Ommy Dallah
Veteran SA Actress Mary Twala Dies At 80
Veteran South African actress Mary Twala has died at the age 80.
The news of her death was confirmed by her son and media personality Somizi Mhlongo.
"Today's my late father's birthday.....and my mom decided to respond to his call to join him in heaven.....THE TREE HAS FALLEN... I'm shattered to the core.....but I'd be very selfish if I dont release her.my mom lived to the fullest achieved beyond her dreams.its hurts like hell.I wont lie a day without her calling to either say I love u or give me money.thank u south africa for loving the phenomenal super star that is my mother.she left us peacefully around 11am at parklane pvt hospital as I was on my way to drop off her gown and a few minutes earlier the dr called to say come shes up and jolly now. I arrived a few mon late......LALA MA." posted Somizi.
South Africa president Cyril Ramaphosa led South Africans in mourning the icon.
"Like millions of South Africans, I am saddened by the passing of a great icon of our nation’s creative community; someone who was a household name and face to all of us and brought home the joys, the struggles and the humour under pressure that characterises our national life," President Cyril Ramaphosa said.
Adding "We have lost a unique talent and an endearing human being whose performances brought to life the meaning of being South African, and appealed to South Africans of all generations. We will miss her dearly."
In 2011, Twala was nominated for an Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She received the National Order Award from president Cyril Ramaphosa in 2019.
She is known for appearing in several productions including Generations, Sarafina, Yizo-Yizo, Muvhango, and many more.
Shahbal Offers Inspiration For The Youth, With A Tale Of His DJ Son
Mi Casa Releases 5th Album 'We Made It'
Mi Casa is one of South Africa’s most exciting and consistent success stories.
With a sonic uniqueness that has not only stood the test of time, but shaped South African dancefloors for the past decade, the band has gone from strength to strength with their Afro-Pop/House grooves and shown the world that nothing can keep positivity and a good formula down.
Now, ten years, countless awards and 5 albums later, the group has signed an international record deal with Afroforce1 Records and Universal Music Group, making them a priority act for their region.
Their brand new album 'We Made It' is a testament to a decade of raw pushing that saw this self-made success story emerge once again on top.
April 2020 saw a strong kick out the gate with the first single, “Church Bells”.
Released alongside a powerful video of a space-inspired traditional African wedding, the single immediately topped SA’s most played charts and firmly reminded audiences Mi Casa are leaders in their arena.
They have returned to South African airwaves with more determination, growth and relevance than ever before and fired up about dropping their 5th album at home, in the African continent and in Europe this July.
Aptly titled, 'We Made It' makes J’Something beam with happiness and speak about it as if it’s his newborn child.
He states, “We are completely re-energised with this record. It feels like we have emerged on another planet compared to where we were before we started the recording process.”
The band, with close musical companions such as producers Jay Em, spent 3 months writing from a house in Mpumalanga with no distractions, pushing through a tough time when the band was probably at its weakest in terms of spirit.
Amidst the rumours of break-up and song-writing apathy they emerged with an offering that leans more towards a ‘band act’ than the ‘club act’ they felt they may have been before.
Lyrically, J’ Something takes the helm as always. With love still remaining a strong lyrical undercurrent, there’s no doubt that this time the sex appeal is definitely riding high too.
The album is probably one of the smoothest Mi Casa offerings to date.
Tracks such as “Mamela” speak to the tender side of all of us as J aches for quiet time with his partner.
Vocally, it gives a definite nod to 90’s R&B, whilst smatterings of musical beach vibes bring the listener closer to that holiday.
“Obsessed” takes it right to the top with fire lyrics cradled in a sexy Latin-House beat.
“How Could You” is a gut-punch that speaks almost tangibly to anyone who’s ever been played in a relationship while party tracks like “Chucks” and “Love Everything about You” remind fans why this band is still on top of their game.
A stand-out track is without a doubt, ‘Eve’ – a deeper, socio-political look at the dark place we find ourselves in as mankind.
With a definite African angle to the lyrics, the sadness of the track is visceral and although perhaps not destined for dancefloor dominance without a remix, the sheer vocal mastery by J’Something, Mo’s melancholy pull of the trumpet and the slowed-down beat take the listener on a journey of awareness. In short, it’s pure fire.
