LIZ OGUMBO ON STUDIO 53

Kenyan ex-model and designer Liz Ogumbo who seems to have relocated to South Africa will be featured on Studio 53.
The singer who headlined one of the eviction shows for the ongoing voyeuristic Big Brother All Stars, will talk about her change of career from a qualified computer scientist to trotting the globe as a model, gracing catwalks from Paris to New York.
Liz came back home from the US in 2005, she started a modeling agency but it did not take off as she had hoped it would. She decided to diversify into another realm of the fashion industry and thus Imani House of Fashion was born.
She invested in fabric and a number of sewing machines, and then set about scouting for a tailor to interpret her designs. The first dress she designed was for herself but she promptly ploughed back the Sh5, 000 estimated value of the outfit into her fledgling business. “I later sold the dress to friend and used the money to buy more fabric,” she recalls.

Another strong beautiful woman featured in this season of Studio 53 is South African songbird Lira who has landed a dramatic acting role in a full-length feature film. ‘The Italian director Antonio Falduto spotted my picture on the cover of a magazine and he said ‘I want her to portray a particular character in my movie’, which just happened to be the supporting lead role,” said Lira.

M-NET LAUNCHES HIP AND TRENDY STUDIO 53 EXTRA

Since its debut six years ago M-Net’s flagship program Studio 53, has enjoyed widespread popularity, capturing the continent’s appeal and celebrating its talent and energy. Tune in this month as M-Net brings viewers a brand new show, the revamped and revitalized – STUDIO 53 EXTRA.
Premiering on Thursday July 1, the spin-off show will air in a brand-new half-hour Thursday timeslot and will focus on the entertainment industry on the African continent. Unlike the previous hour show which was more lifestyle orientated, the new refreshed version will be fast paced and red carpet focused. It will cover the hottest entertainment stories, trends and celebrity interviews from all over Africa.
Not only is the show new, but STUDIO 53 EXTRA will be anchored by to brand new dynamic female presenters. They are the gorgeous Eku Edewor, a graduate from the New York Film Academy, and striking Dolapo Oni who trained at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in the UK.

Fareed's Wedding on Studio 53

Studio 53 showcases yet another wedding of one of its presenters. This time, it is Fareed Khimani's traditional Indian wedding to Leah. After getting married in Switzerland, they came back home to organise a beautiful traditional wedding in Nairobi for all their Kenyan friends and family.

Studio 53 Gets A Face Lift

In the five years since its debut M-Net’s flagship Afro-chic, Afro-hip STUDIO 53 lifestyle series has captivated audiences across Africa, capturing the continent’s appeal and celebrating its talent, landscapes and energy. This month, STUDIO 53 evolves again, as M-Net gives the popular series a sensational new look.

Returning to DStv screens on May 24 in a brand-new, one-hour Sunday timeslot on M-Net, the refreshed STUDIO 53 will incorporate the best of its past with several dynamic new elements and three gorgeous new presenters.

Still focussed on positively profiling the events, people and places of Africa, the series will move out of its former studio, and each week one of Africa’s most breathtaking and glamourous locations will serve as the backdrop to the week’s stories.

First stop is the exotic island of Lamu, in Kenya, from where series presenter Gaetano Kagwa will introduce an eight story line-up including an insert from New York Fashion Week where African designers hit the runway for the first time ever as the likes of Oluchi, Grace Jones, Alek Wek and Face of Africa 2008 winner Kate Menson headed onto the catwalk.

In addition, episode one will see STUDIO 53 get VIP access to the latest album launch from hit-making Nigerian musician Ikechukwu who invites the team home with him as he demonstrates his lesser-known but quite delicious culinary skills.

Plus audiences can tune in for an interview with international superstar Eddy Grant whose hits Baby Come Back, I Don’t Wanna Dance and Electric Avenue have made him a global music icon. Then STUDIO 53 showcases the unique sounds of a Kenyan classic-fusion concert where two very different schools of music are merging to create an entirely new rhythm.

Joining host Gaetano Kagwa from episode 1 will be a team of six field presenters including adventurous Fareed Khimani (Kenya), charming IK Osakioduwa (Nigeria) and elegant Anita Erskine (Ghana). Fans can look out for new faces Thembi Lekwaila (Botswana), Grace Kelly Kalassa (DRC) and Ndaka Chigariro (Zimbabwe) who bring their vivacious personalities to the new series.

“It’s still STUDIO 53 but with a fresh new dimension and some innovative new changes,” says M-Net Africa Director Biola Adekanbi. “By making the series longer, we want to meet the growing demand for lifestyle programming while the Sunday time-slot taps into the dynamic of a weekend family gathering. It’s TV with style, contemporary African style and that’s what we hope our audiences will connect with.”

Having launched in 2004, to date STUDIO 53 (named in honor of the 53 countries in the African Union), has visited dozens of countries, stretching from the Cape’s southern tip of Africa to Cairo in the North. Along the way the series has stopped at destinations as varied as the ancient cities of Ethiopia and Tunisia, the stunning dunes and deserts of Namibia and Mali, the bustling heart of Nigeria’s Nollywood, the splendour of the Indian Ocean Islands and the magnificent Kenyan coastline.

Now, as STUDIO 53 embarks on a new journey and goes in search of new sights, sounds and scenes, its viewers will once again get a first-class ticket to travel their continent, without leaving their homes, to discover hidden worlds and exciting happenings, to celebrate the continent we all call home.