The music industry in South Africa
has changed dramatically in the 21st century and like every other
African country, the internet has become a platform for creative and
talented producers to get noticed and celebrated.
South African music is at its pinnacle and they run one of the most structured music markets.
South African music is at its pinnacle and they run one of the most structured music markets.
No doubt, the South African Music Industry is growing at an
alarming and equally pleasing rate. Top Producers in South Africa have
steadily risen to become a force to reckoned with and music authorities
in there right. Of course, block buster music wouldn’t have been
possible or successful without the music expertise and magic fingers of
several producers.
These musical moguls have played a quintessential role in the South
African music industry and without them, the country’s music industry,
almost certainly, wouldn’t have reached the heights it has ascended to.
Let’s look at five of the top notch producers from South Africa…
Nicodimas Sekheta Mogasho – Da Capo
Da Capo
Black Motion
Black Motion
Uhuru
Uhuru
The Uhuru sound has ushered in a new era in the music production and is appreciated and patronized in Nigeria and Angola.
DJ Kent
DJ Kent
Brian O’Shea
Brian O’Shea
Other major projects under Brian O’Shea’s belt are albums for Sugardrive (Gallo), one of South Africa’s most popular rock brands; they have played with the likes of Limp Bizkit, Coldplay and so on. They have also won two SAMA awards for Best Album and Best Single.
Brian also worked with Seether (Musketeer), who is now signed to Wind Up in the USA, with 1 gold and 2 platinum selling albums around the world from 2003 to 2010. He extended his run of success into the pop genre with the recording of the South African Idols 1 winner Heinz Winckler’s debut album and Idols 2 winner, Anke Pietrangellie’s debut album. Both their debut singles also went platinum in South Africa.
Already recognized as the best and most consistent producers in South Africa, Brian O’Shea is always first choice to work on big signings for major labels. These include; Arno Carstens, Louise Carver and Jesse Clegg (all Gold selling albums).
Note: Articles are totally writers’ opinion. They do not in any way, depict the position of HF Magazine in the related topic, except where stated.
2Pac…2Pac… Ok, I was doing my random check around the world wide web and came across this video from 1993. The legendary 2Pac Shakur was on seat with Arsenio Hall in this interesting, funny and expository interview.
I promise, this video will bring back memories, especially for fans
of the late rapper. 2Pac defined the true essence of the street
struggle; he was real – I mean realer than any word can explain it.
Tupac Shakur was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting at the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 7, 1996. He was rushed to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. He was pronounced dead on September 13, 1996.
This is throwback Thursday and we have a short video of 2Pac on Arsenio Hall in 1993. Press play!
Jean Dominique Bauby – The Man Who Wrote A Book With The Blink Of An Eye
Written by HF Magazine Staff |
Many authors have struggled through illness and injury to write their masterpieces, but none more so than Jean-Dominique Bauby.
Jean Dominique Bauby was a well-known French actor, journalist, author and editor of the French fashion magazine, ELLE.
On December 8, 1995 at the age of 43, Bauby suffered a massive stroke. He woke up twenty days later, to realise that he become entirely paralyzed and speechless; he could only blink his left eyelid. This rare condition is called Locked-in Syndrome, a condition wherein the mental faculties are intact, but the entire body is paralyzed.
Bauby also lost 60 pounds in the first 20 weeks after his stroke. He was “buried alive”, a mind of sociable tastes and literary wit, entombed. Still, he was determined to write, using only his lucid mind and one eye. He began working on his memoir, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.”
Each night, Bauby would lay awake editing and re-editing the story in his mind, memorizing every paragraph as he hoped to relay it. By day, his transcriber Claude Mendibil, would recite the alphabet to him over and over. When she reached a letter the writer desired, he’d wink. Each word took about two minutes to produce, and during the course of a year, he managed to tell his story of life in paralysis.
His moving and often funny prose won critical acclaim, and “ The Diving Bell and the Butterfly ” became a bestseller throughout Europe.
Sadly, Bauby died of pneumonia in 1997, soon after the first edition was published in France. He missed not only the English translation, but also the award-winning film adaptation released in 2007.
Jean Dominique Bauby was a well-known French actor, journalist, author and editor of the French fashion magazine, ELLE.
On December 8, 1995 at the age of 43, Bauby suffered a massive stroke. He woke up twenty days later, to realise that he become entirely paralyzed and speechless; he could only blink his left eyelid. This rare condition is called Locked-in Syndrome, a condition wherein the mental faculties are intact, but the entire body is paralyzed.
Bauby also lost 60 pounds in the first 20 weeks after his stroke. He was “buried alive”, a mind of sociable tastes and literary wit, entombed. Still, he was determined to write, using only his lucid mind and one eye. He began working on his memoir, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.”
Each night, Bauby would lay awake editing and re-editing the story in his mind, memorizing every paragraph as he hoped to relay it. By day, his transcriber Claude Mendibil, would recite the alphabet to him over and over. When she reached a letter the writer desired, he’d wink. Each word took about two minutes to produce, and during the course of a year, he managed to tell his story of life in paralysis.
His moving and often funny prose won critical acclaim, and “ The Diving Bell and the Butterfly ” became a bestseller throughout Europe.
Sadly, Bauby died of pneumonia in 1997, soon after the first edition was published in France. He missed not only the English translation, but also the award-winning film adaptation released in 2007.
Africa
has produced many immensely talented musicians; some have made wise use
of their talent and have become wealthy and well recognized in Africa
and other parts of the world.
I’m sharing my top ten legendary musicians in Africa; they are the rich, successful and internationally known musicians. They have also, one way or the other imparted and mentored many young lives in Africa positively.
The top ten musicians under listed below are gathered as a result of fact findings and multiple sources as regards their personal lives, societal impact, popularity, high level of music distribution and world recognition.
Oumou Sangare
![Musicians In Africa]()
At number 10, I have Oumou Sangare of Mali who happens to be one of
Mali’s most adored and respected musical stars. The 46 year old Award
winning Malian
made the ‘Wassoulou’ a prominent traditional music famous. Her music
centers on feminism and the right of women. As a United Nations Goodwill
ambassador, Sangare has been outspoken in advocating against polygamy.
She is a successful entrepreneur who in 2006, partnered with a Chinese
automobile firm to make a car that has been named after her – Oum Sang.
Hugh Masekela
![African Legends]()
Hugh Masekela of South Africa sits at number nine on my list. The 75
year-old Jazz maestro and internationally renowned Trumpeter has made
consistent progress in his career. He started playing the trumpet at the
age of 14 and has used his music to combat slavery, apartheid, as well
as socio-economic exploitation. He was notable for performing in the
1959 musical “King Kong”, written by Todd Matshikiza. This famous
musician published his autobiography in 2004 titled – “Still Grazing: The Musical Journey of Hugh Masekela”. His career has spanned 5 decades, with over 40 albums to his credit.
Koffi Olomide
Congo born master’s degree holder in Mathematics from the University of Paris,
Koffi Olomide is 8th on my list. Many people will be surprised that a
Master’s degree holder in Mathematics can record success in
music. Sources say that a major part of Koffi’s success and fortune has
stemmed from singing. He is famously recognized as a performer of a very
famous and specific type of African music known as Soukous. During the height of his career, he has released over 30 albums which have sold millions worldwide.
Yvonne Chaka Chaka
The South Africa born female musician, Yvonne Chaka Chaka is one of
Africa’s most acclaimed musicians. She made her debut appearance on
stage at the age of 18 and was catapulted to fame in the height of
Apartheid in South Africa. Her contagious pop melodies, girlish
attractions and angelic voice could not go unnoticed. Popularly known
for her songs such as “Umquombothi”, “I Cry for freedom” and “I’m in
love with a DJ” this prominent musician and United Nations Goodwill
ambassador and UN envoy to Africa now dedicates her time to
philanthropy.
Femi Kuti
![Africa]()
The first born child of Fela Anikulapo Kuti,
Femi Kuti appears at number six on my list. This 52 year old musician
just like his father, uses his music to fight against societal vices
such as, poverty, corruption and other socio-economic matters that are
prevailing in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. His album ‘Fight To Win’
housed collaborations with American artists like Mos Def, Common and
Jaguar. Femi’s music is largely viewed as the most prominent Neo-Afro
Beat of the 21st century.
Khaled Hadj
![African musicians]()
Fifth on my list is Khaled Hadj, famously known as Khaled. This 54
year-old Algerian musician is a songwriter and most popular ‘Rai’ singer
worldwide. Rai, which is a type of folk, merges French, Arabic, Spanish
and African musical influences in Khaled’s style of music. His major
success is in France, with his songs “Didi” and “Aicha” topping major
charts. Reported to have sold over 20 million album copies, Khaled
remains one of Africa’s bestselling musicians of all time.
