Weekly Trust online

She’s appeared in a couple of Nollywood movies after attaining superstar status in Kannywood, but Hauwa Maina says the English-speaking Nigerian movies attract a bigger payday. Weekend Magazine cornered her for a chat on her iconic role as Queen Amina of Zazzau, family life and many others. Excerpts:

Afamefula Igwemba a.k.a Klint da Drunk is a trained painter at the Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Enugu abandoned his brush for the stage to make a living through comedy. Several years, after he made his mark as an ace comedian  in the country, Klint reveals why he abandoned his career in music for comedy and many more.

Beazy was born in Jos, in his father’s own hospital actually. His dad is from Oke-Mesi in Ekiti and his mum is from Jebba, Kwara State. The rapper is well-known for his debut song, which was reportedly downloaded over 200,000 times across various portals. In August 2010, he began to release a track every week for 52 weeks (1 year), which he wrapped August this year. Weekend Magazine cornered him for a chat via Skype. Excerpts:

Hollywood star Idris Elba keeps following hit after hit with even more hit movies. What makes the British/Ghanaian/Sierra-Leonean guy tick?

Omo Bello, whose parents hail from Edo State, was studying Cell Biology and Genetics at the University of Lagos, at the same time nurturing a passion for music. She was taking singing lessons at the MUSON Centre with Princess Adebanke Ademola, singing in the church choir when somewhere along the line, the Cultural Attaché of the French embassy to Nigeria, Jean-Yves Gillon discovered her during a concert in Lagos and he was so moved by her performance that he got her a scholarship to have her complete musical studies in France. Born-and-bred in Lagos and now 25, Bello continues to garner raving, critical acclaim across the world. Many phone-calls, e-mails and Facebook messages later, Weekend Magazine had a chat with her. Excerpts:

Now, in spite of this nationalistic fervor and action of indigenizing publishing in Nigeria—with such back-up, but un-sustained gestures like the establishment of paper Mills in Jebba, Oku Ibokun, and others, with the intendment to make the nation less reliant on importation of raw materials for book publishing, the publishing industry as a cultural industry remained a private affair. More painfully, because of the crass absence of political will of government, manifest in the non-articulation of a national book policy, the book industry, especially the publishing leg of the triad ( which included writing and book-selling), remained an unregulated, unstructured private affair—an all-comers game where publishing houses did not even have identifiable office, not to talk of a House!

Born and raised in the Lagos area called Okokomaiko, Brymo is one of Nigeria’s music sensations. Humble beginnings saw him dropping out of university where he was supposed to study Zoology. Born Ashimi Olawale, he got his biggest hit so far when he was featured on rapper Ice Prince’s hit song ‘Oleku,’ with his smoky vocals giving the song a very unique feel. Now he’s easily one of the most sought-after vocalists for collaborations. Weekend Magazine cornered him for a chat and herewith, are excerpts.

Hadiza Blell, also known as Di’ja, is a Nigerian/Sierra Leonean music sensation and winner of Canada’s Beat Awards, among other notable laurels. The Kaduna-born diva spoke about the Nigerian experience, breaking through the American music scene and her current projects she is working on.

Many exciting stories surround the awakening being called the “Nigerian Harmattan”: moving accounts of Kano Muslims visiting churches on Sunday, 15 January; the “Occupy Nigeria, Kannywood” group who marched alongside their fans for kilometers during the Kano fuel subsidy removal protests.

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has been ranked highest paid Nollywood actress for 2011.  The rating came about as a result of her big budget movies in London and her movie ‘ties that binds’. She received five million naira per script last year.

Nigerian Soul singer and funky guitarist Olufemi Sanyaolu a.k.a Keziah Jones and long-time girlfriend, Smooth FM On-Air Personality, Hauwa Mukan recently tied the knot at Manor Event Centre in Lekki over the weekend.

US-based Pero Adeniyi, Tuface Idibia’s baby mama and mother of two of his children is expecting baby number six.

Last weekend, the stories of the killings of Christians in Adamawa and Gombe left me with a constant dull ache. I realized, as boys hovered their metal detectors over my Bible before I walked into church, that we could die as we prayed. And though the pastor pointed us to the revolutionary nonviolent teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5, Christians I spoke to were angry.

