Naija Talk Show & Gossip, Nigeria Nollywood

Etta James has been out of the public eye for more than a year An independent doctor is to review the treatment of US soul legend Etta James, after her son raised fears over the care given by her live-in doctor. The attorney for James's son Donto told the judge Dr Elaine James had carried out a procedure to insert feeding tubes that should only be done in hospital. Mr James has alleged his mother could be in "very serious danger". James, 72, known for her hit At Last, has dementia and is being treated for leukaemia and associated problems. Dr James, who is not related to the family, told the Associated Press new agency she welcomed the independent review. "He can have 10 examiners, he can have 20 physicians to come in that house to perform the duties I do," she said. "I have a list of 23 medical sub-specialties that I have had to treat her for. She is not an easy patient." In January the singer's husband, Artis Mills, was given perm...

M Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender has blown away all competition at the Razzies - Hollywood's Oscar spoof mocking the year's worst performances. The film won five Golden Raspberry Awards - including worst director for Shyamalan - in a light-hearted ceremony on the eve of Sunday's Oscars. Ashton Kutcher snatched worst actor for Valentine's Day; his co-star Jessica Alba won worst supporting actress. The evening's so-called winners were chosen by 657 voters in 18 countries. The ceremony took place in a small theatre in east Hollywood, and was the usual mixture of sketches and dance routines. As well as the Razzie nominees, Oscar contenders such as The King's Speech, 127 Hours and Black Swan were spoofed. Sex and the City 2 took away three awards, including "worst prequel, remake, rip-off or sequel", worst actress - won collectively by co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon - and worst ensemble...

The Grand Opera House in Belfast has confirmed that Sir Derek Jacobi will appear in King Lear at the theatre this week. Three sell-out performances of King Lear in Wales at the weekend had to be cancelled because the actor had lost his voice. They were planned for Friday and Saturday at Venue Cymru in Llandudno. A spokesperson for the Grand Opera House said the performances in Belfast would proceed. "The Grand Opera House is delighted to confirm that this week's sell-out performances of King Lear, starring Derek Jacobi, will proceed as scheduled," the statement said. "The production team arrived this morning, and the curtain will go up to a full house on Tuesday at 7.30pm as planned." The Donmar Warehouse production of the Shakespearean play is scheduled to run at the theatre in Belfast from Tuesday until Saturday. Gina McKee plays King Lear's eldest daughter Goneril in the production.

Black Swan was the big winner at the Spirit Awards, the annual event honouring independent US movies and one that acts as a warm-up to the Oscars.  The ballet thriller won best film and also earned the best director prize for Darren Aronofksy and best actress for Natalie Portman, as well as best cinematography. Portman is the hot favourite to win the best actress Oscar on Sunday. Saturday's awards took place in a giant tent on a blustery Santa Monica beach. The King's Speech won the best foreign film prize, while elusive British graffiti artist Banksy's Exit Through the Gift Shop won best documentary. Thierry Guetta, a Frenchman who in the course of the film becomes a street artist known as Mr Brainwash, accepted the award. Asked if Banksy would be attending the Oscars, he told the BBC: "The academy is kind of scared, is he going to come, is he not? It's like the movie - there's a big question mark." James Franco, who will co-host Sunday...

Dylan got together with Rotolo in 1961, just before he found fame Bob Dylan's former girlfriend Suze Rotolo, the inspiration for some of the singer's love songs, has died at 67. Rotolo also appeared with Dylan on the iconic cover of his 1963 breakthrough LP The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. She inspired such songs as Don't Think Twice, It's All Right, Boots of Spanish Leather and Tomorrow Is a Long Time. Her friend and Village Voice critic Jim Hoberman wrote that she died in her New York apartment "and the arms of her husband of 40 years, Enzo Bartoccioli". Dylan met Rotolo, then 17, after a gig in 1961 and the couple stayed together for three years. Dylan later wrote that meeting her "was like stepping into the tales of 1,001 Arabian nights", adding: "She had a smile that could light up a street full of people... a Rodin sculpture come to life." Rotolo went on to become an artist and teacher. She also wrote a memoir of life ...

