Cover Story
APRIL JACKSON
OCT 2015
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OCTOBER ISSUE 2015 1 44
Contents
Features 10-11
Myself UK Dance is looking for strong female dancers to join both the youth (13-18) and adult (18+) companies, as it continues to grow from strength to strength.
22-25
BLACK HISTORY & BLACK FUTURE - Have a great, insightful and empowering Black History Month.
18-19
Reiss Beckford appeals for public support to achieve dream of becoming first Olympic “Jamnast”
06-09
Former beauty queen; APRIL JACKSON is amongst the candidates hoping to secure Lord Alan Sugar‘s financial backing in “The Apprentice”.
68-71
Ras King Bobo 1, a multitalented entertainer from the West African country of Ghana.
Photography by Joseph Sinclair
36-63
Sponsored by Lebara Mobile, we celebrate Nigeria’s 55th year of independence with special interviews with - reggae singer Sylvia Tella, Buddhist Actor Oris Erhuero and renowned saxophonist Shola Emmanuel. 2
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Contents Categories
04. MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR’s
CONTRIBUTORS A big thank you for the help and support provided by the contributors of this edition.
“Our philosophy as an ethical company is never to print anything that can be seen as demeaning or negative, and to promote the positive contributions and achievements that members of the public have made and are making to positively impact and shape the society in which we live.” Contact us : T: 07946088553 E: info@panacheoccasions.com W: www.panacheoccasions.com
Christine Simpson
Maureen Smith
Jenni Williams
10. FLAIR Pageantry World Style Fashion Beauty Hair Grooming Shopping 18. ACHIEVE Celebrating achievements Professional services Finances 22. LIVING Health Food Drink Spirituality Travel Wellness Home / Properties Abroad Love & Relationships True life stories
Mr. Lekan Olujinmi
Pily Mirazi
PANACHE E-MAGAZINE
08. COVER PAGE FEATURE April Jackson
The UK’s No 1 lifestyle portal for the Caribbean and African Community
Tony Andrews
36. CULTURE Art Music Literature Politics Entertainment Events Youth Books Television / Film Technology 74. PLEASURE Jokes Fun & games Illustrations Horoscopes Competitions
“For You, By You”. www.panacheoccasions.com
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The UK’s No1 portal for the African & Caribbean community
WINNER Best PR & Marketing EBR Award 2014
WINNER Best Fashion Magazine Afro Model Award 2014
Editor’s
PANACHE E-MAGAZINE
Message
The UK’s No 1 lifestyle portal for the Caribbean and African Community
“For You, By You”.
Clayton Brown
Jacqui Brown
Dear Readers, On behalf of all at Panache Occasions Ltd, publishers of Panache-E-Magazine, I would like to thank you all once again for taking the time to read our great publication. In this month’s edition: We feature our very own April Jackson and wish her luck as she embarks on her journey through the 11th season of the popular BBC One series “The Apprentice”. She joins a competitive line-up of business savvy candidates as fans prepare to see who Lord Alan Sugar will carefully select as his next business partner this year. Sponsored by Lebara Mobile, we celebrate Nigeria’s 55th year of independence with special interviews with - reggae singer Sylvia Tella, Buddhist Actor Oris Erhuero and renowned saxophonist Shola Emmanuel. The Official Miss Caribbean UK photo shoot was held @ Studio 101, Deptford. EARLY BIRD TICKETS at £20.00 for the GRAND FINALE of MISS CARIBBEAN UK 2015 will be available until the 31st October 2015. From the 1st November 2015, tickets will revert to the standard price of £30.00. Click on the following link to secure your seats NOW from the Ticketmaster website: ttp://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/miss-caribbean-uk-2015-beauty-pageant-london-05-12-2015/ We also have many more excellent features plus thought provoking interviews and articles for your reading pleasure. Please enjoy and remember this African saying: “Lions that do not work together can be defeated by a limping buffalo.”
Clayton & Jacqui Brown
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Cover page feature
April Jackson
DIONNE ROSE
PHOTOGRAPHY: Joseph Sinclair 6
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Cover Page Feature
April Jackson
Former beauty queen; is amongst the candidates hoping to secure Lord Alan Sugar‘s financial backing in “The Apprentice”.
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anache e-Magazine would like to wish April Jackson good luck as she embarks on her journey through the 11th season of the popular BBC One series “The Apprentice”. She joins a competitive line-up of business savvy candidates as fans prepare to see who Lord Alan Sugar will carefully select as his next business partner this year.
Raised by an entrepreneurial father and self-made man with interests in shipping, remittances and property, who built his business with a string work ethic and tenacity, 26 year old entrepreneur April Jackson was a champion of Jamaica long before she was crowned a beauty queen and Miss Jamaica Universe in 2008. As a child she witnessed the grit and resilience required to build a multimillion pound business, watching her father bounce back from hard knocks and an expensive divorce, to eventually see his determination pay dividends with a successful shipping and money transfer business. April’s founding therefore of what is set to become Brixton’s most desirable eaterie & boutique, Three Little Birds named in a nod to the famed Bob Marley & The Wailers hit, is not unexpected. Boasting delectable Jamaican cuisine small-plates style, cocktails and an array of the island’s condiments, coffee and clothing, the launch on 28th October is the realisation of a business dream for April.
“I wanted to create an authentic Jamaican environment which invited people in and stayed to true to the Caribbean island I know. Jamaica has far more to offer than sunshine and rum, the country has played a significant part in influencing culture globally. Three Little Birds is my celebration of all that is wondrous about Jamaica –think romantic beach villa in Negril infused with a Kingston injection, with an international twist to reflect my transatlantic influences“. www.panacheoccasions.com
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Cover Page Feature Having been educated in Jamaica until the age of 16, April completed her A-levels in the UK before a stint as an au-pair in France preceded her Miss Jamaica Universe win. Studies at New York City’s prestigious Columbia University followed, before April returned to England permanently in 2014. Inspired by her travels, April founded the Savour Jamaica Supper Club – a series of exclusive dining events exposing discerning diners to unique gastronomic experiences by featuring talented international chefs across the island. Celebrated London chef Scott Hallsworth Founder of Kurobuta, was the first – ironic that having taken London’s gastronomic experience to Jamaica she is now bringing Jamaica to London. Taken under the wing of former Head chef of Nobu Lloyd Roberts, the acclaimed chef’s distinctive mark can be seen in Three Little Bird’s kitchen layout, while the menu is the fruit of April’s own creativity and experience, boasting Banana cake with salted caramel and rum frosting, and Yam Gnocchi with Oxtail Ragu. The bespoke cocktail menu is overseen by former bar manager of Aqua at The Shard’s Vital Petiot, and includes an Aloe Vera daiquiri and run punch garnished with ginger, cinnamon and rosemary. Well known on the social scene for her friendships with Jamaica’s jet-set (Usain Bolt and Shaggy are pals) April’s model past is only one facet of the entrepreneur’s person. Founder of foodie blog TheYummytruth.com in which April shares her food adventures and Jamaican inspired recipes, at just 26 April is the foodie entrepreneur to watch – and 8
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determined to make Jamaican food a firm fixture on the UK palate. For interview requests, recipes and images contact :
Sarah Nicholas or Jessica Huie at JHPR: Sarah@JHPR.co.uk 07932 375 740 Jessica@JHPR.co.uk 07985 424 772
April Jackson Age : 26 Occupation : Owner, Jamaican boutique Lives : London Key information : Jackson is a former Miss Jamaica, who was born in London but has lived in Jamaica. She's also lived in France and studied in New York. She's founded an event management company and a children's charity. Top quote : "I'm Jamaican. We come first, we win on the track and we will win in the boardroom."
April Jackson
PHOTOGRAPHY: Joseph Sinclair www.panacheoccasions.com
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FLAIR
Pageants / Style / Fashion / Beauty / Hair / Grooming
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Dance
Flair
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yself UK Dance Company Open Auditions – Saturday 17th October 2015, 6pm-10pm Studio B, 130 Brixton Hill, Brixton, London SW2 1RS
Myself UK Dance is looking for strong female dancers to join both the youth (13-18) and adult (18+) companies, as it continues to grow from strength to strength. The company’s credits range from Breakin’ Convention to Nike, with several exciting projects coming up over the next few months, and regular rehearsals provide an excellent environment to develop both as an individual and as a team. If you are hard-working and committed with a solid background in hip-hop styles, keen to learn more, please confirm your attendance at the audition by emailing your full name, age and contact details to info@myselfdance. com with the subject title 'Myself Auditions 2015'. If you are aged between 13-18 please ensure you have parental permission to apply and attend. If you require any further information about the company please feel free to send us an email or you can visit our website www.myselfdance.com. You can also come along to an open class, which takes place 1pm-2:30pm on Sundays at Studio 68 London, or 6.30pm8pm on Mondays at Mary’s Community Centre, Upper Street, Angel N1 2TX. ABOUT US Founded in 2008 by creative artist, Kloé Dean, Myself UK Dance is an all-female Hip Hop dance company based in London, UK. Determined to challenge the male-dominated Hip Hop scene, Kloé has brought together a group of strong female dancers. An idea which began with just a few young women in a room has since grown to become an empowering company of performers. Training, rehearsing and performing regularly, the company boasts an array of credits and diverse dance experience with a back-catalogue that includes: London’s International Hip Hop Dance Festival ‘Breakin Convention’ at Sadlers Wells Theatre, Hip Hop International Championships in Las Vegas, NIKE and Sky One TV’s Got To Dance. Myself UK Dance Company is an all female collective of strong Hip-Hop dancers, formed to not only inspire females but also the wider society. They promote empowerment, ambition, individuality and self-worth through the medium of Hip-Hop dance and the slogan’ I Love Myself ‘.
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Flair
Fashion
The Official MCUK photo shoot was held @ Studio 101, Deptford. Thank you to Hannah, Derrick, Linda like to show our appreciation the following people: Chrystal Kassi of Chrystal Cosmetics, Karlton Cha Management Services, Vinnette Grant, Lekan Olujinmi of The Klub Management, Tony Urbansmash of
The current Miss Caribbean queen; Keeleigh Griffith made a personal appearance and modelled the jew contestants: Selina Chippy, Amy Harris-Willock, Cassandra Wiggan, Natina-Mae Whitter, Tammy Jeffe Alisha Eversley – John, Shiquerra Mckie, Tehia Rae McDermott, Alisha Pomells, Yinka Williams & Chau 12
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Miss
Caribbean
UK
a & Nick your kind assistance. The images will be published shortly, but in the meantime, we would ambers of Hotshots Multimedia, La Bella Collections, Soni’s Makeover, Stella Bernard of SisiEvents f Overcome Limited and of course Reuben P Joseph.
wellery for Labella Collections and of course, the shoot could not have been possible without our 2015 ers-Wells, Louisa Gordon, Lateeshia Anderson, Neesha Robinson, Nicole Renwick, Venisha Hamilton, untelle Sorhaindo. www.panacheoccasions.com
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Flair
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Pageantry
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Beauty
Flair
KAIETEUR ENTERTAINMENTS
ORGANISERS FOR
...
