BIG BROTHER AFRICA 5: PLEASE DON'T APPLY

Big Brother is back for it's fifth installment people starting July 18. However, if you have never, ever, ever applied to be in the past four seasons, then my apologies, you will not be in this season either.
MNet revealed that having run the series 4 times previously, they’re now head-hunting contestants from a database of previous entries submitted for the show.
“We want to invest more broadly in season 5 and having already been introduced to a world of interesting characters from previous searches, there’s limited value in spending extensively in another search for contestants,” says -Net Africa Managing Director Biola Alabi.
She goes on to say, “We’ll still be looking for entertaining persons with a sense of humor, a love of adventure and the ability to enjoy the very exciting Big Brother experience. In the past we’ve spent widely to find contestants in 14 countries. This year, we’re using these funds to develop a gutsy new series, recreating the house in a very different way and focusing on putting new technology into place.”
M-Net will kick-off a sensational new season of Africa’s biggest reality show right after the World Cup ends.
Similar to the past season, the golden prize of USD 200 000 is up for grabs and this time, Big Brother fans in over 40 countries across the continent are going to get a show that’s more edgy, more tactically challenging and more intensely strategic than ever before.

NAMELESS TO AUCTION HIS FASHION ACCESSORIES FOR CHARITY

Nameless will be donating something near and dear to him for charity. He is the guest artiste at the Music4Haemophilia’s Second Annual Fundraising Dinner on June 26 at the Carnivore and he will be auctioning his trademark celebrity accessories.
According to the fundraising programme, Nameless’ sunglasses will go for a starting price of Sh15 000 while his durag will go for Sh5000.
Also up for auction is 3 nights in Bonde, Diani for Sh40000 and a weekend for two at Bluebay Beach resort Zanzibar on half board in a superior sea view room, plus return flight from Nairobi all at a starting price of Sh45000.
The proceeds will go into supporting Jose Memorial Haemophilia Society-Kenya (JMHS-K), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping those living with haemophilia, a rare genetic blood clotting disorder.
The Second Annual Fundraising Dinner is hoped to raise Sh4 million.

DESIGNER KIMATHI JOINS BONO’S WIFE IN CAMPAIGN

The genius behind Jamhuri Wear, Jeffrey Kimathi, will have the privilege to work with Alison Hewson, an activist and the wife of U2's lead singer Bono, in an Africa For Africa charity T-shirt campaign.
Zazzle - the leader of on-demand retail manufacturing - announced that it has expanded its partnership with Edun Live, the sustainable T-shirt brand founded by Alison and her husband Bono. Edun Live and Zazzle are now engaging artistes to create a wide range of designs related to Africa and football.
Kimathi is among the five designers chosen. “The T-shirt made will be sold during the World Cup season, but since they will not be available for Africans, I plan to make some specifically for the Kenyan fans,” Kimathi told Hot Secrets.
All designs will be submitted by African designers, and will be sold only at African Edun Live blank T-shirts events. Ten per cent of all proceeds will be donated to Invisible Children, a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing financial help to children by documenting their true untold stories in a creative and relevant way, resulting in positive change.
The new designs will be available online at www.zazzle.com/edunlive. They will be printed on Edun Live's 100 per cent certified organic cotton T-shirts, and each of the designers will receive income from each sale, consistent with Zazzle user terms.
Other Kenyan designers chosen for the project are Bonk run by Ashi Kariuki, Aika-Grace Temu and Fady Rostom; they are all known for their funky tees and bags.
Then there is Paul Douglas Kihiko, a graffiti artist and designer who works as an artist co-ordinator with the British Council in Kenya.
Also represented are Ugandan artist and graphic designer David Ssengendo and design company G1 Media and finally Zetuzakale Productions, a group of East African designers.

Kimathi’s Photo/ MYRON CHRISTIAN PHOTOGRAPHY

KANJII MBUGUA NOMINATED FOR AFRICA GOSPEL AWARDS

Gospel singer Kanjii Mbugua has been nominated for two awards by the Africa Gospel Awards. Kanjii is up for Best Non-UK Artiste/ Group and Best Non-UK Gospel Song for his hit single Just A Man.
UK-based Kenyan gospel artiste Beatrice Muniu is also nominated for Best Female Contemporary African Gospel and Best Music Video.
To vote for Kanjii visit their website.

