Issuu

October 11, 2015

Shuga: AFRICAâ€™S POP

CULTRUE Makes Dramatic Comeback

11/10 Contents FAS H I O N

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 6

Nigeria Wins Big At The 2015 AMAA We Couldn’t Take Our Eyes Off

FEATURE 13

MTV SHUGA IS BACK!

• Get Captivated

Quotes...

PEOPLE 15

COVER STORY

• Basketmouth Returns With The Lord Of The Ribs • House On The Rock, US Embassy Premieres Captive

“Fake friends are like shadows. They follow you in the sun, but leave you in the dark”. - Anonymous

“10 ways to love: Listen, speak, give, pray, answer, share, enjoy, trust, forgive, promise”. - Will Smith

Editor’s Note Shuga is pop culture. If you have not heard or seen MTV base Shuga, then you are so old school. Shuga is the rave of the moment, viewed all over Africa, and now on America’s BET Chanel, the emotive drama reflects the everyday life, struggles and passion of young Africans. America’s new sweetheart, Lupito Nyong ‘O once starred in it, before America found her. Much like Mongo Park and the Africans, who first arrived at the Niger, but Mungo proclaimed it to the world. While Lupita continues to savor her dream life, those she left behind, are no doubt nursing their own Cinderella story. Meanwhile Shuga, which had a short hiatus is back and berths with new entrants. In its 4th season it features some familiar faces, and new ones, exploring and answering important questions like-what has happened to Sophie following the shooting incident? How is Princess adjusting to the reality of being HIV positive? Did Nii survive the car accident? How’s Tobi coping since Princess’s betrayal? Will we see a darker side to Leo? These are exciting possibilities, which will keep us (followers of this near decadent drama) glued to our very own ‘Empire’. Latasha Ngwube, was on set. See pp. 8-12 AMAA held penultimate week. Pamela Echemunor., who was in South Africa for Allure reports that, after initial hitches, the show rocked. See pp. 4-5 Check out our fab list for the week, and see the three super stars ‘We couldn’t take our eyes off’. P.6 It’s another wrap. Enjoy your week!

CHIBOK GIRLS: 500 days and counting.

Remmy Diagbare @ Vanguardallure1

“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down”. - Oprah Winfrey

TEAM

JEMI EKUNKUNBOR

PAMELA ECHEMUNOR

YEMISI SULEIMAN

FATIMA GARBA

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

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FA S H I ON

ALLURE’S

WEEKLY FAB LIST! by - Fatima Garba

Looking for the latest trends to transition into!hopefully our weekly fab list will help you decide the major trends to keep you loking fab all day and all week.

Suno jacquard metalliic skirt

swai silver-metallic-tee

parental advisory slogan tee

JUST SAYING’S LOGANS Wear this trend with some witty fashion quips in the form of loud slogan tees and purses. Statement tops and accessories are no longer reserved for daylight hours.

YSL Belle de Jour purse

Jimmy Choo anouk metallic heels

FRINGE

METTALLIC ACCESSORIES

The most surprising addition of fringe is the way it has been incorporated into formalwear. From chic skirts to cocktail dresses and even gowns, the style has such a luxe vibe. The fringe seems most chic on black and white ensembles, as it Naeem allows the detailing embellished to stand out in an fringe dress understated way .For those of you who can’t wait to unleash their inner boho babe, get ready to go crazy and embrace the fringe. From bold bags to cool shoes, there are so many ways to stand out in tasseled style and we are not the only ones who are keen to the trend!.

This trend calls for as much glitz, glamour, shimmer and shine as a girl can muster up. If the thought of wearing anything metallic leaves you rigid with fashion fear, try teaming one statement piece like a clutch or midi skirt with contrasting textures and blend together similar colours into one outfit

THE COLOUR PALLETTE SUNDRESS It sort of looks like Rita Ora sat on a child’s watercolor set..This Chanel look certainly packs a color punch.This looks like a mod-toned Monet,the singer looks like a classic ballerina in a vintage frock, floating around a fabulous soiree. The one-shoulder cut is unique and yet still has a classic feel. Plus, that wide waist band is doing insane things for the British beauty’s body Topshop fringe dress

Rita Ora in Chanel colour pallette dress

October 11, 2015 /

SPE CIAL REPORT

Nigeria Wins Big At The 2015 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) by - Pamela Echemunor

he 11th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), took place penultimate weekend in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The show which held for the first time outside the shores of Nigeria, saw Nigeria leading the pack of winners for the night Kunle Afolayan’s October One Movie and A.Y Makun’s 30 days in Atlanta were among the winners of the night. Actors, film makers and other supporters from Nigeria were there to cheer their countrymen. The event, which took place at the prestigious Board Walk Hotel in Port Elizabeth, kicked off with musical stylings’ of some of South Africa’s local acts, including a soulful live band performance by South African Gospel group, Kgotso Makgalema, who put the audience in a mood of praise and thankfulness. The hosts for the evening were Nollywood actor and producer, Segun Arinze, and American actress, Camille Winbush, best known for her role as Vanessa on the Bernie Mac Show. The event was fully attended by actors, entertainers and filmmakers from across the African continent and over, as well as dignitaries who had supported AMAA from the get go. Other awards for the evening included, Tony Vander Heyden; who was given a Lifetime Achievement Award, Business Mogul Tony Elumelu was appointed Honourary Council for the Africa Film Academy and Senator Ita Giwa was awarded Mother of Creative industries. The event came to a close with a performance by Nigerian artiste KC. As the curtains closed on the perfect night of business, leisure and entertainment, the 2015 AMAAs’ will leave a mark on the creative industry in Africa. It was a night that celebrated Africa as a continent, bringing Africans of all races, tribes and cultural ethnicities together under one roof to celebrate the achievements of our brothers in the entertainment industry.