Miss B E A U T Y PA G E A N T 2 0 1 5 •••
K
ARE NOW LOOKING FOR CONTESTANTS •••
YOU MUST BE AGE 18-26. HAVE A GUYANESE HERITAGE PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS. CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE TO POSITIVE CHANGES TO OUR GUYANESE YOUTHS AND FAMILIES. THEN YOU COULD BE THE NEXT BEST AMBASSADOR FOR GUYANA COME ON LADIES DON’T BE SHY DO SOMETHING WORTHWHILE FOR OUR COUNTRY, YOUR COUNTRY ONE PEOPLE ONE NATION ONE DESTINY GUYANA
APPLY ONLINE: WWW.MISSGUYANAUK.COM
OR FACEBOOK MISSGUYANAUK FRIENDPAGE MORE INFO: 07861724020, 07958220479, 07956311640, 07460616647
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ACHIEVE
Miss Gabrielle Joseph, (Miss North
London) Grand Finalist Miss Junior Teen Great Britain 2015
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Achieve Celebrating Achievements Reiss Beckford appeals for public support to achieve dream of becoming first Olympic “Jamnast”
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British-born Jamaican gymnast, Reiss Beckford is aiming to become the firstever gymnast to represent Jamaica at an Olympic Games. A three-time European and Commonwealth Games Silver Medallist, 23 year-old Reiss has always dreamed of competing in an Olympic Games and decided to pursue his dream through his Jamaican heritage. Team Jamaica has never sent a gymnast to the Olympic games before and, despite Reiss' impressive record, they are unable to provide any funding towards his bid for qualification. Over the course of the next 60 days, Reiss must raise enough funds to cover competition, accommodation and travel costs, for both himself and his coach, for the Gymnastics World Championships, World Cups and the Olympics. In order to keep his Olympic dream alive, Reiss has launched a campaign with crowdfunding site, Sponsorise.me, with the initial aim of reaching £5,000, to enable him to compete around the world, and to guarantee his place at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The site allows the public to support Reiss in exchange for rewards, including gymnastics coaching with Reiss and South Essex team mate and Olympic and World medallist, Max Whitlock. Over the course of the next year, Reiss must perform well in a number of competitions across the globe. His main focus
will be the Gymnastics World Championships, which take place in Glasgow next week. A good performance there will be key to ensuring Reiss progresses to Rio 2016. Born in Enfield to Jamaican grandparents, Reiss started taking weekly gymnastics classes when he was at school. After joining South Essex Gymnastics Club, where he continues to train, his potential was quickly spotted and he began to progress up the youth ranking, competing at regional and national level. Speaking of his ambitions, Reiss commented: "I have had the dream of competing at an Olympic Games since the age of 6 and with your help and generous donations, I can achieve this dream and create history for Jamaica by becoming the first-ever Olympic Jamnast." A good performance in the Gymnastics World Championships this month, and the success of the crowdfunding campaign, will kick-start Reiss on his road to competing in the Olympic Games, achieving his lifelong dreams and making history. To help Reiss achieve his Olympic dream, visit: https://uk.sponsorise.me/en/project-jamnast Follow https://twitter.com/reissbeckford
Reiss Beckford www.panacheoccasions.com
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Achieve
Celebrating Achievements
Special feature on YOUNG ACHIEVERS! Each month we will feature young people who are excelling in all avenues. Please send us stories of young achievers you think we should feature in this section to: info@panacheoccasions.com.
Miss Gabrielle Joseph (Miss North London) Grand Finalist Miss Junior Teen Great Britain 2015
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ormer Miss Teen Caribbean UK 2014, Gabrielle Joseph has now won a place in the grand finals of Miss Junior Teen Great Britain 2015/16. Gabrielle from North London, England has beaten off competition from across Great Britain to be named as one of the grand finalists in this nation wide contest. 15 year old Gabrielle of Trinidadian parents, was born and lives in North London , she attends Skinner’s Academy says all her family , friends and school have been very supportive of her involvement in pageants as it has had a absolute positive impact on her school achievements and has built up her confidence considerably. Since winning Miss Teen Caribbean Uk, Gabrielle had been doing a lot of appearances as a teen ambassador for the Caribbean, now she is broadening her horizons, to embrace her British culture she continues to models, perform street dance with her local performing
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arts school, and does professional makeup for fashion shows and photo shoots. She aspires to follow a career in the fashion and entertainment industry as an entrepreneur. She says “I am so excited to have made it to the finals of a national competition, it is a great achievement, I feel proud and privileged to be a visible, positive young female role model for peers of my age group, you are never too young to explore your talents or pursue your dreams, hard work, technique, and dedication will help you succeed. Being a young ambassador committed to so many activities does mean sometimes I miss out on fun with my friends , but there are a lot of girls who wish they could have the opportunities ,I get” The pageant is raising funds and awareness for the charity “Together for short lives”, who help to support terminally or severely ill British children and their families in their time of need. Please check out their website www. togetherforshortlives.org.uk. Gabrielle along with other teenagers from across Great Britain will compete for the crown in a spectacular grand final. The winner of Miss Teen Great Britain will walk away with some incredible prizes – including £500! The grand finale of Miss Teen Great Britain will be held 24th -25th October 2015 at The
Globe in Blackpool. The weekend of Miss Teen Great Britain is set to be full of fun, with the finalists enjoying a Beauty Queen Challenge Day, a pyjama diva party and much more! You can register your support for Gabrielle Joseph, by liking her model/dancer/makeup artist community group Facebook page also the MISS TEEN GREAT BRITAIN Facebook page send supportive messages for her , clearly stating Gabrielle Joseph� MISS NORTH LONDON�. Gabrielle wishes to thank everyone for their ongoing support.
Gabrielle would be honoured to receive invitations to appear, or speak at any North London community or charitable events, especially ones that involve young people like herself. Please email: mariajoseph732@ gmail.com or call 07974321645 If you would like more info about Miss Teen Great Britain, the event or taking part, visit: www.missteengreatbritain.co.uk or email : info@missteengreatbritain.co.uk
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Black History Month 2015
LIVING 22
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Living
Life
BLACK HISTORY and BLACK FUTURE
Life is all about growth and progress. Everybody is trying to get ahead. We want to upgrade our living conditions, homes, employment …some people even make a career out of upgrading their partners!
ow true is it that to know your future, you must know your past? Is the template for our happiness and success rooted in our culture, personality, habits and/or DNA? How important is it to know our history: individually and as a people? We’ve seen Black History, but what is our vision for the Black Future? Tony explores the importance of our history on our psyche and our future.
Parents want better for their children, than they had for themselves. However we cannot forget our own. This brings us to our history. One of the first criticisms that we get when we make it "out of the ghetto" (or attain some major achievements in life) is from family and friends we have been too busy to make sufficient time for, "You've changed, like you forget where you've come from".
By Tony (URBANSMASH) Andrews
H
----------------------------------------------------------They say you can't know where you're going unless you know where you've been. Those who don't learn from history are destined to repeat it. If you only know your own generation, you will always remain a child. You must learn from your forefathers and the mothers before you to truly evolve and grow. If you have any relationship with your parents, and you value their advice, then this happens automatically. They will guide you, as best they can, through life choices. They will be there for you when you fall (though they can't always catch you when you're fully grown!) As well learning from the mistakes and experiences of past generations, there's a lot we can glean from our own short little lives so far! If you want to know your past, look into your present conditions. If you want to know your future, look into your present actions.
Changing for the better is a good thing, it's evolution. So is it really important to remember your past and your roots? What impact does our history (personally and as a people) have on our future? When investing in the stock market, they always declare that the past is no indication of future performance… yet they always show you past success charts & graphs. People say you are not your past but lenders want to know your credit history, the organisation interviewing you wants to know your educational background, experience and employment record. Insurance companies want to know your driving record or medical history. Even new lovers try to find out what happened between you and your ex. History is important, especially when it comes to any dealings with the future. When you buy a used car, it's just you, the car and your future together right? So why is a full service history such an asset? www.panacheoccasions.com
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What about the history of the make & model of the car? The reputation of the manufacturer? So what is your full service history? What is the reputation of your manufacturers (parents/grandparents/ancestors)? Are you willing to admit it matters or are you still in denial? The strength of your ancestors is passed down through your genes. Every doctor knows that hereditary abnormalities and diseases are passed down through the generations. Sometimes they skip a generation, but with enough "breeding" family traits are handed down. It's not just medical conditions that often run in families. Strengths and weaknesses are too: in personality, talents, character and many other traits. Like father like son is a clichĂŠ. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. The strongest people pick up and carrying on from where their parents left off. The wisdom and learning from your family members before you is handed down, for you to assimilate, consolidate and integrate into your own persona, life and DNA. Research is showing, and I firmly believe, that your life history, memories and experiences are stored (at least in part) in your DNA. This is passed down to your offspring when you procreate. Luckily, or unfortunately for some, your children might not take everything you have. 24
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After all, 50% of their genetic wardrobe (genes) comes from someone else. However the more children you have, the more various elements of your traits gets passed on. You may have a child that more fully takes on a medical weakness that you have. For example if your very slightly autistic that it barely registers on the scale, you might have a child that's slightly more or severely more autistic. These things happen and we work with it. Likewise, you may have a slight talent or gift in sports or music and you may give birth to a future super star. Good luck to you. These things happen and we deal with it! I believe one of the keys to happiness is embracing your history, allowing it to become a part of you. If your dad was a player or couldn't hold down a full time job, don't curse him for it, but ask why? How can you adopt and adapt his lifestyle, what he was trying to achieve and make it better. Perhaps he was a player because the women in his life found the long term relationship type domesticated man was boring. Maybe he couldn't hold down a job for too long because he valued his freedom and enjoyed meeting new people, rather than dealing with on-the-job politics etc. To build on this you might decide that you actually do want a family, but without the mundane run-of-the-mill dead boring energy that is often the result of the daily grind. Perhaps you don't want a permanent role but would enjoy contracting, tempting and/ or meeting clients whilst running your own business. See what we've done here. We've
looked and both the positive and negative aspects of our parents and instead of simply commending or chastising them for it, we've seen how this incorporates into ourselves and how we can build, grow and strengthen that. Back in the day, it was common for great families to build an empire and leave a legacy to their heirs, their offspring who will carry on the family name, tradition and lineage. Nowadays we may do a completely different job to our parents, different career, different location, maybe even a different culture. However there is a lot of legacy that we can carry on from our parents and we would do well to study their personalities, temperament, character and behaviour, some of that is inevitably passed down to us. If we want to achieve greatness and save a great deal of time, it is wise to pick up from where they left off and carry the baton forward, instead of starting all over again from scratch and trying to reinvent the wheel. First we accept our history, then we embrace it and then we let it power and strengthen us.
