Chris Oyakhilome (known popularly as "Pastor Chris") is a televangelist and founding president of Believers' LoveWorld Incorporated aka "Christ Embassy", a Christian organisation headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. Contents
Pastor Chris was brought up in a strict Christian home, was born again at the age of 9 and started his ministry as a young undergraduate at the then Bendel State University (now "Ambrose Alli University") where he studied Architecture.
He is married to Pastor Anita Oyakhilome, the Director of the Christ Embassy International Office who also pastors Christ Embassy Churches in the United Kingdom, including her own chapter, Christ Embassy Docklands, in North Woolwich, London.[citation needed]. She is the Co- Director of Loveworld Christian Network [edit] Ministry and healing
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome is the author of several bestselling books including "Rhapsody of Realities" (www.rhapsodyofrealities.org) which he co-authors with his wife, Pastor Anita. His teachings are also available in all audio and video formats. His book "How to receive your miracle and retain it?" is a Christian classic which displays the life of a Christian, the Christian's authority as a believer and the possessions in the Kingdom of God that belong to every believer.
Presiding over an ever-widening network of Christ Embassy Churches and campus fellowships on six continents, Pastor Chris also pastors one of the largest congregations in Africa. He holds teaching and healing crusades with crowds of over 3.5 million in a single night's event. Christ Embassy has an elite group of international professionals responsible for translating monthly English versions of the ministry's "Rhapsody of Realities" into over 80 languages.
In 2003, he pioneered the first 24-hour Christian Network from Africa to the rest of the world known as LoveWorld Christian Network. He is also the host of the television program “Atmosphere for Miracles”, which is oriented towards healing of physical and spiritual ailments and is broadcast on major television networks around the world.
The wider ministry includes the Healing School, Inner City Mission, and an expanding on-line ministry. [edit] References
He has also reached millions of soul through there channel Loveworld sat and it is reaching people and there the love of God is being shown to a dieing world.The book Healing For Heaven has been a expose of What is the will of God for peoples Health and that God wants his people in Health for that was one other Reason Jesus came "for by his stripes we are healed",
Hashim Thabit Manka or Hasheem Thabeet was born on February 16, 1987 in Dar es Salaam. Hasheem Thabeet is a college basketball player at the University of Connecticut Huskies. When Connecticut's 7-3, 263-pound junior center Hasheem Thabeet made the 7,600-mile journey to America five years ago from the African country of Tanzania, he had no compass to direct him on this basketball odyssey, nor any barometer to gauge how much effort it would take to achieve the rewards that lay ahead.
But like any immigrant looking for a better life in America, he has worked his way into NBA lottery status and become a source of pride to those from with similar aspirations. COLLEGE HOOPS PREVIEW: DICK WEISS' TOP 25
He has become a beacon of hope for his country, the way NBA center Dikembe Mutombo is for Zaire, and the way Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon has been for Nigeria.
Thabeet's goal was to be a scholarship basketball player, but having established a new life halfway around the world, he could never have fathomed how his story has captivated a nation.
Africa has long been an untapped basketball resource, a diamond mine of raw talent that reached mythological poportions when Kevin Bacon starred in the movie "The Air Up There," in which he played an assistant coach in search of a new star, a man who watched a videotape of a prospect then went into the bush to recruit him. The NBA has tried to cultivate the game there, running camps and clinics throughout the continent in hopes of eventually increasing its player pool and global appeal.
"When I went home last summer, I couldn't believe how many kids were out there playing basketball in my country," Thabeet says. "There are a lot of good players nobody knows, who get no respect. Hopefully, one day, I can go help by running camps for others."
Thabeet established himself as a legitimate NBA prospect last year when he was selected Big East Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 10.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and an NCAA Division I-leading 4.5 blocked shots. He is the biggest reason the Huskies should be in the national championship mix this season.
"We have no excuses," Thabeet says. "We have everybody back."
Thabeet considers himself as an old school player who watches tapes of Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then tries to pattern his game after them.
Nadia Buari, (born November 21, 1982)[1] is a Ghanaian actress. She received two nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the African Movie Academy Awards in 2007 and 2009.[2][3] Contents Nadia Buari is an actress in the film industry of Ghana, Africa. She is of Ghanaian and Lebanese descent. Buari is the daughter of Alhaji Sidiku Buari, a well-known and successful musician in Ghana who is chairman of the African Action Committee of the Federation of Musicians (IFM) and the acting chairman of the Copyright Society of Ghana (COSGA).
