Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The tale of a faceless musician in Nigeria
Lagbaja has become a household name in the forefront of comtemporary African music, rich in the traditions of the continent while cosmopolitan in attitude
Lagbaja is a Yoruba word that means somebody, nobody, anybody or everybody. The name perfectly depicts the anonymity of the so called "common man". The first question people asked when Lagbaja is encountered is "Why the mask?" Basically, his mask is used as an icon of man's faceless.
It symbolize the faceless, voiceless in the society, particularly in Africa. Once you see Lagbaja's mask you are reminded of your own faceless.
His music continues to fascinate with the unique focus on the core of African drums. It is the product of various influences ranging from traditional Yoruba music to Jazz. Often the music is purely instrumental,an interplay between tradtional Yoruba percussions, drums, chants, the western instruments, especially the Saxophone. His lyrics are primarily sung in Yoruba, English or a blend of the two as is colloquially spoken in Yoruba cities.
However,many of Lagbaja's song dwells on serious social issues, while others simply entertain.some are dance inducing while others pass serious messages in humourous ways.
One thing that links all his songs together is the use of traditional African drums. Traditional Yoruba drums are the most prominent in his music, that is as a result of his state of origin and the philosophy of which his music is focused on.
Bisade Ologunde a native of Lagos Nigeria, a singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, popularly known as Lagbaja employes four families of drums in creating different grooves and moods in his music.
The dundun / gangan family is the most prominent and at times up to five drumers combined all the various components to create the polyrhythms.The bata ensembles is led two musicians who alternate between soft high toned driving rhythms with their Omele bata, and thunderous loud talk with their mum drum-iya ilu.
Lagbaja's groovy fusion has been refered to as afrojazz, afrobeat, higherlife and afropop until now that he himself has christened the music AFRICANO, alluring mostly to the central role of African drums and grooves in his music.
His second album "C'est un African Thing" won him the most prestigious National music awards in Nigerian Album of the year, Cross Over music of the year and the Best Afro Beat Artiste.
Lagbaja is a Yoruba word that means somebody, nobody, anybody or everybody. The name perfectly depicts the anonymity of the so called "common man". The first question people asked when Lagbaja is encountered is "Why the mask?" Basically, his mask is used as an icon of man's faceless.
It symbolize the faceless, voiceless in the society, particularly in Africa. Once you see Lagbaja's mask you are reminded of your own faceless.
His music continues to fascinate with the unique focus on the core of African drums. It is the product of various influences ranging from traditional Yoruba music to Jazz. Often the music is purely instrumental,an interplay between tradtional Yoruba percussions, drums, chants, the western instruments, especially the Saxophone. His lyrics are primarily sung in Yoruba, English or a blend of the two as is colloquially spoken in Yoruba cities.
However,many of Lagbaja's song dwells on serious social issues, while others simply entertain.some are dance inducing while others pass serious messages in humourous ways.
One thing that links all his songs together is the use of traditional African drums. Traditional Yoruba drums are the most prominent in his music, that is as a result of his state of origin and the philosophy of which his music is focused on.
Bisade Ologunde a native of Lagos Nigeria, a singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, popularly known as Lagbaja employes four families of drums in creating different grooves and moods in his music.
The dundun / gangan family is the most prominent and at times up to five drumers combined all the various components to create the polyrhythms.The bata ensembles is led two musicians who alternate between soft high toned driving rhythms with their Omele bata, and thunderous loud talk with their mum drum-iya ilu.
Lagbaja's groovy fusion has been refered to as afrojazz, afrobeat, higherlife and afropop until now that he himself has christened the music AFRICANO, alluring mostly to the central role of African drums and grooves in his music.
His second album "C'est un African Thing" won him the most prestigious National music awards in Nigerian Album of the year, Cross Over music of the year and the Best Afro Beat Artiste.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Book Review> Speech Making and English Pronunciation by Dele Omojuigbe
Speech Making and English pronunciation by Dele Omojuigbe is a must read for everyone who want learn proper way of speech making and English pronunciation.