SPECIAL REPORT WINNERS: HERE IS A LIST OF Best Short Film - Twaga (Burkina Faso) Best Animation - The Legacies of Rubies (Nigeria) Best Documentary – Egypt’s Modern Pharaohs (Egypt) Best Film in an African Language – Timbuktu (Mauritania) Best Film by an African Living Abroad – (Morocco) Best Diaspora Short Film – Sound of Tears (Canada) Achievement in Production Design – I Number Number Achievement in Costume Design – October One (Nigeria) Best Achievement in Make-up – Njinga Queen of Angola (Angola) Best Achievement in Sound Track – Triangle Going to America (Ethiopia) Achievement in Visual Effect – I Number Number Best Cinematography – Lobraz Khan (Mauritius) Achievement in Editing – Timbuktu (Mauritania) Achievement in Screenplay – Le President (Cameroun) Best Comedy Film – 30 Days in Atlanta (Nigeria) Best Child Actor – Timbuktu - Layla Walet Mohammed and Mehdi A. G. Mohammed Best Nigerian Film – October One (Nigeria) Best Promising Actor – Kemi Akinoju and Hassan Spike Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Hilda Dokubo (Nigeria) Best Actor in a Leading Role – Sadiq Daba Best Actress in a Leading Role – Njina Queen of Angola Best Feature Film by a Director – Destiny Ekaragha – Gone Too Far Lifetime Achievement Award – Tony Vander Heyden Honorary Council for African Film Academy – Tony Elumelu Mother of Creative Industries – Senator Florence Ita-Giwa.

ADESUWA ETOMI & NOBLE IGWE O. C. UKEJE

SADIQ DABA

desmond elliot NSE-EKPE ETIM

juliet ibrahim

bob manuel UDOKWU

DESTINY AMAKA

PHOTOS: DEBBIN PHOTOGRAPHY

DAYO OGUNYEMI & PEACE ANYIAM OSIGWE Chinedu Ikedieze

/ October 11, 2015

October 11, 2015 /

SPE CIAL REPORT

Nigeria Wins Big At The 2015 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) by - Pamela Echemunor

ADESUWA ETOMI & NOBLE IGWE O. C. UKEJE

SADIQ DABA

desmond elliot NSE-EKPE ETIM

juliet ibrahim

bob manuel UDOKWU

DESTINY AMAKA

PHOTOS: DEBBIN PHOTOGRAPHY

DAYO OGUNYEMI & PEACE ANYIAM OSIGWE Chinedu Ikedieze

/ October 11, 2015

October 11, 2015 /

FAS H I O N

We couldn’t take our

EYES OFF... By - Jemi Ekunkunbor

Rita Dominic, Eunice Efole and Dakore Egbuson-Akande caught our attention in these outfits. See why we couldn’t take our eyes off them.

EUNICE EFOLE RITA DOMINIC A-list actress, Rita Dominic sure knows how to re invent hers elf from time to time. When it comes to style, she is highly rated up there on the style radar. In this blue sequins evening dress, and matching turban, she once again proves that east or west, she has what it takes to pull off any look. No wonder we couldn’t take our eyes off her.

/ October 11, 2015

DAKORE EGBUSON AKANDE Elegant actress, Dakore EgbusonAkande, looks very happy wearing this blue stripe dress. She is not one you catch at every function. But when she decides to come out, she likes to get her acts together as you can see here. This vertical stripe does agree with her and we just can’t take our eyes off her.

Property developer and Allure Style Icon 2013, Eunice Efole is a photographer’s delight any day principally because she knows how to light up the red carpet when she shows up. With a knack for floor length dresses, skirts and palazzo pants, this lace midi dress comes as a pleasant surprise, refreshingly different too. Pairing this dress with this beautiful ankle –strap sandal just completes the look. She nailed it just nicely.

IQ By - Jemi Ekunkunbor

roghama Obuoforibo is the winner of the maiden edition of the Next Titan, an entrepreneurial reality TV show aimed at igniting the entrepreneurial spirit of young people. Since winning the competition, she moved on to take over running her father’s multi million naira maritime business as the executive director. Her private beauty product production company, has also grown tremendously and now distributes products in many cities across Nigeria. This brilliant entrepreneur in this interview, talks about these giant strides and her new dress sense as a business executive.

I TAKE IMAGE VERY SERIOUSLY

- IROGHAMA B. OBUOFORIBO

hair you have to put it in a protective mode. This was what made me go into product manufacturing. They are tailored to use on your wigs and weave ons. We have carved that niche for ourselves. To what degree has your life turned as a young entrepreneur?