KENYAN MODEL WOWS IN INTERNATIONAL BIKINI CONTEST

Kenya’s runway lioness Diana Nekoye represented the country at Miss Bikini International World Final held in the tropical resort of Sanya in south China's Hainan Province on May 29.
Nekoye surprised everyone not only by being one of the only two African girls in the competition but also bagged two crowns for Kenya.
Diana who made the top 13 finalists was earlier crowned first runner up Best Figure, and in the final round named Miss Bikini Summer first runner up. There were delegates from 64 countries from around the world took part in the contest.
Diana will feature in the special edition calendar produced to promote the Chinese city together with the other 12 contestants.

WANURI KAHIU FEATURES IN VOGUE MAGAZINE

Celebrated director Wanuri Kahiu has been featured in this month’s Vogue Italia, the Italian edition of Vogue magazine. In the interview, Wanuri discussing both her personal and public life.
Wanuri also pays tribute to Hollywood director Philip Noyce whom she worked with on movies like The Italian Job and Catch a Fire. “He inspired me and in that film I really learned more than in any film school and I realised what it means to work with actors and directing it was my really first training."
Anyhow, read it all huuuuur.

RAPPER NAZIZI IS A MUM

It’s been like forever since we heard anything from the first lady of Hip Hop, Nazizi Hirji. Well, last week the rapper posted some juicy news on her Facebook wall. The Necessary Noise member who has been married for two years now is a proud parent of a baby boy called Tafari.
The Kenyan Boy Kenyan Girl hitmaker is now hinting at getting back into the game. Apparently they are in discussion with Wyre on a new yet to be recorded single. Hot Secrets congratulates Nazizi and her new family.

SHINDE OF TATTU GETS LEAD ROLE IN ROMANTIC COMEDY

Girl group Tattu’s lead singer Angela Mwandanda plays the lead character in a theatre production that opened at the Phoenix Theatres dubbed Romantic Comedy.
The witty play by Bernard Slade tells the story of Jason (George Mungai), a successful co-author of romantic comedies, who is about to marry a society belle. Enter Phoebe (Angela Mwandanda) a mousy schoolteacher and budding playwright and Jason acquires a talented, adoring new and young collaborator. They enjoy fame and success for ten years when suddenly Jason’s world falls apart with his wife threatening to divorce him and Phoebe marries a journalist and moves to Paris.
Jason goes into decline until the re-entry of the now very successful Phoebe.
George Mungai directs the play and the cast includes Angie Musira, Crystal Mbuga, Titus Kuria and Cympkin Leeharve.

HOWEE TO RECORD COLLABO WITH DRAKE

Flamboyant Kenyan rapper Howee who has kept mum about a colabo single with American rapper Timberland, revealed to Hot Secrets that he has bought the publishing rights to use Drake’s vocals.
The rapper has reportedly bought the publishing rights of Drake’s single Hit List.
“All I can say about that is, I haven’t recorded yet.”
However, a quick google search doesn't show that Drake has ever released a single by the name. But the heartthrob Toronto rap star Drake -- born Aubrey Graham -- is releasing his anticipated first album this week. An internationally acclaimed crony of Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lil Wayne, the half-black, half-Jewish 23-year-old has been
credited with legitimatizing Canadian hip hop. Well, watch this space…

COLLO IS NOW A NIGERIAN OGA!

Self-proclaimed King wa Rap Collo recently revealed that he now goes by the name Oga Collo Menta after visiting with Nigerian BBA winner Kevin Chuwang Pam.
“I was shocked by the love we received from our fans there. It was a humbling experience, having the Governor of the area knight me. I also got to do a collabo 2shotz and hopefully I will also get a chance to work with Tuface Idibia,” he said.
Kenya’s BBA contestant Jeremy Ndirangu and his fellow housemates were also part of the Nigerian visit.

KENYAN FILMS SCREENED IN RWANDAN FILM FESTIVAL

For the second year running, Jitu Films have been nominated for awards at the annual Rwandan film festival. Last year, Jitu had four movies entered in the competition and the banned horror film Otto the bloodbath won the award for the best East African Film of 2009. This year, the two films being featured are Chasing Moses which was featured in the Thessaloniki Film Festival last November, and Selfish? - the first feature film by Hawa Essuman.
Hawa will also be represented in the festival by her latest film Soul boy which will be the film of the closing ceremony. Chasing Moses revolves around Moses, a poor disabled breadwinner, who is out in the slums trying to earn some money to feed his family.
Selfish? follows the lives of two women, Angela, an advertising executive and Mercy, a part time model. Both fall pregnant and choose different paths. All the Kenyan films will compete for the award of the best East African Film together with entries from Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania. The 6th Rwanda film festival is scheduled for July 11-22 and the screening dates of the movies will be announced soon.