Beyoncé’s and Jay-Z’s newborn baby, Blue Ivy Carter, featured on Jay’s ‘Glory,’ is the youngest person to land on the albums chart. Thanks to her feature on daddy Jay-Z’s song at less than a week old, Blue Ivy Carter is already making chart history. Billboard reports that B.I.C., as Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s daughter is credited on the track, is the youngest person to land on the albums chart in Billboard history.

What was it about this script that made you want to bring the character Vi Rose Hill to life?

Following the birth of his daughter Blue Ivy Carter last weekend, reports have suggested that Jay Z has become the perfect husband and a hands-on dad. Jay has been taking care of Beyoncé and his newborn daughter now that they have both come out of hospital. A source said: “Jay won’t let her lift a finger. He’s been changing the diapers and getting his hands dirty.”

South Africa may have produced two Nobel laureates in literature but a famous bookshop in Johannesburg is nevertheless about to close, a victim of the country’s poor reading culture.

Prize-winning Kenyan author Binyavanga Wainaina has attacked the insularity of British authors, describing their work as “indigestible” for Kenyan readers, and suggesting that “you’d struggle to find any significant books that come out of Britain” about the African experience. He praised the “amazing work that can speak to the diversity within Britain”, but argued that British writers have failed to meet the challenge of finding “codes that are more universal”.

To expand readership to Africa, Forbes Magazine, practically the world’s leading business media brand, recently launched Forbes Africa. The addition to the publisher’s stable makes it the 16th local-language edition of the franchise, with distribution in South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya. While the first issue featured on its cover, South African mining tycoon, Patrice Motsepe and his views on nationalization, the second issue showcases Nigerian business mogul Wale Tinubu, calling him ‘the king of African oil.’ The feature, written by Mfonobong Nsehe, is lucidly written, with just the right amount of back-story (Tinubu’s earthen welcome to the Forbes team is smile-inducing) and the same for rich detail on his humble beginnings (he wanted to be a lawyer) as well as his near-dramatic rise to where he is today.

One day in the 70s, an armed robber in Nigeria was told that he was to be tied to the stake and shot for his many crimes. He then pleaded that a form of lace fabric which was very popular at the time should be bought and sewn for him. Soon, there was uproar in society, and the press captured the development which reads like a piece from Arabian Nights:

It is true that the only constant thing in our lives is change, but how well do most of us handle it when it creeps into our lives determines it outcome.

We all say that one should never compromise in life. But in the first place, what is compromise and when should it be reached?

We all have parts of ourselves that we don’t share with anyone else. But when do these veiled truths turn to deception and become destructive?

Sibling rivalry is bound to happen in a home where there is more than a child. Whether or not it has a long term, positive or negative consequence depends on what parents do about the situation.

Sibling rivalry is believed to be one of humanity’s oldest problems. It is the jealousy, competition, argument and in fighting between two or more brothers or/and sisters. Sometimes, age is not barrier when siblings engage in temporary or prolonged quarrel among themselves, but it is more frequent with the little ones.

Jealousy among women is very common. This has caused all kinds of problems for various types of relationships. Here’s how to overcome it.

As a parent – mother or father - start inculcating family values in your kids before they start learning prejudice from others.

When you here the term domestic violence, you will likely picture a woman being battered and abused by an angry unreasonable husband or boyfriend. We have heard of husbands beating wives but have you ever heard of wives beating husbands, you probably would have, but to be candid this trend by women is notorious and uncalled for.

The office is a place where we are bound to meet different people and knowing how to co-habit with them will go a long way in making the  environment peaceful.

In this new year, we need to strive to do the right thing even when it is difficult to do so.

We always have this belief that everybody who strays into our lives is to be considered a friend. How many of us take the word ‘friend’ for what it really means?

“Little deeds of kindness, little words of love, help to make earth happy like the heaven above.” These are the words of Julia A. Fletcher Carney. William Shakespeare also said, “He is not great who is not greatly good.” Are these words reflected in our day to day living?

Destiny is a simple word with much meaning and misunderstanding attached to it. It can become a confusing concept when approached from the perspective of predetermination. So, how do you understand the true nature of your destiny?

A GIANT OAK stood near a brook in which grew some slender Reeds. When the wind blew, the great Oak stood proudly upright with its hundred arms uplifted to the sky. But the Reeds bowed low in the wind and sang a sad and mournful song.