Well, it’s turned 360 degrees. I am not just an entrepreneur for myself, but an entrepreneur for my generation. I am given the opportunity to speak to young people at different events trying to inspire them with my story, how I started my business with less than 500 dollars which I saved up. I had like 40 bottles when I started, today, I am bringing in thousands. I try to show them that you can start with whatever you have and then you can grow, scale up and expand. How important is image to you today as an entrepreneur and executive?

IROGHAMA B. OBUOFORIBO

How much has changed since winning the Next Titan show? Well, since then, I have matured. I have grown up. I have had a lot of real life business experiences that have helped me to grow and do better in my business endeavours. I have expanded. I now work for my dad running the affairs of his marine logistics company which is a huge role for me. My business is expanding. I now have multiple and I am married now. I can tell you a lot has changed since the show. How has your business developed since the show? As at the time I went for the show, I had stopped production because I was trying to regularize with the regulatory agency, NAFDAC. So by the time I came out of the show, my

certificate and registration had gone through, so my product was legally registered in Nigeria and that made it possible for me to be able to go out and manufacture in larger quantity. When I went into the show, I had only two distributors; one in Lagos and another in Port Harcourt. Today, I have over 64 outlets, in Kanu, Oyo, Abuja, Lagos, Benin, Warri, Port Harcourt, Calabar etc. We have opened the hair bars – salons which give you a different kind of salon experience. You can see that business has certainly evolved. Why did you choose to produce hair care products? We noticed there was no locally produced product that was meeting the need of women in terms of hair maintenance. If you have natural

I like to look good as you can see. I think that image is very important because you make a first impression with someone you never met before. So I take it very seriously and I try to pay more attention to myself and the brand that I wear so that people can recognise me and identify me positively as opposed to being recognised as someone without a fashion sense. I have very good friends who throw in some tips for me from time to time.

Do you have favourite brands? O yes. I like Nigerian brands because they are coming up. I am actually, loving ankara prints very much. Currently, I am crazy about Majo. My tailor Amanda is very good even though she is not a known name. I like Phunk Afric. I also like Grey brand and Alter Ego. What would you do and won’t do in the name of fashion? I won’t wear dungarees or bell bottoms. But I’m liking the palazzo pants that are back in fashion so I will be rocking a lot of that. I just got some from Majo.

October 11, 2015

REPORTAGE

MTV SHUGA IS BACK! By - Latasha Ngwube

huga, the global series which has reached over 550 million people worldwide and through social media has impacted on over 40 million people through tweets and Facebook as it enters season 4, 78% of African countries will air the show while the show will also be aired in 72 countries (in every continent apart from Antartica). MTV Shuga takes pride in developing and showcasing talent; it is credited with discovering Lupita Nyong ‘O, star of Shuga series 1 and winner of the Oscar for Best Actress in 2014 (12 Years A Slave) and is poised to break more exciting talent to the world, whilst maintaining its fundamental core message of sexual responsibility amongst young people. The award winning show, made its comeback September, and is currently airing on MTVBase. The cast of season spoke with Allure!

ADESUA ETOMI Adesua Etomi is arguably one of Nollywood’s fastest rising actors. The thespian moved back to Nigeria in 2012 and began acting professionally in 2013. Although most of her training in the arts lies in theatre, she is best known for her roles in breakout movie - Knocking on Heavens door, the short film Brave and the ground breaking TV series Gidi up and several other epic shows. Tell us a bit about Sheila, the character you played? Sheila is Femi’s love interest in this season of SHUGA, she is HIV negative and he is positive. So I play a young woman who comes from a loving home and has parents who have so far been very supportive of her. However, dating Femi may prove to be more than her family can handle thanks to his status. She is also pretty strong willed, not the aggressive kind, but once she takes a stand especially as it concerns her relationship, she can be unwavering. In this season of SHUGA, we see her go up against her family to defend her lover. Will Sheila succeed or back down? That’s the million dollar question! Watch it to find out. Do you have any personal limitations as an actress or are you able to go the extra mile to deliver on a role? I think acting is difficult enough. Letting your performances be hampered by any mental or physical limitation is detrimental. I will admit that I’m my biggest critic, but once I’m on set, I make sure I don’t get stuck in my head. What works for me is being prepared. I think if you’ve read your script from cover to cover and done extensive character work, you’ll give a believable performance. And for me, you’ve done your job successfully as an actor if the audience believes you. While filming the series how were you impacted personally from the story being portrayed? Well for starters, I’m better informed about HIV and AIDS. Of course we all know the general things like HIV cannot be transmitted by handshakes or hugs. But being on SHUGA has given me access to immense resources as far as HIV goes. The Producers did a thorough job of educating everyone who was a part of this project. I’ve got facts and figures at the tip of my tongue and I dare say, I could give a very convincing seminar on HIV/AIDS awareness. Playing Sheila also meant that there were certain questions I had to ask myself. For instance would Adesua date someone who was HIV positive? Or how would Adesua convince her family and friends that they had nothing to fear from anyone who was positive? All in all, I’m thankful that I was a part of Season 4.