Personal life
Nadia was born in Takoradi, Ghana. She studied at theatre Arts and it is when she got her first role to be in the movie, Mummy`s Daughter opposite Van Vicker and Jackie Aygemang. She has said in many interviews that she wants to be just like Julia Roberts. After the success of Beyonce, she became really popular. She is the oldest out of 4 kids. Her idol is actor Raven Symone
[edit] Career
Nadia Buari was first cated in the movie Mummy`s Daughter that was a huge success. Later that year, she was in Beyonce and she became one of African`s best actors. Her first debut in Nollywood was A Woman`s honour opposite Olu Jacobs and Mike Eruzuonye and the film was also a success. Her latest Nigerian movie is Beyonce and Rihanna starring Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Jim Iyke and Uche Jumbo. The young lady intends to try her hands on directing her first movie and hopes to rely on her father to help since he has a great history of movie production. She is also married to footballer Michael Essien, but she hasn`t confirmed the rumours
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa on July 18, 1918. His father was Chief Henry Mandela of the Tembu Tribe. Mandela himself was educated at University College of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand and qualified in law in 1942. He joined the African National Congress in 1944 and was engaged in resistance against the ruling National Party's apartheid policies after 1948. He went on trial for treason in 1956-1961 and was acquitted in 1961.
After the banning of the ANC in 1960, Nelson Mandela argued for the setting up of a military wing within the ANC. In June 1961, the ANC executive considered his proposal on the use of violent tactics and agreed that those members who wished to involve themselves in Mandela's campaign would not be stopped from doing so by the ANC. This led to the formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe. Mandela was arrested in 1962 and sentenced to five years' imprisonment with hard labour. In 1963, when many fellow leaders of the ANC and the Umkhonto we Sizwe were arrested, Mandela was brought to stand trial with them for plotting to overthrow the government by violence. His statement from the dock received considerable international publicity. On June 12, 1964, eight of the accused, including Mandela, were sentenced to life imprisonment. From 1964 to 1982, he was incarcerated at Robben Island Prison, off Cape Town; thereafter, he was at Pollsmoor Prison, nearby on the mainland.
During his years in prison, Nelson Mandela's reputation grew steadily. He was widely accepted as the most significant black leader in South Africa and became a potent symbol of resistance as the anti-apartheid movement gathered strength. He consistently refused to compromise his political position to obtain his freedom.
Nelson Mandela was released on February 11, 1990. After his release, he plunged himself wholeheartedly into his life's work, striving to attain the goals he and others had set out almost four decades earlier. In 1991, at the first national conference of the ANC held inside South Africa after the organization had been banned in 1960, Mandela was elected President of the ANC while his lifelong friend and colleague, Oliver Tambo, became the organisation's National Chairperson.
Marriage and family
Mandela has been married three times, has fathered six children, has twenty grandchildren, and a growing number of great-grandchildren. He is grandfather to Chief Mandla Mandela.[95] First marriage
Mandela's first marriage was to Evelyn Ntoko Mase who, like Mandela, was also from what later became the Transkei area of South Africa, although they actually met in Johannesburg.[96] The couple broke up in 1957 after 13 years, divorcing under the multiple strains of his constant absences, devotion to revolutionary agitation, and the fact she was a Jehovah's Witness, a religion which requires political neutrality.[97] Evelyn Mase died in 2004.[98] The couple had two sons, Madiba Thembekile (Thembi) (1946–1969) and Makgatho Mandela (1950–2005) , and two daughters, both named Makaziwe Mandela (known as Maki; born 1947 and 1953). Their first daughter died aged nine months, and they named their second daughter in her honour.[99] All their children were educated at the United World College of Waterford Kamhlaba.[100] Thembi was killed in a car crash in 1969 at the age of twenty-five, while Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island, and Mandela was not allowed to attend the funeral.[101] Makgatho died of AIDS in 2005. Second marriage
