It was a black Sunday in Lagos, as Dana Air Crashes!!!

May the Souls of all the departed rest in peace!!!

‘Don Jazzy betrayed me’ – D'banj Speaks at last!

The perception is that you’ve become arrogant, unreachable, proud. You’re not the D’banj we used to know; not the D’banj I used to know – and most people in the media will say this is true

Obviously people will say stuff – but this is me. I can’t keep up with everyone, no matter how much I try.  But I understand where I’m coming from. I cant forget my roots – all the interviews I had yesterday, I was ‘bigging up’ DJ Abass, he gave me my first show in London. You saw me giving Jazzy props in my interview earlier. That’s me. If I was arrogant I wouldn’t have been the one even chasing Jazzy around since he told me last July that he wanted to scatter Mohits. Last time I saw him was on February 19 at Irving Plaza. He didn’t support the show, and he only came on stage when SID and Wande were performing. I wanted peace.

And even my mom, who had supported us from beginning, who gave us the house we stayed in (in Michael Otedola estate, Lagos), the Previa bus we used and paid for Tongolo video, spoke to his parents last December; ‘this is what your son said o’. I remember my mom saying to me, ‘if you guys have been together all these years, and no wahala, then if you need to part, I hope there’ll be no wahala.’ She was very particular about that. I had enough proof to have come out and speak; this thing has been on for a long time. But I don’t want to cause any wahala. I don’t want to spoil anything. I don’t want trouble. Right now, I just want to be able to move on and do my business.’

That’s surprising, because when the leaked emails emerged, revealing private email conversations between the estranged partners, all fingers pointed at D’banj. Don Jazzy, a likeable celeb and social media addict, didn’t have anything to prove. D’banj was the one who looked bad, and, understandably, would want to make a move that could earn him public sympathy.

‘The signing (away of my shares in Mohits) was already being discussed before April 16. If I kept quiet from January till now, what would it benefit me to leak anything? Remember all the stuff about my password and all? We know where that was from, I really wouldn’t want to think it was from him, my brother, but it could be from anywhere, but I don’t want to call anyone’s name’

But were the emails forged?

Everything in those emails were facts. And I don’t even think the mails favoured me in any way. It’s not the exact mails that were sent and signed, but there were elements of truth in the mails that were published.’

Why did you tell Ebony you own Mohits?

My mom advised me not to speak. And the interviewer took it out of context. I co-owned Mohits.  We registered the business in 2004, and we owned it 50:50. So I spoke about that, but the interviewer took it wrong and the fans put pressure on them and they corrected it.

How about Sahara Reporters?

I never wanted to have any interview. It was on the eve of my US show. I was told I should do the interview, because they’re very troublesome. I had to do the interview for the sake of my show the next day. I was guaranteed that there’d be no politics questions. I had not been in the country. And I had been under pressure.  Sadly, when that happened and I was being attacked in the media, none of my guys came out to support me.

Looking at all this, what are your regrets?

The truth is that if nothing went wrong, you’d have still heard all this good news and Mohits would take the glory, I didn’t come out in eight years to say anything. Everyone made their contributions. There were no issues, as long as it worked. My mistake was thinking that we were one. People don’t question their brothers and sisters.

How do you feel about Wande Coal and Dr. SID taking sides with Jazzy?

I won’t be too quick to judge Wande Coal. I hear it was Jazzy that tweeted those Wande tweets. I don’t know how true that is, but I know he had our social media accounts. As at a month ago, I couldn’t access any of my accounts. My password was changed on Twitter and Facebook. Then Universal intervened. I’m about to be verified on Twitter now. I’m not really a social media person, so it was Don Jazzy and some of our other guys that were running it. Wande himself knows the truth. He cannot talk to me like that. The whole Mohits knew who ran the label businesswise. They knew who to come to when they needed to get money out, after we recorded the album. Who knows the factory where Dansa was made? But you will know the marketing manager. The car he’s driving, I bought him a brand new Prado from Phyllis and Moss after he crashed the car he won from Hiphop World awards. I bought six Range Rovers last year. I bought D’Prince an LR 3 last year, he crashed it, then I bought him a Range, and it’s true that I bought two Bentleys. Because of Jazzy. But after July last year, after the issue with Jazzy, I bought myself the Aston Martin.

You bought that? I thought that was a gift?

I bought it.

How were you able to fund all that?

