Entertainment
54 top musicians to storm La Campagne Resort for African International Music Festival
ATLEAST 54 prominent musicians from all African countries are billed to take Lagos by storm as they perform at the 2017 edition of 2017 edition of African International Music Festival, AIM.
The festival which is slated for Saturday December 2nd and 3rd at La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort, Ikegun Village , Ibeju Lekki is the creation of Ambassador Wanle Akinboboye aimed at ensuring the domestication of the prodigious creative industry for the growth , unity and economic brotherhood of Africa for Africans by Africans.
The landmark musical festival is presented by the African International Music Festival, AIM, an African music event like any other which has been planned and packaged by Motherland Beckons Initiative in conjunction with the Association of African Ambassadors and diplomats.
In a chat with newsmen, Prince Adekunle Adeyemo, Executive Assistant to the President, Motherland Beckons said, “AIM Festival is predicated upon the trajectory of the need to sew neatly and tightly the loose intra- cultural- tourism relationship in Africa. It is a trite in the concept of nation building that the cultural ingredients of values, norms, mores and its strong pillars such as language and music are pivots of unity. Music is a potent weapon of intercultural understanding, appreciation and miscegenation. Good rhythm sans borders! That is purpose of AIM Festival.”
“As at the last week , we have received confirmation of 25 African music groups who are coming to blaze up the airwaves with their unique and distinct songs , dance styles, stagecraft, chants, display and razzmatazz”, he disclosed.
Speaking further, Prince Adeyemi revealed, “it is going to be the best conglomeration of African musical acts in a single event. It is an event which will parade as guests pathfinders of musical glory as King Sunny Ade, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey, Shina Peters, Victor Uwaifo , Femi kuti, Lagbaja, Sunny Nneji, who are not performing, but making appearances.’’
“The President of Motherland Beckons Initiative, Ambassador Wanle Akinboboye is leaving no stone unturned at ensuring not only that the event exploded beyond imagination but also of maximum consummation of musical dreams.Thus everything from the stage which is being handled by Zmirage, the four points Deejays booths, the security ground and aerial surveillance, the bonfire, the Rock ‘n Roll interactive session, exceptional socialisation in a Tropicana ambience is waiting for the participants.’’
“It is morally uplifting the warm embrace AIM festival by African Diplomats and their unflinching support at ensuring the success of the event. We are impressed that would be participants are very quick at obtaining the N10,000 ticket for regular and one thousand naira for the students, which show that the African spirit of appreciation is within the conscience of African”, he added.
Also, Prince Adeyemo assured, “there will be unlimited fun, streams of songs, dances, display and cultural stunts as Anu the Lady Ekwe , Olo Omidan Bata, Ara – Thunder , Wole Oni , Leslie Molds of Cameroon , Don Bra Don of Kenya , Joseph Chea of Liberia, Ammal of Uganda , Agossou Koffi Alphonse of Togo , Adigun Olohun Iyo , Choni the Cellist from USA, Kola ‘Ogunkoya- Gbedu Master, Kareem Peterson, USA , Akeem Lasisi, Beriola and others are not only ready but on the ground for the event.”
“Like I said, music is a weapon to lubricate unity, togetherness, brotherhood and stoke the ember of collective reasoning, communal bonding and interest. AIM festival will make you feel vibes of Africa unity and its motherly conviviality through the beat and sonorous rhythm of good music which has no border. You just have to be there to feel the rhythm without pain”, he submitted.
Entertainment
Eight Stabbed, Hundreds Arrested at Notting Hill Carnival
The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that eight people were stabbed and hundreds were arrested during last weekend’s Notting Hill Carnival, one of the world’s largest street festivals, held annually in west London.
In an update on their policing operation late Monday, the Met reported that five people were stabbed on the final day of the three-day celebration, which is internationally renowned for its vibrant display of British Afro-Caribbean culture.
This followed three other stabbings on Sunday. Three of the victims were left in life-threatening conditions.
Police made at least 230 arrests on Monday alone, including 49 for possession of an offensive weapon.