Another stand-out track is ‘Home Alone’, featuring AKA. The song speaks to long distance relationships, longing, isolation and all the hard times people experience when being alone, much like what so many people have been experienced worldwide right now with the Covid 19 pandemic.
The 3rd July sees the official release of the album, as well as the second single, ‘Eve’. The band plans to support it with an exciting 9-province virtual tour and a host of other awesome digital content, until such time as they can perform live.
As a complete record one could be forgiven for feeling like they’re witnessing the blossoming evolution of their favourite OG’s.
Emerging the other side as a more mature, slick and sexy force of nature. Mi Casa has literally, never sounded so good.
Meet Queen Cha, Rwanda's Best Female Artist
Queen Cha real names Yvonne Mugemana is a Rwandan female artist, last year (2019) she was awarded as Rwanda's best female artist. She has also been a brand ambassador for Techno mobile.
Some of her hit songhs include, Romantic, Umwe Rukumbi, Question among others.
In an exclusive interview with Ommy Dallah, the songstress reveals more about her music.
Keep Off Kazi Mtaani, Uhuru Tells Politicians
President Uhuru Kenyatta has warned against political interference in the forthcoming national roll out of the Kazi Mtaani youth employment program.
The President said the initiative was mooted to assist Kenyan youth whose livelihoods had been disrupted by the Covid-19 health crisis.
“The program will be free of any political interference. It’ll not be a process which politicians will use to get votes,” he cautioned.
The Head of State spoke today at KICC in Nairobi, at the close of a two-day training workshop on Kazi Mtaani for Regional and County Commissioners.
Following the successful pilot phase of the program, the national roll out of the youth employment initiative will start on Monday next week.
The President said the pilot phase of the intervention, which was conducted in eight counties, had been a major success.
“I had the opportunity to visit a number of sites where these young people were working and I saw the positive impact they had in terms of improving lives and protecting the environment of those who are the most vulnerable,” he said.
The Head of State regretted that similar interventions were in the past mismanaged and, directed Regional and County Commissioners to take full control of the program.
“Many of you will recall that a similar program was unfortunately abused. I have to be very clear with you, we will not entertain abuse this time around.
"It will be your direct responsibility to ensure that there is no abuse. It is for you to ensure that the money that comes to your regions is used properly and used for the intended purpose,” the President said.
President Kenyatta charged Regional and County Commissioners with the responsibility of ensuring transparency in the recruitment of the youth into the program.
He said beneficiaries of the Kazi Mtaani initiative should be identified purely on merit.
“Recruit people who are in need and not brothers, sisters or cousins. This money should only help the people who are in real need. The first test for you will be the recruitment," the President told the administrators.
In his remarks, Interior CS Fred Matiang’i reiterated the President’s message saying the national roll out of the program must meet the highest levels of integrity and transparency.
Dr Matiang'i observed that the pilot phase of the youth employment initiative had registered positive outcomes.
“So far, so good. We have had very positive reports from the field. The level of commitment, focus and effectiveness are very high.
But still, much more is demanded of us to go forward. It’s then upon us not to let the President down,” the Interior CS rallied the administrators.
Nifty Boi Premiers New Video 'Balancio' In Kenya
I've Never Dreamt Of Giving Up- Black Snow
Isaac Mbaji an electrical engineering student has decided to focus on his musical career despite the bashings which have risen from his haters and all the bumps he has already met on his way since he made the decision to focus on his talent.
The 21 years old trap hip-hop musician, also known as Black Snow has recorded several tracks and a video to be released this week. Aside from the confidence in his talent, passion has been the biggest motivation.
“Apart from being talented I’ve got true passion for music. I started doing music in lower primary school and I did different types of music; like I was part of a choir, I did traditional songs , all in bid to know better what music was really about. I have also studied music a bit so I understand the different music notations. I have had great support from my parents my siblings, relatives, I mean everyone back at home that motivates me to never give up.” Shares Black Snow.