In the last nine years, there are a few people and corporate bodies that God has helped me build relationships with, either individuals or banks, or even corporates that are involved in the growth of the industry. I’ve enjoyed their support, and even now that we’re going global, we’re pooling the funds together from all these places.

Could you possibly be Nigeria’s richest pop star? A billionaire?

Vanity upon vanity. Money is material. In terms of what we’re doing, you’ll call me a Trillionaire, because this vision is too big for only me. With the help of the industry, the government, people like you Ayeni, we will not only be billionaires, but trillionaires, and not just me, but every little kid that has same talent like Beyonce, or Nicki Minaj. And with the standard of the UMG worldwide, we can pass people out from our own Universal Music Group Africa, Universal Def Jam Africa, and everyone should jump on this ship with us. It’s not the Titanic.

There’s been a lot of confusion – what label exactly are you signed on?

My album comes out under my label/GOOD Music/Island Def Jam. I’m funding the D’banj album, in America, through GOOD Music/Island Def Jam. GOOD Music is Kanye West who is co-executive producing with me. The deal comprises of Island Def Jam, in US. But in UK, it is under Mercury. My first single will be released in Europe on May 14. My work will be released in Africa through Universal/Def Jam. We don’t have these structures in Africa, and they’ve seen how much money they’ve lost. They’ve seen what I’ve done with Mohits. I made my pitch to them; I’ve made them realize how much they were losing in the African region. Over 150m Nigerians, over 800m Africans. 2% of that is 8.5m. They were not making anything except from S.A, which has been the US of Africa. So we will be launching this label in Ghana, in partnership with Vodafone, launching in Nigeria in partnership with MTN. Def Jam Africa will be up soon; Kenya, SA, and North Africa will follow.

Why are you risking all this? What if you burn your fingers and lose everything you’ve worked for?

Lose out?  Well, I am happy I even have something to risk. To whom much is given, much is expected. Look at Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Jay Z, Kanye West, these people take it to the max, take it to where they believe that they can push it to. In the first instance, coming back to Nigeria with Jazzy was because I was a risk taker. And I wouldn’t say I’m throwing everything away. I would say I’m putting everything back in, in order to rip into the future. I get a broadcast from Tonye Cole everyday. He says when you tell people this your vision, know that it’s not for you alone – it’s for everyone. It’s like what Fela did. If what I’m doing doesn’t work, but sows that seed that will germinate in three, five years, it means my name will be written in gold.

Some people have tried this before you, unsuccessfully. Do you have doubts and fears  sometimes?

My last album was in July 2008 – no album in four years and I know what I still command in those four years. The momentum for me to be able to do this is because I see how much it took me, I saw the benefit, it’s God, and the favour of the relationships we’ve built. Plus, I don’t take no for an answer, I don’t take negativity. It will work in Jesus’ name. If not, I wouldn’t have landed in the UK and hear Oliver Twist on the radio. Nor would I be in the mainstream media with them saying I’m pioneering afrobeats. I said to them ‘Oh hell no, that’s Fela’s music. Fela is the legend.’ So I pray to God – I beg my fans, it‘ll be good to do half a million downloads. It’s possible, it’s a different market. Platinum in UK is 300,000. I believe with the support of my people in Redding, Coventry, Dusting, Hackney, Thamesmead, Abbeywood, we can do it.’

How Iyanya missed the Dana plane crash

 

Few hours after yesterday’s plane crash involving a Dana aircraft McDonnell Douglas (MD-83) at Iju, Lagos, fast rising singer, and the first winner of the MTN project fame west Africa, Iyanya Mbuk has revealed how he missed the flight – thus narrowly escaping death.

The PFWA alumnus said he had no meaningful reason to not have been on the flight. ‘I don’t think I had an authentic reason to stay back in Abuja. I just came up with an excuse that I wanna go to the studio in Abuja‘, the singer wrote on his Twitter page.

He further said, ‘When it’s not your time, It’s not yours. It took me 30 minutes to convince my manager that we should stay back in Abuja. God is great!!!‘

Not your time yet, bro.............

NOLLYWOOD MOVIE AWARDS, 2012

IT WAS AN EVENING OF FUN!