The book attempted to simplify English pronunciation for students and at the same time, teach them the processes of effective public speaking.
Speech making and English Pronunciation is a resource material topics which students, and other users should be able to understand easily and thereafter put into practice.
Chapter five of this book described the understanding of the English Vowel chart which help the reader to understand easily the pure vowels of English. The pure vowels is been described from three perspectives. The tongue height. frontness or backness of the tongue, and the shape of the lips. Having those cateria in mind, an attempt was made to describe the pure vowels, using Daniel Jones description as a guide.
Speech Making and English pronunciation is quite voluminous with enough information that will glue your eyes to the book until you finish it without realising how much time you have spent reading the book.
The author wise choice for the cover page is the first attraction to the book. The two colours that was used for cover page is ox blood and cream colour attract the eyes in a very special way,before an individual get to the title which is quite captivating, it is a must read for everyone both young and old, there is whole lot of information to learn from the book.
The book attempted to simplify English pronunciation for students and at the same time, teach them the processes of effective public speaking.
Speech making and English Pronunciation is a resource material topics which students, and other users should be able to understand easily and thereafter put into practice.
Chapter five of this book described the understanding of the English Vowel chart which help the reader to understand easily the pure vowels of English. The pure vowels is been described from three perspectives. The tongue height. frontness or backness of the tongue, and the shape of the lips. Having those cateria in mind, an attempt was made to describe the pure vowels, using Daniel Jones description as a guide.
Speech Making and English pronunciation is quite voluminous with enough information that will glue your eyes to the book until you finish it without realising how much time you have spent reading the book.
The author wise choice for the cover page is the first attraction to the book. The two colours that was used for cover page is ox blood and cream colour attract the eyes in a very special way,before an individual get to the title which is quite captivating, it is a must read for everyone both young and old, there is whole lot of information to learn from the book.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Be inspired by Tu-Face creativity
Have you ever wondered why Tu-face (Innocent Idibia) is so internationally acclaimed? Have you ever stopped to reason and brain-storm on why, against all obstacles, storms and controversies, he was unstoppable?
Well, in case you don't know, Tu-face is so etra-ordinary talented in music and he is a perfect example of a creative mind!
Tu-face who was born some three decades ago is some who has exploite his creativity to the extent of acquring money and fame (locally and internationally) with it. He is at a stage of his life right now that if he sneezes into a compact disc, people will buy it just for the love of Tu-face. But, he didn't just acheieve this recognition over-night, he worked and fought hard for for his destiny.
In 1997, Tony tetuilla, a member of a group that held us spell-bound with beautiful musical renditions, "Omode meta". The song came spoke about his percieved maltreatment in his musical group and the song featured another group which was just entering the entertainment world. This grroup, which had Tu-face, Faze and black-face as members, was called "the plantashun boys"
The plantashun boys, who were appearing on air for the first time with that song, further went ahead to release more songs that endeared them to the hearts of millions of people world-wide. Their fan-base included: the young, the young at heart, the old and the old at heart. Songs like: Plantashun boys, baby don't you, tell me why and others, became anthems to the listening ears of the public until 2002.
In 2002, the group split up and every member of the group went solo and this gave Tu-face an opportunity to do his thing, in his own way.
Kennis Music, a leading music record label in Nigeria nay Africa, saw the talent in Tu-face and without delay, they signed him on. This new partnership between Kennis and Tu-face only helped in elevating Tu-face to the height where his creativity was suppoed to get him to as he churned out tracks after tracks, singles after singles and albums after albums.
With adequate publicity, songs like: Ifeni bawa, Get the vibes, African queen, Odiya, enjoyed enough air-time and like a man whose work speaks for him, his songs started earning him the wages that was due to him.
From the Kora awards for African talent of the year 2004, to A.M.E.N awards, Tu-face won them all. He was and is still a king to other musiciand of except P-Square (Another Creative minded duo to be reviewed another).
