STL IS ENGAGED!

 

Kenyan singer Stella Mwangi a.k.a STL revealed to Hot Secrets that she is “engaged” to someone who is “not in the music industry”.

The Go-Getter hitmaker who is based in Norway jetted into the country mid last week for a series of “business meetings” and “music related tour”.

STL remained mum about her fiancé. Spotting a gold ring with encrusted with a sizable shinny diamond, STL steered the conversation to her music and the reason she is in town.

The Lookie Lookie star just got back from Uganda where she wrote a song with Navio and Richie Rich which is “yet to be recorded” and she will heading out to Tanzania after Christmas to “collabo with AY on the remix of a song I have recorded”, STL said.

The singer who is enjoying favourable airplay for her latest release Hula Hoop featuring Mohombi says 2012 is a year when she ups her targets.

“I want 2012 to be the year I use the experience learnt from 2011. I would like to have an African tour,” she said.

 

STL GETS TOP NODS IN CHANNEL O MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS CATEGORIES

It’s down to the wire for Africa’s hottest artists and music videos with the just-released list of nominees in the 2011 Channel O Music Video Awards! Artists from Angola, Ghana, Mozambique, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Namibia are all in the running for this year’s awards.
This time around, the only Original.African awards feature multiple artists with two or more nods - making it an open field for nominees in the 14 categories as they make a bid for the votes of Channel O viewers throughout the continent!
This longstanding, public-voted awards event sees a massive 10 videos in contention for the hugely prestigious Most Gifted Video of the Year award – ensuring it’s a tough choice for fans.
Among the strongest bids is Kenya’s STL, whose Lookie Lookie has been nominated 3 times for Most Gifted Female Video, Most Gifted Dance Video and Most Gifted Video of the Year.
Alongside her is Ugandan artist, Navio whose Keep Moving is up for Most Gifted Video of the Year as well as Most Gifted Male Video and Most Gifted Hip Hop Video.
Also making a play for attention is hotshot South African artist Zakes Bantwini whose Wasting My Time clip has earned him a nod in the Most Gifted Video of the Year category as well as Most Gifted Male Video. He is up against one of Africa’s undisputed heavyweights in both categories in the form of Nigeria’s D’Banj with his Mr. Endowed (Remix) featuring Snoop Dogg.
In the Most Gifted Newcomer category, Nigeria’s Wizkid is vying for the title in a field that includes South Africa’s AKA, Uganda’s Keko, Nigeria’s Ice Prince, Zambia’s Zone Fam and South Africa’s Kwesta in one of the most exciting categories at this year’s event.

In addition to STL’s success, another female has also made an impact on a music scene dominated by male artists. South Africa’s Lira has a double nomination for the video Phakade in the Most Gifted Video of the Year and Most Gifted Female Video categories.

Voting for the 2011 Channel O Music Video Awards opened Friday 19 August and closes midnight (CAT) Thursday 27 October 2011. Visit www.channelo.tv to cast your votes via web or WAP. You can also vote on MXit and SMS (send your favourite artist’s code to +27 83 920 8406). You can vote in all 14 categories as many times as you want, but only ONCE per hour.

NAVIO RECORDS WITH CANADIAN POP STAR

Uganda’s Hip Hop sensation, Navio of Talent 256 International and ROCKSTAR 4000 has teamed up with Island Def Jam’s Pop/Rock star, Fefe Dobson, on the remix to her hot new single Stuttering.
Stuttering was produced by heavy weight producer J.R. Rottem (Britney Spears, Sean Kingston, Jason Derulo, and Leona Lewis) and since its release the single has been climbing North American singles charts (US Top 40 and Canadian Top 10). It is the 2nd single from her highly anticipated album, Joy, released through 21 Music and Def Jam / Island Records on November 30, 2010 (North America only...rest of the world in 1st Quarter 2011).
The original music video for Stuttering has received over 3 million YouTube views and in January 2011, a remix version ft Navio will be released.



Navio’s unique flow blends seamlessly into the Pop/Rock song and showcases his creative ability. As an artist, he has proven his versatility...in addition to Fefe Dobson, Navio has showcased his ability on the AIRTEL ONE8 group’s hit single, Hands Across the World, that was written and produced by R Kelly and ROCKSTAR 4000 / SONY MUSIC featuring R Kelly, Navio, 2Face, Fally Ipupa, 4X4, Movaizhaleine, Amani, JK and Ali Kiba.



Navio’s music and brand continues to cross borders as he establishes himself as one of Africa’s great entertainers. With his role in the Airtel ONE8 project, his signing to Rockstar 4000 / Sony Music and his latest album called African Hustler Music ready for release; sky is the limit for Uganda's hottest export.
Fefe Dobson is a pop/rock singer signed to 21 Music and Def Jam / Island Records. She is managed by music mogul Chris Smith, whose efforts have launched the international careers of stars such as Nelly Furtado, Brick and Lace, and Tamia. Fefe was born in Toronto, Ontario...her mother is of English, Native Canadian, French ancestry and her father is of Jamaican. Before being signed, she admitted to being stereotyped as contemporary R&B or pop singer instead of a rock musician due to her race, often being compared to Brandy and Britney Spears.

