Allure

May 26, 2013

FASHION HITS

SPLIT IT!

THE GLO X-FACTOR JUDGES: - Looking for X

e m a i l : a l l u r e fo r t h e wo rl d @ v a n g u a r d n g r. c o m

FASHION 4-5 Fashion Hits

6

Split it

FEATURES 12 - 13

May 26 - June 1

THIS WEEK

Inside

ON THE COVER

• Get Captivated - My Husband to be has his sister and children living with him • Escapades of Style - The Airport Lounge • The Polish Professional

-Using the Polish Edge - Part 3

PEOPLE 14 -15

Butterscotch Evening of Entertainment

Samsung Launches Galaxy S4

Absolut Launches Collectors item Salt N Pepa Rocks the Divas Concert

““If you don’t build your drea m, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs.””

Eleanor Roosevelt

““The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.””

Ayn Rand

“ Don’t let the fear of losing be greater than the excit ement of winning.””

Robert Kiyosaki

PHOTOGRAPHY Moussa Moussa. DRESS Hollies. JEWELRY Cephas. MAKE-UP Azuka Mordi

Dhirubhai Ambani

“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people”

...Veteran singer, Onyeka Onwenu, Nigeria’s hip-hop star, Jude Abaga, popularly known as MI and Ghanaian hip-life star, Reggie Rockstone, are set to bring expertise, experience and, of course, panache to the table as judges of the much-awaited Glo X-Factor contest. With proven track records in the music industry, these judges are faced with the herculean task of finding a new singing talent, irrespective of age in West Africa. The world’s number one music singing talent reality TV show, “The X-Factor”, berths in Africa for the first time on the shores of Nigeria, courtesy of Globacom, the communication giants..

It’s another chance for a life changer! Glo, one of Nigeria’s leading telecoms networks, has joined in the musical extravaganza that is the music talent shows. As is its motto, Glo is also set to ‘rule its world’. The X-Factor franchise lands in Nigeria courtesy of you know who. A whopping twenty four million naira for the winner! Mind boggling cash for one just starting life. No doubt, the queue will be long and the work arduous for the show’s judges. Led by songstress, Onyeka Onwenu, M.I. and Ghanaian star, Reggie, the judges have been given the difficult task of looking for that intangible ‘X’ factor among contestants. What will they find? How will they find it? Well, the following weeks, months, will unveil the raw but unique talent they are expected to spot.A difficult task, indeed, but like M.I. says, when asked why he agreed to do the ‘dirty job’: “Sometimes, Glo makes an offer you can’t turn down”. To interview the judges, Yemisi Suleiman flew to Ghana to meet the three judges and host of the show, delectable Toolz. See “Looking for X” on pp. 7 - 10Our fashion page feature is on “Fashion Hits” Jemi Ekunkunbor shows what’s hot now. Slits are riding high these days. See who is revealing more pins in ‘Split it’ on pp. 6.

Have a good Ogle.

Great Week!

COVER PHOTO: BAMIYO ISELEMA EMINA

R.

Remmy Diagbare

7 - 11

TEAM EDITOR REMMY DIAGBARE DEPUTY EDITOR JEMI EKUNKUNBOR ASST. EDITOR YEMISI SULEIMAN CONTRIBUTORS PRINCESS KATE EMIKO BAMIYO ISELEMA EMINA JEROME CODJO-YAOVI ONIPEDE

CONT. EDITOR LATASHA NGWUBE COPY EDITOR DD WILLIAM-WEST CORRESPONDENTS FATIMA GARBA DAVINA AYODELE LAYOUT / DESIGN Gregory Obi PHOTO OSCAR OCHIOGU

Printed and published by Vanguard Media Ltd Vanguard Avenue Kirikiri Canal; P.M.B 1007 Apapa, Lagos.

For advertisement / enquiries, call Debbie: 08039675880, OGE: 08039777910 Office Auxiliary: EBERE OKOH

e m a i l : a l l u r e fo r t h e wo rl d @ v a n g u a r d n g r. c o m

FASHION 4-5 Fashion Hits

6

Split it

FEATURES 12 - 13

May 26 - June 1

THIS WEEK

Inside

ON THE COVER

• Get Captivated - My Husband to be has his sister and children living with him • Escapades of Style - The Airport Lounge • The Polish Professional

-Using the Polish Edge - Part 3

PEOPLE 14 -15

Butterscotch Evening of Entertainment

Samsung Launches Galaxy S4

Absolut Launches Collectors item Salt N Pepa Rocks the Divas Concert

““If you don’t build your drea m, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs.””

Eleanor Roosevelt

““The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.””

Ayn Rand

“ Don’t let the fear of losing be greater than the excit ement of winning.””

Robert Kiyosaki

PHOTOGRAPHY Moussa Moussa. DRESS Hollies. JEWELRY Cephas. MAKE-UP Azuka Mordi

Dhirubhai Ambani

“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people”

...Veteran singer, Onyeka Onwenu, Nigeria’s hip-hop star, Jude Abaga, popularly known as MI and Ghanaian hip-life star, Reggie Rockstone, are set to bring expertise, experience and, of course, panache to the table as judges of the much-awaited Glo X-Factor contest. With proven track records in the music industry, these judges are faced with the herculean task of finding a new singing talent, irrespective of age in West Africa. The world’s number one music singing talent reality TV show, “The X-Factor”, berths in Africa for the first time on the shores of Nigeria, courtesy of Globacom, the communication giants..

It’s another chance for a life changer! Glo, one of Nigeria’s leading telecoms networks, has joined in the musical extravaganza that is the music talent shows. As is its motto, Glo is also set to ‘rule its world’. The X-Factor franchise lands in Nigeria courtesy of you know who. A whopping twenty four million naira for the winner! Mind boggling cash for one just starting life. No doubt, the queue will be long and the work arduous for the show’s judges. Led by songstress, Onyeka Onwenu, M.I. and Ghanaian star, Reggie, the judges have been given the difficult task of looking for that intangible ‘X’ factor among contestants. What will they find? How will they find it? Well, the following weeks, months, will unveil the raw but unique talent they are expected to spot.A difficult task, indeed, but like M.I. says, when asked why he agreed to do the ‘dirty job’: “Sometimes, Glo makes an offer you can’t turn down”. To interview the judges, Yemisi Suleiman flew to Ghana to meet the three judges and host of the show, delectable Toolz. See “Looking for X” on pp. 7 - 10Our fashion page feature is on “Fashion Hits” Jemi Ekunkunbor shows what’s hot now. Slits are riding high these days. See who is revealing more pins in ‘Split it’ on pp. 6.

Have a good Ogle.

Great Week!

COVER PHOTO: BAMIYO ISELEMA EMINA

R.

Remmy Diagbare

7 - 11

TEAM EDITOR REMMY DIAGBARE DEPUTY EDITOR JEMI EKUNKUNBOR ASST. EDITOR YEMISI SULEIMAN CONTRIBUTORS PRINCESS KATE EMIKO BAMIYO ISELEMA EMINA JEROME CODJO-YAOVI ONIPEDE

CONT. EDITOR LATASHA NGWUBE COPY EDITOR DD WILLIAM-WEST CORRESPONDENTS FATIMA GARBA DAVINA AYODELE LAYOUT / DESIGN Gregory Obi PHOTO OSCAR OCHIOGU

Printed and published by Vanguard Media Ltd Vanguard Avenue Kirikiri Canal; P.M.B 1007 Apapa, Lagos.

For advertisement / enquiries, call Debbie: 08039675880, OGE: 08039777910 Office Auxiliary: EBERE OKOH

FA S H IO N

FashionHITS

black floral belted dress

by - Jemi Ekunkunbor

va Floral Cotton Satin Dress

floral bag

Each fashion season, a trend comes along that is just so hot and good to go. You can’t go wrong in these fashion hits we carefully picked out for you.

PETAL POWER Floral will for a while continue to take centre stage, drawing attention with its petals and colours. Push your petals a little further to the big side.

Monochrome Not everybody is down with bright colours. It’s alright. When it comes to fashion, there is a lot to choose from like the monochrome for example.

Black and White is having a fashion moment. It spells power. Enjoy trying it out and wear it in a variety of ways.

If you are adventurous, try an interesting combo by accessorizing with a bright colour like red or neon.

You can also wear with neutral to keep things simple and classic.

Vagbond Florence floral wedge

placement floral shirt

Hot foot wear

Karen Millen Monochrome

Gina Bacconi sleevelessfloralmonochrome

animal print shoe Sam Edelman’s

/ May 26, 2013

BLOCKED SANDALS It’s new, it’s hot. Block sandal is the current shoe rave. Same height as the kitten heel but blocked. If you find the platforms too high, try the blocked heel sandal. It’s new and exciting.

Make it the statement of your look.

Slide into a pair and wear with shorts, jeans, tights, dresses, skirts o just about anything you fancy. Then walk that walk.

Chloe blocked heel sandal..

Sam Edelman’s animal print shoe

glory onuoha

4

Away from the regular colours; red, yellow, blue, colour, animal skin shoe is a great way to be different. Walk on the wild side in sky high or low heel.

-Wear your leopard skin shoe for example with wide leg pants or LBD for a night out.

-If it’s a ballet flat, wear with a pair of skinny jeans and nice top for a holiday outing.

two strap low heel Sam Edelan’s sandal. tope oshin ogun

Maria style block heel sandal

May 26, 2013 /

5

FA S H IO N

FashionHITS

black floral belted dress

by - Jemi Ekunkunbor

va Floral Cotton Satin Dress

floral bag

Each fashion season, a trend comes along that is just so hot and good to go. You can’t go wrong in these fashion hits we carefully picked out for you.

PETAL POWER Floral will for a while continue to take centre stage, drawing attention with its petals and colours. Push your petals a little further to the big side.

Monochrome Not everybody is down with bright colours. It’s alright. When it comes to fashion, there is a lot to choose from like the monochrome for example.

Black and White is having a fashion moment. It spells power. Enjoy trying it out and wear it in a variety of ways.

If you are adventurous, try an interesting combo by accessorizing with a bright colour like red or neon.

You can also wear with neutral to keep things simple and classic.