Tu-face has won a lot of local and international awards, he has performed in virtually every part of the world and he has fame and money in abundance simply because he allowed his creativity to work for him.
People of this world, please give it up for this multi-talented and creative art, Tu-face Idibia!!!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Meditation
A stage in my life brought forth moment of imagination and thoughts whereas unknown but came to be deep thoughts and dreams gave insight of little wonder, big wonder, my heart open forth my mind and dreams of an endless journey which looks so uncertain with fears of failure and hardship and here came voices all over the four walls of my rooms echoing "You have failed! You have failed!! You have failed!!!". And swiftly, I look around my small room and the only thing that captured my attention was my reading table with heaps of books as I calculate my gradepoints because I was a graduating student.
I found out that I was still struggling to maintain upper credit not to talk of distinction which has always been my wish becuase my environment made me to understand that it is only when I graduate with distinction that I can have a good touch of happiness of my life. I began to cry, I cried and cried until I almost lost my breathe. I wish the hands of the clock would move backward to when I gained admission into the school in order for me to toil like the great souls with great zeal of accomplishment who pays no attention to the burning candles of the night in order to attain accademic excellence.
And again, another voice came in a voice just above a whisper and said, life is an endless struggle where only the strongest survive and the strongest of the strong rules. "You have not failed yet" the voice said. "You are on your way to greatness if only you can visualize your thoughts, imagination and dreams". And for you to visualize your thoughts, imaginations and dreams, you have to be creative. Think of an idea that does not exist and bring it into existence.
Creativity is using your imagination to produce new ideas that no one has ever produced. You must not be an artist, fashion designers or make-up artist to be creative. No matter the field you find yourself, add value to that environment. Don't waste your time beacuse no body might have that same dream as you have.
You don't need to have all the qualification in life before you can make an impact in the society and this brings to the fact which says "whatever you find yourself doing, give the best you can to it". A very good example is william Eugene smith, an american photojournalist who was known for his refusal to compromise professional standard. He began his career at the age of 18, he had a passion to be the best and not merely to be the best but to be recognised as the best. Not merely to be recognised but to be recognised over and over and over again.
The most influential person in Eugene's life was himself. He recorded human condition. No one could really succeed at such a job yet Eugene did with his creativity, recording human condition with his photographs. He created at least 50 images so powerful that they have altered the perception of photojournalism.
Creativity takes process to grow but when it has grown, it explores and dominate the world. Success takes a gradual process because success does not come at a platter of gold. And success can never replace failure over night. It takes a process and the process is for you to plan your life. It is never too late...there is always a new begining!!!
Take a step and join the creative minds!
I found out that I was still struggling to maintain upper credit not to talk of distinction which has always been my wish becuase my environment made me to understand that it is only when I graduate with distinction that I can have a good touch of happiness of my life. I began to cry, I cried and cried until I almost lost my breathe. I wish the hands of the clock would move backward to when I gained admission into the school in order for me to toil like the great souls with great zeal of accomplishment who pays no attention to the burning candles of the night in order to attain accademic excellence.
And again, another voice came in a voice just above a whisper and said, life is an endless struggle where only the strongest survive and the strongest of the strong rules. "You have not failed yet" the voice said. "You are on your way to greatness if only you can visualize your thoughts, imagination and dreams". And for you to visualize your thoughts, imaginations and dreams, you have to be creative. Think of an idea that does not exist and bring it into existence.
Creativity is using your imagination to produce new ideas that no one has ever produced. You must not be an artist, fashion designers or make-up artist to be creative. No matter the field you find yourself, add value to that environment. Don't waste your time beacuse no body might have that same dream as you have.
You don't need to have all the qualification in life before you can make an impact in the society and this brings to the fact which says "whatever you find yourself doing, give the best you can to it". A very good example is william Eugene smith, an american photojournalist who was known for his refusal to compromise professional standard. He began his career at the age of 18, he had a passion to be the best and not merely to be the best but to be recognised as the best. Not merely to be recognised but to be recognised over and over and over again.
