HONORABLE AFRICANS - ADICHIE, WEK, AND ASSEFA

The April edition of "Ebony" magazine handpicked eight Africans for their contributions to the world. Three female Africans made the list for the urban publication's series, "Ebony In Africa. The females included are Sudanese supermodel Alek Wek, Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Ethiopian designer Gelila Assefa.

The men that made the list are Tanzanian architect David Adjaye, South African singer Johnathan Butler, Zimbabwean co-founder and CEO of The Africa Channel James Makawa, Malian filmmaker Manthia Diawara, and Nigerian computer scientist Philip Emeagwali.

[ALEK WEK, CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE, AND GELILA ASSEFA]

credit: EBONYJET.COM

Urban publications are realizing the excellence of Africans as VIBE magazine also highlighted popular blog, NAIJARULES.COM. Ebony in Africa list moved me to do one of my own....

Here's my list that some of you may or may not like:
1. Nigerian bloggers have made a significant impact in conveying a positive outlet of how the world perceives Africa as a whole. Disagree, take a look at my blogroll.
2. The blogger who wrote THIS LIST! Everything on that list echoes the mindset of Nigerians.
3. It took a scandal for THIS DAY JOURNALIST Nduka Obaigbena to get noticed.
4. THE MAN BEHIND THIS MOVIE!
5. Each and every one of THESE FOLKS including Sade, Ayo, and Seal.
6. The creative minds behind NAIJALIVE.NET!
If you would have made a list of notable Africans and their significant contributions, who would have made the list and why?

BORIS KODJOE ON THE NEWSSTAND

I thought I'll share with you with FG2BH readers these interesting scans of Boris Kodjoe in "PEOPLE" magazine. The former "Soul Food" actor was named People's Most Beautiful in 2002. Two years later, Boris made the celebrity entertainment news publication's 50 Hottest Bachelors list.

Boris Kodjoe - 50 Most Beautiful People in 2002-





Boris Kodjoe - 50 Hottest Bachelors in 2004-

Thanks in part to his new gig on Broadway's "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof", Boris kicked up his promotional grind. (Boris will appear on the African-American play from April 15th to May 4th. Click here for tickets!)

ROLLING OUT TV interviewed Boris at his recent birthday celebration in Atlanta:

Related links on Boris Kodjoe:

• BORIS KODJOE ONLINE
  
• BORIS KODJOE MYSPACE
  
• CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF


Afro/Naija news hoopla:

• RAP-UP.COM wants you to meet Akon’s new artist Colby O’Donis.
  
• MONICA MANIA has the scoop on Estelle's latest track.
  
• ESTELLE'S MYSPACE says that she'll be in London this Monday!
  
• THANDIE-NEWTON.NET is another fantastic fansite.
  
• RADIO PALM WINE has all Naija music 24/7.
  
• ALL TAYO discovers an African jingle by Fishe.
  
• YOUTUBE viewers saw "Crank That Naija Boy" over 2 million times. (DAMN!)
  
• NAIJA-MAN explains why they are 'the dey'.
  
• VERA IKEJI has an African-written poem nominated by the UN.

GET TO KNOW YORDANOS TESHAGER

Yordanos Teshager walks the runway at the Naeem Khan Fall 2008 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2008

Ethiopian model Yordanos Teshager appeared in April 2008 issue of "VIBE" magazine. Photographed by Cliff Watts and styled by Sierre Leone's own Memsor Kamarake, Yordanos opened up about her start in the fashion industry. The Maplewood, NJ resident told the urban publication that her favorite artists are Rihanna and Beyonce. Her favorite song of the moment? Umbrella by Rihanna and Jay-Z.

In 2003, I was second runner-up in the Miss World of Africa competition. Then I placed Top 10 in the Nokia Face of Africa competition. I wanted to model but wasn't signed to an agency. On a visit to New York City, a lady on the street asked me if I was a model. She told me there was an agency right upstairs from where we were standing. We went and they liked me and signed me. I did NYC Fashion Week one season and met a girl who felt I should try another agency that would do more with my look.