BBA’S KRISTAL LOSES JOB OVER CIGS

Former Zimbabwe’s Big Brother Africa representative Kristal Culverwel was reported to have once been fired from a job because she refused to quit smoking.
Her mother Bev revealed, “She had a job in England as a wine taster,” adding, “She would taste wines from place to place and also do some public relations campaigns for her employer in the wine industry. But her employer, who came to know about her smoking habits, told her to quit smoking, but she strongly refused. She is not the kind of person that sways easily from what she truly is.” With her days as a wine taster long behind her, Kristal is fully committed to her career in medicine.

NAMELESS REWARDS HIMSELF WITH NEW RIDE

The Salari star, is getting paid. In addition he has bragging rights to featuring in the official World Cup album recorded by Sony and is currently the EABL’s Responsible Drinking Campaign ambassador.
To crown his successful 2009, Nameless rewarded himself with a silver BMW X5 early this year. He said he has been working hard and he wanted to “reward himself”. The singer, famed for his song Prisoner with Ugandan girl group Blu 3, revealed that he bought the new ride in cash. The current market rate for the car ranges from Sh3.87 to Sh4.89 million.
Nameless is currently hitting the airwaves with a single featuring Austria-based artiste Cloud Tissa dubbed Physically Fit.

KENZO SPEAKS ON PLANS WITH FIANCE

Mauryshia

After the he say, she say fiasco between budding female musician and Kenzo’s ex, Mauryshia and his fiancé Nuncie, Kenzo set the record straight.
Commenting on the fiasco, he responded via mail, “Let’s not talk about my past, I'd prefer if we talk about my future (Nuncîe). I’m happy with her and am looking forward to taking it to the next level when the time comes. We have dated for six months and I am very happy.”
Kenzo and Nuncîe are listed as engaged on Facebook.
Anyho, Mauryshia seems to have moved on as well as she told Hot Secrets she is in a relationship with a businessman.

NEW MICHELLE JOINT

LORENZO

Who Can Enter?
1. Radio and TV journalists employed in the following regions: Africa, Arab World and the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean are invited to submit an application (EITHER individually OR – in the case of jointly authored or jointly produced items - as a group).
2. The laureates of previous competitions may not present a fresh application for the edition of the Prize immediately following their award, but will be eligible to compete again in subsequent editions.
3. Journalistic works written by current members of staff of the European Community institutions or the ProPager agency will not be considered for the Lorenzo Natali Prize. These individuals are allowed to submit their work 3 years after having left their position.
Each entry must be accompanied by an entry form, available on the Lorenzo Natali Prize website, from the European Commission Delegations and Representations or from ProPager and a CV.
The deadline for submission of entries is 31st August 2010.

BABA SPEAKS

ROBYNE ROBINSON IS AFRICAN AWARDS GALA MC

Distinguished Twin Cities journalist and Emmy winner, Robyne Robinson, will emcee this year's African Awards gala, Mshale publisher, Tom Gitaa, announced this week to registered users at Africanawards.com.
Ms. Robinson who left Twin Cities Fox 9 on May 26 to concentrate on her jewelry business was immediately tapped as the running mate to Matt Entenza who is running for governor of Minnesota.
"Ms. Robinson had agreed prior to her selection as running mate to host this year's African Awards. I am pleased to let you know that she is still committed to participating in the awards and we look forward to working with her to make the gala a success," Mr. Gitaa said in an email to users of AfricanAwards.com who are currently voting online for the 2010 honorees.

NAMELESS FEATURES IN SONY WORLD CUP ALBUM

Leading Kenyan artiste Nameless is among top African and American musicians selected by Sony to feature in a Fifa World Cup album whose sale will be used for charity.
Listen Up! The Official 2010 Fifa World Cup album was released on June 1 and features original songs from today’s hottest artistes collaborating with African writers, producers and performers in an effort to showcase the vast talents within Africa. Proceeds from the album will benefit Fifa’s initiatives, whose aim include achieving positive social change through football by building 20 Football for Hope centres for public health, education and football across Africa.
Nameless’ single is titled One Day and is a collaborative effort between him and Jewish reggae singer Matisyahu.
Matisyahu

“Sony came to Kenya and they were looking for various acts they could work with on the World Cup project. They asked me to write them a song and they liked it,” Nameless said, “Later they asked me to record the song, which I did at my studio and sent it.”
The compilation consists of 12 tracks including the Official Song of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, Waka Waka (This Time For Africa), written and co-produced by Shakira and Freshlyground. It also includes the official Mascot song, Game On, by Pitbull, TKZee and Dario G.
R Kelly – who is also featured in the album - will perform his single off the album Sign Of A Victory at the World Cup opening ceremony on Friday, 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.