The most influential person in Eugene's life was himself. He recorded human condition. No one could really succeed at such a job yet Eugene did with his creativity, recording human condition with his photographs. He created at least 50 images so powerful that they have altered the perception of photojournalism.
Creativity takes process to grow but when it has grown, it explores and dominate the world. Success takes a gradual process because success does not come at a platter of gold. And success can never replace failure over night. It takes a process and the process is for you to plan your life. It is never too late...there is always a new begining!!!
Take a step and join the creative minds!
Sustaining African Communication system
Creativity they say is the mother of invention. This could best be described the recently held traditional African communication system forum in the New Nigerian Institute of Journalism Ikeja Lagos by the graduating students of National Diploma. A thorough scrutiny of traditonal means of communication was the key motive of the assesment as different group of students displayed an effective means of infor
mation dissemination in an African setting. Though some people believe that Africans do not have a traditional media before the advent of modern day Mass communication such as radio, TV, internet, newspaper etc.Students of NIJ proved the above claim wrong as they made use of African Commuication forms such as the Masqurade, town crier, praise-singer, market women, village square to educate their audience.
Friday, August 8, 2008
VOX POP on creative minds
Creative minds has been viewed by different people from different perspectives and on this edition, I have some of the opinion been published... get inspired and be creative!
Jemireye Adeniji is a student, a singer, an actress, a dancer and a model, here is her o
pinion about creative minds: "A creative mind can also be called a creator. In the world today we have few creators in the sense that everyone wants to copy but the selected few that dared to standout either in terms of dressing, creation of new ideas and doing the uncommon in order to stand out of the crowd then you can be described as a creative mind because a lot people tend to make you their role model".
pinion about creative minds: "A creative mind can also be called a creator. In the world today we have few creators in the sense that everyone wants to copy but the selected few that dared to standout either in terms of dressing, creation of new ideas and doing the uncommon in order to stand out of the crowd then you can be described as a creative mind because a lot people tend to make you their role model".Jennifer Ehidiamen, a student of Nigerian Institute of Journalism, A youth c
olumnist on the Nation newspaper and a youth advocate says: "Creative minds are minds that build. I believe we are all created to be creative. One must be a deep thinker to create..."
Pastor Segun, a pastor in one of the pentecostal churches in Lagos state says: "Creativ
e mind is all about bringing a new idea into ways of doing things. Calling those things are not in existence into existence, thereby altering the old fashion of doing things."
Ayo Ofoesua, a student of Nigerian Institute of Journalism says: "Creative which can be 
said to doing ordinary things in an extra ordinary ways and the mind which can be said as the power house of the body. In my opinion if this two words are merged together, I will say that Creative mind is the mind full of extra ordinary super wonderfully, creatively, magnificient works worthy of emulation and mentorship."
AN ODE TO A CREATIVE MIND (J.T.TOM WEST)
The stars are silent tonight 
A star has fallen
like the sun still shines in our hearts
It dropped and disappeared
never to be seen again
but lives forever in the hearts of those that knew and loved him
and those to be born
prodigy was he and efficient
cut short at the middle of his journey
unknown to everyone
lived forever but never to be seen again
posterity is the mother of the day
as he leaves his ploughing team to complete his drives.
A star has fallen
like the sun still shines in our hearts
It dropped and disappeared
never to be seen again
but lives forever in the hearts of those that knew and loved him
and those to be born
prodigy was he and efficient
cut short at the middle of his journey
unknown to everyone
lived forever but never to be seen again
posterity is the mother of the day
as he leaves his ploughing team to complete his drives.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Pride is not in my character: Faze
Richard Chibuzor Orji popularly known as Faze is unarguably one of the hip-hop musicians, making waves in the entertainment industry around us.
In an exclusive interview with JULIET,he talks about
his growing up, music career and upcoming album, which he featured SAUCE KID, an Amercian-based Nigerian artise, who is equally making waves in the music industry over there.
his growing up, music career and upcoming album, which he featured SAUCE KID, an Amercian-based Nigerian artise, who is equally making waves in the music industry over there.