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DORCAS FAPSON Shortly after graduating with a degree in Criminology, Dorcas Shola Fapson, born and raised in North London made a decision to pursue her passion for acting. This led to a full-time scholarship to the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in New York. Upon returning to the UK, she was cast as ‘Aunty Funke’ in the Afrobeats musical - Oliva Tweest. Dorcas also has a strong background in modelling and is keen to venture into directing in the near future. How did you get into acting? I always loved acting from childhood but only got a chance to pursue it once I graduated from University. I wasn’t sure how to get into it so I auditioned for an acting agent and was successful she then sent me to auditions and the rest is history! What did you like best about Sophie the character you played on SHUGA? I love that Sophie is a bubbly, free spirited person with no filter! I love how this season, she has developed into a responsible mature lady opposed to last season where she was a careless, unserious student. This season Sophie really shows that you can change your life around regardless of how you start - she went from funding her life through transactional sex to running a whole club and working in a call centre! If that isn’t a change I don’t know what is. I think this season Sophie indirectly speaks to Sophies around the world and shows them it can be done, I think a lot of people will identify with her and aspire to turn their lives around like her. Why did you want to be a part of this season’s production? I was a part of last Season’s production and it was just so much fun on and off set, not only fun but I learnt so much working on this project so I was over the moon when I was asked to come back for this season.

SHARON EZEAMAKA Sharon Ezeamaka is a 22 year old actress and TV producer. She started out doing TV commercials when she was 2 years old and moved to acting when she was 5 years old. Having been in the Nigerian entertainment industry all her life, Sharon has starred in over 25 movies. She was a lead character on the popular television shows like Dear Mother for 8 years and MNET Africa’s The Johnsons for two seasons. She was also a cast member of High School Musical Nigeria. If you had to pick a cast member whom you really bonded with, who would it be and why? For season 4, I can’t pick just one person. I bonded with Peace and Dorcas the most this season. I had most of my scenes with them and we worked well together. They are such good actors and getting to work with them was incredible. Plus they are amazing women. Tell us a bit about Princess, your character on this season’s SHUGA series… This season, Princess is pregnant and single and HIV positive. So we see her doing her best to handle her situation. She’s not doing such a great job, but she’s doing the best she can. She’s trying to grow up this season. Do you have any funny behind-the-scenes stories to share with us? I had to wear my huge baby bump every day. The best part was everybody treating me like a real pregnant woman. I had people asking me about my “baby” all the time because they really thought I was expecting. It was amusing and I loved every second of it.

OLUMIDE OWORU Olumide Oworu is an actor from Nigeria. He is most known for his role as ‘Tari’ in the Africa Magic series, The Johnsons and Weki in the ‘MTVShuga’ series. Other notable film projects he has been a part of are 8 Bars and a Clef, A Soldier’s story, Stolen Waters and The Room to name a few. Olumide was already modelling and doing radio voice-overs before he started acting at the age of six in the popular Nigerian TV Soap Opera Everyday People as ‘Wole Johnson’ What was the best part of the SHUGA experience for you? The best part of the Shuga experience is the feedback I get for playing the character Weki. It’s very humbling and heartwarming to know that through my acting, lives are being touched and people’s consciousness are being affected positively. You played the character Weki. Can you delve into his personality and tell us a bit more about him? Weki is a teenager who was born with HIV. He lost his mother at birth and so he’s lived with his aunt Sade who loves him very much. Weki is a fun guy. Loves sports and music. He’s the type of guy you refer to as the ‘life of the party ‘. Weki’s biggest problem is how to fit in society once

people know about his status. He’s faced many battles with himself on how to handle this issue, juggle school, his social life and maintaining a healthy relationship with his new girlfriend Leila. Any message for the African youth? To African youths, I say we have to become one. Try to align positive ideologies and see ourselves as members of the same community- the African community. We are the future of the continent. Our actions and decisions today affect the tomorrow of the whole continent, and by extension the world. We have to work together to bring about positive change and development for Africa.

October 11, 2015 /

REPORTAGE

NICHOLAS MUTUMA Nick Mutuma is a multifaceted media personality born September 22nd 1988 in Meru, Kenya. Owing to his parents’ Diplomatic background he was raised in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and is the first of three children. He possesses a BSc in International Business Administration. Nick, has a full resume that spans across acting, modelling, radio and most recently, as a TV presenter. This young man is now one of Kenya’s most notable media personalities How did you feel when you got the casting call for this season’s production? The season 4 callback was surreal, I’d been casted in the series for the last three seasons with my story being very significant in the first and second seasons. I was also the only Kenyan character to continue on the third season of the show and I honestly, thought my goose was cooked for sure but alas, Leo is back! I’m super excited and honoured to once again be a part of this brilliant production. You play Leo on the show. Did you have to dig deep to bring the character to life or where there parts of him you could totally relate to? Leo is your everyday good guy. That bit has never been hard to channel. He’s a go getter, so am I, he makes mistakes and tries to be accountable for them, and so do I. However, in this season, Leo has a darker side to him. I’m thrilled to see how the fans are going react to the ‘Not so nice Leo’. Has anything changed personally as a result of your role on SHUGA since the show started airing? Eight years down the line and I’m still a believer. Being an actor is an interesting career because acting in essence is false reality. Most of the time, actors switch off as soon as the camera goes off. With SHUGA, that is not the

case. Young people view the characters as ambassadors of HIV/AIDS awareness and many times, I’ve had to answer questions on Facebook and Twitter about sex, condom use, prevention methods and anything and everything you can imagine to do with sex. I wasn’t ready for such a huge responsibility when the show began, but thanks to the show, I received adequate training on how to deal with such questions. These days, I embrace the responsibility. SHUGA also led me to get myself tested because I felt it was important that I was true to me. There is no point of preaching a message when you don’t stand behind it 100%.