Angelique Kidjo
![Angelique Kidjo]()
Quidah, Benin born Grammy Award winning Beninese, Angelique Kidjo
remains one of Africa’s most influential singers and influencers till
date. This UNICEF Goodwill ambassador is also the pioneer of Washington
based charity known as the ‘Batonga Foundation’.
The organization fosters and funds education of Africans girls.
Angelique is a very zealous advocate for the rights of African women.
Salif Keita
![Salif Keita]()
Known as the founding father of the Mali Empire, Salif Keita of comes
third on my list. The 65 year old Malian is one of the founders of
Afro-pop in Africa. Keita was widely criticized when he decided to
become a musician as it was regarded an occupation not befitting for
someone from a royal Malian family. Exiled from his village at the age
of 18, due to the superstitious belief that albinos were symbolic of
misfortune, this talented musician went on to play for a Malian musical
group known as “Les Ambassadeurs” prior to going solo. Since then, his
music career was a mind blowing success.
Manu Dibango
![Manu Dibango]()
80 year old Cameroon musician, Manu Dibango is second on my list. An
excellent saxophonist, this Cameroonian musician is indeed
multi-talented, because of his tremendous contribution in the African
music industry. He was popularly known for his 1972 single “Soul
Makossa”, but he has played various genre such as Reggae, soul, blues,
disco, inspirational and electro.
Youssou N’dour
55 year Senegalese, Youssou N’dour, comes first on my list. N’dour is
argued to be the most thrilling and fascinating African musician. His
contribution in making the Mbalax popular cannot be undermined. The
UNICEF ambassador has been outspoken in his campaign to put an end in
the humanitarian crisis in the horn of Africa. No wonder, the musician
is once a Grammy Award winner who is intelligent, successful business
owner of a world class night club, television station as well as a
record label.
Note: Articles are totally writers’ opinion. They do not in any way, depict the position of HF Magazine in the related topic, except where stated.
I’m sharing my top ten legendary musicians in Africa; they are the rich, successful and internationally known musicians. They have also, one way or the other imparted and mentored many young lives in Africa positively.
The top ten musicians under listed below are gathered as a result of fact findings and multiple sources as regards their personal lives, societal impact, popularity, high level of music distribution and world recognition.
Oumou Sangare
Oumou Sangare
Hugh Masekela
Hugh Masekela
Koffi Olomide
Koffi Olomide
Yvonne Chaka Chaka
Yvonne Chaka Chaka
Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
Khaled Hadj
Khaled Hadj
Angelique Kidjo
Angelique Kidjo
Salif Keita
Salif Keita
Manu Dibango
Manu Dibango
Youssou N’dour
Youssou N’dour
Note: Articles are totally writers’ opinion. They do not in any way, depict the position of HF Magazine in the related topic, except where stated.
If
you search the entire vault of history, you will discover that alcohol
has no root from one particular culture or place. In fact, history will
clearly tell you that every culture has its own method and items for
brewing this miraculous liquid. However, there still remains another
simple fact, that over the millions of years since its discovery, there
have been so many myths associated with the drinking of alcohol.
Clearly speaking, I am here to tell you that most of what you think you knew about the ways of the booze are actually jargon. So I raise my massive tankard and I say cheers to all the members of the league of extraordinary drinkers out there as I unveil the facts behind some of the myths of drinking.
Beer Gives You a Beer Gut
The Myth
It’s every beer drinkers’ unavoidable fate to grow the beer gut (round, floppy pot belly). The evidence can be found all around us. I mean, we all have at least one friend or family member who perpetually looks like they’re pregnant, regardless of their actual state of fertility or, for that matter, gender. You probably, will get that nice round gut by middle age if you partake regularly. Your only choice in the matter is whether you suck it in whenever people approach or flaunt it like the wacky uncle who slaps his belly and boasts that “it will find its way out, through the third leg.”
The Reality
The beer gut doesn’t exist. Based on scientific research, that massive mound you call your “one-pack,” has nothing to do with actual beer consumption.
Some researchers got curious about this whole beer belly thing a while back. So they rounded up a 2,000-strong bunch of Czechs, a people who apparently wean their toddlers off of the bottle by offering them a nice stout and what they found was at once surprising and awesome: Beer appears to have absolutely nothing to do with the so-called beer gut. In fact, research shows that the amount of beer you drink and the size of your belly have no correlation whatsoever. If you keep your beer intake under even a modicum of control, chances are, it doesn’t even do that much to your general weight gain.
Now obviously beer has calories, so a huge intake will contribute to weight gain (especially since you tend to take very little exercise when you’re constantly bombed), but even then, it’s nothing more than what a strict bacon sandwich diet would do to you — any excess calories can lead to weight gain and that weight may or may not settle right on your belly, depending on whether you’re genetically predisposed to it.
There’s a beer belly gene. People get fat in different ways, and abdominal obesity is just one of the many interesting fat-storing shapes that the human body can sculpt itself into if said human body doesn’t take care of itself. So if you have the gene, you’ll have a pot belly eventually, regardless of your actual alcohol consumption. Unless, that is, you maintain a strict diet and exercise regimen for your entire life, but who the does that?
If that’s the case, where did this fictional correlation between big bellies and beer drinking come from? One possible culprit is cirrhosis, a liver disease of chronic alcoholics that involves the swelling of the abdomen into that familiar ‘beach ball’ shape. We guess somebody decided that calling it a “beer gut” instead of “organ failure” was less of a buzzkill at family reunions.
Absinthe Is a Badass Hallucinogen
The Myth
Absinthe is intense hallucinogenic liquor once favored by artists such as Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Degas and Vincent Van Gogh. Concocted from wormwood and fever dreams, it’s closer to doing drugs than doing most actual drugs. That’s why it’s been banned in so many countries, obviously.
The Reality
It’s a myth. Always was. The potentially toxic/hallucinogenic Thujone that supposedly causes the psychoactive effects of absinthe only shows up in ridiculously small trace amounts. The whole reputation of absinthe is based on a very simple fact: It was a strong, no-frills-attached, cheap-as-muck liquor, and thus favored by big drinkers who couldn’t afford fancy wines and beers because of the sheer amount of their intake.
Absinthe drinkers were the type who tended to drink a lot, hence, their alcoholism symptoms were blamed on the “drug” effects of absinthe. The fact that many of these historical big drinkers went on to become famous artists didn’t actually hurt its reputation, either. I mean, what are you going to do when you’re a famous artist or writer and asked about your tendency to ritualistically consume horrible under-the-counter ethanol products? Are you going to admit that you’re crippled by alcoholism, or whip up a magical story of a mystical fairy drink that alters your consciousness and shows you all the mysteries of the universe?
Absinthe has made somewhat of a comeback lately, and wouldn’t you know; it’s still hyped as the druggy-sounding “green fairy.” Of course, the stuff isn’t any more dangerous than it ever was. Its purveyors are just ripping a forged page from the annals of history and feeding us the same nonsense our forefathers swallowed, in hopes that its reputation will make you buy more of their swill.
Drinking a “Nightcap” Helps You Sleep
The Myth
Nightcap – the quiet, dignified drink before bed, sipped in a smoking jacket while relaxing next to a fireplace, or just chilling at your balcony and staring at the star and the moon rise.
If old magazines and T.V Ads are to be believed, then regardless of how you spent your day, a nice relaxing drink before bed will ease you right into dreamland.
The Reality
If you think a nightcap is going to help you to get a good full night’s sleep, you’re in for a surprise.
What happens after the drink is that, in the first few hours, your body will be busy metabolizing the alcohol, so you can look forward to a deep sleep for the first half of the night while your body is otherwise occupied. However, once it’s finished doing that, your body’s going to turn its attention back to you.
During those wee hours, you can look forward to nightmares, snoring, headaches, digestive problems, night sweats and, because Lady Irony doesn’t want to miss out on all the fun, insomnia. Oh, and in case you’re male and figure you may as well work in some sex (because, you know, you’re awake), you’re also likely to be experiencing testosterone boost.
Still, at least you’ve got it better than those who suffer from sleep apnea. Their condition is only worsened by a nightcap because the alcohol relaxes their already shitty throat muscles to the point that they can stop breathing for up to eternity. Yes, that’s our way of saying that nightcaps can potentially kill people.
There’s No Cure for a Hangover
The Myth
We all have one avid drinking friend who always has one theory they believe holds the cure to hangover. Surprisingly 98% of the time none of these works. That’s not just hard experience talking, but also the conclusion of the British Medical Journal. Back in 2005, they released the results of a massive survey into the effectiveness of various “cures” and categorically stated that, no matter how much you might swear by slathering yourself in tomato juice, wrapping your head in plastic wrap, sitting under the shower and so on – it won’t work, except for abstinence or moderation in drinking
The Reality
It turns out that there is a cure, and a wondrous one at that: the bacon sandwich and no, as far as we’re aware this isn’t some marketing team-up between the world’s breweries and pork farmers — there’s totally legit science involved.
