Friday, November 30, 2007

WEEKEND LUV - THE MADE EDITION

Hey Everyone!!!
You don’t even know how bad I feel that I haven’t been blogging!
Whenever I haven’t blogged for a while, I start avoiding my blog like the plague…as if someone is going to catch me here and askme why I haven’t blogged lol!
Meanwhile, can you believe that it is basically December???
Amazing. Isnt it?
This year has been like a rollercoaster….I don’t even know how to explain it. I just thank God for all his blessings.
Happy Birthday to my Mum!!
Her birthday was a couple of days ago…I wish I could put her pic up cause she’s sooooo gorgeous! For real!
I am going on holiday soon. I totally need a break! I haven’t had a real break in about 2 years. Honestly, I cant wait to sleep in until midday!
Anyways, this is Weekend Luv.

CLICKS & FLICKS
Mo Abudu, HR Consultant and Hotelier launched a TV talk show on MNET at the beginning of the month. The show is very professional in terms of the set etc.. and the choice of guests is quite stellar. I admire Mo sooooo much and wish her the best of luck. She held a launch event for the show some weeks ago and Angie Stone performed. See photos below.
Read an excellent review of the show - HERE
Show website - HERE



Kunle Afolayan is the latest celebrity that has voted off Celebrity Takes 2.
Have you guys been watching? I actually love this show…yes, there are some things that could be improved, especially the DANCING but I still find it very entertaining.


BBA2 Runner-Up Ofunneka has denied being assaulted by Richard in the BBA House. She said she was intoxicated and regrets her actions but does not blame Richard. Hmmm…I disagree but she has said her piece.


The new issue of Made Men is out. I have to give them props for their consistency so far. This issue is HOT! They’ve got a mix of personalities featured.
From Deola Sagoe – Stunning
To Gboyega Balogun – Sauve
Then Male Nigerian Bloggers – Hot
Finally Ini Edo – Hmmm
Check out the photos below

Visit their site HERE
You can grab a digital edition - HERE

POPPIN'
Runway to Cure in TX tomorrow.
Please go out and support!
So proud of this initiative by TC Ikponmwonba


HITS
I've got loads of great music for y'all today!
P Square - No One Like You
From their new album, Game Over - I'm actually feeling this song.
I hope this album is as hot as the last one.

Falz - Shakara
LOL....You have got to listen to this! Sooo sooo funny!

Kush - Angels
This is the flashback song of the week. I LUV this song....this was such a fab intro to Kush. I am glad all the girls are doing so well. Make sure you pick up TY's Greenland and Lara's Forever in my Heart!!

Blak Jesus - Omo Alata
LMAO! Homeboy is a nutter!


That's it for now.
Have a fab weekend.
Kisses
~Bella

Thursday, November 22, 2007

RANDOMNESS + K2C

Hi Everyone!!
Sorry, I haven’t been on here all week.
There are sooo many things going on at the moment but I am never too busy for y’all.
Hope u guys are having a great week.
Mine has been interesting so far. Nada tres exciting but interesting enough!
My weekend was fab though.
I’m feeling very random today so I think I spread this randomness by sharing some random bits…y’all should do the same!

I’ll start with what happened this weekend…
So on Saturday, I was walking up my street, so a car passes me, pauses for a brief second and then moves…
I thought nothing of it.
Couple of minutes later, I’m on an adjacent street and the same car is now beside me and the driver parks…
I quickly picked up my pace…as in one can’t be too careful!
The driver of the car says hello and I turn around to see if it was someone I know
It wasn’t! Sooo I was just about to keep going when I noticed that there was a child in the backseat
The driver of the car, a middle-aged African man kept calling out and of course I normally wouldn’t even respond but because there was a child in the back, I thought maybe they were lost or something…
So I take a couple of steps back and dude is like ‘hello, you are pretty, do you want a ride blah blah blah’
I was just looking at the dude in shock
As in he has his child in the car oooo and he is trying to chat me up!
Next thing, dude is like ‘ohhhh you see my son…he is very cute right…his name is lesley'
I swear all through this I couldn’t even talk…he was even introducing me to the child...as per future step mother or what lol!
I sharply said ‘Have a good day’ and went about my jolly way.
I hope that child is old enough (he looked about 3 years old) to give his mum the gist.
Jesus take the wheel!

