chance to perform with the stars at the event.
The crowd cheered excitedly as Girlie O crooner, Patoranking, opened the show, followed by Reminisce who performed hits such as Around the World and Kakobi Chicken. Selebobo, Emma Nyra and Tekno also followed with thrilling performances, before former Project Fame winner, Iyanya took the stage to do popular tunes, including Love Truly and Your Waist.

University of Lagos (UNILAG) was all song-and-dance last weekend, when the popular music road show, Coke Studio, stormed the campus, treating students to live performances by rave-of-the-moment artistes, such as rap sensation, Olamide, R&B crooners Iyanya and Chidinma as well as dancehall artiste, Patoranking.

Other acts that thrilled the mammoth crowd at the school’s sports complex include Time Magazine-listed ‘rapper to watch’, Reminisce, Tekno, Selebobo and Emma Nyra.

The show started with a competition among upcoming musicians and dancers who battled each other for a chance to perform with the stars at the event.

The crowd cheered excitedly as Girlie O crooner, Patoranking, opened the show, followed by Reminisce who performed hits such as Around the World and Kakobi Chicken. Selebobo, Emma Nyra and Tekno also followed with thrilling performances, before former Project Fame winner, Iyanya took the stage to do popular tunes, including Love Truly and Your Waist. Songbird Chidinma was in top form as she took the microphone, delivering hits such as Kedike, Oh Baby and Emi ni Baller. Rap sensation, Olamide, drew the curtains on the night’s performances with Awongoons mi and Turn up, sending the crowd into frenzy.

Brand Manager, Colas, at Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Olufemi Ashipa, who is also Project Manager, Coke Studio, was full of praise for the massive turn-out and orderly conduct of students at the show. He expressed delight at the performance of the upcoming artistes at the concert, praying that they would take their passion further.

“The Coke Studio connects Nigerian music stars with their counterparts in other parts of Africa. This has far-reaching implications for the development and propagation of African music, as contemporary Nigerian music is highly sought-after globally. With the live concerts, we are optimistic that more stars will be made through the Coke Studio initiative,” Ashipa said.

The show held previously at the University of Benin, Lagos State Polytechnic and Abia State University, Uturu. The next concert has been scheduled for Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Veteran Nollywood star, Liz Benson-Ameye, her counterparts, Adebayo Salami, aka Oga Bello, Nobert Young and legendary Kannywood actor, Kasimu Yaro have been named recipients of this year’s Special Recognition Award by the organisers of Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards.

The event, which will be hosted by Governor Rotimi Amaechi, is scheduled to take place this Saturday, October 11, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Liz, who started her movie career as a teenager, got her break in the 1994 movie, Glamour Girls. Soon, she evolved into a major box office star with impressive following. She however veered into Christian evangelism and got married to Great Ameye, Founder and Pastor of the Rainbow Christian Assembly, Warri, Delta State.

A University of Benin trained theater artiste, Nobert Young, has traversed the entire gamut of the industry – with repertoire spanning stage, television, video and cinema. Critical of the ‘mediocrity’ in Nollywood, Nobert strives to make his works stand out from the crowd. Little wonder he is regarded as one of the most methodical actors to have come out of Africa. He is married to crossover actress, Gloria Young (nee Anozie).

For the past four decades, Oga Bello has been a permanent fixture in the Nigerian movie industry. The Ilorin, Kwara State-born thespian has hundreds of English and Yoruba movies to his credit, and numerous local and international honours and recognition. Like Oga Bello, Kasim Yaro is a legend in the Hausa entertainment industry. He is best known for his 2007 movie, Who Will Tell The President and the Amstel Malta Box Office-produced Cindy’s Notes.

According to the organisers, “Apart from honouring the stars and stakeholders of Nollywood every other year, we have also taken it upon ourselves to recall the sacrifices and strides of those elders whose artistry have catalysed the growth and global acceptance that Nollywood enjoys today. We don’t want to wait until these veterans are dead to give them posthumous awards, which is why we have decided to celebrate them while they are still alive and active. Besides, this year’s honorees are a source of inspiration to young actors because of their longevity and continued relevance in the industry.”