Those findings were the result of a British-led research that came just a few years after some other research stated that there was no such thing as a hangover cure, leading us to assume that the Brits, being the world’s most hung-over people (Irish), are simply desperate for a cure. It turns out that the hangover-slaying superpowers of the bacon sandwich are a happy accident of its two constituent ingredients, bacon and bread.
Bread is rich in carbohydrates, while the bacon is full of protein that the body breaks down into amino acids, an important player in your body’s overall level of ‘feel goodness’. While we’ve shown you before that drinking doesn’t kill your brain cells, booze does cause you to lose neurotransmitters, i.e., those chemicals in your brain that allow you to do things like think and breathe and control your innate desire to dance the sexiest version of the robot possible.
So the next time you decide to drink your beer, vodka, Champagne, palm wine or any liquor that contains an atom of the formula C2H6O (ethanol), do well to remember these myths and their actually facts and yes please do not drink and drive that’s a fact; there is no myth behind it.
Alcohol Consumption – The Myths And Facts
Clearly speaking, I am here to tell you that most of what you think you knew about the ways of the booze are actually jargon. So I raise my massive tankard and I say cheers to all the members of the league of extraordinary drinkers out there as I unveil the facts behind some of the myths of drinking.
Beer Gives You a Beer Gut
The Myth
It’s every beer drinkers’ unavoidable fate to grow the beer gut (round, floppy pot belly). The evidence can be found all around us. I mean, we all have at least one friend or family member who perpetually looks like they’re pregnant, regardless of their actual state of fertility or, for that matter, gender. You probably, will get that nice round gut by middle age if you partake regularly. Your only choice in the matter is whether you suck it in whenever people approach or flaunt it like the wacky uncle who slaps his belly and boasts that “it will find its way out, through the third leg.”
The Reality
The beer gut doesn’t exist. Based on scientific research, that massive mound you call your “one-pack,” has nothing to do with actual beer consumption.
Some researchers got curious about this whole beer belly thing a while back. So they rounded up a 2,000-strong bunch of Czechs, a people who apparently wean their toddlers off of the bottle by offering them a nice stout and what they found was at once surprising and awesome: Beer appears to have absolutely nothing to do with the so-called beer gut. In fact, research shows that the amount of beer you drink and the size of your belly have no correlation whatsoever. If you keep your beer intake under even a modicum of control, chances are, it doesn’t even do that much to your general weight gain.
Now obviously beer has calories, so a huge intake will contribute to weight gain (especially since you tend to take very little exercise when you’re constantly bombed), but even then, it’s nothing more than what a strict bacon sandwich diet would do to you — any excess calories can lead to weight gain and that weight may or may not settle right on your belly, depending on whether you’re genetically predisposed to it.
There’s a beer belly gene. People get fat in different ways, and abdominal obesity is just one of the many interesting fat-storing shapes that the human body can sculpt itself into if said human body doesn’t take care of itself. So if you have the gene, you’ll have a pot belly eventually, regardless of your actual alcohol consumption. Unless, that is, you maintain a strict diet and exercise regimen for your entire life, but who the does that?
If that’s the case, where did this fictional correlation between big bellies and beer drinking come from? One possible culprit is cirrhosis, a liver disease of chronic alcoholics that involves the swelling of the abdomen into that familiar ‘beach ball’ shape. We guess somebody decided that calling it a “beer gut” instead of “organ failure” was less of a buzzkill at family reunions.
Absinthe Is a Badass Hallucinogen
The Myth
Absinthe is intense hallucinogenic liquor once favored by artists such as Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Degas and Vincent Van Gogh. Concocted from wormwood and fever dreams, it’s closer to doing drugs than doing most actual drugs. That’s why it’s been banned in so many countries, obviously.
The Reality
It’s a myth. Always was. The potentially toxic/hallucinogenic Thujone that supposedly causes the psychoactive effects of absinthe only shows up in ridiculously small trace amounts. The whole reputation of absinthe is based on a very simple fact: It was a strong, no-frills-attached, cheap-as-muck liquor, and thus favored by big drinkers who couldn’t afford fancy wines and beers because of the sheer amount of their intake.
Absinthe drinkers were the type who tended to drink a lot, hence, their alcoholism symptoms were blamed on the “drug” effects of absinthe. The fact that many of these historical big drinkers went on to become famous artists didn’t actually hurt its reputation, either. I mean, what are you going to do when you’re a famous artist or writer and asked about your tendency to ritualistically consume horrible under-the-counter ethanol products? Are you going to admit that you’re crippled by alcoholism, or whip up a magical story of a mystical fairy drink that alters your consciousness and shows you all the mysteries of the universe?
Absinthe has made somewhat of a comeback lately, and wouldn’t you know; it’s still hyped as the druggy-sounding “green fairy.” Of course, the stuff isn’t any more dangerous than it ever was. Its purveyors are just ripping a forged page from the annals of history and feeding us the same nonsense our forefathers swallowed, in hopes that its reputation will make you buy more of their swill.
Drinking a “Nightcap” Helps You Sleep
The Myth
Nightcap – the quiet, dignified drink before bed, sipped in a smoking jacket while relaxing next to a fireplace, or just chilling at your balcony and staring at the star and the moon rise.
If old magazines and T.V Ads are to be believed, then regardless of how you spent your day, a nice relaxing drink before bed will ease you right into dreamland.
The Reality
If you think a nightcap is going to help you to get a good full night’s sleep, you’re in for a surprise.
What happens after the drink is that, in the first few hours, your body will be busy metabolizing the alcohol, so you can look forward to a deep sleep for the first half of the night while your body is otherwise occupied. However, once it’s finished doing that, your body’s going to turn its attention back to you.
During those wee hours, you can look forward to nightmares, snoring, headaches, digestive problems, night sweats and, because Lady Irony doesn’t want to miss out on all the fun, insomnia. Oh, and in case you’re male and figure you may as well work in some sex (because, you know, you’re awake), you’re also likely to be experiencing testosterone boost.
Still, at least you’ve got it better than those who suffer from sleep apnea. Their condition is only worsened by a nightcap because the alcohol relaxes their already shitty throat muscles to the point that they can stop breathing for up to eternity. Yes, that’s our way of saying that nightcaps can potentially kill people.
There’s No Cure for a Hangover
The Myth
We all have one avid drinking friend who always has one theory they believe holds the cure to hangover. Surprisingly 98% of the time none of these works. That’s not just hard experience talking, but also the conclusion of the British Medical Journal. Back in 2005, they released the results of a massive survey into the effectiveness of various “cures” and categorically stated that, no matter how much you might swear by slathering yourself in tomato juice, wrapping your head in plastic wrap, sitting under the shower and so on – it won’t work, except for abstinence or moderation in drinking
The Reality
It turns out that there is a cure, and a wondrous one at that: the bacon sandwich and no, as far as we’re aware this isn’t some marketing team-up between the world’s breweries and pork farmers — there’s totally legit science involved.
Those findings were the result of a British-led research that came just a few years after some other research stated that there was no such thing as a hangover cure, leading us to assume that the Brits, being the world’s most hung-over people (Irish), are simply desperate for a cure. It turns out that the hangover-slaying superpowers of the bacon sandwich are a happy accident of its two constituent ingredients, bacon and bread.
Bread is rich in carbohydrates, while the bacon is full of protein that the body breaks down into amino acids, an important player in your body’s overall level of ‘feel goodness’. While we’ve shown you before that drinking doesn’t kill your brain cells, booze does cause you to lose neurotransmitters, i.e., those chemicals in your brain that allow you to do things like think and breathe and control your innate desire to dance the sexiest version of the robot possible.
So the next time you decide to drink your beer, vodka, Champagne, palm wine or any liquor that contains an atom of the formula C2H6O (ethanol), do well to remember these myths and their actually facts and yes please do not drink and drive that’s a fact; there is no myth behind it.
Alcohol Consumption – The Myths And Facts
The history of Hip-Hop in Africa
will remain incomplete without reference to the great duo, Junior and
Pretty. This duo, alongside Daniel Wilson, Plantashun Boiz and a few
others pioneered Afro Hip-hop and Afro-Pop in Nigeria, specifically in the early 90s.
This is indeed a modern throwback as this duo were the first to come up with modern imitation of rap music even before Remedies, Six Foot Plus, Weird MC… and I am talking after the Sugar hill gang of 1979, Ronnie “the way I feel rap, 1981”, Dizzy K “Saturday night raps, 1982”, MC Skidd-O “Message 1992”.
The truth is, most of the earliest attempt at rap music in Nigeria were ridiculed basically because they sounded awkward and overly imitative.
