Edi Gathegi has signed up to co-star opposite Kyle
Bornheimer in ABC’s comedy pilot called White Man Van, which centers on Jack
(Bornheimer) "who is forced to put his dreams on hold in order to take
over the family handyman business from his father Tony" (played by J.K.
Simmons).
Edi will play Darren, one of Tony’s workers. Edi's film credentials include playing Darwin in X-Men: First Class.
Kenyan actor Kevin Ndege Mamboleo famed for his role in KTN’s
Changing Times is featured the South African produced film Inside Story.
The film won the Special Jury Recognition in the Feature
Narrative category at the 20th Annual Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles.
Kevin plays Kalu, a gifted footballer who moves from rural
Kenya to urban Johannesburg to follow his dream and support his family. His
path becomes more challenging when he falls in love with the coach’s daughter,
Ify (Kendra Etufunwa), and subsequently finds out he is HIV-positive. Newcomers
Mamboleo and Etufunwa (Jacob’s Cross) are joined by international stars
including Hakeem Kae-Kazim (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Hotel
Rwanda, 24) and Fana Mokoena (Blood Diamond, Hotel Rwanda).
Directed by Rolie Nikiwe (Tsha Tsha, The Lab, Intersexions),
Inside Story is a truly pan African project – produced by Curious Pictures
South Africa, filmed in South African and Kenya and featuring actors and
actresses from across the continent. The film also distinguishes itself by
combining a compelling narrative with realistic CGI animations that take the
viewer into the body to demonstrate the science of HIV in a personal, practical
and memorable way.
The official 2010 Fifa World Cup album that featured Kenyan
artiste Nameless among other artistes has raised more than Sh215 million
through worldwide sales of the album and its singles.
The album titled Listen Up! Features Nameless’ single One
Day, a collaborative effort between him and Jewish reggae singer Matisyahu.
According to www.fifa.com, the majority of the proceeds from
the project have been designated by Sony Music, the artists and Fifa to be
contributed to 20 Centres for 2010, the official campaign of the 2010 Fifa
World Cup.
The remainder has been donated to various other charitable causes in
Africa.20 Centres for 2010 was
initiated by Fifa to encourage positive social change in disadvantaged
communities across Africa by building 20 Football for Hope Centres for
education, public health and football. The centres help to promote social and
human development through football long after the World Cup, leaving a tangible
social legacy.
The album also features chart-topping hits such as Shakira’s
Waka Waka (This Time for Africa). It also includes the official Mascot song,
Game On, by Pitbull, TKZee and Dario G. R Kelly – who is also featured in the
album - backed by 27-member Soweto Spiritual Singers choir.
Other African singers featured include Nneka, Angelique Kidjo, TKZee and Lira
while American stars featured include Wycleff Jean and John Legend.
Kenya’s James Nderitu and his team mate JJ Okochaemerged winners of the Guinness
Football Challenge celebrity finale that brought togetherfour top African Soccer stars, bringing
a close to the season 2 of the East African Guinness Football challenge
TV
show.
The pair trounced three other African soccer icons
Marcel
Desailly, Rigobert Song and Kalusha Bwalya who were paired with George
Otieno
from Kenya, Hance Kimola of Tanzania and Patrick Ogua from Uganda
respectively
to win USD 50,000.
The episode kicked off with the four football
heroes, Jay
Jay Okocha, Marcel Desailly, Rigobert Song and Kalusha Bwalya, stepping
out
onto the pitch to pick their team mates.And each of the icons picked the colours that matched with the
jersey of
the contestants to team up with.
Marcel Desailly and Kenya’s George Daniel Otieno
faced the
first elimination in round one after failing to score any points in the
physical challenge of round one. Zambia’s FA president and renowned
football
star Kalusha Bwalya and his team mate Patrick Ogua from Uganda got the
second
elimination from the show after getting 1 point in the team formation
challenge
against 5 points from Rigobert Song’ s teamand2 point JJ
Okocha’steam.
It was Kenyan businessman James Nderitu from Nakuru
and
Nigerian football icon Jay Jay Okocha who bagged the top prize to win
USD50K
after scoring 5 goals in the penalty shoot out against 4 from Rigobert
Song’s team.
Speaking after the show, Kenya’s James Nderitu was
all joy
and could only describe the experience as a dream come true “it amazing,
sharing the stage and getting to interact with some of the stars we only
see on
TV is an opportunity I will always cherish”.
The cash prize of USD 50,000 was divided among the
winning
team with Okocha giving away his share to the four contestants as a show
of
appreciation.
On his part Okocha said he was glad not to let his
fans down
“I wanted to prove to my football fans that I can still play football
and as
part of football mentorship, I feel I have been able to fulfill part of
that
obligation to my fans and the contestants”.