completely you… like a sense of deja vu takes over you and the vybz is so strong it can't done… when you're truly in touch with your culture and your history it is without doubt a spiritual and uplifting experience… you feel more grounded and connected, you have a strong sense of who you are and with that you feel empowered going forward into the future and you command your life because you know what you're about and where you're going. In this way, the past is the foundation of the future. As the roots of the tree are its foundation to future growth. When we know our roots we can truly excel and grow much quicker, stronger and more stable than if we don't. So if you want a bigger, brighter and better future then know your past, accept it, embrace and let it fuel you to higher heights. Have a great, insightful and empowering Black History Month Tony Urbansmash.
The same is true of our forefathers and our ancestors. Now of course it is difficult to trace a direct lineage going back many generations. We may get lost going back beyond our great great grandparents. However, this is where the beauty of culture and tradition come in. We only need to trace ourselves back to our cultural roots to be in touch with our ancestors. Celebrate what gave them joy, partake in their festivals, embrace those aspects of their and your culture that really resonate with you and hit you at your core. If you're British born and you go to Grenada and you play Jab Jab on Jouvet Morning and something resonates with you like this is www.panacheoccasions.com
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CELEBRITY Here's your monthly list of celebrity b BIRTHDAYS Discover who shares your birthday. By: Christine Simpson SPECIAL BIRTHDAY FEATURE Arthur Wharton The world’s first black professional football player
• Born on 28 October 18
• 1882 - Moved to En Methodist preacher at
• 1886 - As an athlete h record of 10 seconds Amateur Athletics As Stamford Bridge in Lon
• Died on 13 December
• On his death he was bu grave. The grave was g a campaign by anti-r Unites, Racism Divides
• 2003 - Inducted into Fame.
• 2010 - The Arthur Wha Its aims are to promot diversity for the public
• 2012 - FIFA president the Arthur Wharton M display at its headqua
• 2014 - A 16ft bronze was unveiled at St Ge Centre, England.
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birthdays for OCTOBER.
865 in Ghana.
ngland aged 19 to train as a t Cleveland College, Darlington.
he equalled the amateur world for the 100-yard sprint in the ssociation championships at ndon.
r 1930 in England.
uried in an unmarked pauper’s given a headstone in 1997 after racism campaigners Football s.
o the English Football Hall of
arton Foundation was formed. te racial harmony, equality and c benefit.
Joseph Sepp Blatter received Marquette Statue for permanent arters in Zurich, Switzerland.
e statue honouring Wharton eorge’s Park National Football
OCT 02 1 Hakeem Kae-Kazim - actor Donny Hathaway (1945-1979) - musician 2 Avery Brooks - actor Charles Savarin – President of Dominica Nat Turner (1800-1831) - African-American slave Moses Gunn (1929-1993) - actor Johnnie Cochran Jr. (1937-2005) - lawyer www.panacheoccasions.com
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Living
Life 5 Pato Banton - singer Delroy Wilson CD (1948-1995) - musician Bernie Mac (1957-2008) – comedian/actor
OCT 14 Tito Jackson – singer/songwriter
7 Chizzy Akudolu - actress Dwayne Bravo - cricketer Jermain Defoe - professional footballer Alesha Dixon – singer/songwriter Desmond Tutu – retired Anglican Bishop
OCT 08 Jesse Jackson – civil rights activist
OCT 15 Fela Kuti (1938-1997) – musician/composer
3 Josie d’Arby – actress/writer Al Sharpton Jr. – Baptist minister David Pitt, Baron Pitt of Hampstead (19131994) - politician Val McCalla (1943-2002) – founder of The Voice newspaper Phyllis Nelson (1950 – 1998) - singer 4 Ashley Banjo - dancer YolanDa Brown – saxophonist/composer Russell Simmons - businessman Mara Thompson - politician 28
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6 Millie Small CD – singer/songwriter Lamman Rucker - actor
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8 Nick Cannon – actor/comedian Sheila Ferguson – singer Jesse Jackson – civil rights activist Karyn Parsons - actress Dr Harold Moody (1882-1947) - physician 9 Steve McQueen CBE – film director/ producer Tyler James Williams - actor Mary Ann Shadd Cary (1823-1893) - antislavery activist/journalist 10 Chris Ofili - painter Cupid – singer Mýa – singer/songwriter Ben Vereen – actor/dancer Sir Willard Wentworth White, OM, CBE – operatic singer Thelonious Monk (1917-1982) – pianist/ composer 11 MC Lyte - rapper Lennie James - actor
Fela Kuti (1938-1997) – musician/composer 16 Terri J. Vaughan - actress Kim Wayans – actress/ comedian 17 Owen Arthur PC, MP – politician OCT 16 Wyclef Jean – rapper/ musician Chuka Umunna - politician Terry McMillan - writer Samuel Ringgold Ward George Bridgetower (1778–1860) - violinist (1817-1866) – abolitionist/newspaper Keith Boyce (1943-1996) - cricketer editor 12 Dick Gregory – civil rights activist Marion Jones – former athlete Dorie Miller (1919-1943) – US Navy Messman Melvin Franklin (1942-1995) - singer 13 Ashanti - singer Tisha Campbell-Martin - actress David Haye – retired professional boxer Beverly Johnson – model/actress T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh – actress/writer Orphy Robinson - musician 14 Omar Lye-Fook MBE – singer/songwriter Tito Jackson – singer/songwriter Usher – singer/songwriter 15 Eric Benét - musician Keyshia Cole – singer/songwriter Anthony Joshua MBE - professional boxer Ravi Rampaul - cricketer
18 Chuck Berry – musician/singer songwriter Joy Bryant - actress Thomas Hearns – former professional boxer Terry McMillan - writer Joe Morton - actor Ne-Yo – singer/songwriter 19 Roger Cross - actor Evander Holyfield – retired professional boxer Bill Morris, Baron Morris of Handsworth, OJ, DL - legislator Peter Tosh, OM (1944 –1987) - musician 20 Snoop Dogg – rapper/singer Jennifer Freeman – actress Bobby Seale – political activist 21 Paul Ince - football manager Cleveland Watkiss - virtuoso vocalist/actor and composer www.panacheoccasions.com
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Living
Life
Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993) – jazz trumpeter Ronald McNair (1950-1986) - physicist/NASA astronaut 22 Oona King, Baroness King of Bow - politician Shaggy - musician 23 Martin Luther King III – human rights activist Pelé – retired professional footballer Heshima Thompson – actor/singer Alex Tudor - cricketer 24 Cindy Breakspeare – musician/former model Drake – rapper/singer songwriter Doreen Lawrence, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, OBE - campaigner Monica - singer V. V. Brown – singer/songwriter
29 Randy Jackson – musician/singer Melba Moore – actress/singer songwriter Tracee Ellis Ross – actress/comedian Gabrielle Union – actress/model 30 Nia Long - actress Eva Marcille – model/actress Tequan Richmond – actor/rapper Otis Williams – singer/songwriter 31 Anton Phillips - actor Willow Smith – teen actress/singer Norman Beaton (1934-1994) - actor
25 Ciara – singer/songwriter Phaedra Parks – entertainment attorney Zadie Smith FRSL – novelist/writer Shaun Wright-Phillips - professional footballer Speech - rapper Lamont Bentley (1973-2005) – actor/rapper 26 Nicola Adams, MBE – Olympic boxer Mahalia Jackson (1911-1972) - gospel singer 27 Angie Le Mar – actor/comedian Ruby Dee (1922-2014) – actress/poet 28 Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth, DBE actress/singer Arthur Wharton (1865-1930) - sportsman
OCT 24 Doreen Lawrence, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, OBE - campaigner
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OCT 31 Norman Beaton (1934-1994) - actor www.panacheoccasions.com
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Life
Living
6 Forces to battle for a successful redundancy transition (4/6) By Jenni Williams
H
eadline News. “Reduced need for people due to automation.� The T in PESTLE refers to technology, and over the past 30 years the technological revolution is said to have removed the need for many semi-skilled middle income jobs like Typists, Secretaries, Ticket Agents and Production line workers.
The Threat of Technology
The impact of advances in digital technology have become more and more embedded into our daily lives, and it has to be seen as a central pillar in your career transition strategy. If you look at the trends over time, they suggest that innovation eliminates some jobs and creates others. The roles mentioned above all contain a high degree of repetition, a job feature that is a key target for automation. At one end of the jobs spectrum, roles requiring a high degree of creativity and problem solving, like Computer Programmers and Web Designers have grown steadily in recent years. At the lower end of the scale, low skilled service work is also in high demand in areas like Care work, and Restaurant work. The at risk job areas that are becoming increasingly digitalised are found in manufacturing, clerical and retail, law, financial services, education and medicine. Information setting out the jobs landscape is useful, in terms of highlighting job sectors that are less likely to offer work opportunities in the long term, and those that are more likely to provide more secure work.
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The Technology Opportunity
Being at a crossroads in your career, (perhaps through redundancy, and as a result of the digitalisation of work), gives you the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the technology revolution. Viewed positively, you may find yourself in the enviable position of being able to reinvent your career along the lines of developing your expertise in technology – if that is where your skills and abilities lie. Which other roles are likely to increase in importance? As mentioned last week, the ageing population in most of the developed world means that there will be a continuous demand for support among the elderly, as well as a growing demand for research into issues that affect this group, like Dementia. Nursing staff as well as Care Workers are also likely to be in high demand. Genetically modified diets could become a staple part of everyday life, as we battle to feed an ever expanding world population, fuelling the need for Dietitians, Nutritionists and Food Scientists. Image Consultants, Life Coaches, IT Security Consultants, Network Engineers and Social Media Managers are other areas that look likely to become sought after roles. What remains to be seen is whether rapid technological change displaces jobs faster than new roles can be created, this is yet another factor to consider when deciding on your next carer move. Why? Because, we have been witnessing a stagnation of the average income for the past few years, the dark side of this has been the creeping growth of inequality, in the battle of highly skilled versus low skilled jobs. Armed with the available intelligence relating to the technological assault on jobs, should go some way towards enabling you to redesign your future with digital precision.