However, Junior and Pretty came with a different vibe that sounded however original and at the same time, comical. Junior would rap in ‘Pidgin English,’ while Pretty would add a Reggae/dance-hall. Some of you will remember his signature dance steps and “jaw dropping” splits.
Rap music in Nigeria was not warmly accepted until the duo of Junior and Pretty broke even in the 90s with their unique style, which they called ‘Fufu Flavour’. The duo, at that time could be regarded as the P-Square of today. The artistes, real names – Okechukwu Azike and Pretty Okafor respectively, succeeded in infusing Pidgin into their rap, thus pioneering a completely new style of music that has survived till date.
Junior and Pretty came into spotlight with a song entitled, “Bolanle”; it was the story of Junior’s attempt to woo a pastor’s daughter and how it went sour at the end of the day. The duo also dished “Monika”, where they sang about the experiences of an unfortunate city guy who married a local girl from the village.
After their debut album, ‘Life’ which was released on Premier Records, they released two other albums in quick succession on Storm Records, owned by Obi Asika.
Although the sudden death of Junior in 2005 hinders much details about the artiste, but findings reveal that the song he released before his death, “Bolanle” took everybody unawares and stayed on top of the chart for eight months. The song won a couple of awards. The duo are fond of doing live concerts with their musical band. No wonder, they featured in the first edition of Benson and Hedged Golden Tones concert in 1993. The concert remains a noticeable event as the duo was the first young acts to participate at the event.
Pretty on the hand is now the President of Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN). In a recent interview, he revealed that the demise of Junior form a major inclusive part that brought about the end of the group.
Pretty is also an event planner, who handles event marketing and equipment leasing, as well as management. His company, Perception Management Company, builds concert stages, coupled with lighting and programming.
One of the major intriguing facts about Pretty was revealed during his interview with Daily Independent. He says “…I was born in the ghetto, brought up in the ghetto, but I wasn’t staying in the ghetto and succeeded…the fear of going back to the ghetto is what is keeping me running…my drive is a passion to succeed, to better people’s lives, passion to see you smile…”
In conclusion, his emergence as the new president of PMAN has indeed brought a noticeable change in the affairs of performing musicians in Nigeria as various developmental policies have being put in place.
Written by Kunle Adeleye
This is indeed a modern throwback as this duo were the first to come up with modern imitation of rap music even before Remedies, Six Foot Plus, Weird MC… and I am talking after the Sugar hill gang of 1979, Ronnie “the way I feel rap, 1981”, Dizzy K “Saturday night raps, 1982”, MC Skidd-O “Message 1992”.
The truth is, most of the earliest attempt at rap music in Nigeria were ridiculed basically because they sounded awkward and overly imitative.
However, Junior and Pretty came with a different vibe that sounded however original and at the same time, comical. Junior would rap in ‘Pidgin English,’ while Pretty would add a Reggae/dance-hall. Some of you will remember his signature dance steps and “jaw dropping” splits.
Rap music in Nigeria was not warmly accepted until the duo of Junior and Pretty broke even in the 90s with their unique style, which they called ‘Fufu Flavour’. The duo, at that time could be regarded as the P-Square of today. The artistes, real names – Okechukwu Azike and Pretty Okafor respectively, succeeded in infusing Pidgin into their rap, thus pioneering a completely new style of music that has survived till date.
Junior and Pretty came into spotlight with a song entitled, “Bolanle”; it was the story of Junior’s attempt to woo a pastor’s daughter and how it went sour at the end of the day. The duo also dished “Monika”, where they sang about the experiences of an unfortunate city guy who married a local girl from the village.
After their debut album, ‘Life’ which was released on Premier Records, they released two other albums in quick succession on Storm Records, owned by Obi Asika.
Although the sudden death of Junior in 2005 hinders much details about the artiste, but findings reveal that the song he released before his death, “Bolanle” took everybody unawares and stayed on top of the chart for eight months. The song won a couple of awards. The duo are fond of doing live concerts with their musical band. No wonder, they featured in the first edition of Benson and Hedged Golden Tones concert in 1993. The concert remains a noticeable event as the duo was the first young acts to participate at the event.
Pretty on the hand is now the President of Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN). In a recent interview, he revealed that the demise of Junior form a major inclusive part that brought about the end of the group.
Pretty is also an event planner, who handles event marketing and equipment leasing, as well as management. His company, Perception Management Company, builds concert stages, coupled with lighting and programming.
One of the major intriguing facts about Pretty was revealed during his interview with Daily Independent. He says “…I was born in the ghetto, brought up in the ghetto, but I wasn’t staying in the ghetto and succeeded…the fear of going back to the ghetto is what is keeping me running…my drive is a passion to succeed, to better people’s lives, passion to see you smile…”
In conclusion, his emergence as the new president of PMAN has indeed brought a noticeable change in the affairs of performing musicians in Nigeria as various developmental policies have being put in place.
Written by Kunle Adeleye
- Note: Articles
are totally writers’ opinion. They do not in any way, depict the
position of HF Magazine in the related topic, except where stated.
African Literature – Celebrating Three Of Kenya’s Top Writer
Written by HF Magazine Staff |
The canon of Kenyan literature is one of the richest on the African continent, and Kenyan writers, both novelists and poets, have played a decisive role in the promotion of African writing.
They have also fostered a thriving local publishing scene which is slowly, but surely winning young Kenyan writers the international exposure they deserve, as the success of the following trio; Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Kenneth Binyavanga Wainaina and Grace Ogot reveal. These top three writers have indeed shown the depth of Kenyan fiction writing, from iconic figures to up and coming stars. The trio are regarded as the movers and shakers of literature writing in Kenya and beyond. Their works are well recognized as it goes against the principle of colonialism and oppressive rules and regulations.
NGUGI WA THIONG’O
Fact findings reveal that the Limuru born Icon; Ngugi wa Thiong’o as
first on the list of top writers in Kenya. He became East Africa’s
leading novelist with his collection of books such as, “Weep Not, Child”
and many more. An Icon of not only Kenyan, but African literature, this
writer casts a large shadow over the canon of literary works in Kenya
and his forthright opinions about language, publishing and writing makes
him a vital presence within the African literary world.
Ngugi’s early years in Kenya were shaped by spectre of colonialism, with the violence of the Mau Mau War encroaching on his upbringing. He studied first in Uganda and then in the UK, where he wrote his first novel “Weep, Not Child” – a document of the effects of the Mau Mau War on ordinary Kenyan citizens and a coruscating critique of colonial oppression. His most celebrated work remains “A Grain of Wheat”, which focuses on the Kenyan struggle for independence, and weaves a complex web of betrayal, deceit and bitter rivalry beneath the seemingly celebratory occasion of Kenya independence.
In recent years, the writer has chosen to write in the Kenyan languages Gikuyu and Swahili and has published several works in these two languages over the course of last few decades. He remains a fiercely outspoken individual, who is not afraid to take on either the Kenyan authorities or the western media, and his decision to write in African languages rather than for the far more lucrative English language market, reveals his truly iconoclastic nature. No wonder he was imprisoned in 1977 after one of his plays attacked corruption and hypocrisy among the Kenyan elite.
In celebration of Ngugi’s work, he was nominated this year for the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Nobel Prize in Literature, awarded by the Swedish Academy is given annually to an author who, in the words of the will of Alfred Nobel, produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction. The 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature nominees have produced work in a wide array of subjects and mediums; it include authors like Ngugi Wa Thiong’o amongst others.
Ngugi Wa Thiong’o has received ten Honorary Doctorates including Honorary PhD, Roskilde, Denmark: Honorary Doctor of Literature and Philosophy, Walter Sisulu University of Auckland; Honorary Doctor of Letters, New York University; Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of Dar es Salam; and Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of Bayreuth to name a few. Most recently he became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2014). The writer is indeed a force to reckon with in the world of Kenya literature.
KENNETH BINYAVANGA WAINAINA
Second on the list is another great and provocative Nakuru born
Novelist and short story writer – Kenneth Binyavanga Wainaina. He is
also a journalist and a winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing.
Kenneth is an excellent writer. I have read his book titled, “One Day I Will Write About This Place”; epic read. It tells the story of his life, from his childhood in the agricultural town of Nakuru, Kenya, to his high school days, then to his time in South Africa as a student. He spent 10 years in South Africa, from 1991 to 2000, mostly as an illegal immigrant. It is a gripping tale. You should read it.
As revealed earlier, Binyavanga is a provocative figure, who has developed a reputation satirising Western perceptions of Africa, particularly in literature; the writer is a unique presence in Kenyan literature. He has become some sort of a figurehead for a younger generation of Kenyan and East African writers through his role in founding Kwani, a literary network and magazine which brings together some of the best writers from across the continent.