The four contestants were selected after a ten weeks
competition in the Guinness Football Challenge Mobigame; a web based
interactive football competition that was played across East Africa.
The Guinness Football Challenge Celebrity Finale TV Show
brings to the end the season 2 of the Guinness Football Challenge launched last
year.
The raw and revealing six-part series, Shuga: Love Sex Money premiered in Mombasa last week. Hosted at the Whitesands Hotel, the affair was glitzy and accessed by the who is who in the coast music and NGO bizniz. Here are some pictures from the affair....
Meanwhile, here is a an outline of the six episodes...
Episode 1
Sixteen
year old Baby (Nancy Wanjiku) lives in the same
apartment block as the older and more glamorous Violet (Sharon Olago),
who provides a happy escape from her mother’s scolding and the uncomfortable
advances of her stepfather’s brother, Uncle Joe (Wilfred Maina Olwenya).
While Baby
is desperate to have her father back in her life, Violet, who is learning
to live with HIV, seeks her own father’s support and approval. They both
make disastrous advances in their quests.
Episode 2
Baby
goes on a reckless journey into the nightclubs of Nairobi on a quest to find
her celebrity father. Instead she finds herself thrust into the abusive
arms of her Uncle Joe. Meanwhile, Violet has to face the
consequences of her own impulsive actions. Suffering the rejection of her
own father, Violet challenges Baby‘s father to
intervene and saves Baby from an impossible situation.
Episode 3
Dala(Brenda
Wairimu) and Leo(Nick Mutuma) are the
hottest and most “in love” couple on campus. While hosting his morning
radio show, Leo interviews Nairobi’s biggest new singing sensation, Miss B’have
(Avril). There is an immediate spark between them and,
encouraged by his adventurous friend Femi (9con), Leo strays away from
his committed relationship for the first time. Finding himself in love with
both girls, Leo struggles with Miss B’have’s demand to be the only one in his
life.
Episode 4
Leo,
intent on ending his relationship with Dala, has forgotten that it is their
anniversary. Dala meanwhile, has organized the sweetest
celebration. Unable to hurt Dala, Leo decides to keep
both relationships going. Briefly, he enjoys the pleasure of both, but Dala begins
to feel neglected. After Leo stands her up on her birthday,
she is vulnerable to the attentions of loose-living Femi, with disastrous
consequences for all of them.
Episode 5
Kipepeo(Shirleen
Wangari Kiura), a young singer from a rural seaside village,
wins a talent contest and uses the prize money to try and make it in
Nairobi. After a disastrous audition, she finds herself adrift on the big
city streets. Unable to face returning home, she goes in search of Angelo
(Nick Ndeda), an aspiring musician who had passed through her
village two years before. Their partnership begins wonderfully, but Angelo’s
thug-life past catches up with him and things begin to fall apart.
Episode 6
Angelo
gives up on his dream of being a musician and uses his savings to set himself
up as a street trader. Kipepeo decides to use her charms and
her body to find a way to get herself and Angelo back on track
with their musical aspirations. When Angelo realizes what
she is doing on their behalf, he confesses his love for her. But is it too late
for a happy ending?
Tusker Project Fame winner, Valerie Kimani will soon be
releasing her new single that is sung in Zulu.
The single titled Luyeph Uthando is Zulu for “Where is the
love?”. Valerie is known for her
soulful and jazz style of music, this is evidenced in her other singles like Ndoto
Yangu, Tembo, Village Girl and Nguga ii.
Besides music, Valerie is also on the screens in various
productions like Higher Learning and MTV Shuga : Love, Sex, Money.
Kenyan alternative rock band, Murfy's flaw has began a Music
Mentorship Program for high schools. The aim of this is to “help fill in the
cultural landscape of our community”.
The band made up of Reema, Number 9, Punky Monkey, Jojo,
Jozie and Njeri will accomplish this by providing stimulating and engaging
discussions and shows, to help youth meet personal challenges and provide an
avenue for expression and creativity.
Murfy’s flaW will supporting the efforts of schools to
provide well-rounded educational opportunities to their students.
They will also aim to show that there are positive
alternatives for youth, which will encourage positive activities during school
holidays and after-school hours.
The band released their sophomore album, Hello Light, on
November 11th 2011 at the Michael Joseph Centre at Safaricom House, Nairobi.
In February 2012, beginning with Precious Blood Secondary
School Riruta, the band began their Music Mentorship Program Tour with the aim
of promoting their new album, and to mentor young students to acquire a proper
basis of education to tackle the entertainment industry.
The main aim of starting the mentorship is because the
government of Kenya recently revised its education system, with the result that
education in a number of Creative Arts subjects are no longer readily available
to the average Kenyan Student.
Kenya’s history in music has unfortunately been a dire one,
in which the most talented musicians usually die unknown and unappreciated due
to a combination of piracy, lack of promotion and an inability to meet the right
audiences.
