Amebor » Art and Living

A Racist slur or a Joke gone too far?

Jide Ladipo — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:53:43 +0000

Less than three days after scoring his first goal for new club West Brom of England, Osaze Odemwingie has been hit by a remark that might come across as been racist by a lot of people in the sporting world.
At the heart of the race storm is Russia, one of the bidding nations for the 2018 World Cup. Yesterday images emerged showing fans of Lokomotiv Moscow holding up a banner saying; THANK YOU WESTBROM with a banana fruit in the middle of the statement.

Officials in Russia have been quick to play down the gaffe. Their response was that in Russia the banana is used to symbolise failure. Rival bidding nation, England has been quick to criticise the Russians for having their fans behave in an inappropriate manner. English Sports Minister Hugh Robertson said: “Racism has no place in football or sport in general. If there is evidence that it has taken place I’d hope the relevant authorities would take a tough line.”

Lokomotiv Moscow fans making their feelings known

A source from Russian embassy in London said: “So far we don’t see any reasons to dramatise this, since in Russian student slang ‘to get a banana’ means to fail a test, and Odemwingie was seen by many fans in Moscow as not perhaps the best performer. But it’s their own judgment.”

Osaze had suffered a dry spell in last month’s with Russian Club Lokomotiv Moscow and some sections of the Russian press had claimed that his lack of bite in front of goal was down to the hostile nature of the fans at his former club.

Just like England this is not the first time Russia has been involved in race rows. In the 2008, Ronald Zubar, Andre Ayew and Charles Kabhore of Marsielle FC of France were subjects of racist slurs from fans of Zenit Saint Petersburg of Russia. Cameroonian defender Andre Bikey was also subjected to racist chants during his time at Lokomotiv Moscow.

Osaze who experienced a last few horrid months at Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow proved to be an instant hit at West Brom, scoring in his first game on Saturday.

A six-man FIFA delegation visited Russia last week just days before a banner showing an allegedly racist remark been directed at Osaze Odemwingie.

Do you believe in Genies? | A Man, A Woman, A Genie, A Gun – Review

Abiola Abiola — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:08:22 +0000

Review- A Man, A Woman, A Genie, A Gun

Do you believe in genies? Yes or No?? Whichever you chose, there’s something for you in this film. (Which happens to be short, only 17mins). All of the 17 minutes were worth keeping my eyes opened for. My hands are tied here, can’t give much away But I tell you what; every one in the theater had a series of great laughs.

Limor Hakim, Godfrey, and Lou Martini, Jr. in the short film A Man, A Woman, A Genie, A Gun

The Film

The most commendable part of this production as a whole was in the writing and directing, which was done be Chuks himself, but that’s not to take anything away from the superb acting. He cleverly combined the four words in the title, with stereotypes, a racial one at that – it must be hard to be a black Nigerian.

The role of the urban genie fitted Godfrey to the ‘T’. And the other two main actors, Lou Martini and Limor Hakim were on top of their game. As for Chuks, with this kind of start, the sky is the limit.

The night ended with a Q and A session with Chuks Nwanesi, and all the cast members; Lou Martini Jr., Limor Hakim, Seregon O’Dassey, Adam Griffin, Althea Vyfhuis, minus one – Godfrey. My only question for Godfrey is, WHY DIDN’T YOU SHOW UP?

And yes, if you missed this show, tweet Chuks @misterchuks perhaps we can get him to sell the DVDs

WYCLEF JEAN TO RUN FOR HAITI PRESIDENCY

Jide Ladipo — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 01:53:46 +0000

It’s not unusual for sport stars from countries with poor political structures to seek political power. So when Wyclef jean, a man known better for his musical genius decided to follow the footsteps of George weah (Liberia) and Manny Pacquiao (Philippines) by announcing his candidacy for Haiti’s upcoming presidency, not many were surprised.
For years, Wyclef Jean has been seen as shinning beacon of a country plagued by internal conflict, strife and poverty. At a time when the country is desperately calling for leadership, Wyclef Jean offers fresh hope to a people who are in need of good governance.
Wyclef Jean made a formal statement to TIME magazine that he is going to announce his candidacy for the November 7th 2010 election. But with swag of a Hollywood star still lingering on peoples mind regarding his image, I envisage it will be very tempting to dismiss this as a show off of some sort, a publicity stunt from the same guy who just a few years ago recorded a song called “If I Was President.”