IFEANYI IKUBESE Emmanuel Ikubese is an Actor, TV host and a model. He is also the current Mr Nigeria and Mr World Africa making him the second Most Desirable Man in the world. Founder of Project RAW a campaign on domestic violence against women, Respect A Woman, which is an initiative under the Emmanuel Ikubese Foundation.

What was it about the SHUGA series that sparked your interest? I love the message behind the show and the fact that it’s very real and everyone can relate to it. I had always wanted to be part of SHUGA after the first season am glad I was given an opportunity in second season in Kenya. What’s the backstory on Femi, the character you play? Femi started off being a really bad boy and he got infected with HIV. He moved back to Nigeria and is now trying to live positively with his status. He is faced with a lot of challenges on how to inform the people around him and also the stigmatization the society has with people living with HIV. We basically see how he overcomes all of that and still accomplishes his set goals in his life. What makes this season stand out from the previous three in your opinion? This season the story line is really deep and it opens up on some important issues that people face in our society but we hardly talk about. This season of SHUGA is definitely one of my favorites so far.

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ZOE FAVOUR Zoe Abigail Favour was born into a family of five and is from Delta State. She is currently studying Theatre Arts at the University of Calabar, Cross River State.

JEMIMA OSUNDE Jemima Osunde, is from Edo state but was born and bred in Lagos all her life. She describes her background as a Christian home and is the last child of her family. She is currently a student of Physiotherapy at the College of Medicine University of Lagos. S ‎ he is an extrovert, often playful, sometimes talkative but always a Manchester United supporter! She is ambitious, optimistic believer in rewards of hard work. Without sharing any spoilers, tell us what should Africa expect from Season 4? Africa should expect interesting and powerful stories about the different characters brought to life by t‎ he amazing actors we have this season. Every character’s story line has a lesson or two that I believe the viewers can learn from and will definitely enjoy watching. Tell us about Leila, the character you play on the show. Leila is a charming young girl. She’s vibrant, very curious and pretty smart albeit naive. Popularly referred to as the “prettiest” girl at school. She’s a girl in love and by watching her you’ll see she is a strong willed person. She’s one of the subtle characters in the series up until a point. That’s all I’m going to say about her, go watch it! From your experience this season what advice do you have for other young aspiring actors who would like to star in upcoming seasons of SHUGA? I’d like all the aspiring actors out there reading this to know that hard work pays. Always let your talent speak for you, master your art and give the best performance you can at the auditions. I got into SHUGA by auditioning. I didn’t know anybody at MTV or anybody at all who could have manipulated it in my favour. I auditioned and gave it my best shot.

With SHUGA as her debut into the world of bright lights and performance, she hopes to pursue a full career as an Actress and Presenter. This season of SHUGA was directed by the prolific Biyi Bamdele. What was it like on set, to be led by him each time you had a scene? Working with Mr Biyi was awesome. He knew and understood when I needed a push and when encouragement was necessary. With SHUGA being my first ever television appearance, his presence gave me a reason to be better each day. Tell us abit about Mary, the character you portrayed… I played Mary, a naive 15-year old girl, who thinks she is grown-up (but is really what we call an “over sabi”. She falls into the hands of an older man due to her family financial issues and things get pretty messy every step of the way. Although she has her amazing friend Bongi who is there for her through everything. What was the best part of the SHUGA experience for you? Simply being a part of Shuga itself because I always dreamt to be part of them and I am now, all thanks to God!

MOHAU MOKOATLE CELE Mohau considers herself from Soweto, Johannesburg having lived there all her life but was originally born in Matatiele, Eastern Cape. She was raised by her mom, who started taking her to acting classes at the Market Theatre Laboratory from a very young age. She graduated in 2014 from Wits University where she obtained a BA in Performance Arts with honours. What was it like working in the series with such a talented group of young and zesty individuals like yourself? It was an honour and a privilege to meet and work with actors that are recognized and acknowledged even internationally. As much as it was a life changing experience, it was also challenging to play the role of a 16year old, looking also at the fact that this was my first professional TV role after graduating last year. However the overall experience was an absolute joy. The cast members are very talented and hardworking, seeing their passion and dedication just inspired me also to push harder in bringing Bongi alive. Tell us a bit about Bongi, the character you portray in SHUGA? Bongi is a 16 year old South African girl who has been in Lagos for about a year now and has become very close friends with Mary. She is a “good girl” if I may put it. Very strict and focused as she wants to do well in life. She is talented musically and is a superstar in the making. She is Mary’s voice of reasoning, she is the only one that Mary can listen to in her somewhat rebellious state. She’s really a sweet, young smart, girl focused on her school work. If you could speak to your ten year old self now, what would you tell her about life, growing up and the future? I would tell her that all things are possible if you believe. You can do all things, you can be whatever you want to be. Do not allow life/circumstances to deny you of achieving your dreams. Never say I had no choice. Learn to take responsibility for your own self and the choices you make. Try not to compare yourself to anyone, run your race, stick to your lane, it might seem like others are getting to the finish line before you, but remember to run at your own pace, be yourself always and enjoy being you”. October 11, 2015 /

