NIGERIAN ENTERTAINMENT,MEDIA PRACTITIONERS HONOUR HITV BOSS,TOYIN SUBAIR AT OJEZ

It was tribute without end last Sunday as O’jez Entertainment Centre, National Stadium, Lagos, played host to founder and CEO of HiTV Nigeria, Toyin Subair, in its monthly O’jez Entertainment Forum in collaboration with the Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN. From veteran broadcaster and arts patriarch, Ambassador Segun Olusola, highlife music promoter Chief Femi Eso, Nollywood stars Zack Orji, Charles Inojie, Ejike Asiegbu, Chidi Nwakeabia, Emeka Enyiocha, reggae music icon, Ras Kimono, hip hop superstar D’banj among many others, the packed celebrity restaurant, unanimously agreed that Toyin Subair, has done the nation proud with his modest achievement of setting up a proudly Nigerian pay TV station. HiTV’s joint initiative with D’banj, Koko Mansion, also received kudos and endorsement from all the celebrities as well as top personalities gathered at O’jez that evening. Billed to begin soon, Koko Mansion is a reality television show featuring D’banj being facilitated by HiTV. Koko Mansion revolves around the quest of 12 beautiful, talented girls that will live in a mansion for eight weeks, to become the ideal Kokolette (wife). The Mansion is situated in an undisclosed area in Lagos. Hip hop superstar D’banj will play a vital role in the oncoming show. 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. Aside that, the winner will 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.Ambassador Olusola described Subair as a “young and resilient Nigerian who has done the nation proud.” As the oldest in the gathering, he prayed to God to give him (Subair) more strength to achieve more successes in life. Amadi Ogbonna, Group Entertainment Editor, Vanguard newspapers, showered encomiums on Subair even as he traced his success story from when he was involved in active legal practice. The distinguished guest revealed he was humbled by the show of love for him. He said HiTV was set up sorely as “a catalyst. We wanted to prove that Nigerians can own and effectively run a pay TV as against the disinformation being passed by many people outside.” He said plans have being concluded in the United States, Africa, France some parts of Europe, to get HiTV signals. “We are grateful about that, because we are out to sell Nigeria positively to the world, our purely Nigerian channels, Hi Nolly, Nigezie are what the world will see and view us from a different perspective. And Koko Mansion reality show coming soon, despite what haters say, is going to redefine reality shows in Nigeria. We are not promoting immorality... I would rather enjoin all to wait and see it unfold.” Ejike Asiegbu, president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria reiterated the guild’s support for HiTV and Koko Mansion “because it is a Nigerian company and Koko Mansion is something fresh, that we are all looking forward to.” The evening was made more refreshing with the performance by D’banj and the Evergreen band that dished out refreshing highlife tunes.

-gistmaster.com

Other related stories on kokomasion- D’Banj,HITV takes kokomansion to France,Ghana ,Want to be part of the kokomasion with D'banj?Get your form now!

FROM CAPETOWN SOUTH AFRICA, DAREY 'ART ALADE' RETURNS WITH ANOTHER WONDROUS VIDEO- 'NO STARS'

With amazing vocal talents and unusual hard work, Darey Art Alade sure knows how to bring good music to the table. And with matchless and interpretative videos, he not only drives home his point, but also wins the hearts of Fans and Critics inside and outside Nigeria .
So it is no surprise that his new video ‘No stars’ is winning critical acclaim while the fans are doling out unanimous thumbs up.
‘No stars’ is a brilliant video’ Solomon Shonaiya, COO of Soul Muzik says. ‘it is a sequel to his hit single ‘Not the girl’. The video should continue from where ‘Not the girl stopped, and that is what we have done’
No Stars is the fourth track on Darey’s album ‘Un.DAREY.ted’. The cut comes immediately after the hit single ‘Not the girl’.
Darey explains ‘I had always had it on mind for ‘No stars’ to follow ‘Not the girl’, when the songs were being written which is why it comes immediately after ‘Not the girl’ on the album, I t just captures the whole picture of Darey after break up. If ‘Not the girl’ tells the story of break up, ‘No stars’ pictures the aftermath of break up’.
The video which features Carla, the same model in ‘Not the girl’ was shot in Cape Town, South Africa, and was directed by Mark Hofmeyer, Gwydion Beynon and Robert Hofmeyer of Odd digital Productions the same directors responsible for his previous videos ‘Not the girl’ and ‘More’.
The clips in ‘No stars’ have sequential significance Darey says. ‘There are pictures of me and the girl in the house, and every step I take, or everything I touch, there is an emotional attachment to it, even stuffs as small as a disc, a brush, or even the calendar the good thing is that the audience can relate well to the video as it takes them back to the good old days, merging it with some clips from ‘Not the girl’, and then brings us back to Darey’s state of mind’
With visually rich art design and a skillfully shot story line, the directors portray the story of a post relationship trauma. The video starts with Darey in front of the keyboard. After he gives a brief solo introduction, he goes around the empty house that used to belong to himself and his partner, but everything he sees reminds him of her.
The love and heart break chronicle in the sequel to his hit single ‘Not the girl’ ends with Darey still questing and waiting for his girl to return - all to no avail.