On to other randomness:
- I don’t like, love, fancy or ‘have a crush on’ anyone at the moment
- I’m not sure how I feel about that
- I am obsessed with this song (well it’s not really even a song….its an interlude)…’I Think That She Knows’…it gets me every time…don’t know why
- I broke up with my man about a month ago
- Did anyone guess? I bet you didn’t
- I still think he is an amazing person though
- But…
- Anyways
- I havent read the comments from the last post
- I'm not sure if I want to
- I'm soo happy that I know who my friends are
- I love them
- They exemplify women that inspire
- I'm sooo proud
- I’m looking hot today
- Lol…I’m serious
- I’m wearing a black high waist pencil skirt, a coral top and a camel-tone belt
- I’ve got some 4-inch heels on. I love them! Bought them a year ago…they hurt soooo bad in the store but I still bought them but never wore them until today
- My feet aren’t hurting…yet
- That’s it!
_______________________________________________________
Here is the actual post I was going to put up before I got sidetracked!
The Kulture2Couture event ran all through the weekend at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London this past weekend.
This annual event celebrates designers of black origin.
It had a dual purpose this year as it also served as a Fashion for Food – Catwalk the World event.
Damon Dash, Naomi Campbell, Ozwald Boateng & Keno attended the opening night.
Designers including Yemi O by Kosibah, Adebayo Jones, Deola Sagoe, Patrick Kevin, Tina Atiemo, Stoned Cherrie, Nkwo and Zed-Eye all showed their fab collections. Check out some pics below:
My absolute favs were
Yemi O by Kosibah – The cut and corseting of the clothes…art in motion
Stoned Cherrie – Rich and full of heritage
Zed-Eye – I would actually wear her stuff – electric and fab
Deola Sagoe – Need I say more?
Tina Atiemo – Brought the DRAMA
Adebayo Jones – Classic and timeless

Thanks to Getty Images and Din of London for the pics







That's it! Tell us something random
Have a fab day.....
Spread the love...MUAH

Friday, November 16, 2007

WEEKEND LUV - THE SUPA EDITION

Hey Everyone!!!
Happy Friday!! LOL
The discussion on ‘Would You Want To Know’ yesterday was soooo interesting! It made me rethink my stance but NO I still won’t tell MOST of my friends as in it has to be a really exceptional case for me to say anything!
By the way, thanks to all those who applied for the bellanaija spots, I am still reviewing the emails so look out for my email.
November is such a fab month! Its so crazy how many people have their birthdays in November. 2 of my sisters and my mum as well plus loads of friends and acquaintances…makes me wonder what happens in February hmmmm LOL
Soooo, what are your plans for the weekend? There are so many things happening this weekend. I am contemplating what exactly to do. My plan is to do as much shopping as possible. Its that serious!
Anyhoo, its Weekend Luv!
______________________________________________________
CLICKS
Ashionye has been named as a brand ambassador for Pepsi Light. Click HERE
Congrats to her! It’s nice that Pepsi is using a Nigerian face. Personally I don’t drink fizzy drinks at all! (I used to be a fizzy drink addict but haven’t tasted any in over a year yay!) Anyways, I wish her the very best. Below is an interview she did on Funmi Iyanda’s show on her endorsement deal. On a side note, I was sooo impressed with the women’s panel that day – Tosyn Bucknor was chatty and funny while Pamela Braide was sooo articulate - her comments were very insightful as well. Overall, non-judgemental and entertaining. Kudos.


Applications are now open for the Apprentice Africa.
I am feeling the buzz on this show already!
Especially since Biodun Shobanjo was announced as the boss (aka the ‘Donald Trump’) of the show. Compete for a lucrative corporate job with befitting perks and an annual salary of $200,000. Apparently applications for the show are closing today but you can still apply after the deadline sooooo if you are interested. CLICK
_____________________________________________________________
POPPIN' - now
Yay! Here is the first submission from one of our Bella Naija Scene Contributors. Wana Udobang is based in the UK. She graduated with a degree in journalism (1st Class Honours!!!) from the University College for the Creative Arts. She is also an audio documentary maker who has had work featured on BBC Radio. Listen HERE
She will be reporting on various events around London. Welcome on board!
See Wana’s review of the Nayo Show at Imperial College London last weekend.
For Previous Nayo Posts - HERE & HERE


Nayo Gig Review
If you are a dedicated BellaNaija reader you most definitely have come across the name Nayo. I’m sure some of you must have sampled the smooth grooves on the track “African Girl” or maybe read the article in the Independent where she was compared to the phenomenal “Sade”…..yeah I know huge steps to follow ehh.
All I can say is this, if you haven’t heard the chick sing then brace yourselves and be prepared because you might become a “NAYOIST”.