Vagbond Florence floral wedge

placement floral shirt

Hot foot wear

Karen Millen Monochrome

Gina Bacconi sleevelessfloralmonochrome

animal print shoe Sam Edelman’s

/ May 26, 2013

BLOCKED SANDALS It’s new, it’s hot. Block sandal is the current shoe rave. Same height as the kitten heel but blocked. If you find the platforms too high, try the blocked heel sandal. It’s new and exciting.

Make it the statement of your look.

Slide into a pair and wear with shorts, jeans, tights, dresses, skirts o just about anything you fancy. Then walk that walk.

Chloe blocked heel sandal..

Sam Edelman’s animal print shoe

glory onuoha

4

Away from the regular colours; red, yellow, blue, colour, animal skin shoe is a great way to be different. Walk on the wild side in sky high or low heel.

-Wear your leopard skin shoe for example with wide leg pants or LBD for a night out.

-If it’s a ballet flat, wear with a pair of skinny jeans and nice top for a holiday outing.

two strap low heel Sam Edelan’s sandal. tope oshin ogun

Maria style block heel sandal

May 26, 2013 /

5

Split it!

FA S H IO N

REPORTAGE

by - Jemi Ekunkunbor

The split has made a come back. This season, there is no hiding the legs. Many more people will flaunt what they’ve got with skirts and dresses having thigh-high splits. Out celebrities here are taking the lead with splits. Splits can go from ankle, to knee to thigh. The daring fashionistas go all the way. Check out who is doing the split.

JUDE ABAGA (m.i)

ONO BELLO

Onyeka Onwenu

REGGIE ROCKSTONE

The Glo Xfactor Judges - Looking for X By - Yemisi Suleiman

UZOR OSIMKPA

IBINABO FEBRESIMA EKA ARIBIAH

V

eteran singer, Onyeka Onwenu, Nigeria’s hip-hop star, Jude Abaga, popularly known as MI and Ghanaian hiplife star, Reggie Rockstone, are set to bring expertise, experience and, of course, panache to the table as judges of the much-awaited Glo X-Factor contest. With proven track records in the music industry, these judges are faced with the herculean task of finding a new singing talent, irrespective of age in West Africa. The world’s number one music singing talent reality TV show, “The X-Factor”, berths in Africa for the first time on the shores of Nigeria, courtesy of Globacom, the communication giants.

The competition is for aspiring singers, drawn from public auditions and is open to all ages, sex, styles, solo acts or groups. A major difference between the show and similar reality shows is that the judges also double as coaches for the various groups. It is peculiarly split into stages, following the contestants from auditions through to the boot camp, the judges’ homes and the grand finale. The contest also features dancers and contestants could accompany themselves on guitar, piano or any other musical instrument.

The ultimate winner of the spectacular show will cart home a princely sum of $150,000 (about N24 million), the biggest money prize among current reality TV shows. The winner will also win a recording contract with internationally acclaimed Sony Music for the recording of an album and professional management of the winner (individual or group). With the month-long auditions already on across Nigeria and Ghana, lovers of reality shows are in for a swell time on television as the judges revealed.

May 26, 2013 /

7

Split it!

FA S H IO N

REPORTAGE

by - Jemi Ekunkunbor

The split has made a come back. This season, there is no hiding the legs. Many more people will flaunt what they’ve got with skirts and dresses having thigh-high splits. Out celebrities here are taking the lead with splits. Splits can go from ankle, to knee to thigh. The daring fashionistas go all the way. Check out who is doing the split.

JUDE ABAGA (m.i)

ONO BELLO

Onyeka Onwenu

REGGIE ROCKSTONE

The Glo Xfactor Judges - Looking for X By - Yemisi Suleiman

UZOR OSIMKPA

IBINABO FEBRESIMA EKA ARIBIAH

V

eteran singer, Onyeka Onwenu, Nigeria’s hip-hop star, Jude Abaga, popularly known as MI and Ghanaian hiplife star, Reggie Rockstone, are set to bring expertise, experience and, of course, panache to the table as judges of the much-awaited Glo X-Factor contest. With proven track records in the music industry, these judges are faced with the herculean task of finding a new singing talent, irrespective of age in West Africa. The world’s number one music singing talent reality TV show, “The X-Factor”, berths in Africa for the first time on the shores of Nigeria, courtesy of Globacom, the communication giants.

The competition is for aspiring singers, drawn from public auditions and is open to all ages, sex, styles, solo acts or groups. A major difference between the show and similar reality shows is that the judges also double as coaches for the various groups. It is peculiarly split into stages, following the contestants from auditions through to the boot camp, the judges’ homes and the grand finale. The contest also features dancers and contestants could accompany themselves on guitar, piano or any other musical instrument.

The ultimate winner of the spectacular show will cart home a princely sum of $150,000 (about N24 million), the biggest money prize among current reality TV shows. The winner will also win a recording contract with internationally acclaimed Sony Music for the recording of an album and professional management of the winner (individual or group). With the month-long auditions already on across Nigeria and Ghana, lovers of reality shows are in for a swell time on television as the judges revealed.

May 26, 2013 /

7

REPORTAGE

Onyeka Onwenu

Generally regarded as Queen of African pop music, Onwenu is a highly experienced Nigerian singer, actress and politician. She made a mark in the music world with several hit tracks including “One Love” and “Iyogogo” amongst others. In 2006, she won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a supporting role. She is currently the Chairperson of Imo State Council for Arts and Culture.

What is your view on the Glo X-Factor?

It is a reality show; it is the best thing to happen in this part of the world.

We hope to find someone, in West Africa, who has that special something to win N24 million and a recording contract. It is huge. This is the kind of opportunity that comes once in a life time and in some life times never at all. Our young artistes are very fortunate to have this show. We didn’t have it in our own time; you sponsor yourself, get into the studio, struggle, and struggle to be heard. But here is a wonderful platform; even if you don’t win, it is still a wonderful platform to be discovered and heard around the world.

As a legend in the industry, what are you bringing into the show?

Expertise, experience and a proven record. I have been there for thirty-two years; stayed at the top, so obviously, I must know what to search for in an artiste. (To help) bring out that extra something. I can spot it a mile away; it is not just having a beautiful voice. It is having that intangible thing. I call it “yon sequa”, a French word that means I don’t know what, but when I see it I know it.

What was it like when you were called to be part of the judges?

Well, it wasn’t the first offer that I have ever received to be a judge but this was the one that I accepted so, obviously there is something good.

Why? Because it is the best and the biggest and, because I think I have a lot to bring to the table. These two young men (MI and Reggie) who are working me, I have great respect for them but I am going to teach them a lesson or two about show business. They think they know it all but they will see that Mama is going to teach them (laughs). But we will have fun

• Onyeka Onwenu

together.

With the X-Factor auditions held so far, how would you describe the talents you have seen?

Tremendous talents; diamonds in the raw that need to be polished, that would take on the world. The potentials are just immense. You have to have keen eyes also not to pick only the obvious. We have spotted, like I said, diamond in the raw. With a little bit of polish, which is the essence of this competition, that someone who would not have had the chance to have made it; that we can spot them in a competition like this... That means to have a sixth sense, the inner eyes to see, and ears to hear what is not obvious to others.

Before now, what has been keeping you busy?

My problem has always been cutting out a few things because, I am one of those people who have been so blessed with so many talents and I give God all the glory. I just did a film last year which is coming out this year, titled ‘Half of the Yellow Sun’. It took tremendous effort. It was a tremendous film; it was a lot of fun to be part of it. I played the character of a terrible woman and I relished it. It is (also) good to play a terrible character, throw yourself into it and do all the things you won’t be able to do normally. It was a wonderful character which had a redeeming factor in the end. She was just a wonderful woman.

Again, I have just done the centenary song. I am going to give you a copy so that you can listen to it. It is a tremendous thing that we have been together for one hundred years. I didn’t write the song to praise Nigeria but it is a very realistic song; one that can touch you in places you didn’t even know. And, that is to say that we are really blessed and that after all that has happened, we are still together and we are standing. It resonated with Nigerians. I am just so grateful about the reception that it is making; it is not just in Nigeria but all over the world because, the comments on the internet are wow!

It made a lot of people cry; a lot of people want to come home and recommit to Nigeria as a nation.

I have a few other things that are coming up that I am not opportuned to talk about at this point in time. I always don’t like to talk too much; I just let my work speak for itself. And, of course, the X-Factor – contributing towards picking a new style is not a small thing. You have to take it seriously; with a sense of responsibility and you must do it with integrity.

Are you still into politics?

I am fully into politics.

So, sometime in future, we will see you contesting for an elective position?

You don’t always have to contest. There are so many ways of contributing. Within my party, I am doing that; supporting other people, supporting other women.

I don’t think that women are getting their due. I don’t think that women have utilized all that God has given us. There are still stumbling blocks, especially within the parties. The idea of having a women’s wing is not ideal.

I don’t like it because, it is saying to women: this is your boundary, stay here. Yet, we are the backbone of the party; because, when it comes to politicking, it is women that will come out. When it comes to voting, it is women that are willing to stand there on the line and commit themselves. And, as soon as the votes are done, the elections are won, we are kicked to the background.

But I have to speak up for the government that we have now, for the president and the first lady. Women have never had it this good. Look at the portfolios that we have been given; look at the number of women that are in government. We have never had it this good. We need to encourage them so that they can do more and I know they are willing to do more.

Looking at the music industry now and when you started, how would you describe it?

It is very easy to say ‘Oh, we had it all but we didn’t.

We had our own issues but one thing that we quickly did, artistes of my generation, was that we realized that we are never going to wow the world with their own music. They have enough of theirs. They are looking for something new and they are looking at us to come up with something new. And African music has risen, and it

is on the rise. I want to encourage younger artistes not to forget who they are and what they are bringing to the table.

African music is vast; it is intense, it is beautiful, danceable. It talks about issues. This is what we need to tap into and this is what we are giving the world. It is not rehearsing what they have done and brewing it out for them to enjoy. They are not going to. You need to realize that they want what you have got. So, don’t be ashamed of what you have got; it is the best, show it to the world.

How would you describe your style?

First, I like to be comfortable. I like to show off my Africaness. We love colours and we are beautiful people. It shows in our colours and our dress; being proud of who I am, being proud to be a Nigerian, being proud to be an African, being proud to be a Black woman. I want to show my sisters around that we have got it altogether. Nigerian women are among the most beautiful women in the whole wide world. So anywhere I go, even when I wear western outfits, I make it in African fabrics.