Wyclef has always been a proud citizen of Haiti

The January 12th Earth quake that hit Haiti has further more thrown light into the leadership qualities Wyclef jean possesses. This is a man who cried about the plight of his country before the disaster struck. With his latest attempt to make a difference, I envisage In Haiti, many will now consider him as a modern day mosses leading his people out of Egypt.
Speaking to the press, Wyclef said: “If not for the earthquake, I probably would have waited another 10 years before doing this. The quake drove home to me that Haiti can’t wait another 10 years for us to bring it into the 21st century.”

Wyclef says he sees no contradiction between his life as an artist and his ambitions as a politician. “If I can’t take five years out to serve my country as President,” he argues, “then everything I’ve been singing about, like equal rights, doesn’t mean anything.”

The developments over the next few months will definitely be interesting and already there is website selling Wyclef for President T-shirts (Check out http://www.wyclefforpresidentshirt.com/). Regardless of the outcome of the election on November 7th, Wyclef Jean is surely venturing into an unfamiliar terrain and he would need all the support he can get.

WCLEF FOR PRESIDENT T-shirts are already on sale!

THOMAS IKIMI: A FILMAKER’S QUEST FOR RECOGNITION

T Ihidero — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:51:39 +0000

The Nigerian Movie Industry, known as Nollywood, is currently being researched and discussed by the Western Media because of the rapid progress it has made in the last ten years. While some of our actors and actresses are gradually becoming popular in the western world, it is hard to find Nigerian Film Producers who are recognized by Hollywood. This status quo is about to change due to the efforts of Thomas Eromose Ikimi. He is the new kid on the block in Independent Film Making and his profile is rising daily. Ikimi, who is a graduate of Literature and Writing from Columbia University, New York, makes great movies with shoestring budgets and has worked with Britain’s foremost black actor, Idris Elba.

Thomas is gaining recognition from Hollywood year on year

Thomas Ikimi was born in Westminster, London, on April 10,1979. He spent his early years in Nigeria where he attended Primary School, but he returned to Britain later on to continue his education. As a teenager, Ikimi loved writing and always came up with story ideas which he left undeveloped. It took some encouragement from his brother before he decided to unleash his talent on the world. In 2005, Thomas took his student film ‘Limbo’ to the Cannes Film Festival. Due to the success of the film in France, he was invited to the Taormina International Film Festival in Sicily, where ‘ Limbo’ was an official selection. Apart from being one of the 12 films chosen worldwide, it also had the added honour of opening the festival. Those who saw the movie were amazed when they learnt that it was produced on a $9000 budget. Ikimi wrote, directed and produced ‘Limbo’ while at the same time studying for and writing his mid-term exams. His gamble paid off as his debut work was screened at a festival where a major film, Batman Begins, (Produced on a $150 Million Budget ) was premiering.

British actor Idris Elba is the main character in Thomas Ikimi's latest movie LEGACY

After being nominated for Best Director and Best Picture ( Limbo) at the Eerie Horror Festival, Thomas continued writing and developing screenplays for Producers in London. However, like Oliver Twist, Ikimi wanted more. It was not for an extra serving of soup this time around, but a craving for greater recognition in Hollywood. His 2010 film ‘Legacy’ has quenched his thirst for stardom. ‘ Legacy’ is a psychological thriller about a Black Ops soldier, Malcolm Gray, ( played by Idris Elba ) who comes back to a Brooklyn Hotel after a failed operation in Eastern Europe and battles his personal demons. Once again, the god of fortune smiled on Ikimi. His initial budget for ‘Legacy’ was $20,000 and his plan was to use his close associates as the cast and crew. Somehow, Idris Elba got hold of the film’s script and became interested in the project. The budget of ‘Legacy’ subsequently increased to over $500,000 in a matter of days. The movie which was shot in Scotland ( though it was set in New York ] also featured established American stars like Eamon Walker, Clarke Peters, Richard Brake and Monique Gabriela Curnen.

