Thursday 17 November 2011

GENEVIEVE NNAJI BECAME NIGERIA'S MOST SUCCESSFUL FEMALE ENTERTAINER


She has only failed in One aspect of her endeavor in recent time.That was when she tried her hand in singing.
But even at that,Genevieve Nnaji’s album,gave her stupendous cash.This is because the owners of the record label on which she did her music trial paid her handsomely to produce the album.But that is the low point in an illustrious career that has been celebrated from Nigeria to Africa and the world stage.

In the last six years,no one has been celebrated and adored like Genevieve as she has won all awards in the movie industry and represented Nollywood all over the world.

Genevieve has also made a fortune from the movie industry becoming the highest paid actress ever.

With her fortunes has also come the fame which has now led her to become a Member of the Federal Republic,MFR,the fourth highest honour in the land.

Genevieve was honoured yesterday by President Goodluck Jonathan alongside other Nollywood stars Olu Jacobs, Kanayo O kanayo, Amaka Igwe,stephanie Okereke, Osita Iheme.

Genevieve shows appreciation to fans, she tweeted I want to share this with all my twe EVES!! All of u who hv stood by me thru the yrs and and hv said Aye! Wr others hv said Nah.I give all glory to God almighty,but want to especially dedicate this medal to you.U rock ! xx

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Knocked- Off, Kardashian Style?

I get it and it's actually very smart-- once someone becomes famous for being famous, it's time to capitalize on that fame and make some serious moolah. And that's exactly what the Kardashian sisters did. *Mama K knows best, I tell ya!* Don't get me wrong, I love these girls-- they are seriously entertaining to watch and reality shows like that can't get any more realistic... Not :)

And then they ventured into bags. There could only be 2 results= either they hit the mark, or they miss it entirely. The sisters reportedly said they worked very closely together on the designs for each bag. 

*Bitch Mode Alert in 3...2...* I'm sure they spent a lot of time meeting up and working on the designs-- with other designer bags in mind. Sorry girls, I love you, but your bag collection is just plain insulting to the brands you (consciously... or wait, was this all a coincidence? lol) paid homage to. 

Kan you say Knockoff with a Kapital K, please? Note that some bags resemble their designer counterparts more than the others. But tell me, oh please tell me they were NOT thinking of those bags when they were studiously designing them? I put their bags next to their designer counterparts for good measure. I know the designer bags don't deserve this (and the brands will most likely not be happy about the side by side comparison), I'm sorrrrrry. But I have to prove my point here.

Here goes!

Bag # 1: At least this is not that similar. K's has that hideous zipper like it's about to reveal a boob or something. LOL.  The inspiration is there somewhere though.
I'm not even going to bother posting the Balenciaga lookalike anymore. Bottomline, I just can't. Sure, there are so many bags out there that are designer- inspired. Loads, in fact! But please Kardashian girls, don't attempt to make a "quick buck" through shortcuts like this. You girls obviously know you will "sell". I had just hoped you'd have put more effort into the creative process when you design your merchandise. At least give that to your fans. I'm a fan, but there's no way I'll buy any of the bags above-- it was not a well- thought out collection. Disappointed is not even a word that can articulately describe my sentiment. 

Before I end this rather snarky post about the bags, I still want to end it on a good note because I'm really not one to hang on to a negative mood. So here goes--  really, there is one good thing about this whole collection-- the price points. :) Now knock yourselves out! LOL

PROFESSOR CHINUA ACHEBE REJECTS NATIONAL HONOUR OFFER BY PRESIDENT JONATHAN



Renowned Nigerian literary icon, Professor Chinua Achebe, has for the second time in seven years rejected an offer of a National Honor by the Nigerian government.

Professor Achebe, globally recognized as one of the world’s most outstanding novelists and intellectuals, rejected the “national honor” in a terse statement.In a statement today, he said:

“The reasons for rejecting the offer when it was first made have not been addressed let alone solved. It is inappropriate to offer it again to me.

I must therefore regretfully decline the offer again.”


In 2004, in the letter in which he rejected the same honor, Achebe sent to President Olusegun Obasanjo the following, longer letter:

“I write this letter with a very heavy heart. For some time now I have watched events in Nigeria with alarm and dismay. I have watched particularly the chaos in my own state of Anambra where a small clique of renegades, openly boasting its connections in high places, seems determined to turn my homeland into a bankrupt and lawless fiefdom. I am appalled by the brazenness of this clique and the silence, if not connivance, of the Presidency.“Forty three years ago, at the first anniversary of Nigeria's independence I was given the first Nigerian National Trophy for Literature. In 1979, I received two further honors – the Nigerian National Order of Merit and the Order of the Federal Republic – and in 1999 the first National Creativity Award.“I accepted all these honors fully aware that Nigeria was not perfect; but I had a strong belief that we would outgrow our shortcomings under leaders committed to uniting our diverse peoples. Nigeria's condition today under your watch is, however, too dangerous for silence. I must register my disappointment and protest by declining to accept the high honor awarded me in the 2004 Honors List”.