Mandela's second wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, also came from the Transkei area, although they, too, met in Johannesburg, where she was the city's first black social worker.[102] They had two daughters, Zenani (Zeni), born 4 February 1958, and Zindziswa (Zindzi) Mandela-Hlongwane, born 1960.[102] Zindzi was only 18 months old when her father was sent to Robben island. Later, Winnie would be deeply torn by family discord which mirrored the country's political strife; while her husband was serving a life sentence on the Robben Island prison, her father became the agriculture minister in the Transkei.[102] The marriage ended in separation (April 1992) and divorce (March 1996), fuelled by political estrangement.[103]
Mandela still languished in prison when his daughter Zenani was married to Prince Thumbumuzi Dlamini in 1973, elder brother of King Mswati III of Swaziland.[104] Although she had vivid memories of her father, from the age of four up until sixteen, South African authorities did not permit her to visit him.[105] The Dlamini couple live and run a business in Boston.[106] One of their sons, Prince Cedza Dlamini (born 1976), educated in the United States, has followed in his grandfather's footsteps as an international advocate for human rights and humanitarian aid.[106]
Zindzi Mandela-Hlongwane made history worldwide when she read out Mandela's speech refusing his conditional pardon in 1985. She is a businesswoman in South Africa with three children, the eldest of whom is a son, Zondwa Gadaffi Mandela.[107] Third marriage
Mandela was remarried, on his 80th birthday in 1998, to Graça Machel née Simbine, widow of Samora Machel, the former Mozambican president and ANC ally who was killed in an air crash 12 years earlier.[108] The wedding followed months of international negotiations to set the unprecedented bride-price to be remitted to Machel's clan. Said negotiations were conducted on Mandela's behalf by his traditional sovereign, King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo.[109] The paramount chief's grandfather was the regent Jongintaba Dalindyebo, who had arranged a marriage for Mandela, which he eluded by fleeing to Johannesburg in 1940.[16]
Mandela still maintains a home at Qunu in the realm of his royal nephew (second cousin thrice-removed in Western reckoning), whose university expenses he defrayed and whose privy councillor he remains.[110]
Ramsey Tokunbo Nouah Jr, (born 16 July 1973) is a Nigerian actor. In 2010 he won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role.[1]
Born in Edo, Nigeria, Nouah (often misspelt 'Noah') is of Nigerian and Israeli parentage (his father is of Israeli and Lebanese descent, while his mother is Yoruba, hailling from Owo, Ondo. His middle name, Tokunbo, means Born Overseas.[2] He never knew his dad, he was raised by his mum. Before gaining popularity as a Nollywood actor, Nouah had been a Hip hop artiste with future fellow actor Pat Attah - the pair would eventually star in the Nigerian soap opera Megafortunes alongside Regina Askia, who played their stepmother. He has been dubbed "Lover-Boy" for his numerous roles in romantic movies.
Nouah has a son, Camil Noah, and is happily married. His first movie was king of money Ramsey Nouah's face is better known around the black and African world than the face of the president of Nigeria. Born in July 1973, his face has sold many Nigerian home movies at home and abroad. Ladies melt with love for him, especially for his numerous ...Ramsey Nouah's face is better known around the black and African world than the face of the president of Nigeria. Born in July 1973, his face has sold many Nigerian home movies at home and abroad. Ladies melt with love for him, especially for his numerous “lover boy” roles in romantic movies. This writer has chased him across three continents just to have this conversation. Ramsey was in the US at the inauguration of the Filmmakers Association of Nigeria, USA,
Samuel Eto'o, fils (French pronunciation: [samɥɛl eto fis]; born 10 March 1981) is a Cameroonian footballer who plays as a striker for Italian Serie A club Internazionale and is currently serving as captain of the Cameroon national team.[3]
Eto'o scored over 100 goals in five seasons with FC Barcelona, and is also the record holder in number of appearances by an African player in La Liga.[4] As of June 2009, he is the joint 3rd highest goalscorer in Barça's history, along with Rivaldo. He is the second player to have ever scored in two separate UEFA Champions League finals.