‘Legacy’ which had its World Premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival in Scotland, has received a lot of praises. Elba was brilliant in the movie and Thomas Ikimi has become a force to be reckoned with. An examination of Ikimi’s lifestyle has thrown up some interesting facts. He is a social activist who has plans of making movies that will address social issues. This activist side of him can be seen in the film he made in honour of his cousin, Anthony Fatayi Williams, who died in the London Bombings of 2005. The film ‘Home Front’ probed deeply into the workings of the British Transport System and sought to find answers to questions being asked by the British public due to alleged cover-ups by the Government. Thomas Ikimi is very intelligent and loves doing things differently. He visits Nigeria regularly and his future is very bright. Though he still has a long way to go in his bid to become an acclaimed Film Director and Producer, Ikimi is Nigeria’s finest in Hollywood at the moment.

Love Lost | Lady Bee’s Diary Pt. 3

LadyBee — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 10:30:03 +0000

My people, sorry for my absence, Just been tied up with work and exams. You know your girl must survive now, can’t rely on these no-good London blokes. And yes, I’m still reeling from my disappointment of my fairytale cyber-love who turned out to be more of a frog than a prince. Just so you know, our meeting did not go beyond that car park as I just couldn’t stand him but there’s still a glimmer of hope as I’ve got another date.

Well, it’s nothing special, just this dude that has been on my case for some time. I’ve known him for quite a while, so no undesirable surprises there, or so I hope. He’s promised to keep it casual, so no coming on too hard. I keep the dressing casual too; just a pair of skinny jeans and a tight fitting top with heels…no long thing! I just can’t bring myself to dress up for another disappointment, if it turns out to be. My phone rings, it’s him.

“Hi Ben” I say softly down the phone, unable to muster the strength to sound even the least bit excited.
“Hey, you alright?” he asks, so excitedly, it sounded just a bit annoying.
“I’m outside”. “OK, I’ll be right out” I reply, in my sullen tone still.

As soon as I step outside and clock him, I knew the date was just going to go one way: the way I won’t like. He’s sat in his banger, grinning. Just so you know, a banger is an old rickety car. Oh goodness! Ok, that shouldn’t be an issue, as I don’t want to come across as materialistic. He looks good though, his handsome face breaking into an enchanting smile once he set eyes on me. Still sweet as ever. He gets out of his banger and engages me in a warm embrace, he smells nice too. We pull away after a couple of seconds, and just as soon as he opens his mouth to speak, a strong odour followed. Oh no, bad breath! How could I have not remembered that his breath could render a being weak? I couldn’t pull away from him completely fast enough. The ride to the date felt like the longest journey I’ve ever been on as this guy couldn’t stop talking, suffocating me with his stale breath and I just couldn’t wait to hop out of his banger.

After what seems like eternity, we arrive at the date, a ‘swanky’ Chinese buffet parlour offering an all-you-can-eat for £10.50. Wow! Aren’t I a lucky girl? Dude sure went all out for me. A buffet on a first date, who would have thought? Cheap prick! Sensing my disgust, he asks what’s wrong. “I’m fine, just a bit tired” I lie. “Are you sure?” he presses, and in my mind I’m thinking won’t this guy just eat his food. I nod in affirmation to his question. My guy was just scoffing down the food. Nothing on that platter of egg friend rice, chicken balls, prawn, chicken vermicelli, sesame toast and a host of others went untouched, and in a greedy fashion too. Again, I couldn’t wait to get out of there.
“Why me God, why me?” I ask in my mind. I dare not lament out loud.
Now for the pièce de résistance, we went all the way next door…to the cinema. Could this date get any worse, I hear you ask. I’m really pinching myself just to be sure I’m not stuck in an unpleasant dream. As it turns out, this is reality. We get our tickets to see Prince of Persia and dawdle over to the confectionary stand. He’s still speaking and my tolerance is still permitting me to be polite but if this dude ventures forward and laughs so close to my face again, I would seriously lose it. You would think all that food would have helped his breath, right? He requested for a popcorn couple’s combo…again, wow – two large drinks and one tub of popcorn, coming up to a total of £9.30. The shame I feel compares to none. He decides to pay with his debit card. The attendant rings up the amount on the debit pad, he enters his PIN and the next words that come out of the attendant’s mouth just make me wish for lightening to strike at exactly the point I am standing.