Each time I travel outside the country, I never come back with my clothes. I lose my clothes. I never come back with my clothes. Sometimes, I try to hide them from my friends because, they will not allow me to bring them back.

You have worn your natural hair short for a long time now. Why did you decide to go on low-cut and how do you maintain it?

It is not difficult to maintain. I really admire ladies in weave-on for the hard work they put in. I don’t have the time. I just keep it simple. I just want to get into the shower and wash my hair. I just want the water to flow all over me. So, I keep it simple. When I started having children, I didn’t have time. I was either changing napkins or washing so, I cut the hair. Before then, I was doing dreads. And, it has been like this since then.

How do you take time off to relax?

Sometimes, it is difficult. I have to remind myself.

Luckily, I am a home person. I cook, I go to the market and cooking is something I enjoy. The art of going to the market is something that I enjoy and I am a gardener. I have a beautiful garden. Anywhere I live, I will have one. I grow exotic trees and plants so, when I wake up in the morning, while I am sipping a cup of tea, I prune the flowers and I spend about one or two hours doing that. (Then) I quickly go and have my bath and my day is made. The time I spend with my plants are really inspiring because, plants are beautiful. They respond to love, they talk to me, and I start my day there. I admire what God has created. I pray when I am doing this. This is my time. I also watch TV for content; to learn and for information.

How do you end your day?

Prayer and some quiet time. I work in Ikeja so, it is a long drive home. I try to use it working on the phone, sending emails. When I get home, the first thing, of course, is to cook dinner, depending on what I have had during the day. I take something very light. I like vegetables. I like fruits. I can have smoked fish and vegetables. I do a little bit of work.

When I am watching TV, I am working, taking down notes. I am thinking of ideas. I am working. Then, I end with prayers. I put my head on the pillow and I am gone.

Lastly, what is your word to young people who look up to you?

To keep going no matter what you are facing.

You may look at Onyeka and think she doesn’t have problems. If I sit down and tell you my problems, you are going to scream but I have a God who has got my back so even before the problems come, I have already conquered. Once you have that, there is nothing that you cannot face. And, know that you have a purpose in life. It is not Onyeka’s purpose; she has found her own. You need to find yours. You need to focus on it, you need to commit to it, and then have faith in God.

Jude Abaga

(M.I)

Referred to as African Rapper No. 1, M.I. meaning Mr. Incredible, rose to prominence in 2006, when his song “Crowd Mentality” became popular in his home town, Jos. He released his widely acclaimed debut album, “Talk About It” in December 2008 and has won several awards including MTV Africa Music Awards in 2009 and City People Artiste of the Year 2012. He was nominated for BET 2010 Awards for the Best International Act Category. M.I. is UN Ambassador on Drugs and Crime.

• M. I

Why did you decide to take up the offer and be part of the judges for X-Factor West Africa?

First of all, X-Factor is the best talent-hunt show in West Africa and I am glad to be part of it. Secondly, you don’t say ‘No’ to Glo. (laughs) When Glo asks you to do something, you can’t say ‘No’. It is not that I can’t say ‘No’ or that I am afraid to say ‘No’, but because they always make an offer that you are happy about. You are happy to be part of the family. which is what X-Factor is all about. It is a great platform for me to be on. Lastly, I am glad to be here helping a new generation of talents, which is what X-Factor is all about.

What exactly are you looking for in a contestant?

That X-Factor; nobody knows it. That is why it is called X. You remember in Mathematics, they tell you to find ‘X’. You don’t know what X is until you find X. So, we are solving ‘Mathematics’ here; we are looking for X. When we find it, we will know what it is. For some people, it is their stage presence, their voice, carriage, the way they carry themselves, the way they present themselves. Whatever it is, we are look for the X-Factor. The competition is generally into music, singing and rapping. So far in the auditioning, we have a large number who have made it through. They have done a good job.

What are the measures that have been put in place to ensure that the process will not be rigged?

At the end of the day, the fans choose. If they choose a contestant because the person can smile or because the person can sing, so be it. Our powers as judges cease somewhere. After that, it is up to the fans.

Until then, we will do our best to make sure we select only the best contestants to stand so that when it gets to that stage everybody has a fair chance to stand. The truth about it is that when you get to the finals and you have a big family and you come from a state where they love TV and they love music, you will have a good chance.

What have you been up to lately?

I have a new song called “Chairman”. We have been working on it for some time now; it will be released in June, after the X-Factor (contest). And, I still have many more things to come.

What were your early musical influences?

I grew up in the church. My dad is pastor. My mum

can sing and that background helped me to love music.

While I was growing up, I listened to lots of gospel songs from Panam Percy Paul, amongst others. All these people inspired me to be what I could be. Funny enough, you were there – at one of my first shows. That was my first performance in Lagos. It was quite a big step for me.

So from a gospel music background, you moved to secular music?

To me, it is all the same. How you live your life is different from what you do at your leisure. So, I am a musician. Sometimes, I will sing about God. At other times, I will sing about even my girl friend. If you listen to my music, you will notice that there is a wall. I don’t sing about everything. I sing about things that affect my life so, even if I sing a love song, it is from a positive point of view. I am a musician and a musician is different from a worship leader. A worship leader can go on to make commercial music; that is what we call gospel music.

Do you write your songs?

Yes, I write my songs but I get a lot of help. For instance, Ice Prince wrote “Africa Rapper Number One”. He came up with that chorus. Then, Flavour came and added his part. I always like to work with people. It helps to bring the best in you.

How has it been over the years?

I will say God is good but at the same time, when I say God is good, I know I have to work hard. It is a lot of dedication and hard work. Each time I reflect back, I realize that when that pistol went off, there were many people that I left behind. It is not because I am too good. It is just luck; God’s favour and so I am very grateful for all my blessings.

What message do you have for young people out there?

In this country today, the same way that people are working hard and moving forward, it is the same way that people are working hard and moving backward, doing a lot of bad things. My word to every young person is to please work hard and focus on the positive in the end. It will pay off. I have not reached the end of my life but I can tell you that it pays to work hard. It might not come as quickly as you want it to be. So, you have to be patient, work hard and definitely it will come.

May 26, 2013 /

9

REPORTAGE

Onyeka Onwenu

Generally regarded as Queen of African pop music, Onwenu is a highly experienced Nigerian singer, actress and politician. She made a mark in the music world with several hit tracks including “One Love” and “Iyogogo” amongst others. In 2006, she won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a supporting role. She is currently the Chairperson of Imo State Council for Arts and Culture.

What is your view on the Glo X-Factor?

It is a reality show; it is the best thing to happen in this part of the world.

We hope to find someone, in West Africa, who has that special something to win N24 million and a recording contract. It is huge. This is the kind of opportunity that comes once in a life time and in some life times never at all. Our young artistes are very fortunate to have this show. We didn’t have it in our own time; you sponsor yourself, get into the studio, struggle, and struggle to be heard. But here is a wonderful platform; even if you don’t win, it is still a wonderful platform to be discovered and heard around the world.

As a legend in the industry, what are you bringing into the show?

Expertise, experience and a proven record. I have been there for thirty-two years; stayed at the top, so obviously, I must know what to search for in an artiste. (To help) bring out that extra something. I can spot it a mile away; it is not just having a beautiful voice. It is having that intangible thing. I call it “yon sequa”, a French word that means I don’t know what, but when I see it I know it.

What was it like when you were called to be part of the judges?

Well, it wasn’t the first offer that I have ever received to be a judge but this was the one that I accepted so, obviously there is something good.

Why? Because it is the best and the biggest and, because I think I have a lot to bring to the table. These two young men (MI and Reggie) who are working me, I have great respect for them but I am going to teach them a lesson or two about show business. They think they know it all but they will see that Mama is going to teach them (laughs). But we will have fun

• Onyeka Onwenu

together.

With the X-Factor auditions held so far, how would you describe the talents you have seen?

Tremendous talents; diamonds in the raw that need to be polished, that would take on the world. The potentials are just immense. You have to have keen eyes also not to pick only the obvious. We have spotted, like I said, diamond in the raw. With a little bit of polish, which is the essence of this competition, that someone who would not have had the chance to have made it; that we can spot them in a competition like this... That means to have a sixth sense, the inner eyes to see, and ears to hear what is not obvious to others.

Before now, what has been keeping you busy?

My problem has always been cutting out a few things because, I am one of those people who have been so blessed with so many talents and I give God all the glory. I just did a film last year which is coming out this year, titled ‘Half of the Yellow Sun’. It took tremendous effort. It was a tremendous film; it was a lot of fun to be part of it. I played the character of a terrible woman and I relished it. It is (also) good to play a terrible character, throw yourself into it and do all the things you won’t be able to do normally. It was a wonderful character which had a redeeming factor in the end. She was just a wonderful woman.

Again, I have just done the centenary song. I am going to give you a copy so that you can listen to it. It is a tremendous thing that we have been together for one hundred years. I didn’t write the song to praise Nigeria but it is a very realistic song; one that can touch you in places you didn’t even know. And, that is to say that we are really blessed and that after all that has happened, we are still together and we are standing. It resonated with Nigerians. I am just so grateful about the reception that it is making; it is not just in Nigeria but all over the world because, the comments on the internet are wow!

It made a lot of people cry; a lot of people want to come home and recommit to Nigeria as a nation.

I have a few other things that are coming up that I am not opportuned to talk about at this point in time. I always don’t like to talk too much; I just let my work speak for itself. And, of course, the X-Factor – contributing towards picking a new style is not a small thing. You have to take it seriously; with a sense of responsibility and you must do it with integrity.

Are you still into politics?

I am fully into politics.

So, sometime in future, we will see you contesting for an elective position?

You don’t always have to contest. There are so many ways of contributing. Within my party, I am doing that; supporting other people, supporting other women.

I don’t think that women are getting their due. I don’t think that women have utilized all that God has given us. There are still stumbling blocks, especially within the parties. The idea of having a women’s wing is not ideal.

I don’t like it because, it is saying to women: this is your boundary, stay here. Yet, we are the backbone of the party; because, when it comes to politicking, it is women that will come out. When it comes to voting, it is women that are willing to stand there on the line and commit themselves. And, as soon as the votes are done, the elections are won, we are kicked to the background.

