24 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 18, 2016 By KEHINDE AJOSE 08054680266
I don’t feel threatened by new artistes
Nigerian entertainment firm, Tanzania Govt partner on technological transfer By CALEB AYANSINA
— Marvelous Benjy
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T the recent Yaw live on stage, Marvelous Benjy delivered a nostalgic and exciting performance. He performed his hit song Suo and got the audience cheering after he left the stage. The Delta State-born dancehall sensation in a chat with Showtime says he doesn’t feel threatened by the new artistes rocking the music industry. “In the entertainment industry there is always room for recess. Sometimes you come and at other times y o u recuperate.
Marvelous Benjy can never be anything less than a hit maker. What the new generations of artistes are doing is awesome. I love the new trend of dancehall and I am part of it one way or the other. In as much as the people I met didn’t feel threatened, I do not feel threatened. Competition will bring out the best in what we do. It pushes us to the edge. I like it.” He also throws light on
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Marvelous Benjy what he is currently working on. “I am trying to work with what is in vogue and the present trends. I am working on a new single with Solidstar and Daddy Showkey.”
Soldier is not music video but musical film — Falz N
•Falz
IGERIAN singer and comedian, Falz, who was recently unveiled as a nominee for the 2016 BET Awards Viewers Choice, in a recent interview revealed the inspiration behind his mainstream music video titled Soldier. The video was short like a movie and it has generated wide acclaim from music pundits. “We decided to pick the song, Soldier, because it has a narrative. We decided to make a big story out of it and then expanded it. We did not want to make it a normal music video but a short musical film, because its 15
minutes. That was how we conceived the idea. I had a meeting with Clarence Peters, after then he went back to his team. The video was shot in Epe. We spent two nights shooting the video.”
It took me an hour to write my single Bukata — Toyocee B
EAUTIFUL and talented are two words that describe Akerele Oluwatoyosi. The soulful singer who is a graduate of Archaeology and Anthropology from the University of Ibadan is gradually making waves with her highlife song titled Bukata. The song was born out of the thought that the mind has to be taken off life’s activities and every once in a while one should have fun. According to her, “I didn’t plan to write Bukata. It wasn’t the song I wanted to record initially. The producer played the instrumentation of the song and I just decided to flow with it. It had to be written right there. It took me an hour to write it. I chose to call the song Bukata because it’s something people can relate to, especially Yoruba people.”
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Toyocee
BUJA - For what could best be described as an attempt towards technological transfer in arts and creativity, the government of Tanzania has entered into an agreement with Nigerian Atunda Entertainment. Tagged East-West African Amalgamation Through Art and Tourism, the project, involved movie production and musical concert, aimed at bringing together, major players in the creative industry from both Nigeria and Tanzania. The project was unveiled last weekend by both the Tanzanian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Daniel O. Njoolay and his Nigerian partner and a private sector player in entertainment and tourism, Dr. Wanle Akinboboye. Meanwhile, the Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by both parties and the project itself involves the collaboration of Nigerian and Tanzanian movie directors and script writers. At the end of each production, musical artists, both established and emerging ones would be brought together to feature at the premier. Beginning from Nigeria, the creative minds would be hosted by the Chief Executive Officer of La Campagn Tropicana Reach Resort, Dr. Akinboboye, where they would be expected to emerge with a movie that captures Nigerian cultures and themes. The movie, which will feature artists from both countries, would be premiered in Tanzania with Nigerian musical artists performing alongside their Tanzanian colleagues at the 65,000 capacity stadium in the country. The second leg of the production is expected to take place in Tanzania after which the team will return to Nigeria for premiering with Tanzanian artists billed to equally perform in Nigeria alongside Nigerian artists. Commissioner Njoolay, who took time to give historic account of the project conceptualisation and benefits to artists and youths of each country, pointed out that motion picture in Tanzania still lacked the necessary skills and expertise. Acknowledging that Nigeria ranked among major movie makers in the world, the High Commissioner said the partnership will benefit his country in the area of technological transfer in arts and creativity. According to him, Tanzanian government through the Ministry of Culture is deeply involved in the project and would be committing funds to it the moment the year’s budgetary appropriation was ready. He said: “Our movie stars still lack the skill. It will be a form of technology transfer when we bring artists to come and perform jointly with artists in Nigeria. The project was welcome by the Ministry of Culture, Tanzania. “We have reached a good point and everything is moving on fast. Everything begins on August 1. The project would have kicked off instantly but it has to be captured in our budget. While describing Wanle as a very creative person, the Commissioner stressed that since Tanzania was second in terms of tourism attraction in the world after Brazil, the project would serve as an opportunity for both countries to further open their tourism potentials.