AFRICAMAGIC SWAHILI TURNS ONE

The dedicated Kiswahili-language channel that M-Net launched on DStv in July last year has just turned one and is going from strength to strength as viewers across East Africa embrace its popular local language programming.

Speaking on the anniversary, M-Net Africa Managing Director Biola Alabi said the channel's success is a result of a clear vision, solid partnerships with content suppliers, wonderful viewer support, and a vast investment in creating a home for the region's dynamic producers and moviemakers.

"It is one thing to say you're going to create a channel like AfricaMagic Swahili. It is another thing altogether to actually do it. We're pleased that 12 busy months later, we can say that we've learnt some important lessons, taken note of suggested improvements, listened to both our critics and fans; and ultimately grown in experience and understanding."

She says, "The Swahili community has been very generous, supportive and patient with us, encouraging and nurturing the channel from the start. We want to thank them all – viewers, producers, writers, directors, stars and all those people behind-the-scenes who work so hard to keep this beautiful, powerful language alive and thriving."

Since launch the AfricaMagic Swahili team has travelled extensively to build the channel. In January this year, they held a vital stakeholder forum in Dar es Salaam during which local film and TV professionals were advised on key aspects of program acquisition, licensing, and screening. The forum also included discussions on the subjects of contracting, distribution and platform opportunities.

Additionally M-Net invested in a two-day training workshop in Tanzania for producers and other industry personnel to learn new skills and techniques while sharing knowledge and ideas.

AfricaMagic Swahili ( DStv channel 127 ) is screened 24-hours daily. A 6-hour premium program block, that runs from 17:00 – 23:00 EAT daily, is re-screened 3 times more, giving viewers the chance to watch programs they may have missed. A general entertainment channel, AfricaMagic Swahili includes movies, drama, comedy, talk-shows, series and music. Programming is in Swahili but is sub-titled in English for non-Swahili speakers. There is also programming available from other markets, which has been dubbed into Swahili to ensure that Swahili audiences are also able to access programming from across the continent.
The channel is available on the DStv Access, Family, Compact, Compact Plus and Premium bouquets. It is offered in Swahili speaking countries such as Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo and the DRC. AfricaMagic Swahili is also included on the exciting new GOtv offering for audiences in Kenya.

Applauding the channel MultiChoice East Africa Regional Director Stephen Isaboke is positive about its future. "We know that this channel is one that our subscribers have asked for, enjoy greatly and want to see grow. It's relevant and it's dynamic. We are confident that it will continue to evolve in line with audience expectations and will remain one of the most compelling TV channels in this market."

Calling all Nokia Developers: DEMO Africa launch opportunity!

Dear African developer:

We are writing to invite you to apply for DEMO Africa 2012, a venture
showcase that will be making its African debut in Nairobi, Kenya, on
October 24 - 26.

DEMO provides innovators and entrepreneurs a platform from which to
launch new products, introduce new business plans, and expand into new
markets. And Nokia is the events Platinum sponsor.

Originating in the USA, DEMO is the premiere media and financing
industries; showcase for start-ups. Fifty companies that launched at
DEMO over the past five years have since been acquired by tech giants,
including Adobe, Cisco, HP, Google, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia,
Symantec, Viacom, and Yahoo! And DEMO-launched companies have raised
more than US$4.5 billion since their debut.

Following the successful US format, between October 24 and 26, the
first DEMO Africa conference will showcase 40 selected African
ventures in front of motivated investors, strategic partners, 100
members of the global media and bloggers, industry influencers, and
senior IT buyers. The conference, being held in Nairobi, is designed
to maximize press engagement and coverage for your proposition.

Even if your application is not selected, DEMO Africa offers you two
other ways to take advantage of the program:

If your application is still in development, the AlphaPitch
program could offer you 90 seconds to pitch your idea or business plan
to the DEMO Africa community.
If your application is already launched, apply to the DEMO Africa
Showcase where your product and company could be featured in the DEMO
Africa Pavilion.

HP Envy SpectreXT comes to Kenya

Technology can no longer afford to be merely reactive – these tools we
use in our everyday lives now need to be revolutionary. We are proud
that with the HP ENVY SPECTRE XT , we have scored another first in
fulfilling the dynamic needs of our Kenyan consumers; this machine
fits even more seamlessly into their diverse lifestyles. Performance,
reliability and design remain critical in the conceptualization and
design of our machines.