“It’s been declined” WHAT?

“Please try again” he begs.

The attendant tries again and the same happens. At this point, I would gladly commit suicide. A long queue of fellow film-goers extends behind us, taking the shame to an unfathomable level of magnitude, indescribable in itself. I just pray inwardly that he has some cash on him, because if I decide to pay, it’ll be a shame neither of us could live down. He beckons on me to take the popcorn and drinks upstairs, at the attendant’s discretion of course. So I go up into the screen room, previews are starting and I’m munching away, oblivious to what’s going on between my date and the cinema attendant. Finally, he appears and comes to sit beside me.

Then he says:

“Ummh Sarah, the card has been declined and I don’t have any cash on me to pay for the popcorn and drinks so I have to take them back.”

Cue huge jaw-drop. I give them to him, mouth still wide open. This has gone beyond shame, totally numb to that emotion now. And the worst part of it is that yours truly has eaten the popcorn half-way down the tub. In fact, I give up. But amidst this, I feel so sorry for him seeing him take the items back, with half the popcorn gone, no thanks to me. The look he’d receive from those attendants, I could only pity him. The embarrassment he must be feeling…wow. At this point, Dennis is looking rather tempting. After a couple of minutes, he returns and tries to down-play the whole fiasco. Impossible. Banger, I can stand. Bad breath, there’s help, but cheap restaurant and an embarrassing spell at the cinema, NO can do mister. This girl is jetting, and fast. I make an excuse and take my leave.

I give up. No be by force. When love is ready, it will bring a good-looking man with the ability to pay for a good date my way. But one question though: why is this happening to me? More importantly, where do I get all these guys from?

Get Skinny or Die Trying?

Jide Ladipo — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:02:01 +0000

I recently came across a picture of 50 cent looking lean as if he had been kept in a famine concentration camp.
According to reports, the generally beefy rapper slimmed down for a movie role alongside Val Kilmer and Sharon Stone. He is to play a cancer patient who is fighting the dreadful disease.

50 cent who is used to showing off his beefy body has been forced to stop pumping iron to slim down in a movie titled Microwave Park. 50 cent also plays a police officer in the movie, has also been forced to grow an afro for the role.

50cent is looking a fraction of his old self.

If reports are true 50 cent seems to be taking along his staff in his quest to lose weight. Tony Yayo looked to have trimmed down at least 10 or 15 pounds and In fact, 50 announced a weight-loss challenge for members of his staff, with a cash prize for the winner.
One wonders why 50 cent has decided to take on such a role and lose all his machismo, perhaps this could be linked to his recent dismissal album sales.

So what is 50 cent trying to do? Get Skinny or Die Trying? With a financial crises that seems to have no end in sight, why not eh, 50?

Where is Rashidi Yekini?: Story of a Soccer Legend’s Distaste of Publicity.

T Ihidero — Mon, 24 May 2010 14:12:09 +0000

While his contemporaries like Daniel Amokachi, Samson Siasia, Augustine Eguavoen, Mike Emenalo, Sunday Oliseh and Ben Iroha have coached our National teams or are currently employed by the Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF) and European football clubs, Rashidi Yekini has been reclusive and has shunned government appointments. No one knows where he is at any given time. Though it is clear that he lives in Ibadan, he has refused to speak to journalists who have tried to interview him several times. A pressman who tried to fix a meeting with Yekini at his residence through his ex team-mate was shocked as the goals king refused to open the gate. Yekini also told his friend to stop bringing journalists to his house. So why is Yekini, who scored Nigeria’s first World Cup goal against Bulgaria at USA 94 deliberately staying out of public view?

