This is an “excuses begone” kind of a song, the kind of a song that leads you into that hopeful place, no matter how big or deep your situational occurrences maybe.

To you from the Jamati family, whatever you may be going through, let go and let Lira’s “Feel Good” elevate you to new horizons: Lira – \”Feel Good\”

For more on Lira and her music visit www.misslira.co.za

Congratulations to her, all the best!

BROAD STREET ENT, CAPITAL ICON, STOCKHOLM, MAURICE ROSE, & DEVLON PARIS Exclusively presents:

“AN R&B LOVE AFFAIR”

Come out to see Melanie Fiona performing her smash hit “If it Kills Me” , along with other songs on her debut album.

UP AND COMING R&B SENSATION; *CHRIS DESHIELD* WILL OPEN THE SHOW; SO EARLY ARRIVAL IS A MUST!

Contact AB Johnson: to purchase your tickets or use the code(bse101) if you are purchasing online @ www.capitalicon.com

Contact Information:
678-908-5685
Broadstreetent@gmail.com
twitter.com/DatDudeAB

Deji Ogunnubi -Art Strokes Presents

A Valentine Art Exhibition
“SCARLET”

Saturday, February 13th,2010.

Venue – Cheers Hotel, Allen Avenue Round-about,Ikeja,Lagos,Nigeria.

Red Carpet (2:00PM – 4:00PM)

Exhibition Opens (4:00PM – 7:00PM)

Admission is Free

RSVP – 08055211080

Experience the renaissance of Art.Experience Scarlet.
Items on display-
* Exotic creative valentine cards
*Paintings and so on.

Proudly supported by WOW Concepts Co.

Jamati: Your background (Family and Education).

Don: I was born in London, grew up in Nigeria, attended undergrad at Westminster university (TV production) and postgrad at the University of London, Goldsmith College (Online Broadcast Journalism).

Jamati: What is African Screens all about?

Don: Africanscreens.com is an online film publication aimed at everyone with a keen interest in African Cinema and the wider industry. Through in-depth discussions with influential players in the African movie world, as well as film buffs, we fill a gap in the market for a rich discourse that brings together a plurality of views, contextualizing African films. In one sentence – African screens is a celebration of the African sense of self through cinema.

Jamati: What were the circumstances that led to the creation of African screen?

Don: I came across the film Ezra by Newton Aduaka; a couple of years back and was amazed at its film-making artistry and quality.  As a journalist, I became curious how an African could make such a beautiful film and we never heard of it? I asked myself are they other films of such quality out there? I did my research and discovered that they were many filmmakers doing great films – at that point, I knew I wanted to create a film magazine. However, Africanscreens.com is a joint project between our other editor Chinaka Iwunze and myself. We both harbored individual passions for cinema and shared pan-African views. We both knew we wanted to do something involving films and Africa but we individually lacked the robust skills needed to create such an online project to the standards you see today. By coming together as a team, we were able to cover all the skills needs for a site like ours.

Jamati: How long has it been up?

Don: Africanscreens.com has been up for 3 months and counting, but it feels longer, the response and support from film buffs, critics and film organizations since our launch has been very encouraging. We were selected as the official magazine for the African film festival last year and we are discussing partnerships with numerous organizations including the BFI, ICA about working together on African Cinema.

Jamati: Why did you choose to celebrate Africa and Africans via the cinema?

Don: We choose to use cinema because we are both passionate about films, I studied television in my undergrad days at Westminster and shot many short films and from that point on I knew I wanted to create projects that brought together my passion for cinema and my sense of self as an African.

Jamati: What’s your take on the present state of African filmmakers as compared to the past, like say 5 years ago?

Don: Africans films have improved a great deal in the last five years, there are so many beautiful films being released across the continent. For example, From a Whisper is an amazing film by the Kenyan Wanuri Kahiu; the film won 5 awards at African Movie Academy Awards in 2008. The Figurine by the Nigerian Kunle Afolayan was the film of 2009; it had huge commercial success across the world and sold out in London. Ezra by the Nigerian Newton Aduaka, was well celebrated for its artistry in story telling and cinematography. White Wedding the romantic comedy by the South African Jann Turner, is a joy to watch and among the films hopping to be nominated for the best foreign film category at the Oscars this year. This is just to name a few, you and I know we still have a long way to go before we can start competing for the Oscars but so far we are on the right path.

Jamati: What vacant role or spot do you think lies ahead for the African filmmaker to fill from a (macro) world wide perspective?