REPORTAGE

CHRIS ATTOH Born on the 17th of May 1979, Christopher Keith Attoh is a Ghanaian actor, on-air personality, television presenter and producer. He is well known for his role on Tinsel as “Kwame Mensah”. He is currently married to fellow actress Damilola Adegbite. Tell us a bit about your experience on the SHUGA set? I’ve had the privilege of working on a few amazing sets, however working on Shuga left me with an experience that cannot be paralleled. The chemistry on set between actors and crew was as always very professional. but above all the show has touched so many lives and that has been the best part of my experience, knowing that our work is truly making a difference. Are there traits you secretly admire about Nii, the character you play? With Nii, there is very little to admire, however I can pick a few things I like. Nii is witty and resilient- good qualities when channelled properly. What message can youths across Africa take away from this season? I would say that every one should watch it because I believe that to each person, SHUGA’s message is quite personal and you never know what’s going to resonate within.

TIMINI EGBUSON Timini Egbuson is a Nigerian actor and Psychology graduate from the University of Lagos. Prior to working on Shuga, he has had distinguished roles in television and film productions and also worked in radio. The multi-talented actor has also done a great deal of voiceover work as well as event hosting. Timini has recently been involved in several film projects such as the upcoming feature film Fifty which has been shortlisted to screen at the 2015 BFI London Film festival and Tentacles, both set to be released December 2015. While he loves acting, Timini is also a very businesssavvy entrepreneur. Some of his ventures include being part of the Bang and Kosher team, which hosts the popular Mente de Moda lifestyle exhibition in Lagos. What can you tell us about Tobi, the character you play this season? Tobi has definitely changed a lot from the guy you met last year. You get to see him grow up a bit more this season with more dimensions opened up into his personality as a result of the types of situations in which he finds himself. He’s growing and learning, and you’ll see that in the show. What was it about this character that really drove your performance? I think it was the fact that he’s your everyday guy. Tobi is so real and it’s very easy to see parts of yourself in him. At the end of the day he’s just a good, down-to-earth guy trying to navigate through life, and that really resonated with me and of course, influenced my performance. With viewership that cuts across millions of youth around the continent what can you say about this MTV initiative? I think it’s a brilliant concept, especially using this kind of platform that’s accessible and relatable to so many young people from all kinds of demographics. It really opened up the conversation about HIV/AIDS in a way that got people talking, and made them more aware and informed.

/ October 11, 2015

PEACE HYDE Peace Hyde is a TV Personality and media entrepreneur. She is also an Education specialist with senior management experience. She holds a first class degree in Psychology and Masters of Communication in Digital Media and a second Masters in Journalism. Peace Hyde is responsible for developing policies and systems for some of the top international schools in Ghana and across Africa to help them improve learning and teaching whilst incorporating innovative solutions to promote effective engagement in the classroom. As an African woman, how relevant are some of the themes in this season’s series to the day-to-day lives of other young African women? I believe the themes in this season touch on a lot of social issues of today. For example, there is a massive movement of people who are beginning to understand that having HIV is no longer a death sentence as it was previously made to seem. This season deals with pregnancy and HIV as well as the well-known stigma that comes along with having the disease. It is important as Africans to tell our own story in the way that is culturally relevant to us and this season, I think that is something the team did exceptionally well. Also, we get to explore how important it is to get guidance and the power of tackling the disease together. There are lots of young women out there who are increasingly finding support groups that help them cope with the pressures they face. A significant aspect that I believe this season also explores is the issue most young women face when confronted with sexual advances from older men which is a real pressure faced by most young girls today and is a major contributing factor that leads them down the wrong path. Tell us a bit about Eniola, the character you play on SHUGA.

I play a mother mentor to Sophie helping her deal with the challenges of pregnancy with HIV. Having lived through a similar situation, Eniola is able to guide Sophie by consistently being a shoulder to cry on and being a friend to the troubled teen. I love the character because it is something that is challenging and allowed me to explore a different side of me on camera that I would otherwise not get the chance to do. The funny thing is the personality of Eniola is actually what I am like in real life so it felt kind of natural being in that advisory role. What was life on set like with the actors during filming? It was an amazing experience being surrounded by characters I had grown to love from the previous season. Each day was so much fun and one thing that stood out for me being a new member of the cast, was how welcoming everybody was. There were no real egos on set and the level of talent some of these young actors have just blew me away. I loved every moment of the shoot. It was also refreshing to see how meticulous and professional the production crew was which made the entire process an easy one to do and hopefully the audience gets to see the quality on screen as well.

F EATU R E

F EA T U R E

Get Captivated By - Jerome Onipede I WANT MY BOYFRIEND BACK …CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

That’s because, when sensitive people love, you wonder if it’s really you they love or the idea of love. At the inception of the relationship, all they see is that the person they are in love with is perfect and even if people around them point out some observable flaws in the person they love, they just won’t see. They just believe that true love is perfect and that the person they are in love with is spotless! You can imagine the shock when they are confronted with reality that no one is perfect; they are just not prepared to accept it. The reason why I said it’s not advisable for you to go back to him is because, at this point in your life, YOU CAN’T KEEP YOUR PROMISES! For now, you will always cheat on him and tell more lies. I say so because you don’t seem to have control over your own life now. You love a guy so much and yet you have to look for (maybe) attention, affection, affirmation and approval from other men!