DStv audiences will be exposed to two new high-end television channels that will hit the screens in the next two weeks, pay TV company, MultiChoice and its content arm, M-net have said.

Called M-Net Edge (113) and VUZU AMP (114), the channels have been described as out-of-the-ordinary additions to DStv’s premium bouquet.

The package is said to target trendy viewers who currently enjoy VUZU, giving them an amplified experience. The programmes will commence from Tuesday October 13 at 17:00 CAT on DStv channel 114, featuring local and international content in HD.

Also, the premiere of the M-Net Edge will be officially launched on Tuesday October 20, at 19:00 CAT. The thought-provoking and more irreverent award-winning television will be a companion to flagship channel M-Net 101, known for its blockbuster and hot off-the-heels series.

Due to the age restrictions linked to the programming on M-Net Edge, the channel is said to be on air for eleven hours only – from 18:00 CAT in the evening until 05:00 CAT the next morning.

“The revolutionary M-Net Edge line-up will feature the most critically acclaimed cult-craze series from Hollywood – the kind of risqué shows you would prefer not to watch with the entire family. On the October schedule, for example, you will find the eagerly-awaited Emmy award-winning comedy-drama Orange is the New Black. Among the other big attractions are the brand new series Masters of Sex and Satisfaction, as well as new seasons of The Americans, Defiance and American Horror Story,” a statement from MultiChoice read.

VUZU AMP will kick off with The Flash, which was premiered in the U.S. on October 7. Already earning a huge amount of attention in global TV-land, The Flash is based on the DC Comics character Flash, a costumed superhero crime-fighter – and is a spin-off of Arrow.

At the time of its launch VUZU AMP will also host many season premieres of hugely popular television series, among them The Vampire Diaries, Devious Maids,  Brooklyn Nine-Nine, So You Think You Can Dance and Pretty Little Liars.

After just three editions, the highly acclaimed Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) has become a reference point for notable film festivals of African origin, and the most recognised from Nigeria.

Nollywood fast-rising star, O.C. Ukeje said recently in Lagos, when asked about AFRIFF, “I was at the festival last year and it was loads of fun. The industry sessions were very informative and gave clear insights to a number of issues that we face as film practitioners. I am looking forward to attending this year’s festival so I can learn some more.”

For veteran actress, Kate Henshaw, the quality of films that were screened at the festival last year, are feats to look forward to. “I believe there is no doubt that AFRIFF is showing traits comparable to some festivals that have been in existence for several decades. I was so impressed by the strategic array of film entries screened at last year’s edition. They provide a genuine platform for African film makers to learn from one another,” she said.

AFRIFF which was represented this year at notable film festivals in the world, such as, Cannes International Film Festival, France; Durban International Film Festival, South Africa; African Film Festival, New York and Toronto International Film Festival in Canada, has enjoyed an enviable collection of film entries, resource persons, artistic collaborations and top celebrities from various parts of Africa, and the Diaspora, thereby earning itself the status of a truly pan-African film forum and internationally recognised event.

“I am delighted with our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative this year; the skill acquisition training workshops are taking a different dimension. We will be providing scholarships for exceptional students,” said Chioma Ude, AFRIFF’s Founder/ CEO. “We are working towards making the festival a bigger spectacle by magnifying each component part,” she added.

Also commending the initiative was Rita Dominic, one of AFRIFF’s Goodwill Ambassadors who said, “I applaud AFRIFF’s unwavering commitment to the positive transformation going on in Nollywood and the African cinema at large. The upcoming 2014 edition in Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, Calabar, Cross River State is going to be a blast, so save the dates, November 9 to 16, 2014.”

Barely 24 hours after Popular blogger lindaikeji.blogspot.com was taken down, it has been restored reportedly based on the fact that complaints filed against her were bogus.
Her first response after the shut down states:

Yay! LIB is back!
Google has restored my blog. About 24 hours after it was deleted. I hear it’s a record. Yay! Normally it takes weeks or even months for Google to restore a deleted blog. But we are special here! Lol

The people who took it down knew what to do. You get a number of strikes on blogger and after that it is automatically deleted. It’s automated, programmed to work that way. But the human beings got involved, checked out all the filed complaints, saw they were bogus and restored the Linda Ikeji Blog

Thanks LIBers, you guys rock! Make sure you read the next post coming…!