But I have to speak up for the government that we have now, for the president and the first lady. Women have never had it this good. Look at the portfolios that we have been given; look at the number of women that are in government. We have never had it this good. We need to encourage them so that they can do more and I know they are willing to do more.

Looking at the music industry now and when you started, how would you describe it?

It is very easy to say ‘Oh, we had it all but we didn’t.

We had our own issues but one thing that we quickly did, artistes of my generation, was that we realized that we are never going to wow the world with their own music. They have enough of theirs. They are looking for something new and they are looking at us to come up with something new. And African music has risen, and it

is on the rise. I want to encourage younger artistes not to forget who they are and what they are bringing to the table.

African music is vast; it is intense, it is beautiful, danceable. It talks about issues. This is what we need to tap into and this is what we are giving the world. It is not rehearsing what they have done and brewing it out for them to enjoy. They are not going to. You need to realize that they want what you have got. So, don’t be ashamed of what you have got; it is the best, show it to the world.

How would you describe your style?

First, I like to be comfortable. I like to show off my Africaness. We love colours and we are beautiful people. It shows in our colours and our dress; being proud of who I am, being proud to be a Nigerian, being proud to be an African, being proud to be a Black woman. I want to show my sisters around that we have got it altogether. Nigerian women are among the most beautiful women in the whole wide world. So anywhere I go, even when I wear western outfits, I make it in African fabrics.

Each time I travel outside the country, I never come back with my clothes. I lose my clothes. I never come back with my clothes. Sometimes, I try to hide them from my friends because, they will not allow me to bring them back.

You have worn your natural hair short for a long time now. Why did you decide to go on low-cut and how do you maintain it?

It is not difficult to maintain. I really admire ladies in weave-on for the hard work they put in. I don’t have the time. I just keep it simple. I just want to get into the shower and wash my hair. I just want the water to flow all over me. So, I keep it simple. When I started having children, I didn’t have time. I was either changing napkins or washing so, I cut the hair. Before then, I was doing dreads. And, it has been like this since then.

How do you take time off to relax?

Sometimes, it is difficult. I have to remind myself.

Luckily, I am a home person. I cook, I go to the market and cooking is something I enjoy. The art of going to the market is something that I enjoy and I am a gardener. I have a beautiful garden. Anywhere I live, I will have one. I grow exotic trees and plants so, when I wake up in the morning, while I am sipping a cup of tea, I prune the flowers and I spend about one or two hours doing that. (Then) I quickly go and have my bath and my day is made. The time I spend with my plants are really inspiring because, plants are beautiful. They respond to love, they talk to me, and I start my day there. I admire what God has created. I pray when I am doing this. This is my time. I also watch TV for content; to learn and for information.

How do you end your day?

Prayer and some quiet time. I work in Ikeja so, it is a long drive home. I try to use it working on the phone, sending emails. When I get home, the first thing, of course, is to cook dinner, depending on what I have had during the day. I take something very light. I like vegetables. I like fruits. I can have smoked fish and vegetables. I do a little bit of work.

When I am watching TV, I am working, taking down notes. I am thinking of ideas. I am working. Then, I end with prayers. I put my head on the pillow and I am gone.

Lastly, what is your word to young people who look up to you?

To keep going no matter what you are facing.

You may look at Onyeka and think she doesn’t have problems. If I sit down and tell you my problems, you are going to scream but I have a God who has got my back so even before the problems come, I have already conquered. Once you have that, there is nothing that you cannot face. And, know that you have a purpose in life. It is not Onyeka’s purpose; she has found her own. You need to find yours. You need to focus on it, you need to commit to it, and then have faith in God.

Jude Abaga

(M.I)

Referred to as African Rapper No. 1, M.I. meaning Mr. Incredible, rose to prominence in 2006, when his song “Crowd Mentality” became popular in his home town, Jos. He released his widely acclaimed debut album, “Talk About It” in December 2008 and has won several awards including MTV Africa Music Awards in 2009 and City People Artiste of the Year 2012. He was nominated for BET 2010 Awards for the Best International Act Category. M.I. is UN Ambassador on Drugs and Crime.

• M. I

Why did you decide to take up the offer and be part of the judges for X-Factor West Africa?

First of all, X-Factor is the best talent-hunt show in West Africa and I am glad to be part of it. Secondly, you don’t say ‘No’ to Glo. (laughs) When Glo asks you to do something, you can’t say ‘No’. It is not that I can’t say ‘No’ or that I am afraid to say ‘No’, but because they always make an offer that you are happy about. You are happy to be part of the family. which is what X-Factor is all about. It is a great platform for me to be on. Lastly, I am glad to be here helping a new generation of talents, which is what X-Factor is all about.

What exactly are you looking for in a contestant?

That X-Factor; nobody knows it. That is why it is called X. You remember in Mathematics, they tell you to find ‘X’. You don’t know what X is until you find X. So, we are solving ‘Mathematics’ here; we are looking for X. When we find it, we will know what it is. For some people, it is their stage presence, their voice, carriage, the way they carry themselves, the way they present themselves. Whatever it is, we are look for the X-Factor. The competition is generally into music, singing and rapping. So far in the auditioning, we have a large number who have made it through. They have done a good job.

What are the measures that have been put in place to ensure that the process will not be rigged?

At the end of the day, the fans choose. If they choose a contestant because the person can smile or because the person can sing, so be it. Our powers as judges cease somewhere. After that, it is up to the fans.

Until then, we will do our best to make sure we select only the best contestants to stand so that when it gets to that stage everybody has a fair chance to stand. The truth about it is that when you get to the finals and you have a big family and you come from a state where they love TV and they love music, you will have a good chance.

What have you been up to lately?

I have a new song called “Chairman”. We have been working on it for some time now; it will be released in June, after the X-Factor (contest). And, I still have many more things to come.

What were your early musical influences?

I grew up in the church. My dad is pastor. My mum

can sing and that background helped me to love music.

While I was growing up, I listened to lots of gospel songs from Panam Percy Paul, amongst others. All these people inspired me to be what I could be. Funny enough, you were there – at one of my first shows. That was my first performance in Lagos. It was quite a big step for me.

So from a gospel music background, you moved to secular music?

To me, it is all the same. How you live your life is different from what you do at your leisure. So, I am a musician. Sometimes, I will sing about God. At other times, I will sing about even my girl friend. If you listen to my music, you will notice that there is a wall. I don’t sing about everything. I sing about things that affect my life so, even if I sing a love song, it is from a positive point of view. I am a musician and a musician is different from a worship leader. A worship leader can go on to make commercial music; that is what we call gospel music.

Do you write your songs?

Yes, I write my songs but I get a lot of help. For instance, Ice Prince wrote “Africa Rapper Number One”. He came up with that chorus. Then, Flavour came and added his part. I always like to work with people. It helps to bring the best in you.

How has it been over the years?

I will say God is good but at the same time, when I say God is good, I know I have to work hard. It is a lot of dedication and hard work. Each time I reflect back, I realize that when that pistol went off, there were many people that I left behind. It is not because I am too good. It is just luck; God’s favour and so I am very grateful for all my blessings.

What message do you have for young people out there?

In this country today, the same way that people are working hard and moving forward, it is the same way that people are working hard and moving backward, doing a lot of bad things. My word to every young person is to please work hard and focus on the positive in the end. It will pay off. I have not reached the end of my life but I can tell you that it pays to work hard. It might not come as quickly as you want it to be. So, you have to be patient, work hard and definitely it will come.

May 26, 2013 /

9

REPORTAGE

HEALTHY LIVING101 by - Teri Mendes

Reggie Rockstone

TERI’S BASIC DETOX PLAN Hello my dear readers, today we continue with detoxification but with a twist! Rather than following an extreme detox plan that limits just about every food except fruit and veggies while at the same time getting you to down a nasty ‘detox’ drink every day, I have put together a plan that is safer and more sensible and shouldn’t leave you short on nutrients if you follow it religiously.

Reggie Rockstone, born Reginald Ossei, is an esteemed Ghanaian music star who started the movement from Ghana called the “Hip Life” and the “Azonto” dance style. He is internationally acclaimed, with several performances throughout West Africa, the UK, France, the USA and Switzerland

How long have you been into music?

I originally started in England. I was born in England, raised by an Africa-American mother and a Ghanaian father so, I am biologically Ghanaian. I had a lot of influences musically while growing up; from James Brown, the Jackson Five, to Fela. Actually, my claim to fame by hip-life actually came through one of Fela’s songs, Shakara, which I remixed. So, Nigeria definitely has a stake in Hip-life.

How many albums do you have?

I have only twelve albums to my name but I have created a whole lot of tracks.

Do you write your songs?

Yes, I do.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Just talking to you right now could give me a song.

How did you feel when you were called to be part of the X-Factor judges?

I was really impressed. I am also a Glo ambassador; nevertheless, my track record is heavy. While they are enjoying azonto, the one that started as hip-life got my mum really impressed.

What do you think about the show?

When I was growing up, I never had that chance: show your talent and we’ll give you money. It is the best thing ever. When they told me I would be a judge with the likes of Onyeka and M.I., I was like wow! Because, I have been waiting to meet this brother for like ever.

Why did you accept to be part of the judges?

The fact that I would be twice as famous and actually help somebody’s career works for me; because that is really who I am in real life. That is it.

So far, what is your impression of the contestants?

I know this is going to blow your mind. I haven’t seen any Ghanaian artiste just yet. The Nigerians blew me away but I am not surprised. It is the land of Fela, Sunny Okosun, Sade. Although, I am hoping that my people would beat your people but there is an old saying, like M.I. said, Nigerians no dey carry last.

What asset(s) are you bringing to the reality show?

My exact and entire point of view. I know music pretty well. I think at fifty, if you are hot, you are hot; if you are not, you are not. I am one of those who would be determining those that are talented as a judge.

When you watch a contestant perform, what is it you are looking for?

Personally just talent but there is more to talent than just singing. It is called show business. You are going to sell records. Which is why you might have talents but you can’t sell. My job as a judge is to ensure that beyond your talent, you can actually earn a living. I look at commercial value, how far I think you would go.

Some of them come up there, they are good but I know

10

/ May 26, 2013

H EALT H

that they won’t go that far but they are good singers. My job is to balance it up.