Google says 0.08% of Gmail users were affected by the problem   Thousands of Gmail users have been left with empty inboxes after their accounts were accidentally wiped clean. As well as missing e-mails, many reported that their contacts had also disappeared. Google, which operates Gmail, said that a small percentage of its users had been affected. Some accounts have already been restored, suggesting the data was not permanently deleted. In a statement, Google said: "This is affecting less than .08% of our Gmail user base, and we've already fixed the problem for some individuals." The company said that engineers were working to restore service. Google does not release official figures for the number of Gmail accounts, however it is believed to be between 150 million and 200 million. That would mean that around 150,000 users were affected by the problem. Gmail outages on this scale are rare, according to Alex Chitu, whose blog Google Operating System, char...

Late Fela For a long time, I have held what now seems to me a one-sided view of why a most promising, highly-endowed Nigeria has been held down by reactionary forces and unable to fulfill its potentials. Instinctively, I blame it all on a ruling class that is visionless, self-serving, and unwilling to permit change, peacefully, through the ballot box. I invariably see revolution, a violent one, as an inevitable way forward when somen day the long-suffering masses of Nigeria can no longer endure “suffering and smiling,” to employ Fela Anikulapo's apt coinage, describing the resilience of the masses in the face of grueling adversity. As we move closer to the April polls, however, beholding the way what appears to be the hope of the masses is being handled, I began to have a balanced view of why Nigeria has stagnated for far too long. A huge chunk of the blame, it is dawning on me, rests as much with the progressives as with the reactionaries. The progressives are to blame for allo...

One of BellaNaija’ s major goals for 2011 is to promote the next generation of talent across all fields – from fashion to music, movies, science, entrepreneurship and everything in between. The BN Style team is pushing forward with this mandate, this week, we will be celebrating the “ BN Emerging Fashion Talent Week “. Everyday of the week, we will feature a lookbook from a promising design label. Some were included in our “11 for 2011″ list and some were not, however they are all immensely talented and breaking boundaries in their own unique ways. For Day 3 of our BN Emerging Fashion Talent Week, we have selected upcoming fashion label, RÉ BAHIA . Ré Bahia was established in the summer of 2009 by Orire Omatsola , an art of history student of the University of Manchester whose  fashion curiosity led her to attend a summer fashion programme in Milan. The “ Lola ” for Spring/Summer 2011 collection was named after and dedicated to the designer’s mother – Lola. The ...

One of BellaNaija’ s major goals for 2011 is to promote the next generation of talent across all fields – from fashion to music, movies, science, entrepreneurship and everything in between. The BN Style team is pushing forward with this mandate, this week, we will be celebrating the “ BN Emerging Fashion Talent Week “. Everyday of the week, we will feature a lookbook from a promising design label. Some were included in our “11 for 2011″ list and some were not, however they are all immensely talented and breaking boundaries in their own unique ways. For Day 4 of our BN Emerging Fashion Talent Week, we have selected upcoming fashion label, SALLY BAWA . Sally Bawa emerged on the scene in 2009, however, it was at the 2011 Future Awards that everyone stood up and noticed when the fashion label dressed various celebrities including superstar actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde . The Sally Bawa vision is one that was conceived 10 years ago on a cloudy dreamy day amidst the hubb...

The Pan African Film Festival announced its filmmakers awards on the 23rd of February 211. PAFF, America’s largest and most prestigious international Black film festival took place from February 16 to 23, 2011 at the Culver Plaza Theatre. The festival ended its run with the closing film, “DWB: Dating While Black,” written, directed and produced by Van Elder. The festival selected a total of 121 films, representing 31 countries, 75 feature length films (narrative and documentaries) and 46 short films. The festival handed out prizes for Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, Best Narrative Short, Best Narrative Feature, and Best First Feature Film, as well as audience favorite awards. Themed, “ Experience Your World ” PAFF wanted to take its movie goers on a cinematic journey with screenings from around the world – that is, such countries as Angola, Austria, Bermuda, Canada, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mexico, South African, Nigeria, and of course, the United St...

