Victor Sila

Sila and the Afrofunk Experience’s second album was recognized as the top entry in the genre for 2009, a notable achievement and something of a surprise for the San Francisco-based artist and Kenyan native, who released the album independently on his own Visalia label. The album tackled such heavy issues as refugees, female beauty ideals, and global politics, with an original and funky Afropop sound influenced by both Fela Kuti and James Brown.

The Image Award caps a remarkable outpouring of critical acclaim for Sila and the Afrofunk Experience and “Black President“. In addition to the band being named “Best International Act” by San Francisco Weekly, the album was among the Top 5 African releases of 2009, according to IPR’s “Afropop Worldwide.”

Congratulations to the band.  They will be performing on March 20th at the Great American Music Hall at the official Black President Victory Party. Tickets are $14; a portion of proceeds will be donated to Chilean earthquake victims.

Makafui was encouraged to take up modeling by a professional photographer who believed that she was a natural. Since joining the profession, she has drawn a lot of inspiration from supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum and Tyra Banks. “These supermodels really inspire me a lot. They know about their business and deliver their assignments to its perfection” she comments.

Makafui has been doing commercial and runway modeling and says she would love to do editorial or print modeling as well. Since her return to Ghana, she has become the face of Goldcoast Clothing. She has also done several runway shows including the Ghana Fashion Weekend, and modeling for Kofi Ansah & La Senza at a Canoe Fashion Fair. She also hosted the launch of the new Schweppes malt organized by Canoe Quarterly Magazine. There is still a lot to expect from Makafui as she has signed a year’s contract to be the face of a new production company as well as their spokesperson. She has also been called for a fashion show in Switzerland for an African project.

The lovely Makafui is also into acting. She made an appearance in the third episode of a popular Dutch TV series called “Voetball Vrouwen” (meaning the footballer’s Wife) she was also a cast in a theater movie called The cellular fever “The Freak”. “ Acting is more challenging than modeling I must say, like you won’t mind posing topless but when you’re asked to do topless when acting, you always find it a bit uncomfortable before you decide to do it’ she describes her experience with acting.

Model Behaviour

What is a routine day like for you?

Well, I mostly get a wake up call. I never forget to read my daily devotional and the rest of the day is left with what my management has for me.

Any training regimen?

Sorry but I’m not really much of an exercise person, naturally slim.

Any special diets?

Nope! I eat everything as long as it’s sweet and delicious.

Have ever had any jobs through Facebook?

Honestly, I do get some people calling my management about me working for them so I must say Facebook kind of helps promote my career a little.

What is the funniest thong someone ever told you on Facebook?

Its amazing but I sometimes get sayings like “Are you part of this world?”, “Be my wife and make me the happiest guy in the world” and “If I had you in my house, I would never buy a TV”. But I think I love to hear them though.

What are the trendiest fashion accessories of the moment for you?

Wow, I would go in for platform heels, Rings & jewelries.

Casual or formal?

I mostly wear casual stuff

Leather or metallic watch?

I’m not much of a watch wearer

Shoes or flip flops?

I did choose shoes [ love to be in heels ]

Shaving or waxing?

Spray and waxing is always the best

Natural hair or extensions?

I love my natural look but I always want to look different so extensions is cool with me

Tattoo of piercing?

I love both tattoos and piercing. I have 6 tattoos and 4 piercings. , well it depends on

African print or Western clothing?

My taste is everywhere so I would go in for both African print and western fabric.

Favourite colour?

I can’t choose, I love colors.

Favourite fragrance/perfume?

Gucci by Gucci and D&G “The one”.

Favorite food?

I would kill for any food with beef, talk about pizza, burger, beef rice and I love fries too.

Favourite Make-up, colour abd texture?

I love Mac but I mostly use Sleek. I love the dark eyes with a perfect eye brow.

Quick Make-up tips:

Firstly, apply a good and suitable foundation on your face and neck, apply a black pencil/eye liner, give your eye brow a perfect shape, apply a waterproof mascara, then a lip gloss and you’re ready to go for the day.

Face Africa is a Boston based non-profit organization which works to identify and bring innovative and effective non-profit programs and solutions to communities in Africa that have potential to address critical needs, by supporting programs connected to water and sanitation, education and training, health and nutrition and Economic empowerment.