Excerpts
BACkGROUND
Chibuzor richard Orji, from Delta state in Nigeria, born into the family of nine,six boys boys and three girls.
He is the third born, he studied International Relations and diplomatic studies at Illaro PolytechnicQ: how come about the name face?
A: if you look into your dictionary,faze means faze, to faze away, but I always put UN in front of it,that is unfaze, it makes me feel fulfilled, so that when I see somebody doing what I am doing and if I see him carrying strength more than I do , it makes me not to get scared, instead it gets me prepared and encouraged.
Q: How would you describe Creative Minds?
A: Creative Minds are those minds that search things within their body to look for what others have not been able to discover. The minds that have the ability to unknown idea and bring it into existence.
Q: What makes you stand out among other artiste?
A: Creativity
Q: Are you saying that other artiste are not creative?
A: I'm not saying that other artiste are creative but what I'm is that ideas and the way I visualise it makes different from other artiste because no other person can do things exactly the way I will do it, that is why my music is different from any other person's own.
Q: Tell me about your recording album
A: My recording album is called Independent Entertainment, and I am very happy and lucky to work with a wonderful team like that,and the crew, we have Odogwu Ifeanyi Orji, my elder brother and the manager,Ifechukwu Orji,who has been at the center of affairs,when it comes to my videos, he is the that connected me to all the people,. We have Eric Udoh, my personal assistant, Ejiro Arere, my protocol guy, we have Rita, James and John, my dancers,they are wonderful people to work with.
Q: As an artiste, what are your challenges?
A: several challenges, if I should start mentioning them, I will keep talking till tomorrow.
Q: which will you consider the toughest?
A: I cannot specify.
Q: How were you able to cope with the challenges?
A: Prayers, looking up to God, believing in my self and hard work.
Q: Apart from your official life, how do you relax?
A: I write songs,I listen to music and stay with one or two of my frie
nds, I do not like crowd.
nds, I do not like crowd.Q: What next should your fans expect from you ?
A: I want to apprecaite them for showing me love my buying my CDs and singing my songs word for word, I appreciate them for that because without them, I will be no where and I will tell them that second time, 3rd, 4th ,5th ,6th, e.t.c. album,I will not disappoint them.
I have another album, coming out very soon,but before then I am having a RE-MIX album called "Independent RE-MIX", I feature Ekwe, I have psykolomental remix, I have tatoo girls which I featured in "SAUCE KID", I did other songs, I did "Loving You Everyda", "You Need Somebody", expect about eight tracks in my album, you guys should watch out for it, you goona see wonderful videos again.
Q: How soon is it coming out?
A: As I am talking to you now,just open that door(pointing), you will see it,that is how soon.
Q: What advice do you have on young people who may want to become an artise without having the basic education?
A: Everyone has his own area of talent, I will advice them to try and if they see the outcome is positive and progressive. They can go ahead with it, if they got the talent.
Q: As in forfetiting their education?
A: They can do that, I am not stopping them from doing that, education is very important, you can have it and if you wanna keep it, it is very important too, but you know, some people do not on it, I have seen a lot of graduates with high certificate walking the street without jobs and most people that do capentry work being successful in life, so it all depends on what your mind is focused on. I am not saying that educationis not important,but money comes from education and everybody is chasing after, I have seen anybody that he is chasing after education, and if that is what benefit him, let him go for it
Q: What do standard of education in Nigeria?
A: It is improving, but I believe it that it can be better.
Q: Do you think it is actually improving,compared to your days in school?
A: Yes, definately, I can see people are getting, then people don't have jobs like now and they were not earning what they were earning what they are suppose to be earning.
Q: Apart from your social life, how do you relax?
A: I write songs, I listen to music and stay with one or two of my friends, I don't like crowd.
Q: Are you in any relationship?
A: Yes I am
Q:About to get marry?
A Not ye, but if God permits,I will, if i have my way tomorrow I will get marry.