-gistmaster.com

RED BULL STREET STYLE...REMARKABLE TALENT IN BENIN

Red Bull Street Style witnessed its first qualifier rounds this May, at Urokpota Hall Parking, Sizzlers Fast Food Parking and University of Benin at Benin This first qualifying round saw more than 4,500 spectators, all watching young and talented Freestylers in attendance. Each Freestyler had three minutes to display the best football tricks and moves using his feet, knees, lower legs, chest, shoulders and head.
The level of performance was very high and the best freestylers were selected to make it through to the final round that will take place on June 13 at Silverbird Galleria, in Lagos , to compete with the other freestylers selected from Kanu, Abuja and Lagos ’ qualifier rounds. The finalists from Benin qualifier are: Victor Adigwe, Oromoni Bernard, Omorodion Edemkhiota and Princewill Ndukwe.
Freestylers who wish to test their skills have the chance now and can join Red Bull Street Style on June 2nd and 3rd in Kanu. After Nigeria ’s Red Bull Street Style Finals, the top winner will have the chance to participate at the world finals which will take place in South Africa , March / April 2010.
The numerous participants from South American countries, including Brazil , and Argentina to name just a few, seem to be born with freestyle football blood flowing through their veins. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that this year the freestyle football elite from Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa will play a major role in deciding who will be crowned overall winner of Red Bull Street Style.

-gistmaster.com

D'BANJ,HITV TAKES KOKOMASION TO FRANCE,GHANA

WHEN Koko Mansion, a television reality show being facilitated by HiTV Nigeria, finally begins, viewers in faraway France and Nigeria’s next door neighbour, Ghana as well as other African countries, will have the opportunity of seeing the show being touted as the ‘biggest reality show in Africa live.

This is going to be made possible because, HiTV, the wholly Nigerian pay television company, is among other African channels currently on the French IPTV operator Free, which has introduced a new range of African channels on its platform. Being the first group brought together in the African Premium bouquet, it was developed in cooperation with Thema and comprises nine public and commercial channels from a variety of African nations: two from Senegal ( RTS and 2STV), three from Cameroon, (CRTV, STV2 and Canal 2), the national public channel of Côte d’Ivoire (RTI), the public channel of the Mali (ORTM), the public channel of the Congo (Tele Congo) and the pan-African channel Africable.

HiTV is available on Free as a la carte service.Freebasic TV subscribers can in addition receive the pan-African news and information channel Voxafrica. Also, in Ghana, a deal has been signed between HiTV and Skyy Media for the distribution of HiTV’s flagship channels Hi-Nolly and Nigezie on its platform. It’s founder and chief executive director, Mr. Toyin Subair, in a statement said, HiTV is pleased about this development “especially in light of its new TV reality show featuring D’banj tagged Koko Mansion, being supported by Nigerian Breweries Plc, Jagal Group, that is billed to come up soon on our platform. The implication of this, is that viewers in Africa and Europe will get to see Koko Mansion live as events unfold in the quest of searching for the ideal Kokolette (woman).

We are happy that in just two years, HiTV is moving ahead on a difficult turf such as the pay television’s.” Subair said the arrival of Hi Nolly and Nigezie in France and Ghana, shows that HiTV is leading the pack in showcasing Nigeria’s culture in the area of movie and music. “It is time to take Nigeria’s culture to the outside world, we want the world to know more about us in this period that we are rebranding as a nation. So, what HiTV is doing is complimenting the federal government’s efforts aimed at rebranding our nation.” It will be recalled that HiTV is already in the UK and plans are ongoing to take the pay television channels to other parts of Africa, Europe and America.