"We continue to research, we continue to innovate, and we continue to
develop," said Issam Essadiqi, Africa Director and General Manager for
HP's Printing and Personal Systems Group (PPS) in the EMEA region,
"and you can clearly see the end results of these efforts today. But
we will not rest on our laurels, and we continue to redefine our user
experiences."

The contemporary design of the machine gives users the experience of a
thin, sleek machine that melds the stark lines of industrial furniture
with the warmth of natural textures to deliver an uncompromised,
authentic finish. The 13.3'' tapered body weighting in at just 1.39kg
makes the HP ENVY SPECTRE XT the ideal companion for you to carry from
the bistro to the boardroom.

An ultra thin design should not sacrifice performance. In fact, it
should inspire it. With the latest Intel® Core i processors, the HP
ENVY SPECTRE XT is blazingly fast and stunningly sleek.

Leisure and productivity are no longer mutually exclusive and our
engineers also worked to give users an unparalleled sound experience;
you will be able to hear your music the way the artist intended. Beats
audio technology has been integrated with a quad speaker system that
is optimally positioned for a projected sound experience.

The HP ENVY SPECTRE XT is ready to go when you are; with a solid-state
drive and Intel® Rapid Start Technology, users can get going in
seconds whenever inspiration strikes.

"Partnerships such as these will continue to see us provide technology
solutions that are smart and relevant. Intel® Rapid Start Technology™
reduces the reaction time of your machine, helping you save time and
battery life," Laura Crone, Intel's Corporation Vice President of
Sales Marketing & Director of Global Accounts HP Account.

HP CoolSense Technology adjusts cooling to match where and how you
work. Multi-touch gesturing with the HP Imagepad provides better
precision and improves gesture responsiveness.

We understand that for some of our users, the day never stops. That's
why the HP ENVY SPECTRE XT has a battery life of up to 7 hours and
will last a week on standby - you can shift between this enhanced
virtual world and the real world at a moment's notice. It stays ready,
because in life you need to be.

Hewlett Packard looks forward to many more firsts in the region, and
we thank our partners for their contribution towards making the HP
ENVY SPECTRE XT a reality. To our consumers, we give an enduring
promise of enhanced performance, relevance and a dynamic user
experience.

For more information contact

Muthoni Gitahi, HP

+254 722 997 835 muthoni.gitahi@hp.com

Henry Okatch

+254 721 899 572

henry@onpointmarketing.com

Notes to the editors

About HP:

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful
impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world's
largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans
printing , personal computing , software , services and IT
infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP
(NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com .

Profiles:

About Issam Essadiqi:

Issam Essadiqi is the Africa Director and General Manager for HP's
Printing and Personal Systems Group (PPS). He is responsible for
reinforcing HP's leadership position in the region on both printing
and computing segments, while growing the business and the market
share.

Prior to this, Issam served as Chief of staff for HP's Personal
Systems Group in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa). In
this role, Issam was working both strategically and tactically with
the PSG EMEA staff to enable and support the accomplishment of
business goals and key strategic initiatives.

Issam has been with Hewlett-Packard for 13 years and has held various
positions within IPG and PSG. Before joining EMEA, Issam served as
Marketing manager for PSG in the MEMA region (Middle-East,
Mediterranean and Africa), where he was responsible for driving the
PSG marketing strategy, investment, planning and programs across the
region.

Prior to joining MEMA, Issam was working for ISE region as LSP/CDP
Sales Manager and led the volume distribution business within the SPO
organization.

Issam joined HP in Morocco in 1998 as IPG category, sales and
marketing manager for Africa.
He moved to Geneva in 2003 to join the ISE team as Channel marketing
manager where he was responsible for the implementation of several
Channel development programs under the new Partner One strategy.

Issam is Moroccan and holds a bachelor's degree in management and commerce.

About Laura Crone:

Laura Crone is vice president of the Sales and Marketing Group and
director of Global Accounts – Hewlett Packard. She is responsible for
all aspects of Intel's relationship with Hewlett Packard.