Yordanos Teshager in VIBE April 2008 plus her Elite portfolio:

Chi-Chi's random rants about our diverse community:

1. For those including myself who love to nip-pick celebrity relationships, do you honestly believe if Osi was dating Yordanos (insert any high profile truly Nubian model) and not Selita Ebanks, the media will pick up on it? (ie. Duro's married? Where is his PEOPLE exclusive?!?!?)
2. Why are Naija celebrities obsessed with wearing name brand clothing but never seem to pull it off like Estelle, Iman or Oluchi?
3. Going back to celebrity relationships for a minute, where is Oluchi's baby boy pictures??! Don't kid yourself. You know you want to see the photos too! Thanks to FG2BH anonymous reader...LINDA IKEJI HAS THE BABY PHOTOS
4. Aren't you annoyed that THIS swagger jacked Nollywood's own G. Nnaji and Ramsey Noah??! I guess every film community needs to have its Morris Chestnut & Gabrielle Union/Meg Ryan & Tom Hanks.
   disclaimer: all rants are in good humor. :-)
   

Related links about Miss Yordanos:

• Yordanos for ELITE Model Management
  ^Link contains all of her modelling photos!
• Yordanos pose for "Essence" magazine.
• Nokia Face of Africa 2005.
• On The Fall 2008 runway.

Afro/Naija news hoopla:

• MWZA posted up clips from Barack Obama's The View interview.


• ONTD! claims Akon's going country.


• AFRICA MOVIES has the latest American to African films.


• IN MY LITTLE WORLD breaks down road rage terminology.


• UGO SEVEN chats about the screening of "Ezra" at Nollywood Film Festival and Danny Glover.


• MIMI MAGAZINE interviews Brit-Naija singer Adama.


• NGO proves that fitness is a good thing for the body.


• RUN FAT BOY RUN is another hilarious comedy from Thandie Newton.


• BBC UK understands the principle behind Chiwetel Ejiofor.


• NY TIMES reports on rising basketball starlet Jeomi Maduka.


• USA TODAY discusses the latest in the kidnapping of politician Irejua Barasua's wife.

WRAP-UP ON CHIKEZIE AND ANGEL

Unfortunately Chikezie became the third eliminated finalist from "American Idol" Wednesday night. And he did a marvelous job singing "All The Woman That I Need".

UPDATE: NEWSDAY.COM blamed Chikezie's elimination from "American Idol" on his fans, technically. I do like they added he's from Nigerian in the article....

Chikezie! We barely knew ye.

The lively kid with the big voice from Inglewood, Calif., got the boot on " American Idol" last night - prematurely, without question, but no one ever accused "Idol" of being fair.

Chikezie (full name: Chikezie Eze, reflecting his Nigerian heritage) sang Luther Vandross' "If Only For One Night" on Tuesday's "The Year You Were Born" edition (in his case, 1985), but it was sleepy and a little more lounge-lizard-like for the judges' (or fans') taste. And that was that.

Chikezie's fan base always seemed a little soft: He landed in the bottom three before (never a good sign) and revived his fortunes a couple of weeks ago with a roof-raising version of the Beatles' "She's a Woman." But - as Simon Cowell might say - at this stage of the competition, you've gotta blow the roof off every night out. [source: NEWSDAY.COM]

CHIKEZIE EZE REACTING BEING ELIMINATED:

photo credit: ACCESS HOLLYWOOD

Take a look back to when Chikezie Eze first audition for the show here. (And yes it's the same song he sang earlier in the week.)

Chikezie being in the top 10 means you and I get to see him again at the end of the season. Read up about him here...or visit his Myspace page. Speaking of Myspace, I got these interesting tidbits off his blog:

Random Facts About Me
1. I crack my knees every time I stand up (OCD).
2. I'm a shameless flirt.
3. If you bore me enough... I just might disappear.
4. I'm horrible @ keeping in touch. Not that I don't care... I'm just not good at it.
5. If I can act confident for 5 minutes, I can convince myself that I am for the rest of the day.
6. I pick scabs... ew
7. I believe a day without a hug is a wasted day.
8. I'm a recovering packrat (it's genetic).

thanks LOLA-LUV.NET !