ZOUK LEGEND IS DEAD

Gabonese singer Oliver N'Goma is dead. The famous singer died Monday night in a hospital in the Gabonese capital, Libreville. He suffered kidney failure, New Vision reports.
N'Goma was regarded as "a monument of Gabonese music. He had gained international fame through music in the style Zouk.”
Born in south-west of Gabon March 23, 1959, Oliver N'Goma started singing at the age of eight years. His father was one of the best players of his harmonium region.
Music and cinema have been his two major passions. He studied accounting at the technical school of Libreville.

PHOENIX PLAYERS' ROMANTIC COMEDY

CIRCUS COMES TO NAIROBI

Wakati Wa Kati is a circus presentation directed by Iman Lizarazu, a French-Basque eccentric performer living in the US, together with five artistic instructors from Kuruka Maisha. It’s a performance put together by 20 Kuruka Maisha students and 4 trainees from Sarakasi Trust in a first ever circus show by Kenyans. It’s a culmination of six weeks of intensive circus training workshops and creative process that captures the rich cultural diversity and expressions inherent in our different cultural backgrounds that is Africa and the West.
Wakati Wa Kati or ‘the time between’ is an attempt to give our audience some perspective and insights into definition of time and destiny. We choose to define and interpret time through the physical circus arts. Dancing, acrobatics, clowning sticks and manipulation of various objects epitomizes interaction of time and movement and the constant danger of losing balance between or the discipline and perfection that sees one through that dangerous act.

GOOD GIRL AVRIL TURNS NAUGHTY

Avril’s performance at the Safaricom Safari Sevens over the weekend was sizzling. The chic who used to don jeans and nerdy tops was long gone, on stage was a diva is a top with a plunging neck line and ripped stockings. “I was actually going for the ragged look. So I bought a pair of stockings and ripped them. My fans were shocked and that’s the reaction I was going for. I am changing my persona on stage; she is definitely going to be bolder,” revealed Avril via phone. The gutsy singer also revealed that she would be working on releasing more solo projects in future.


Photos/ Lee Mwandiki

OMO PICK A BOX IS BACK

The popular Sunday night TV game show Omo Pick A Box is back. Omo is set to revive the 1990s game show concept. The stakes will, however, be much higher and lucky winners can look forward to walking away with cash and other prizes including 10 cars up for grabs. The cars to be won in the show are Three Nissan X-Trail, Four Toyota NZE and Three Toyota.
Christine Mwaura, Unilever category manager, Fabric Cleaning, East and Southern Africa, says the show will offer the excitement that made Omo Pick A Box very popular.
“Although it has been a couple of years since we last aired the Omo Ng’arisha Maisha game show, we feel the new and updated game show will bring excitement and change game shows in Kenya; this will differentiate Omo in the market place,” said Mwaura.
Omo Pick A Box was the longest running TV series in Kenya and had the whole nation anticipating what the contestants would choose between the money offered or the box.
Mwaura said the firm will be announcing the game show host early next week. She said the show is scheduled not to clash with the upcoming World Cup tournament.
“We have timed the show in a way that ensures that our viewers do not have to pick between the World cup or the Omo Ng’arisha Maisha game show,” she said.

TPF’S WENDY KIMANI JOINS ANTI-RAPE CAMPAIGN

Tusker Project Fame II’s Wendy Kimani has joined an anti-rape campaign that advocates for global awareness on the rise of rape incidents.
The former reality TV show star who recently released a single with rapper Labalaa is the goodwill ambassador for No Means No.
“My role involves coming up with suggestions on how to combat rape as well as spread awareness on rape avoidance tips,” Wendy said, “ The campaign uses social online networks to get youth around the world coming up with suggestions on how to reduce rape incidents and combat rape. It’s also used as a means to educate individuals on what to do after rape in terms of medical tests that must be done, steps they should avoid like showering after a rape and legal action available to them.”

Young activist Adelaide Onyango started the anti-rape campaign in May this year. The online campaign is done through photography and video clips, a media favourite with the young.