celebregion.com |
- Lady Gaga Launches Born This Way foundation, Stars in Men In Black III
- Queen Elizabeth II to Open 2012 Olympics
- D'banj,Naeto C,Duncan Mighty,Wizkid,Ice Prince Nominated For Ghana Music Award
- Richard MofeDamijo Hosts Gulder Ultimate Search 8 Champions
- When Is It Enough? By Stella Damasus
- Erykah Badu Sad But Not Angry Over Malaysian Ban
- Celine Dion Cancels Shows Till June due to Voice Problem
| Lady Gaga Launches Born This Way foundation, Stars in Men In Black III Posted: 29 Feb 2012 11:04 PM PST  Lady gaga arrives harvard to launch foundation Pop-star ,Lady gaga descended on Harvard University with some powerful friends Wednesday to launch her new foundation aimed at empowering young people. The singer was joined by Oprah Winfrey, spiritual leader Deepak Chopra, and Health and to kick off the Born This Way Foundation . Gaga spoke to more than 1,100 students from several states, faculty and invited guests at Harvard, urging the young audience to "challenge meanness and cruelty." Gaga's representative said the singer has made a $1.2 million personal contribution to the foundation, named after her 2011 album and hit song. Gaga, who has said she was the victim of bullying as a teenager, said the idea for the foundation grew out of the dialogue created after "Born This Way" was released. In a related news ,Will Smith has confirmed that one of the biggest pop stars in the world will appearing in the third installment of his popular Men In Black franchise. Lady Gaga will appear in a yet to be revealed role. King of Pop fans may remember the late Michael Jackson played a bit role in Men In Black II. During a promotional appearance in Rio last week, the movie lead actor Will Smith revealed that Poker Face singer Gaga will have a small role in the upcoming sequel.  |
| Queen Elizabeth II to Open 2012 Olympics Posted: 29 Feb 2012 12:07 PM PST  Queen celebrating her 60th anniversary earlier this month Queen Elizabeth II will open both the 2012 olympics and the Paralympics this summer, signaling that both events will be celebrated as great state occasions ,something the British are famous for. The monarch and her husband, prince philip will perform the ceremonial role at the 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium when the Olympic games begin in london on July 27, and for the Paralympic Games that start Aug. 29 . The queen follows in the footsteps of her father, the late King George VI, who opened the 1948London Olympics, and her great-grandfather, King Edward VII, who opened the 1908 London Olympics. The decision to open both ceremonies caps a very busy year for the queen, whose this year marks her 60 years on the throne. |
| D'banj,Naeto C,Duncan Mighty,Wizkid,Ice Prince Nominated For Ghana Music Award Posted: 29 Feb 2012 09:57 AM PST  The nominations for the 2012 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards was announced today. The nominees announcement was for the first time in the 13 year history of the Awards Scheme televised live on GH-One Entertainment Television. It was attended by a cross section of the entertainment media. Nigerian Music stars ,D'banj, Iceprince, wizkid,Duncan Mighty and Naeto C and Angolan cabo snoop will battle for the African artiste of the year category. Naeto C Duncan Mighty Ice Prince D'banj Cabo Snoop Wizkid The Award sponsored by telecom giant vodafone will be held in April. The short code for public voting 1767 has been officially activated to record voting for the Public Categories.  |
| Richard MofeDamijo Hosts Gulder Ultimate Search 8 Champions Posted: 29 Feb 2012 06:52 AM PST  Kelvin durst,chris okagbue,dr festus Okunbo,Anastasia azike,RMD,Fejiro Nollywood legend Richard Mofe Damijo who is currently the Delta State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, recently applauded the efforts of Kevin Durst and Fejiro Ejogbamu, two Champions that emerged from the recently concluded Gulder Ultimate Search 8. He made the remarks when Messrs Durst and Ejogbamu, accompanied by other GUS 8 Champions, paid a courtesy visit to the Delta State government house. The other GUS 8 Champions are: Christopher Okagbue, the winner, Anastasia Azike, the last female contestant standing, Anthony Igwe, Tony Horsfall, Promise Ojiegbe, Sunday Gyang, Olanrewaju Alawoki and Patience Ihongbe. RMD said: "This is just a stepping stone towards more successes in life. The good thing about when you are able to compete in something that involves other people and you are selected, is that it imposes more work on you, so to speak; to strive even harder to become something more in life. This is supposed to inspire them into achieving greater heights in whatever they choose to become thereafter." The Honourable Commissioner added that Delta State was synonymous with winning in competitions, hence the sterling performances by Durst and Ejogbamu. Speaking on how he felt by their performances, he said: "I'm used to winning now because this is not the first time that two Deltans will be involved in Gulder Ultimate Search. It was said that there was a particular year where the first and second positions were from Delta. Winning is like part of our DNA in Delta State. I feel great. It just reminds us that we're a very competitive state and there's no reason why anybody from this part of the state should not wake up in the morning and feel proud and want to be the best he can be."  The 10 Champions from Gulder Ultimate Search 8 are currently on a tour which will take them to the states of origin of the contestants.  |
