2015 has been a transformative year for me-Nene Johnson,a diva

 Nene Johnson is simply the girl next door. She is a goal-getter who believes that her journey on this planet is to help improve on everything around her. She is one diva who sees life as something that should be passionately explored. In this interview with ADAEZE AMOS she talked about her new song titled  Iyele and style simplicity. “I believe less is more,” she enthused.

 Excerpts:

 What is the latest about you?

Besides the release of my single titled “IYELE” which would hit the music scene in the early part of 2016, 2015 has been a transformative year for me. For example, I discovered the restorative power of exercising and a healthy diet, while at the same time, working on my voice and my sound. Three companies have provided a lot of support which helped me achieve many new things in 2015. For instance, in Afrodisiacbay, a music company, understands the creative and technical needs of my music. This means I can now relax and worry only about composing emotionally compelling songs  of which Iyele is one of them. GrassRoots gym provided me with everything I needed to achieve fitness through exercising. They made me  understand how important a healthy diet is. I also hired 19WORKS, a public relations team that promises smart brand development. At this point, I am happy to be around people and entities who desire that my music succeeds.

I will be crowned Miss Nigeria next year, 2016-Esther Kenneth, Miss AGN, 2014

‘My beauty crown launched me out, many girls now want to be like me’

Esther Kenneth from Delta state, Ndokwa West, is Miss Actors Guild of Nigeria 2014. This black beauty is a Mass Communication undergraduate of  University of Benin Republic. She tells ADAEZE AMOS her ambition in becoming Miss Nigeria come next year 2016.

How did you use your platform as Miss Actors Guild of Nigeria 2014 to touch lives?

The very first thing I did that I loved so much was to promote the youths and improved their skills/talents. I also helped the poor/ less privileged. I’m happy that I did my best during my tenure.

How did you relate with your friends when you were occupying the throne as a beauty queen?

I related well with them. I never jettisoned any of my friends because of a beauty crown. I drew them closer and related well with them. But my weakness was that I was not good in making new friends. But my old friends, I kept in touch with them.

Ouch! Lovers of red couture must see this.

Her name is  Rita Ora. Stylish right? Feast your eyes on the lady in red. If you have a slim waist and good stature, you too can slip into this high-waisted tafetta skirt and net top and feel good. Chai red 'asoka' (is sweet)

 

I want to settle down but haven't seen the man yet- Joke Jigan, actress

Every part of my body is sexy

Joke Jigan from Ogun state, Ijebu Ife to be precise is a Yoruba movie actress and movie producer whose career looks more like a hobby to her because she enjoys every aspect of it. This Business Management graduate of Lagos State University told ADAEZE AMOS in this interview  her lifestyle as a movie goddess.

How does it feel to be a woman?

 Being a woman for me is sweet. You get to make your hair, play dress up sometimes, get sexy, go to the spa! Gist with friends, look beautiful and I mean you have them cute boys running after you and you just do Shakara and gossip about it with your girls.  To me, being a woman is fun.

Does this mean you would want to come as a woman again if you would have to relieve your life?

 Yes I want to be a woman over and over again. I love being a woman.

Attention ladies of sweet colours

Yuletide!  The very season of sweet colours

By Adaeze Amos

There is no doubting the fact that the world of women is a fantastic one, a hot planet so to say. I hope  dudes are not greening with envy. But honestly, that’s the fact. The world of women is ever active, no dull moment, always bubbling and oosing out glamour. Even in the fashion world, women are more active, what with sweet smashing colours?

Yes, hot, smashing colours, in case you didn’t hear me well.

So, If you are one of the ladies of sweet colours, this Xmas season is your active time. Step out in sweet shocking colours and brighten every dull moment around you.  Babes, it’s not your fault that you are beautiful!

Pregnant mums too should rock Xmas

Need to go for photo shoot? Go! Bumps shouldn’t be a barrier

 Who said you can’t attend that party when you are well and lively just because you are heavy with a child? Or that you can’t step on that red carpet and showcase your swag/style at that glamorous event because you are pregnant? You can do it! 

This is the time you ought to rock your bump after all pregnancy is not a punishment. It is a bundle of joy you are carrying if you must know. So, there should be no gloomy face, no dull moment, no sitting in a corner, brooding and watching others drink, dine and make merry

. Join them, but do yours with care.

