Entertainment

Echoes Of Burna Boy’s Maximum Reception In PH

Published

5 years ago

April 2, 2021

Though the grand reception of Grammy Award winning Afrobeat super star, Burna Boy, by the Rivers State Government has come and gone, the evergreen memories of the events that marked the historic night of fun, razzmatazz, glitz and glamour still echo loud and clear in the hearts of those who were opportuned to witness the celebration of creativity and hard work.
Nigeria’s Garden City and capital of the nation’s treasure base literally stood still in honour of Damini, Ebunoluwa Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy on Saturday March 27, 2021, as a humongus crowd comprising the state Governor, Chief (Barr) Nyesom Wike, top government officials, captains of industry, fans and fun seekers from different parts of the state and beyond as well as constellation of stars from the entertainment clan, stormed the EUI Event Centre, along Abacha Road, GRA, Port Harcourt, to identify and celebrate with their home boy, the Ahoada West Rivers State born, African Giant, Burna Boy.
In his address at the memorable event, the State Governor, Chief (Barr) Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, congratulated Burna Boy on his global achievement and described him as the pride of Rivers State for the rare feat of becoming the winner of the prestigious and highly coveted Grammy Award in the global music album category at the 63rd edition of the annual Grammy Award held on Sunday March 14, 2021 at Los Angeles in USA.
The highly elated governor stated that the state reception for Burna Boy was one of the happiest moments in his life as he won the award during his tenure as the governor of the state and the first of its kind in the story of the state. He noted that Rivers State was known globally for her great talents and enviable potentials to the glory of God as he recalled that Rivers State produced the first ever black African Miss World, Agbani Derego.
Governor Wike, on behalf of the Rivers State Government and good people of the state, conferred on Burna Boy, the Distinguished Service Star of Rivers State (DSSRS), which is the second highest honour to be bestowed on an individual by the state government. The governor also donated land to Burna Boy at the Old GRA axis of the state, as well as money to build a befitting house.
He said that the honour was aimed at appreciating and encouraging indigenes of the state who show outstanding talent and stand out above others in their chosen endeavours. Governor Wike charged Burna Boy not to relent in his musical exploits as the state government would continue to give him all the necessary support he requires.
The governor also commended Timaya, Duncan Mighty and other artistes who attended the event in honour of Burna Boy even as he announced a gift of N10 million each to the artistes that performed at the well-attended reception.
In her welcome address, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mrs Tonye Briggs Oniyinde, stressed that in the entertainment industry, nominations for any honour’s platform was an indication that the artiste provided value through his or her creativity and hard work.
The commissioner described the Grammy as the biggest and highest achievement for any musical artiste in the world. She stressed that Burna Boy’s victory at the global stage would serve as a spring board for other artistes to aspire to greater heights in their chosen careers.
In his vote of thanks, Burna Boy who was accompanied by his parents and siblings, said he was highly grateful and humbled by the grand state reception and honour conferred on him by the Rivers State Government.
“I really appreciate being here, this is probably the biggest honour that will be bestowed on me since I was born, it is one thing to win the Grammy and to be applauded every where else in the world and another thing to be loved in your own home and, that to me is worth more than anything I can get, so I appreciate you, my governor, for taking your time out to do this”, he said.
The night’s event witnessed thrilling performance by some notable artistes and comedians. Among the artistes were Timaya, Duncan Mighty, the sensational Bamidele, Ibiso Edwards, Mossy B, Ajiebo Jazz Saxophonist C.C. Johnson, Maxi and Bulkwise among others.
The comedians included, Prince Hezekiah, Arinze Baba, Danny Spy, Busy Mouth, etc as well as the XYE band, the virtue kid Dancers, Wrestling, Cultural dances and masquerade display by the Rivers State Council for Arts and Culture, among other side attractions.
Burna Boys Profile
Burna Boy was born Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, on July 2 1991 in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State. He is a singer, song writer, rapper and dancer.
He rose to prominence in 2012 after releasing ‘Like to Party’, the lead single from his debut studio album LIFE (2013). In 2017, Burna Boy signed with Bad Habit/Atlantic Records in the USA and Warner Music Group international.
His third studio album, ‘Outside’ marked his major label debut in 2019. He won the Best International Act at the 2019 BET Awards and was announced as an Apple Music Up Next Artiste.
His fourth studio album was released in July 2019, it won Album of the year at the 2019 All African Music Awards (AFRIMA). He was nominated for Best Music Album of the Year at the 2019 All Africa Music Awards was nominated for World Best Music Album at 62nd annual Grammy Awards which he lost to Angelique Kidjo.
He was awarded the African Artiste of the Year at the 2020 VGMA’s. In 2020 his album ‘Twice As Tall’ was nominated for the same category at the 63rd annual Grammy, in 2021 he won with Twice As Tall on Sunday, March 14, 2021 at Los Angeles, USA.