 

 WINNERS LIST

Best Movie
Mirror Boy
Anchor Baby
Private Storm
Memories Of The Heart
Tango With Me – Winner
Kiss And Tell
Best Actor In A Leading Role
Van Vicker (Against The Law)
Ramsey Nouah (Private Storm)
Trybson Dudukoko (Ghetto Dreamz)
Joseph Benjamin (Tango With Me) – Winner
Joseph Benjamin (Kiss And Tell)
Charles Okafor (Fake Prophet)
Best Actor In A Supporting Role
Junior Pope Odumodoh (Nkwocha)
John Dumelo (Private Storm)
Yul Edochie (Against The Law)
Gabriel Afolayan (Ghetto Dreamz) – Winner
Best Actress In A Leading Role
Genevieve Nnaji (Tango With Me)
Omoni Oboli (Anchor Baby)
Mercy Johnson (Weeping Soul) – Winner
Uche Jumbo (Damage)
Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde (Private Storm)
Best Actress In A Supporting Role
Tina Mba (Tango With Me)
Rachel Oniga (Ghetto Dreamz)
Stella Damasus (Bent Arrows)
Nse Ikpe-Etim (Kiss And Tell) – Winner
Best Actor In An Indigenous Movie (Non-English Speaking Language)
Chiwetalu Agu (Nkwocha) – Winner
Yinka Qadri (Aye Dudu)
Saidi Balogun (Eti Keta)
Brown Igboegwu (Apparition)
Femi Adebayo (Emi Abata)
Odunlade Adekola (Ikuforiji)
Best Actress In An Indigenous Movie (Non-English Speaking Language)
Funke Akindele (Emi Abata)
Funke Akindele (The Return of Jenifa) – Winner
Queen Nwokoye (Nkwocha)
Mercy Aigbe (Oladunjoye)
Dupe Adejare (Alantaku)
Best Indigenous Language Movie (Non-English Speaking Language)
Eti Keta
Ikuforiji
Nkwocha
Apparition
Aye Dudu – Winner
Oladunjoye
Best Directing
Mahmood Ali-Balogun (Tango With Me) – Winner
Obi Emelonye (Mirror Boy)
Lancelot Oduwa-Imasuen (Private Storm)
Daniel Ademinokan (Ghetto Dreamz)
Desmond Elliot (Kiss And Tell)
Best Cinematography
Mirror Boy
Private Storm
Changing Faces
Anchor Baby
Tango With Me – Winner
Kiss And Tell
Best Movie Editing
Mirror Boy – Winner
Anchor Baby
Ghetto Dreamz
Return Of Jenifa
Changing Faces
Memories Of The Heart
Best Movie Soundtrack
Bent Arrows
Mirror Boy
Ghetto Dreamz – Winner
Changing Faces
Memories Of The Heart
Tango With Me
Best Sound Editing
Tango With Me – Winner
Private Storm
Apparition
Anchor Baby
Mirror Boy
Ghetto Dreamz
Best Original Screenplay/Scriptwriting
Obi Emelonye (Mirror Boy)
Ugezu J Ugezu (Against The Law)
Daniel Ademinokan & Ope Banwo (Ghetto Dreamz)
Uduak Isong Oguamanam (Kiss And Tell)
Lonzo Nzekwe (Anchor Baby) – Winner
Chinwe Sele (Soul After Soul)
Best Costume Design
Mirror Boy – Winner
Ghetto Dreamz
Tango With Me
Apparition
Entrapped* (Chiemela Nwagbaoso)
Best Make-Up
Ghetto Dreamz
Tango With Me
Apparition
Mirror Boy* (Gabriel Okorie) – Winner
Damage* (Temisan Isioma Etsede)
Rising Star Award Female
Halima Abubakar (Entrapped)
Helen Paul (The Return Of Jenifa)
Nuella Njubigbo (Apparition)
Sylvia Oluchi (Bent Arrows) – Winner
Gabriel Afolayan (Ghetto Dreamz)
Chinyere Madubuike Kosi (Apparition)
Rising Star Male
Gabriel Afolayan (Ghetto Dreamz)
Viewer’s Choice Award Male Actor
Ramsey Noauh
Viewer’s Choice Award Female
Genevieve Nnaji
Life Time Achievement Award
Kenneth Nnebue (Living in Bondage)

 

 

Uche Jombo returns home after secret wedding

What a big surprise from Uche Jombo! 

Newly wedded Nollywood actress Uche Jombo has returned to the country after secretly wedding to Puerto Rican lover Kenny Rodriguez on Wednesday, May 16, 2012.