Grey Goose , “The World’s Best Tasting Vodka” hosted 15 couples to an amazing Valentine’s experience on the 14th of February 2011, tagged “ A Toast to Taste ” The night was filled with romance, cocktails, music, a four course dinner and more…a night that will not be so quickly forgotten. Grey Goose Vodka is a leading Vodka brand in Nigeria, and on Valentine’s Day, the select 15 couples came face to face with the brand in an exclusive event, which was nothing short of a romantic getaway. On the morning of the 14th, invited couples were given only a roadmap and the address to a beautiful private home tucked away in an idyllic section of Ikoyi, with no idea what was in store for them. Host for the evening was Big Brother Africa winner, Uti Nwachukwu , and as the couples arrived they were serenaded by a string quartet playing slow jazz music and classic love ballads, setting the tone for the evening. The couples mingled and enjoyed the music, while nibbling on de...

Nigeria “shut down” Leicester Square last night for the premiere of “Mirror Boy”, the new movie by Obi Emelonye . Nigerian star Genevieve Nnaji stars in the movie alongside Osita Iheme of “Aki & Paw Paw” fame. Genevieve represented for Africa by wearing two pieces by Nigerian designers. She wore a coat by UK-based Nigerian designer, Zed-Eye . The coat was part of the Autumn/Winter 2011 collection which Zed-Eye presented in London just a few days ago. Beneath the coat, she wore a stunning sequined tasseled dress with ankara panels by Nigerian designer Jewel by Lisa . It is a modified version of a dress that JBL showcased at the Elite Model Look Nigeria Finale in Lagos last year. Source: BellaNaija.com

“Mirror Boy“, the Nigerian movie written, produced and directed by Obi Emelonye premiered at the Empire Leicester Square Cinema in London on Thursday 24th February 2011. Stars and industry heavyweights including Genevieve Nnaji, Osita Iheme, Victoria Inyama, Fatima Jabbe and Ex-Sugababes member – Keisha Buchanan, MOBO Awards Founder – Kanya King, DJ Abass, Ayo Shonaiya, Alexander Amosu, and Grace Egbagbe attended the premiere. It was a great night for Nollywood as the movie sold out the cinema box office days before the event. The Empire Leicester Square was buzzing with fans who were eager to meet the stars and watch the movie. Check out photos from the event. Source: BellaNaija.com

Starting things off with that feature was no accident. One of BellaNaija’ s major goals for 2011 is to promote the next generation of talent across all fields – from fashion to music, movies, science, entrepreneurship and everything in between. The BN Style team is pushing forward with this mandate, this week, we will be celebrating the “ BN Emerging Fashion Talent Week “. Everyday of the week, we will feature a lookbook from a promising design label. Some were included in our “11 for 2011″ list and some were not, however they are all immensely talented and breaking boundaries in their own unique ways.   Day 5 of our BN Emerging Fashion Talent Week, it is the final day of our fashion week and we have selected upcoming fashion label, MEENA by Uju Offiah . Uju Offiah, a protege of Nigerian designer Ituen Basi is the creative director behind the label – Meena. Meena which launched in December 2010 focuses on Ready-to-Wear womenswear though the label also offers ma...

Nollywood actress, Mercy Johnson spent the Valentine’s Day weekend in Liberia. Mercy caused a major frenzy when she arrived at the Roberts International Airport in Monrovia. The star who travelled with members of her team including her manager and publicists was welcomed by press photographers, airport officials and airline staff, many of whom rallied around to take photos and get autographs from the Nigerian star. During her time in Monrovia, Mercy gave interviews to a cross-section of local press including Magic FM, Truth FM and Sky TV. A special event was organized in her honour, this was an opportunity for Mercy to meet and connect with her Liberian fans. It was an exciting trip for the Nigerian star and definitely highlights the Pan African and global potential for Nollywood to become Nigeria’s most relevant cultural export. Now that she is back on Nigerian soil, Mercy is dishing out something new to fans. She has just released a brand new set of promotional photog...