Don: As a matter of priority, African filmmakers need to champion the continent and tell our stories in ways that don’t de-humanize us as Africans. We have been bashed at every opportunity by the foreign media to the detriment of our collective sense of self as a people. We need to be proactive in fighting such stereotypes through our films to help portray a different image of the continent.

Jamati: I dunno if you’ve noticed, over the years most Nigerians have grown to prefare local songs to international one’s. But this cannot be said about the film industry. what do you think might be responsible for this?

Don: Africans are crying and longing for their culture to be expressed in a different light to be proud off. They want to see their own culture celebrated with good production values by Africans and that’s why music is well supported. The same cannot be said of films because there are bad production values and no structure in the film industry. Too many bad films are released weekly that the good ones are drowned out of the market. Film fans get discouraged when 95% of the films they buy are poorly made, as a result, they feel they are not getting value for money and go for foreign films they can’t relate to but find amusing. However, film fans are there nonetheless, and when good filmmakers like Ozu Ojukwu, Tunde Kelani, Kunle Afolayan produce films, people come out to express their support for such films because they know they are going to get value for money. The film industry is years behind the music industry but the gap is closing faster than most people will attest to. Governments across the continent are getting involved in the film industry, with an aim to help restructure it – if this succeeds, we will have a robust film industry that will compete well with the success of the music industry.

Jamati: Do you think pirates have any significant effect on the film industry at large?

Don: The scourge of film piracy is the single most important existential threat to cinema in Africa presently. Filmmakers are in a losing death roll with film pirates and I can only refer you to the article on www.africanscreens.com about this same issue, it is a serious issue that needs urgent attention.

Jamati: Asides the film industry, do you have other facets in the industry you’re also involved in?

Don: Yes, I am an avid photographer and journalist .

Jamati: What makes Don Omope tick?

Don: A passion to tell stories through cinema.

Jamati: What do you do for a living?

Don: I am a NUJ accredited journalist, and a skilled photographer and filmmaker.

Jamati: Any childhood experience or lifestyle you can relate to what you do presently?

Don: From a young age, I have always loved the media, I was a reporter for my school press club, and I worked as a presenter on Eko Fm in Lagos at the age of 16.

Jamati: What do the non-African communities stand to gain from the contents of Africascreen.com?

Don: Africanscreens.com is an African film publication for everyone, African or not isn’t really important at this point. People in general are still curious about African cinema and don’t know what to make of it, that’s why as a film publication we are never interested in the gossip but in the issues. If you understand us as Africans, you will respect our stories and us as a people; Africanscreens.com creates a forum were films can be articulated in such a robust discourse with a plurality of views that facilitates the understanding of us as Africans through our cinema. If you want to learn and develop an understanding of African cinema, then africanscreens.com is the place to be – we will help you understand our cinematic heritage, discuss our present challenges and share our aspirations with you as filmmakers.

Jamati: What story would you want to be told about you or your works now and in the future?

Don: That I played my part, in the re-engineering of the African sense of self.

Jamati: Some words of advice to peeps in the film making industry.

Don: Filmmaking is a craft, which you must horn your skills at, no one can tell the African story like an African, so use your language and your culture and people to create films that will be loved by Africans and celebrated by westerners. These are the words of Ousmane Sembene, the father of African cinema.

Jamati: What’s presently on Africanscreens.com that everyone should go see now!

Don: We have an interview on the site now with the Director General of the National film and video censors board, Nigeria – about restructuring Nollywood. We also have a fantastic interview with the director of an animation web series called Mark of Uru; this is a-must-see for every African. We have reviews of quality African films as well as tutorials for people who want to write their first film script. In addition, we have many more contents, like behind-the-scene pictures of African films in motion, commentaries by leading African film insiders and a lot, lot more.

Jamati: Thank you for hanging out with Jamati Online.We wish you all the best in 2010 and further.

Don: Thank you.

Nneka’s latest album was released early this week, accompanied by her first U.S tour, which kick started her official release party in New York City at the S.O.B’s. Nnneka’s meets Bob Marley, meets Nina Simone, meets Erykah Badu’s, hard core yet sultry sounds, has left a big mark within the U.S and its industry. Just last night Nneka made her first US television debut on “The Late Night Show with David Letterman”. The Rolling-Stone magazine gave her album 3 and half stars and SPIN.com voted Nneka the number 8 artist to watch out for in 2010.

Nneka is definitely redefining the musical state of things right now and  her story is a story that needs to be told and they way she tells it, is what differentiates her from the rest.

For more on Nneka and “Concrete Jungle” log on to www.Nnekaworld.com  or Nneka uncovered and here is a something extra for all those Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu and Nina Simon fans, performed live by Nneka Nneka- Confession Live .

