In recent times, several questions and issues have come up, especially in the media about D’Banj and his forthcoming all female reality TV, Koko Mansion on HiTV. In fact, questions like who’s an ideal woman? How does one spot an ideal woman? What qualities stand one out as an ideal wife? These and many more, are perhaps the questions begging for answers on the lips of many, as the television reality show prepares to light up the pay per view screens this month.
Koko Mansion revolves around the quest of 12 beautiful and talented girls that will live in a mansion for eight weeks, with one of them finally becoming the ideal Kokolette (wife). Hip hop superstar D’banj will play a vital role in the coming show that has the support of Nigerian Breweries, Jagal Group, makers of Tetmosol among other sponsors. It is scheduled to begin this month.
In these weeks, the young women will be groomed and tested in various activities in order to determine the one with the greatest Koko virtues, worthy of being a wife –a Kokolette. The winner will among other benefits, be crowned Kokolette 1, get a Chris Aires Diamond ring, a brand new convertible car, feature in his next music video You Don Make Me Fall In Love alongside N5 million in cash. The winner will also be D’Banj’s companion at public events both within and outside Nigeria. She would further emerge as HiTV’s Hi-Babe; that is, Beautiful.
The anticipated show has already received plenty kudos as well as its fair share of knocks from critics of the sector. Viewers appear worked up and eager to see how HiTV would achieve the feat of showcasing the virtues of the ideal woman among the 12 finalists already selected to enter the Koko Mansion. But since the responsibility is on viewers, not some judges, the burden is less on HiTV as explained by Justin Akpovi-Esade, the pay TV Company’s Public Relations Manager. “We are just a platform for people to choose who the ideal woman is. From the various tasks in the mansion, weekly, Nigerians will be able to determine among the 12 who is worthy to be called the number one Kokolette. D’banj or anybody will not be involved in the voting process; the viewers will choose their ideal woman, not us. Don’t forget the fact that the whole concept is purely entertainment.”
For critics of the show, there are some issues that have been raised: For instance, which woman, no matter how successful she is in her career, does not take care of the home or cook for her husband when she has the time? When has success become a barrier stopping her from cooking for her husband or taking care of the kids? These among other issues the organizers tried to lay bare to all, when the show begins.
Akpovi-Esade would rather want viewers to answer that question “when the show begins. These are serious issues that have been raised, but as I have maintained, the viewers will tell Nigerians if they want a woman who is talented, a modern woman who is able to take care of the home too or they want a talented woman who neglects her family. At the end of the day, the verdict would not be HiTV’s or D’banj’s, but Nigeria’s.”
A taste of what to expect in the Mansion was revealed last week during the video audition of the contestants at Planet One, Maryland, Lagos. The enthusiasm displayed by the Kokolettes was contagious. Koko Mansion no doubt promises to be a great, entertaining show. Most of them interviewed already had their game plan for the eight-week stay in the mansion.
HiTV, Akpovi-Esade revealed, will release the list of the 12 finalists by the end of the week. “Nigerians will know the 12 Kokolettes that will be in the mansion beginning from this month.
What makes Koko Mansion different from most reality shows around is the fact that hip hop star, D’banj on which the show revolves around, will assist the eventual winner develop her talent. “If it turns out that she is a good singer, Mo’ Hits Records (a label owned by Don Jazzy) will not have a choice other than to take her in and make her the superstar she has desired to be all her life. This goes for all the participants, which is why the Kokolette is not a street girl or party music video girl as most people may want to misrepresent.
Lagosians troop out for Project Fame’s audition
It was a beehive of activities recently at the Fantasyland, Ikoyi, and Ultima Studios, Ojodu/ Ogba, Lagos, which were the respective venues of the just concluded Project Fame auditions. The events no doubt, witnessed the largest gathering of youths for the all – important audition exercise. The audition which took place simultaneously at both venues on Friday, June 12 and Saturday, June 13 2009, had in attendance thousands of youths from the nooks and crannies of the city and neighbouring cities coming out en masse to be part of the final auditions of the West Africa’s most popular music talent reality TV show, MTN Project fame academy.
