Mazi Mbonu Ojike: The fearless Nigerian nationalist known as the ‘Boycott King’
“Boycott the Boycottables” Ojike died at the age of 44 and many believed he transitioned to the land of his ancestors without realizing his full potentials.
He gave birth to every Nigerians pride in his culture as a living functional whole”, he added.
In 1936, Ojike as a teacher proved what Prof. Ukwu said of him by leading an agitation for more pay for junior teachers at Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Awka, accusing the authorities of discrimination, stressing that the salaries of junior teachers ought to have been increased when salaries of their senior colleagues were.
Resigning as a teacher in 1938, Ojike established contact with Dr. Azikiwe, who encouraged him to go for further studies. He later attended Lincoln University.
His colleagues were Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who later became President of Ghana and other pioneer members of the African Students Association of America and Canada and the group became a veritable platform for nationalist activities.
Whilst in the United States, Ojike’s activism was not confined to associations, conferences, and rallies. He published three books in his three years there: Portrait of a Boy in Africa (1945), My Africa (1946) and I have Two Countries (1947).
Ojike masterfully and succinctly portrayed for his foreign audience the identity and integrity of African culture in his first two books and his penetrating analysis as one writer put it was further pointed in his third book when in recording his American experience Ojike probed beneath the glitter of the American dream to draw illuminating comparisons with life in Africa.
The message in his third book was said to be for both his country and to all humanity: “I am not proud of what our world has been nor of what it is; I am proud to join men and women of goodwill to make our civilization what it ought to be.”
Upon his return to Nigeria in 1947, Ojike, as expected, entered into politics, turning to Zik for political mentoring. Ojike became an automatic member of the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) and a thorn in the flesh of the British interlopers.
“As a critic of the colonial administration, he was marked down for liquidation. When he poured venom on the British government over the behavior of security forces during the Iva Valley massacre in 1949, he was charged with sedition and fined 40 pounds,” Oladesu wrote in 2013.
Ojike was an apostle of self-reliance.
Nubian Music Festival highlights South African artists
For the last three years, the Nubian Music Festival has been part of the calendar of events to attend for many people.
Organiser Mpho Mathope is the woman who brought the festival to life in 2017.
Mathope’s career in the hospitality sector and extensive knowledge helped her gauge what people were interested in when it comes to events.
The festival, she says, is about taking people back to their roots, supporting local and investing in travel around different parts of the country.
The Eagle Waters Wildlife Resort in Hartbeespoort is home to the three-day cultural festival that took place from December 13 to 16.
Mathope describes the festival as a family oriented series of events that include activities for children and adults to enjoy.
Guests who attended could enjoy the main concert that took place on Sunday featuring Amanda Black, The Soil, Thandiswa Mazwai, Judith Sephuma, Lira, Ringo Madlingozi, Mafikizolo and Micasa.
Highlight performances included Mazwai, Sephuma and Mafikizolo who had the audience singing and dancing to their entire sets.
Madlingozi dressed in a red top and shoes with the EFF party emblem performed fan favourites as well.
This year’s main concert was well attended.
The all-local line-up was part of the mission Mathope has set out for the festival, to bring people quality performances from their own soil. Mathope added that the festival was a lifestyle that promoted social togetherness and cultural tolerance.
Read more here:https://www.iol.co.za/the-star/news/nubian-music-festival-highlights-south-african-artists-39410903
Hennessy Artistry wraps up in Style as Tiwa Savage, Fireboy, Wande Coal perform at its 10th Anniversary
Over the past decade, Hennessy has been a key driver in promoting music, discovering new talent and propagating hip hop culture. From cyphers, Hennessy Artistry VS Class, club tours across the nation, to the launch of a limited-edition Hennessy artistry 10th-anniversary bottle designed by Nigerian urban artist, OsaSeven, it has been an activity-packed year.
On Saturday, December 14th, 2019, artists, industry leaders and the Hennessy Maison celebrated the Hennessy Artistry finale in grand style at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Victoria Island. Guests were ushered into an immersive experience centre, where they interacted with carefully curated activities that maximized interactions between consumer and brand.
The night started with the crowning of Laudreyes as the winner of the 6th edition of the VS class competition, after a pulsating hip-hop battle with 6 other rappers from across the country. It is interesting to note that Laudreyes is the first female winner of the competition in its new format. Laudreyes won an undisclosed cash gift, an opportunity to record two singles with an A-list producer of her choice and a year mentorship with the award-winning lyrical genius, Vector.
Read more here
John Boyega & his Family Proudly Show off their Nigerian Roots at the Premiere of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Nigerian-British actor John Boyega is proud of his Nigerian roots and this he proved by attending the European premiere of the latest installment of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” in a stunning and regal Nigerian attire, alongside his family who also showed up in matching outfits.
At the premiere of the movie held at Cineworld in Leicester Square, London, on Wednesday night, John Boyega and his family showed up in full Yoruba traditional attire, which had the men wearing a stunning blue agbada, complemented with a matching fila and the ladies dressed in blue sequined gowns with yellow gele.
John Boyega who plays the character Finn in the Star Wars franchise, was born to Nigerian parents on 17 March, 1992, in London.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs will Receive Icons Award at the Pre-Grammy Gala
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, a three-time Grammy winner and music mogul, will receive the 2020 Industry Icon award at Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy gala, the Recording Academy announced today.
The gala will hold on January 25th, 2020, a night before the 62nd annual Grammys which will air live on January 26th.
The music mogul will be honored for his “innovative and creative contributions right from the very inception of the hip-hop revolution,” says Clive Davis.
Diddy shared this in the statement:
Clive Davis and Arista Records gave me a chance when I was starting Bad Boy Records, he was one of the first industry executives to really believe in me. I’m forever grateful for him. To be honored at this year’s Pre-GRAMMY Gala and receive the Industry Icons Award is truly a blessing.
Other recipients of the Industry Icon award include Jay-Z, David Geffen, Ahmet Ertegun, Berry Gordy, Mo Ostin, Clive Davis, Irving Azoff, L.A. Reid amongst others.
Uzo Aduba To Play ‘Aunty Uju’ in TV Adaptation of “Americanah”
“Orange is the Black” actress, Uzo Aduba, has joined the cast of “Americanah” on HBO Max, and we are super excited about this.
On Tuesday, Lupita Nyong’o described in a tweet how she feels about Aduba’s new role in the forthcoming series.
She captioned the short clip: “How I feel about @UzoAduba joining the #Americanah cast! She will play Aunt Uju.
The series is based on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie‘s best-selling novel of the same name.
Aduba will play Aunty Uju, Ifemelu’s young aunt and confidant.
“Americanah” is a 10-episode limited series that tells the story of Ifemelu (Nyong’o), a self-assured young woman raised in Nigeria, who as a teenager falls in love with her classmate Obinze (Momoh). Living in a military-ruled country, they each depart for the west, with Ifemelu heading for America, where, despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple for the first time with what it means to be black. Obinze had hoped to join her, but with post-9/11 America closed to him, he instead begins living undocumented in London.
Lupita Nyong’o, David Oyelowo will star in the series, with Danai Gurira writing the pilot and serving as showrunner.
Source: Bellanaija