Prior to leading the Hewlett Packard team, Crone most recently led the
Sun Global Account team. Crone has held a variety of leadership roles
during her 22 years in Sales and Marketing and brings a solid breadth
of skills and experiences to this role, including director of
Operations for America Sales & Marketing Organization (ASMO), director
of Marketing for ASMO, and director of Worldwide Customer Satisfaction
for the Sales and Marketing Group. Crone also spent three years as
vice president and director of Operations for the Flash Products Group
where she was responsible for managing and improving the overall
supply chain, pricing strategy, forecasting, inventory management and
profit & loss.

Crone joined Intel in 1984 through Intel's Technical Sales Program and
later held various Field Sales Engineer and Sales Management roles in
Silicon Valley.

About Kevin Connolly:

Kevin Connolly is the Windows Business Group Lead, Sub-Saharan Africa
for Microsoft West, East, and Central Africa & Indian Ocean Islands.
As the Windows Business Group Lead for Microsoft West, East, and
Central Africa & Indian Ocean Islands, Kevin Connolly is responsible
for overseeing Microsoft's Windows business and marketing across 49
countries in the region. In his 13th year at Microsoft, Kevin has
served in both Corporate and Regional roles with Microsoft around the
world. Kevin is entering his 6th year in Africa, and 4th managing the
Windows business in the region.

Before joining Microsoft in Africa, he worked in Paris, France at the
company's Europe, Middle East, & Africa headquarters. Prior to that,
he served as Group Product Manager in the Server & Tools Business
Group at Microsoft's Redmond, USA corporate headquarters. Kevin holds
a passion for the potential of technology to both change, and be
changed by, individuals and businesses across the continent. Kevin
lives in Nairobi, Kenya with his wife and 3 children; he is a native
of Seattle, USA.

© 2011 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information
contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only
warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express
warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing
herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP
shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions
contained herein.

Nokia brings classic arcade games to Asha Touch

Nokia has announced NAMCO BANDAI will fully support the recently launched Asha Touch devices, having more than 20 arcade classic titles available to be downloaded through Nokia Store. The new devices were launched just last month globally and bring a colourful range of great experiences designed for young, urban and aspirational consumers. The Nokia Asha 305 will hit local retailers across East Africa towards the end of July.

Available through Nokia Store now, the agreement includes some of the most prestigious titles in the gaming industry, such as PAC-MAN®, Final Fantasy, ACE COMBAT® and Flight Control. Consumers will be able to take advantage of a new touch screen experience that makes mobile web browsing fast, with easy access to social networks and, of course, a great gaming performance.

In total, 22 will be coming on Asha Touch devices from NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc and NAMCO BANDAI Games Americas Inc. including the classics:

- PAC-MAN®
- Flight Control
- SOULCALIBUR®
- ACE COMBAT NORTHERN WINGS™
- Final Fantasy
- RIDGE RACER® Drift
- BRAIN EXERCISE™ with Dr. Kawashima
- GALAGA® Special Edition

These titles are priced between USD 0.99 and USD 2.99.

James Kucera, head of mobile for NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., said: "Our partnership with Nokia perfectly illustrates the strengths of our brand's experience and leadership in the mobile games industry and fits our mutual resolve to bring games to all mobile users worldwide"

These latest phones have been designed to provide an incredibly rich, smartphone-like experience to consumers who want to be set free from excessive data consumption costs and short battery life. The devices offer a new, fully re-designed touch user interface, combining the proven ease-of-use from Nokia's heritage with digital design innovations specifically fit for the purpose.

Nokia Store has just broken the 5 billion downloads landmark. From January to April, 42% of all content downloaded from Nokia Store was delivered to Asha and other Nokia devices based on the Java ecosystem. Just one year ago, that number was 10%. To date, more than 411 Nokia developers have with apps which have achieved more than 1 million downloads, while India Games, Pico Brothers and Inode have all driven more than 100 million downloads.

Images from NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc, NAMCO BANDAI Games Americas Inc. and Nokia Asha Touch devices are available at http://press.nokia.com .

CBA BOOST TO THE EDUCATION SECTOR

CBA in partnership with Higher Education Loans Board, will this year lessen the burden of tuition for students in institutions of higher learning by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the bank and the loans body .The Memorandum of Understanding will facilitate students who miss out on the HELB Loan to acquire personal loans at concessionary rates.