Angel Lola Luv has caused a serious ruckus on the blogosphere thanks in part to her "Crazy Like A Fox" movie trailer. (UPDATE: The film's directed by a Nigerian called Tony ABULU!) Check out the poster:

credit: BHFMAGAZINE.COM

Our good friends over at REAL TALK NY has behind-the-scenes pictures taken on the set as well as the official summary of "Crazy Like A Fox":

Angelique (played by video vixen Angel Lola Luv), a stunning 23 year old ex-model from Paris and her rich Middle-aged husband (played by David Twil from “Money Train” and “Spin City” alongside Michael J. Fox) hire a handsome African immigrant as chauffeur (played by Karibi Fubara star of “American Dream”.) Soon, passions ignite and emotions flare resulting in brutal murder in this classic suspense packed, erotic thriller sizzling with passion, seduction and greed. Enter relentless, N.Y.P.D. hard-nosed detective and the case cracks wide open, revealing shady pasts, greedy motives and diabolic intentions.

Going back to what I was saying earlier....

So I debated with a male friend of mine the hoopla behind (no pun intended) the appeal of all things Angel Lola Luv and how she has become THE video vixen of the moment. And THIS is how I won the argument...temporarily before he bought up THIS. Either way Angel certainly loves to be talked about, huh?

Angel attended Day 26's "Day 26" album release party and she also had a feature in "VIBE" magazine...

Moving right along....
These are rants going with my friends and cousins about our community:
1. Why is that there's always one person at a party that everyone is sooooo obsessed with??! This person suffers from the stares and the zany phrases as they enter the dance hall.
2. Why do the elders leave the dance floor when the DJ plays music for the 'kids'? Isn't it entertaining to see the elders argue with their spouse - no that's your son/daughter? Ok, then when the DJ actually play the old school music (soukouss), the kids get praised for dancing well?
3. Going back to dance hall, doesn't it feel like every Nigerian community have a designated hall? For some this is the SAME hall you had your baptism, baby shower, birthday, wedding, etc at.
4. Ever had that one friend that's proud to be one on OCTOBER 1ST but not the rest of the 364 days of the year??? "Naw, I'm from ___ but my parents are from Nigeria!"
5. Why is that a Nigerian party isn't official until a verbal fight breaks out?! Don't lie to yourself you love to talk about the drama the second, week, month, or sometimes year after.
disclaimer: these rants are meant in good humor!

Overheard scoops:

• Naija to The Core got the scoop on Naija social networking sites.
• NAIJA Times discovered the richest Nigerian man in the world officially.
• NAIJA VIXEN introduces female trio, Shiikane, straight from the UK.
• LADYBRILLE flaunts her fashion-savvy team.
• MAKE FETCH HAPPEN breaks down why nubian model Nina Keita has a white love interest in the new Old Navy commericals.
• NANJA BOY explains why an African woman set herself on fire in protest.
• BELLA NAIJA reports on the latest reality series, "Apprentice Africa".

OSI AND SELITA COURTSIDE

New York Giant player Osi Umenyiora treated his girlfriend, Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks to courtside seats at the Memphis Grizzlies vs NY Knicks game. Aren't you glad to see these two all smiling?

[Osi Umenyiora and girlfriend Selita Ebanks]

And on that note, here's one of my favorite Igbo Christian artists- Bro. Paul Nwokocha - singing "Agam Adi Ndu". This song never fails to put me in good spirits. In case you're wondering, that's his wife in the video. To all FG2BH readers, enjoy your Easter weekend!

YouTube user DaJon3z has more videos from Bro. Paul Nwokocha!

Photos: YBF via WIREIMAGE

BLOGS ARE TALKING ABOUT...

Make Fetch Happen reported that fashion designer Duro Olowo married Studio Museum of Harlem curator Thelma Golden! And I took the liberty of scanning the Vogue March 2008 article for FG2BH readers....

The couple eloped in New York City and they are going to celebrate in London (where Olowu is based), and his hometown Lagos, Nigeria.

Thelma on marrying Duro on January 2nd: "I always imagined I would spend ages planning my wedding, yet this felt perfect."

Thelma on choosing the dress: "Duro made it for me a year ago. It was just the most obvious and natural thing to wear."

And in related news, Duro currently revealed his Fall 2008 collection at L'Oreal Fashion Week in London. His collection is all around prints, vibrant colors and tons of chiffon! Check out his entire collection here.

VIBE magazine finally acknowledged the staying power of Nollywood. As the article stated, Nigeria is home to the world's fastest-growing film industry. VIBE credited 1992's "Living In Bondage" as the catalyst behind the blooming Nollywood industry.