 On the 14th of February 2011, K-Soul released his new album titled “ From K-Soul With Luv “, the Marine Engineering & Agronomy graduate of the University of Ibadan promises that the new album will “capture the hearts of music fans”. The album offers a mix of dancehall, techno, rock, pop and R&B and includes features from music stars including Terry G . Check out one of the songs from the album – “ Just U and Me “.

'The Fighter' 'The Fighter' Paramount Pictures/Everett Collection So, you didn't have time to watch all 10 Best Picture nominees. It happens. You have a busy life. Not everyone gets paid to do this business. So, if you didn't get a chance to watch all 10 movies right in a row , while presumably sitting on bedpan and mainlining Five Hour Energy Drinks, may we suggest animated GIFs? MTV, helpfully, has compiled the best animated GIFs from the 10 nominated films this year. You really get all you need here. Geoffrey Rush's joggling jowels, Jeff Bridges kicking that kid off the porch, James Franco falling down the canyon and, of course, Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis making out. Those are all you need to know from those movies, really. One stop shopping. Though we still would have enjoyed Winona Ryder stabbing herself in the face. by: Will Leitch, The Projector

Five years after establishing himself as a director of note with award-winning movie, Amazing Grace, Jeta Amata is set to record another blockbuster with his yet to be released movie, Black Gold. Black Gold is an epic film about environmental justice and the fight over the control of the scarce oil resources the world thrives on. In Black Gold, the line between good and evil is blurred as corrupt government officials, greedy oil companies and violent rebels go on warpath over oil spills and degradation of the land caused by oil exploration. The powerful story of greed, murder and corruption within Nigeria’s war-torn Niger Delta captures the turbulence coursing through local communities in the country’s oil-rich region. Like Amazing Grace, the visual details of Black Gold are so acute as almost to carry a smell, from the oil polluted creeks and mucky habitats to the stench of corruption pervasive of local authorities. This landscape, beautifully rendered by Jeta Amata...

•Lydia Forson What do you get when you spend an entire evening with AMAA Actress of the Year (2010), Lydia Forson, at her Accra Home in Ghana just chatting? SAMUEL OLATUNJI got an exclusive interview and a hug that left him grinning from ear-to-ear. The ‘Three Virgins’ star spoke on everything… I told your aunty some minutes ago that I would like to marry you; do you get to hear that everyday? Yes, of course. Every woman gets that; it’s part of being a woman. Okay, what will make you say yes? Whoa! I’m kind of adventurous. I will need someone that can be a fun to be with. I don’t really take things seriously and if I could find someone who wouldn’t like to cage me that can live with me the way I am it would be fine with me. I am still waiting for the right man anyway. The kind of African man I know will say that marriage is all about a woman under a man who wants to be the boss. Well, I said a lot but I don’t believe in that. I come from a family where I was allowed t...

•Ubong-Awah Isang Ubong-Awah is the CEO of Alphabridges. She comes from a well-to-do family and by a dint of hard work and discipline she is on top of her game. Recently, she produced a highly rated movie entitled Bent Arrow, and she promises that her best is yet to come. Read more about her in this interview with Samuel Olatunji. How did you start writing? Well, I have always loved to write. In fact, I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was about seven years old. I started writing plays when I was in primary school, and later went into writing poems, songs, articles, etc. I really cannot think of a time writing was not part of my life. It’s natural for me to turn what I hear or see around me to stories or songs or some form of writing. Did you study a literary course for your first degree? No. I studied Biochemistry at the University of Uyo. What has somebody who evidently is gifted in writing stories got to do with mixing chemicals? (Laughs) You will admit that un...