| When Is It Enough? By Stella Damasus Posted: 29 Feb 2012 06:33 AM PST  It was 8 o'clock that morning and I was already dressed in my black dress, black shoes and no make-up, with my brushed hair in a pony tail. I was heading to Yaba for a friend's funeral. She was 35 and beautiful, a mother of two beautiful children. I really did not want to go because I was not sure of how I was going to react. I was not sure if I could pull myself together. Anyway, I got to the church and it was filled with people who knew her and who had heard of her. As I approached the church, I was already battling with the huge lump in my throat, making sure that I could at least sit through the service. I managed to get inside, and then the ushers took me up-front to sit with the family. I saw her mother and siblings who were weeping uncontrollably, so I tried to console them while battling with that same lump in my throat. I did all I could until the kids walked into the church with the nanny. Oh my goodness, now that lump has melted into liquid, the flood gates were flung open and the tears started gushing out. It was not a very pleasant sight as the choir leader could not continue the song. This is to give you an insight into the kind of person my friend was and the life she lived. She was extremely intelligent, kind, simple and most of all was in love with God and His word. Well, as I tried to calm down, he walked in —THE HUSBAND. I am sure by now you are thinking I would run to console him since I was very close to her and he knew me. Instead, I stood up and walked to the other side of the church and sat down. That was when I knew how much respect I had for the church and the dead. If I could, I would have locked him up in the coffin so he could go with her; after all, he put her there in the first place. We had all begged, prayed, complained, reported, and fought, just to get him to stop beating her. I was tired of seeing the black eye, the swollen face, the bruised arms and the constant headaches. It was so bad that I had to tell him that one day he would do something really bad to his wife and end up behind bars. Little did I know that the day in question was fast approaching. He had beaten her so much for sending her own money to her mother without telling him, and when she tried to protect herself by pushing him off her, he got infuriated and hit her head on the wall. This time no black eye, no bruise to worry about, she just did not wake up. When her sister called me in the middle of the night, I was not sure whether to cry or get angry or scream. My whole body was shaking and all I could say was "no… no… no… please God, no, no, no… please". I started to feel guilty, "maybe I should have moved her out of there" but then again who am I to move her out of her husband's house when she herself refused to move. It really hurt, so much that even as I am writing this I am still crying. The case was taken to court and was dismissed, because according to the courts the evidence was not enough, and so he was discharged and acquitted. In a country where an accurate autopsy cannot be carried out, let alone thoroughly investigate a crime, what do you expect? She is dead and gone but the killer is walking free, and as usual, he has custody of the children whom he has passed on to his new wife. My heart has been bleeding ever since because I know that this is happening to so many women. Some are still alive today to tell their stories, some are afraid to cry out for help; some cover up when they are asked questions about their black eye; some believe that there is no justice for the abused woman because other cases they have heard of, have always favoured the man, and lastly, some are no longer alive to speak up. As sad as this is, it is still happening even as I write. Now it has progressed to acid baths, body mutilation, and other unthinkable things. In anger, I stormed to the church we all attended and demanded to see the head pastor. When he came out, I screamed and yelled and people came into the church to hold me down. Please, do not think I disrespect men of God. Oh, far from it, in fact I respect them so much because without some of them who have mentored me, I would not be the person I am today. Truth of the matter is, my late friend's sister told me that a few days before she died, she had gone to meet the pastor in fear because she had another fight with her husband who told her that he was ready to kill her and nothing would happen to him. He kept saying in pidgin English: "na naija we dey o and when you die your dead body no go come prove to the court say na me kill you". My late friend then called her sister to tell her what had happened and that she was going to see the pastor. I asked her sister: "Why pastor? Why not police?" The sister laughed and said: "Do you know how many times she tried that? The policeman she met on duty laughed and said, 'madam na domestic matter be dis abeg, husband and wife must fight, go beg your husband' ". When her husband found out, he laughed and asked if she thought she was in America, then he beat her some more for even attempting. So, she went to the pastor and told him everything again because that was not the first time she went to him to complain and ask for help. As usual the pastor said: "My daughter, there is nothing God cannot do. Please, prayer is what you need. Keep praying to God to touch his heart, he will not kill you and he will not harm you. Go back home and maintain peace, please; remember that God hates divorce so you cannot leave your home and children". She left there feeling so dejected and scared, and so she called her sister and told her what the pastor had said. I tried to think about what could have been going on in her head everyday of her life, thinking that there is no SAFE HAVEN. The man who swore to love and protect you is the one who is killing you; the parents who gave you to him in marriage will tell you not to leave your home because it is not a family trait and it will bring shame upon the family. You are too ashamed to even let people know you are going through domestic violence for fear of being stigmatized; you are not protected by law enforcement agents nor the law because some of them do the same thing to their wives; then the only place which is the house of God also tells you to go back to the place