Q: What is your favourite meal?
A: I don't have any specific one, but anything African, but it used to be rice and chicken, pounded yam and melon soup.
Q: What is your favourite colour?
A: Black and white, but I can flow with anything so far it matches my skin.
Q: What is it about your ego yhat so many people complain that you are too proud?
A: Who say so? probably because they have not met me one-on-one, that is why, you can ask people around me, I am not the proud type.
Creative Minds
Creative Minds are ordinary people who did extra ordinary things because circumstances made demands on their potentials.
A creative Person is an inventor, innovator, achiever, intiator.
He does things other people either haven't done or won't do.
He live fully and maximize himself. They are human beings like us. They are not better, smarter, wiser or more giftted than you, but they developed a passion for life motivated by a deep guiding purpose and a sense of destiny.
Creative minds take the SELF that God has given them and tap the vast hidden potential that is buried within. They rise to the top in spite of their weakness and that make them stand out among their contemporary.
A creative person is usually very intelligent in the ordinary sense of the term and can meet the problems of life as rationally as anyone else can, but refuses to let intellect rule; he relies strongly on intuition and he respects the irrational in himself.
A creative person is able to find in his undeveloped mind, the possibility of new insight that at first may be only understood the idea without reasoning how the outcome will be.
The individual is willing to listen to what is far from the centre of his conscious self. He pays attention to vague feelings, which on the grounds of good sense are dismissed by some people, and allow them to have their way with him, even if nothing useful appears to forming in his conscious mind.
Though creative people are faced with the challenges of getting the right porportion of their ideas, and even more confused on how to harmonize their thoughts at the initial stage but with help of their inner strength, they are able to resist the tendency of rejecting their ideas prematurely and work to enrich the world they see, and thus they open the way for an elegant new order more satisfying than the simpler configuration arrived at,by omitting contradicting details.
Many creative minds deliberately invite changed states of consciousness in which the ordinary boundaries of experince are broken. A creative mind is prone to resistance of acculturation, which demands surrendering of one's personal, unique and fundamental nature. It does not always result in a rejection of conventional morality,though certainly not in any abatement of the moral attitude.
A creative Person is an inventor, innovator, achiever, intiator.
He does things other people either haven't done or won't do.
He live fully and maximize himself. They are human beings like us. They are not better, smarter, wiser or more giftted than you, but they developed a passion for life motivated by a deep guiding purpose and a sense of destiny.
Creative minds take the SELF that God has given them and tap the vast hidden potential that is buried within. They rise to the top in spite of their weakness and that make them stand out among their contemporary.
A creative person is usually very intelligent in the ordinary sense of the term and can meet the problems of life as rationally as anyone else can, but refuses to let intellect rule; he relies strongly on intuition and he respects the irrational in himself.
A creative person is able to find in his undeveloped mind, the possibility of new insight that at first may be only understood the idea without reasoning how the outcome will be.
The individual is willing to listen to what is far from the centre of his conscious self. He pays attention to vague feelings, which on the grounds of good sense are dismissed by some people, and allow them to have their way with him, even if nothing useful appears to forming in his conscious mind.
Though creative people are faced with the challenges of getting the right porportion of their ideas, and even more confused on how to harmonize their thoughts at the initial stage but with help of their inner strength, they are able to resist the tendency of rejecting their ideas prematurely and work to enrich the world they see, and thus they open the way for an elegant new order more satisfying than the simpler configuration arrived at,by omitting contradicting details.
Many creative minds deliberately invite changed states of consciousness in which the ordinary boundaries of experince are broken. A creative mind is prone to resistance of acculturation, which demands surrendering of one's personal, unique and fundamental nature. It does not always result in a rejection of conventional morality,though certainly not in any abatement of the moral attitude.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Welocme
hello all,
welcome on board!!!
please spread the word about this blog page....the latest and hotest link on the web!!!
welcome on board!!!
please spread the word about this blog page....the latest and hotest link on the web!!!
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