This has resulted in a situation where there is no catalogue
of Kenya’s rich musical history.
Murfy’s fLaW is a band which began as a hobby amongst friends,
and through a process of much trial and error has come to thrive, and to be a
trailblazer in a genre of music which people believed would never survive in
Kenya.
It’s that time again when the Gospel fraternity gears up for
the Groove Awards. Submissions are ongoing.
Here are some ground rules
For the artistes submitting y’all need to know that your
music must be positive Gospel music . The music must be of good sound quality and must be publicly released within the
Eligibility Year: January 1st 2011 to January 1st 2012. (This means that the
public has access to the music)
Nairobi Fashion Market (NFM) announces the date for its next
event scheduled for the weekend of the 10th and 11th March 2012 at The Impala
Club grounds off
Ngong road. NFM is the largest outdoor retail and
entertainment experience in Nairobi and over 8,000 people attended our event
last year.
New for the 2012 Spring Edition includes InteriorsPavilion:
showcasing interior decorators, home appliances, art and artistic furniture.
There will also be evening entertainment on Saturday night: including live jazz
with Aaron Rimbui and an exciting lingerie fashion show by Simpli Pretti.
NFM will bring together over 70 top fashion designers and
retailers. The NFM shopping experience gives shoppers a chance to come into
direct contact with some of the best local fashion designers and retailers in
Nairobi all under one roof. Suzie Beauty, Hotpoint Appliances, Resolution
Health, Eve Gal Magazine and XFM supported by KISS 100FM and Classic 105FM have
sponsored this year’s event.
“NFM is a great day out for everyone, as demonstrated by the
growing attendance over the last couple of events.The Nairobi Fashion Market
weekend provides for not only casual shopping and exciting fashion shows, but
at this years event, due to popular demand, Saturday evening timings have been
extended to 8.30pm with more exciting entertainment”, says Lynette Anderson
Managing Director Nairobi Fashion Market
American rapper Akon who signed Nigerian acts P Square, Wiz
Kid and Tuface has released a single off the collaboration.
Akon and P Square hit the studio with May D to record Chop
My Money. This is a song about a gold-digger who finally ditches them.
Here is the video…
However, when news of the Akon signing the acts to his Konvict
label was made public, it was never confirmed. Anyho, here is the confirmation
of the signings on Channel O.
Channel O Africa VJ Denrele had a chat with Akon about
expanding his empire, signing up 2Face, P-Square and Wizkid onto his music
label as well as his future plans.
US author and founder of the Unstoppable Foundation, Cynthia
Kersey was inspired by Canadian pop star Nelly Furtado to build a school in
Kenya.
In 2011, groundbreaking author and, went on an inspiring journey
to Kenya. Cynthia was visiting to see the progress of the schools that
Unstoppable Foundation played a role in funding in rural Maasai Mara region of
Kenya, including an all-girls boarding secondary school, named Kisaruni, or
“Land of Peace”. With a mission to empower youth through education, the
Unstoppable Foundation has already made tremendous investments in primary level
education through its international charitable partner, Free The Children.
Cynthia witnessed the transformative impact that Kisaruni is
having on the surrounding areas where families are living in what the UN refers
to as “absolute poverty,” meaning that people live on less than 1 dollar a day.
She also saw firsthand the palpable hope that emanates so strongly from each
and every girl, knowing that this advanced education will provide a real future
for them and sustainable change in their communities.
Inspired by the impact that primary education is creating
for a generation of young women in Kenya and the success of Kisaruni All Girls
Secondary School, Cynthia is committing to an even bigger challenge this year.
She is responding to a call to action issued in the fall of 2011 by Nelly
Furtado, who has pledged her support for a second all girls boarding secondary
school in the Maasai Mara region to enable more girls to become empowered and
uplifted.
South Africa's Lira is set to headline the first Blankets
and Wine this Sunday, March 4.
Lira is not new to the Kenya stage as she twice performed on
Jazz festival dubbed South Meets East and Black in 2009 and the Black Peacock
Ball in 2008. Both concerts were held at the National Museums of Kenya.
The South African singer is best known for her single Feel
Good, which won her the 2007 South Africa Music Award (SAMA) in the category
Best Music Video.
She is signed to SONY/BMG and has performed alongside Jazz music heavyweights
like Hugh Masekela, Jonas Gwangwa, Ringo, and many other jazz bands.
She will be joined on stage by Anto Neo Soul, Atemi and Christine Kamau.
Make way for one of the biggest days in Kenya's
entertainment calendar. It doesn't get any better than The Insyder/Skiza CHAT Awards,
and the performers list is set to be stellar!
The organizers for the teen music award are working at
hosting the award property in April, according to sources. Anyhow, they posted
an hour long video of 2010’s award show on YouTube.