For the first time in history Face Africa will host its “1st Annual Gala: A Clean Water Benefit, scheduled to take place Saturday, March 20th, 2010 at the Taj Boston. The event will honour Peter Thum Founder of “Ethos Water and Giving Water”, along with honorary M. Nathaniel Barnes, the Liberian Ambassador to the United States. Those in Boston and those who are able please come out and support this event, that is changing Africa’s face, one project at a time.

For more on this prestigious organisation “Face Africa” and its 1st Annual Gala, please visit www.faceafrica.org

Here is the master mind and one of  Africa’s inspiring  women, Saran Kaba Jones, the Founder/Executive Director of Face Africa, talking about Face Africa as a whole:Saran Kaba Jones – \”Face Africa\”

Fitness has always been a part of Obi’s life as he grew up playing basketball, football and running the tracks. He attended Cal State Fullerton on a track scholarship and while there, he broke every major track school record there. He was the school record holder in the 100, 200 meters and 400 relay. He also attained athlete of the year honors at the school and won all Big West Conference Honors two years in a row. “My love for fitness and staying in shape came from playing competitive sports in school. I enjoyed lifting weights ever since my senior year in high school and I got really addicted to working out,” says Obi.

His commitment to staying fit definitely paid off as he is regarded today as one of the best black fitness models in the industry. Obi is the first black model to land a cover for a major Canadian fitness magazine in Inside Fitness; he was the first American fitness model to grace the cover of the only natural bodybuilding and fitness magazine in Australian Natural Bodz; he landed more international supplement ad campaigns than any fitness model or bodybuilder in 2009; he was one of top three most published fitness models for 2009; he became the first American male fitness model to grace the cover of a middle eastern bodybuilding magazine; he was the first American male fitness model to land a European sports ad meal campaign; the first American male fitness model to be featured in Oxygen, Australia; Part of the first African-American male and female on a U.S. fitness cover together among several other accolades.

Jamati Online caught up with the celebrity fitness model to find out more about his work, and to pick up some tips on staying fit and in shape.
What exactly does being a fitness model entail?

Being a fitness model is about always being in shape for photo-shoots, magazine opportunities and fitness auditions. If you are not in shape at all times you will lose out on many fitness modeling opportunities. As a fitness model, because the job requires you to be fit you generally should follow a healthy diet and consistent training program. Most of regular society wants to have a fitness model body because it is an attainable look as well as a physique that is inspirational to many.
How long have you been doing it and how did it start?

I’ve been involved in sports modeling since 1994 but I broke into the fitness modeling industry in April of 2008. I got my first start through the help of Fitness Icon Clark Bartram who is considered one of the greatest fitness models ever. He shared with me many of his contacts in the industry and gave me mentorship on how to attain success in the fitness industry. With his help and my hard work I’ve been really blessed to have attained more success than any fitness model in the industry the last 2 years.
Why did you decide to get into fitness modeling?

One of the things that I observed in this fitness industry is that there were no African-American male fitness models really on fitness covers and I wanted to change that and be the guy that could break that cycle and open doors for other black fitness models. I am the first black male fitness model to land multiple fitness covers in a year and I’ve landed more international fitness covers than any other black fitness model. I’ve broken many color barriers in this industry and I believe I will be responsible for making the road much easier for many ethnic fitness models coming up in this industry. So the two reasons why I got into the industry are this: in addition, I wanted to use my success a top fitness model and writer to help educate people to get into better shape all over the world on health and fitness.

Why did you give up sprinting?

I gave up sprinting at a really tender age of 24 because I had so many hamstring injuries in college and after college. I really believe I was talented enough to compete at the world class level but I had so many leg injuries that prevented me from competing at that next level.

What have been some of the major projects that you have done?

The biggest project that I did in 2009 was being featured in the national Weider X Factor commercial which is currently playing all over the United States and Canada. That was a very big fitness commercial to land in the United States. Honestly the biggest projects I’ve landed have been big National commercials for companies such as Gatorade, Mcdonald’s, GM car commercial as well as many others. I’ve done more than 11 national commercials spanning since 1994.
How did you earn the titled The Most Ripped Fitness Model in the World?