Still show your swag, pregnancy shouldn't be a hindrance

Yaya Da Costa on the red carpet

If there is need to go for a photo shoot and strike hot poses, go ahead! Pregnancy shouldn’t be a barrier. Keep the pictures and let them be part of your baby album when you eventually deliver.

Enjoy yourself, engage in whatever makes you happy, after all it is the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ we are talking about here. It is the reason for celebration, remember?

So, rock it! You are already blessed that you would soon be a mother. Or  if you get to know the number of women praying, fasting and looking up to God just to carry what you are carrying in your tummy, you would need to walk with shoulder high and thank God continuously . It is indeed a blessing to be counted as one of those carrying human lives.

So, go get colourful maternity dresses to mark the season and rock Xmas like you never did. But with extra care! Take your routinal multivitamins, give alcohol a wide berth, don't sit among smokers and be inhaling it. That makes you a passive smoker.

Kendra rocking it

Kim Kerdashian on the red carpet

Participating in beauty pageants never hindered me from getting a good husband-Beecee, ex-beauty queen

‘Even as a mother of two, I still do my modelling jobs ’

 Obiajulu Olabisi Ugbo whose stage name is Beecee is a journalist delight and a pleasant personality. She flows with every question and she sees none as personal. This model, ex-beauty queen, wife and mother of two kicks against the opinion of some mothers who assert that participating in beauty pageants give girl child lots of unnecessary exposure so much that it could hinder her from getting married and at the right time. "I don't think allowing your child to go after her heart desires would hinder her from getting married, after all it never hindered me. I think the basic thing, as a mother, is to train your child in the way she should go and when she grows up, she would not depart from it," she said.

Why did you choose Beecee as your stage name?

Because I have a name that is Olabisi, so I just coined Beecee out of it.

You are a gospel artiste, why gospel and not inspirational or secular music?

Well, for me, gospel is inspirational, because the word of God actually inspires. So, I don't see gospel different from inspirational songs. It's just that most times, most gospel artistes just focus on praises to God but I can also sing songs that relate to the society and songs that can heal one who just had a heartbreak.

Humility pays; it opens more doors of success-Bunmi Ademokoya, Best Model of the world 2007

'Our models should try to be professionals'

 Bunmi Ademokoya can be best described as an international model having won the Best Model of the world in 2007 and  the Most Outstanding Model of the year 2012. She told ADAEZE AMOS in this interview her modeling experiences outside the country and qualities of ideal model

You were the Most Outstanding Model of the year (2012) , why do you think you deserve this award?

I think I have done so much jobs outside the country in particular. I have represented Nigeria well, I have represented both the agency and the manger well. I’m based in South Africa and I have been with Isis Modeling Agency Johannesburg, South Africa since 2007. So, I think for all my hard works, I was presented with this award and a brand new Chevrolet car.

Aside  from modeling, what else are you doing in Johannesburg?

I’m studying.  I’m studying Law at the University of South Africa. I’m combining education with modeling. Apart from the fact that I’m doing well as a model, I still believe that education is power. It is good for one to have a back-up plan.

My ideal man should be rich enough to take good care of me-Naomi Emmanuel, actress

‘I’m not saying he must have excess money; If he is financially comfortable that is good enough’

 Naomi Emmanuel, a fast rising star who interprets the role of Nurse Titi in Clinic Matters, a popular soap opera had a chat with ADAEZE AMOS. The chat was centered on her lifestyle and her career as an actress.

Excerpts:

Her ideal man

Her ideal man “should of course be handsome, tall, dark, God fearing, caring, loving, and rich enough to take good care of me. I’m not saying he must have excess money. If he is financially comfortable at least that is good enough. Because it’s not possible to marry a poor man, how can I maintain myself? If I am not looking good would he come close to me? At least he should be up and doing because love needs money to oil it. So, money must be involved,” she said, on a more serious note.

Did you ask what if God gives her a poor man? “God cannot give me what is not my heart desire, for he already knows what I need right from the day of creation,” she enthused.