The two expansive venues for the auditions experienced a massive turn out of enthusiastic youths, thus creating a very lengthy queue that spilled over miles along Ojodu road in Ogba, as well as Kingsway road, Ikoyi, from wannabe stars.
According to the organizers of the show, over twenty thousand youths were duly registered for the Project Fame audition in Lagos, a figure that out-numbered previous editions, as well as any other reality show audition in any single state.
The MTN Project Fame West Africa season two auditions, has
been taken to other major cities across the country like: Kaduna, Calabar, Enugu, Abuja, Ibadan, Benin, as well as other West African cities like: Accra (Ghana), Monrovia (Liberia), and Freetown (Sierra Leone), where several thousands of people were auditioned and over a hundred short listed to compete with qualifiers from the Lagos auditions, for a chance to be among the lucky 15 contestants that will make it to the music academy, for the duration of ten weeks.
As the academy commences shortly, the lucky talents will be admitted into the house, where they will be groomed in the general arts of music, which include: voice training, dance exercises, songs writing, stage performances and other qualities that characterize music stars.
The contestants will also be made to dig it out in a competitive weekly performance before a panel of highly experienced judges, academy faculty and a huge crowd of audience, where they will have to knock one another out until the ultimate winner eventually emerges. Also there will be several weeks of probations and evictions.
It would be recalled that the maiden edition of the show saw Nigerian Inyanya Mbuk, emerging the ultimate winner, after defeating other finalists like: Ghanaian Nii Ankra, the first runner-up, Nigerian Praise Adejo, the second runner-up and Annette Cookey, the third runner up respectively, to walk home with the sum of N2.5 million, a 2008 Toyota RAV 4 and a one year recording deal.
Inyanya has since been rocking the Nigerian music scene, with two hit singles entitled: ‘Love Truly’ and ‘No Time.
No doubt, this season two however, promises to be an explosive experience that will provide exciting TV content, characterized with breath-taking musical performances, thrills, intrigues and passion to all television viewers across the country and West Africa at large.
Another blockbuster from De Atai entertainment
Following the huge success recorded with High School 1 and 2, its debut movie in Nollywood, Abuja based entertainment outfit, De Atai, is set to hit shelves again with another blockbuster.
Entitled: Be Not Afraid, the star-studded movie was produced by hard working Irenita Nneka Eze, unarguably, the youngest female producer in Nollywood at the moment.
With financial and logistic supports from Mr. John Mgbere, the boss of De Atai Entertainment, director T – Chidi Chikere and his crew shot the heart- wrenching movie on various locations across the country with modern day production equipment.
The roll call of stars that sparkled in the big budget movie include: Rita Dominic, Pat Attah, Ali Nuhu, Irenita Eze and several other thespians.
The movie tells the pathetic story of a young mother, whose car was snatched at gunpoint with her sick baby inside.
Her woes were further compounded when all the efforts at finding the baby proved abortive, thus fuelling her suspicion that it was a set up from within.
Speaking further, slim-built Eze, who combines acting with producing, said she was grateful to her amiable executive producer–Mr. Mgbere, for believing in her vision as an actress and young filmmaker, adding that without his support the project wouldn’t have seen daylight. She however, promised to remain steadfast in her burgeoning careers as an actress and filmmaker.
“I will forever remain grateful to the boss of De Atai, without whom all I’m doing today in Nollywood would not have been possible. His Love for entertainment is unrivalled. We are currently mapping out plans for our next movie, it is going to be huge, in fact, we are also discussing with some State Governments and corporate bodies, to be part of the project. As soon as we are set, the world will hear about this noble project”, she hinted.
De Atai Entertainment is an Abuja based outfit with a vision of helping to develop talents in the nation’s showbiz sector, especially Nollywood.