Foods to include in the plan • Fruit – your plan can include any fruit including fresh, frozen, dried or canned in natural fruit juice.

This includes apples, bananas, pears, oranges, grapefruit, satsumas, sultanas, raisins, pineapple, mango, kiwi fruit, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, nectarines, peaches, melons, star fruit etc

You actually look good at 50.

What do you do?

It is hereditary in my family.

My daughter looks the same way from when she was born.

My father looks younger than his age. My younger brother won the Big Brother Africa too.

• Fruit juice – either make homemade fruit juices or smoothies from fresh fruit, or drink ready-made juices. Make sure ready-made juices are labelled as being ‘pure’ or ‘unsweetened’. So packed juices DO NOT apply!

Do you exercise?

Yes. I am a competent break dancer. I do martial arts but that is not the secret to my looks. It is actually hereditary.

My father looks way younger than he actually is. The reality is that if you are happy, it will show on your face. I am always smiling so it shows on my face.

• Vegetables – eat any vegetables including fresh, frozen or canned in water (without salt added). This includes carrots, onions, turnip, sprouts, cabbage, peppers, mushrooms, sweet corn, peppers, leeks, courgettes, broccoli, cauliflower, salad, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions etc • Beans and lentils – eat any beans, including those that have been dried or canned in water. This includes red kidney, haricot, cannellini, butter, black eye, pinto, red lentils, green lentils and brown lentils

What is fashion like for you?

I grew up with clothes. My father made clothes. My mother was a top model. For today, they told me to wear something glamorous. I have got lots of hair and I wore a James Bond shirt, nice pants, no socks. Keep it African. So, I know fashion pretty well.

What is your advice to young, aspiring musicians?

Enjoy your craft. Remember that God loves music and if God chose you to make music, you are actually chosen. When you praise God, you sing.

When you try to put a baby to sleep, you sing. When you go to church, you sing. We even sing at funerals. So, if you make music, God chose you.

Also remember that the devil knows music because he was the head choir. So as soon as you are a musician, temptation would come heavily on you.

So, you have got to make the balance.

• Oats – sprinkle oats over fresh fruit or use to make porridge, sweetened with honey and fresh fruit • Sweet Potatoes • Brown rice and rice noodles • Fresh fish – eat any fresh fish including croaker, cod, plaice, mackerel, salmon, lobster, crab, trout, haddock, tuna, prawns, Dover sole, red mullet, halibut, lemon sole, monkfish, swordfish etc. Canned fish in water is suitable too eg salmon or tuna

• Reggie Rockstone

How would you compare the music scene in Ghana and in Nigeria?

Ghana is the cradle. You are Egypt. But then, you are way much bigger than us by population. Since we are all African and you are bigger than us, you have

more talents.

But Nigeria is fearless. Nigeria is the gateway. We are neighbours and have co-existed for years. I love Nigeria.

water) mixed with sweet corn and served with salad no dressing.

• Guacamole with crudités - Homemade guacamole made from avocado, lemon juice, fresh chilli, tomatoes and garlic served with raw vegetables like carrot sticks, celery and strips of red pepper • Avocado and prawn salad - Fresh avocado served with prawns, salad, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.

DETOX PLAN DINNERS • Chinese vegetable stir fry - Stir fry a selection of vegetables such as bok choi, spring onions, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and bean sprouts in a little olive oil with garlic and ginger. Serve with brown or ofada rice.

• Baked salmon with steamed vegetables - Bake a salmon fillet and serve with steamed vegetables.

• DETOX DIET

• Plain popcorn – without sugar or salt • Live natural yoghurt • Extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar • Garlic, ginger and fresh herbs • Ground black pepper • Honey • Water – at least 2 litres a day.

• Herbal or fruit teas with NO sugar or Honey Detox Plan Breakfasts • Banana porridge - Porridge made with water and topped with natural yoghurt, banana, raisins and sweetened with honey.

• Fruit salad with yoghurt and oats - Fresh fruit salad with natural yoghurt and a sprinkling of oats.

• Fresh fruit smoothie - Fruit smoothie made from fresh fruit, natural yoghurt and honey to sweeten if needed.

• Muesli and yoghurt - Homemade muesli made from oats, seeds, nuts and dried fruit served with natural yoghurt.

• Fresh fruit and yoghurt - Fresh fruit and a pot of natural yoghurt sweetened with honey.

• Unsalted nuts – eat any including Brazil, peanuts, monkey nuts, almonds, cashew, hazel nuts, macadamia, pecans, pine nuts, pistachio, walnuts etc

Detox Plan Lunches • Vegetable soup - Large bowl of vegetable or lentil soup (either homemade or supermarket ‘fresh’)

• Unsalted seeds – eat any including sunflower and pumpkin

• Tuna and sweet corn Sweet Potato and salad - Sweet potato topped with tuna (canned in

• Tuna and prawns with noodles - Gently fry a selection of vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, peppers, courgette and leek in a little olive oil. When lightly browned, add a handful of prawns. Cook for a few minutes, then add canned tomatoes, tomato puree, black pepper and tuna canned in water. Bring to the boil and simmer until the sauce thickens. Serve with rice noodles.

• Sweet and sour stir fry with rice - Gently fry a selection of chopped vegetables such as onions, peppers, baby sweet corn and mushrooms. Add canned pineapple (in fruit juice), canned tomatoes, tomato purée, white wine vinegar and honey. Bring to the boil and simmer until the sauce has thickened.

Serve with brown rice.

• Potato and bean casserole - Gently fry a selection of typical casserole vegetables such as onion, carrots and parsnip in a little olive oil with garlic.

When browned, add diced potato and fry for a few minutes. Add fresh vegetable stock, black pepper and your favorite beans. Bring to the boil and simmer until the casserole thickens.

Detox Plan SNACKS OR DESSERTS • Fresh fruit or fresh fruit salad • Natural yoghurt mixed with honey • Plain popcorn (no sugar or salt) • Handful of unsalted nuts or seeds Remember, for a detox diet to truly work, you need to maintain these three key organs by nourishing your body with the right nutrients.

For comments and questions please email terimendes@gmail. com, @terimendes. I would love to hear from you, till next week. - it’s ta ta for now! XOXO

TERI Speaks Hello Teri, You are doing a great work, keep it up.

Please, what is a chicken nugget? We just eat things without caring for the names.

Thank you. Venatius

Good day Venatius, Thanks for your mail.

A chicken nugget is a molded piece of chicken usually the breast chunks, breaded or battered, then fried or baked. It was invented in the 1950s by Robert C. Baker. Best wishes, Teri M.

May 26, 2013 /

11

REPORTAGE

HEALTHY LIVING101 by - Teri Mendes

Reggie Rockstone

TERI’S BASIC DETOX PLAN Hello my dear readers, today we continue with detoxification but with a twist! Rather than following an extreme detox plan that limits just about every food except fruit and veggies while at the same time getting you to down a nasty ‘detox’ drink every day, I have put together a plan that is safer and more sensible and shouldn’t leave you short on nutrients if you follow it religiously.

Reggie Rockstone, born Reginald Ossei, is an esteemed Ghanaian music star who started the movement from Ghana called the “Hip Life” and the “Azonto” dance style. He is internationally acclaimed, with several performances throughout West Africa, the UK, France, the USA and Switzerland

How long have you been into music?

I originally started in England. I was born in England, raised by an Africa-American mother and a Ghanaian father so, I am biologically Ghanaian. I had a lot of influences musically while growing up; from James Brown, the Jackson Five, to Fela. Actually, my claim to fame by hip-life actually came through one of Fela’s songs, Shakara, which I remixed. So, Nigeria definitely has a stake in Hip-life.

How many albums do you have?

I have only twelve albums to my name but I have created a whole lot of tracks.

Do you write your songs?

Yes, I do.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Just talking to you right now could give me a song.

How did you feel when you were called to be part of the X-Factor judges?

I was really impressed. I am also a Glo ambassador; nevertheless, my track record is heavy. While they are enjoying azonto, the one that started as hip-life got my mum really impressed.

What do you think about the show?

When I was growing up, I never had that chance: show your talent and we’ll give you money. It is the best thing ever. When they told me I would be a judge with the likes of Onyeka and M.I., I was like wow! Because, I have been waiting to meet this brother for like ever.

Why did you accept to be part of the judges?

The fact that I would be twice as famous and actually help somebody’s career works for me; because that is really who I am in real life. That is it.

So far, what is your impression of the contestants?

I know this is going to blow your mind. I haven’t seen any Ghanaian artiste just yet. The Nigerians blew me away but I am not surprised. It is the land of Fela, Sunny Okosun, Sade. Although, I am hoping that my people would beat your people but there is an old saying, like M.I. said, Nigerians no dey carry last.

What asset(s) are you bringing to the reality show?

My exact and entire point of view. I know music pretty well. I think at fifty, if you are hot, you are hot; if you are not, you are not. I am one of those who would be determining those that are talented as a judge.

When you watch a contestant perform, what is it you are looking for?

Personally just talent but there is more to talent than just singing. It is called show business. You are going to sell records. Which is why you might have talents but you can’t sell. My job as a judge is to ensure that beyond your talent, you can actually earn a living. I look at commercial value, how far I think you would go.

Some of them come up there, they are good but I know

10

/ May 26, 2013

H EALT H

that they won’t go that far but they are good singers. My job is to balance it up.

Foods to include in the plan • Fruit – your plan can include any fruit including fresh, frozen, dried or canned in natural fruit juice.

This includes apples, bananas, pears, oranges, grapefruit, satsumas, sultanas, raisins, pineapple, mango, kiwi fruit, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, nectarines, peaches, melons, star fruit etc

You actually look good at 50.

What do you do?

It is hereditary in my family.

My daughter looks the same way from when she was born.

My father looks younger than his age. My younger brother won the Big Brother Africa too.

• Fruit juice – either make homemade fruit juices or smoothies from fresh fruit, or drink ready-made juices. Make sure ready-made juices are labelled as being ‘pure’ or ‘unsweetened’. So packed juices DO NOT apply!

Do you exercise?

Yes. I am a competent break dancer. I do martial arts but that is not the secret to my looks. It is actually hereditary.

My father looks way younger than he actually is. The reality is that if you are happy, it will show on your face. I am always smiling so it shows on my face.