KATHY EMIKO

Does that not tell you that you really need help? And, that the help you need is not getting a boyfriend back but getting to a point in your life where you can FIND YOURSELF? I believe your needs have turned to lusts (like it has for so many reading this article at the moment); which is why you have no satisfaction being with your boyfriend and also no relief being with other guys at the same time. Needs can be met but lusts can never be met! A need is a state that requires supply and relief while lust is an intense longing for things. What actually turns our needs to lust is abuse. Abuse of any form destroys us; it makes us become dysfunctional if we are not attended to. It makes us lose control of who we are and, right before our very eyes, we find ourselves becoming everything we don’t ever want to be. (Do you know that cheating is becoming more popular by the day and not fidelity? Show me the married man that is not cheating now; even the one that got married yesterday! Married women are also learning to catch their fun outside, these days, with men they meet on social media or at work.

BodyPerfect not just slimming but fitness

FLAT BELLY HEALTH News101 RULES …CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

Eat Slowly Eating quickly causes your stomach to expand in two ways. When you consume your food at a rapid pace, you’ll often swallow air, which causes bloating. This may also cause you to over-eat because your body doesn’t receive the signal that you’re full so you tend to eat more than you need. If you eat slowly, you will not only reduce your air intake, you will also give your stomach a chance to send important signals to your brain indicating that you’ve had enough to eat. Eat Smaller Meals To keep your stomach flat and hunger at bay, break your calories up into 4 to 5 small 300 to 400-calorie meals per day. Eating frequent, smaller meals eliminates a bloated, full feeling while maintaining blood sugar levels and keeping hunger at bay.

Rather than aiming for being perfect, just aim to be a little bit better today than you were yesterday. One of the key elements to losing weight and keeping it off is practising portion control. You can eat the best food for your body but if you are taking in too many calories daily, you will not be able to lose weight. Here are some easy tips for keeping your portions in check to effectively lose weight: Tip No. 1: Don’t Leave Food in Sight Eating meals family style (where the dishes of food are in your sight) can make it much easier to reach for seconds. If they are not in the same room, you are much less likely to want more. Leave the pots and dishes in the kitchen and fix yourself one serving. Let it settle for at least 20 minutes so that you ‘acquire’ the feeling of being full. Tip No. 2: Use Meat as a Side Dish.

Ah! It’s even worse - the level of immorality happening amongst married men and women at work, these days, which eventually brings them to a point of depression and dependence on chemicals to help them live what is left of their damaged lives. Haven’t you noticed that more and more youths are depending on indian hemp now to be in ‘control’; which is chaotic because marijuana can’t do the job? Maame, there is a possibility you have been a victim of child sexual abuse and/or other forms of abuse. And now, you belong to no one, you belong to everybody! That’s dysfunctional. The first thing you want to do, is get back to belonging to yourself! Then, you can be in charge of your mind, which you use for thinking; your emotions, which you use for feeling; and, your will power, which you use for making decisions. Will you find personal counselling useful at this time? I say absolutely! You will be surprised at how much you can achieve through counselling. So, what will be the role of God in all of these? HE IS ACTUALLY ALL YOU NEED! When you begin to discover through counselling where you are on the way to where you should be, you will begin to see your true need for God and that you can’t truly find yourself without Him. Maame, you don’t need your boyfriend back now. He can’t help and you can’t help him because, you can’t even help yourself at the moment. Making promises that you will NOT be able to keep is useless. GET HELP FOR YOURSELF!!! For paid consultation: Whatsapp +2348037194335 SOUNDmind 2BFED28B, jerome@jeromeistalking.org +234 8114495305

Exercise Eating right is only half the battle when it comes to losing weight. You must exercise. In order to lose stomach fat, you may be tempted to only do exercises that isolate your stomach muscles. Resist the temptation; it’s nearly impossible to lose weight in only one area of your body. If you exercise your entire body, your whole body will respond. Weight bearing exercises will strengthen your core and cardio exercises, such as jogging, power walking, swimming or kick boxing, will burn those calories and slim your body. Eat Fresh Foods Highly processed foods can be low in fibre and high in sodium. You can eliminate uncomfortable stomach bloating by eating a healthy diet that doesn’t include more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. Give Yourself Time Be patient with yourself. Your belly bulge didn’t appear in a day and it won’t disappear in a week! Remember, you’re making a lifestyle change, not searching for a quick fix. Do the Miracle Detox Go on the 7-day miracle detox and cut off up to 3 inches off waistline and 5kg off general body weight. (Visit Princess Kathy Emiko’s blog.) Juice Up Have a bottle of fat-burner juice daily. Princess Kathy is a certified nutrition and fitness consultant. Email: bodyperfectng@gmail.com | Twitter: @usoorganic | BB: 2B679D12 | Blog: princess Kathy Emiko.