AMEBOR can authoritatively reveal that Yekini is still playing his hide and seek game with Nigerians. He has refused to respond to the NFF’s request that he should submit his International Passport so that his visa to South Africa can be processed. The football body had chosen Yekini as an Ambassador to the 2010 World Cup alongside former national team coach, Christian Chukwu, ex Eagles player, Garba Lawal, Amodu Shuaibu and Tijani Yusuf, former Secretary General of the NFF. Since he hung his boots in 2005 after playing for local teams like Julius Berger FC and Gateway Football Club of Abeokuta, the 46 year old has been minding his own business. Several reasons have been given for Yekini’s hatred of publicity.

There are speculations that the Kaduna born former Eagles forward has problems with some of his national team colleagues. We’ve always heard of the conspiracy among a clique in the 1994 Super Eagles who refused to pass the ball to Yekini. It is said that the clique disliked his extravagant celebration after he scored against Bulgaria in the team’s opening match. Yekini did not score again at the USA 94 World Cup. The rumor mills maintain that the clique also made him irrelevant at the 1998 World Cup in France. Yekini might not want to cross paths with members of the clique, as some of them will be in Mandela’s country next month for the global soccer fiesta.

Then there is the General Sani Abacha connection. After the Nations Cup in Tunisia in 1994, Yekini had scored 13 goals and was aiming to break the 14 goals record held by Laurent Pokou of Cote di Voire. His desire to quash Pokou’s record at South Africa 96 was dashed to pieces as Abacha stopped the Eagles from attending the tourney because of his stand-off with Nelson Mandela. Nigeria was subsequently banned from the next Nations Cup in Burkina Faso [ 1998 ]. By 2000, when Nigeria hosted the cup with Ghana, Yekini was past his prime. Samuel Eto Fils of Cameroun went on to break the record Yekini had set his eyes on. Yekini is said to be licking the wounds of the disappointment secretly till date. Some soccer analysts are also saying Yekini’s lack of formal education might be preventing him from mixing with his colleagues who are more exposed than him. He is reported to be running a hotel called Liberty Motel on Ring Road, Ibadan, Oyo State. However, he hardly mixes with people and keeps to himself. Sources say he does not have many friends in the ancient city.

We at Amebor.Com feel that Rashidi Yekini needs to come out of his cocoon and participate in national football activities. He also needs to talk to the press so that he can dispel rumors being circulated about him. Most importantly, Yekini, who remains Nigeria’s highest goal scorer with 34 goals to his credit, needs to take his rightful place in the country’s Football Hall of Fame. Staying in the shadows might lead to him being denied this accolade.

MI AND P-SQUARE EARN BET AWARDS NOMINATIONS

T Ihidero — Sat, 22 May 2010 12:51:05 +0000

The creative output of the Nigerian Hip-Hop and Dancehall movement has been rewarded with the nomination of MI [ Jude Abaga ] and P-Square, for the Best International Act Award by Black Entertainment Television ( BET). The Nigerian Acts will vie with other respected performers like Estelle, Chipmunk, Kojo Antwi, Sade, K’naan, Corrine Bailey Rae, Dizzee Rascal and Hip-Hop Pantsula [ HHP]. The BET Awards which will be anchored by female rap legend, Queen Latifah, will hold on June 27, 2010 at the Shrine Auditoruim in Los Angeles. The event is generating a lot of excitement and music lovers are being asked to vote for their favorite acts.

