Entertainment
Zuma Honours Nollywood Veterans
The video-film industry of Nigeria has been described as one of the greatest explosions of popular culture that Africa has ever seen. It is the first economically self-sustainable film industry in Africa.
It was before a quality crowd that the ChidiaMaduekwe led Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), organisers of the yearly Zuma international Film Festival, unveiled recipients of the special awards instituted to recognise practitioners who contributed in no small measure to the growth and development of the audio-visual industry in Nigeria.
The recipients Prince JideKosoko, ChiwetaluAgu, Usman Baba Pategi aka Samaja and Segun Aina Padonu aka Segun Arinze- all popular faces and long standing practitioners in the motion picture industry received the Long Time Achievement crest at the impressive ceremony held at the NAF Conference Centre and Suites, Abuja. The late Cinematographer Jonathan Amu received a posthumous award, while Alhaji Mohammed Labbo of the Nigerian Television Authority and Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda were recognised for their support to the NFC in the fulfillment of their mandate.
Celebrity salutes the practitioners amongst the awardees that have by this recognition been rightly admitted into the hall of fame for Nollywood veterans.
Kosoko
Prince JideKosoko
BORN into the Kosoko ruling house of Lagos and christened Abdul-Rafiu Adesina Babajide Kosoko, Jide Babs, as the actor of vast credit is fondly called, received the Lifetime achievement award for his contribution to the industry.
An accomplished actor and producer and a prominent member of a number of industry guilds and association, Prince Kosoko started acting in 1964, ten years after he was born. He said he was inspired to hop on the acting run way by the doyen of Nigerian theatre Chief Hubert Ogunde whose Noble Street Residence in the Yaba area of Lagos was just a stone throw away from their Queens Street, Alogomeji, Yaba, home. For the Prince, the more he watched the late doyen at work the more he was convinced that ‘it won’t be a bad idea to try out acting as a profession.’
But it was one Dele Toyinbo, Jide’sneighbour at Queens Street and a member of the celebrated Ifelodun Theatre group that broke the ice for the mega star. Dele, aware of Jide’s interest, invited him to watch the Ifelodun Theatre group at work. Jide honoured the invitation and even attended more rehearsals without the consent of his parents. One day during rehearsals, he got an opportunity to try out what he felt was in built talent. He was auditioned alongside eleven other teenagers for a role in a drama series that was then running on NTA Channel 10 Victoria Island.
Expectedly it was Jide who eventually carried the day. He outshone the others and so he got the role on merit. Two days after, the young Prince was ready to mount the raised platform and he has remained on that raised platform till date.
Segun Arinze
VETERAN actor Segun Arinze received the Lifetime Achievement award at the event. He was the only recipient who personally received his award. No one does everything as an entertainer and does it so well like the former President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN).
In fact tagging SegunAinaPadonu is by no means an easy task for the method actor; show host, singer, voice over star, husband and father represents so many things to so many people. First known nationally for his portrayal of the role of ‘Black Arrow’ in that action movie of the nineties by Chico Ejiro titled Silent Night, Segun became noted as a singer with an irresistible voice, one whose hit track from his debut album as a singer Nwanyi Ganga was on repeat on radio.
However, with the emergence of the Nollywood, ‘Presido’ as Segun is also called, became Nollywood’s undisputedly ‘bad boy’ and the producer’s first choice for an actor who can add zest to a picture. And since he joined Nollywood, Segun’s rating has not dropped. The Lagos born actor is one of the not too many actors in the Nigerian screen acting space whose popularity is so overwhelming and whose simple precepts are roundly admired.
Usman Baba Pategi aka Samanja
Legendary actor, Usman Baba Pategi, popularly called as Samanja, was honoured with lifetime achievement award by the NFC. Son of the late Etsu Pategi, Samanja who is 77 years old and now visually impaired walked into national prominence and became a household name playing the dutiful, witty and one of the most iconic characters in the history of drama on Nigerian television ‘Sergeant-Major’ in the long rested Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) drama series Samanja, which ran for decades on national television.
An iconoclastic actor and Prince of Pategi who has had a rich acting career, the idea to create a mock military drama programme that will focus on the lives of Soldiers, off, on and in the barracks came shortly after the Nigerian civil war. But the inspiration as Samanja revealed came with his enlistment into the Nigerian Army in 1969. A former staff of the Public Works Department who had his early education in Pategi and later Ilorin Middle School, Samanja retired formally from the Army in 1985 and he returned to his former beat, but this time at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Kaduna broadcasting station.
Star of one of NBC’s flagship drama programme of the 70’s titled MallamJatau Na Albarkawa, it was shortly after Samanja was delisted from the Army that he led a small team at FRCN and later at NTA to give life to the drama series Samanja, which as he reiterated was meant to enlighten the civil populace on military regiments.
ChiwetaluAgu
A VETERAN actor, comedian and producer of vast credit, ChiwetaluAgu is clearly one of the leading names in the Nigerian screen acting space. Best know for his usage of specific language phrases in each movie he features in, the actor who joined Nollywood over three decades ago from an accomplished acting career on television made the list of recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award at ZUMA 2020.
Admired both at home and abroad for his unique interpretation of roles, movies that have benefitted from Chiwetalu’s engaging portrayals include Last Ofalla, Taboo, The Catechist, The Prince Must Die and lately Lost Okoroshi and Lion’s Heart.
Conversations revolve around the wild demands of women. The Highlife record feels like lamentation and an empirical examination of the negative effects of patriarchy on men.