By: Jacob Obinna

Entertainment

‘Lie From The Pit Of Hell,’ Family Debunks Pete Edochie’s death Rumours

Published

2 weeks ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

The family of veteran Nollywood actor, Pete Edochie, has dismissed viral rumours circulating on social media claiming that the film icon is dead.

Reacting to the reports in a video shared on his Instagram page on Tuesday, the actor’s eldest son, Leo Edochie, described the claim as false and malicious.

“I’ve been receiving text messages and calls over the nonsense post by some people that our father, Chief Pete Edochie, is dead. It is a lie from the pit of hell,” he said.

Leo added that the actor is alive and in good health, condemning those responsible for spreading the rumour.

“Our father is alive, hale and hearty. And if you wish someone dead, two things usually happen. The person will live very long and you will die before him. Shame to all of you,” he said.

The rumour had sparked concern among fans before the family’s clarification.

Entertainment

‘Mother’s Love’ Challenges Nigerian’s Film Portray Of Motherhood

Published

2 weeks ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde critiques Nollywood’s lack of mother-daughter stories ahead of her directorial debut, ‘Mother’s Love.’ See the cast and 2026 release date.

Nollywood veteran actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde is making her directorial debut with a different and sharper focus. Speaking recently with Newsmen,, the screen icon highlighted a glaring void in the industry’s catalogue, which is the authentic reality of mother-daughter relationships.

“We don’t have too many films that explore or showcase the relationship between mothers and daughters,” Omotola said during the interview, describing the subject as something deeply personal to her.

Speaking honestly about raising her first daughter, she admitted she had only one mode at the time, which was discipline. “I didn’t do a good job,” she said plainly, explaining that she understood motherhood strictly through control, not softness or emotional openness.

At the centre of Mother’s Love is Adebisi, a sheltered young woman from a wealthy home whose life is shaped by her father’s rigid control. Her first taste of freedom comes through NYSC, where distance from home allows her to begin discovering who she is outside her family’s expectations. She forms a friendship with a young man from a more modest background, and through him, starts to see the world and herself differently.

But the emotional core of the film isn’t Adebisi’s rebellion. It’s her mother. Long after being presented as quiet and compliant, she slowly reveals a resolve when her daughter’s safety and future are threatened. As secrets surface and buried grief comes into view, Mother’s Love becomes less about youthful independence and more about maternal sacrifice, unspoken trauma, and the emotional costs of survival inside a patriarchal home.

The Tide Entertainment reports that the film doesn’t shy away from weighty themes by including PTSD, unresolved grief, and social inequality at the centre of the story. It is far removed from the soft-focus sentimentality that often defines Mother’s Day-style narratives.

It also marks Omotola’s directorial debut, a significant moment considering how long she has shaped Nollywood from the front of the camera. She stars in the film alongside a mix of familiar faces and newer talent, including Ifeanyi Kalu, Olumide Oworu, and Noray Nehita.

Beyond the film itself, Omotola’s interview touched on a tension that has been simmering in Nollywood for a while now: how movies are marketed in the age of TikTok. Addressing the growing expectation for actors and filmmakers to create viral dance content to promote their work, she didn’t mince words. The pressure, she said, is exhausting and unnatural.