Next week we will look at the fifth element L, which centres on the legal issues that can impact your career transition.
So tell me, are there particular areas of social impact that you feel might affect your career transition opportunities? http://www.jenniwilliams.co.uk/free-e-book-be-the-change-you-want-to-be/
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Living
Caribbean Property
UK pension changes create new property investors By: Maureen Smith
A
s someone who loves to captain their own ship, I welcomed the pension changes that will see around 10 million British people who have reached the ripe young age of 55 between 2010 and 2020 being able to cash in their pension pots to do with as they please.
THE SHARKS ARE CIRCLING
Press reports have disclosed that the sharks are already circling in an effort to lay their hands on pension pots. Without permission from the individuals, highly sensitive financial and personal data is on sale for as little as 5p for each person approaching retirement. As a result, many beneficiaries of pension pots will come under pressure to part with their cash, with promises of returns which sound too good to be true and are therefore likely to turn out to be too good to be true.
3,000+ ATTEND MANCHESTER PROPERTY EXHIBITION
Britons are still willing to pursue the dream of owning property in sunnier climes. That is if the Channel 4 TV show ‘A Place in the Sun Live’ overseas property exhibition that was held in Manchester on Saturday, 14th March 2015 is anything to go by. The event was attended by 34
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over 3,000 people, making it the busiest day at an overseas property exhibition in the UK for seven years. Many of those attending the event took advantage of low property prices in Spain and the Mediterranean.
THE CARIBBEAN PROPERTY WORLD
Britons with lump sum pensions can look further afield – the Caribbean - for that holiday,
second or retirement home. Depending on your reasons for choosing the Caribbean as the place in which to spend your pension pots, you’ll be bowled over by the diverse selection of properties for sale in this part of the world. These include luxury villas, condominium units, detached homes and residential lots on which to build your own style of home. If you’re an investor looking solely for income generating property in the Caribbean, then a boutique hotel, residential apartment block,
commercial building or development land may suit you. The choices of property for sale in the Caribbean are endless!
ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD
I could not end this article without a cautionary note to new pension pot beneficiaries. There is no doubt that buying property abroad can be a truly exciting and rewarding experience. However, be aware that the stunning beachfront resort development with every amenity and facility that you could possibly want may never be completed. Your real estate agent may be more incentivised and motivated by lucrative commission fees than the outcome of your property purchase. Don’t allow the promise of a ‘to die for’ lifestyle or ‘too good to be true’ returns on your investment persuade you to part with your lump sum pension funds. You can definitely invest in overseas property, just be diligent, vigilant and prudent every step of the way! Get in touch:
Tropical Connections Limited, Weatherill House, New South Quarter, 23 Whitestone Way, Croydon, Surrey CR0 4WF England Telephone: 0845 222 1413 Mobile: 07506 354 902 Fax: 020 8686 6125 Email: info@tropicalconnections.co.uk Web: www.tropicalconnections.co.uk
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CULTURE
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Culture
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with
S
Can you see yourself crossing over to the African continent and what plans you have to market to the African continent? After all not many know of your Nigerian background. I have had the privilege of writing and collaborating with African Artist from Senegal Abdul Getty Seck. Digarty of Positive black soul. Nigerian Artist Mr Simmi Ras Kimono producers Chris Okoro etc.
Just like Toyin Adekale, Jean Adebambo they truly contributed to the Reggae industry and should never be forgotten.
Who would you most like to work with musically out of Nigeria/Africa? Tuface Asa to name a few there are lots of Nigerian Artist I would love to work with.
SYLVIA TELLA By Mr. Lekan Olujinmi
ylvia Tella, a Nigerian girl in England doing great things for so long, I am sure nobody new she was even a Nigerian Princess - Princess Silafatu Morenikji Wahabie Tella.
As you know, Sylvia has been in the music business for over (4) four decades, you just have to type her name on the internet to see the ‘magnanimous references’ to her global body of work. Please take the time research her work and you will see she is a ‘seasoned’ artist in her own right, (with many tributes, accolades and distinctive awards), and has now transcended to being a ‘mentor’ to the next generation of up-coming artists in UK and beyond. Can you tell all your wonderful fans what you have been doing over the year of being a noted Reggae Star? I have been touring Recording living abroad in Brazil Paris Nigeria. Tell our international readers what keeps one of our Queen Sylvia Tella inspired to continue within the music industry after so long? Because I love what I do. And the Music today is versatile and interesting I still enjoy it and my Fans are still supporting my Music.
Please can you name some of the projects you are working on? My New Album Story Tella New single and Video Tick Tock and a Musical work-shop How do you see the Reggae industry improving worldwide? It already has, not only through Internet and being able to sell your music but because the young music Buyers are being introduced to past and present Reggae Music. Did you have the support of your family when you said you wanted to be in the music business? Yes and No My father supported me My Mother it took a while. What do you consider is your best song & album to-date? Tella like it is. Others May say Spell 1981. I am still working on my Best Album 2016 What do you consider are your main passions in life? My family Grandchildren friends and my Work.
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Exclusive Interview
What are your plans for 2016? To do more of what I am doing right Now. And more International Tours. By The Grace of God.
Would you like to give us your full Majestic Nigerian name and its full meaning? Princess Silafatu Morenikji Wahabie Tella Means; I have a Partner & Giver.
Do you have Goals regarding your profession & other hobbies? Yes to release my New Products and to continue to work and record new upcoming Artist. And more Community and International Musical projects
http://sylviatella.bandcamp.com/
What is the one thing your life experiences have taught you while working in the music industry that you would like to teach to the next generations? If you have a dreams and desire, don’t let nothing stop you. You have to work hard towards your Goals. Enjoy what you do and when you feel Dishearten RETUNE-REALIGHNREFOCUS AND PRAY. What did you love most about life when you were growing up & where did you grow up? I grew up in Manchester when people had respect for their Elders, and you could leave your Front door open. By the time I was 15yrs I was touring UK then the World with Boney M group from 1977-83
Sylvia Tella - Tick Tock - Official Music Video
A few of Syliva Tella’s Albums
Click each cover to open the official Sylvia Tella store
Spell
Will You Still Want Me
Sylvia Tella
Reggae Max
Describe in three words what is real love to you? Happiness Honesty Passion. If you had the chance to do things all again in life what would you do differently? Not a lot different but maybe save more money. What is the message that Sylvia Tella is trying to put across to your fans worldwide? Keep it real, enjoy the Experiences and journey through your life, and do all the things you want without regret. 38
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Tella Like It Is
Tick Tock EP
SYLVIA TELLA
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Culture
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ORIS ERHUERO
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INTRODUCING ACTOR ORIS ERHUERO By Mr. Lekan Olujinmi
B
orn in London, England on September 23, the oldest of 7 children of a much loved and respected Nigerian (Urhobo) family from the Delta region, Oris is a British Actor, Director, Producer, Writer, designer and former fashion model and a Father. He is highly acclaimed for being the most photographed and publicized, international fashion runway and print model of his era, shooting with the likes of Nick Night ,Gian Paolo Barbieri, Bruce Webber, Greg Gorman, the late Bob Carlos Clark and endless strings of photographers to date. After modelling and starring in endless TV commercials internationally for several years while studying Theatre and Film simultaneously, he transitioned into television, stage and film, with a series regular role in the Global hit action adventures series "The Adventures of Sinbad" followed by endless guest starring roles on US & UK prime time TV, Stage & film ,such as the Critally american hit stage play “THE DIARY OF A BLCK MAN”, “STRIKE BACK”,”THE DISTRICT”, The Bill, Highlander: Endgame, Black Mask 2, E ring, (The HBO Critically acclaimed film about the Ruwanda genocide in 94 “Sometimes in April” staring him and Idris Elba as the leads), and the list keeps going (Please check imdb for more of his film credits). Throughout his career he has worked with renowned Award winning Actors and Film Directors such as the late Dennis Hopper,
Director Raoul Peck, R Benjamin Bratt, Christopher Lambert, Donnie Yen, Guy Ritchie, Yuen Woo-Ping (action director for Crouching Tiger 1&2, Matrix, Hero,House of flying Daggers,), Tsui Hark, Cedric the Entertainer and academy award nominee Debra Winger. Oris has transitioned his film company from a centralized location into a global vision. Staring in two major defining films of his career this year 2015,not only as the leading man in both but as executive producer. He has brought on board multi-talented business associates in both the fashion and the film world from London Milan, New York Los Angeles,Ghana,Nigeria and South Africa. They are visionaries who believe firmly in harmonization, productivity, social welfare and injustices, environmental impacts, and equality. Their combined vision, lead them to form a unique film production company, which is headquartered in London. Being a self-proclaimed "citizen of the world, emboldened by strong roots," he has been blessed to have lived and travelled all over the world, cultivating a life's riches of experiences from which to draw upon. Grounded from a spiritual perspective, Oris thoroughly enjoys and believes in "giving back" to the world community, and thus, is often involved in numerous local and global humanitarian organizations. Erhuero has an absolute clear vision for Africa and also the firm believe that Africa is the new 21st Century along with India and China. For him, education is the key and foundation for the next generation of children and young people and this is something one must not take lightly. One must truly cherish and invest in their future and that is Oris’ goal to the best www.panacheoccasions.com
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of his ability. Education is the foundation of the prosperity of a country and this vision has lead Oris to collaborate with the Child of the Universe philanthropic Project of BLRI where he is the Brand Ambassador, Business Development Director and Celebrity Consultant.
When did you start acting?
well I started out Acting professionally in 1994 where I played one of the lead characters of a TV series called the “The Adventures Sinbad” as it so happened, this was actually my very first professional acting audition too. I was excited and thrilled to have booked it as the old saying goes- “if after drama school you book your first audition or even one out of your first 10 auditions, then you are definitely on the right track”. Well I have not looked back ever since, and for me? Well my ‘Journey’ has only just begun.
For how long have you been acting?