HELB, charged with the responsibility of assisting students enrolled in universities within the East African Community to finance their education, will therefore open a corporate account with the bank to enable students or guardians the opportunity to secure a loan.

Speaking at the ceremony, CBA Group Head of Business Mr. Jeremy Ngunze said, " We are proud to be associated with HELB on this as we strengthen our presence within the education sector. At CBA, we have positioned ourselves to become the conduit of our customers' individual dreams and aspirations and this opportunity to help students achieve their dreams is part of our vision."

Dependant on the course to be undertaken by a given student, CBA will avail a minimum loan of Kshs. 50,000 and a maximum of Kshs.1Million with the rate of interest pegged to the bank's base rate and repayment is within a year.

Speaking in the same function, Mr Shem Gichimu, HELBs' Head of Finance, expressed gratitude for the support CBA is providing to enable students to achieve their dreams. He said the demand for HELB loans was too high and therefore needed other financial institutions to chip in financing higher education towards the achievement of Vision 2030. He said, "In the last financial year, we disbursed a total of Kshs 4.1billion to over 100,000 Kenyan student's pursuing higher education in recognized universities."

As part of their brand promise "Time for more" CBA, has set plans in motion to launch Youth account aimed at helping young members build a sound financial future.

KENYA RUGBY UNION REVAMPS SEVENS SET UP

The Kenya Rugby Union has been in the process of restructuring the National Sevens team's set up. This exercise began close to a year ago with the express aim of raising the standards of Kenyan Sevens rugby, and taking the game to the next level and has resulted in the selection of a new technical bench to be headed by Englishman Mike Friday.

The Minister of Youth and Sport in the Government of Kenya, Dr. Paul Otuoma is very encouraged by this development and has assured the Union of the Government's support in helping reposition Kenya as one of the leading lights of the abridged version of the game.

"Our decision to settle on Friday was driven by a need to inject professionalism into the team and as earlier stated, with the aim of taking Kenya Sevens to the next level" said KRU's Chairman – Mwangi Muthee.

Friday has a proven track record in rugby sevens, as a player, captaining England to the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the 2001 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Mar del Plata, Argentina and as a coach, leading England to four successive Hong Sevens titles, two Dubai Sevens titles, the 2006 Commonwealth Games Silver as well as a number of international titles.

He is looking forward to the task at hand, saying, "I am hugely honored and excited to be given the opportunity of leading the Kenya Sevens programme. Kenya has such a strong, proud Sevens history and have always been a team that the so called top nations have feared."

"Our aim is to become a successful Kenya Sevens team that can consistently compete and perform on the HSBC IRB World 7's Series and where everyone is proud of the performances that the team put in whilst representing the hugely passionate people of Kenya"

Joining him on the technical bench is Christopher Brown from New Zealand who comes on board as the team's Strength and Conditioning Coach. Brown will liaise with Friday and three Assistant Coaches (Tito Oduk, Mitch Ocholla and Felix Ochieng) in bringing out the best from the Kenyan team.

The Kenya Rugby Union would like to acknowledge the International Rugby Board and the team's sponsor Kenya Airways. Both parties have been instrumental in facilitating this process and we offer our sincere gratitude for their support. This will surely be translated into results and improved performances moving forward.

The Kenya Sevens program for the upcoming season will begin on Wednesday 1 st August 2012.

PAWA Salon IX With Mario Macilau

Pawa254 will be hosting the talented professional photographer Mario Macilau on 12th July 2012 at ' Pawa Salon IX' from 4:30pm - 7:00pm.

Mario Macilau is currently attending a 2 month international residency programme at KuonaTrust which comes to an end at the end of July. Macilau started his journey as photographer in 2003 and engaged to professional level when he traded his mother's cell phone for his first camera in 2007. He specializes in long-term projects focused on living and environmental conditions over the time and in his home country he confronts the realism of power, environment and cultural heritage that affect the socially isolated groups and issues that define our times. Come, meetup, interact and exchange ideas with this stellar photographer.

R.Kelly and Chris Brown Dazzle Nigerians With New Albums

Nigerian music fans can now join other music lovers across the world to enjoy superb music from multiple award winning stars, R Kelly's and Chris Brown's chart topping new albums which are now available in Nigeria, courtesy of Sony Music and  MComm Africa.