As a member of the Cameroon national team, he was a part of the squad that won the 2000 Olympic tournament; he has participated in two World Cups and five African Nations Cups (being champion twice), and is the all-time leading scorer in the history of the African Nations Cup, with 18 goals Eto'o has two brothers: David, who plays for Reus Deportiu in the Tercera División, and Étienne, who plays for RCD Mallorca. Eto'o married his longtime sweetheart Georgette on 6 July 2007. They have three children together: Étienne, Maelle, and Siena, who all live along with Georgette in Paris, France.[46]
International career Eto'o playing for Cameroon
Eto'o earned his first cap with Cameroon at age 14 on 9 March 1996, in a 5–0 friendly loss to Costa Rica. In 1998, he was the youngest participant in the 1998 FIFA World Cup when he appeared in a 3–0 group stage loss to Italy on 17 June 1998, at the age of 17 years and three months. Eto'o scored his sole goal of the 2002 World Cup when he netted the game-winner against Saudi Arabia during the group stage on 6 June 2002, which was Cameroon's only win of the competition.
Eto'o was a part of the squads that won the 2000 and 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, and was a gold medalist at the 2000 Summer Olympics. At the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, in which Cameroon finished as runners-up, he scored his only goal in a 1–0 group-stage upset of Brazil on 19 June. Cameroon were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations after Eto'o missed the decisive penalty in a 12–11 shoot-out loss to Côte d'Ivoire following a 1–1 draw, but he nonetheless finished as the top scorer of the tournament with five goals. He missed a team practice before the quarterfinals to attend the CAF African Footballer of the Year award ceremonies in Togo.
In the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, Eto'o became joint leading goalscorer (along with Laurent Pokou) in the competition's history after scoring his fourteenth goal with a penalty against Zambia on 26 January 2008. In the following game against Sudan on 30 January, Eto'o converted another penalty to become the tournament's all time leading scorer, followed by another goal in the same match that took his Cup of Nations tally to 16.[44] He finished as the top scorer for the second consecutive tournament, matching his 2006 total of five goals.
On 1 June 2008, Eto'o headbutted reporter Philippe Bony, following an incident at a press conference. Bony suffered an injury, but Eto'o later apologized for the altercation, offering to pay Bony's medical expenses.[45]
In the 2010 World Cup qualification match against Gabon, Eto'o scored a goal in the 68th minute. He followed it up with another goal in the home fixture. He now leads the scoring chart with eight qualification goals. Eto'o scored in the World Cup Qualification match against Morocco to win Cameroon a spot in the FIFA 2010 World Cup.
On Tuesday December 1, 2009 Eto'o came in 5th for the Ballon d'Or, which was taken by his former teammate Lionel Messi.
Akon (born Aliaune Badara Akon Thiam), (pronounced /ˈeɪkɒn/),[1] is a Senegalese-American R&B singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, businessman, and philanthropist. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up”, the first single from his debut album Trouble. His second album, Konvicted, earned him a Grammy Award nomination of the single "Smack That". He has since found two record labels, Konvict Muzik and Kon Live Distribution. He is known as one of the most successful and versatile R&B singers of the 21st century, grossing over 30 million dollars a year according to Forbes. Akon often sings hooks for other artists and is currently accredited with over 300 guest appearances and 40 Billboard Hot 100 songs. He is the first solo artist to hold both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice.[2] He has had 6 Grammy Awards nominations and has produced many hits for artists such as Lady Gaga, Colby O'Donis and Leona Lewis. Background
Akon has claimed in interviews that his full name is Aliaune Damala Akon Thiam[3] although there is some ambiguity and debate about Akon's legal name and birth date. Akon is usually credited as Aliaune Thiam.[4][5] In addition to the longer form, Akon's full name has been reported both as Aliaune Badara Thiam and Alioune Badara Thiam [6] and About.com claims that this middle name has never been independently verified.[7] In regards to his birth date, some media institutions have reported that Akon was born in 1981. Other sources, including the AP, have indicated that Akon was born in 1973 and was delivered by Senegalese doctor Magueye Seck.