A writer from a very popular site called criticalbench.com said I was the most ripped fitness model in the world. I’ve had many people in the industry that have said this and I guess this title has taken a life of its own, honestly which is quite funny. I think the reason why I’ve ever been called the most ripped or one of the most ripped is because of the conditioning I consistently bring which is usually at 2 to 3 percent body-fat for photo-shoots. I do believe that I come in leaner than most fitness models out there in photo-shoots and many people in the industry have observed that so I guess that is why I have been referenced with that title.

What else do you do besides modeling?

I am a certified personal-trainer and a fitness columnist for several different national and international magazines. I am a columnist for Inside Fitness, Australian Natural Bodz, Physique Magazine, World Physique Magazine, American Natural Bodz and African-American Golfer’s Digest.

What is a routine day like for you?

A routine day for me is waking up and eating breakfast while I check email from fans and clients for an hour. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,  I am training clients and from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. I am training at the gym. At 7 p.m. I am eating dinner while attending to my online personal-training clients. Occasionally I may have fitness auditions or non-fitness auditions to go to during that timeframe of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

How do you stay in shape?

I lift weights about 4 to 5 times a week and I perform my cardio about 3 times a week. My cardio consists of jogging about 3 miles a day at an 8 minute per mile pace. I alternate each week where I train 4 times a week one week and 5 times another week. I am very consistent in my routine and while I am weight-training it is always done in a super-setting method which allows me to burn calories at a rapid rate while training anerobically.

Do you use supplements?

I do use supplements to workout but it is very basic. I take a Whey Protein drink once a day and I take K-4 Kre-alkalyne for muscle growth, strength and endurance purposes. The international ad campaigns I’ve done were just for exposure and modeling purposes only. I am very cautious of what supplement companies I endorse in terms of being in ad campaigns that I don’t believe in. I am a clean athlete who has never taken a drug or steroid in his life and I am very proud to say that.

How challenging has it been for you to get on magazine covers?

I’ve been blessed to have been on covers all over the world. Honestly as a black fitness model it is very difficult getting on fitness covers in the United States. Unfortunately there are still some publishers that refuse to put a black male fitness model on their cover for fear that sales will drop. I would say there are at least 4 magazines in the U.S that have never even done it. In 2010 it is quite sad that there is still a little bit of discrimination in the fitness industry against ethnic fitness models. When I came in this industry it was quite simple and I wanted to be the fitness model to change all of that and to use my success to open doors for other fitness models of color. I really believe my success in this industry will eventually make it easier for other black fitness models that aspire to be a cover model. I do hope that 10 years down the line that this won’t be a discussion and that all fitness models will get the opportunity to grace a cover based on merit as opposed to ethnicity. I am really the only fitness model that has talked about this discrimination publicly in-depth in interviews.

What is the difference between a fitness model and a bodybuilder?

The difference is that a fitness model has a physique that is more athletic than a bodybuilder and is always in shape. A fitness model has no offseason and is built like an American football player or sprinter. Their physique is much more attainable and is more relatable to the mainstream of society. A fitness model is like a typical Men’s Health body. A bodybuilder has much more muscle than the average guy and is not as athletic as a fitness model. A bodybuilder has an offseason and is really only in shape only around competition time which would be one to two times a year whereas a fitness model is usually always lean and ready to go at a moment’s notice.

Are some particular body types easy to stay ripped or anyone can have one?

Everybody’s body is different in terms of how ripped they can get. Some people have such a fast metabolism and can eat anything and at times will never gain weight. And there are some people who have to eat healthy 7 days a week to get ripped. Honestly your God-given genetics dictates how hard you have to work out in the gym and how healthy you have to eat to accomplish your fitness goals.

What kind of food do you eat ,and what would you recommend?

I eat lots of chicken, turkey, brown rice. The main thing I tell people is to have a balanced diet of carbohydrates, protein and fats. Make sure you consume your carbs and fats within moderation so you don’t gain weight. Eating healthy is very important in staying lean. Make sure you minimize alcohol, soda, cake, cookies, bread, etc which are all stuff that is advantageous to someone gaining weight.

What basic advice would you give to someone who wants to have the body of a fitness model?

I would tell that person that you are not going to have a fitness model physique overnight. It takes hard work and dedication over a period of time to develop a body like a cover fitness model. Some people can attain that physique faster than other because of their genetics. If you eat right, train consistently then within time you can develop a fit lean fitness model physique but what I tell many people who email me is to be patient because it won’t happen overnight. Many people develop a better body after 30 because of the muscle maturity that they can attain after 30 years old. Everybody’s body is different in terms of how ripped they can get. Some people have such a fast metabolism and can eat anything and at times will never gain weight. And there are some people who have to eat healthy 7 days a week to get ripped. Honestly your God-given genetics dictates how hard you have to work out in the gym and how healthy you have to eat to accomplish your fitness goals.