I have been acting (professionally) for the last 20 years, from TV commercials, TV series films, to stage and screen plays.
What motivates you to act?
One of the things that really motivates me to act within a professional capacity, is my passion and drive to truly inspire others; as well as many of my personal life experiences. It is of great importance to me to be of inspiration to others, throughout my career as an Actor and as I grow older in this Arena. I have often received a wealth of correspondence, over the years, and I have never failed to empathise and show my understanding, on numerous levels and in various capacities, with all those who have chosen to reach out to me 42
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and or share their own personal stories and experiences. Fans of whom have come from all parts of the world and walks of life that have let me know, via a range of multimedia and modern technological mediums, of just how much my acting work, on both stage and screen has impacted their lives. I can honestly say that such feedback from fans is what truly touches my heart and makes me feel proud of what I do, giving me the incentive and drive thus, to keep on the path to relish and do what I do, in each and every project that I undertake, with the genuine desire to bring people entertainment and sheer happiness.
Which Hollywood celebrity inspires you the most and why?
I would have to say at the moment Angelina Jolie hands down, simply because she seems to connect with everyday people on an interpersonal level. For example her humanitarian work with the UN really allows her to reach far and wide and she touches upon issues that others turn away from. She gets right down to the dirt and grapples with things that many others choose to so easily overlook and her life, to me just clearly speaks for itself.
Name your top ten movies of all time? My Top Ten movies of all time: • ALI, • MALCOM X, • GLORY, • LUMUMBA, • SHAW SHANK REDEMPTION, • STEVEN BIKO, • SOMETIMES IN APRIL, • BLOOD DIAMONDS, • MANDINGO.
How do you overcome rejection of an Audition?
Well I am grateful to say that these days I am been approached and offered roles, but that’s after years and years of auditions and endless heart breaking experiences. I have to say it has not been all Bunnies and rainbows! I have had some very painful disappointing moment’s and rejections where I have walked into the room and everything is going so well you get the call that you are in the running and they love you and then boom! All of a sudden it just goes silent for months and then you hear that they are already shooting the movie and with someone else. Or in another case in Los Angeles, a couple of years ago, contracts were being sent out for a film that I had auditioned for on about five occasions. They had called on a Friday night saying “have a great weekend you got the role”. As I was about to celebrate and get my friends to go to Las Vegas and party; They called back saying “sorry”, that the one actor they had originally offered the part to in the beginning (before the audition process had even started) had changed his mind at the last minute, and wanted to do the film after all! When I look back I am grateful for all the rejection that I faced because it has only made me a stronger person, immune to rejection; but most importantly these experiences have humbled me and have brought me down to earth. As an Actor I am fully aware of just how easy it is for one to develop an ego that can over shadow their talent “in a heart- beat” and destroy us. To put it bluntly, no one wants to work with any person who presents such traits in their behaviour; as I have seen time and time
again, and it’s sad. Also When I look back and even now, occasionally it still happens. I just thank my lucky stars instead of being bitter. My experiences here have also put me in a position, whereby I am more of a business minded individual as I am also producer too. So when you call me or mention my name, it better be that the deal is on the table and I need to be the one deciding if I want to do the film/TV screen-play or not. I sincerely believe however, that all In all rejection is good for the soul as it keeps you on your toes and gives you the ‘hunger’ to aspire for achieving greater goals. I believe that it’s really how one deals with rejection that determines the kind of person they will ultimately become. You can you use rejection as a fuel to ‘skyrocket’ and become the most profound individual that any one would ever hope to meet, or you can just ‘hit rock bottom’, quit and regret it later in life; causing you to subsequently become a very destructive individual to yourself as well as all those around you.
Tell me about a time where you had difficulty turning yourself into a character? What was the character? And why was it challenging?
Well how ironic as I have just WRAPED up the promotion of 2 major defining films of my life at this time one OF them was shot in Ghana about a year ago and will be world premiering at the Hackney picture house in London on Friday the 6th of November called “The Cursed Ones “ it s also part of the official selection of Film Africa Film Festival (RAS) sponsored by the BFI, Directed by Nana Obiri Yeboah. Who in my opinion is one of the finest most intelligent men I have ever come www.panacheoccasions.com
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across in the business in a very long time. The movie, written by a very young talented and up- coming writer hailing from Germany, via New York named MaximiIian Claussen, and an award winning Cinematographer, out of London England called Nicholas K Lory. I have to say it was the most challenging role that I have ever encountered to date! Simply because for the first time in my life I played a lead character, who had to carry the whole story of the film, from his initial point of view, in the beginning to the very end as well; as being one of the Executive Producers of the film itself. So for me every step I made during this screen production thus, mattered. Simply because I felt at the time, my entire life depended on it. I was to pay attention to every detail, every breath, every movement and every thought process carried out, from start to finish. The film is a true and very thought provoking depiction of exactly what’s happening in Africa at present, in this our very modern/ liberal day and age. The storyline underpins what has for a very long time, clearly been something that has followed and haunting most Africans in to the West today, on a very alarming scale; causing such irreversible physical, spiritual and emotional damage to so many, on a level beyond anything a worldwide audience would ever encounter and or comprehend in their wildest of dreams; in the entire history of African Film Production and the entire African Cinematic Community, period. The plot centres closely around an innocent, unassuming child being accused of performing and participating in acts of Witch Craft, to an extent, which I believe is just completely and utterly out of this world! Without giving too much away, I played a journalist, a ‘physically’ strong man, and a very frustrated individual of who had very 44
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little hope, confidence or self-belief. A man who had lost all hope in life, in himself and in humanity. A journalist whose life has resulted to writing about birthdays, funerals, and weddings because even his own employer has no confidence in him telling or writing any story of major importance. And now, spontaneously he has been sent on an assignment to a small village, in the middle of Africa to cover an upcoming festival; only for things to take a whole different course of events. I embody a very different character in this role, from the kinds I have played in the past, and a very challenging one at that! I had to really destroy any form or ounce of ego that lay deep within me for that period of time, as well as to burry all my preconceived ideas and notions of the given environment and circumstances that I was to encounter, having been born, raised and cultured in Western Civilization, until this production ‘wrapped’! The Leading Men characters I have played in Hollywood have been very ego driven characters, even some of the smallest of my past roles involved me, having to grapple with letting go of everything at its highest purest level, one part I played in particular required me to gain a great deal of body weight, as this character was a very depressed individual. I had to do something I had never saw coming or experienced at all before in my life; as I am a very health conscious individual, and anyone who knows me, knows of how active and physically fit I am! As well as just how much I also love to work out, as I am also a martial artist at heart, so I guess, that speaks for itself! The second thing that I needed to consider was the fact that I also had to do a lot of drinking beyond ‘the norm’, as this character
ORIS ERHUERO
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drank a great deal and not just any drinking, firstly I am not the ‘drink one beer and amout’ kind of guy that would hold on to a glass of wine and sip it slowly for hours as if making love to it, or even a good glass of brandy! As I cherish and respect these things and don’t believe in the abuse of alcohol consumption. I did however have to undergo a ‘using and abusing’ of alcohol period however; we all know the dark path, down which alcohol abuse has led many people in history to also. I deeply struggle therefore, with the fact that my character was heavily indulging in this vice and using it as a clutch. I had to research the medical and scientific background behind the kind of alcohol consumed on the market that leads to depression and sadness of such a magnitude scale, because I found that my assigned character suffered depression to such great depths and on such a magnitude scale. A character that if in reality existed, I believe that I would honestly would ‘struggle’ to get along, or associate myself with. Please don’t t get me wrong, I would try my best too, as I don’t believe in stereotyping or passing judgement on others in any capacity; but let’s keep in mind I am only human and so, I am not perfect in any respect of the word. I also had to develop a big stomach literally, in this particular character role; as the director knew of my modelling past and the action ‘tough guy roles’ Hollywood wants the likes of me to play these days, as of course it’s the business I am in! The director knew that I am known for flaunting that more ‘macho’ side of myself in the media and knew I was a model in the past as well as other charters I have played shirtless. He insisted in spite of these factors however, that I lost ‘the six pack’ immediately, as he wanted a complete mega-transformation, from any of the character roles I had played previously 46
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in my acting career. This was not something that I had anticipated or experienced prior; nor have I ever been expected to make such a vast and drastic transformation, in the process of conditioning both my body and mind set, over such a short duration of time; to the extent where even my sister, who is a Medical Doctor, expressed her concerns for my physical health. But although she knew I was more than capable of doing what I needed to do for the role, she kept a close eye on things from a distance. I had to eat in excess, which proved to be very challenging for me. I have never had a big stomach; I also needed to cease taking part in all forms of physical exercise. I was fortunate to have been working under the care and guidance of a director of whom had the best interests of the entire cast at heart; both on a personable and psychological level. As he always appeared to be ten steps ahead of us all. I found that the professional relationship that he maintained with us all, as individual cast members was second to none; for he possessed the innate ability to understand the ability and meet the individual needs of each cast member. It was deep and beyond anything psychologically or any of us, even the writers and or those watching on the side lines had ever seen. As filming proceeded, the director would from time mentally challenge each and every one of us to deeply justify why we would make a certain creative decisions or actions, till you could prove him wrong or he wasn’t having it any other way! To be honest, in my opinion he was the perfect director. I feel that I needed in my life, to experience going down that road and trusting his direction because in so doing, he made it clear that this will be the hardest character role I have ever played to date! Also that if I
can trust him, we will walk through this safe and sound. The Director knew also, that I am a natural born Method Actor and saw that from the first time we meet, I am the kind of actor that is willing to go the distance and to extreme lengths to get to the bottom of ‘that character’ by any means necessary! He had to psychologically ‘break me down’ so badly, in order to get me to lose all of my inhibitions. I subsequently became a ‘broken down individual’; so much so, to the point where I would cry for days and hated him and at one point they couldn’t even get me out of the hotel room! I can honestly say, whole heartedly, that I became ‘this monstrous man’ and was ‘living’ as him 24/7! I never spoke to my family or any friends, for the almost 2 to 3 months. I spoke to absolutely nobody whatsoever. I literary cut off all ties and forms of communication with everyone in the West and I became a pure and true, deep reclusive soul from that world. I came to a place in my mind where, I didn’t want to know what was going on in the world or the news and nor did I care! I ‘switched’ my soul, lost it and traded it willingly; burying it in a place that was just so far, far away from anyone’s comprehension. I wanted to be able to resurrect this ‘dead’ character’s soul, before bringing it to life to the best of my ability. Trust me when I say it was hell and incredibly difficult as the truth is, one can cross that line and never return if not careful! I have been to this kind of place in the past, when Idris Elba and I played very pivotal, dominant characters in the critically acclaimed, most talked about African movie of all time, By HBO films called “Sometimes in April”. The same company behind “Game of Thrones”; it was a film about the Ruwandan Genocide of 1994, filmed in the actual locations where
these atrocities took place, and I didn’t work or function properly after that film for a while because I was so fully immersed in the characterisation of my then role. But thanks to my Buddhist faith and spiritual path which I have been treading on for the last 8 or so years, that I am able to safely and confidently say that I can ‘swing’ back into reality without any break downs. This is sometimes the price I believe I have to pay as a method actor, as the technique works for me, and I swear by it, as it’s never let me down! I must advise any young actor however, or anyone thinking of just jumping out there wanting to play with this technique to really think twice about wanting to use it and go ‘deeply’ into any character; for I would not advise any actor to go into it unless trained, and I mean well trained beyond humility in a very safe, sound and confined environment, under the guidance of a very good, caring and trusting teacher, as well as them being someone, that will ‘catch you’ when you cross that line mentally, and in good time enough to restore, nurture and reserve the best of you, in order that you can continue in the pursuit of mastering your craft and still fully function as a human being in your daily life, as well as also for the purpose of performing other artistic roles as a Professional Actor. I took this part willingly and knowing exactly what I was getting myself into, and also for what the content of the film was about and was deeply concerned about these innocent children being accused unnecessarily, constantly persecuted for nothing, out of sheer ignorance and the lack of education and understanding of others. I therefore wanted to be the one that will tell the story and bring it greatly to the attention of everyone breathing on this planet earth. I had this www.panacheoccasions.com
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vision when I was initially offered the script, that this film and story will be seen by the 7 to 8, billion people supposedly living on this planet earth. I sincerely want to ensure that everyone is fully aware of this ignorance and determine this nonsense stops period. I believe that I was born to do what I do as an Actor and I am incredibly grateful for my platform and I very much respect it, as well as I am aware of the price and responsibility that comes with this kind of role as an actor. I also want to make explicitly clear that throughout this time, I was protected and in one of the safest and most beautiful environments any actor who knows their craft could have asked to be placed. The director and I went into Ghana early, ahead of all the other cast members, as I felt that I first needed to get accustomed to the land, the people, culture, customs, traditional dialects and atmosphere; in order for me to best fulfil the requirements of my role. I very much wanted to become one with that part of Africa, as to be able to get into the swing of things, as it were. The Director was always monitoring me, at all times and had the key to my room and ‘that cave’ I would return to, when I wanted to be left alone and he was incredibly good at bringing me in and out of it when he felt I was losing grasp of any concepts or was on the verge of crossing ‘that line’! It was our little secret, I also mind you, could not be drunk at any time all, because it was so important I maintained the human elements as an artist, as well as my full composure and discipline as a professional, in order for me to also avoid the suffering and the hellish state of the character’s mind-set and many demons that he regularly had to deal with.