I contested with 40 white beauty queens and I won the crown-Vivian Oghale Agahro, Miss Globe 2012

Vivian Oghale Agahro from Oleh Isoko South Local Government in Delta state is ex- Miss Globe. The third in the family of five. This stunning beauty who is a graduate of Theatre arts from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers state tells ADAEZE AMOS how she beat 40 white queens silly to have the beauty crown

What are your statistics?

I’m five feet seven inches tall, dark complexioned and I have brown eyes. My statistics are 32, 30, 38.

What do you like to do when you are less busy now that you are a queen?

On a lighter note, I love to sleep because  it is the only way I relax. Sleeping puts me in a surrealistic state where everything is possible. I also love to dance.

What is your favourite food and colour?

 My favourite food is rice and my best colour is pink

Did you ever envisage being a beauty queen when you were much younger?

Actually, I never did because I was just like every growing child. When I was in my early teens, I got people telling me you are going to become a beauty queen or model someday because of my features.  I accepted what they said in good faith. So, as I grew up, I decided to give pageantry a shot.

Was your dad in support of this?

Yes he was. In fact, he was the one who actually got me my first pageantry form in 2004 but I have forgotten the name of the pageantry. So, he has always been in support of me participating in beauty pageants.

When did you start to actualize your dream of becoming a beauty queen?

It was in 2006. I was in my first year in the University of Port Harcourt. I took the form to participate in my departmental pageant called Face of ATAS (Association of Theatre Arts Students) and I came out first runner-up.

I design hats for Mitchell Obama American First Lady, others -Chito Mark, milliner

 ‘I started hat business with just N30’

 Chito Mark is the CEO of Graces Hats Limited. She is a seasoned hat-designer (milliner), whose hats are worn by women from all walks of life, including Mitchell Obama, the American first lady. A wife and mother, she studied Comparative Economics and Management. She tells Adaeze Amos in this interview that hat-making has enabled her tour the world as well as sit and dine with kings.

 When did you opt for hat-making?

I actually started making hats when I was through with my one year compulsory National Service. I came to Lagos immediately afterwards and that was in 1989. I had to go from shop to shop to showcase my hats and a lot of people then preferred imported ones because such hats were in vogue. Nobody wanted to have anything to do with locally-made and funny-looking thing called hat. Hence, a lot of people didn't want to associate with my hats. But there was this particular woman whom I owe so much to and that is Auntie Abba Labenella. When she saw me, she said ‘young girl, come inside. I think you can do so much’. On that day that I stepped into her apartment, I met for the first time Funmi Ajila Ladipo, now Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria president.  Immediately she saw her madam looking at my works, she too got interested and we became friends. Do you know since that day, we have been friends ever since. She is one of those who encouraged me.

Why pregnant mums love to eat Udara

Why pregnant mums crave for  Udara

The very popular Udara or Agbalumo, our local cherry that pregnant mums crave would soon be in the market. Yes, the season is here. Soon you start seeing them around. Don’t be surprised that any pregnant mum reading this would start salivating for it. You don’t blame them for that. Udara usually has this sour-like taste that holds the mouth, hits the palate and stops you from throwing up. A man once complained how his pregnant wife insisted he should look for Udara as late as 10 pm and how he was combing all over the place for it until he got some. Sounds funny, right?

I have a very understanding husband; he makes my job easier-Mercy Aigbe, actress

'My husband is very handsome. I like his dark complexion. He is cute'

Mercy Aigbe is a celebrity of the Yoruba movie genre. She tells Adaeze Amos in this interview about her career as an actress and her marriage. She says her husband pampers her like a baby, adding that this does not stop her from taking her marriage to God to keep it stable.
How have you been combining the home front and your acting career?
It hasn’t been easy to actually strike a balance between being a wife, a mother and a full-time career woman. They are different roles and you will actually want to balance the three because you don’t want anyone to suffer. Things have been a lot easier for me because I have a very understanding husband. He makes my job easier. I have domestic staff who help me whenever I’m on location. I also have my mom who supports me. 

What it is to be a lady is to carry yourself with respect.-Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi, an actress

‘I'm not into six-inch heels; I won’t walk well in them sincerely’

Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi, an actress is the MD/CEO, Spice Communications as well as a TV and radio presenter. This fashionista, one of the divas in Tinsel, an international soap opera, is the producer and presenter of Touch of Spice, a radio program that was on for over a decade. A winner of Celebrity Takes Two, a reality show on dancing, tells Adaeze Amos that one fashion accessory she relishes with passion is the head scarf.