Obi’s Tips to Staying Fit:

Basic exercises:

3 sets of 15 push-ups which works your chest, shoulder and triceps

3 sets of 15 repetitions of chair dips

3 sets of 15 exercises of sit-ups which works your abs

Some other exercises you can do is a basic bench press which works your chest, standing dumbbell curls which works your arms and lunges which works your legs.

The Do’s in Staying Fit:

Drink lots of water

Eat small meals a day which speeds up your metabolism

Be consistent

Believe in yourself

Remember that weight-training and cardio goes hand in hand

The don’ts in Staying Fit:

Don’t eat late at night

Don’t over-consume carbs

Don’t take shortcuts while working out

Don’t use the scale to measure yourself, use the mirror

Don’t over-train

 Click on this link to view more photos!

Royal Roots has emerged from the early days of radio production and event management into a formidable force in television across Africa. Their first Television content was a cooking programme, ‘Global Cuisine’ and after that came the phenomenal comedy series, ‘House A-Part’ which won Royal Roots a lot of accolades. With their imprint of quality clearly becoming evident, they received some funding from the French Film Fund to produce a 26 episode series ‘Tides of Fate’.  Soon came a much bigger break when M-Net commissioned them to produce the hit family drama series, ‘Edge of Paradise’. M-Net wanted to commission one programme but found Greg’s proposals too irresistible so they commissioned two programmes – ‘Doctors Quarters’ and ‘Edge of Paradise’.  Fully aware of the huge potential of reaching thousands of homes across Africa via M-Net, Greg and his team gave Edge of Paradise all that they had.

“We bought the best available equipment and assembled a close knit and professional team. By the time we finished 26 episodes, we barely made any money but we were equipped to produce wonderful programmes and to top it all, we were asked to do a Season 2. That was the icing on the cake”, comments Greg.  Edge of Paradise got nominated at the 47th Monte Carlo Television Festival alongside series like ‘Desperate Housewives’, ‘Lost’, and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. It lost the award ‘Lost’ but went on to clear almost all available Television Awards in Nigeria.

Royal Roots has developed several TV content which have been syndicated across Africa, as well as established an outreach in Ghana.  Jamati online got in touch with outspoken Greg Odutayo, who is also the President of National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) to talk about his journey, the future of television in Nigeria, challenges working with a Ghanaian cast, funding among other very engaging topics.

You seem to have found your niche in producing sitcoms. What draws you to comedy?
Let’s be realistic, people face challenges everyday in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. The challenges of everyday living are quite daunting so television for many people is to relax and acts as an elixir. Entertainment is key before information and education. Sitcoms achieve this for me, because we are thinking of the needs of the audience first and foremost. We make them laugh at other people’s situation and circumstances and then relate it to themselves later. We choose sitcoms particularly because of the exigencies of recording. Sincerely because of the way we like to work – having 100% control of our environment – sitcoms is the way for us. We work conveniently in one situation.

How did it all start?
Royal Roots is 13 years old now, so we have been at it for a while. The dream was long before that. It was systematically plotted but at the precise time that God wanted this to happen, we got commissioned for a 26 episode radio programme for a distillery in Nigeria. That was the big beginning for us. Before then, we were doing commercials and promos – little things here and there. We also did a lot of Events Management for big projects and carved a niche for ourselves in this sector. So the beginning was radio. I have a deep passion for radio because you can really have fun with the medium. From there we made some money and bought our first set of television production equipment. My deep belief is that for you to enjoy Television production and do it with all the attentions and details that we desire, you need to own your own equipment. This way you are not in a crazy hurry due to budgeting constraint. You are able to be creative.