A contestant in the ongoing Gulder Ultimate Search (GUS) reality show, Chinedu  Ubachukwu, has advised friends and family members to think deeply before applying for GUS in the future.

According to the University of Port Harcourt graduate, would-be contestants must brace up for tough times, as staying in the jungle could be very harsh and unpleasant.

Ubachukwu, who is a member of the Orange team in the 11th season of the show, stressed that he would discourage loved ones from competing on the show.

He said: “To be sincere, if I should leave here, I won’t advise a loved one to come here. But the loved one may think I don’t want him to progress in life. Because he or she may think that I’ve come and I’ve made it and I don’t want him or her to make it. But here in the jungle, it is really tough.”

Ironically, the graduate of Petroleum and Gas Engineering had dreamt of being in the jungle for the show, ever since he was young. It would be recalled that prior to entering the Aguleri forest, he said, “Gulder Ultimate Search is the first reality show I grew up watching and I have always admired the participants and I have always imagined myself in the jungle. I’m so happy and feel so fortunate to have made the last 14 this year.”

Otto Canon is another contestant who only got on the show after four unsuccessful attempts. He too, admits that competing on the programme is very tough. “There’s so much difference between watching Gulder Ultimate Search on TV and experiencing it in reality. When you watch the show on TV, you really can’t tell what the feelings are like.”

On his experience this far, Canon said: “I’ve come to appreciate food so much that the least piece of rice or gari means so much to me right now. At home, I don’t eat left over gari, but right now, I don’t care. At home, I’m very conscious of the water I drink. I will rinse the tumbler which I want to use to drink water, because I am particular about the tumbler being clean. Right now, I am very comfortable drinking water from the stream. The jungle is a place that humbles you and kills your pride.”

Sharon Robinson, who finally got in after failing twice challenged anyone who thinks that GUS is easy to fill in the form and try next year.

Evidently, life in the jungle has been a stark contrast to the luxuries of city life which the contestants are used to. The 14 contestants have had to depend on rain and stream water to quench their thirst, even after competing in grueling games. Their sleep has been cut short when it rains, because the palm fronds which serve as the roof of their huts sometimes fails to provide them the needed cover.

The contestants have had to depend on palm kernels and ‘baby’ sugarcane which sprout from the grounds not too far from their jungle abode.

Dr. Ikenna Emedike, one of the contestants, incurred the wrath of the Council of Elders and was almost evicted for taking cassava without authorisation. His action was considered as stealing. He gave the excuse of hunger and the desperate need to survive in the jungle.

“When I was walking to the stream, I saw a heavily weeded farm looking like it had been abandoned for years. So I looked at it carefully and when I saw there was a cassava sprout, I felt it was abandoned. If it had been properly weeded, I wouldn’t have touched it. However, I admit stealing it, because it wasn’t my farm. It was just about survival,” he said.

Notwithstanding, the show anchor man, Chidi Mokeme, described his act as shameful. Ikenna, alongside Otto Canon, his partner in the Indigo team, however appealed for forgiveness from the rest of the clan. Even though they were forgiven, the team lost three points.

For the first time on the show, contestants were paired into groups of two members each. They were asked to pick up circular objects from a calabash and the two that picked the same colour formed a clan. There were seven colours in all – representing the colours of the rainbow. They were also instructed to wear colour-matching bandanas provided for them at all times.

While the Indigo Team is made up of Otto Canon and Ikenna Emedike, the Blue team has Addoh Evi and Iroh Noella. Blessing Eriata and Loretta Erijakpor formed the Green team; Sandra Nwagbagiro and Chinedu Ubachukwu made up the Orange team; Samantha Appi and Sharon Robinson are the Red team; Emmanuel Afolabi and Joshua Nwagboso are the Yellow team, while Iwuoha Ikenna and Cosy Joe formed the purple team.

The teams would garner points from various tasks, with the winning team getting seven points while the losing team would be awarded one point.