where you are being destroyed. My heart broke and that was when I wept the most, because no one knows what she could have gone through alone. So, I looked at this pastor and said 'I hope you are happy now, I hope you are satisfied that she listened to you and got killed in the process'. I am not saying I support separation or women running out of their homes, but I insist that there must be temporary measures to take the woman to a safe place until things can be resolved. She has to, at least, be alive first before any reconciliation or anything can even take place. My question today is: what does the church do in cases like this? Is it saying that because of doctrines women should remain there and die? Is it saying that apart from prayer there is no other way to help? I poured out my heart to the pastor and asked him a question directly without any apologies, "If your daughter came to you, bruised everyday, threatened and battered, would you tell her to go back there and pray? What if she does and gets killed? What would your reaction be? Will you be able to live with yourself?" Then I calmed down and said God bless you pastor and thank you, I hope this means she will go to heaven. He could not utter a word, so I walked out. Call this ranting, lamenting, disrespectful, but one thing is for sure. We need answers, we need to shout it out loud, we need to educate women and let them know they can cry out for help. I can't stress this enough, if you are going through any form of violence, especially domestic violence, you can get help. Please don't die for nothing. Make that call to Project Alert now 01-4737270, 08052004698 or send an email to projectalert@projectalertnig.org, log on to their website www.projectalertnig.org. Enough is enough; the time to act is now. Say No To Domestic Violence. This piece is dedicated to all the women who have lost their lives through domestic violence. May their souls rest in peace.  |
| Erykah Badu Sad But Not Angry Over Malaysian Ban Posted: 29 Feb 2012 02:22 AM PST  Erykah badu speaks at press conference in Kuala lumpur today Soul singer Erykah Badu said Wednesday she holds no grudge against Malaysia's government for barring her from performing after a photograph of her body art offended some Muslims. More than 1,500 people had bought tickets to watch the Grammy-winning American singer at a Kuala Lumpur auditorium Wednesday, but Malaysia's information minister announced on the eve of the concert that it could not proceed because a promotional photo of Badu with the Arabic word for Allah painted on her bare shoulders was "an insult to Islam." "It's sad, because we traveled a long way," Badu told a news conference. "But I'm totally understanding of (the minister's) protection of the laws and its people. He doesn't want anything to happen. I'm good with that." The photograph ignited criticism from some politicians and religious groups in Muslim-majority Malaysia after a newspaper published it Monday in a feature to promote Badu's show. The daily has since apologized for what it called an "oversight" that led to the photo's publication  Erykah with allah tatoos Erykah issued a statement on her page to address the issue: My fav film maker is @alejodorowsky. He made a movie called The holy mountain in the 70s. 1 of his characters is called the painted lady ... She wore all symbols and names of God on her body. I posed as her in a photo shoot for New Am pt2. This idea embodies who we ALL are.. One ... This photo was chosen & edited by the promoters here in Malaysia. They were very responsible to the people and it'sMuslim beliefs ... One particular paper retrieved am unedited photo and printed it along with its article.. This is where the upset began ...The gov. Of Malaysia had to be responsible to its people's beliefs .. Even If it were just 1 or 2 complaints. I understand. It's an election year ... Keep in mind. Malaysian Information Minister Rais Yatim said Tuesday that the controversy surrounding Badu's photo "could jeopardize national security and cause a negative impact to the government's image."  |
| Celine Dion Cancels Shows Till June due to Voice Problem Posted: 28 Feb 2012 11:10 PM PST  Grammy-winning singer Celine Dion announced Tuesday she had canceled a string of upcoming shows in Las Vegas due to a virus-triggered problem with her vocal chords. The Canadian-born star was due to sing at Caesars Palace in a series of shows through March 18, but has called them off after being ordered to rest her voice for six to eight weeks. Following the difficulties that she experienced with her vocal chords last week, which resulted in cancelled weekend performances, Celine decided to seek further expert medical advice from one of the leading international authorities on laryngeal physiology, Professor Gerald Berke M.D., UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. Celine flew to Los Angeles on Monday afternoon and had a thorough examination at Berke's clinic. Hediagnosed Celine with weakness in her right vocal chord, secondary to a viral illness. and he prescribed 6-8 weeks of voice-rest in order for Celine to completely recover from this condition. Celine said in a statement on her website "I tried to sing at my sound-check last week, and I had no control of my voice whatsoever," . "We thought that after a few days rest I would improve but it wasn't getting any better....I guess it was worse than I thought. I'm fortunate that I was able to see Professor Berke. He identified what was causing the problems I was having, and he assured me that with the amount of rest he prescribed, I would be back to 100%. Obviously this is the worst thing for a singer....not being able to do your shows. I feel worse knowing that I'm disappointing my fans. I'm so sorry.....I hope they forgive me." Celine's next run of performances beginning June 9 through August 19 will proceed as scheduled.  |
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