The writer debut “One Day I Will Write about This Place” was a memoir of his youth which has been described as “A Kenyan portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” and which instantly thrust him into the literary limelight after it was chosen by Oprah Winfrey as a part of her book club.
Wainaina also found fame for his satirical work “How To Write About Africa”, which took a scabrous look at depictions of Africa in Western literature and included such suggestions as “In your text, treat Africa as if it were one country”. The writer remains a high profile figure in the Kenyan literary scene, as readers wait to discover who his next satirical target will be.
In celebrating his significant contributions towards the growth of literature, in 2003, Binyavanga was given another award by the Kenya Publisher’s Association, in recognition of his services to Kenyan literature. In 2007, he was nominated by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader-an award given to people for their potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world.
The great writer has written for The East African, National Geographic, The Sunday Times (South Africa), Granta, the New York Times, Chimurenga magazine and the Guardian (UK). One of his favourite quotes I will always live to remember is – “Change is in the air, and I want to be inside those changes”. Binyavanga Wainaina is indeed a great writer.
GRACE OGOT
The last on the top three writers in Kenya is a woman. We know the
popular adage – “What a man can do, a woman can do better”. On that
note, we have this Nyanza born author, nurse, journalist, politician and
diplomat – Grace Ogot.
Grace Ogot’s motivation to write can be traced back to 1962 precisely, she read her story “A Year of Sacrifice” at a conference on African Literature at Makere University in Uganda. After discovering that there was no other work presented or displayed from East African writers, Ogot became motivated to publish her works. Subsequently, she began to publish short stories both in the Luo language and in English.
Grace Ogot’s first novel “The Promised Land” was published in 1966 and focused on Luo emigration and the problems that arise through migration. In 1968 she published another book titled, “Land without Thunder” – a collection of short stories set in ancient Luoland. Her descriptions, literary tools, and story lines in “Land without Thunder” offered a valuable insight into Luo culture in precolonial East Africa. Her other works include “The Strange Bride”, “The Graduate”, “The Other Woman” and “The Island of Tears”.
Many of Ogot’s stories are set against the scenic background of Lake Victoria and the traditions of the Luo people. One theme that features prominently in her work is the importance of traditional Luo folklore, mythologies, and oral traditions.
Prior to Kenya’s independence, Ogot experienced difficulties in her initial attempts to have her stories published. The colonial masters as at that period couldn’t understand how a Christian woman could write such stories, involved with sacrifices, traditional medicines and all, instead of writing about salvation and Christianity. Thus, quite a few writers received no encouragement from the colonial publishers, who were perhaps afraid of turning out radical writers critical of the colonial regime.
In 1975, Ogot worked as a Kenyan delegate to the general assembly of the United Nations. Subsequently in 1976, she became a member of the Kenyan delegation to UNESCO. That year, she chaired and helped found the Writers Association of Kenya. She became one of only a handful of women to serve as a member of parliament and the only woman assistant minister in the cabinet of then President Daniel arap Moi.
Without disputing fact, Grace Ogot remains the first African female writer to be published in English and she has been a pioneering figure throughout her career. No wonder, she falls among the top three writers in Kenya.
In conclusion, there are still other great writers in Kenya, but the selected top three are exceptional right from the pre-colonial to post-colonial era. Their works will forever be celebrated in the history of Kenya.
Written by Kunle Adeleye
They have also fostered a thriving local publishing scene which is slowly, but surely winning young Kenyan writers the international exposure they deserve, as the success of the following trio; Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Kenneth Binyavanga Wainaina and Grace Ogot reveal. These top three writers have indeed shown the depth of Kenyan fiction writing, from iconic figures to up and coming stars. The trio are regarded as the movers and shakers of literature writing in Kenya and beyond. Their works are well recognized as it goes against the principle of colonialism and oppressive rules and regulations.
NGUGI WA THIONG’O
Ngugi Wa Thiong’O
Ngugi’s early years in Kenya were shaped by spectre of colonialism, with the violence of the Mau Mau War encroaching on his upbringing. He studied first in Uganda and then in the UK, where he wrote his first novel “Weep, Not Child” – a document of the effects of the Mau Mau War on ordinary Kenyan citizens and a coruscating critique of colonial oppression. His most celebrated work remains “A Grain of Wheat”, which focuses on the Kenyan struggle for independence, and weaves a complex web of betrayal, deceit and bitter rivalry beneath the seemingly celebratory occasion of Kenya independence.
In recent years, the writer has chosen to write in the Kenyan languages Gikuyu and Swahili and has published several works in these two languages over the course of last few decades. He remains a fiercely outspoken individual, who is not afraid to take on either the Kenyan authorities or the western media, and his decision to write in African languages rather than for the far more lucrative English language market, reveals his truly iconoclastic nature. No wonder he was imprisoned in 1977 after one of his plays attacked corruption and hypocrisy among the Kenyan elite.
In celebration of Ngugi’s work, he was nominated this year for the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Nobel Prize in Literature, awarded by the Swedish Academy is given annually to an author who, in the words of the will of Alfred Nobel, produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction. The 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature nominees have produced work in a wide array of subjects and mediums; it include authors like Ngugi Wa Thiong’o amongst others.
Ngugi Wa Thiong’o has received ten Honorary Doctorates including Honorary PhD, Roskilde, Denmark: Honorary Doctor of Literature and Philosophy, Walter Sisulu University of Auckland; Honorary Doctor of Letters, New York University; Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of Dar es Salam; and Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of Bayreuth to name a few. Most recently he became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2014). The writer is indeed a force to reckon with in the world of Kenya literature.
KENNETH BINYAVANGA WAINAINA
Kenneth Binyanvanga Wainaina
Kenneth is an excellent writer. I have read his book titled, “One Day I Will Write About This Place”; epic read. It tells the story of his life, from his childhood in the agricultural town of Nakuru, Kenya, to his high school days, then to his time in South Africa as a student. He spent 10 years in South Africa, from 1991 to 2000, mostly as an illegal immigrant. It is a gripping tale. You should read it.
As revealed earlier, Binyavanga is a provocative figure, who has developed a reputation satirising Western perceptions of Africa, particularly in literature; the writer is a unique presence in Kenyan literature. He has become some sort of a figurehead for a younger generation of Kenyan and East African writers through his role in founding Kwani, a literary network and magazine which brings together some of the best writers from across the continent.
The writer debut “One Day I Will Write about This Place” was a memoir of his youth which has been described as “A Kenyan portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” and which instantly thrust him into the literary limelight after it was chosen by Oprah Winfrey as a part of her book club.
Wainaina also found fame for his satirical work “How To Write About Africa”, which took a scabrous look at depictions of Africa in Western literature and included such suggestions as “In your text, treat Africa as if it were one country”. The writer remains a high profile figure in the Kenyan literary scene, as readers wait to discover who his next satirical target will be.
In celebrating his significant contributions towards the growth of literature, in 2003, Binyavanga was given another award by the Kenya Publisher’s Association, in recognition of his services to Kenyan literature. In 2007, he was nominated by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader-an award given to people for their potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world.
The great writer has written for The East African, National Geographic, The Sunday Times (South Africa), Granta, the New York Times, Chimurenga magazine and the Guardian (UK). One of his favourite quotes I will always live to remember is – “Change is in the air, and I want to be inside those changes”. Binyavanga Wainaina is indeed a great writer.
GRACE OGOT
Grace Ogot
Grace Ogot’s motivation to write can be traced back to 1962 precisely, she read her story “A Year of Sacrifice” at a conference on African Literature at Makere University in Uganda. After discovering that there was no other work presented or displayed from East African writers, Ogot became motivated to publish her works. Subsequently, she began to publish short stories both in the Luo language and in English.
Grace Ogot’s first novel “The Promised Land” was published in 1966 and focused on Luo emigration and the problems that arise through migration. In 1968 she published another book titled, “Land without Thunder” – a collection of short stories set in ancient Luoland. Her descriptions, literary tools, and story lines in “Land without Thunder” offered a valuable insight into Luo culture in precolonial East Africa. Her other works include “The Strange Bride”, “The Graduate”, “The Other Woman” and “The Island of Tears”.
Many of Ogot’s stories are set against the scenic background of Lake Victoria and the traditions of the Luo people. One theme that features prominently in her work is the importance of traditional Luo folklore, mythologies, and oral traditions.
Prior to Kenya’s independence, Ogot experienced difficulties in her initial attempts to have her stories published. The colonial masters as at that period couldn’t understand how a Christian woman could write such stories, involved with sacrifices, traditional medicines and all, instead of writing about salvation and Christianity. Thus, quite a few writers received no encouragement from the colonial publishers, who were perhaps afraid of turning out radical writers critical of the colonial regime.
