Nollywood Counts Down to Bowler Hats Bash 2

(Chika Chimezie)--This is cheering news for Nigerians looking for premium events to attend, relax and spend quality time with family members and loved ones on Saturday, October 1, Nigeria’s 56^th Independence Day.

The organisers of Bowler Hats Bash (BHB) the high-net-worth evening of undiluted comedy, music, dance and more, have agreed to hold this year’s show, which is the second in the series on Independence Day, at the upscale Coliseum Events Centre, Ikeja, Lagos, amid glitz and grandeur.

Of Churches, Televangelists, and Prosperity Gospel

Nigeria's Comic Language and National Identity

(Chika Ezeanya-Esiobu)--A well respected and accomplished Nigerian comedian recently chided his

colleagues for being local champions who are hardly marketable outside the shores of Nigeria and Anglophone West Africa. Global fame has eluded his counterparts, he regretted, as a result of the 90% reliance on Pidgin English as the language of comical communication.

The comedian clarified his understanding of ‘global’ as being the western world, specifically the United States and English speaking Europe. South African comedians, he charged his Nigerian colleagues, have been able to penetrate the high walls of America and Europe’s s stand-up comedy business due to their ability to render jokes in the sort of English embraced by these nations. For his colleagues to make progress, he admonished, they must leave behind the local pidgin language and reach towards its more ‘refined’ counterpart.

In trying to understand the implications of the comedian’s - no doubt – well intentioned advice for the Nigerian comedy industry, the question of a sense of self-pride, self-assurance, self-acceptance and collective sense of national identity of Nigerians as a people comes to the fore. Along that line, one realizes that the comedian’s admonition can be located within the age old conviction of Africans that to make progress, they must shun their authenticity in favor of Westernization, often labeled modernization.

The Journeys of Jollof Rice

(Sonala Olumhense)--This much can be said about the geographical origins of jollof rice: West Africa. 

Beyond this, there is no agreement as to an actual location.   Nigerians claim it, perhaps because, owing to our population, we eat more of it than anyone in the world. 

Jollof rice is claimed by the Senegalese, perhaps because of the historical and cultural background of the Wolof and the Jolof peoples of the area. 

To Everything, Its Place

Soyinka

(Wole Soyinka)--The issue, I understand, is the flaunting of religious markers in public educational institutions. Let me begin by confessing that I envy the French to whom those choices have only been recently thrust to the fore – they have always been with us in Nigeria. I also envy those to whom the issues are straightforward, and permit of dogmatic positions. In normal circumstances, perhaps I would agree that it should be a non-issue. It is tempting to simplify the debate by evoking the nature of club membership - a public school has certain rules, and if you wish to be a member, or make use of its facilities, then you must conform to those rules or seek alternatives elsewhere. 

However, the world we inhabit has changed vastly and dramatically over the past few decades, and club rules – like race or sex differentiated membership rules - are no longer sacrosanct. In addition, the genie is out of the bottle and the beasts of intolerance, suspicion and polarization stalk the streets. Dialogue is mostly relegated to the status of a poor relation of terror and intimidation, barely tolerated, often mocked. Conscious of the fact that the present dialogue is being conducted within such an atmosphere, it may be helpful if I began with a reference to my personal response when a directly contrary policy was announced in my own country, Nigeria,  and not just recently. It happened about twenty years ago, long before the introduction of the Sharia – the Islamic law – in a number of states within the country. 

Teach Your Children Igbo

(Emeka Oparah)--Please Teach Your Children the Names of Animals in Igbo Language (NA ASỤSỤ IGBO)

1) Goat = Ewu (Male = Mkpi, Female = Nne Ewu)

2) Fowl = Okuko (Male = Oke Ọkpa, Female = Nnekwu)

3) Guinea Fowl = Ọgazị

4) Chicken = Nwa Ọkụkọ

5) Turkey = Tolotolo/Torotoro

6) Duck = Obogwuma/Obuguma Obogwu/Obogu

7) Pigeon = Nduru/Nduli

8.) Ostrich = Enyi Nnunu

9) Antelope = Mgbada

10) Deer = Ele/Ene

Adichie and the Love of Igbo Names

“I love unusual names. At my book-signing events, when I come across a beautiful name – from any part of the world – I write it down and plan to use it in my fiction. I am Igbo so obviously unusual Igbo names mean even more to me. I think Igbo names are so beautiful and so full of poetry and many of them are not often used because the same few post-Christian names are now in circulation. I love the idea of names as history.”

                                                          ……….

“I think it is catastrophic that we, in the name of Christianity, are destroying our pre-Christian heritage. An ancient tree burned down during a vigil. Artifacts destroyed in the name of 'progress.' We need to tell those stories. If you are thinking of 'addressing that combination,' please do. You have a reader here.”

ChimamandaNgozi Adichie

Engaging Africa

“I’d rather you not engage [with Africa] than engage in a patronising way. It comes from a sense of superiority; an ignorance that refuses to acknowledge itself”

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Marriages, Parents & Their Religious Obsession

(Chioma Nnani)--How Can You Love Your Religion More Than Your Child?

Wedding ceremonies have a tendency to be stressful.

Oh-so-many decisions to be made.

Cake. Five-tier or a single cake? Vanilla or red devil? Butter icing or whatever else there is?