What are some of the other productions that you have done?
I also had the privilege of producing and directing ‘Deal or No Deal Nigeria’. We were commissioned by MNET and ENDEMOL South Africa. ‘DOND Nigeria’ was produced by an entirely Nigerian crew headed by me and my wonderful wife and we did well. DOND was another great experience for us. We could feel the fear from the South African guys as ENDEMOL does not usually allow other people to do their formats but we put in everything and in the end it was a huge success. After that we started our Ghanaian outreach of Royal Roots named Hot Shot Production. Hot Shot produced ‘Soul Sistas’ and ‘About to Wed’; and we have since produced ‘My Mum & I’. I think it’s the first TV content to be produced on High Definition in sub Saharan Africa. I stand to be corrected.

Which is your favourite production so far?
My obvious favourite will definitely be “Edge of Paradise”. We kicked some ass with that production.

Which has been your most challenging?
The most challenging was ‘My Mum & I’, because we had become tired of the entire accolade from Edge of Paradise and we wanted to do something that will surpass that. It was tough but I think we were able to achieve that.  We are still waiting for the audience to judge.

What inspires or influences your work in television?
I draw on inspirations like the erstwhile ‘Village Headmaster’, ‘Cock crow at Dawn’ which ran in Nigeria in the nineties. I also draw a lot from sitcoms like ‘Cosby’,’ Two and a Half Men’, ‘Desperate Housewives’ etc.  We have sought to raise the bar of TV production where ever we find ourselves. Quality is our watchword in our productions as we strive to do things differently from the way everybody else works. It’s been challenging but fulfilling.

What is your production team like and how do you ensure that you remain relevant in television?
We have been working with about the same production team we started with. People come in and go but we hope that they imbibe our values. It is a little difficult to work with us in Royal Roots because of our attention to details. Therefore, to work with us, you have to probably be trained in the way we will work. It is easy to reach the top than to stay there. With all sense of humility, we are on top of our game but to remain there, we have to constantly re-invent ourselves. We work very hard as a team but our values are the same.
How does the husband and wife team work for you and Debbie?

We work extremely well. It’s not just a wife working with her husband; it is rather that I have a bloody good producer working with me. I am allowed to create because producing is taken care of. We have boundaries and we both work within the boundaries. In addition, we are best of friends. We do not carry our home to work and vice versa. So it’s all cool.
Do you get sponsorship for your productions?
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than to get sponsorship for productions. We place a lot of emphasis on our value system in Royal Roots as such; we cannot bribe our way through. We will not do this. Sponsorship in Nigeria largely is dependent on the number of asses you can lick and we cannot do that. We would rather have our work speak for us. Until sponsors learn to call pitches when they want to commission programmes and ensure best practices in such commissioning, we will continue to churn out low quality productions. So basically, we run it as a business, we invest our own money and resources in producing, buy airtime from our stations (I like to call them airtime vendors – because that is all they do – vend airtime) and put it on air. We then source spot support for the programmes. It is tough but what can we do? We have had the grace of God on our side. However, I will definitely welcome another commissioning as we had with M-Net. We will like that very much but until then, we soldier on.

How would you describe the state of television in Nigeria currently?
The Television industry in Nigeria is on a roll on the creative side. There are a lot of quality programmes being churned out, although the crappy ones are also there side by side. There is still a lot of room for improvement. This is occasioned by the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) rule that stipulates that all stations in Nigeria must only run local content programmes from 7pm – 10PM everyday. This is prime time in Nigeria and it has somewhat driven away the foreign soaps etc to other times. We are however still far from the ideal, producer still have to pay through their noses for airtime and this is not good for creativity. This has to change for the industry to achieve true growth. Stations must go back to commissioning programmes. That is the way the industry must be structured. The risks borne by producer right now are monumental and unhealthy.

How many others countries show your programs?
All of our sitcoms have run in Ghana, because Hot Shot and Royal Roots have worked together seamlessly. We run in Kenya, we are on Africa Magic (which runs all over Africa), and in the UK. We have opened discussions with many other countries but many broadcasters are not willing to pay. They come up with a whole lot of crap about payment ceilings. They actually want to pay the same rate as they pay for other low quality programmes and that is not good for us. We have invested a lot into our programmes and as such always only sell to those who appreciate our quality and are ready to pay for it.

Are you working on new productions currently?
We just rounded up shoot on 78 new episodes of ‘About to Wed’. We are also starting in February at least 52 new episodes of ‘My Mum & I’. We also have a couple of franchise for Nigeria and Ghana – ‘Identity’ – a game show. It’s going to be very exciting. We also have Nigeria & Ghana’s Next Producer, a franchise from NBC’s ‘America’s Next Producer’, and a lot more. We are on the road to being West Africa’s No 1 when it comes to Content Creation, Production and Studios. We are working hard at achieving that.