R.Kelly's Write Me Back and Chris Brown's Fortune become the 2nd and 3rd international albums respectively released in Nigeria under the landmark partnership between Sony Music and MComm, with Nigeria being the first West African country to have three official international releases from the multiple award winning American artistes. 

Write Me Back and Fortune are currently on sale nationwide and are available at selected album stores and retail outlets.

For the past 25 years, American singer and songwriter R.Kelly, has won the hearts of millions of music fans all over the world with numerous hit tracks that have remained popular all time fan favourites. His latest effort, Write Me Back is his 11th studio album. 

Chris Brown's Fortune is an eclectic mix of musical styles ranging from R&B to hard hitting pop, as well as soulful ballads. His 5th studio effort is coming on the heels of his Grammy Award winning album F.A.M.E   which was released in 2011.

Confirming MComm's exclusive promotion of R.Kelly's and Chris Brown's new albums in Nigeria, Chief Executive Officer of  MComm, Chidi Okeke stated "We've still got a whole lot of surprises for our fans; this is just a  little foretaste of what is to come," he concluded.

It will be recalled that less than two weeks ago, MComm also announced its distributorship rights of Usher's latest album, Looking 4 Myself, in Nigeria.

Nokia Asha Don't Break the Beat - Nairobi Auditions Announced

Nokia today announced the first round of auditions for the upcoming "Don't Break the Beat" competition. This campaign, linked to the Nokia Asha range of mobile phones, centres on an East African wide search to find the definitive rapper, also known as a "cypher" , amongst the youth.

Aspiring rappers in Nairobi get to impress the judges first, when auditions are hosted on Saturday, 14 th July from 09:00 – 17:00 at the Nairobi National Museums . Successful contestants from these auditions go on to battle it out at club nights and national finals, competing with rappers from across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania for the coveted East Africa title, and a whopping 250,000 KES in prize money, as well as a brand New Nokia Asha mobile phone.

A panel of expert judges has been rounded up to assess the best cypher talent East Africa has to offer. They include: Nazizi; Point Blank Evumbi; Eric Musyoka; Joey Muthengi; Frasha (Francis Amisi) and DJ Joe Mfalme. Their votes carry 70% weight in the final judging. The other 30% will be consumer driven, with voting open at each round on the You Tube channel so everyone gets the opportunity to support their favourite!

"The youth in East Africa are all about self-expression and music is an important part of our culture," says Angela Githuthu, Marketing Activation Manager for Nokia East Africa. "The Nokia Asha range of mobile phones is designed specifically for these vibrant, young consumers, offering freedom of choice across the range which now offers two new models - the Nokia Asha 202 and Nokia Asha 305. We are bringing these devices to market through the Don't Break the Beat campaign which marries the youth's desire for individuality expressed through music, and the wish to have phones that are socially connected and super cool."

AFRICAN VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY TO HOST 27 AFRICAN VICE CHANCELLORS IN NAIROBI

The AVU Multinational Project II - Policy Harmonization and Curriculum Conceptualization Workshop kicks off at the Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi"

Nairobi, 9 th July, 2012…… African Virtual University (AVU) will for the next four days host a workshop at Intercontinental Hotel from 9 th -12 th June . The workshop is the first step to the implementation of the African Development Bank (AfDB) funded Multinational Project (II) that aims at helping African countries' improve their ICT infrastructure and programs, and provide technical assistance on their ICT in education policies and strategies.

This will further strengthen AVU and its network of institutions to deliver and manage quality ICT integrated education and training opportunities in 21 African countries. The outcome of the workshop will inform the implementation of the project across the countries and universities through panel presentations and discussions by the delegates.

Attending the four day workshop will be 180 delegates from Eastern, Western, North and Southern Africa in academia, government, and donor partners. Present at the workshop will be Ministers and high officials from governments, and Vice Chancellors from universities in Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, DRC, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan and Tanzania. AVU partners such as the African Development Bank, the African Capacity Building Foundation, UNESCO, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa will also attend.