In 1975, Ogot worked as a Kenyan delegate to the general assembly of the United Nations. Subsequently in 1976, she became a member of the Kenyan delegation to UNESCO. That year, she chaired and helped found the Writers Association of Kenya. She became one of only a handful of women to serve as a member of parliament and the only woman assistant minister in the cabinet of then President Daniel arap Moi.
Without disputing fact, Grace Ogot remains the first African female writer to be published in English and she has been a pioneering figure throughout her career. No wonder, she falls among the top three writers in Kenya.
In conclusion, there are still other great writers in Kenya, but the selected top three are exceptional right from the pre-colonial to post-colonial era. Their works will forever be celebrated in the history of Kenya.
Written by Kunle Adeleye
Usually
I have this circle of friends that consist of oddities from all spheres
of life. Believe me when I say that these guys really have creative
juice in large supply. So the last time we met, my friend Anna with the
mind of a knowledge leech encased in the body of Aphrodite,
actually said she could read me like a preschooler’s book, just by
studying my palm. My face wore the smile of Dr. Seuess “The Grinch”, for
I was going to have an awesome time in making her feel so damn stupid
of herself, but by the time she was done, my face had just purchased a
curious mask of “how is this possible?” She giggled and began to explain
the schematics behind how she did it, and that was when I first heard
this word. Palmistry!
Palmistry is simply the art or practice of interpreting a person’s character or predicting their future by examining his or her palm.
Anna told me that she had started an online course in palmistry two months back. So you shouldn’t expect her to be able to teach me everything in less than the 12 hours we were to be together, but that didn’t stop me from learning the little I could.
So here is a little lesson on Palmistry that I learnt in less than 10 minutes…. well I call it “FINGERSTRY”, because she only thought me how to tell a person’s character by just looking at their fingers.
Ladies and gentlemen, ‘Palmistry 101′ begins now…
The lengths of our fingers supply various information about our character. A long-fingered person is analytical and academic, liking to study things in detail. A person with markedly short fingers is very practical and intuitive, liking to go with their gut instinct.
When the hands are in proportion it shows a balanced personality. The proportion of the fingers in relation to each other is very important. They each stand for a character marking and indicate the strength of that quality.
Forefinger (index or pointing fingers): Confidence, ego, ambition, drive.
Middle finger: Discipline, balance.
Ring finger (well every lady should know this one): Emotional expression, creativity.
Little finger (the pinky): Communication.
A balanced Ego: This is indicated when the forefinger reaches the bottom of the nail of the middle finger.
Balanced Emotions: When the ring finger reaches the bottom of the nail of the middle finger.
Great Confidence: Is indicated when the fore finger reaches past the bottom of the nail of the middle finger.
Very Emotional and Creative Impulses: These are indicated when the ring finger reaches past the bottom of the nail of the middle finger.
A Lack of Confidence: Is indicated when the fore finger doesn’t reach past the bottom of the nail of the middle finger.
Blocked Emotions: Are indicated when the ring finger doesn’t reach past the bottom of the nail of the middle finger.
Serious and Intense Nature: This is when the middle finger is prominently, standing out from the rest.
Independent and Outspoken Nature: When the little finger stands out naturally from your hand.
She finally added that; all these things still depend on so many other factors like gender, temperament, and sometimes birth deformities, but in general, it usually has an 87% chance of working. Try it!
Palmistry is simply the art or practice of interpreting a person’s character or predicting their future by examining his or her palm.
Anna told me that she had started an online course in palmistry two months back. So you shouldn’t expect her to be able to teach me everything in less than the 12 hours we were to be together, but that didn’t stop me from learning the little I could.
So here is a little lesson on Palmistry that I learnt in less than 10 minutes…. well I call it “FINGERSTRY”, because she only thought me how to tell a person’s character by just looking at their fingers.
Ladies and gentlemen, ‘Palmistry 101′ begins now…
The lengths of our fingers supply various information about our character. A long-fingered person is analytical and academic, liking to study things in detail. A person with markedly short fingers is very practical and intuitive, liking to go with their gut instinct.
When the hands are in proportion it shows a balanced personality. The proportion of the fingers in relation to each other is very important. They each stand for a character marking and indicate the strength of that quality.
Forefinger (index or pointing fingers): Confidence, ego, ambition, drive.
Middle finger: Discipline, balance.
Ring finger (well every lady should know this one): Emotional expression, creativity.
Little finger (the pinky): Communication.
A balanced Ego: This is indicated when the forefinger reaches the bottom of the nail of the middle finger.
Balanced Emotions: When the ring finger reaches the bottom of the nail of the middle finger.
Great Confidence: Is indicated when the fore finger reaches past the bottom of the nail of the middle finger.
Very Emotional and Creative Impulses: These are indicated when the ring finger reaches past the bottom of the nail of the middle finger.
A Lack of Confidence: Is indicated when the fore finger doesn’t reach past the bottom of the nail of the middle finger.
Blocked Emotions: Are indicated when the ring finger doesn’t reach past the bottom of the nail of the middle finger.
Serious and Intense Nature: This is when the middle finger is prominently, standing out from the rest.
Independent and Outspoken Nature: When the little finger stands out naturally from your hand.
She finally added that; all these things still depend on so many other factors like gender, temperament, and sometimes birth deformities, but in general, it usually has an 87% chance of working. Try it!
Among
the many names given to the last quarter of 2015, the ‘year of
Cloud-Sociopreneur’ seems to stick in ways others don’t. Cloudpreneurs
are essential for sub-Saharan Africa’s growth and for achieving the Millennium Development Goal
of halving poverty by 2015. Just as entrepreneurs change the face of
business, social entrepreneurs act as the change agents for society,
seizing opportunities others miss and improving systems, inventing new
approaches, and creating solutions to change society for the better.
While a business entrepreneur might create entirely new industries, a
social entrepreneur comes up with new solutions to social problems and
then implements them on a large scale.
The narrative of cloud-socioprenurship is about to change with S6 STARTUP! It’s no secret, Social Start Up Saturday with over 40 editions, 25 Million Impressions, Over 600,000 Twitter Account Reach likes to celebrate the success of social innovators. Rightly so! Their incredible work not only changes the world, but their stories fuel the movement for social good by inspiring others to do the same. But behind the successes, there is also struggles, challenges and failures. There are the stories we often don’t hear and yet, they are just as important to understanding what it takes to be a social innovator.
In this story, is a chat with Chaste Christopher Inegbedion, Founder of Modern Social Good Business, he is establishing the first business of social good on the cloud and he is obsessed with tracking every other startup in the world and applying them locally to improve the Small & Growing Business Sector with a sworn mission for startup to ‘make more money and more impact’.
After successfully completing their Microsoft Cloud startup Academy, Chaste Christopher Inegbedion and Bukola Adeboye Joined forces with Ayodele Ayowole-obi as co-producers to help identify prospective startups to share their untold stories tagged S6startup!
Also an on- and offline tech-themed resource for startups, S6startUP is redefining the role of cloud-socioprenurship in the 21st century by basing its business on three core principles: creating buyer and shareholder value, playing a key role in social and economic development, and contributing to society’s satisfaction.
STARTUP JOURNEY
S6startUP Follows a StartUPasAservice (SAAS) model with a 25 million impression by extending its impact to other countries like Kenya, Ghana, Morocco, South Africa as well as Los Angeles, New York and Palo Alto, with representation from Enterprise Development Centre and Nigeria Youth Chamber of Commerce. We now hope in the upcoming months to host venture capital funds among our list of clients, which also include mergers & acquisition specialists, product managers, founders and aspiring entrepreneurs. While firms like Mara Mentors and Enterprise Radio provide similar services, S6startUP allows the start-up to showcase their initiatives and allows investors to get an overview of a sector within our ecosystem before drilling down to individual companies.
99% of the companies we have worked with are Start-up’s and we have been able to help them enlarge their businesses by giving them an online promotional experience and ROI (return on investment). Some of these companies include BudgIT, Vacant Board, EPINEC, CSR in Action, Studio Apa, Hutbay, AWEP (Africa Women Entrepreneurship Network) and many more
S6startup is unique in solving this problem, using investment not charity, but like any company it needs investors willing to back it. When investors back a company like S6startup they are not only hoping to make a profit, they are hoping to change the lives of tens of thousands of small and growing business. That’s the essence of a form of investment that is now being called ‘impact investment’.
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Onigbinde Oluseun, Ashoka Fellow, Harambe Fellow, Knight Fellow, TFA Alumni & Team Lead BudgIT and this was originally prepared for the 2015 International Youth Day & Young Diplomats Forum.
PROFILE OF A ‘CLOUDSOCIOPRENEUR’ – CHASTE CHRISTOPHER INEGBEDION
Chaste Christopher Inegbedion was born in Lagos, Nigeria by parents who instilled in him, a sense of need to make a positive social impact in the world.