Monday 14 November 2011

Celebrity Profile: CHIKA IKE



Chika Nancy Ike was born on November 08 on a Friday at about 4.45am. She is an actress, model and an entrepreneur. This Nigerian beauty can do just about anything you would expect a woman to do and even more. She stands at 5ft 10in tall, black haired and sexy brown eyes.

Chika grew up in a close knit family of eight in Lagos Nigeria. She was raised by her parents who did not fail to imbibe discipline, hard work and tolerance in her. Chika as a child was nick named by her nanny- Rebecca, Fancy Nancy because of her fanciful and funny character as a child.

She was sometimes caught in her mums room w earing mums high heel shoes and mimicking her mother in front of the mirror, with heavy makeup on her face. The famous actress was called a drama queen severally by her friends and peers while growing up.

Owing to her discipline, she earned the position of senior prefect and her beauty always made her to be crowned the most beautiful girl in her school. The covetous beauty started acting at the age of six in her local church and watched a lot of movies while growing up; this became the inception for inspiration and challenge to join the movie industry.







Never backing down from challenges, she laced her shoes and stepped into the movie auditioning ground in 2004 where she was auditioned for a movie. Her hard work, patience and discipline helped her face and got prepared for most things in life, but needless to say; she was surprised and overwhelmed when called back four months later to pick up a script to do a role in a nollywood movie. Despite the fact that the role was a minor one, she took it as stepping stone to greater heights in her aspiring carrier as an actress and did it so well. This landed her another m ovie role, this time to play a major character. After the African beauty- first major role in a movie was released, it did so well in the market, resulting in directors and producers recommending her for jobs and roles in movies.

That same year Chika did over five movies and was nominated as the best upcoming actress (AMAA), an African movie academy award in 2005 and a recognition award that same year. Her carrier took a drastic turn around positively and jobs were rolling in from all corners.

Between the years 2004- 2006, she did over 20 movies to her credit. This was to the amazement of a lot of people given her quick and sudden rise to fame and was appreciated by so many.

November 18, 2006 the free spirited and sexy actress tied the knot and became Mrs Ckika Ike Ebireri. The unstoppable actress continued with her career a month after married.

In the year 2008, the sexy actress was ca st in a role of as an African princess in a move called mirror of beauty which was shot on 35mm to the international scene and was shown in seven Cinemas in London (Odeon and Cineworld) where it was premiered. The movie was later selected the only African movie to be screened during the CANN film festival in CANNS 2008 because of the quality and beautiful African Culture exhibited in it. It also got nominations and wards in Africa. Chika a lover of business and money making decided to open a restaurant and bar which she named TREJ CLASSICS and it is doing so well.

Chika Ike still remains highly visible and a well respected actress of her time and has featured in over 40movies till date, and she is still striving to do more especially giving back to the society that has made her who she is now

The sultry actress recently was full of smiles when she raked in over N500,000.at the opening of her fashion accessories store, Nancy Fancy penultimate week.

Celebrities like Goldie, Mercy Johnson, Eniola Badmus, Emeka Ike and others in attendance, some money bags had stormed the opening and bought items running into N500,000.

There is so much to expect from the hot, flaming and sexy actress; so tighten your shoe laces and get ready
for the race.

Friday 11 November 2011

Glamour Awards: Jenniffer Lopez Works Versace

Who: Jennifer Lopez
Where: At Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year Awards in New York
Wearing: A dove grey beaded Atelier Versace gown from the autumn/winter 2011 collection, with a leather petal on the shoulder and beaded detailing cascading down the dress and a thigh-high split; teamed with peep-toe Jimmy Choo heels
Verdict: Seriously when you need a stunning red carpet look you need to call Versace and then have Jennifer Lopez work it as this is an amazing look. Since announcing her separation from Marc Anthony, J-Lo has been on fire, and this is another great outfit. I just can’t get over how stunning she looks – how hot are her toned legs.

I am only slighty *actually a lot* jealous!!!! what have you got to say?

Wednesday 9 November 2011

Celebrity Profile: NSE IKPE ETIM


Nse Ikpe Etim is a sultry, articulate, funny and a very good  actress who knows her onions when it comes to interpreting her roles. What is it about her that viewers couldn't just get enough? She is currently one of the fast growing actress in the industry even though she had to abandon banking profession for her Acting career and i can assure you she is not regretting that decision today.
Nse came into lime light when she featured as 'Omozie' in the star stud movie RELOADED which she played along side veteran actor Ramsey Nouah as a no nonsense wife which she put up a stellar performance. Also her brilliant performance in the movie Guilty pleasure made her one of the actress to be reckoned with in Nollywood. Popularly called 'Silent Tsunami' by fans.
She has been in the Entertainment industry since the age of 18 when she anchored a show at NTA. And her very first movie was Venom of justices 2.