These arrests added to the scores of others made earlier in the weekend. In addition to the arrests, three firearms were seized, and 35 officers sustained injuries during the event, which attracts around a million attendees every August bank holiday weekend.
The number of arrests and incidents this year closely mirrors last year’s figures when there were 10 stabbings and approximately 300 arrests.
Despite the heavy police presence, with around 7,000 officers deployed, the carnival was once again marred by violence, particularly knife crime. Nevertheless, the vast majority of the hundreds of thousands of revellers enjoyed the event without incident, filling the streets of Notting Hill with colour, music, and dancing.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Ade Adelekan expressed his frustration over the recurring violence, noting that a woman attending the carnival with her child was among those stabbed.
“We only very narrowly avoided a fatality,” he said, urging attendees to report any crimes they witness.
The Notting Hill Carnival, a celebration of British Afro-Caribbean culture, has its roots in the 1950s, following the post-World War II influx of immigrants from former British colonies.
The annual event is known for its feathered dancers, steel bands, and earth-shaking sound systems, symbolizing the rich cultural heritage of the Afro-Caribbean community in the UK.
Entertainment
Portable Granted Bail After Night in Police Cell Over ₦14m Debt
The Lagos State Police Command has freed renowned street artist, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, following a night spent in police detention.
Portable was apprehended on Tuesday in Lagos’ Abule Egba vicinity for purportedly defaulting on the balance payment for a G-Wagon vehicle he had purchased from an auto dealer.
Reports suggest that although the ‘Zazoo Zeh’ maestro acquired the vehicle valued at ₦27 million, he only disbursed ₦13 million, leaving a ₦14 million outstanding balance.
In footage that went viral, Portable was observed scaling a gate as law enforcement officers approached him with an arrest warrant.
Subsequently, another video emerged depicting him being restrained, handcuffed, and conveyed by approximately four policemen into a waiting vehicle.
During the altercation, a female voice, purportedly that of the car dealer, was heard in the background, issuing profanities and recounting Portable’s alleged threats when confronted about settling the debt.
The Police spokesperson in the state, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that Portable was released on bail on Wednesday after spending Tuesday night in police custody.
He further disclosed that both Portable and the car dealer are expected to reconvene at a later date.
“He (Portable) has been released; he was granted bail on Wednesday to come back with the complainant later,” Hundeyin stated, stressing that “the outcome of that meeting will determine our next line of action.”
This incident marks not the first encounter between the singer and law enforcement.
In April 2023, Portable was detained by the police in Ogun State and arraigned on five charges related to alleged assault and theft at the Ifo Magistrate Court, in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Subsequently, he was held at the Ilaro Correctional Centre before being released upon meeting bail conditions.
Entertainment
Autopsy Results Fail to Determine Cause of Mohbad’s Death
In a recent inquiry into the untimely demise of Nigerian musician, Ilerioluwa Aloba, better known as Mohbad, held at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof. Sunday Osiyemi, a Forensic Scientist and Pathologist, revealed that the results of the autopsy conducted on the deceased failed to unveil the cause of death.
Speaking before Magistrate Adedayo Shotobi, who presided over the coroner’s inquiry, Prof. Osiyemi cited various factors contributing to the inconclusive findings, notably the significant decomposition of the body due to the extended delay of 21 days before the autopsy was performed.
Highlighting the urgency of the situation, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wahab Shittu, representing Mohbad’s family, emphasised that according to the pathologist, the body should have been exhumed within 12 hours post-burial to prevent decomposition, a critical factor in determining the cause of death.
Shittu further elucidated that the pathologist referenced the administration of certain drugs to Mohbad before his demise, suggesting a potential correlation between the drugs and the difficulties encountered in pinpointing the cause of death.
“He also went further to say that it may be attributed to reactions to certain drugs administered on him before he died. Again he then qualified that to say he does not know whether it is those drugs that actually led to his death,” Shittu stated.
With the cause of death remaining elusive, the coroner adjourned the proceedings to June 11th for further examination and cross-examination of the pathologist’s findings, signaling a continuation in the quest for answers surrounding Mohbad’s untimely passing.
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