CLASSmagazine Exclusive: Nigeria’s star Kelly Hansome on D’banj, Wande Coal and his hard-hiting ‘Igwe kom kom’ controversial response song….
The photos from the interview appear at www.PhotoWorks.TV
Special to USAfricaonline.com, USAfrica The Newspaper, Houston, Nigeria360 e-group, CLASS magazine and The Black Business Journal
Nigeria’s lyrical afro-hip-hop superstar Kelly Hansome aka ‘Mr Maga’ whose latest roaring, controversial response to Wande Coal/D’banj/Mo’ Hits/ titled “Igwe kom kom” is rockin’ things has spoken about the musical “feud” he’s having with two of Nigeria’s biggest hip hop superstars D’banj, Wande Coal and their label Mo’ Hits records (Lagos).
The youthful pages of the web, youtube and social circles in Nigeria are reacting in hundreds of thousands to Kelly’s pointed, no-hold-barred musical response to Wande for singing ‘Who born the maga?’ and D’banj’s very popular ‘Igwe’ songs.
Kelly who made a courtesy visit to PhotoWorks.TV, CLASSmagazine and USAfrica multimedia networks’ Publisher Chido Nwangwu in Houston told him “they crossed the line of cultural respect and tradition with their minimizing the meaning and what it takes to become an Igwe. It’s not ethnic, it’s about respecting every culture, be it Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani, Efik or Tiv or anyone for that matter.”
When I reminded him that musicians and artistes can sing and write about any issues of their interest with decency or otherwise he countered that “I’m an artiste. I’m a musician but I’m born into tradition and culture and I do not disagree with the rights of musicians and artistes or anyone to free expression. That’s not my point. Remember that the great Fela, the great Chief Osadebe, the pioneer Ebenezar Obey, the durable Sunny Ade, Bright Chimezie, Morocco, Ayinde, even the much younger Tuface and Lagbaja and most if not all the major performers across Nigeria and Africa have shown such respect to traditional authority. Even for a musical performance you must respect fundamental aspects of our culture.”
Kelly Hansome believes and argues that “Wande and D’banj do not, apparently know that you don’t get the title of Igwe the same way you get a fashion or basic chieftaincy titles. That’s the thrust of my ‘Igwe kom kom’ song from my yet to be released single response to both D’banj’s Igwe and Wande’s attack on me which he called ‘Who born the maga?’ The latter being an obvious reference to me for my popular song ‘Maga don pay’… You know I’m known as Mr. Maga.”
When I asked him how the emerging disagreements, especially his strong but controversial musical response to Wande and D’banj are affecting their relationships, he add quickly: “it’s not affecting us. Chido, believe me, we’re all friends; it’s nothing personal. I stated and sang my principled position….” We are yet to confirm if Mo’ Hits, Wande and the world-famous D’banj feel the same way. The much-talked about single has been leaked on youtube.
He spoke about the rapper M.I, Tuface, other new artistes, youths and national development, why Nigerians should support the leadership of the country, his anti-4-1-9 plans, plus the first hints to USAfricaonline.com and CLASSmagazine about the release schedule of his new, sure-to-be-controversial album.
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President Obama, hate-mongers and mob cons. By Chido Nwangwu, Publisher of USAfricaonline.com, www.Achebebooks.com, CLASS magazine, The Black Business Journal, USAfrica.TV, and the largest digital images/pictorial events domain for Africans abroad www.PhotoWorks.TV
https://usafricaonline.com/president-obama-hate-mongers-and-mob-cons-by-chido-nwangwu/
https://usafricaonline.com/chido.obamavshatemongers09.html
Follow Chido at FaceBook.com/usafrica and at Twitter.com/chido247
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USAfricaonline.com goes richly interactive with new look, content….
By Alverna Johnson. Corporate Affairs, Houston:
On 10/10/09, the major redesign and addition of richly interactive options will go fully live on the award-winning web site of the first African-owned, U.S-based professional newspaper published on the internet, www.USAfricaonline.com
“The importance of this latest interactive re-positioning of USAfricaonline.com is to fully tap into the advantages of the digital world to benefit our community and readers. Especially, the key issue and leverage is that we have and own unique content; and with this initiative, USAfrica advances, further, the immigrant African views and news into the international media and public policy mainstream. It leverages the global resources of USAfrica, again, into the electronic frontline of critically informed, responsible discourse and seasoned reportage of African and American interests as well as debating relevant issues of disagreement”, notes Chido Nwangwu, the Founder & Publisher of USAfricaonline.com, AchebeBooks.com, The Black Business Journal, USAfrica.TV and CLASSmagazine.
“Some of the new features on USAfricaonline.com have enabled for our readers and bloggers, the live texting of pages and page links to phones and other multimedia devices, instant sharing across all the leading social networks especially Facebook, Twitter, digg, myspace, Mixx, Technorati, LinkedIn, AIM, LiveJournal and Yigg.”
Chido Nwangwu, recipient of an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree in May 2009 and analyst on CNN, VOA, SABC, highlights other advantages as “live RSS feeds and e-syndication of the USAfrica reports and premium content. In terms of graphics and structure, the new USAfricaonline.com has visually refreshing headers and crisp pictures. We’ve also added more columnists, regional news correspondents and incisive special features writers. The site will be updated regularly, especially for significant breaking news.”