Can we step into your world?I'm a creative Nigerian who hopes for a better country.
So how was growing up?I grew up with five brothers, so I was nurtured into a tomboy in some ways. They did not want me to end up as a tomboy, they nurtured me to become a lady. You know, I don't know if it makes sense to you, but we would engage in rough play and I would have to argue my way out of everything and into anything I wanted. I make my point, but at the same time they would not allow me to get out of hand, and behave outside of this so-called mold of a lady that earns respect. I don't think you have to be with your long nails, and your long pony tail and pink bow and high stilettos, I don't think that is what it is like to be a lady. What it is to be a lady is just to carry yourself with respect. It's not having long nails and all those petty things, no! If you choose to look that way, that's entirely up to you. But you know, when you open your mouth to speak, ensure what you say makes sense. When you step into a gathering, earn respect, dress properly, it's as simple as that.

My husband has always enjoyed cooking, so… –Joke Silva, veteran actress

Joke Silva, an award-winning veteran Nigerian actress and film director, is one of the celebrated screen goddesses of the Nigerian movie industry. She is the wife of Olu Jacobs, who is also a veteran Nollywood actor. She started acting way back in the 80s when she featured in the popular TV soap operas such as Mirror in the Sun, Second Chance, Mind Bending, Tight Rope, to mention a few. In this interview with Adaeze Amos, she unveils Olu Jacobs, talks about her lifestyle and how she copes with stardom.

Apart from some of the TV soap operas you featured in 1984 to be precise, which other movies have you featured in?

They are numerous but let me just mention the few I can remember for now. Owuro Lojo, Secret Laughter of Women, The Kingmaker, Twins of the Rain Forest, Brave Heart, Jero’s Metamorphosis, The king Must Dance naked, Sister, A Husband’s Wife, Shylock and A Past Came Calling. These are the few I can remember for now.

Siaka Nimat and Genevieve Fadeh: Two of a kind

Queen Siaka Nimat

They both look radiant in red

Queen Genevieve Fadeh

Wow! Take a look at these twosome. They sure share a lot in common. The first thing they share is that they are both known in the beauty world. Reason is that they are beauty queens, with  diamond studded-crowns. Siaka Nimat is the current Miss Curvy Nigeria Tourism while Genevieve Fadeh was Miss Tourism Nigeria  Nasarawa state, 2014.These two ladies have sure contributed something meaningful to the  tourism industry  of Nigeria and the modeling world. And guess what? They both look radiant in red dress. This season of Xmas when feminine colours are 'screaming' for attention, these two beauty queens have chosen colour red to brighten our day.

Wait a minute! Remember that nothing stops you from pepping red up with green accessories.  Green is the colour of life. So, if you don’t want to wear black on red which is common, why not add a little life (green) to your style and you are good to go?

Marriage came and I grabbed it, not missing the opportunity –Kween, musician

 'I want to make heaven; I try to keep the 10 commandements'

Kween Onokala is an afro soul music diva. She studied Public Administration at the University of Abuja. In this interview with Adaeze Amos, the Jebele-Jebele crooner whose stage name is spelt Kween, unveils her style, musical career, life as a mother/wife and her efforts to make heaven at the end of her earthly sojourn.Excerpts:

Tell us about yourself and your growing up.

I was born in Enugu but grew up in Abeokuta, Ogun State. I hail fom Umudashingo in Ohuhu Local Government Area in Abia State. Because I grew up in Abeokuta, I speak Yoruba language very well. My growing up was fun. It was my best years. I had nothing to think about. I was always happy. My parents were providing everything for me. It was a happy young life. My father used to be a soldier who moved to Ogun State as a Warrant Officer. My mum, though a housewife, did some office work as well.

When did you develop the passion for music? Relive your first time as a musician, the motivation and the track that brought you to the limelight.

My love for music started from hearing and listening to it, being in places where music was played like the church and listening to it on radio and the television. It was something that was beautiful, engaging me, something that had beautiful melody and I felt like continuing with it. I just loved it. Well, people said Jebele. So, I think Jebele brought me to the limelight. I was motivated by my experiences, particularly with relationships. I had heartbreak

.