Winners of MTN
Project Fame West Africa (PFWA), Iyanya Mbuk, Mike Anyasodo and
Chidinma Ekile, are billed to perform at the 2011 installment of The
Ghana Music Awards on Saturday, April 9, 2011. According to the awards’
PR company, Black House Media, the three acts will participate in
different ways. “It’s part of the plans to expose and empower our
talents,” a press release from the company read.
Speaking on behalf
of the others, 2008 PFWA winner, Iyanya said they were not just excited
because they were attending the awards but that, “we’re happy to be
spending time together, as one family. And we also may take this time
to hit the studios and do something together”.
A statement from
their publicist, Ayeni Adekunle, said: “The Ghana Music Awards is not
the only event the trio will be attending as a group this year. Many
more major events are coming. And the idea is that we make sure our
best talents are there to represent Nigeria. These acts are our music
ambassadors”.
The trio will be
departing Lagos for Ghana on Friday, April 8, 2011 and will be spending
time with PFWA finalists from Ghana — Nii, Kojo and Kesse.
Eedris Abdulkareem features Fatai Rolling Dollar in new single
Kennis Music act
Eedris Abdulkareem has premiered a new single ‘Won Kere’ featuring
highlife music veteran, Fatai Rolling Dollar. Premiered on the online
music portal, notjustok.com, ‘Won kere’ was released on March 5, 2011.
The track is delivered mostly in Yoruba with the occasional switch to
English. The two artists sing about their experiences in the industry,
using lines like “O ti pe, o ti pe, a wa ni father won,” meaning “It’s
been long, we are their fathers.” Since his solo debut album, ‘Pains
And Stress = Success, P.A.S.S.’ released in 2002 under the Kennis Music
imprint, Abdulkareem has won several awards including the 2003 ‘Gbedu’
Awards, AMEN Hip-Hop Artist of the Year, and Fanta Fame Artiste of the
Year in 1999 and 2003. He founded the Eedris Abdulkareem Foundation — a
fundraising organization dedicated to fighting the spread of HIV and
AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa in conjunction with the Pat Utomi Foundation.
‘Tango with Me’ debuts in the cinema
‘Tango with Me’, a
movie directed and produced by veteran filmmaker Mahmood Ali Balogun,
will be screened at cinemas this month. The movie, which was released
in 2010, stars Nollywood big names including Genevieve Nnaji, Joseph
Benjamin, Ahmed Yerima, Joke Silva, Bimbo Manuel, Bimbo Akintola,
amongst others. ‘Tango with Me’ is a Nigerian romantic drama that tells
the story of a young couple’s experiences in dealing with love and
betrayal.
Angelina Jolie says people fleeing Libya need support
Actress and
goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie appealed on Tuesday for
international support for people fleeing the conflict in Libya and for
increased aid for those inside the country. Jolie, a goodwill
ambassador for the United Nations’ refugee agency UNHCR who visited the
Libyan-Tunisian border, said recent arrivals from Libya had told her
about heavy fighting, harassment and assaults. More than 400,000 people
have fled Libya to Tunisia, Egypt, Niger, Algeria, Chad and Sudan since
February when rebels rose up against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
More than half have arrived in Tunisia.
“The international
community has done well to reinforce Tunisia’s remarkable relief
effort,” Jolie said in a UNHCR statement. “But with 2,000 people still
crossing each day, we cannot let the funding dry up and need to sustain
the momentum.” She also appealed for measures that would allow the U.N.
and non-governmental organizations to access Libya and distribute
urgent assistance, including food and medical supplies.
At the end of
February, transit facilities were erected 7 km (4 miles) inside Tunisia
to provide temporary shelter for those arriving from Libya and UNHCR
and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) organized
humanitarian air evacuations. More than 70,000 people have returned
home with the help of UNHCR and IOM but more continue to arrive. Some
11,000 third country nationals are still in transit. UNHCR said Jolie’s
family Jolie-Pitt foundation had covered the costs for a flight of 177
people and bought an ambulance to help support Tunisian efforts to
assist the wounded. There are some 2,500 people who are originally from
war-torn countries and are unable to return home, UNHCR said. “They’re
waiting here with little hope, unable to return home and unsure of
what’s to come. This constant cycle of displacement must finally come
to an end,” Jolie said.