• Vegetables – eat any vegetables including fresh, frozen or canned in water (without salt added). This includes carrots, onions, turnip, sprouts, cabbage, peppers, mushrooms, sweet corn, peppers, leeks, courgettes, broccoli, cauliflower, salad, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions etc • Beans and lentils – eat any beans, including those that have been dried or canned in water. This includes red kidney, haricot, cannellini, butter, black eye, pinto, red lentils, green lentils and brown lentils

What is fashion like for you?

I grew up with clothes. My father made clothes. My mother was a top model. For today, they told me to wear something glamorous. I have got lots of hair and I wore a James Bond shirt, nice pants, no socks. Keep it African. So, I know fashion pretty well.

What is your advice to young, aspiring musicians?

Enjoy your craft. Remember that God loves music and if God chose you to make music, you are actually chosen. When you praise God, you sing.

When you try to put a baby to sleep, you sing. When you go to church, you sing. We even sing at funerals. So, if you make music, God chose you.

Also remember that the devil knows music because he was the head choir. So as soon as you are a musician, temptation would come heavily on you.

So, you have got to make the balance.

• Oats – sprinkle oats over fresh fruit or use to make porridge, sweetened with honey and fresh fruit • Sweet Potatoes • Brown rice and rice noodles • Fresh fish – eat any fresh fish including croaker, cod, plaice, mackerel, salmon, lobster, crab, trout, haddock, tuna, prawns, Dover sole, red mullet, halibut, lemon sole, monkfish, swordfish etc. Canned fish in water is suitable too eg salmon or tuna

• Reggie Rockstone

How would you compare the music scene in Ghana and in Nigeria?

Ghana is the cradle. You are Egypt. But then, you are way much bigger than us by population. Since we are all African and you are bigger than us, you have

more talents.

But Nigeria is fearless. Nigeria is the gateway. We are neighbours and have co-existed for years. I love Nigeria.

water) mixed with sweet corn and served with salad no dressing.

• Guacamole with crudités - Homemade guacamole made from avocado, lemon juice, fresh chilli, tomatoes and garlic served with raw vegetables like carrot sticks, celery and strips of red pepper • Avocado and prawn salad - Fresh avocado served with prawns, salad, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.

DETOX PLAN DINNERS • Chinese vegetable stir fry - Stir fry a selection of vegetables such as bok choi, spring onions, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and bean sprouts in a little olive oil with garlic and ginger. Serve with brown or ofada rice.

• Baked salmon with steamed vegetables - Bake a salmon fillet and serve with steamed vegetables.

• DETOX DIET

• Plain popcorn – without sugar or salt • Live natural yoghurt • Extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar • Garlic, ginger and fresh herbs • Ground black pepper • Honey • Water – at least 2 litres a day.

• Herbal or fruit teas with NO sugar or Honey Detox Plan Breakfasts • Banana porridge - Porridge made with water and topped with natural yoghurt, banana, raisins and sweetened with honey.

• Fruit salad with yoghurt and oats - Fresh fruit salad with natural yoghurt and a sprinkling of oats.

• Fresh fruit smoothie - Fruit smoothie made from fresh fruit, natural yoghurt and honey to sweeten if needed.

• Muesli and yoghurt - Homemade muesli made from oats, seeds, nuts and dried fruit served with natural yoghurt.

• Fresh fruit and yoghurt - Fresh fruit and a pot of natural yoghurt sweetened with honey.

• Unsalted nuts – eat any including Brazil, peanuts, monkey nuts, almonds, cashew, hazel nuts, macadamia, pecans, pine nuts, pistachio, walnuts etc

Detox Plan Lunches • Vegetable soup - Large bowl of vegetable or lentil soup (either homemade or supermarket ‘fresh’)

• Unsalted seeds – eat any including sunflower and pumpkin

• Tuna and sweet corn Sweet Potato and salad - Sweet potato topped with tuna (canned in

• Tuna and prawns with noodles - Gently fry a selection of vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, peppers, courgette and leek in a little olive oil. When lightly browned, add a handful of prawns. Cook for a few minutes, then add canned tomatoes, tomato puree, black pepper and tuna canned in water. Bring to the boil and simmer until the sauce thickens. Serve with rice noodles.

• Sweet and sour stir fry with rice - Gently fry a selection of chopped vegetables such as onions, peppers, baby sweet corn and mushrooms. Add canned pineapple (in fruit juice), canned tomatoes, tomato purée, white wine vinegar and honey. Bring to the boil and simmer until the sauce has thickened.

Serve with brown rice.

• Potato and bean casserole - Gently fry a selection of typical casserole vegetables such as onion, carrots and parsnip in a little olive oil with garlic.

When browned, add diced potato and fry for a few minutes. Add fresh vegetable stock, black pepper and your favorite beans. Bring to the boil and simmer until the casserole thickens.

Detox Plan SNACKS OR DESSERTS • Fresh fruit or fresh fruit salad • Natural yoghurt mixed with honey • Plain popcorn (no sugar or salt) • Handful of unsalted nuts or seeds Remember, for a detox diet to truly work, you need to maintain these three key organs by nourishing your body with the right nutrients.

For comments and questions please email terimendes@gmail. com, @terimendes. I would love to hear from you, till next week. - it’s ta ta for now! XOXO

TERI Speaks Hello Teri, You are doing a great work, keep it up.

Please, what is a chicken nugget? We just eat things without caring for the names.

Thank you. Venatius

Good day Venatius, Thanks for your mail.

A chicken nugget is a molded piece of chicken usually the breast chunks, breaded or battered, then fried or baked. It was invented in the 1950s by Robert C. Baker. Best wishes, Teri M.

May 26, 2013 /

11

F EA T U R E

FEA TURE

Get Captivated by - Jerome Onipede

MY HUSBAND TO BE HAS HIS SISTER AND HER CHILDREN LIVING WITH HIM Good morning sir, I am about to get married, but my fear is that my husband to be has his sister and her children living with him at the moment, and do not plan on moving out, but will be expecting me to join them after our wedding, I am worried about this, and need some advice.

May I congratulate you as you get married soon? And I will like to thank God that your Husband to be has an apartment you can move into, because a lot of men who really want to be married today have accommodation issues and have to keep postponing the idea of marriage for the time being.

The only challenge that you may be having

is that, your husband to be’s apartment may not be conducive for a newlywed because you may not have the kind of privacy that’s required for you to build a new life together.

One essential thing that is required to lay a good foundation for marriage is privacy for the couple. You see, a man leaves his father and mother to cleave to his own wife, and that cleaving takes place in a process that requires PRIVACY. At this point the newlywed wants to

ESCAPADES of

Style

THE AIRPORT LOUNGE

We piled into the shared lounge at Murtala Mohammed Airport tiredly, Morenike, Uzee and I. We were all on our way to Germany for a training program that would last a week. Our respective organisations had been coerced by us individually to ‘make that investment’ in us and had had separate approvals. Not too surprising, we all put in hard work for our businesses, so our Boards had happily signed off. The airport had been extra hectic that day, hence our tiredness. It had seemed as if everyone in Lagos had decided to travel out that night. The queues were long, the Customs officers accordingly grumpy and airline staff impossible. We had been glad to complete check in and still having

12

/ May 26, 2013

start a life together. They want to become one, and will not need to be in a crowd to do so.

Now you will be coming into an apartment that has your sister in-law and her children already, an apartment where they have gotten use to all the rooms, conveniences, kitchen, laundry, dinning, pantry, etc and you expect to come and take over as the madam of the house? No ma that will not work. Don’t forget that this is an apartment that has become like theirs for some time now, and had everyone there till this point, live successfully together without you. They already have their food time table, division of house chores, and the kind of television programs they watch amongst other things.

And as a matter of fact, a culture that has already being established in that home.

If you are coming in as a widow, and with your own children into your second marriage where you come together with the children of your new spouse who are products of a failed marriage or death of a parent, we always ask that there should be group counseling so that everyone tries to blend in, because they have no choice, but to live together, but in your case that seems not to be the case, and so, may face other peculiar challenges. ...TO BE CONTINUED

Counseling inquiries on Marriage, Relationships, Career and Matchmaking >> @jeromeistalking on Twitter. “Like” Jerome Yaovi Onipede on Facebook.

an hour to boarding, made the lounge our next port of call.

We all made ourselves comfortable, got drinks and started to jist. Uzee nudged me suddenly; ‘Goodness gracious, see Phillip’ (not real name, o) she said. ‘ With wife number four’, she added mirthfully. Phillip was Uzee’s ex, a hot shot lawyer with whom she had a lot of history. He’d been the one she almost married, thank God for her dad who put down his foot and said no, he seemed like a cad. I recall at the time, like ten years ago, that my friend had been despondent and heart broken. Fortunately that vegetative state had lasted only till her present husband, Anthony, came along. She had taken one long look at him and presto, her ‘mojo’ , her groove and all came rushing right back!

Anthony had repaired my friend’s battered heart and they’d promptly married five months after they met. At this time, she’s been happily married to Anthony for about eight years. We therefore did not take her referral to Phillip very seriously, only looked up vaguely from our tea and sandwiches to peruse the ‘subject matter’ idly. That was about the last point of our indifference, though.

Solidly with Phillip, we saw, was Anita, barracuda extraordinaire! Anita had gone to the same university as we had and had dated every one’s boyfriend on the side at some point in time or the other. Anita was known to use all means, any means, at the time, to get the bloke she’d set her sights on. Obviously, it seemed, she’d not changed!

Anyway, you know the full background now.... Anita and Phillip strutted and preened in the lounge and took ages to sit down, making sure everyone saw and registered their presence. Anita saw us and came over to say hi, chirping excitedly about their trip. ‘How’re you guys?’ She squeaked in her high pitched voice. I’d never had a fondness for Anita, so my response to her was at best, cool. Uzee and Morenike tried to make up for my coolness by being extra warm to her.’What airline are you guys flying?’ She said. ‘Lufthansa? We are flying Air France’, she announced. My husband and I are on our way to Paris, through London’, she said loudly. ‘ I am very finicky about flying first class! If that’s not available, I can manage business class...’ We all nodded pleasantly, thinking ‘What balderdash’ within ourselves. ...TO BE CONTINUED Feedback to escapadesofstyle gmail.com

...secret diary of a fashionista...