Meanwhile, registration is gradually coming to an end in the ongoing race to be the nation’s number one Kokolette. HiTV’s Public Relations Manager, Mr. Justin Akpovi-Esade, said the pay TV company was satisfied with the response from potential Kokolettes. “The response so far has been impressive, but this phase is gradually coming to an end.” He is grateful to all the companies that have come on board to support Koko Mansion, so far, even as he called on other corporate bodies to join in the quest for the number Kokolette in Nigeria. The show is scheduled to hold in a couple of weeks.

-gistmaster.com

THE ULTIMATE SEARCH IS BACK!

Nigerians can’t get enough of the country’s biggest and boldest reality TV show… and so after five brilliant years searching for men and women with intellect, determination and guts: it’s time for the Gulder Ultimate Search 6!

It started at the mysterious Snake Island , and then moved to the meandering cold hills of Obudu. It was also NIFOR, at the very humid forest that houses the Oil palm research institute before we progressed to Shere hills in Jos Plateau State . Last year, the search was for the lost chronicles in Agwu Hills, Mmaku. This year’s search will be set within the undulating plains of the Omodo Forest in Ada , Osun State , and will to stretch man to the very limit of his endurance.

“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” the producers said at the press conference announcing the show last week.

They will be searching for the HORN OF VALOUR hidden in the hands of the beautiful guardian of the forest. It is believed that the secret message on the horn is the only solution that can change the world’s destiny. To find it, these men will battle nature and the wild… is Nigeria ready for this?!

Entry to the Search is free and the selection process will be rigorous and have a national spread. The application form is available on www.gulderultimatesearch.tv

If you want to register, closing date is 11 June 2009, so register now viathe website http://www.gulderultimatesearch.tv; but if you just want all that juicy detail on this year’s show; the website is still the place to go.

The Ultimate Man/Woman who finds the Horn of Valour will exchange it for a cash prize of N7million (seven million Naira), a wardrobe allowance of =N=500,000 and a Brand New SUV. Other searchers will receive cash reward from 500, 000 upwards. And the last woman standing still gets the big N1, 000, 000 reward!

UBA PLC CELEBRATES DEMOCRACY DAY AT AUTO LOUNGE

Story & photo by Niyi Tabiti

UBA Plc, one of Nigeria’s banks set Auto Lounge aglow on Thursday 28 May 2009 when it sponsored the democracy day gig at the popular hangout. The hangout was packed full of fun seekers and bank officials looking for the big spenders in the club to move in to UBA with their huge accounts. The gig was specifically to celebrate the 10 years of anniversary of democracy in Nigeria.
One of those at hangout told www.niyitabiti.blogspot.com the event is another way of networking for more customers, taking their products to would be customers in the cause of having fun. “You know this is the kind of club where you see the real big boys and babes hanging out. Its easier, when they are more relaxed”
It should be recalled that in January 2009, the UBA had the colourful edition of its annual CEO awards.Staff who have distinguished themselves in line of duty were rewarded by the management of the company. Tony Elumelu, the suave Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer the bank was accompanied to the ceremony by his beautiful wife, Awele.
We gathered that the January event was the work of a team, which has the likes of Pamela Shodipo, Eunice Adegulehin, Nneka Iwuchukwu,Ijeoma Aso and others on board.

By Niyi Tabiti

SHOWTIME AFRICA, a company owned by top comedian and showbiz entrepreneur, Tunde Adewale otherwise known as Tee- A, hosted celebrities to the second edition f its annual Old Skool party in Lagos, Nigeria.

The event took place in the classy ambience of Fantasyland, Ikoyi. The music and dressing pattern of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s of Lagos socialites was the pivot of the ceremony. No one was left out of the fun as many of the guests at comedians and musicians turned out with their exhilarating performances.

Those who showed up at the ceremony, include Bright Ikpocha the comedians known as Basket Mouth, Julius Agwu and wife, Kenny st.Brown, Essence,Bisoye Fagade,Seyi Otuyemi, Ayo Animashaun of Hip Hop World,Sheddy Baba,Dayo of Hip on Tv,Omawunmi,Isio Wanogho,Sound Sultan, Tony Tetuila,Eddy Remedy and others.

The best performer of the night goes to Eddy Remedy, who brought back to life “Mo shako mo’ the song that brought him and other members of the defunct Remedies group to limelight in the 80s.He got the whole screaming with excitement. That mood would have set in the process of reconciliation between the artiste and his estranged wife, Kenny st.Brown, but it was futile at the end. When Eddy was moving the crowd, Tee A tried appealing to Kenny st. Brown just to make her join Eddy on stage but she politely refused.