Now, not too many actors or directors would agree with the approach and journey my Director and I take, and I respect their opinions, but for me it’s very important to be true and honest with every character I play, and I am willing to cross that line if needs be to get to the goal of what the director wants in order to tell that story especially this kind of story , it’s bad enough people spend their hard earned cash to go and see actors and a bunch of us and our big fat egos on the screen every day. Only to then feel cheated and ripped-off, so I feel in my heart of hearts it’s very important I at least try my very best to give them my absolute best performance to the best of my abilities at that when called upon, that I deliver period. Now let’s be very clear about this for anyone reading this; I never drank on set as is not something I would recommend at all, as also it was not allowed at all, but I did back in the hotel as to absorb the pain and what was commanded of the character. Nothing else! l am grateful to say, that despite all the odds against us prior to going out to Africa at the height of this so called fear of an Ebola epidemic, we all pulled through and bonded in the most phenomenal way, with the locals and crew from all over the world, because our families and friends in the west feared the worst as it was during the time that they were literally almost grounding all flights in and out of West Africa. The only fear I deeply had in my heart was that we may not have been able to shoot this film because of the fact that we couldn’t fly, simply due to the fact that reports became so twisted in the media that ‘the whole of Africa was infected’ with Ebola, and Africa suddenly became a ‘no-go’ zone, especially being out there and actually seeing things for myself, up close and in person. I think that it was ridiculously www.panacheoccasions.com
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sad to see how people on the plane where in genuine fear, it was just insane! I think I would have just lost my patience and made my way in to Africa regardless, come hell or high tide if they stopped me from going to do it, out of fear of being infected by the virus. The truth is, I am an African myself, born in the west but have very strong roots and ties to Africa, and to be honest, it goes without saying, that there are more dangerous diseases in the west right now at this moment, not talked about and one of them is ‘Fear’ and the other is ‘Ignorance’, and trust me as funny as it all seems they are a serious disease!
Name A few tips on how to memorise lines faster?
well I have to be honest there is no magictrick or ‘short-cut’ to memorising lines quickly, the only way for one to memorise any lines in a script, is to first of all study the script from A to Z; always do your research and investigation(s) into the associated themes and contexts. For example in my case, I had to spend time in London with an award winning journalist, in order to allow me to just understand my purpose, from the perspective of a journalist, affording me thus, the opportunity to truly understand the mind of a journalist and the pros and cons of what their profession ensues. It was this kind of research that better helped the lines flow smoothly for me, as well as the preparation, in other areas of the character’s life. Anyone can sit and recite lines night and day very easily, and memorise them, but the reality is you will just be saying the lines with no feeling behind them. I don’t think that film would ever make it to the cinema or even on line at all, if this was the case! 50
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So it’s not about just trying to get the lines memorised faster but, I also think that it is equally as important to really get into the heart of the story as well as the soul of the character, behind the actual lines. I would suggest that you ask yourself ‘why am I here?’, ‘Where am I going?’ And ‘how can I get there?’, In so doing, the lines will come to life organically and will feel more natural, because we always need to remember that the character is also a human being like you too, and depending on how committed and immersed you, as an actor are within the rehearsals process, will also help in a big way.
Why do you love acting?
I love acting simply for the fact that I can experience so many everyday characters in life and wear and live in their shoes for a short period of time, seeing the world from so many different perspectives. I also truly relish the thrill and ride of the journey, if directed in safe hands, is the most incredible feeling one could ever encounter; when you connect deeply with the character on a deeper level.
What sort of acting roles do you hope to take on in the future?
At this point in my life I would love to do more true powerful and or Biographical stories that would create value, touch and inspire so many people from all walks of life to have hope and to dream big! Because I have watched a lot of incredible performances and seen great stories over the years that have truly inspired me and shaped my life on so many levels. I want to follow that path and make sure I end mine that way too, as to inspire somebody, somewhere to say ‘wow...If he can do it, so too can I’. As for me, it’s the most incredible feeling to have
kids who are now approaching adulthood, approaching me from all walks of life, with their inspirational testimonials; even some via Facebook saying how they use to rush home from school to watch my TV series and how they just couldn’t wait every week/ evening to watch it. For me, that is the most incredible and rewarding feeling in the world for one to awake to and I am so grateful for that. I get the people approaching me to date, on a daily basis; still talking about the film “Sometimes in April” and you can see how they say things like, “thanks for that movie” and “the performance you gave”, as they never knew such a thing was happing in the world.
There has been a lot of talk of the likes of Idris Elba, someone you have worked with up close and in person, and you not to mention a lot of other black actors; to play the coveted role of the next 007 especially since you are also British. What’s your take on that?
Well as far as am concerned am grateful and honoured that the fans and the public would even see me or even imagine me in ‘that’ tuxedo! I have to say, I love and am a huge fan of Daniel Craig’s professional body of work. I don’t know him personally however; he is on the list of one of my favourite actors in the world! And to be honest, he has taken the James Bond franchise to such incredible heights financially, creatively and qualitywise and I thank him for doing such an amazing job, on behalf of such an incredibly, iconic figure.
And from a business prospective, the producers are very happy as well, with the fact that he has also signed on for one or two more series I believe. I won’t be too quick to jump the Gun, and scream yet and have sleepless nights over it! But if I am offered the role and the chance at it tomorrow, you can rest assured and trust me I would jump on it in a heart-beat and give it everything that I have within me, without a doubt, and I will have the world screaming for the next one thereafter! On that note I would leave that to the God’s and deities that follow and guide me in this life to decide, as they have been very good to me in life thus far, and as we know life is full of surprises, you just never know what you are going to find!
If you had to choose between Acting, Dj-ing or Design, which would be the best one for you and why? And how did all these things come about what’s the connection?
It’s funny I was one of those and still am a very active individual as I had said before I was very deeply involved with the hip-hop and Break Dancing Scene, in London during the 80s, which took me in to Dj-ing automatically and then provided me with a great platform from which to transition into the New York and U.S. rap scene, where at one point I wanted to work for Def. Jam Records, this was when the likes of Rick Robin was one of the owners as well as Russell Simons. I even went as far as appearing on Public Enemy s second or third album. I believe my voice was on the chorus you hear on the track “She Watch Chanel Zero”. www.panacheoccasions.com
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I hung out with the producers; I even appeared on a number of rap albums. I always felt like the oddest guy in that world, then before you knew it, I was collecting records and buying so many records, it started to cost me a lot to travel with them as well as my turn tables it got really expensive; but anyway, as time went on, a lot of people in New York begged me to carry on pursuing acting, as they felt it’s where I belong. So that died a little in a very strange and ironic way. As one evening I was car jacked and shot 7 times and left for dead. After coming out of a comma and 6 months later of recovery and healing, I meet a photographer in Miami called Azarbra from Canada, who talked me back in to Acting, and said he will set me up with a couple of agencies in Milan, London, Paris and South Africa, to get a break from America and travel the world a bit, and make extra money modelling and give me time to save money and move to Los Angeles. At that time there were barely any black guys modelling, and we are talking, in the early 90s, and before I knew it I was doing endless modelling jobs and shooting with every photographer from Nike to You name it! It was just crazy. Mind you, almost a year prior I would have been dead and buried somewhere in New York City. I was doing almost every run way show in Milan, Paris and Germany, doing all these major catalogues, and even then, I had been told to go in to acting buy everyone I was working with, and fast forward 1994. I landed my first acting role on a TV series via a commercial shoot in south Africa which took me on for Five years and the rest is history! In those years I ran into one of the finest Award winning top African Designers, Adebayor Jones who in turn introduced me 52
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to one of the finest top jewellery designers, also a fellow African and country man in Los Angeles called Chrisaire who is one of the biggest high fashion jewellery designers and stylist to all, and every star from the who? is who? To Presidents around the world. He said I was most welcome to come and work with him behind the scenes selling for him if I wasn’t busy with acting work and needed to make extra money. I took him up on that offer in a heartbeat, as he knew I had lived in Europe and had been around some of the finest designers and understood the business. That’s where the whole ‘jewellery thing’ came about because he thought me so much! It’s crazy; so if I had to choose and stick with one thing I don’t think it will be possible, as they all have a significant and meaningful role to play in who I am right now. Even now, I am in to playing Deep Tribal House Music, and getting requests to play all over the world, that’s if of course I can find the time, and honestly they all complement each other in such a beautiful way as every one of these paths have opened doors in a way beyond my wildest dreams. It’s like I went from a very dark moment and time in my life, and within the blink of an eye, branch into a world of all and everything I have ever desired and I truly owe that to the a God’s cause I am grateful and very blessed.