She Recently had an interview with an on line Magazine. She shares the pain of her father’s death and how she learnt to become a survivor. Excerpt…


When actually did you start acting?
I tried it years ago. Then I didn’t take it serious because I saw it like I was doing the producer a favour, and after that, gradually.

Your career didn’t blossom until after your return
Should we say things happen for you when you are ready for them? I think that’s how it happened. In all honesty, I think it’s the hand of God. I cannot attribute it to anything else. I cannot attribute it to any man or person or even my own effort, not because I am good or a professional. It’s just God. That’s all I know,

It wasn’t until you did the movie, Reloaded
Yeah, it was not until Reloaded. I got into the character; I imagined how some married women would react in such situation. I have never being married but I just imagined how they would react from my line as a woman. I pictured it as a situation whereby it is the woman that owns most of the money. That’s why it hurt her that much. You know, sometimes women love so much they won’t let go, and sometimes they love so much they have to let go so that the person can be happy. So, the character was a strong woman. I don’t even know how I got into the character, because I just got the script few weeks to production and I was just coming back. I don’t even know how I managed to interpret the role perfectly.

How did you get the role?
The producer gave it to me. She felt I could work around the character, although I initially didn’t want to play the role.

Was it a blessing?
Yeah, it was a blessing in disguise. But I don’t wish my enemy to be an actress.

Why?
Because it’s a hard life.

If it were that hard, why did you not choose to stay in banking?
Banking is a harder life.

What is hard in acting? You smile to the camera, collect big money, people write about you, what is hard in that?
That’s the thing. You lose your privacy and that’s something you can never get back. It’s like losing your virginity, which you know you can never get back. That’s what happens in acting. As an actor you lose your privacy.

What’s the big deal about losing your privacy?
Oh, you think it’s not a big deal? I am a very private person, but as an actress you cannot be private. It’s very difficult.

Let’s talk about your recent movie, Phone Swap. During filming you dislocated your arm, what happened?
During filming I fell off a motorbike (okada). The character I was playing was meant to take a bike. So after several takes I just found myself on the floor. Initially, I didn’t feel anything except pain on my back. Then three days later I wanted to wear my slippers, then I leaned on my arm and the arm just gave way. That was when I felt the real pain.

What did you do?
I crawled to the door, opened it and called for help. By divine intervention, Kunle Afolayan called at that particular time to check on me, and when he got to know he called a few people around Ikeja to check on me and some friends came to my aid. I really appreciate them all, although it took like an hour and a half for them to set my arm back. When I got to the hospital, there was a lot of drama but in the end they got it right.

Have you felt any pain since then?
I think it’s today that I have been able to lift the hand well. I have been taking some muscle relaxers to help and it is getting better. But I still have to wear a pouch.

I hope the money was worth the dislocation?
Yes, it was worth it, even more. And the experience was worth it too.

You seem to be getting the big jobs...
This is just guest appearance. In this case I wasn’t originally cast for the role. I just got a call. I had already left for Abuja, then I got a call from Rita saying Mildred said bla bla bla. Then I spoke with Mildred, asking her how come I just got my script and would be shooting tomorrow? It was very funny. Then I came and only God knows how I got into the character in one day. But like Shakespeare said, “apparel does maketh a man.” So, I think as soon as I was adorned, and Ugo made my hair, the director started with me and I just got into the character.

What is it like working with Jim and Kunle, the fact that Jim is white and Kunle a black guy?
There is really no difference, even their attitude to work isn’t really different. You know Kunle likes doing things to perfection, which is also the same with Jim, and Mildred as well. So it’s all the same attitude but different projects. I don’t see any difference, and you know it’s good to always work well when you work so that you don’t disgrace yourself.

Tell us about your childhood?
The early part of my childhood I didn’t stay with my parents. I grew up with my god-parents; they are both white and English is like my first language. I grew up with a total mentality. My mother was very young when she had me; she was still going through school. She was about 14/15.

It was so bad I didn’t even know my mother. She told me that when she came back I asked her to carry me if she was my mother. That is just the mind of a child. I could have said that to anyone. I always wanted her to prove that she was my mother, and it was so bad that when they wanted to take me with them, my dad was like ‘is this how my first child would go and become an oyinbo?

He didn’t want that to happen. It was so bad I couldn’t eat our food. I was always eating chips every other day. My dad was mad he actually told them to stop giving me chips and I would cry in front of his door until I had it. Sometimes I would even lick ketchup. But now I can’t do a lot of these things. Every weekend we would go to this popular hotel in Kaduna and just hangout as a family and have fun. It was so much fun. I had one of the best childhoods anyone could ever wish.