October 11, 2015 /

F EA T UR E

SIDETALK&CATWALKS A weekly column

by LATASHA NGWUBE

You have something to say to me? Send a text to 08114495303 Ff me on twitter @latashangwube

The Exclusive Centaur Club I just love hearing that word “Exclusive” and especially when it’s associated with luxury. So let me spill the beans. Fine Champagne Cognac Rémy Martin opened a first-of-its-kind exclusive membership establishment called the Remy Martin XO Club. I guess it has everything to do with its culture of celebrating excellence and perfection. The location is something of a secret too but I can reveal that it may or may not be in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. I have to say, the event was a real classy and part of a defined initiative designed to honour success and achievers in the Nigerian society. Members received a customized Gold card which is valid for a period of twelve months and will enjoy a number of benefits including exclusive invitations to the House of Rémy Martin in Cognac, France and discounts in partnering outlets which includes hotels, premium lounges, clubs and supermarkets nationwide.

Remy Xo Lounge

Mtv SHUGA Worldwide Premiere The Mtv SHUGA franchise has been established as one of the foremost infotainment programs responsible for spreading awareness amongst the youth in Africa and beyond on subjects like safe sex, HIV/AIDS, and other hard-hitting issues. Here are some of the pictures from the SHUGA premiers in Lagos, London and in New York as the message they are spreading isn’t just for Nigeria but indeed a global one.

Colette Otusheso Georgia Arnold and Dorcas Shola-Fapson

Last Week’s Consat Giveaway

Executive Director MTV SAF Georgia Arnold and Richard Warburton

/ October 11, 2015

Thanks so much for the avalanche of responses I got and while I am still collating the names of my winners, I have more decoder sets so please keep those answers coming and expect direct messages from me alerting you on how to pick up your packages! Congrats in advance to all my winners.

What is M? That was the big question on everyone’s lips last week when hashtags invaded social media asking the same question #whatisM? The mystery deepened when packages were sent out and I received a brown box with instructions on what to do with the contents within. It was a DIY boombox made out of reinforced cardboard paper- the task was to assemble the entire unit and playback the message on where to converge for the secret launch party of M! I know the secrecy was unreal but then so was the entire project of putting the boombox together. The sound output was really great and surprisingly loud but enough on that and onto the million naira question. The venue was Muri Okunola Park and the brand behind this creative campaign was Miller Beer! The night was a real fun dance party that had everyone’s hair down, lots of laughter and good vibes all round as we toasted to the brand’s debut in Nigeria.

PEO PL E

“ONE PARTY AT A TIME!”

Basketmouth RETURNS with The Lord of the Ribs By - Oscar Ochiogu

Comedy superstar, Basket mouth, hosted Comedy Central’s All-Star, powered by MTV Base and BET. The event featured performances by A-list African comedians and music artistes; I Go Save, Buchi, Sim Card, MI, Adekunle Gold, South African comedians David Kau and Ndumiso Lindi and American comedian, Griff. Here are pictures from the event. basket mouth

Griff

collette otusheso

amadu pinick

bovi

House On The Rock, US Embassy Premieres Captive By - Yemisi Suleiman

Pastor Ifeanyi-Adefarasin, Pastor Dayo and Pastor Paul Adefarasin

flavour

amaechi

ezinne Akudo

Pastor WaleAdefarasin Erelu-AbiolaDosunmu

harrysong

tuface and annie idibia

david kau

Chief Opral Benson

funny bone

ayo animashaun

dj emoney

Oba Elegushi

In commemoration of Nigeria’s 55th Independence, House on the Rock, in collaboration with the United States Consulate in Nigeria, premiered the all-new 2015 movie, Captive, distributed by top global production company, Paramount Pictures. The movie which was screened to a live audience at the auditorium of the Rock Cathedral, Lekki on Thursday October 1, was witnessed by a good number of personalities from the government and entertainment industry. For host of the evening, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, the film medium has been deployed effectively by House on The Rock to promote orderliness, tranquility and purposeful leadership in Nigeria. Speaking at the event, the acting Consul General of the United States Consulate in Nigeria, Mrs. Dehab Ghebreab, told journalists at a press conference shortly before the premiere of Captive, that peace is not negotiable in any nation that aspires to achieve sustainable democracy and development. Mrs. Ghebreab said the United States of America is in partnership with The Rock Cathedral to send a strong message that will change people’s lives. ‘’We are partnering on a theme to look at a purpose driven life. The movie, Captive shows how the struggle between hope and despair play out’’, she said. Senior pastor of House on The Rock, Paul Adefarasin earlier spoke on the need for Nigerians to live a purpose-driven lifestyle too. He said Nigeria, in her 55 years as an independent nation, has faced a series of challenges such as oppressive regimes, mis governance and now terrorism. Adefarasin charged Nigerians to see themselves as one family. He further stated that “all the great nations of our world today only became great because they purposed to do so as one people of one nation around an uncompromised system of shared values. Captive is a 2015 American crime-drama thriller directed by Jerry Jameson and written by Brian Bird and Reinhard Denke. It is based on the non-fiction book, Unlikely Angel by Ashley Smith. The film, however, is more about the relationship he developed with one of his kidnapped victims and the road to redemption. It features Golden Globe Award nominee of Nigerian descent, David Oyelowo, who stars as Brian Nichols alongside Kate Mara.

Pastor Goke Coker and Pastor Tunde Alade

October 11, 2015 /