This song is now available for download now at www.konfidence.org .

For more on the song and to watch the video, click: New Akon ft Keri Hilson – Oh Africa

Suzie working on a model at FAFA

After a 10 year stay in the US, Suzie Wokabi moved back to Kenya in 2007, with a career as a make up artist. Suzie had graduated with a degree in International Relations but went on to pursue what her heart had desired the most, a career in the fashion industry. Her interest in fashion had not just sprung up, but it’s something she had really wanted to do from her late teens, where she actually, modeled.

Her aspirations led her to start doubling work in the fashion industry with no clear line for specialization, but an utmost desire to satisfy her ego. Wokabi later realized that she had a true passion in the cosmetics sector where she had worked for different cosmetics companies like, CLINIQUE and MAC cosmetics where she was also trained.  According to Rateitall.com, MAC cosmetics is rated number 4 in the world against other cosmetics companies. For Suzie, it was her stepping stone to be at MAC. It was not all smooth to get that job, because she had to prove herself first and when she was in, she got intensive training and experience. In Los Angeles, AWARD STUDIO presented a certificate to Suzie for media make up after a short course. Media make up is the make up done in the media industry, for all sorts of camera, film, weddings, runway fashion, magazines etc.

“The basis for a good make up application is always a clean well moisturized face, the foundation should be the right color for the skin to have one even tone and if you are someone who doesn’t like to wear a lot of make up you can use probably powder rather than foundation, you can use a little of eye shadow, if you are not well versed on how to apply it, do a little as possible, don’t overdo it. Getting your eyebrows professionally shaped can make a huge difference to you face. You should never have a plain face; just add on a little powder for your nose, a little bit of mascara to brighten of you eyes or maybe lip-gloss, just a few basic things that a woman should have” explains Suzie.

“It was always my plan to come back home, and when opportunity came, we packed up and moved with my husband after he got transferred by his company to Kenya” said Suzie with delight. To her surprise, things in Kenya were not the same as when she was last here. The beauty industry had grown and many activities including runway shows, designers and even some established make up artists. A market Survey by Euro monitor says that the Kenyan market is vibrant and has generally improved with the continued liberalization of the economy. There has been increased demand for cosmetics as consumers have become more affluent and better informed through advertising and marketing. Even with these stats, Suzie will honestly say that there is still some form of stigmatization towards adopting new trends in make up artistry. Kenya’s fashion industry is developing and Suzie says, “I wouldn’t be anywhere else because I am part of a developing movement, in my home.”

In her short stay in Kenya, Suzie has had local and international, big and small clients like, Mnet’s ; Catwalk Kenya 2007, Idols, Patricia Show, Face of Africa boot camp and fashion magazines such as True love, Adam, Drum and Upscale, for fashion events like FAFA 2009, Advertising agencies and weddings.

It was once a dream but now Suzie wants to make it a reality. For the past year, she has been working in creating her own cosmetics line, to be called SuzieBeauty. She has been researching and visiting different countries to find manufacturers with all the help from her close relatives, she describes the experience as exciting. After its launch in two months time, it is expected to be Africa’s first cosmetics line. She hopes to do an aggressive marketing and also do individual make up consultations to enable those interested to learn how to do make up for themselves.

No boundaries for her, she expects to spread the brand to the Eastern Africa region and other parts of Africa as soon as possible after the launch. According to Suzie, Africa has a lot of talent in the industry that is beautiful and needs to be recognized globally. To see Suzie’s portfolio, visit www.suziebeauty.com

“Its one word, capital ‘S’ capital ‘B’ SuzieBeauty.” Says Suzie Wokabi, as she smiles.

Also nominated is Morgan Freeman for “Best Actor” and “Matt Damon for “Best Supporting Actor”  in the movie, “Invictus”. Also not forgetting Gabourey Sidibe’s nomination for “Best Leading Actress” in Precious, a movie based on the novel  ’Push’ by Sapphire.

The 2010 82nd Oscar Award Ceremony is scheduled to air Sunday, March 7, 2010. For more on the nominees log on to www.oscars.com .

This album has been very well received in the industry, earning four stars by the “All Music Guide’ after calling it “Ethereal, Surreal, and Soulful.” The Billboard.com” calls the album “All Elegance and Awe… Utterly Captivating!” and “The Boston Globe” calls the album “Glistens With Sheen Of An Almost Impossibly Perfect Cosmopolitanism.”

For those who haven’t invested in this album trust me this is one of the best investments musically, to hear a sample of this album, like my favourite tune “Enganjyani” featuring legendary Hugh Masekela, visit www.somimusic.com .