For her, the industry wasn’t meant to function this way. Still, she was careful not to judge anyone else’s approach. Everyone invests differently, carries different risks, and should be allowed to promote their films however they see fit.

“Do whatever you can do. It’s exhausting, it’s not natural. For me, the film industry is not supposed to be like that. We are encouraging nonsense if we are doing that. It doesn’t mean that whoever is doing it is wrong.”

Her comments arrive not long after the public back-and-forth between Kunle Afolayan and Funke Akindele over marketing styles, a debate that quickly turned into a proxy war between prestige storytelling and viral strategy. Omotola’s stance sits somewhere calmer. She understands the shift social media has brought, but she’s also clear about her own boundaries.

Omotola’s critique about the lack of mother-daughter stories isn’t unfounded. In Nollywood, mothers often exist as symbols rather than people. They’re either saintly figures who pray endlessly for their children or villains whose cruelty drives the plot forward. What’s missing is intimacy, the negotiations, and the regrets. The love that exists alongside resentment and misunderstanding.

Films rarely sit with the emotional complexity of women raising daughters in systems that also failed them. There’s little room for mothers who made mistakes but are still trying, or daughters who love their mothers while questioning the damage they inherited. Mother’s Love attempts to occupy that space, offering a more grounded portrayal that reflects lived experience rather than archetypes.

That’s where the film’s potential impact lies, in the decision to centre a relationship that Nollywood has largely flattened. If it works, it could open the door for more stories that treat motherhood as a lived, evolving reality rather than a fixed moral position.

Mother’s Love, directed by and starring Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, had its world premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2025. The film is set for a nationwide cinema release in Nigeria on March 6, 2026.

Entertainment

Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes Crosses ?1.77bn

Published

2 months ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes becomes Nollywood’s highest-grossing film of 2025, earning ?1.77bn in under four weeks.

Multi-award-winning actress and producer Funke Akindele has done it again, and this time, the numbers speak louder than applause.

Her latest film, Behind The Scenes, has officially emerged as the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2025, pulling in an astonishing ?1.767 billion in less than four weeks.

The Tide Entertainment reports that Funke Akindele Makes Box Office History as Behind The Scenes Crosses ?1.77bn
Earlier in its release cycle, the film’s distributor, FilmOne Entertainment, revealed that Behind The Scenes smashed five opening-weekend records, including the highest single-day gross ever recorded on Boxing Day, with ?129.5 million in one day. That announcement already hinted that something unusual was unfolding.

Reacting to the milestone, FilmOne described the moment as both surreal and communal, crediting audience loyalty for pushing the film to the top spot once again as the number-one movie of the weekend. And that sentiment feels accurate. This wasn’t just ticket sales; it was momentum.

What makes this achievement even more striking is that Behind The Scenes is Funke Akindele’s third film to cross the ?1 billion mark. Before now, there was A Tribe Called Judah, and then Everybody Loves Jenifa, a film that didn’t just open big, but went on to become the highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time. At this point, it’s no longer a fluke. It’s a pattern.

Part of Behind The Scenes’ success lies in strategy. The film enjoyed advanced screenings on December 10 and 11, quietly building curiosity and conversation before its nationwide release on December 12. By the time it officially hit cinemas, audiences already felt like they needed to see it.

Then there’s the cast. The film brings together a lineup that feels deliberately stacked: Scarlet Gomez, Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre, Uche Montana, and several others. Familiar faces, strong fan bases, and performances that kept word-of-mouth alive long after opening weekend.

Still, beyond timing and casting, there’s something else at work here. Funke Akindele understands Nigerian audiences. Their humour, their pacing, their emotional buttons. She doesn’t guess, she calculates, experiments, listens, and refines. That understanding has slowly turned into box-office dominance.

Behind The Scenes crossing ?1.77 billion isn’t just another headline; it’s confirmation. Funke Akindele has moved from being a successful actress to becoming one of the most reliable commercial forces Nollywood has ever produced. Three-billion-naira films don’t happen by luck. They happen when storytelling, business sense, and audience trust align.

And right now, that alignment seems firmly in her hands.