Legal documents released by The Smoking Gun list Akon's name as Aliaune Damala Thiam and his date of birth as 1973-04-30[8] or 1973-04-16,[9] however the BBC states he was born on 14 October 1981. It has since been reported by various media sources that he was born in 1977. Early life
As the son of Senegalese percussionist Mor Thiam, Akon was raised in a musical setting and taught to play several instruments including the djembe. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., so that he would not have to go through the immigration process, but he lived in Dakar, Senegal until the age of 7, split time between America and Senegal until he was 15, then he moved permanently to Jersey City, New Jersey.[10]
During Akon's alleged time in jail for three years, he began to understand his music abilities and developed an appreciation for his musical background. Akon's unique blend of West-African-style, skills and moves eventually caught the ears of executives at Universal. Akon began writing and recording tracks in his home studio. The tapes found their way to SRC/Universal, which released Akon's debut LP Trouble in June 2004. The album is a hybrid of Akon's silky, West African-styled vocals mixed with East Coast and Southern beats. Most of Akon's songs begin with the sound of the clank of a jail cell's door with him uttering the word "Konvict".[11] Personal life and allegations
He has also been rumored to have three wives, however he has since revealed that he only has one, named Tomeka. Akon claims he has six children with three different women in an interview with Blender.[12] Akon claims to have great relationships with all his children, and that he wishes to keep his family protected from the public eye. He also states that his religion made him a better person, and provides guidance to how he acts among others in life.[13]
He also has his own charity for underprivileged children in Africa called Konfidence Foundation.[14] Akon owns a diamond mine in South Africa and denies the existence of blood diamonds (also known as "conflict diamonds") saying, "I don't believe in conflict diamonds. That's just a movie. Think about it. Nobody thought or cared about conflict diamonds until "Blood Diamond" was released. "[15] However, he has since stated that he does accept that blood diamonds exist, and that he is partial-owner of an African mine that is dedicated to avoiding use of blood diamonds while also donating profits to local communities.[16]
"The Smoking Gun" reported in April 2008 that much of Akon's purported criminal and incarceration history has been dramatically embellished.[17][18][19] In particular, Akon's claims to be part of an auto-theft ring and his claim to have spent three years in prison were challenged with court records and interviews with detectives involved in Akon's case.
According to "The Smoking Gun's" article, Akon was not convicted of any crime and did not serve any time in prison from 1999 to 2002 as previously claimed. He stated that "The Smoking Gun's" attempt to “discredit” him “makes no sense as it is something he is trying to forget.” Akon retorted that he never spent 3 years in prison consecutively, but many shorter sentences that add up to three years, and cites that as the mis-understanding by The Smoking Gun's article [20]
JACQUELINE KIBACHA has a passion for the power of words and a heart to raise the voice of those whose voices are not heard. Currently working in the government and policy in London, she would like to use the skills gained in this work to establish projects and eventually systems in Tanzania and other African countries that would benefit.
Born in the ‘haven of peace’ Dar Es Salaam Tanzania, JACQUELINE KIBACHA who does poetry under the name PRETTY POET is a Creative Strategist artistically documenting and responding to the struggles that exist in a Woman’s world and the tensions of the human soul within, through poetry and words spoken. Experience of organizing music events and being the lead female vocalist in a funk reggae band, cultivated her eclectic music taste and the desire to experiment with sounds and words. PRETTY POET is currently in studio working on her first album. In her pieces she fuses the love for words with music, collaborating with DJs, musicians and producers to create poetry with a purpose beyond words on a page. Her creative influences include artists such as Lauryn Hill and Nina Simmone who match the weight and richness of their voice with lyrical content that is thought provoking and socially aware.
Words are her passion and poetry is her art. In her most recent poem Mean Love she collaborates with renowned East African producer Ambrose Akwabi aka Dunga of Mandugu Digital. The poem tackles the issue of domestic abuse and incorporates Swahili to emphasize that these issues need to be given more attention in African society. Mean Love is available to download in iTunes, Amazon and Napster.
As a natural big sister, the first born of 4 siblings and many more in her growing ‘extended family’ PRETTY POET has an optimistic outlook on life, believing that if you can see it, you can achieve it. She encourages others to find their confidence, acknowledge their talents and set goals to see their dreams realized. PRETTY POET’S approach has been likened to taking a sugar-coated pillÉ She cares, she gives you truth and she helps make things better! Visit her on her blog www.prettypoet.blogspot.com to catch her perspective.
PRETTY POET says:
I love people, I love building relationships, I love to discover where my life can come among alongside yours because I believe that I am a catalyst for positive change and growth wherever I connect with others. I am inspired by those who are free enough to love and brave enough to do the acts that demonstrate that love, for themselves, and for others. My hope is that I will always be able to make my life available, to be an inspiration, to live a PRETTY POETIC lifestyle, having eyes that look with imaginative awareness and a voice that is authentic and commands response and change. I want to use my PRETTY POETIC perspective to see and solve problems in my communities.