After secondary school, rather than take the conventional route, Chaste chose to set-up a study group while waiting to go to the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) to further his education. In the process, he was struck by the inner desire to check the escalating rate of peer pressure among the youths and a sure means of preventing them from cybercrime which was very high at that time (The Millennium Bug Y2K) for pre-university students and he also began to think about how he could correct this social injustice and level the playing field for meaningful interaction.
While studying Computer Engineering in OOU, Chaste contributed immensely as a member of the Rotary, Lions and Junior Chamber International Families, accordingly.
In Yola, during the one year National Youth Service, Chaste intensified more on his initiative tagged, ‘Brown Heart Foundation & Creative Five World’ that would create jobs and promote health in families.
Years later, Chaste received a Chartered Certification in Public Relations from the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations. He sought to create an impact using social media for social good. He later returned to Lagos where he believed he could create more social impact than sitting on a job in the upper echelons of Adamawa state government. Before his return to Lagos, he worked with the American University of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Journalism, Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), NEPAD, UNDP,MDGs and the likes as a Volunteer.
Also while serving Nigeria as a Youth Corper in Adamawa State, Chaste contributed to the treatment of a mutilated 5 year old girl called Pwashika Nideno. The little girl got a lot of media attention and financial support for her surgery.
Chaste Inegbedion’s Charity Lounge was also created to put the Fun in ‘Fundraising’ and in the process, celebrate those who are giving for the benefit of others. The young man decided that he wanted to replicate the social impact of ‘Charity Lounge’ on a more massive scale. Hence, he enrolled in the Cloud startup Academy hosted by Microsoft, Fate Foundation and Mara Mentors with the intention of developing his plans for S6startup product.
At the Academy, Chaste was focused on creating S6startup and had capitalized on his infectious ability to motivate others to join him. In every class, his emphasis was more on collaboration. He compelled people to tell their untold stories via social media and its dynamic tools.
Chaste hopes to learn more about creating social change through business by applying for the Designing for Social Innovation and Leadership (DSIL) and SOCAP15. These will involve leading impact investors, world-class entrepreneurs, and innovative cross-sector practitioners on October 6-9. They will converge for three full days of networking and engaging content at the intersection of money and meaning. Chaste got partial scholarships to attend both programmes.
Chaste is unlocking the potential of small business entrepreneurs in developing countries by providing management know-how and links to financing. In countries like Nigeria, small business entrepreneurs have unparalleled potential to create new jobs and wealth in the formal economy. However, small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in the developing world have, in time past, been constrained by entrepreneurs´ limited business skills and the lack of access to capital.
Chaste & Partners have developed a comprehensive model to provide small-scale, impact entrepreneurs in Nigeria with the business expertise, telling their untold stories and providing links with long-term investment capital they need to transform economies.
S6startup, the Social Good Brand of Creative5 arm of Chaste’s organization targets entrepreneurs with high potential to grow and create new jobs and provides them with educational opportunities and digital media services. Working with Social Media Influencers, S6startup recruits experts to help entrepreneurs develop strategies for problem solving including pricing, scaling-up and accessing new markets.
Through the Social Start Up Saturday, Chaste facilitates long-term impact investment into small businesses. Considering their small size, lack of sophistication, and location in developing countries where financial markets operate sluggishly, small business entrepreneurs have virtually no access to long-term growth capital.
Social Start Up Saturday helps them tell their untold stories via their weekly tweet chat, opening opportunities for funding especially for businesses caught in the “missing middle”– they are too big to receive micro-credit and too small to be of interest to traditional venture capitalists or even business incubators. Chaste is using s6startup to demonstrate to donors, future business leaders, and investors that, investing in impact entrepreneurs in the developing world is an effective means to fight poverty and unemployment.
Just as Muhammad Yunus used Grameen Bank to demonstrate the feasibility of banking to the poor, Mr. Inegbedion is using S6startup, the first social enterprise cloud based digital agency for startups in Nigeria, to show that entrepreneurs in the developing world are a profitable target for socially impactful investment.
Showcase & Award (Other Milestones)
The G.G Project was showcased at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk & Reduction in Sendai-Japan as a Youth Friendly Environmental Space in its Pilot Stage and as a case example at Shared Value Initiatives conference in New York in May 2015.
‘Giving Garage’ also won the best idea never produced –campaign in the 2015 Summit Creative Award competition with more than 5000 submissions from 23 countries hosted by the Summit International Awards.
Chaste has been presented with the opportunities to present both innovations at the Young Diplomats Forum taking place between the 7th and 11th of September in London. The Forum is expected to have 150 participants from over 100 countries and will engage participants to draw their perspectives on some of the most challenging issues in international affairs. He is seeking Public Spirited Individuals and brands delegate sponsorship to enable him attend and fulfil his dreams of projecting the country image on a global scale.
The narrative of cloud-socioprenurship is about to change with S6 STARTUP! It’s no secret, Social Start Up Saturday with over 40 editions, 25 Million Impressions, Over 600,000 Twitter Account Reach likes to celebrate the success of social innovators. Rightly so! Their incredible work not only changes the world, but their stories fuel the movement for social good by inspiring others to do the same. But behind the successes, there is also struggles, challenges and failures. There are the stories we often don’t hear and yet, they are just as important to understanding what it takes to be a social innovator.
In this story, is a chat with Chaste Christopher Inegbedion, Founder of Modern Social Good Business, he is establishing the first business of social good on the cloud and he is obsessed with tracking every other startup in the world and applying them locally to improve the Small & Growing Business Sector with a sworn mission for startup to ‘make more money and more impact’.
After successfully completing their Microsoft Cloud startup Academy, Chaste Christopher Inegbedion and Bukola Adeboye Joined forces with Ayodele Ayowole-obi as co-producers to help identify prospective startups to share their untold stories tagged S6startup!
Also an on- and offline tech-themed resource for startups, S6startUP is redefining the role of cloud-socioprenurship in the 21st century by basing its business on three core principles: creating buyer and shareholder value, playing a key role in social and economic development, and contributing to society’s satisfaction.
STARTUP JOURNEY
S6startUP Follows a StartUPasAservice (SAAS) model with a 25 million impression by extending its impact to other countries like Kenya, Ghana, Morocco, South Africa as well as Los Angeles, New York and Palo Alto, with representation from Enterprise Development Centre and Nigeria Youth Chamber of Commerce. We now hope in the upcoming months to host venture capital funds among our list of clients, which also include mergers & acquisition specialists, product managers, founders and aspiring entrepreneurs. While firms like Mara Mentors and Enterprise Radio provide similar services, S6startUP allows the start-up to showcase their initiatives and allows investors to get an overview of a sector within our ecosystem before drilling down to individual companies.
99% of the companies we have worked with are Start-up’s and we have been able to help them enlarge their businesses by giving them an online promotional experience and ROI (return on investment). Some of these companies include BudgIT, Vacant Board, EPINEC, CSR in Action, Studio Apa, Hutbay, AWEP (Africa Women Entrepreneurship Network) and many more
S6startup is unique in solving this problem, using investment not charity, but like any company it needs investors willing to back it. When investors back a company like S6startup they are not only hoping to make a profit, they are hoping to change the lives of tens of thousands of small and growing business. That’s the essence of a form of investment that is now being called ‘impact investment’.
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Onigbinde Oluseun, Ashoka Fellow, Harambe Fellow, Knight Fellow, TFA Alumni & Team Lead BudgIT and this was originally prepared for the 2015 International Youth Day & Young Diplomats Forum.
PROFILE OF A ‘CLOUDSOCIOPRENEUR’ – CHASTE CHRISTOPHER INEGBEDION
Chaste Christopher Inegbedion was born in Lagos, Nigeria by parents who instilled in him, a sense of need to make a positive social impact in the world.
After secondary school, rather than take the conventional route, Chaste chose to set-up a study group while waiting to go to the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) to further his education. In the process, he was struck by the inner desire to check the escalating rate of peer pressure among the youths and a sure means of preventing them from cybercrime which was very high at that time (The Millennium Bug Y2K) for pre-university students and he also began to think about how he could correct this social injustice and level the playing field for meaningful interaction.
While studying Computer Engineering in OOU, Chaste contributed immensely as a member of the Rotary, Lions and Junior Chamber International Families, accordingly.
In Yola, during the one year National Youth Service, Chaste intensified more on his initiative tagged, ‘Brown Heart Foundation & Creative Five World’ that would create jobs and promote health in families.
Years later, Chaste received a Chartered Certification in Public Relations from the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations. He sought to create an impact using social media for social good. He later returned to Lagos where he believed he could create more social impact than sitting on a job in the upper echelons of Adamawa state government. Before his return to Lagos, he worked with the American University of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Journalism, Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), NEPAD, UNDP,MDGs and the likes as a Volunteer.