Food. Mediterranean or Chinese? Sit-down or buffet?

Wedding gown. Designer or high street? Blinding white or pale pink?

Guest list. Does ‘small’ mean 200 or 1200? Does my father’s distant cousin have to attend?

Seating arrangements to cater to warring family members.

Breathing exercises … and remembering that killing family members is still classed as a crime.

Venue. Beach front or church?

How much of the groom’s wishes to ignore (all he has to do is fork out cash on demand and show up on the day, right?)

Budget. Yes, you want a Siberian tiger, but your bank account is looking more like house-cat that purrs. If you want more excitement, hope that an alley-cat screeches in.

Like I said before – stressful!

No Africa Magic For My Child

(Chi-Chi Nnani)--NO child of mine is allowed to watch Africa Magic.

Until they clear up their CRAP programming. No. Not happening.

Some people don't realise those things they watch, aren't real. Apart from that, they can't happen. I said it the other day, that Nigerians engage with organised religion out of FEAR. That is the basis of a lot of their activities, including those ridiculous "fall down and die" prayers. I don't know how any sane person can put themselves in such a situation.

Yes! Magazine Celebrates 5th Anniversary in Grand Style

L-R: Bisi Olatilo, Azuh Arinze and wife, Nkoli, & Gabriel Ogbechie

(Yes)--Defying the early morning showers of Monday, June 20, 2016 as well as the gridlock that gripped Third Mainland Bridge and Ikorodu Road for hours on that day, some of Nigeria’s best and brightest still converged to celebrate with YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine at 5.

The high profile event which held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), on Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, in fact, was packed-full – and with quality guests.

Nigeria, The Arts, And The Critic

(Temidayo Ahanmisi)--A significant number of us would agree that the Arts are altogether not serving Nigeria beyond momentary entertainment.

If we only knew a bit of history we would be appalled and indignant at how much our artists have taken from us in terms of human development and social evolution. This aside the money.

Many Nigerians, by the unfortunate virtue of not having grown up in a critical culture as most now in their late 30s and beyond did, are hampered in understanding that art is a veritable tool for cultural disruption and the motivation of the critical aspects of the zeitgeist culture necessary to force social change for sociocultural emancipation in any society.

When you grow up watching art imitate the worst of life, you think art should serve only one function - to validate mutual perfidies, and to pay homage to brigandage while the artist dances for his supper.

This is partly why a lot of Nigerians tend to become hostile at the whiff of criticism especially of an artist they prefer. It's a kind of indulgent patronage bestowed on a favourite pet.

If your fare is Nollywood movies like Azonto babes, Blackberry babes, (Nigerian) Spider Girl, you would of course bristle when you hear such atrocities being dissected for the immoral socioeconomic criminality they honestly are.

To the average Nigerian, you cannot criticise or critique a movie unless:

Yes! Magazine Counts Down to 5th Annual Lecture

The Centre of Excellence as well as the City of Aquatic Splendor (Lagos) has been thrown into ecstasy – thanks to the 5TH ANNUAL YES INTERNATIONAL! MAGAZINE LECTURE/COCKTAIL PARTY slated for Monday, June 20, 2016.

Below are details of the high profile event which has so far attracted the likes of Biodun Shobanjo of Insight Communications, Udeme Ufot of SO&U, Lolu Akinwunmi of Prima Garnet, Steve Omojafor of STB McCann, Taiwo Adeoluwa of Ogun State Government, Pat Utomi of CVL, Ausbeth Ajagu of AES, Leo Stan Ekeh of Zinox Computers, Dele Momodu of Ovation, Kunle Bakare of Encomium, Sunny Obazu-Ojeagbase of Complete Sports, Simon Kolawole of TheCable,  Anselm Madubuko of Revival Assembly, Femi Adesina, Media Adviser to President Buhari,

Voices: Nigerian Women and Nollywood Films

Bewaji

(Joy Isi Bewaji)--Trying to survive a long flight, I got adventurous and clicked on a Nollywood movie.

Emirate flights from Dubai to New York have Nollywood movies, yes. There was the popular Fifty- the movie, and others on my list.

Fifty is not a movie you watch a second time. That is not an insult, there are many things we will not do a second time. It takes overpowering genius to make movies that people want to appreciate more than once.

It is why we have movies like The Godfather or The Sound of Music or Titanic.

PS: I do not want to see a Kevin Hart movie, not even once. Comedy has to be about wit, not people acting stupid. So if I am not laughing when you keep a straight face and act/tell a joke, then I'm not going to even patronize funny gestures with a smile.

PSS: I will watch those Falz's skits more than once.

Daylight Newspaper Honors Nollywood Stars

Monalisa Chinda-Coker (L) & Stephanie Okereke-Linus

At its inaugural Daylight Annual Leadership Awards, #DALA2016, held recently in Lagos, leading online newspaper Daylight honored Nollywood A-list stars and prominent Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in their various fields.

According to Daylight reporter Chika Chimezie, “it was truly the gathering of eminent Nigerians, stars, celebrities and achievers from all walks of life at the historic maiden edition of Daylight Annual Leadership Awards (#DALA2016).

The talk-of-the-town awards ceremony held elaborately at the posh Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, amid glitz, glamour, and grandeur.