TRACKING AMANI IN CHICAGO

Kenya’s own superstar Amani is now in Chicago, she left the country over the weekend to join the other members of the Pan-African super group ONE8, a group set to revolutionize music in Africa. The One8 project is a coming-together of some of African best musical talent.



Amani is one of the artistes chosen for the super group along with Nigeria’s talented superstar TuFace Idibia, Ugandan hip hop artist Navio, Zambia’s biggest super star JK, Tanzanian heartthrob Ali Kiba, Ghanaian trio 4x4, Gabonese duo Movaizhaleine and DRC’s hot sensation Fally Ipupa.
The power and excitement around this collective of African stars is so big that ONE8 will be not only be joined by one of the biggest global megastars and icons in music for its first single and video, about to be recorded in Chicago, USA, but this superstar, who’s played a crucial role in defining R&B and Hip-Hop as we know it, will produce the song and video together with some of the biggest names in music and music video production in the world today. It is taking centre stage on this project and working hand-in-hand and as equals with the Chicago based international megastar and his team who are very excited to be working with such amazing talent.



As these artists record the song and video in the USA, millions of fans will experience this music revolution and historic journey as it happens. They will also experience their favorite stars up close and personal and roam where no fan has roamed before with digital ALL ACCESS PASSES delivered personally by these superstars to their fans. They will be connected with them around the clock through the website, mobile site or mobisite, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and live webcasts on location. The collaboration on the single and video will also shatter the typical mode of Africa / Western projects. The all star group is taking the best music from Africa to the global stage, connecting millions of fans through the universal language of music. All the artists are working together to create a song that is truly Pan-African. The group will also shoot a video in Chicago which will be released globally with the first single in November, alongside a full album and DVD soon after.



This all star group ONE8 is produced and managed by the first major pan-African record label and 360 music company, ROCKSTAR4000 within the family of the world’s number 1 recording company Sony Music. ONE8 is destined for greatness, shattering perceptions about African music as it builds networks and excitement across the pan-African music landscape and across the world.ONE8 is the ultimate music force that will single-handedly change the face of the African music industry.

KENYA’S AMANI TO JOIN SUPER 8 PAN AFRICAN GROUP

SONY music affiliate record label Rock 4000 is putting together a super African music group called One8 and from what I heard in the corridors of the entertainment industry, Amani could well be joining the fray.
Among the acts chosen for the project is Ugandan rapper Navio who is joined by R&B star JK from Zambia, Bongo Flava King Ali Kiba from Tanzania, Ghana's 4 by 4 and Paris based hip-hop duo from Gabon called Movaizhaleine. All these artists who are very talented and popular in their home countries will come together to form the super group One8.
The word on the street is that they will work on a major collaboration and will go round the continent on a tour of the eight countries joined by an international artiste. Big tings I tell you.
So far, the latest act to be signed is DRC’s acclaimed sex symbol, singer and songwriter Fally Ipupa has been revealed as the sixth member of the much-talked about growing phenomenon, ONE8. This leaves two vacant spaces to be occupied by Nigeria and Kenya, before the international top act that would join the African music supergroup to create the buzzing hit song is revealed.

STRAIGHT SHOOTING NAVIO SIGNED TO MUSIC LABEL

Ugandan rapper Navio has been signed to music label that has an A-list clientele. Talent 256 headed by Aly Alibhai signed the seventh act to their fold. The controversial rapper who called Kenyan celebrities ‘pretentious’ said that the move was a step towards achieving his goals in his music career.
The Rukus rapper who was in the country last years during the MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) Nominees party did not shy away from calling Kenyan celebrities on their game.
“From the way I see it, they are quite pretentious (especially) in front of the camera, (they) smile with each other but behind the scenes they are enemies. Like at the MTV nominee party some random artiste just walked up to me (and started) to talk about his Lamborghini for about ten minutes. That is when it hit me; they would go to extreme measures to get noticed. They are mostly in this music industry for the fame not for the love of music. Which is very sad and shouldn't be the case.”
He also stayed a week to promote his latest album Half The Legend during his stay in Kenya.
Other acts signed by the label include Blu3 and Michael Ross. The talent company is also famed for hosting big and successful gig by international acts like Jamaican ragga star Beenie Man and American heartthrob Joe.

NAVIO CALLS KENYAN CELEBS PRETENTIOUS

Ugandan rapper Navio who was in Kenya a week a go. He meet a number of Kenyan acts and formed an opinion. The Rukus rapper interacted with Kenyan celebs at the MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) Nominees party last month.
Navio said, “From the way I see it, they are quite pretentious especially in front of the camera, they smile with each other but behind the scenes they are enemies. For instance at the MTV nominee party some random artiste just walked up to me and started to talk about his Lamborghini for about 10 minutes. That is when it hit me; they will go to extreme measures to get noticed. They are mostly in this music industry for the fame not for the love of music. This is very sad and shouldn’t be the case.”
Navio who is also part of the rap group Klear Kut was promoting his solo debut album Half The Legend during his stay in Kenya.