The nomination of MI and P-Square for the awards is coming at a time when Nigerian artistes are becoming landmarks on the World Music Map. MI is undoubtedly one of the hottest rappers on the African continent right now. Born in Jos, Plateau State, he grew up in a household that loved music- his mother was the choir mistress of the church headed by his father. In 1998, MI started flirting with Hip-Hop music by sampling the works of Lauryn Hill and DMX. After returning from the United States where he studied at Calvin College, Michigan, USA, he released his debut album titled ‘ Talk About It’. The album won some awards and was well received in Tanzania. MI’s background as a poet has also made his music unique lyric-wise. He’s also a producer and has worked on the albums of artistes like Djinee, Jesse Jagz [ His brother who’s also a rapper ], Banky W and Tuface Idibia. His most popular rap song to date is ‘Crowd Mentality. MI is signed on Cocolate City, an award winning music label.

P-Square on the other hand also started out from Jos and the Okoye brothers were part of a group called the ‘Smooth Criminals’ until the band fell apart in 1999. Peter and Paul formed their their own group and after trying out various monikers, the duo settled for the name ‘P-Square’. In 2001, the group won the ‘Grab The Mic’ competition which led to Benson & Hedges bankrolling their debut album titled ‘ Last Night ‘. The group has gone on to release other albums and have picked up awards along the way including the 2003 Amen Award for Best R&B Group. P-Square has also performed with international artistes like Ginuwine and Akon. The group won the Artiste of The Year Award at the Kora All Africa Music Awards in Burkina Faso on April 4, 2010. P-Square’s victory at the Kora Awards will give the brothers some confidence that they can surprise the bookmakers at the BET Awards.

You can vote by going to the link below:
http://betawards.bet.com/nominees/category/best-international-act

APPLAUSE MAGAZINE BLUNT FUSION | Photos

Mide O. — Wed, 19 May 2010 01:37:18 +0000

On the 8th of May 2009, The Applause Magazine continued their commendable tradition of promoting African Talents. They sponsored a show at Zereoue, NYC, tagged Blunt Fusion featuring Toba Gold alongside Koleurz and MC’ed by comedian Jedi. “The idea was to showcase something different in the African community”, said Adebowale Folorunsho, CEO of the magazine, “We want people to enjoy real music –an artist playing his music live with a band, not someone miming to his music.”

“These are great artists in their own field, and we got them together because we believe in what they are doing, and want to support them” adds Michael Ikotun, President of Applause Magazine

TOBA GOLD, a Biochemist turned vocalist, is one of Nigeria’s hottest musicians. As a jazz/neo-soul artist, Toba brings forth an eclectic sound stemming from a mixture of English and Yoruba. His songs appeal to the matured minds, conversing on issues ranging from love to life.

KOLEURZ,is a Nigerian artist that has come from singing in a church choir in the 80’s, to performing at various cities in the United States. The name Koleurz originates from the versatility and combination of her musical knowledge and heritage; she often sings in Ibo. Koleurz resides in Long Island, New York.

JEDI, commonly called “The Well Fed Comedian,” the ridiculously hilarious entertainer Jedi evolved over the years not just as a comedian and an MC but he has a unique dimension to him that separates him from his peers and that is his dedication and passion to the things of God

[View with PicLens]

8 WEIRD STREET NAMES, WTF???!!!!!!

Jide Ladipo — Sat, 08 May 2010 23:18:17 +0000

Have you ever walked past a street and think WTF, what kind of weird ass name is this? Well, we have taken time to look for pictures of some of the weirdest names you will ever come across. I know in Nigeria we have mad names like EBIPEJO LANE (The snake is Hungry lane), but some of the ones we have come across are quite shocking and rude to say the least. Well, you know what they say? It’s a Big weird world out there. Enjoy!

Since prostitution is Illegal in the UK, we might have cops patroling this street everyday!

How do you tell your friends where you live? Fucking, Austria!!!!

We can imagine all the guys on this Avenue don't need Viagra in the morning!

The Swedish just like to piss on us don't they? Only in Europe!

*****Throat Cleared***** Some people won't find this funny! Nashville, Tennesse

Try telling the PIZZAMAN to deliver to BUTTHOLE LANE!

WTF? Nuff said!

Arlene Fucks Cats! Some one call the animal cruelity line please!