The actress-producer was spotted on saturday as she arrived at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. She also attended the Nollywood Movie Awards that same night.

Dance Queen - Kaffy’s super stylish wedding

An early heavy downpour of rain was not enough to upset celebrated dancer Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau’s wedding, which took place over the weekend, as the mother-of-one walked down the aisle in style to wed her fiancé, Psquare’s live band drummer Joseph Adakole Ameh.

It was the second celebrity wedding in two weeks, after Nollywood actress Funke Akindele’s three-part combo wedding with hubby Kenny Almaroof; truth be told, there were going to be major comparisons.

The pretty dancer and handsome drummer took it a notch higher, staging a four-part wedding, which involved a Nikkai service, a traditional and church wedding ceremony, and finally, a reception.

The wedding, which was held at Bespoke Centre along Lekki-Epe Expressway, began two hours later than announced with a Nikkai service on the top floor of the building. The hour long service was attended only by the couple’s parents, family members and close friends.

The traditional wedding followed immediately below in the grand hall, which could accommodate about 600 guests. Both parents sat opposite each other as the groom Joseph came in, followed by the bride Kaffy, who danced her way to meet her parents, before walking into the warm embrace of her husband.

The couple rushed back to their dressing rooms and returned for a white wedding. Joseph looked supper-dapper in his one-piece bespoke suit while Kaffy looked resplendent in her wedding gown. The white wedding was officiated by Joseph’s father, a pastor himself.

The atmosphere between all three ceremonies looked a bit awkward for two reasons:

The ethnic background: While the bride’s family and friends were clearly enjoying the Western-themed traditional wedding, the groom’s folks (who hail from Benue) weren’t too comfortable, but still participated, with the moderator often speaking in Yoruba language and goofing while trying to speak in English.

The religious background: Because the groom is a Christian and the bride a Muslim, the ceremony was forced to feature both a Nikkai and white wedding solemnization, which obviously stretched the time and was a bit tiring for the guests. The couple’s parents and family were however patient enough to attend both ceremonies.

A reception then followed, with the couple cutting the beautifully designed cake and then hitting the dance floor. The simple cake was conceptualised as a stage, with a drummer and dancer performing.

It was a low turnout of celebrities as only a handful turned up at the event. The couple’s close friends Psquare and J Martins were missing. Psquare are still in South Africa honouring engagements while JMartins had performed at a Star Trek event in Lagos a day before which ended in the early hours of that day.

Celebs that were present include gospel singer Nikki Laoye, R&B hottie Tiwa Savage, Project Fame music instructor Ben Ogbewi, producer Tee-Y Mix, Sammie Okposo, Channel O VJ Denrele Edun, Tee A amongst a few others.

It seemed like the couple, who were guests at Akindele’s wedding a week earlier, had done their homework, as the organization and execution was near-perfect, making it far better and classier than Akindele’s star-studded but poorly-managed ceremonies

The Bridal Train

Unlike Akindele’s wedding, Kaffy and Papy J opted for a celebrity bridal train; rapper Muna, singer Waje and TV personality Yvonne ‘Vixen’ Ekwere were joined by Kaffy’s sister Bimbo Shafau who was the Chief Bride’s maid.

Joseph had artistes Sound Sultan and DIPP as part of his Groom’s Men with popular artiste-philanthropist Lamboginny as his Best Man.

Food and Drinks

The food was served by FAB Foods while drinks and cocktails were supplied by Sunset Café and Cocktails.

Security

Security was by G40 Security. G40 had well briefed personnel at all entrances and staircases. There were also a few mobile police men at the main gate of the event centre. However, the couple walked freely without any escorts.

Bride’s Dress

The bride’s wedding gown was provided by Mai Atafo Bridals while the groom’s suit was provided by Occasion and Events.

Sound and Techniques

This was provided by BusyHand Media, while music was from the iconic DJ Jimmy JATT.

Make Up

The bride was beautifully made up by Lola Maja.

The Cake

The cake, made by Arabas Cake, wasn’t the commonly seen ‘tier upon tier’ cake. Rather, it featured a beautiful design of a dancer, and a drummer on his drum set.

Invitations and Wedding Programme

The IVs and wedding programmes were designed by KOZA Invitations, which also handled  printing for Funke Akindele’s wedding.

Event Planners

The event was planned and coordinated by Savvy Events.

Happy Married Life!!!