20062021 - Student thrown out of vehicle by fleeing attacks survives

SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 20, 2021, PAGE 11
F
•Denrele
emi Bello, US-based Nigerian show promoter who has
organised shows for top Nigerian music stars over the years
has affirmed that any Nigerian artiste would thrive with any
show in the US provided the right route
is taken and proper structure in place.
“In the US, I worked with Wande Coal,
Wizkid, Psquare, Olamide, Tiwa Savage,
Davido, Yemi Alade, Mr Eazi and even
Sarkodie. These are top African artistes
whose concerts I packaged in the US.
They are big concerts in their own right
and there is always a different approach
to every show, but I can tell you that
Nigerian artistes will sell out any show
in the US as long as we put proper
structure in place ahead of the event,”
he said in a chat with Potpourri
According to Bello, dealing with
Nigerian artistes can be very
challenging, because most times
they are always after the money
they would make at the end of
the show and not necessarily the
fans base and more popularity
the shows will fetch them.
“The truth is that most of these
artistes don’t understand how
things work here, especially when
they bring their shows to the US.
•Femi Bello
They have a wrong impression
about the way we make the shows
work. So I always tell them that their
approach towards show promoters is
bad. Some of them don’t open up to the
show promoters; they try to be smarter.
They don’t understand the business aspect
of the job. What they always care about is
the money they want to make at the end
of the show. They make the job hard for
you when they don’t speak up,” he further
explained.
How my lifestyle cost my sister a job
—Denrele
parents find out Denrele is your brother,
they will withdraw their wards from the
school, and it is something I cannot
T
risk. When she called to tell me, I was
here are many things weird about the saddened. Her knowledge, skills and
entertainment personality known as competence were not in question, just
Denrele (born Adenrele Oluwafemi the simple reason of being related to
Edun). And since he broke into the me. I felt so bad that my name would
entertainment world, people have not ruin things for her, and so sometimes
•Femi Kuti
stopped talking about his strange she even denies knowing me.”
bohemian lifestyle. But Denrele Even though Denrele is said to have
doesn’t give a damn! Probably set the foundation for the expression
except for one time when his of individualism in Nigeria, he still
sister was the one at the finds himself at the receiving end of
receiving end
intense backlash and trolls, especially
Recounting the story of on social media. He says he deals with
how he was responsible for this by understanding that social
his sister’s dismissal from media is not a validation for his
her job, Denrele said, “My existence and one has to remain true
sister recently lost her job just to oneself against all odds. To him,
because her employer found that is key to happiness.
out she is related to me. This Denrele made the revelation at last
happened in a primary school. week’s episode of #WithChude
The head teacher randomly called
her to let her go with the reason that if
My only dream is to inter
ervie
view Kim
Kardashian, Drake —OAP, Manosky
TV/ radio personality, Chigozie Anumudu better
known as Manosky has declared that there’s
no Nigerian true celebrity he hasn’t interviewed.
Speaking with Potpourri in a chat, the newly
appointed Senior Special Assistant to Abia State
governor on entertainment reveals that
interviewing Kim Kardashian and Drake would
be the icing on the cake to his splendid career.
In his words: “In Nigeria here, I’ve practically
interviewed all the celebrities from the music to
the movies and on to the dance world. There’s no
one left to be interviewed. The likes of Wizkid,
Davido, Olamide, Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, Tekno,
Mercy Johnson, in fact the list is endless. Time
shall fail us if I continue mentioning names but
that one person I crave an interview session with
is Kim Kardashian. After her, it would be Drake.
The reason is that I can be spontaneous on the
carpet so when I meet them, I’ll have things to
play around with and get them stunned. Let’s leave
it at that until the interview is staged.”
Manosky also gave an account of his journey
into the media world and how it all started in
London to the Southeast and ultimately to Lagos.
I started as an attache announcer on BBC
Portland Place, London, more or less an
internship if you like. After that, I got back to
the country and had a brief stint with the
defunct 105.5 Cosmo FM, Enugu, after which I
got poached by Enugu State Broadcasting
Service in 2006. I was called by the Federal
Radio Corporation of Nigeria and
posted to Heartland 100.5FM,
Owerri. I was the youngest
OAP at the time. In 2011, Hot
99.5FM came to Owerri and
snapped me up. It was a brief
stay there as Radio Nigeria
came back calling. They
had promoted me in my
absence when a new
General Manager, Mr
Anthony Okofu came on
board and heard I left with
my vast fan-base to Hot
FM. Then in 2013, Magic
102.9FM Aba opened and
I was called and made
Chief Presenter/
Programmes Manager, a
position I held until I left
the East for Lagos in 2014.
What Nigerian artistes going abroad
for shows should know —Femi Bello
•Manosky
•Mr Marcaroni and Lateef
Adedimeji at Ayinla premiere
My career was never
built on winning
awards, Grammy’s
—Femi Kuti
Afrobeats superstar, Femi Kuti has been
nominated for a Grammy award four times but he
has never won. In a radio chat with Beat FM 99.9
the “Stop The Hate” star explains his music and
the importance of Grammy to it, citing what is more
important to him than winning awards or the
Grammy’s.
“My career was never built on winning
awards,” he said. “ It was based on talking about
social and political issues. If my career were
built on winning the Grammy’s, I would
probably not be based in Nigeria. I would set
up somewhere in America and be lobbying
for it. It’s really political, you must be there,
they must see you and you must be fighting
for it. I would be working with the best
musicians to put a big image of my people
out there.”
“If I use big American artistes to distribute
my music it is already a Grammy nominated
album. The Grammy already knows who I
am. Most important for me and my career,
is, if I can wake up and have electricity
forever, if we have good salaries for
everybody, pensions are paid, the roads
are good, and Africa is a big party where I
can drive my car from Lagos to Nairobi,
Johannesburg and the place is booming with
love, no award can bring me such
satisfaction,” he added.
Femi Kuti was nominated in 2003, 2010, 2012
and 2013 in the World Music category of the
Grammy’s.
‘Ayinla’ the movie,
premieres amid
cultural razzmatazz
Last Sunday, June 12, one of the most anticipated movies of the
season, ‘Ayinla’, was premiered at the Ebonylife Place, Victoria
Island, Lagos, and aside from being a cultural explosion, it was a
gathering of entertainers, captains of industry, filmmakers and
entertainment industry investors.
The star-studded event, themed “Cultural Extravaganza” served
as a hub for the most culturally adventurous outfits of the season
aside being a celebration of the African-Yoruba culture, which the
movie richly represents.
‘Ayinla’ follows the story of Apala music maestro, Ayinla
‘Omowura’ Yusuf, popularly called Egunmogaji (Anigilaje).
Produced by Jade Osiberu, the movie is directed by movie
virtuoso Tunde ‘TK’ Kelani and stars talents like Adedimeji Lateef
as Ayinla, and Debo Marcaroni as the murderous Bayowa.
Others include Kunle Afolayan, Omowumi Dada, Bimbo Manuel,
Ade Laoye, Jumoke Odetola, Bimbo Ademoye and many others.
The sponsors of the movie and event, Trophy lager beer and
First Bank were on hand to reward guests for their presence. As
the drinks flowed, so did First Bank reward the best dressed for
the evening in male and female categories with a cash prize of
N500,000 each. Nollywood stars, Akah Nnani and Osas Ighodaro
took home the gold.