Entertainment
FirstBank Sponsors Duke of Shomolu Production As Awo, Aremu Hit Stage
First Bank of Nigeria Limited has announced its sponsorship of ‘A Deep Dive Into History’, a theatre production from the Duke of Shomolu (DOS) Production House, spearheaded by Joseph Edgar.
A deep dive into history comprises two exciting stage plays – Aremu and Awo, showing from the 22nd of August and will run every Sunday till the 12th of September 2021 at the legendary Glover Memorial Hall, Marina, Lagos.
Aremu is a powerful depiction of the life and times of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR. The play takes us through his birth, the errant stages of his adulthood, exploring his peasant background, his travails as a freedom and human rights crusader and other milestones. Aremu is a rich cultural play that preaches hope to the audience, that they can be whoever they want to be. The play was written by Prof. Ahmed Yerima, the former DG of the National theatre and National Troupe.
Awo on the other hand is a play that seeks to reintroduce the dying values of loyalty, integrity, vision building amongst others to the modern-day audience who seem to have lost their way in the fast and seedy lifestyle of modern-day Nigeria. This play is set to be directed by Mr. Makinde Adeniran FTA – Lagos State Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Practitioners and is bringing 26 years of local and international experience to the play.
With the sponsorship of similar socio-cultural plays in the creative arts industry such as Ayinla, Moremi, Makaliki, Duke of Shomolu Production’s Play (Emotan and Oba Esugbayi), October 1st (a movie) and the Calabar Festival, FirstBank’s sponsorship of ‘Duke of Shomolu Productions’ affirms the bank’s continued support for the development of arts in Nigeria under its First@arts initiative.
First@arts is FirstBank’s platform for consolidating all its efforts in the arts, supporting the entire value chain of the creative arts, providing much-needed financing and advisory support, showcasing and facilitating the successes of the industry, and enabling customers to explore and access the wealth of opportunities the creative industry has to offer.
Achieving these and a host of many others have been implemented through strategic partnerships with organisations like the British Council, Live Theatre Lagos, Freedom Park, Terra Kulture, and the Cross Rivers State Government (Calabar Festival), among others.
Expressing her delight on the plays, Folake Ani-Mumuney, GH, Marketing & Corporate Communications, First Bank of Nigeria Limited said, “For over 127 years, FirstBank has been at the forefront of nation-building; enabling Nigeria and Nigerians through resourceful partnerships to build the Nigerian creative industry value chain, especially the arts and entertainment sub-sectors. We remain proud of this sponsorship that creates an excellent platform to showcase Nigeria to the world as being part of a collective goal to continually keep dreams and hope alive; holding strong to our commitment to reignite cultural heritage.”
“Without a doubt, the theatre remains part of the creative and entertainment industry value-chain across the globe and indeed a powerful channel to drive our heritage and culture, which resonates with our legacy of being woven into the fabric of society.”
The Duke of Shomolu Productions is a positive disruptive force that has been designed to aggressively push the agenda of “telling stories through performances”. In the last three years, the platform has engineered and fostered on Nigerian theatre audiences, some of the most eponymous works attracting over 50,000 people, attending their productions. The DOS production is a leading brand in the Performing Arts sector in Nigeria and was established in 2018.
According to research disclosed in PWC’s recent Entertainment & Media Outlook report, Nigeria’s entertainment market is expected to rise from $4.46 billion in 2018 to a $10.5 billion market by the end of 2023. In addition, with this initiative and other sponsored events, FirstBank is committed to strengthening its contribution to the development of the entertainment industry in the country.
A Nigerian, Samuel Nwajaju, became the first African to win the Mister International pageant at the 16th edition of the pageant in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday.
Established in 2006 by the late Alan Sim, the former president and founder, Mister International is one of the world’s largest male pageants, second only to Mister World in terms of national-level competitions.
The Singapore-based organisation has grown to attract participants from over 80 countries, with an annual average of 38 contestants.
For the first time in 16 years, the Mister International Organisation allowed fathers, married, and divorced men to compete.
Mr Nwajaju, a 23-year-old model and University of Port Harcourt undergraduate who also won the Best Swimwear category, secured the title by competing against 47 other contestants, the highest number in the pageant’s history.
He succeeds Kim Thitisan Goodburn of Thailand, defeating formidable competitors, including Vietnam’s Nguyễn Mạnh Lân, who was placed as first runner-up and Indonesia’s Glenn Victor Sutanto, who was placed second runner-up, according to Premium Times.
Nwajaju secured his place in this year’s competition in June by winning the Mister of Nigeria 2024 title during a grand event at the Lagos Oriental Hotel.
Although the specific cash prize or award for the Mister International competition is not explicitly disclosed, winners enjoy various forms of recognition, such as sponsorships, endorsements, and opportunities to collaborate with global brands and organisations.
Additionally, the titleholder participates in charitable and promotional events worldwide during their reign.
The pageant licenses local organisations that wish to select the Mister International contestant for their country and approves the selection method for national contestants.
Nollywood actress and media personality, Omotunde Adebowale-David aka Lolo1, has opened up about her unique preferences for men.
In a recent interview with Oyinmomo TV, the 47-year-old described her taste as “very weird,” explaining her attraction to younger men with distinctive style choices.
She said: “My taste in men is very weird. I like young people; I don’t like old people. I like men with long hair and earrings. I just like someone who is visually appealing. Gone are the days when you were looking for a God-fearing man. Are you even God-fearing yourself?”
“My taste in men is in a class of its own. It’s not because I act like a broke woman; I’m very bougie. I like good things. Any man that isn’t Eurocentric, I’ll find it difficult to connect with because I’m a fine dining girl. You won’t catch me on a date at Amala spot.”
According to the actress, any potential suitor who wants to court her must be well-traveled and exposed to different lifestyles.
“To court someone like me, you must be well-travelled and understand diverse lifestyles. That way, I don’t have to spend time explaining what I want or need,” she concluded.
Despite her specific preferences, the mother of four shared that she remains open to love and would consider a relationship if the right person comes along.
In a 2023 interview with Television Continental (TVC), Lolo1 revealed why her marriage ended.
At the time, she said: “For me, life happened. A lot of times, people go into marriage with only a little understanding of what they’re getting into. They don’t have a clear picture, and unfortunately, their lives unfold during the marriage, making it a make-or-mar situation. I think that’s what happened to me.”
Forbes has named American rapper, Sean Carter aka Jay-Z, as the greatest rapper of all time.
The publication recently released its 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time list, celebrating the best in the hip-hop world.
Jay-Z topped the list, followed by Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, J. Cole, and Tupac at numbers 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively.
Drake, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Nas, and Eminem complete the top 10.
Also on the list are Andre 300 (11), The Notorious B.I.G (12), Missy Elliott (13), Chuck D (14), A$AP Rocky (15), Lil’ Kim (16), Tyler, the Creator (17), Snoop Dogg (18), Ghostface Killah (19) and Common (20).
Popular names in hip-hop like 50 Cent, Ice Cube, Juice WRLD, Lauryn Hill, Dr. Dre, Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes, Future, Childish Gambino, Bad Bunny, Pusha T, Cardi B and Young Thug, rank at number 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 40, 46, 48 and 49, respectively.