The flagship of the American media, The New York Times, several public policy, media and human rights organizations have assessed USAfrica and USAfricaonline.com as the most influential and largest multimedia networks covering the bi-continental interests of Africans and Americans. The first edition of USAfrica magazine was published August 1993; USAfrica The Newspaper on May 11, 1994; CLASSmagazine on May 2, 2003; PhotoWorks.TV in 2005, and dozens of web sites and e-groups/blogs.
The Houston-based USAfrica has a formidable, experienced network of editors and correspondents across the U.S and Africa. Its Publisher served as adviser on Africa business/community to Houston’s former Mayor Lee Brown. https://usafricaonline.com/chido.html
contact: Alverna Johnson (Corporate Affairs). USAfrica Inc. 8303 Southwest Freeway, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77074
office:713-270-5500 wireLess: 832-45-CHIDO (24436) e-mail: News@USAfricaonline.com or Chido@USAfricaonline.com
I really wish more home recording tutorials were geared toward newbies who aren't electrical engineers.
bros stop misbehaving i thought u r all brothers.
how would you like to talk about the fisrt pidgin english xmas carol hillarious and outstanding its high time
BOB EJIKE; THE LAST MAN STANDING
Bob Ejike has just dropped a Christmas present for Nigerian and African music lovers. Twenty-five different singles and an album, in a space of two months! That’s making history. Ejike’s audio CD Forever and Ever confronts Nigerian music purists who believe that Nigerian music must be recorded by an all Nigerian team, and sounding like D’banji or Timaya. Ejike, whose musical horizon has extended to Italy and East Africa, uses an ensemble and production crew from Nigeria, Uganda and Congo, and dares to sound like the new improved Bob Ejike.
Many are astonished at the sheer number of releases, wondering what Ejike, a world renowned university professor who pioneered Nollywood, launching such superstars as Richard Mofe-Damijo and Lillian Bach, and promoting the Nigerian film renaissance to international recognition, is doing with a 16 track album. However, they relax once they hear the throbbing rhythm, heavy bass guitar and intricate xylophone works in Change The System, which laments the socio-economic decay in Nigeria and decries the beleaguered lot of the common man.
Egwuoma, an Ibo song re-enacting black history and artistic heritage, surprisingly features Ugandan-born international sensation Cindy Sanyu, singing in flawless Igbo Language. Cindy still shocks the listener with her pidgin English rendition in Gimmi Gimmi. In On The Radio, Ejike does the extraordinary by appealing to radio and TV stations to play his music and videos. He continues in Higher, which features the comical duo Aki and Pawpaw, as well as Italy-based Nigerian artiste B.B. Jones, calling on you to request his music on radio, TV and locals. After thirty persistent years in the scene Ejike deserves the attention he craves. Why did he shoot forty videos, if not for them to be shown?
In the only reggae track Niger Delta, Bob Ejike, the social crusader, appeals for an end to the crisis in the Niger Delta, and asks the Nigerian government to make efforts to improve the underdeveloped oil producing areas. Other songs include Africa, Where Did It Go? Nigerian Woman, We Are Family, and the classic Does Your Mama Know?, which conquered the airwaves in early 2000. Iyawo Mi, a Wazobian piece on family values, is rendered in Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa, followed by Making Up, (a typical Naija song), Cheating On Me, and Give Me.
Ejike, a former NTA (Nigerian Television Authority) presenter, and Sunday Sun columnist, started this project 7 years ago in Lagos, with ace producers Nelson Onome Browne and Chris Okoro, before taking the materials to his studios in Italy and Uganda for continental and international touch. He ignores conventional wisdom, which dictates that for any album to be successful in Nigeria, it must be noisy, without making lyrical sense, and delves into serious social, economic and political themes.
Bob Ejike juggles genres, from hip-hop to RnB, to highlife-Makossa, with an import that would satisfy Naija hip-hop buffs without alienating his traditional fan base. His fans will be amazed to find the middle-aged crooner an accomplished Naija rapper. The overall African flavour flows through the expertly performed pieces. This is not one of the all-too-familiar computer-made synthetic albums. All instruments were played and recorded live. The songs were chosen from forty-five mastered pieces, almost all with videos that were shot in breathtaking locations in France, Italy, Uganda and Rwanda. The videos were first launched on Bob Ejike’s website http://www.hiphoprhythm.com then on U-Tube, Facebook and MySpace, from which they were borrowed by hundreds of entertainment websites across the globe, making Bob Ejike one of the most famous African artistes in the Internet.
Now you have a Nigerian album that makes sense and sounds different, in which the artiste is not just reproducing another person’s beat and boasting about his wealth and the girls he has slept with. Forever and Ever is not the typical media hit that you cannot find anywhere outside your radio and TV. You can get a copy from the nearest shop to your home for just N100. Ejike, an advocate of art for art’s sake, kept down the price to ensure that everyone can afford a copy.
Those who were wondering whether Bob Ejike would leave acting after starring in 40 Nollywood films, and become a serious musician, will be convinced. The argument about whether he is a better writer, model, actor, singer, or TV presenter will terminate. One thing is certain, Ejike, who was trained by The Reverend Chris Okotie, remains one of the most experienced pop musicians in the continent and a valuable asset to the Nigerian entertainment culture. He is one of the few mature artistes who have survived the onslaught of the young hip-hop rappers, and he did it by being consistent in his style, never copying or imitating anyone. He often complains that there is no recognition for pioneers and multi-talented people who have contributed to the different areas of the art. One price that no one can deny Bob Ejike is the award for tenacity, perseverance and consistency, and that is Forever and Ever. Amen.
(Bob Ejike’s fotos are in google)
MARY E. AJAYI
University of Lagos,
Akoka.