What advice would you give to any young man or woman such as your daughter that wants to act?
Pretty face? Retouched pictures? And the size of your breasts and how much cleavage you want to show is not, and I repeat not going to get you through the doors in this game, or make you famous any sooner! Because many have tried that and it isn’t and will never work.
It might work for a minute or two, but it still requires one to work hard, hustle, pray and have a deep faith in whatever it is you choose to believe in. And of course it’s imperative that one lives a healthy and well balanced lifestyle with a serious love, respect and the willingness to give back and help as many others possible in society. I believe that is the key to success and where you will win not just in acting, but also in anything you put your heart and mind towards accomplishing, in this life time. I would also recommend the importance of finding a mentor and someone you deeply trust to guide you at the time of need because, take it from me, as a young, new and inexperienced actor, you will be thankful for and need all the help, genuine guidance and professional support you can get.
So do you have a mentor? And if so, what is his or her name? And what words of wisdom would you like to share with all of us readers?
Yes I do have a mentor and it’s someone that’s been of a great help and assistance to me the last 8 years I call him Sensei, he is from Japan where he lives, and his name is Diasaku Ikeda he is 87 years of age and still, until this very moment connects with me and many others, just like me. This setting of late, he shared with me and I will sincerely like to share with every one of you as I read it from time, in order to keep myself grounded and centred on what is most important to me in this life. I thank you all sincerely for reading and for your loyal support.
“FAME does not equal happiness, nor does it equal ability. Those who talk the supreme path of happiness known as faith are great artists of life. Compared to this distinction, fame and popularity are mere illusions; they are as fleeting as the images on a TV screen, which disappear when you turn off the set. There is absolutely no reason for you to let your happiness be governed by popularity and fame. Ordinary people are an example of those who have no fame but are the most noble of all.” By my mentor #Daisaku #Ikeada. (2015)
What is next for Oris?
Well a beautiful surprise as I am starring in a thriller love story with Genevieve NNAJI called “ROAD TO YESTERDAY” which will be world premiering in Lagos on the 18th of November, as its her most anticipated film ever and her first starring role in 3 years as she took some time off and I will let the audience and the fans do the math and talking on this one ,cause its also my first real introduction to the Nigerian cinema Audience as well as the whole of Africa at large ,thanks to Genevieve for giving me that opportunity to embark on this film and journey with her ,and I can bet a million dollars that not only will the audience have their monies worth after seeing this film , but the rest of the world will follow and see Nigerian cinema in a whole new light as far as film making is concern and am blessed and grateful to be part of it.
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Events
Sponsored by:
Shola Emmanuel
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Shola Emmanuel INTERVIEW WITH
By Mr. Lekan Olujinmi
S
hola Emmanuel Shola EML is renowned saxophonist and multi-instrumentals specializing in orchestration, who resides in Abuja, Nigeria. He studied trumpet with Emperor Muyiwa Kunnuji (Osemako) and French Jazz and Classical Master Guy Touvron (Paris conservatory). He attained his EML student composer grant with Saxophonist J. Aerbersold (Albany Music School USA). His work has gone beyond just playing the saxophone; it's about building relationships with people and bridging the gap between various languages. Think of it, Shola has cultivated a relationship that transcends the ordinary. He speaks the language the clients and fans are comfortable with. Shola Emmanuel's style is the jazz enthusiasts dream. A creative blend of jazz that feeds off traditional African rhythms, while maintaining the style, class and debonair of a resurgent New Orleans protégé. Shola Emmanuel's style has stretched the jazz agenda, carved out a niche and prevailed in an environment awash with pop music at the fore. Our mantra is quite simple. We believe in giving the public an unforgettable experience and quite frankly converting more and more to this beautiful music called “Afro Jazz”. Our concerts draw huge crowds from traditional jazz loving connoisseurs, young urban professionals, prominent citizens, mainstream music lovers, members of the expatriate community and the celebrity circuit. Our performances are full on and energetic, yet they maintain the
subtlety and variety that you would expect from a diverse jazz orchestra.
Can you tell all wonderful fans what you have been doing over the year of being a noted Afro Jazz Star?
I have had the wonderful opportunity to continue spreading the innovative sounds of rhythm and sax in Europe and America. The audiences abroad are excited to hear such authentic blends of African and the Diaspora, and I love the support and feedback I have received from my amazing fans!
Tell our international readers what keeps you inspired to continue within the industry for so long?
I believe there is so much more to be created and expressed in the genre of Afro Jazz. The greats have paved a legacy for the new generation to not just continue in their footsteps but break bounds and set even more inspiring trends in the industry. Now is the time to push even further in these artistic pursuits.
Can you see yourself crossing over to the 1.3 Billion within the African continent and what plans you have to market to the African continent?
Yes indeed! Africa is rising, and we are rising with her! I have scheduled plans to do many cross continental shows in Africa over the next several years, bringing my special vibes and spirit to their individual shores. I am also in search of raw talent that the world has never heard before, to join in the efforts of promoting the genre. That talent is in Africa, so I have big plans for Africa.
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Are you married, Kids? I have a wife and Daughter
Please can you name some of the big or small Record companies & projects you have worked on over the years?
Rhythm & Sax - Nigeria and Atlanta, Jireh Communications - Nigeria and Cameroon, Soul Music - Nigeria, DCE - Toronto, BopStudio - France, Osemako - France, Blue House Washington DC etc.
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Living an upstanding life. Being a figure that others would like to emulate, and point to as an example...kind of like President Barack Obama. A man of integrity and purpose, a man with a clear mission and agenda for the good of people.
Shola Emmanuel
How do you tend to pick who is to be the right producers to work with?
Someone that's theoretically and practically sound in music, someone who has performance experience, someone who listens, contributes and is dedicated to making award winning music, someone like Quincy Jones.
Did you have the support of your family when you said you wanted to be in the music business? Yes, my family has always supported me.
What reaction did you give when President General Muhammedu Buhari won the Nigerian Election?
First, I was happy that there was peace. Secondly, experience is said to be the best teacher... being a former president and considering his eagerness to rule again, I hoped he had something to offer for good, no matter the qualifications or intentions of the people he is surrounded by.
What do you consider are your main passions in life? 56
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What are your plans for 2016 and beyond regarding Nigeria and Africa etc.? Make good music, be a proud African. My favourite mantra: "The history of mankind is full of obvious turning points and significant events. Though tongues and tribes may differ, we are all Nigerians, We are all Africans. United we stand, divided we fall. Nigeria, One nation indivisible, viva Africa" - Fela Kuti
Do you have Resolutions/Goals regarding your profession & other hobbies?
I simply work in faith and let God direct my
path according to his plans for me. I do have a dream to one day have a well-rounded establishment for the arts and education of arts. I have so much to share and give to my dedicated fans and audience, and of course, world citizens at large.
creative arts. I also spent many years training and winning awards in martial arts. For many years, I was also a Royal Ambassador for Christ at the first baptist church Ikeja, Fafidiya chapter
Describe in three words what is real love to you? Time, Dedication & Money
If you had the chance to do things all again in life what would you do differently if anything?
I would prefer i started studying Classical and Jazz music earlier in life along with my siblings, even if we had to live for other professions thereafter.
What is the message that Shola EML is trying to put across to the people worldwide?
What is the one thing your life experiences have taught you while working with Afro Jazz that you would like to teach to the next generations? Consistently working against mediocrity
What did you love most about life when you were growing up & where did you grow up?
I grew in Lagos... what I like most where the diverse exposure I had, I was given the chance to express my talent as a visual artist, I did lots of drawing, painting, sculpture, and other
Be true to oneself, hold and to God and don't depart from his words Be anxious for nothing... Philippians 4:6, all things work together for those who love God. Romans 8:28, His grace is sufficient. 2 Corinthians 12:9
What do you feel that you could do better? LOVE
Music https://soundcloud.com/ shola-eml
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ RhythmandSaxOrchestra
Photos http://instagram.com/ sholaeml
Radio play https://myspace.com/ sholaeml
Performance https://www.youtube.com/ playlist?list=PLqwD1cieyvUj v8cpAR2njYDiTXkqq_aFF
Website https://www.rhythmandsax. com
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National Independence days
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NIGERIA CELEBRATES
55 YEARS oF INDEPENDENCE
Independence Day is celebrated in Nigeria on October 1. This holiday celebrates the day, when Nigeria gained independence from Great Britain in 1960. After that the First Republic was founded, that existed till 1996.
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55
NIGERIA CELEBRATES YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE By Mr. Lekan Olujinmi
T
he Democratic Republic of Nigeria at 55th Independence Day to the wonderful people, I am mindful that we are trying but after being independent for over 55 years now it’s now time that a country such as Nigeria stop being so dependent of some much imports and learn how to industrialise people back to if rightful place as world leader. Most European countries would love to have what we have - Best Crude Oil in the world, Biggest Oil producer in Africa, the 5th biggest Oil producer in the world not to even talk about what we grow. I just feel that its our time to do better and let our action speak louder than any words.
I do like the fact that we have a President in His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari Who is holding people to account for what they have taking from the country, Nigeria must lead itself out of the sad history of the takers paying for their crimes against the people. Below you will see that I have given you a short history on my fantastic country. The information below was taken from the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation site.