National Gallery of Arts, ( NGA) Port Harcourt, Rivers State in partnership with French Embassy in Nigeria and Alliance Francasie in Port Harcourt says arrangement have been concluded to organise a two day synposium and Visual Arts Exhibition.
The event with the theme ” Victimized” is expected to exhibit art works to preach against woman and the girl child victimization both at home, office etc equally a synposium that will speak on ways to eradicate female violence. The topic is expected to be delivered by International Federation of Women Lawyers ( FIDA) Rivers State chapter.
Head of station/cuator National Gallery of Art, in Port Harcourt, Mrs Uwaoma Ideli Agudosi, said this yesterday while briefing newsmen in of respect of the forthcoming Arts Exhibition in Port Harcourt.
According to her, the event was scheduled to commence 9th through 10th December 2023, at Alliance Francasie building Herbert Marculay Street Old GRA in Port Harcourt and its the major aim was to bring incessant women violence and victimization to the bearest minimum in our society.
” Our focus was bring to bring incessant victimization experienced by women to the barest minimum in all ramifications. We are to let the society know that even though we are seen as weaker vessels, that doesn’t mean we should be trampled on. We should have a voice and men cannot do without us.
” I want to say that we are doing it in line with the United Nations (UN) directive to set aside this season to say No to this monster in our society because we all know that women are mostly molested and victimized in festive season that is close” she said.
National Gallery of Art has been in existence for 30 years now, it was established as a parastatal by Decree No. 86, 1993, and the 2004 amendment act.
This was in fulfillment of the provision of the Nigerian cultural policy launched in 1988 in accordance with the recommendations of the committee of patrons of the world decade for cultural Development (WDCA) and currently having offices in 29 States and has its headquarters in Abuja.
” We have invited women , girls , men and boys mostly between the age of 15 to 45 to attend the event. We will use the visual art as a tool to speak out against this scourge in our society.
” I want say this medium is basically to promote peaceful coexistence among the male and female folks and advice men to stop violence against females” she added.
Winner of the second edition of the recently concluded reality TV Show, tagged “Hello Mr. Right’, Danny Tee has expressed joy over the successful hosting of his home coming party by the Performing Musicians and Employers Association of Nigeria( PMAN).
Danny Tee, an artiste and member of the PMAN who disclosed this yesterday to The Tide Entertainment said that he was excited about the warm and loving reception party hosted to celebrate him by his colleagues and members of the PMAN.
According to him, it was heart-warming, and thanked the executives of the PHALGA Unit, the Rivers State chapter of the body and the “Big G Entertainment” who sponsored his participation in the show for their display of love and support, saying that he was humbled by the massive turn out and show of love towards him.
“ I am humbled, l never expected it to be that much, but it happened and l deeply appreciate the show of love towards me”, he said.
The event which was held at the Flashpoint Bar Lounge, Borikiri Port Harcourt Tiwnship saw members of the body turned out in Mass to celebrate with their own on his recent win as ‘Mr. Right’.
The Secretary, Rivers State Chapter, PMAN, Hon Ezekiel Benibo who was also present at the event, said that the home coming party was put in place by the ‘Big G’ Entertainment, a record label under who’s platform Danny Tee got the sponsorship to participate in the reality TV show and the PHALGA unit of PMAN.
It is the second edition of the show which saw Tee cart home a N5million cash prize ,” he said.
By: Nancy Briggs
Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria – PMAN, PHALGA Unit, says it has concluded, plans to organise a weekend’s event tagged ‘Entertainment Showcase in Port Harcourt City, Rivers State.
The activity is targeted towards creating an enabling environment for entertainers in the unit to improve their crafts in line with global standard.
The Public Relations Officer of the body, Christopher Sokari Briggs who is popularly called Don Christo the missioner, who revealed this to The Tide Entertainment yesterday said that the event is expected to hold every Friday.
According to him, the Chairman, PMAN PHALGA Unit, Vinning Simeon also known as V6 stated this at the monthly meeting of the unit held last month at Benhary Bar, Port Harcourt.
The chairman said he will get this done by commencing the Weekly Entertainment Showcase event which is aimed at seeing various performances from members of the units.
V6 further noted that a committee has already been inaugurated in charge of the Entertainment Club event which is expected to commence today.
He noted that the State Public Relations Officer of PMAN, King Isaac Albert, who was in attendance of the monthly meeting of PMAN, PHALGA Chapter, also known as Solo Blanky during the meeting urged the unit executives to work towards organising an entertainment summit aimed at educating members of the unit about the pros and cons of the entertainment business and to improve on their crafts.
Various ideas and contributions from members to chart a way forward for the new PMAN PHALGA executives were also entertained during the meeting.
The meeting recorded a good number of turnouts of Port Harcourt entertainers and its environs.
Meanwhile, the body recently held the Season 2 of its monthly event christened ‘PHALGA Industry Night” in the Garden City.
The Tide Entertainment reports that the ‘Entertainment Showcase’ is an activity put together to build the entertainment industry at the unit level, as the event is an open one for all entertainers in the industry, ranging from artiste, DJs, dancers, poets to comedians coming together to socialise and improve their crafts.
The PHALGA Industry Night is a platform where the upcoming artistes in the unit are given the opportunity to showcase their God-given talents.
The event which also paves way for hospitality business owners in the area to build their businesses was a huge success, having recorded a massive turn out from entertainers and spectators
It would be recalled that the season 1 of the event ( PHALGA Industry Night) was held last month in Port Harcourt.
By: Nancy Briggs
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