Born in Mogadishu, Somalia,[3] K'naan spent his childhood in Mogadishu[4] and lived there during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1991. His aunt, Magool, was one of Somalia's most famous singers. K'naan's grandfather, Haji Mohamed, was a poet. He is a Muslim, and his name, Keinan, means "traveler" in the Somali language. He spent the early years of his life avoiding death and listening to the hip-hop records sent to him from America by his father, who had left Somalia earlier. When he was 13, K'naan, his mother, and his two siblings, older brother, Libann, and younger sister Sagal were able to leave their homeland and join relatives in Harlem, where they stayed briefly before moving to the Toronto, Ontario neighbourhood of Rexdale[5], where there was a large Somali Canadian community.[6] His family still lives there. In his new country, K'naan began learning English, some through hip hop albums by artists like Nas and Rakim. Despite the fact that he could not speak English, the young K'naan taught himself hip hop and rap diction, copying the lyrics and style phonetically.[7] He then also began rapping.[8] He dropped out of school in grade ten to travel for a time, rapping at open mic events, and eventually returned to Career
Leaving Somalia at the age of thirteen on what turned out to be the very last commercial flight to ever do so, amidst a crumbling society and the end to this day of any form of central government, K'naan carried with him a very strong sense of purpose. It is this sense of purpose as well as his amazing lyrical gift, which has made him a beacon for other artists as well as those dedicated to global change. K'naan became a friend and associate of Canadian promoter Sol Guy, who helped him secure a speaking engagement before the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 1999, where K'naan performed a spoken word piece criticizing the UN for its failed aid missions to Somalia.[9] One of the audience members, Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour, was so impressed by the young MC's performance and courage that he invited him to contribute to his 2001 album Building Bridges, a project through which K'naan was able to tour the world.
This project led to his work at other UN events, as well as the Montreal Jazz Festival and the Halifax Pop Explosion. It also helped him meet Canadian producer Jarvis Church and his Track & Field team in 2002, who produced his debut album The Dusty Foot Philosopher, which was released in 2005 to critical acclaim. In 2006, it won the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year, and was nominated for the 2006 Polaris Music Prize. It also won the BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music in the newcomer category for 2007.[10][11] The Dusty Foot Philosopher was re-released and re-packaged as a "Deluxe Edition" featuring new mixes and a bonus DVD in the United States (and various international territories) by the emerging media company and record label iM (Interdependent Media, Inc.) in 2008.
Since then, he has been on tour promoting his album and working on his follow-up release, "Troubadour," his debut album for new label A&M/Octone Records. He has also been working with artists like Nelly Furtado, Mos Def, The Roots, Dead Prez, and Pharoahe Monch on tours such as Live 8[12] and Breedlove Odyssey.[6] He also collaborated with Damian Marley on the "Welcome to Jamrock" touring session.[13]
He released The Dusty Foot on the Road, a collection of recording made during his world tour on Wrasse Records.[14]
K'naan rose to mainstream popularity by participating in the 2008 BET Awards Cypher, This was his first appearance on American television. His second studio album, Troubadour, was released on February 24, 2009 on A&M/Octone Records, and will be distributed through Universal Music Group worldwide. The album's first single, "ABC's", was released to radio in late 2008. K'naan has featured in several video games such as Madden NFL 09 with his song ABC's, and FIFA 06 with his song "Soobax". The song "If Rap Gets Jealous", a rerecording of a track of the same name - with different verses - from The Dusty Foot Philosopher, features Metallica lead guitarist Kirk Hammett. K'naan was also the first featured artist on X3, a collaborative project between CBC Radio 3, Exclaim! magazine and aux.tv to promote new Canadian music.[15]
A remixed version of K'naan's single "Wavin' Flag" has been chosen as the Coca-Cola anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, to be held in South Africa.[16]