After four games, Team Blue currently leads with an overall score of 22 points, followed by Indigo which has 19 points. Teams Purple, Orange and Yellow currently occupy the third, fourth and fifth positions with 17, 15 and 11 points respectively. The Red team is in sixth position with 10 points while the Green team is the lowest ranked with six points.

The show airs daily on African Magic World (DSTV), Real -Stars (Star Times), Minaj TV Obosi (Terrestrial), Ebony Life TV (DSTV), Galaxy TV (Lagos, Ibadan and Ondo), Hip TV (DSTV & GoTV), Nigezie (Star Times) and WapTV (Star Times) from 10pm to 11pm, and on the AIT Network (Terrestrial) from 10:30pm to 11:30pm.

Linda Ikeji whose blog was shut down more than 24 hours ago, explains in a new post  the real reason for her shut down.

According to her, an old cyber friend’s vendetta after he felt ignored by Linda.

In the gmail chat conversations with the said AyeDee, he revealed “I really thought success had gone to your head”

Linda explains in this blog post written by 1am, Friday October 10, 2014 her conversation with AyeDee and the real reason for the shut down.
What you are about to read is quite long…and chilling! I wasn’t going to share this info in public but after I showed it to some family members and a few friends who came to the house this morning, everyone agreed that I need to share this, that you all need to read this. You see, what happened with my blog wasn’t about beef. It wasn’t because I showed off my new SUV. It wasn’t about plagiarism, or copyright infringement. It was something deeper, very personal and maybe even more dangerous. Some would call it obsession. Please continue…
To understand this I am going to start from the beginning but before that I want to talk about plagiarism. My understanding of plagiarism is when you take someone’s work and republish it verbatim as your own work. I don’t do that. But if I have ever done that in the past then I apologize. It was an oversight. I do get a lot of original content, way more than any other blogger in this country. Some of the biggest news stories in this country in recent times was broken by LIB. From Goldie’s death (God rest her soul) Aluu4, ABSU rape, P-Square saga, Solomon Akiyesi and plenty more. And when I take news from other sources, I always credit them. When I don’t give credit is when the news is everywhere so I write it in my own words and make it mine. I don’t believe that is a crime. I admit that I have used photos without giving credit. I apologize. That will never happen again. You learn every day. And I have learnt from this.

Now about Mr Aye Dee. Let me start from the very beginning so you guys understand what really happened. Like I said earlier, this was not about copyright or plagiarism. It was personal. Very personal. In 2009 or 2010…(not sure) a guy named Alex who used to run 1976AD blog contacted me. He said he was impressed with my work and wanted to encourage me to never relent. Alex Info 1976AD (how I knew him back then) and I became very good friends online. In fact he was my confidant. Every time I had questions or challenges, I would reach out to him.

By 2011, Alex 1976AD and I became quite close…online. We even exchanged numbers and spoke a few times. He always reminded me how proud of me he was. He told me I would one day become a phenomenon. I wasn’t number one at the time but he told me that I would one day be the biggest news site in Nigeria…that he believed in me that much. He was my friend, my supporter; he sent me news to post on my blog. He wanted me to succeed. He told me things to do to get more readers. He knew a lot about the internet and how it works so I always went to him for advice. He was my anchor.

Read more here

DSTV audiences will be exposed to two new high-end television channels that will hit the screens in the next two weeks, pay TV company, MultiChoice and its content arm, M-net have said.

Called M-Net Edge (113) and VUZU AMP (114), the channels have been described as out-of-the-ordinary additions to DStv’s premium bouquet.

The package is said to target trendy viewers who currently enjoy VUZU, giving them an amplified experience. The programmes will commence from Tuesday October 13 at 17:00 CAT on DStv channel 114, featuring local and international content in HD.

Also, the premiere of the M-Net Edge will be officially launched on Tuesday October 20, at 19:00 CAT. The thought-provoking and more irreverent award-winning television will be a companion to flagship channel M-Net 101, known for its blockbuster and hot off-the-heels series.

Due to the age restrictions linked to the programming on M-Net Edge, the channel is said to be on air for eleven hours only – from 18:00 CAT in the evening until 05:00 CAT the next morning.