Many many years ago, there lived a dog named Tom. Tom was adopted as a pet in a wealthy household and he was daily showered with nice foods and affections by her mistress Mrs Havisham. All day, Tom lived in a kennel within the compound of the house and he tried his best to guard the home of his mistress. Whenever a thief or a burgler came within the vicinity, Tom would bark as loudly as he could to scare the living daylights out of the culprit. He was the favourite of his mistress. When night fell, he slept on a nice blanket inside his kennel and when day broke he had his food served before him in no time.

How did you enjoy your holiday? I am sure you had a very good time and are prepared for school and more work. I am wishing you all the best.

Love,

Aunty Vanessa

A SACRED image was being carried to the temple. It was mounted on an Ass adorned with garlands and gorgeous trappings, and a grand procession of priests and pages followed it through the streets. As the Ass walked along, the people bowed their heads reverently or fell on their knees, and the Ass thought the honor was being paid to himself.

At one time the Fox and the Stork were on visiting terms and seemed very good friends. So the Fox invited the Stork to dinner, and for a joke put nothing before her but some soup in a very shallow dish. This the Fox could easily lap up, but the Stork could only wet the end of her long bill in it, and left the meal as hungry as when she began. “I am sorry,” said the Fox, “the soup is not to your liking.”

TWO TRAVELLERS, walking in the noonday sun, sought the shade of a wide spreading tree to rest. As they lay looking up among the pleasant leaves, they saw that it was a Plane Tree.

How are you all doing? Happy new month and compliments of the season! Christmas and New Year are lurking around the corner. There is an interesting craft idea and recipe to try out in preparation for the celebrations.

Do have a good time.

Love,

Aunty Vanessa

There was none of the drama of last February, when Sotheby’s sold a Giacometti statue for a new world record auction price, but art sales this month in London banished immediate concerns about a boom-and-bust cycle.

Works of Nigeria’s Yinka Shinibare along with Yang Fudong, Shirin Neshat, and Christodoulos Panayiotou come March 8th, 2011, will be previewed as a multimedia group exhibition by the Parasol Unit Foundation for Contemporary Art (PUFCA).

Ekaterinburg Art Foundation (Russia) would like to invite sculptors and photographers world-wide to take part in the International Exhibition Project of Sculpture and Photography “Family Unity - Unity of the World”.

Last Saturday ushered in a new streak in path of Ahmadu Bello University’s art school when artistes open audience engaged different forms of visual representations. It is part of effort to sustain the rudiments in contemporary art practice by Zaria-based artists through an organised workshop which pulled artists from their studios into an open environment. The artistes put their creative talents/endeavors to a delightful manner to produce different forms of visual representations.

London’s cultural institutions and heritage sites are to be transformed into national houses for the Olympics games.Museums and heritage sites are leasing out space during the 2012 Olympics for national houses, including the Docklands Museum, Somerset House, Marble Arch, Old Billingsgate Market and Alexandra Palace. The two-month deals will typically each bring in several hundred thousand pounds.

December 10, I was in Jos, and I heard the bombs go off. Deep echoing booms that you could feel in your body. The feeling was like a ripple in water, expanding out in an ever-widening circle. “That sounds like a bomb,” I thought, when I heard it. I did nothing, waited for the news to ripple out to me—what had happened, where, and how many had died.

Kannywood has lost another one of its most versatile talents.  Lawal Alhassan Kaura, of Unguwa Uku Kano, died at the age of 34 on 13 December 2011 at Zana Hospital, Kano after a brief illness. He is survived by his parents and siblings.

The first Association of Nigerian Authors  (ANA) convention I attended was ten years ago in Port Harcourt in November 2001. I was very young and had just arrived back into the country.  I made the long drive south from Jos to Port Harcourt with several other members of Jos ANA, but the taxing journey was worth it. I remember the twentieth anniversary ANA convention as one of the most exciting events I had ever been to, meeting writers, some of whom had come all the way from Kano for the event, and attending the premier performance of Elechi Amadi’s play The Woman of Calabar, which left me aching with laughter. At the book tables, I found the book that became one of my favourites, Prison Stories by Helon Habila, the self-published collection of short stories containing his Caine Prize winning story “Prison Stories” that would later be revised into the novel Waiting for an Angel. My encounter with ANA at that convention and then later in Jos as I became a part of the thriving chapter of Jos ANA was my first experience of the flourishing literary culture in Nigeria.  It was also the first time I began to feel I was part of a Nigerian community, rather than living in the out-of-touch margins of expatriate life. It was my membership in Jos ANA that encouraged me to apply for a PhD with a plan to focus on contemporary Nigerian literature in English and write my MA thesis on Helon Habila’s Waiting for an Angel. And though my PhD research ended up taking a turn as I became more proficient in Hausa and became more interested in Nigerian films, the writer in me remains a part of ANA, that community of  Nigerian authors writing in English, Hausa, and other Nigerian languages.