Style and influences Critics have said K'naan has "a sound that fuses Bob Marley, conscious American hip hop, and brilliant protest poetry."[8] His voice and style have been compared to Eminem,[7] but his subject matter is very different; according to K'naan, he makes "urgent music with a message", talking about the situation in his homeland of Somalia and calling for an end to violence and bloodshed.[17] He specifically tries to avoid gangsta rap clichés and posturing,[18] saying: “ All Somalis know that gangsterism isn't to brag about. The kids that I was growing up with [in Rexdale] would wear baggy [track] suit pants, and a little jacket from Zellers or something, and they'd walk into school, and all the cool kids would be like, 'Ah, man, look at these Somalis. Yo, you're a punk!' And the other kid won't say nothing, but that kid, probably, has killed fifteen people.[9] ”
This statement was made to explain his position on the world of difference which exists between where he grew up, and the ghettos of the first world.[19]. Nonetheless, K'naan denies that he is overtly political, instead explaining that he "[shows] the state of the world [and] if you call it like it is you're being political."[20]. His own opinion of his music is that it's a "mix of tradition and [a] kind of articulation of my own life and [..] my past experiences."[20]
K'naan has said that he is influenced by Somali music and the traditional instruments of Somalia.[21] His most recent album, Troubadour, also draws heavily from Ethiopian sources, particularly Ethio-Jazz by Alemayehu Eshete and Tilahun Gessesse.[22][23]
Manu Dibango, born Emmanuel Dibango N'Djoké on 12 December 1933 in Douala, Cameroon) is a Cameroonian saxophonist and vibraphone player. He developed a musical style fusing jazz, funk and traditional Cameroonian music. He is a member of the Yabassi ethnic group, though his mother was a Duala. He is best remembered for his afrobeat single "Soul Makossa", often considered the first disco record. Early life
Dibango was born at 11:00 PM WAT (10:00 PM UTC) on 12 December 1933 in Douala, Cameroon. His father, Michel Manfred N'Djoké Dibango[1] was a civil servant. The son of a farmer, he met his wife travelling by pirogue to her residence, Douala.[2] A literate woman, she was a fashion designer, running her own small business.[3] Both her ethnicity, the Duala, and his, the Yabassi, viewed this union of different ethnic groups with some disdain.[2] Emmanuel had no siblings, although he had a stepbrother from his father's previous marriage[4] who was four years older than him.[5] In Cameroon, one's ethnicity is dictated by their fathers, though he wrote in his autobiography, Three Kilos of Coffee, that he has "never been able to identify completely with either of [his] parents."[4]
Dibango's uncle was the leader of his extended family. Upon his death, Dibango's father refused to take over, as he never fully initiated his son into the Yabassi's customs. Throughout his childhood, Dibango slowly forgot the Yabassi language in favor of the Duala. However, his family did live in the Yabassi encampment on the Bassa plateau, close to the Wouri River in central Douala.[4] While a child, Dibango attended Protestant church every night for religious education, or nkouaida. He enjoyed studying music there, and reportedly was a fast learner.[3]
After being educated at his village school,[6] in 1941 Dibango was accepted into "the white man's school", 2 kilometres (1 mi) from the compound. While there, he was forced to learn French. He admired the teacher, whom he described as "an extraordinary draftsman and painter."[7] In 1944, French president Charles de Gaulle chose this school to perform the welcoming ceremonies upon his arrival in Cameroon.[8]
He was a member of the seminal Congolese rumba group African Jazz, and has collaborated with many other musicians, including Fania All Stars, Fela Kuti, Herbie Hancock, Bill Laswell, Bernie Worrell, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Don Cherry, and Sly and Robbie. In 1998 he recorded the album CubAfrica with Cuban artist Eliades Ochoa.
The song of the same name on that record contains the lyrics "makossa", which means "(I) dance" in his native tongue, the Cameroonian language, Duala). It has influenced several popular music hits, including Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", as well as his re-recording of that song with Akon, the Fugees' "Cowboys", and Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music". The 1982 parody song "Boogie In Your Butt" by comedian Eddie Murphy interpolates Soul Makossa's bassline and horn charts while "Butt Naked Booty Bless" by 1990s hip hop group Poor Righteous Teachers heavily samples its musical bridge and drum patterns.
He served as the first chairman of the Cameroon Music Corporation, with a high profile in disputes about artists' royalties. Dibango was appointed a UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2004.[9][10]
His song "Reggae Makossa" is featured on the soundtrack to the 2006 video game Scarface: The World Is Yours. In August 2009 he played the closing concert at the revived Brecon Jazz Festival
.jpg)