The Royalty Lifestyle Group is a full service marketing and event planning New York based firm that has been redefining the African marketing and hospitality industry by consistently delivering a high-end revolutionary lifestyle and entertainment experience. The team behind this establishment are no joke, they mean business as the services they provide have proven that, by escalating them to  new and unstoppable heights.

Recently after attending one of their successful event, the “RL Experience – A launch event”, I had the pleasure of interviewing the main man behind Royalty Lifestyle success and boy, let me say I am proud to be Africa. Enjoy!

Jamati: Welcome to the Jamati stadium and thank you so much for allowing to share your journey .

RL: Thank you for the interview. It’s a pleasure to be here.

Jamati: Lets get into it! Take us through the fundamental elements of what makes up the “Royalty Lifestyle Group” ? What is “Royalty Lifestyle Group” and who is the driving source behind it?

RL: Royalty Lifestyle is a boutique marketing and corporate event planning firm based in New York City. Whilst the marketing division handles everything from creative development to brand management to distribution, the corporate event planning branch handles our clients’ launch parties, exclusive RL events and concerts. I am the Executive Director and President – Corporate event planning. And I guess you can say im the man behind the brand

Prudence Chauke and the main man himself Solo Nnanna the CEO of Royalty Lifestyle at the "RL Experience - A launch event" recently

Jamati: Take us through those deciding moment which lead to the birthing of Royalty Lifestyle Group, what events inspired you to venture into this business idea?

RL: We we had humble beginnings in party promotions about 5 years ago. As royalty entertainment we promoted events both on the personal/private and corporate level dealing and having success with all sorts of big name clubs from Duvet to AMALIA to Eden rooftop. After a bit of research we decided that there was no marketing firm catering specifically to African owned businesses and that is how RL was formed.

Jamati: Who would you say are your target clients?

RL: Our primary target is the new age African (Young, Professional, Learned) and all our clients are progressive African owned businesses that in essence cater to the lifestyle we promote. They are exclusive, high end and Africans.

Jamati: What differentiates Royalty Lifestyle Group from other establishments in your field?

RL:Royalty Lifestyle is a high and lifestyle brand that caters predominantly to the African elite and hence unlike any other company out now. There has been a bit of a misconception because of our background in promotions that we are a promotional group. And as much as we are thankful for the opportunities and doors that were opened, as a result of our playing in that arena, that notion couldn’t be farther from the truth. Yes, we still host events but they are mostly in representation of our clients.

Jamati: As an African native abroad what do you think is the importants of African owned businesses?

RL: Funny you should ask because a buddy and I were just talking about that the other day and he was saying that their importance lies in their gaining valuable experience here (abroad) and taking it back to the motherland for implementation. I agree with that. The concept of being able to take what we have learned here back to Africa is a very powerful one. And we see entrepreneurs like Mrs Saran Kaba Jones of Face of Africa and Ms Kargbo of Aschobi designs as well as countless other overseas based African entrepreneurs doing just that every day.

The very inspiring Mrs Saran Kaba Jones of "Face Africa" at the RL Experience - A launch event

Jamati: What has  been the biggest challenge in branding the Royalty Lifestyle Group?

RL: Being that we are the first in this space, our challenges are synonymy with that of those creating a path that was non existed before. We are very excited to be creating the blue print for other companies to follow. A bit challenging also is finding companies that fit our criteria and rigid standards. At the end of the day the companies that RL represents define us as/ a brand. That said, we are constantly aligning ourselves with networks that have the calibre of clients we seek to represent.

Jamati: Personally and in business what quote keeps you going “when the going gets tough”?

RL: Don’t remember who this is by but it goes like “I get what I want, Every time” (Chuckle) and this does not come from a place of arrogance or cockiness, just a will to never give up and/ accecpt rejection. Failure is “never” an option.

Jamati: Are there anything major events coming up soon that you would love to share with us?

RL: Yes! RL will be at the Harvard Africa Business Conference in Boston. That Friday, the 19th of February, we will be hosting a soft launch for one of our clients, Afrisonore. It will be held at OM Lounge (Harvard Square), Cambridge -MA. Should be a great time.