History After the abolition of the slave trade, there was an expansion of trade in agricultural produce from Africa to Europe, particularly palm oil from the West African coastal areas. The coastal enclave of Lagos became a British colony in 1861, a centre for expansion of British trade, missions, and political influence. Late 19th century and early 20th century Lagos was also a centre for educated West African elites who were to play prominent roles in the development of Pan-Africanism as well as Nigerian nationalism. By the end of the 19th century, Britain began an aggressive military expansion in the region. A protectorate was declared over northern Nigeria in 1900. Despite the loss of sovereignty, the strong political and cultural traditions of these societies initially enabled many to accommodate nominal British rule with little change in their way of life.
His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari
Nigeria came under the colonial rule of the British (United Kingdom) during the second half of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century. The United Kingdom conquered the territory of present-day www.panacheoccasions.com
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National Independence days
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Nigeria, except for the section of former German-controlled Kamerun/Cameroon in several stages. The British dependencies of Northern and Southern Nigeria were merged into a single territory in 1914, and a legislative council, initially with limited African representation was created in 1922. Traditional native rulers, however, administered various territories under the supervision of the colonial authorities. In 1947, a federal system of government was established under a new Nigerian constitution introduced by the United Kingdom. This system was based on three regions: Eastern, Western and Northern. The idea was to reconcile the regional and religious tensions as well as accommodating the interest of diverse ethnic groups: mainly the Ibo (in the east), the Yoruba (in the west) and the Hausa and Fulani (in the north).
First Storey Building in Nigeria.
Obudu Mountain Resort, Obudu, Cross River State.
Nigeria was granted full independence in October 1960, as a federation of three regions (northern, western, and eastern) under a constitution that provided for a parliamentary form of government. Under the constitution, each of the three regions retained a substantial measure of self-government. Sukur Kingdom, Adamawa State.
Some Selected Tourist Destinations in Nigeria
National War Museum, Umuahia, Abia State. Agodi Gardens, Ibadan, Oyo State.
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Celebrate Nigeria 55th anniversary with calls from
1
p /min
Plus Unlimited Lebara to Lebara calls and SMS 1p/min calls are dependent on the specific international destination called. See www.lebara.co.uk/prepay/rates for full details.
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Culture
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Independence Days By Mr. Lekan Olujinmi
REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
The Klub International Management Company & Panache e-Magazine in association with Lebara Mobile would like to wish the African & Caribbean countries featured a very Happy Independence Day this OCTOBER. Please click on each flag to reveal some more information about each country.
Independence from England 1st October 1960
THE REP EQUATORI
We know you will all have many happy returns for your special days & quite rightly so. Please contact me should you wish to profile your event in this section of the magazine. Lekan Olujinmi CEO E: - theklubman@ymail.com W: - www.panacheoccasions.com T: - +44 (0) 7831 128 707 62
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Indep from 12th, Oc
REPUBLIC OF GUINEA
REPUBLIC OF LESOTHO
REPUBLIC OF UGANDA
Independence from France 2nd October 1958
Independence from England 4th October 1966
Independence from England 9th October 1962
PUBLIC OF IAL GUINEA
pendence m France ctober 1968
REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA
ST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES
Independence from England 24th October 1964
Independence from England 27th October 1979
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Culture
SOUTH AFRICA VS SCOTLAND AT NEWCASTLEUPON-TYNE PLUS TRADE SEMINAR
S
By PILY MIRAZI
outh Africa vs Scotland at NewcastleUpon-Tyne plus trade Seminar included a 26 strong delegation from South Africa including the deputy Mayor of Durban, Miss Nomvuzo Shabalala, South African High Commissioner In London, his excellency Mr Obed Mlaba and the Mayor of Newcastle, Councillor Ian Graham? The event was organised by NECC, DTI and the Council who treated the visitor delegation with Box tickets for both the Legends and the Test game. Amazing hospitality, thank you Newcastle!
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Mission to Malawi & South Africa – October 2016/17 By PILY MIRAZI
W
e visited all our schools, we increased number of our students from 30 - 60 students Also visited Prisons - young offenders aged between 14 years to 18 years old Women’s prisons We also visited over 40 women’s groups gave food hampers and motivational talks We met with Chiefs of the districts (Established where we would build a WOMEN’s Centre, we intend to take 5 sewing machines, computers & cake making machines. These will be used to empower these women We also met with minister of Education We were able to take a team of eight members from Against All Odds Charity. We were able to take with us 30 in addition to the 30 that we already have bringing our total number of students to 60 Students. We also took 60 uniforms. 200 pairs of socks for both girls and boys, 100 Zitenjes for women (HIV & Gender based victims), 50 food hampers. With regards to our Mission to Malawi 2016 Against All Odds Still Standing Charity would like to cover more ground. Malawi as a Nation is divided into 3 Regions. In 2015 we were able to cover ALL the Three Regions ie North, South Region & Central Regions in Malawi. In October 2016 Mission to Malawi we would like to establish our building project.
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Website: www.aosuk.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/ AgainstAllOddsUK Twitter: www.twitter.com/AOS4UK Against All Odds Still Standing (AOS)Š 2013 Registered in the UK |Registration number: 8672262 International Registered NGO Malawi |Registration number NGO/R14/31 (2014)
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R
as King Bobo 1 is a multi-talented entertainer from the West African country of Ghana. He is skilled in a number of African & Western arts and circus skills, including acrobatics, fire eating, pan spinning, drumming, street dance, & African dance. In 2012, Ras Bobo moved to the UK and is currently based close to Birmingham. Ras King Bobo 1’s shows bring a slice of West African sunshine to any event! His combination of acrobatics, street dance, pan spinning, drumming and fire eating will captivate audiences of adults and children alike. Ras King Bobo 1 is a confident and skilled entertainer who easily engages with the crowd and encourages their interaction wherever possible. One of his specialities is pan spinning which has to be seen to be believed. When he includes fire in an evening show it results in a particularly spectacular performance. Ras Bobo’s pan spinning skills are quite unique in the Midlands and have been used on TV numerous times by both Britain’s Got Talent and local news shows. In 2015 Ras King Bobo 1 embarked on a summer tour performing at festivals including Boomtown, Camp Bestival, Nozstock and numerous others. He has also regularly performs at fashion shows and local events. Fabulous alone, Ras King Bobo 1’s performances take on another dimension when he performs with other members of African Power Acrobatics circus. He has up to ten UK based acrobats, drummers and dancers who he works with on a regular basis; together their shows are equally as engaging as festival parade or as a big stage performance. He has also performed with a brass band, a steel pan band, a burlesque dancer and a number of circus companies!
Ras King Bobo1 is not only a master acrobat, but a talented teacher with many trainees now performing all over the world. Since November 2013, Ras King Bobo 1 has regularly taught at the Body Beat School of Dance, his Flips and Trick classes are very popular class with 86 pupils regularly attending. His festival workshops are great fun and get children and adults alike up and moving for a fun, energetic half an hour. In 2010 Ras King Bobo1 bought out his first album, My Baby Girl. My Baby Girl is an upbeat mix of hiplife and reggae inspired songs reflecting the sunshine culture of Ghana music. His second album, My Music was released in 2011. It shows a growing maturity to his music making and includes a number of R&B , Azonto , hip life , hip hop, favourites alongside some classic Afrobeat, reggae dancehall tracks. Since he moved to the UK he has recorded more new tracks including some exciting collaborations with other African artists. His third album is expected to be released in 2016. Ras King Bobo 1 also has experience of modelling both in the UK and across Africa. He has performed in catwalk shows and was also the star of the Malta Guinness “Word Up” Campaign acting in the TV commercial and modelling on billboards, which went on to be used for several years across a number of African countries. More recently he has danced in music videos for various African singers. Ras King Bobo 1 is a regular presenter on East Africa Voice Radio, an online station based in Birmingham. He also organizes events, both in the UK and Ghana.
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5th Anniversary
PhoenExpo Exhibition | Gala Dinner | Awards Presentation
Saturday 5th December 2015 Bethel Convention Centre, West Bromwich, B70 7JW
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PLEASURE
Chevelin Pierre
shares his latest mesmerising
illustrations
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Pleasure “Blanc et Noir (Black & White)” not Nou Tap Pechie © Dessin : Chevelin Pierre - Chevelin Illustration 2014
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Fun, Games & Shopping
WE B S U D O K U
http://www.games.com/play/masque-publishing/ just-words/multi
http://www.websudoku.com/
Panache Fragrance Store
http://www.panacheo
The “Panache Fragrance” discounted store has just so many scents to choose f or are looking for the perfect gift. We have selection of the biggest names in all the great deals we have on our fragrances. The tough choice of which one by PayPal. We ship the orders directly to your door, estimated shipping time
Paco Rabanne Black XS EDT for Women (80 ml./2.7 oz.) Availability: In stock
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Carolina Herrera 212 Sexy EDP for Women (100 ml.) Availability: In stock
OCTOBER 2015 £39.94 / www.panacheoccasions.com
£48.06
Chanel Chance Ea EDT Spray (10 Availability: In
£91.74
http://www.games.com/play/oberon-media/ bubble-town
http://www.games.com/play/popcap/ bejeweled-2
http://www.games.com/play/exoot-sdnbhd/bouncing-balls
http://www.games.com/play/tingly-games-b-v/ bubble-charms
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from with our fantastic range of perfumes. Whether you are looking for yourself women’s’ fragrances that she is sure to love. You will be spoilt for choice with to have is up to you! NB: Your payment for this purchase is processed securely frame is 7-14 business days worldwide.
au Fraiche 00 ml) n stock
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Christian Dior Miss Dior EDP (100 ml./3.4 oz.) Availability: In stock
£93.62
Dior Christian Dior Poison EDT for Women (100 ml./3.4 oz.) Availability: In stock
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Horoscope
Horoscope for OCTOBER 2015 In October, a wonderful trine aspect between Jupiter and Pluto could herald the beginnings of economic recovery. Let’s hope we make the most of this lucky omen to try to put an end to excessive violence, whether of a religious, political or financial nature. We can also hope that we will know how to derive full benefit from this cosmic opportunity to break the deadlock and reconnect not only with growth, but also and particularly with a more inspiring and humanitarian view than previously, enabling us not only to move forward but also gain in maturity!
Read more: http://www.free-horoscope.com/ horoscopes/monthly/#ixzz3ihivgzYq If you do not know your astrological sign, use our application “What is my sign?” by entering your date of birth. Read more: http://www.free-horoscope. com/horoscopes/monthly/#ixzz3YcrrbylW
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