Last weekend I attended the Plateau International Film Festival held Friday and Saturday on the 25th and 26 of November at the National Film Institute (NFI), Jos, the theme of which was “Art and Peace.”

Last week I attended a SONTA (Society of Nigeria Theatre Artists) conference at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, held from 14-16 November, themed “Nollywood and Theatre for Development: Exploring the Bridges of Interaction.”  The goal of the conference was to examine connections between Nigeria’s popular film industry and theatre for development, which encourages audience participation in solving community problems. Unfortunately, I missed a presentation of a film and a music album made by ABU Theatre Arts students and keynote addresses by Nollywood scholar Onookome Okome and Theatre for Development expert Michael Etherton, one of the founders of the Theatre Arts Department at ABU.

I first came across hip-hop artist XDOGGinit (Ilyas Achimugu), when a friend posted a link on Facebook to his recent video “Mouthed (Ina da baki)” showing the artist rapping in English and Hausa.

Before I moved to Kano in 2008, I had heard much about the Sallah celebrations as a “tourist attraction.” Expatriate acquaintances both in Nigeria and outside the country told me of travels to Kano to experience the colour and pageantry of the annual event. In 2008, I attended my first “Hawan Sallah” at the emir’s palace and two days later stood with a friend as the parade of horses and riders, hunters on foot and men on stilts, processed past her Fagge house on the outskirts of the old city. At the centre of it all was the magnificent emir Alhaji (Dr) Ado Bayero, who rode under a twirling silk umbrella. He was greeted with cries of blessing from the crowd, their fists upraised in salute.

Julius Amedume is a Ghanaian-British filmmaker based in the UK. He has over 11 films to his credit and a production company, Amedume Films. He won this year’s Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Diaspora short for his film Precipice, Best Feature award at last year’s Pan African Film Festival for his film A Goat’s Tail and other awards at festivals around the world. Amedume, the youngest of four children, was raised in England to first generation African parents who always made it a priority to instill a strong sense of African values, which he says is fundamental to making him who he is today. Excerpts:

“I don’t give to them,” a friend told me one of the first times I came to Kano and saw the young children begging with their small plastic bowls in traffic, in front of restaurants, hanging around offices.

‘Am through Anti Bint, so I’m going to rush home before you finish your long Zikr.’ My niece Tauhida announced while folding the prayer carpet she used to observe her Asr.

‘Tsssk’, Zulai hissed as we stepped out of the supermarket and walked towards my car. ‘I just can’t understand why some people think they are something while they are not.’ She observed, her eyes on the heavily made-up young woman, wearing sunshades, who passed us by without a word.

‘Trust Bint to drag you out at just the time you need to be seated’, Maryam complained navigating the dark garden path with difficulty because of her high-heeled shoes. ‘So what is the emergency?’ she asked as soon as we stopped by my car.

‘Naira for your thoughts Bint, you’ve been having this secret smile on your face every time I look your way, I can’t help wondering what you are day-dreaming about.’ Tahir said from his vantage point on the couch. All along I thought he was watching the news, I had no idea that he was secretly watching me.

‘I am always fascinated by the beauty of your estate Hajara, every time I come into it, I wish I live here. Just check out this nice row of town houses and the charming landscape, it’s almost as if this isn’t Naija.’ I jokingly concluded.

‘Slow down Tahir, you are going too fast.’ I protested, struggling hard to catch up with him.

The phone call from Furaira wasn’t entirely expected. I haven’t heard from her since the day she called to say the trip they took after our reconciliation effort had borne fruit. She was expecting a baby. I had congratulated her on the spot and promised to personally drop by and see how she was doing, but I never got round to it. Suddenly a missed call from her? I hope she is all right. I wanted her to have this baby almost as much as she herself wants to. It will mean so much after all those years of loneliness when her husband had quietly suffered the pains of declining libido.

‘I don’t know why everyone is making such a fuss I am not even keen on this wedding.’ Baraka said making a face.

‘Why don’t you put that book down and go to sleep Bint?’ Tahir said from the bed.