So the day, Saturday night and the venue, Imperial College Music Hall. I should mention that in true Nigerian fashion, we had a bit of a chill out interlude awaiting the presence of the beautiful songstress. But my God it was well worth the wait.
We were graced with melodies like ‘Desert Storm’, ‘Last Few Days’ and ‘Mr. So and So’ and need I mention the ever so captivating ‘Sparrow’ just to name a few.
The tempo of the songs moved from low to mid grooves and one thing she never exhibits is the excessive vocal gymnastics of other soul contemporaries. Sometimes she almost reminded me of a cross between Rhian Benson and Morcheeba’s Sky Edwards but still with that Nayo factor which you can’t really put your finger on. Nayo’s voice has this amalgamation of warmth and richness and she definitely subscribes to the wedding mantra “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue”. The intriguing thing is she does it in a way that is so fresh and this music is almost made incapable to decipher.

This girl has an incredible charisma on stage and with a mesmerising band to follow - Her performance was golden. For new converts Nayo’s music has different degrees of jazz, soul, swing, R&B and even swing beat but if you are expecting any super duper hyper beats multi-octave behaviour, sorry mate cos that ain’t happening. But what I can tell you is that, this ingĂ©nue knows her voice, she understands her music and she is clearly passionate about it. She definitely left me with something after the show. It was so refreshing to see that she still sees herself as developing artiste and a student of music (during her thank you session she promised to continue to get better). If all you’ve heard from Nayo is “African Girl”, then you need to check out a live gig to feel what I’m talking about. For those love song sceptics out there, (trust me I’m the most jaded of the bunch) she does make you feel just a lil’ bit mushy on the inside

I guess the best way to put it is “The show was too FAB - it was simply on POINT” .
_______________________________________________________
POPPIN' - upcoming

____________________________________________________________
HITS
I know this is old news but I still had to feature it. The Yahooze video has been out for a few weeks now (I saw it on Mona’s Blog). The video just cracks me up! The only think I am disappointed about is that while the song seems to be parodying the ‘yahooze lifestyle’, the video seems to be glorifying it! What do y’all think?


That's it bey beys.
Have a great weekend!
Go out, do something nice, do something naughty....whatever...have fun!
Love - Live - Life!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

WOULD U WANT TO KNOW?

Hey Everyone!!!
Hope your week is going well...mine has been good so far.
Anyways, I was talking to a good friend of mine today and we got into this lonnnnnnng discussion (more like an argument really...)
So here is the question:

Ladies if your man was cheating on you, would you want your friends to tell you?

Think about this really carefully before you answer! Also, for the friends, if you knew your best friend's man was cheating, would you tell her? what if it was at the beginning of their relationship and he hasn't done anything since? what if she is married or engaged?

This is such a hot topic for me soooo please let us know...guys feel free to answer from your perspective as well!!!!

Monday, November 12, 2007

THE RUNDOWN

Hey Everyone!!!
How was your weekend? Mine was actually really good, even though I couldn’t do all the stuff I planned on doing but it still turned out pretty well.
So what did you get up to?
I am always sooooo gutted when I realize that Monday is only a few hours away! Back to work, back to work...ohhh I just remembered that I have a work training thing for the next couple of days so I am going to be in a hotel in the middle of nowhere…oh well!
Anyways, lets get down to the business….
It’s another RUNDOWN!

Weddings
Congrats to the couples. One word - GORGEOUS
Ndidi & Uzoma - Wedding Photos
Banke & Bolaji - Wedding Website

Richard wins Big Brother Africa II
Richard Bezuidenhout has won Big Brother Africa II. Despite the sexual assault allegation scandal, Richard still scooped the $100,000 prize. Ofunneka came second and Tatiana came third. Congrats to him, I just hope the allegations are not true and the 'activities' with Ofunneka were consensual but I still have my reservations.


Munachi @ Miss World Pageant
MBGN Munachi Nwankwo-Abii celebrated her birthday at the Miss World 2007 pageant. Congrats girl! Wish her the best at the pageant. View Munachi's interview from Funmi Iyanda's Dawn on 10.




Tara Fela-Durotoye OUT of Celebrity Takes 2
Tara Fela-Durotoye is the 1st celebrity to be voted off Celebrity Takes 2.
Read updates on Celebrity Takes 2 on Reality-Unbiased Blog
Check out an interview with Tara from the Punch on Sunday


D'Banj @ the MTV Europe Video Music Awards
It's no longer news that D'Banj won the Best African Act at the MTV Europe Video Music Awards but what IS news is the kokolistic (yes, that's a word!) poses D'Banj decided to unleash on the press. Click on the 1st pic to check it out. Congrats to him anyways.