KATHY EMIKO

BodyPerfect not just slimming but fitness

...CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

FACTS AND FIGURES OF WEIGHT LOSS

DETERMINE YOUR OWN WEIGHT SITUATION With these dangers and disadvantages, it is wise to determine whether you are overweight and, if you are, by how much. The first and most obvious method of finding out is to take a long, hard, objective look at yourself naked in a full-length mirror. If your muscles are not clearly defined, if your ribs do not show when you raise your arms above your head, if your chest disappears into an unsightly paunch when you look at your profile, then you are over-weight. Don’t fool yourself. If you are over-weight, face up to the fact.

There is also the ‘pinch method’, a simplified version of the technique some doctors use to determine the degree of over-weight. Experts use specially calibrated skin-fold calipers, but you can manage adequately with a do-it yourself approach, using your thumb and index finger to assess the amount of fat on your abdomen and the back of the upper arm. This method, while being a fairly good indicator, is only a rough guide. Some people have more elastic skin than others (no ‘give’ at all would be

• GLUTTON

as serious as a couple of inches) and the absence of fat in one area does not mean the absence of fat elsewhere.

Finally, there is the more efficient way of height and weight correlation which is based on the statistics of mortality rates and used by insurance companies and slimming guides. These charts can be useful, but a distinction must be made between tables which show the average weight of a given number of people and those which show the ideal or perfect weight. With so many over-weight people in our society today, the average weight figure will be anything up to 25 pounds more than the ideal.

Fat is the great variable in the body. The other components, such as blood, bones and muscles, vary a little. Skeletal variations, for example, are small. The difference between a person with fine bones and a person of the same weight with heavy bones is only about ten pounds. The difference in the quantity of fat that can be carried by people of similar body frames is, however, remarkably large.

A recent study showed that men of five feet ten inches and weighing 225 pounds (distinctly overweight) had more than twice as much adipose tissue as did the control group of non-obese men of the same height. The fat-free masses of the two groups, however, were very similar. On the whole, therefore, the difference in weight between two people of the same height represents the difference in the weight of their fatty tissues.

Main causes Most over-weight people will concede that eating too much is the major cause of their problem. Some people, however, still cling, in part, to the old excuses.

Unfortunately, while some of these causes can be a factor in a few cases, the majority do not offer a genuine explanation.

One of the most common claims used by overweight people is that of glandular trouble, but very few over-weight people have anything wrong with their endocrine glands. It has been said that the only glands that work too hard in a fat person are the salivary glands.

Another claim is that of a poor metabolism. While it is probable that an over-weight person’s metabolism is working differently from that of a person of normal weight, the root cause is the same and so is the treatment – taking in less calories than are expended.

Two other assertions are common, often made in conjunction with each other. Over-weight people are too often ready to say that they themselves have always been over-weight. ...TO BE CONTINUED

olish Professional THE

by - Chioma Okoye

USING THE POLISH EDGE - part 3 There is peace that comes with being well mannered and treating people well, hence the reasons we all need polish which (to mention a few) are: • It leads to business success. It creates a distraction-free environment that engenders successful business operations. You become successful by building on your strengths and not just by correcting your weaknesses.

The problem is that most people are not able to achieve this because they are held up by their lack of social skills. For instance, if in your work place, you are the type that does not while away or waste

people’s time with gossip or one that thinks or weighs your words before you speak in addition to being courteous while at it (which, most times, produces wise statements that lead to solutions), then, you are most likely a candidate for promotion.

• If you don’t know the proper way to dine, your boss may overlook your other strength and deny you the opportunity to take an important client on a business development date. This statement is simply portraying the importance of being polished as long as brand/image is concerned, No company wants to be seen as laid-back or not advanced in any way, otherwise clients (especially, modern-

day ones), would look the other way.

• You must remember that people do business with you because they like you and trust you; hence, being polished creates consistent behaviour that builds the trust you need for

success. Integrity, humility, friendliness, reliability etc. are values that are necessary for customer loyalty. As a professional, this is expected to be in place.

Chioma E. Okoye is a Corporate Etiquette expert; she is the Principal of the Diamond School of International protocol & Etiquette. She studied International Protocol & Etiquette at the Institut Villa Pierrefeu Switzerland and is Professional Etiquette Certified (PEC) by Charleston School of Protocol and Etiquette Incorporated, United States of America. She worked as a Managing Partner at Lean Sigma Concept for several years (a Management/ Consulting Firm), and was a Managing Partner at Lyndon Cooper (an event consulting firm) before founding Diamond School of International Protocol & Etiquette. She is also a founding team member of John Maxwell group and a certified leadership Coach.

May 26, 2013 /

13

F EA T U R E

FEA TURE

Get Captivated by - Jerome Onipede

MY HUSBAND TO BE HAS HIS SISTER AND HER CHILDREN LIVING WITH HIM Good morning sir, I am about to get married, but my fear is that my husband to be has his sister and her children living with him at the moment, and do not plan on moving out, but will be expecting me to join them after our wedding, I am worried about this, and need some advice.

May I congratulate you as you get married soon? And I will like to thank God that your Husband to be has an apartment you can move into, because a lot of men who really want to be married today have accommodation issues and have to keep postponing the idea of marriage for the time being.

The only challenge that you may be having

is that, your husband to be’s apartment may not be conducive for a newlywed because you may not have the kind of privacy that’s required for you to build a new life together.

One essential thing that is required to lay a good foundation for marriage is privacy for the couple. You see, a man leaves his father and mother to cleave to his own wife, and that cleaving takes place in a process that requires PRIVACY. At this point the newlywed wants to

ESCAPADES of

Style

THE AIRPORT LOUNGE

We piled into the shared lounge at Murtala Mohammed Airport tiredly, Morenike, Uzee and I. We were all on our way to Germany for a training program that would last a week. Our respective organisations had been coerced by us individually to ‘make that investment’ in us and had had separate approvals. Not too surprising, we all put in hard work for our businesses, so our Boards had happily signed off. The airport had been extra hectic that day, hence our tiredness. It had seemed as if everyone in Lagos had decided to travel out that night. The queues were long, the Customs officers accordingly grumpy and airline staff impossible. We had been glad to complete check in and still having

12

/ May 26, 2013

start a life together. They want to become one, and will not need to be in a crowd to do so.

Now you will be coming into an apartment that has your sister in-law and her children already, an apartment where they have gotten use to all the rooms, conveniences, kitchen, laundry, dinning, pantry, etc and you expect to come and take over as the madam of the house? No ma that will not work. Don’t forget that this is an apartment that has become like theirs for some time now, and had everyone there till this point, live successfully together without you. They already have their food time table, division of house chores, and the kind of television programs they watch amongst other things.

And as a matter of fact, a culture that has already being established in that home.

If you are coming in as a widow, and with your own children into your second marriage where you come together with the children of your new spouse who are products of a failed marriage or death of a parent, we always ask that there should be group counseling so that everyone tries to blend in, because they have no choice, but to live together, but in your case that seems not to be the case, and so, may face other peculiar challenges. ...TO BE CONTINUED

Counseling inquiries on Marriage, Relationships, Career and Matchmaking >> @jeromeistalking on Twitter. “Like” Jerome Yaovi Onipede on Facebook.

an hour to boarding, made the lounge our next port of call.

We all made ourselves comfortable, got drinks and started to jist. Uzee nudged me suddenly; ‘Goodness gracious, see Phillip’ (not real name, o) she said. ‘ With wife number four’, she added mirthfully. Phillip was Uzee’s ex, a hot shot lawyer with whom she had a lot of history. He’d been the one she almost married, thank God for her dad who put down his foot and said no, he seemed like a cad. I recall at the time, like ten years ago, that my friend had been despondent and heart broken. Fortunately that vegetative state had lasted only till her present husband, Anthony, came along. She had taken one long look at him and presto, her ‘mojo’ , her groove and all came rushing right back!

Anthony had repaired my friend’s battered heart and they’d promptly married five months after they met. At this time, she’s been happily married to Anthony for about eight years. We therefore did not take her referral to Phillip very seriously, only looked up vaguely from our tea and sandwiches to peruse the ‘subject matter’ idly. That was about the last point of our indifference, though.

Solidly with Phillip, we saw, was Anita, barracuda extraordinaire! Anita had gone to the same university as we had and had dated every one’s boyfriend on the side at some point in time or the other. Anita was known to use all means, any means, at the time, to get the bloke she’d set her sights on. Obviously, it seemed, she’d not changed!

Anyway, you know the full background now.... Anita and Phillip strutted and preened in the lounge and took ages to sit down, making sure everyone saw and registered their presence. Anita saw us and came over to say hi, chirping excitedly about their trip. ‘How’re you guys?’ She squeaked in her high pitched voice. I’d never had a fondness for Anita, so my response to her was at best, cool. Uzee and Morenike tried to make up for my coolness by being extra warm to her.’What airline are you guys flying?’ She said. ‘Lufthansa? We are flying Air France’, she announced. My husband and I are on our way to Paris, through London’, she said loudly. ‘ I am very finicky about flying first class! If that’s not available, I can manage business class...’ We all nodded pleasantly, thinking ‘What balderdash’ within ourselves. ...TO BE CONTINUED Feedback to escapadesofstyle gmail.com

...secret diary of a fashionista...

KATHY EMIKO

BodyPerfect not just slimming but fitness

...CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

FACTS AND FIGURES OF WEIGHT LOSS

DETERMINE YOUR OWN WEIGHT SITUATION With these dangers and disadvantages, it is wise to determine whether you are overweight and, if you are, by how much. The first and most obvious method of finding out is to take a long, hard, objective look at yourself naked in a full-length mirror. If your muscles are not clearly defined, if your ribs do not show when you raise your arms above your head, if your chest disappears into an unsightly paunch when you look at your profile, then you are over-weight. Don’t fool yourself. If you are over-weight, face up to the fact.

There is also the ‘pinch method’, a simplified version of the technique some doctors use to determine the degree of over-weight. Experts use specially calibrated skin-fold calipers, but you can manage adequately with a do-it yourself approach, using your thumb and index finger to assess the amount of fat on your abdomen and the back of the upper arm. This method, while being a fairly good indicator, is only a rough guide. Some people have more elastic skin than others (no ‘give’ at all would be

• GLUTTON

as serious as a couple of inches) and the absence of fat in one area does not mean the absence of fat elsewhere.