Also while serving Nigeria as a Youth Corper in Adamawa State, Chaste contributed to the treatment of a mutilated 5 year old girl called Pwashika Nideno. The little girl got a lot of media attention and financial support for her surgery.
Chaste Inegbedion’s Charity Lounge was also created to put the Fun in ‘Fundraising’ and in the process, celebrate those who are giving for the benefit of others. The young man decided that he wanted to replicate the social impact of ‘Charity Lounge’ on a more massive scale. Hence, he enrolled in the Cloud startup Academy hosted by Microsoft, Fate Foundation and Mara Mentors with the intention of developing his plans for S6startup product.
At the Academy, Chaste was focused on creating S6startup and had capitalized on his infectious ability to motivate others to join him. In every class, his emphasis was more on collaboration. He compelled people to tell their untold stories via social media and its dynamic tools.
Chaste hopes to learn more about creating social change through business by applying for the Designing for Social Innovation and Leadership (DSIL) and SOCAP15. These will involve leading impact investors, world-class entrepreneurs, and innovative cross-sector practitioners on October 6-9. They will converge for three full days of networking and engaging content at the intersection of money and meaning. Chaste got partial scholarships to attend both programmes.
Chaste is unlocking the potential of small business entrepreneurs in developing countries by providing management know-how and links to financing. In countries like Nigeria, small business entrepreneurs have unparalleled potential to create new jobs and wealth in the formal economy. However, small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in the developing world have, in time past, been constrained by entrepreneurs´ limited business skills and the lack of access to capital.
Chaste & Partners have developed a comprehensive model to provide small-scale, impact entrepreneurs in Nigeria with the business expertise, telling their untold stories and providing links with long-term investment capital they need to transform economies.
S6startup, the Social Good Brand of Creative5 arm of Chaste’s organization targets entrepreneurs with high potential to grow and create new jobs and provides them with educational opportunities and digital media services. Working with Social Media Influencers, S6startup recruits experts to help entrepreneurs develop strategies for problem solving including pricing, scaling-up and accessing new markets.
Through the Social Start Up Saturday, Chaste facilitates long-term impact investment into small businesses. Considering their small size, lack of sophistication, and location in developing countries where financial markets operate sluggishly, small business entrepreneurs have virtually no access to long-term growth capital.
Social Start Up Saturday helps them tell their untold stories via their weekly tweet chat, opening opportunities for funding especially for businesses caught in the “missing middle”– they are too big to receive micro-credit and too small to be of interest to traditional venture capitalists or even business incubators. Chaste is using s6startup to demonstrate to donors, future business leaders, and investors that, investing in impact entrepreneurs in the developing world is an effective means to fight poverty and unemployment.
Just as Muhammad Yunus used Grameen Bank to demonstrate the feasibility of banking to the poor, Mr. Inegbedion is using S6startup, the first social enterprise cloud based digital agency for startups in Nigeria, to show that entrepreneurs in the developing world are a profitable target for socially impactful investment.
Showcase & Award (Other Milestones)
The G.G Project was showcased at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk & Reduction in Sendai-Japan as a Youth Friendly Environmental Space in its Pilot Stage and as a case example at Shared Value Initiatives conference in New York in May 2015.
‘Giving Garage’ also won the best idea never produced –campaign in the 2015 Summit Creative Award competition with more than 5000 submissions from 23 countries hosted by the Summit International Awards.
Chaste has been presented with the opportunities to present both innovations at the Young Diplomats Forum taking place between the 7th and 11th of September in London. The Forum is expected to have 150 participants from over 100 countries and will engage participants to draw their perspectives on some of the most challenging issues in international affairs. He is seeking Public Spirited Individuals and brands delegate sponsorship to enable him attend and fulfil his dreams of projecting the country image on a global scale.
Even before Lupita Nyong’o
won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2013, Hollywood has always
had so many prominent and successful actresses with roots from Africa. A
few of them have even gone as far as being nominated for the Oscars and
wining other International movie and Television Awards.
Check out some of the top Hollywood African Queens and their accolades.Lupita Nyong’o
Born in 1983 Lupita is the daughter of a prominent Kenyan politician and Senator Professor Anyang’ Nyongó. She was born when her parents where politically exiled to Mexico. She has spent most of her life between Mexico, Kenya and the U.S. He has a masters from Yale School of Drama.
Lupita is well known for staring in “East River” (2008), “Shuga” (2009-2012), “12 Years a Slave” (2013), “Non-Stop” (2014), “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2015), “The Jungle Book” (2016), and “Queen of Katwe” (2016).
Her role in 12 Years a Slave saw her win the The Academy Award, MTV Africa Music Awards, BET Awards, AACTA International Awards, African-American Film Critics Association, Alliance of Women Film Journalists, and many more.
Charlize Theron
Born on August 7, 1975 in Benoni, near Johannesburg, South Africa. She first started as a dancer and won a contract to model for a year in Italy at the age of16. She later moved to New York and then Los Angeles.
Charlize Theron
Benu Mabhena
Mabhena Zimbabwean, with blood ties to both the Ndebele and Zulu tribes in Africa. Benu Mabhena’s family trotted the globe in search of political asylum. During the quest, they spent several years in Botswana, the U.K, Mozambique, Lesotho, South Africa and a few years in Zimbabwe, then finally settled in America.
Benu Mabhena acted as the wife of Diimon Hounsou in “Blood Diamond”, including TV series like “The Edge”, “A Global Crisis”, “Jazz Man” and “Night Walkers”.
Chipo Chung
Born in Tanzania in 1977, Chipo Chung has mixed Chinese and Zimbabwean parentage. She grew up in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, spending a few years as a refugee in the three countries. She is a graduate of Yale University and Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London.
Chipo Chung
Liya Kebede
Liya was born on March 1, 1978 and was raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She first moved to France before moving to New York. Her famous acts are in the movies like “Lord of War” (2005), “The Good Shepherd” (2006), “Desert Flower” (2009), “Black Gold” (2011), “Sur la Piste du Marsupilami” (2012), “The Best Offer” (2013) and “Samba” (2014).
Rachel Mwanza
Born 1997, Rachel Mwanza is a fast rising star in Hollywood despite her education-less background due to the situation in her war ravaged Democratic Republic of the Congo. She has already won ‘Best Actress Awards’ at Berlin Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Vancouver Film Critics Circle, and Canadian Screen Awards For her role in “Rebelle: War Witch,” shot and released in 2012. She also appeared in “Kinshasa Kids” in 2012.
Leleti Khumalo
Ms Khumalo is best known for her lead role in the 1992 film, “Sarafina” 1992. Born in Dublin, South Africa, the actor has featured in other popular films such as “Uzalo” (2015 -),” Winnie Mandela” (2011), “Invictus” (2009) “Faith’s Corner” (2005), “Hotel Rwanda” (2004), “Yesterday” (2004), “Cry, the Beloved Country” (1995), and “Voices of Sarafina” (1988).
Carmen Elizabeth Ejogo
Although she is a British citizen, Carmen Ejogo’s father is from Nigeria while her mother is Scottish. She started acting while in the UK and later moved to America to share the spotlight with big names such as, Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence. Her popular acts are in the movies “The Avengers” (1998), “The Brave One” (2007), “Pride and Glory” (2008), “Alex Cross” (2012), “The Purge: Anarchy”, (2014) “Selma” (2014) among others. She has also Featured in numerous TV productions such as “Zero Hour” (2013), “Chaos” (2011), and “Law and Order” (2008).
Selma gave Carmen The NAACP Image Award for ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress’ in a Motion Picture and Black Reel Award for ‘Best Supporting Actress’.
Danai Gurira
Danai Gurira is the daughter of Zimbabwean chemistry lecturer. She was born was born February 14, 1978 in Iowa where her father was teaching at Grinnell College. She is a graduate of Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.
Danai’s popular outings are in movies like, “The Visitor” (2007), “Ghost Town” (2008), “Mother of George” (2013), “Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Never Beast” (2015). She has won Method Fest Film Festival for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ (The Visitor) and Black Reel Award for ‘Best Actress’ (Mother of George).
Sophie Okonedo
Sophie Okonedo is a British citizen, even though she is the daughter of a Nigerian father and a Jewish mother.
Born in 1968, Sophie attended the Royal Academy of Art and has starred in several movies since her debut in “Young Soul Rebels”, which was released in 1991. She was nominated for several awards for her role in “Hotel Rwanda”. Other feats include roles in “Skin”, “After Earth”, “The Secret Lives of The Bees”, “Martin Child”, “Ace Ventura 2: When Nature Calls”, among several others.
Sophie has also featured in some TV series including, “Tsunami”, “The Aftermath”, “Sinbad”, “Criminal Justice”, and “For Better or For Worse”, amongst others. She was honored with an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2010 by Queen Elizabeth.
A list of her accolades and filmography can be found here Sophie Okonedo – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (insert link)