I-G-N-O-R-A-N-C-E
I read this article and it just pissed me off so much. What is even more disturbing is that it was written by a woman! Nigeria really has a long way to go. The press especially should start realizing their impact on society. The ignorance demonstrated in this short article is very damning. Click the photo below or read the quote below.

''Some ladies present were raped, while some luckily escaped. Surprised? You shouldn't be. But need we blame the rapists? What with the dressing of some of the girls, who were scantly dressed?''
See how she flippantly said women were raped and then went on to 'blame' them for dressing scantily, as if they deserved it!!! Jesus Take the Wheel.

Kanye West's Mum Dies
She allegedly died from an allergic reaction to medicine while getting a breast augmentation and tummy tuck. Reminds me of Stella Obasanjo RIP.


That's it for today! Have a fab week....

Thursday, November 08, 2007

JOIN THE BELLANAIJA TEAM

Hello Everyone,
Just wanted to thank everyone for your support since I started this blog.
Its really been an amazing experience!
A couple of days ago, I clicked on my sitemeter, I hardly check this thing but I wanted to see how things were going and alas what did I spot -
We've reached the 1,000,000 milestone!!!
I cant believe it but I feel really blessed.
Anyways, the purpose of this post is to invite y'all to be part of the BellaNaija Team.
Together we can take it to the next level.
I am seeking editors for fashion, music, scene or a blend of everything!
The BellaNaija style is more about quality than quantity so you should be prepared to deliver at least one HOT post a week.
- The fashion editor should be prepared to seek fashion photos, find new Nigerian/African design talent, conduct interviews etc...
- The Pop Culture (TV, Music, Books) editor should be prepared to interview top Nigerian musicians, find the latest songs and videos, find out about the latest TV shows etc...
- The Scene editor will be ideally based in Lagos, Nigeria. Be prepared to attend top notch events (not such a hard one), label photos of 'celebs', interview inspiring women etc...
There is no financial pay for these positions and they are for the blog (not a magazine) but there will be perks plus you will have the option of being part of something BIGGER in the near future. Dedication, passion, drive and commitment are a must!!!
This is also a good opportunity to promote your fashion label etc...I am also open to other ideas for positions so if you think I am missing something, pitch the idea!
I also welcome any occasional contributors who want to pitch in now and then. You will get full credit for your efforts!
Just send me an email - bellanaija@gmail.com tell me more about yourself, perhaps a link to your website/blog, documents & photos of your recent work etc...

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

LDA, JDL & MABS

HI!!!!!!!!!!
How are y'all doing? Yes, I've been MIA for a week.
I have no excuses!! You know how it gets sometimes.
So what have you been up to? Getting ready for xmas? Since there are soooo many weddings in Nigeria this xmas, I know some of the brides definitely read bellanaija so congrats to all of you! May God bless your marriage and make the marriage even more beautiful than your wedding ceremony. Wedding ceremonies in naij are on another level now....as in, I hardly attend weddings but I am constantly astounded when I see the photos. Fabulous! but on the other hand, divorce rates in Nigeria are getting very high. I have 2 friends (not friends of friends or people I just heard about o) that are under 30 and already divorced/separated....plus I hear about many more. Anyways, just some food for thought. A friend also recommended this Nigerian movie titled 'After the Vow', it starred Desmond Elliott and Stephanie Okereke. Y'all should see it. It had its annoying moments like every other Nigerian movie but the message is strong. I have the same sentiment about the Tyler Perry movie, 'Why Did I Get Married'...those are my 2 recommendations for your weekend movie picks.

Anyways, back to blogging!
I saw this feature in Genevieve Mag some months ago and was really impressed.
It featured 3 of Nigeria's top young designers. Mabruka Mai Deribe, Lanre Da Silva Ajayi and Lisa Folawiyo.
3 different styles, 3 different personalities, 3 successful women.
Check it out!

Lanre DaSilva Ajayi - LDA


Lisa Folawiyo - JEWEL BY LISA


Mabruka Mai Deribe - MABS COUTURE




That's it for today! Leave a comment, let us know what you think! The reason I feature many of these designers is with the hope that it will inspire others with the talent and/or business savvy to pursue their passions. I hope its working!!! cause I am really looking forward to more young Nigerian (and African) entrepreneurs cropping up! On the same topic, check out Business Week's feature on Top Young Entrepreneurs in America (they are all 25 and under!!) . There are 3 young people of Nigerian origin on the list! Be Inspired and have a fab day!!!!!!!