Finally, there is the more efficient way of height and weight correlation which is based on the statistics of mortality rates and used by insurance companies and slimming guides. These charts can be useful, but a distinction must be made between tables which show the average weight of a given number of people and those which show the ideal or perfect weight. With so many over-weight people in our society today, the average weight figure will be anything up to 25 pounds more than the ideal.

Fat is the great variable in the body. The other components, such as blood, bones and muscles, vary a little. Skeletal variations, for example, are small. The difference between a person with fine bones and a person of the same weight with heavy bones is only about ten pounds. The difference in the quantity of fat that can be carried by people of similar body frames is, however, remarkably large.

A recent study showed that men of five feet ten inches and weighing 225 pounds (distinctly overweight) had more than twice as much adipose tissue as did the control group of non-obese men of the same height. The fat-free masses of the two groups, however, were very similar. On the whole, therefore, the difference in weight between two people of the same height represents the difference in the weight of their fatty tissues.

Main causes Most over-weight people will concede that eating too much is the major cause of their problem. Some people, however, still cling, in part, to the old excuses.

Unfortunately, while some of these causes can be a factor in a few cases, the majority do not offer a genuine explanation.

One of the most common claims used by overweight people is that of glandular trouble, but very few over-weight people have anything wrong with their endocrine glands. It has been said that the only glands that work too hard in a fat person are the salivary glands.

Another claim is that of a poor metabolism. While it is probable that an over-weight person’s metabolism is working differently from that of a person of normal weight, the root cause is the same and so is the treatment – taking in less calories than are expended.

Two other assertions are common, often made in conjunction with each other. Over-weight people are too often ready to say that they themselves have always been over-weight. ...TO BE CONTINUED

olish Professional THE

by - Chioma Okoye

USING THE POLISH EDGE - part 3 There is peace that comes with being well mannered and treating people well, hence the reasons we all need polish which (to mention a few) are: • It leads to business success. It creates a distraction-free environment that engenders successful business operations. You become successful by building on your strengths and not just by correcting your weaknesses.

The problem is that most people are not able to achieve this because they are held up by their lack of social skills. For instance, if in your work place, you are the type that does not while away or waste

people’s time with gossip or one that thinks or weighs your words before you speak in addition to being courteous while at it (which, most times, produces wise statements that lead to solutions), then, you are most likely a candidate for promotion.

• If you don’t know the proper way to dine, your boss may overlook your other strength and deny you the opportunity to take an important client on a business development date. This statement is simply portraying the importance of being polished as long as brand/image is concerned, No company wants to be seen as laid-back or not advanced in any way, otherwise clients (especially, modern-

day ones), would look the other way.

• You must remember that people do business with you because they like you and trust you; hence, being polished creates consistent behaviour that builds the trust you need for

success. Integrity, humility, friendliness, reliability etc. are values that are necessary for customer loyalty. As a professional, this is expected to be in place.

Chioma E. Okoye is a Corporate Etiquette expert; she is the Principal of the Diamond School of International protocol & Etiquette. She studied International Protocol & Etiquette at the Institut Villa Pierrefeu Switzerland and is Professional Etiquette Certified (PEC) by Charleston School of Protocol and Etiquette Incorporated, United States of America. She worked as a Managing Partner at Lean Sigma Concept for several years (a Management/ Consulting Firm), and was a Managing Partner at Lyndon Cooper (an event consulting firm) before founding Diamond School of International Protocol & Etiquette. She is also a founding team member of John Maxwell group and a certified leadership Coach.

May 26, 2013 /

13

PEO PLE

PEOPL E

“ONE PARTY AT A TIME!”

“ONE PARTY AT A TIME!”

Butterscotch Evening Of Entertainment

Absolut launches Collectors Item

By - Oscar Ochiogu

By - Oscar Ochiogu

On Friday 17th May 2013, the maiden edition of Butterscotch Evenings, an evening of music, comedy and amazing food organised by Michelangelo Productions took place at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Hosted by Nigerian TV personality Yvonne “Vixen” Ekwere and American comedian Bill Bellamy, the event saw the special guests including singer Johnny Gill, top chef Aldo Zilli and burlesque dancer Immodesty Blaize as well as Nollywood star Rita Dominic, music star Praiz, and media personality Toke Makinwa and many other personalities graced the occasion.

Premium Vodka, Absolut recently launched its unique collectors item; “Absolut Unique”. The launch which took place at Reeds restaurant, Ikoyi, saw the likes of Yvonne “Vixen” Ekwere, Katung Aduwak, Ono Bello and more in attendance.

The evening had a turquoise carpet downstairs where guests were greeted by colourfully dressed Absolut Unique hostesses, who handed out beaded bracelets and guided guests up the stairs to the launch venue.

Dinner was accompanied by various Absolut Vodka shots and cocktails. There was a blend of classical music laced with African drummings.

Fun filled, energetic and colourful, the Absolut Unique launch was exciting and classy, with the Lagos entertainment and business elite in attendance.

Bill Bellamy

Caroline Danjuma

Amen Bazunu and Enitan Rewane

monalisa chinda

Maria Martinez Darius Opieroweic

Sade Fagbole and Tosin Adefeko

Yvonne Ekwere

Florence

Salt-N- Pepa Rocks The Divas Concert By - Oscar Ochiogu The legendary American Hip-Hop group, Salt-N-Pepa made up of Cheryl James and Sandy Denton where in Lagos for the ‘Divas Rock Concert’ which they headlined on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at the 10 degrees Event Centre, Lagos.

Other artists that took the stage with the first ever female rap crew are Sasha P, Weird MC, Eva and Ms. Jaie.

salt ‘n’ pepa ono bello

Seyi Shay

Tokunbo Lawal and Hasfat abiolaCostello

Ebele Omorodion and Adafe Ezenwala

Alto Zilli

lami phillips

ruby

praiz

Samsung launches Galaxy S4

Solape Fagbayi

Katang Aduwak

Teniade Ayoola

eva

sasha

queen

weird mc

ms jaie

By - Jemi Ekunkunbor jumoke okikiolu

Samsung, leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, recently, introduced a new product into the Nigerian market. The launch of Galaxy S4 smartphone, took place recently at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos.

The event which also included a fashion show for young designers, attracted scores of celebrities from the music and movie industry who gathered to witness the event. The new phone according to Samsung, is designed to “ support a richer life, full of fun”. Samsung believes this new device is the future of technology as it has more features that earn it the status of a true life Companion.

Captured here are some of the faces that graced the event.

14

/ May 26 , 2013

Emmanouil Revmatas & brovo kim

Banky W

a guest

dakore egbuson

kate henshaw

eunice efole

Etos and Toyin

Uyai Ikpe-Etim

Raven Taylor

Nina Agwuna

Biola Aloba & Bisi Komolafe

Adeusi Tolulope

Tobi Philips

sly

May 26, 2013 /

15

PEO PLE

PEOPL E

“ONE PARTY AT A TIME!”

“ONE PARTY AT A TIME!”

Butterscotch Evening Of Entertainment

Absolut launches Collectors Item

By - Oscar Ochiogu

By - Oscar Ochiogu

On Friday 17th May 2013, the maiden edition of Butterscotch Evenings, an evening of music, comedy and amazing food organised by Michelangelo Productions took place at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Hosted by Nigerian TV personality Yvonne “Vixen” Ekwere and American comedian Bill Bellamy, the event saw the special guests including singer Johnny Gill, top chef Aldo Zilli and burlesque dancer Immodesty Blaize as well as Nollywood star Rita Dominic, music star Praiz, and media personality Toke Makinwa and many other personalities graced the occasion.

Premium Vodka, Absolut recently launched its unique collectors item; “Absolut Unique”. The launch which took place at Reeds restaurant, Ikoyi, saw the likes of Yvonne “Vixen” Ekwere, Katung Aduwak, Ono Bello and more in attendance.

The evening had a turquoise carpet downstairs where guests were greeted by colourfully dressed Absolut Unique hostesses, who handed out beaded bracelets and guided guests up the stairs to the launch venue.

Dinner was accompanied by various Absolut Vodka shots and cocktails. There was a blend of classical music laced with African drummings.

Fun filled, energetic and colourful, the Absolut Unique launch was exciting and classy, with the Lagos entertainment and business elite in attendance.

Bill Bellamy

Caroline Danjuma

Amen Bazunu and Enitan Rewane

monalisa chinda

Maria Martinez Darius Opieroweic

Sade Fagbole and Tosin Adefeko

Yvonne Ekwere

Florence

Salt-N- Pepa Rocks The Divas Concert By - Oscar Ochiogu The legendary American Hip-Hop group, Salt-N-Pepa made up of Cheryl James and Sandy Denton where in Lagos for the ‘Divas Rock Concert’ which they headlined on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at the 10 degrees Event Centre, Lagos.

Other artists that took the stage with the first ever female rap crew are Sasha P, Weird MC, Eva and Ms. Jaie.

salt ‘n’ pepa ono bello

Seyi Shay

Tokunbo Lawal and Hasfat abiolaCostello

Ebele Omorodion and Adafe Ezenwala

Alto Zilli

lami phillips

ruby

praiz

Samsung launches Galaxy S4

Solape Fagbayi

Katang Aduwak

Teniade Ayoola

eva

sasha

queen

weird mc

ms jaie

By - Jemi Ekunkunbor jumoke okikiolu

Samsung, leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, recently, introduced a new product into the Nigerian market. The launch of Galaxy S4 smartphone, took place recently at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos.

The event which also included a fashion show for young designers, attracted scores of celebrities from the music and movie industry who gathered to witness the event. The new phone according to Samsung, is designed to “ support a richer life, full of fun”. Samsung believes this new device is the future of technology as it has more features that earn it the status of a true life Companion.

Captured here are some of the faces that graced the event.

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/ May 26 , 2013

Emmanouil Revmatas & brovo kim

Banky W

a guest

dakore egbuson

kate henshaw

eunice efole

Etos and Toyin

Uyai Ikpe-Etim

Raven Taylor

Nina Agwuna

Biola Aloba & Bisi Komolafe

Adeusi Tolulope

Tobi Philips

sly

May 26, 2013 /

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