[naijarules.com even got a well-deserved shout-out from the urban publication!]

Here's the quote written out by Hubscrown of NAIJARULES.COM:

Nigeria is home to the world's fastest growing film industry. Practically non-existence a decade ago. Nollywood now ranks third globally in terms of output, behind Bollywood and Hollywood. But while movies are multi million-dollar business in Nigeria, the industry is built on D.I.Y. aesthetics and economics. Video is standard format (Nigerians actually call local movies "home videos") and shoots typically wrap in matter of days. Most films fall into the category of exploitation cinema - 1992's Living in Bondage is credited with pioneering movement- combing Hollywood-derived action and thriller plots with sensationalized, locally specific elements like witchcraft and black magic.
Nollywood movies have yet to register at international festivals, but these slap clash camcorder blockbusters, hugely popular at home, have sparked similar movements in neighboring Ghana and Cameroon. CHECK OUT: naijarules.com

"American Idol" finally has a Nigerian-American contestant Chikezie on its popular reality series. It took seven seasons to have a Naija in the top 12! [Learn more about Chikezie here.] Thanks to Us Weekly, Chikezie has been compared to Donny Hathaway. (See the scan above). Check him out singing "She's A Woman" during The Beatles tribute....

[video spotted @ Naija Gal.]

Thandie Newton and Chiwetel Ejiofor were seen making the rounds on the red carpet recently. Thandie attended the New York premiere of "Run, Fat Boy, Run" whereas the equally talented Chiwetel flaunted his Best Actor award at The Laurence Olivier Awards. [Chiwetel won for his leading role in "Othello"!] Because of this man's fineness, I had to add this smiling picture of him with Taraji P Henson at 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival - "Talk To Me" Screening.

And that's what African/Naija blogs are talking about....

Photos: WIREIMAGE/AMERICANIDOL.COM/USMAGAZINE.COM/MY SCANNER/VIBE.COM/NAIJARULES.COM

ESTELLE'S STYLE RUNT

UK hip-hop recording artist Estelle has a strong penchant for a black jacket. This tidbit is a style runt that I noticed Estelle held onto ever since she stepped out to Pepsi Stuff Concert with John Legend.

[ESTELLE @ PEPSI STUFF LAUNCH IN NYC]

Since then, Estelle hasn't hung up on her love for a black jacket - leather, cropped, loose, or form-fitting. So it's safe to assume, Estelle has found her favorite style thing.

Estelle sat down with Angie Martinez of Hot 97 to talk about American Boys, her fanny and her bum:

[video spotted at Estelle's Official Blog]

In related news the cover art for Estelle's American debut, "Shine" surfaced online. So far, Estelle dropped the singles, "Just a Touch (Wait A Minute)" and "American Boy" featuring Kanye West.

On her new ablum, Estelle worked with big-name producers such as Will.I.Am, Wyclef Jean, Mark Ronson, Cee-lo, and Swizz Beatz. Below is the confirmed tracklisting for Estelle's "Shine" record:

"Wait A Minute (Just A Touch)" (featuring Will.I.Am)
"No Substitute Love"
"American Boy" (featuring Kanye West)
"More Than Friends"
"Magnificent" (featuring Kardinal Offishall)
"Come Over"
"So Much Out The Way"
"In The Rain"
"Back In Love"
"You Are" (featuring John Legend)
"Pretty Please" (featuring Cee-lo)
"Shine"

Estelle recently performed "American Boy" on BBC Radio 1's 'Live Lounge'. With each performance of this song, Estelle adds her spin to it. I'm loving the acoustic feel she did this time around:

[video spotted at That Grape Juice]

The "American Boy" singer also attended the 2008 Capital Awards, where she pose with Craig David:

Keep your browser locked on Estelle's official myspace page: myspace.com/estelleonline for additional updates!

Photos: WIREIMAGE/HOMESCHOOL/AMAZON.COM

LOLA IN THE CITY

Lola Ogunnaike , a talented CNN entertainment correspondent, attended Rocko's "Self-Made" album release party. At the event Lola pose with BET VP Stephen Hill and Jermaine Dupri.

Lola wrote many insightful articles for the New York Times including this piece on photographer Johnny Nunez, who took all the pictures at Rocko's bash.

Photos: WIREIMAGE