Silent Scandal set to thrill movie buffs globally
Few months after recording a resounding success with When The Heart Lies, leading female filmmaker and the honcho of Purple Pine Productions, Vivian Ejike, is set to hit the national and international movie scenes with another box office.
Entitled: Silent Scandal, the thought provoking flick, according to cerebral Miss Ejike, would be released on VCD and DVD soon in Nigeria, Europe, US and the rest of Africa.
The dramatic love story that revolves around the hidden and triangular love lives of a strict mother, her spoilt daughter and an indigent ‘playboy,’ has top actress, Genevieve Nnaji, as the lead actress. Uche Jombo, Ebele Okaro, Ghanaian import –Michael Majid and a host of other up and coming acts, ably supported her.
Shedding more light, pretty Ejike, who just returned from the UK, where she went to tidy up some movie-related deals, disclosed that Silent Scandal, was painstakingly shot with hi-tech production equipment beautifully manned by tested professionals within and outside Nigeria.
“It’s a contemporary movie that will blow away the minds of movie buffs. Its also an emotional story, where a mother and her only daughter, unknowingly, are torn apart by the true love and lust of an indigent young man. Silent Scandal is full of intrigues and suspense from start-to-finish. With all sense of modesty, its another plus for Nollywood, especially now that the nation is preaching the gospel of re-branding. We believe so much in quality films and productions at Purple Pine and that is what this movie stands for,” disclosed Miss Ejike, a former top banker.
The movie, which was directed by a Nigerian filmmaker based in Los Angeles, US, also featured a live Fashion Show by award winning designer, Zizi Cardow and her leggy models.
Gathered that Cardow’s cameo appearance in the fast-paced movie was well applauded by the cast and crew.
Aside producing and financing the big budget project, Miss Ejike, with over 13 years experience in Nollywood, also wrote and screen played the forthcoming movie.
Elaborating more on the relationship between the cast and crew on locations within the Lagos metropolis Ejike, revealed that it was fun all the way. “We all had fun and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves while the production lasted. In fact, we worked like a family.”
Silent Scandal, will be distributed and marketed globally by Nollywood Distributions Company Limited, in collaboration with other major video outlets and marts.
Ochonma returns, drops Durotimi for fans
After over three years absence from the music scene, Customs officer tuned musician Innocent Chuks better known as Ochonma, is back and basking in the emporia of his latest work.
Entitled: Durotimi, the 13 tracker offering packaged and produced by Network Productions, is already on air and making huge impact among music lovers and pundits.
Durotimi, which is Ochonma’s third effort-coming after Sofri-Sofri and Odigiwe, already has three of its videos currently playing on air, for his teeming fans globally.
The former highlife crooner, who now sings hip-hop, maintained that all the tracks in the new work are socially relevant and topical.
“Durotimi was specially done for my female fans. In the song, I was appealing to them to always stay with me because I will never let them down. And with this new work, there is no stopping Ochonma, because I’m moving to the next level with my career.”
On why he dumped highlife for hip-hop, the act, who went into music professionally in 1990, insisted that he joined the line in order to move with what is in vogue, as well as repackage his career, to have a youthful appeal. “I’ve also come to discover that its not good to be rigid in life, and because of this, I decided to abandon highlife for now and join the hip hop train, which is moving very fast. I also went underground because my former marketer messed up my second album. The new guy I’m working with knows the terrain very well.”
Ochonma, who will soon embark on a nationwide promotional tour, has warned pirates to desist from pirating the new work, adding that those caught would be dealt with severely.
He also enjoined music lovers to always insist on buying only original copies of the fast selling work.
The act who now dons a gold tainted low cut hair style, was also full of praises to the Nigerian music industry, which he described as very vibrant and mature.
Barnaby Nigeria Limited in collaboration with other music outlets nationwide, are marketing and distributing the new work
No comments:
Post a Comment