Jamati: The future of Royalty Lifestyle, what are your biggest hopes in growing forward and branding yourself?

RL: We are in the process of building a Global high-end brand and we very excited about the possibilities. We have a couple of things in the works and are constantly being approached with more projects so we will be sure to keep Jamati and its readers in the loops as we grow forward. In the mean time you can keep abreast of what we are doing at www.royaltylifestyle.comor email Solo Nnanna at mailinglist@royaltylifestyle.comor add me on Facebook.

Nana Poku and Quakes Awuah the main successors behind 54 Kingdoms, who showcased their new creations at the RL Experience -A launch event

Jamati: Anything else you would like to share with Jamati?

RL: I just want to say I’m very proud of what you guys are doing here at Jamati and I am  very proud to be part of the movement.

Jamati: Growing forward in all your fields of endeavors, may you be blessed with more courage and strength to escalate even further and in doing so may your spirit of humbleness be upon your hustle.

RL: Your words are kind. Thank you!

Dj Birane the man who held it down at the RL Experience- A launch event

(center) Gerald Gyimah (photo:ameyaw debrah)

Cinekrom Film Academy will highlight the complicated but thrilling process of creating a music video or short film, with the driving values of encapsulating freedom, serenity, education, interaction, entertainment, privacy, culture and originality. Phamous People believe that the concept for the reality series holds an avenue to unearth talent for the film and media industry in Ghana.

Entrants of Cinekrom Film Academy will be asked to produce, direct and film a subject of their choice. Over the course of four weeks, a total of 250 entrants will be re-screened to select 125. There will be further reductions to 50 and then to the final 15, who will enter the academy ‘house’. There will be three teams of 5 and each team would be equipped with cameras, lighting and sound equipment with which they would film their subjects/themes of choice. The teams would comprise a director, DOP, sound, editor and producer. They would undertake a variety of public centered activities.

The teams would have a week to produce a short film production piece which would be judged by a panel of industry experts. Some special awards in the following categories would be handed out at the end of the series namely: best theme, most promising film, most promising production, most promising team member. Award winners will benefit from coaching interactions and knowledge sharing from both local and foreign film directors. Some of the international directors expected to partake in the project are Gill Green and Martin Lindberg.

The 13 episode first season will comprise 5 total productions and 4 tasks leading up to the grand finale. The task would include shooting music videos for famous artists; shooting a 30-second commercial for major sponsors; shooting a 3 minute documentary; and shooting a short film. According to Phamous People, the grand objective is to gradually open the reality series to entries from Nigeria, South Africa, Gabon and other African countries.

Cinekrom Film Academy is sponsored by Glo and will air on TV3. The Academy house would be located in the Mampong, Video City. Application forms are available on campuses, Silverbird Lifestyles stores, TV3 and other selected depots. Visit Cinekrom Film Academy for more details.

The production will feature Zulu, Gumboot and Pantsula dances, performed by very talented and professional  dancers and musicians from South Africa and the U.S, who promise to take the audience on a journey from the mines to the township, to green pastures of the country side.

Tickets for this production of which will be held at 290 Broadway,2nd floor, New York-NY,are recession affordable, starting from $10-$17 . For more information on the tickets or the production its self, go to www.juxtapower.org or www.dnadance.org.

Take for example Wale, who has had an incredible ride, landing Lady Gaga on an song BEFORE his first major album.  Tabi Bonney is another rapper putting Washington DC on the map with his incredible lyrical skills while honing his design skills with his own clothing line, Bonney Runway.

On the fast track from video vixen to self proclaimed actress, Angel Lola Luv a.k.a. Angel Melaku Fershgenet is making strides in her modeling career.  Nunu Wako, Jamati Online’s African Heat Sexiest Woman of 2009 is actively modeling and actively working on making a difference through different charities. Grammy-nominated Wayna has been thrilling audiences in the D.C. metro area for years and is finally getting noticed outside of the local area. Cote Minou, a hot African design house based in the DC metro area, got noticed by Korto Momolu.

The scene is definitely heating up!  Is it possible that Washington DC could be the next Atlanta/ New York/Hollywood?  Only time will tell.

Great looks, great bodies, and a strong sense of determination and passion to make a difference in the lives of those around them.  We had a hard time choosing the sexiest ones so we put them all there for you to enjoy in random order.  Pick your sexiest man.  Who would you make number one?