What are the not too pleasant childhood memories you have?
I dislocated my arm when I was young because of rice and stew; I love food a lot. The turning point for me, where childhood stopped, was when my father died. I really loved acting like a child, but immediately my father died, everything changed for me. It made me become an adult when I shouldn’t be. So I lost my childhood when he died. I had to play more roles and live up to expectation. It was too much and my mother, God bless her, at 31 she had six children and I am the first. But now I look back and can only thank God. That is all I can say. It was mentally draining.
My father was misdiagnosed of gall stone, which was really not the problem compared to what we discovered after surgery. After surgery they found they were treating him for something else, while his liver had deteriorated completely. It was really painful because of the signs, and there was nothing like liver transplant at that time. So nothing could be done. That was in 1989. He passed on in 1990 (January 1).

Do you think if he was properly diagnosed, something could have been done?
Well, I think if you know what is wrong with you, you can deal with it. Maybe something could have been done. That is the thread I like to hang on to. But it is very sad, really sad. Sometimes I wonder why we have professionals and people still get misdiagnosed. We only knew when he finally went to England.

What memories come to your mind when you remember your dad?
My dad was an amazing person. He would set you right; he really loved us. He was the type that would let you do whatever you want to do. The only misunderstanding we had was the fact that I chose to do art, but over time he agreed with me.

In 1989, you were not acting
Of course, I wasn’t. I was in secondary school. He wanted his daughter to be a doctor, but that wasn’t for me. Yet he encouraged us. My dad was that kind of person. He was very caring. For example, my first purple bra was from my father because I sent him a message that every girl is wearing this type of bra in school, and he bought it for me even when I didn’t need it. He bought me shorts and always encouraged me to dress smart, saying long things don’t make you look smart. That is how my father was and I really miss him.

How did you survive the period without a father?
By the time I got into the University of Calabar, my mum still tried to make it look as if nothing had happen. She did her best to give us all we wanted.

What memories of him do you still have?
Most are fun memories, because I used to follow my dad around a lot. I used to follow him to play tennis and we go on road trips together. My dad would wake up in the morning and tell me to come along with him to Bauchi, just like that. And we would drive from Jos to Bauchi. I remember thinking once that my mom would kill me when she sees this. I think they had a misunderstanding and weren’t talking. My dad would buy suya and bring home, and open a bottle of beer and eat the suya.

The second day when they made up, my mom called us to eat from the suya my dad brought home, but when he came out of the room we had eaten his suya. So he had to eat the food my mother cooked, because there was nothing for him to eat. So that actually took care of the misunderstanding. I would say to myself that marriage can be easier judging by my parents, because my mum always made it look funny. If something was going to happen, my mum would turn it around and make it appear funny and we would all laugh about it and they would sort it out. Even when my dad tried to ‘bone’, my mum would say something funny and everybody would be at ease.

Was there any particular trying moment when your dad was not there?
There were lots of trying moments.

Let’s hear one or two that come to your mind?
I will tell you one. When you have to pay school fees, what would you do? You would look for money, and you know I had younger ones in school too.

What did your dad do for a living?
He was a banker.

Was that why you went into banking?
Maybe he influenced me, or even my mother, but in the end I didn’t do it.

What’s your experience in the banking hall?
Well, I wasn’t in the banking hall. I was more into commercial banking and treasury. I just think it wasn’t meant for me. I thought I was having fun, but when I looked at it again, it wasn’t the type of thing I wanted to do for too long. I didn’t want a career out of it. Maybe if I was into corporate management I could have done better.

So, why didn’t you pursue a career in TV broadcast?
I did a bit of TV shows for some time. I actually had a particular programme I wanted to start, but after a while I just forgot about it.

What does your mum do?
My mum was a teacher and she taught at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) school. She is retired now. The fact is, it wasn’t easy at all but she tried her best. My godfather, my father’s friend, also tried as well to support us and before I knew it my mum said to me, listen, you can learn how to cook, you can make extra money.

So she opened a small restaurant, which I ran single-handedly, cooked all the food and made money from it. For a while it kept me going and it was amazing. It was small, yet people came. By the time I was in school, I did a mini-programme on breakfast television show for NTA Calabar and they paid me, not big money, but something. I think N500 at that time.

Would you say life has been fair to you?
I wouldn’t complain, but really I think life has been fair, though it could be better. But life has been fair and I have good people around me, great friends and I am thankful to everybody in my life.


That is it on our Celebrity Profile this week. Please don't forget to drop your comments here. If you have any stories you would love to share, please send it to talk2racheal@yahoo.com.