The workshop aims to chart a path for the 5 year program through the establishment of new Distance and eLearning Centres while upgrading existing ones; Develop four ICT Integrated Programs including

teacher education and computer science; Mainstream uptake of mathematics and sciences for women; Introduce Research and Development; Promote and Develop Open Education Resources (OER); and Offer technical assistance to countries on distance and eLearning policies and strategies. This will serve to enhance AVUs capacity and participating universities to increase access to quality education.

Speaking during the workshop opening ceremony, AVU Rector, Dr. Bakary Diallo said that AVU aims to bridge the gap that is missing in higher learning opportunities in Africa due to limited access to tertiary institutions. "One academic challenge facing most African countries is availability of tertiary learning institutions due to limited learning facilities and not the lack of will to attain higher education credentials. This should not be the case anymore since there are alternative opportunities through distance and eLearning", said Dr. Diallo.

"AVU has united with more than 53 Academic Partner Institutions in more than 27 countries in Africa, and with innovative use of ICT, we seek to increase access to higher education. This is the season of university intakes for new students and the impact of eLearning as a form of accessing higher learning cannot be overemphasized. Africa is advancing technologically and institutions that are moving with the times have adopted the system so as to deliver beyond their classroom capacity",added Dr. Diallo.

The workshop comes at a time when research has shown that majority of secondary school leavers do not get access to tertiary education and those who would like to may not know how to go about the opportunity to take up Open Distance and eLearning. This not only deters individual growth but also economic, social and political advancement in Africa. The workshop will close with a presentation of the policy framework document, and a signature of the final workshop communiqué by the Vice Chancellor's.
About AVU
African Virtual University (AVU) is a Pan African Intergovernmental Organization whose aim is to significantly increase access to quality higher education and training through the innovative use of Information and Communication Technologies.
Founded in 1997, AVU has graduated 43,000 students across Africa and established the largest network of Open Distance and eLearning institutions in over 30 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. AVU works across borders and languages in Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone Africa.
In 2011 AVU received global recognition for implementation of Phase I of the Multinational Project with an award by the US-based Education-Portal.com for its open Education Resources activities in the category of "Best Emerging OCW Initiative."
The AVU is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya with a regional office in Dakar, Senegal.

2KAY AND RUGGEDMAN SHOOT “KOSI WERE”

Fast rising act, Mr 2Kay recently shot his popular track "Kosi Were" with Veteran rapper, Ruggedman in Lagos.

 

The Port Harcourt born artiste had a number of celebrity friends from both the movie and music industry at the shoot to show support and also make cameo appearances. Some of the guests include 2Shots, Jaywon, Chigozie Atuanya among others. BET award winner, Wizkid also made a surprise stop at the video shoot.

 

Mr 2Kay released his debut album titled, "Waterside Boy" in April 2012 and also dropped a video for "Waterside Boy". The hit tracks, Waterside Boy, Run This Town and Kosi Were have gotten massive airplay on major radio stations across the country especially in the South South.

 

"Kosi Were" video was directed by Clarence Peters and promises to be a must watch.

BANKY W, WIZKID, SKALES KICK OFF EME US TOUR

Weeks after releasing the first ever EME all star album, Empire Mates State of Mind . Wizkid, Banky W, Skales and other EME acts have kicked off the label's debut US tour.

The long anticipated multi city tour began on American Independence day, Wednesday, July 4 and will end on Sunday September 2, 2012.

According to EME, the tour will cover nine states in North America including New York, Chicago, Texas, and Atlanta.

Banky W, Wizkid, Skales, Rotimi, XO and other EME stars will also touchdown in the Canadian city of Toronto. 

On Wednesday July 4, Banky W, Skales, Rotimi and Wizkid kicked off the North-American tour with an amazing performance in Houston. Three days later with the exception of Banky W, the EME boys also hit Dallas. On Thursday July, 20 Wizkid and Skales will perform in Toronto. The tour heads back to America with Banky W, Wizkid, Skales and Rotimi performing in New York City.

EME associate and rapper XO Senavoe joins the train on Saturday August 18 in Atlanta. The EME crew performs in Washington DC, Chicago and New York which wraps up the tour. The North-American involves two of the Empire Mates Entertainment associates; Rotimi and XO Senavoe.