“The revolutionary M-Net Edge line-up will feature the most critically acclaimed cult-craze series from Hollywood  the kind of risqué shows you would prefer not to watch with the entire family. On the October schedule, for example, you will find the eagerly-awaited Emmy award-winning comedy-drama Orange is the New Black. Among the other big attractions are the brand new series Masters of Sex and Satisfaction, as well as new seasons of The Americans, Defiance and American Horror Story,” a statement from MultiChoice read.

VUZU AMP will kick off with The Flash, which was premiered in the U.S. on October 7. Already earning a huge amount of attention in global TV-land, The Flash is based on the DC Comics character Flash, a costumed superhero crime-fighter – and is a spin-off of Arrow.

At the time of its launch VUZU AMP will also host many season premieres of hugely popular television series, among them The Vampire Diaries, Devious Maids, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, So You Think You Can Dance and Pretty Little Liars.

According to M-net, to make way for these two channels, the current M-Net Series Showcase and M-Net Series Reality channels on DStv Premium will discontinue, and content from these channels will be found on M-Net Edge (channel 113) or VUZU AMP (channel 114).

ALL that budding rapper and singer, Oluremi Adebisi, aka Oluwa Jay- P, needed to hit the limelight and even attract the attention of music buffs was the platform provided by Myche Entertainment Industries Limited, a company established to discover and nurture budding music talents to fruition, in 2013.  Determined to realise his dream, he had entered for the Colour Sings National Talent Hunt Season 1, having been encouraged by his brother. Mother luck smiled on him during the contest organised by Myche Entertainment, as he emerged the second runner-up with his winning song, Priority. His effort was rewarded with a recording deal and a consolation prize.

Ever since, the 32-year-old has remained faithful to his first love, music. Interestingly, he is always quick to remember his humble beginning when he was the choir master of Little Angels at Fountain of Life Evangelitical Ministry, Baruwa, Lagos. “Then, my pastor encouraged me a lot to pursue my music career with undivided interest. Besides, many loved me so much, particularly because of my ability to change some foreign songs into local songs. This was why one of my brothers encouraged me to enter for the Colour Sings contest,” he said.

However, before the father of two pitched his tent with Myche Entertainment, he and a friend had dropped a single, Sokotuwowo, which was well received, even by music critics.  If critics had taken him for a flash in the pan, he proved them wrong with such songs as Priority, Bum Bum and Jaiye Jaiye, which he did after he joined Myche Entertainment.

Oluwa Jay-P, who plays Hip hop and R n B, is desirous of doing collabos with Tuface Idibia, Wande Coal and Olamide.  Reason?  “I love them for their originality and creativity,” he said.  For him, getting inspiration to write his songs is almost effortless. How? Oluwa Jay-P, who holds a National Diploma in Marketing, has a talent for music.

Also, as a commercial motorcycle operator, he sees a lot of things that fire his imagination. “I ride Okada to support my family. It is not easy because I sometimes suffer embarrassment. But I am doing it for a purpose. As I ride the Okada, I see a whole lot of things and even hear so many things when I sometimes engage my passengers in discussions. So, this is my other source of inspiration,” he revealed.

AKIN Tofowomo, the leader of the popular Shuga Band, has just released a wedding single titled Married Today, after successfully performing at over 500 weddings, both locally and internationally.

Better known as Shuga, the singer, who has performed at several high profile events, said that he set out to thrill and connect with his fans with the high octane single, Married Today.

A high life song with a contemporary feel, the track is the first single he is releasing with 800 Records.

Shuga, who was recently honoured with the Top Hero Award by the Music Technology Students Association of Nigeria (MUTSAN), The Polytechnic Ibadan, said music is a platform that life has given him to enrich lives.

“I will be releasing other songs as time goes on. Married Today is a wedding song and just the beginning of better things from Shuga as an artiste. With a feel good beat, danceable percussion, flavoured with ethnic beat and an irresistible voice, the song has become an anthem of sorts for the online community, where it was first released,” Shuga stated.

Shuga is the founder and lead singer of the popular and foremost musical band in Africa, Shuga Band. He is signed to 800 Records.

Married Today was produced by renowned music producer K-solo.