XO Senavoe is a half-Nigerian, half-Ghanaian rapper who has been making a name for himself thanks to his unique and rapid wordplay. The upcoming rapper has gotten huge co-signs from established acts such as Banky W and M.I. Last year he featured in the historic Nigerian BET Awards Cypher which included Mode 9, Sauce Kid, M.I, Ice Prince and Naeto C. This year he was one of the promising acts that featured on M.I Abaga's Illegal Music 2 mixtape.

Rotimi is an American singer with Nigerian heritage. He was born in the city of New Jersey 22 years ago. His love for music started when his father started exposing him to the music of the late great Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Reggae icon Bob Marley. At the age of 15 Rotimi wowed the Apollo Theatre crowd and won the first place position on Amateur Night. Later on he joined a group called NBH made up of two of Jay-Z's cousins. He is presently recognized as one of the brightest up-coming multi talented artistes in the American entertainment industry.

The label is also working on a pan-Nigeria tour, with details to be announced this summer.

 

Full EME Tour Schedule

July 4 - Houston (Banky W/Wizkid/Skales/Rotimi) Presented by EME, Jr 'The Mayor' Martins, Fela of It's On Fashion

July 7 - Dallas (Wizkid/Skales/Rotimi) presented by Big A Ent and Townkrier

July 20 – Toronto, Canada (Wizkid/Skales) presented by Microbell Ent

July 21 – Vancouver, Canada – presented by Microbell Entertainment

July 28 - NYC (Banky W/Wizkid/Skales/Rotimi) presented EME and Audacyti Ent

July 29 – Providence, Rhode Island – A charity event presented by HP Family Entertainment

Aug 10 - Mpls (Wizkid/Skales/Rotimi) presented by AQ2 Ent

Aug 11 - Calgary (Wizkid/Skales) presented by Microbell Ent

Aug 18 - ATL (Banky W/Wizkid/Skales/Rotimi/XO) presented by EME, Konvict, Mr De Ja Vu & Takeover DJs

Aug 25 - DC (Banky W/Wizkid/Skales/Rotimi/XO) presented by EME

Sept 1 - Chicago (Banky W/Wizkid/Skales/Rotimi/XO) presented by EME and Afrobeat Productions

Sept 2 .NYC/NEA  (Banky W/Wizkid/Skales/Rotimi/XO)

 

3 ARTISTS TO EXHIBIT AT LE RUSTIQUE THIS AUGUST

Omosh Kindeh is 31 years old. He lives in Nairobi and works as a sculptor and painter. The work on view at Le Rustique is part of his most recent paintings.His source of inspiration purely comes from the society, his habitat and Nairobi, depicting human variations, their nature and behaviors.

He particularly like the sense of aesthetics that comes from particular buildings, their lines and angles which are very often broken by the curves of human bodies in an attempt to express the thin line between our habitat and our identity.

Wilson Mwangi was born in Nairobi in 1976 and attended Muhoro Sec School for the Deaf (NYERI) in which he passed his national examination. His sense of composition made of clear cut lines combined with contrasted colors make each of Wilson's painting look like a jigsaw puzzle where the imbrications of animals, landscapes, symbols play a special role to make each work coherent despite the number of elements.

John Silver is a self taught artist. His woodcuts prints have found their way to several institutions, among others the Victoria and Albert Collection in London. John's prints have a dream-like quality, full of colour, texture and fantasy.

ZIFF KICKS OFF IN GRAND STYLE

LAST night the 15th edition of Zanzibar International Film Festival was inaugurated. Opening film was the animated film from Kenya,  Wageuzi.The audience can now look forward to nine days full of film screenings, seminars and parties.

Director of Tourism in Zanzibar, Ali Khalid Mirza held an opening speech before the curtain went up, as did the Festival's Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ikaweba Bunting.

The showpiece took place at Old Fort where many people were prepared to endure for an experience that would last them a life time.

Dubbed the festival of festivals, the nine day celebration was accompanied by entertainment from groups like Dossar, Mwanandege and Tausi Women Taarab which turned a flame to a blast.

Opening the ceremony, Dr Ikaweba Bunting said ZIFF is to be a cornerstone building block of an infrastructure that will generate employment and economic activities for livelihood in the entertainment and creative content industry.

"It is not a secret that it is extremely difficult for African artist to, especial film makers to access markets and venues to exhibit their works, ZIFF has done that and we expect to achieve more", says Bunting.