Despite the fact that he is not half way there, the young artists idolizes Kenyan Hip Hop Greatest of all time, Khaligraph Jones and even set him as the ultimate goal.
“My role model in music is KHALIGRAPH JONES! The OG must be respected he is ma biggest role model I salute him having most of his tracks I get power to do it ma self. Of course given the chance I would like to do a collabo with the OG and Masauti Kenyan Boy,” he says.
When he started doing music he set his own goals that he needed to achieve. Most importantly doing good music and being where he will be accepted. And the trophy being owning his own label some day.
“Having my own label means I will no longer worry about recording or video shoots that are a bit challenging to me right now. This way I can go international and maybe someday replace the OG,” Shares the up and coming artist.
His biggest challenges though, have been the expenses for the video shoots, which have forced him to delay most of the projects. He has also tried reaching out to some radio presenters to at least get some airplays but his efforts have not yielded to much. But as he says he has never dreamt of giving up.
The Art Of Voice Acting, What You Need To Know
By Ewoma Oyegwa
Voice acting is the art of using your voice to bring words on a script to life.
You can do that by acting or creating a character, which is then referred to as a voice-over.
The voice is unseen, narrator speaking.
At some point, you might have heard some voice overs but you were unaware of it.
You find professional voice overs on TV, radio, web commercial, infomercials, promos for Tv shows , e-learning, Games just to name a few.
Now, you have a good voice, you’ve heard people tell you that. Having a good voice is a gift
You can get into voice acting, how?
You will want to get trained to master the art.
In the beginning, you may feel weird acting out characters you’re not. That’s fine.
With constant practice and auditions for characters that similar to you, it will get better with time.
While at it, If there are areas of interests you wish to focus on, do so, then create demos, send them out and start getting jobs.
Becoming a voice actor has many benefits.
Most voice actors work right from the comfort of their own homes using the internet and some basic recording gear.
You have a flexible schedule, you can work full time or part-time, and it pays really well.
Ewoma Oyegwa Biography
Ewoma Oyegwa is a professional voice artiste, radio personality, television host, fashion model and creative producer/media personality.
Ewoma is the prestigious voiceover brand who has work with notable brands such as, Redbull, Quickteller, First Bank Nigeria, Jobberman, Shoprite among many others.
With the use of her voice, Ewoma has had the opportunity to brand top radio and Tv stations across Nigeria through the means of station imaging for top TV stations such as TVC, views Channel, Coolfm Nigeria just to name a few.
She’s currently the host of the weekly music countdown show , Max World Chart show 102.3 Maxfm Lagos and 90.9 Maxfm Abuja, a co host of the Max World Chart Show on TVC and on as well as the one of the creative producers at Maxfm Nigeria.
In the future, Ewoma hopes to anchor more events, Red carpet shows, tv and radio shows, learn new things, as well as share the knowledge she has gathered to enrich the world.
She enjoys doing voice overs, eating delicious food, traveling and listening to music.
Ewoma’s goal is to put a smile on peoples face with her fabulous personality, train aspiring voice over talents, travel the world and have her voice heard globally and top brands will be associated with the voice of royalty and success.
Kenyan Youth Hard Hit By COVID -19 Pandemic As Access To Contraception Services Disrupted
To read and download the full report: https://www.formniganikenya.
Disruptions in services, from closure of some contraception access points to shortages in supplies, together with measures taken to curb the pandemic are contributing to the faltering of family planning programmes in the country.
#formnigani, a creative movement led by young Kenyans advocating for national conversation on contraception in Kenya, conducted a survey of 1400 young Kenyans in March, 92% of whom felt that family planning is important to their own futures as well as the future of Kenya.
This new report elaborates on the critical issues and decisions surrounding contraception during C19, with 53% of the young Kenyans reporting they were experiencing challenges in accessing contraception as the pharmacies they frequented were either closed or operating on greatly reduced opening times down during the pandemic.
Leading Kenyan futures expert, Dr. Katindi Sivi, who facilitated the scenarios development in the COVID-19 and Contraception report says, “COVID-19 like other health issues has highlighted the challenges that have long existed in our healthcare system, from universal healthcare to access to contraception. It is bound to magnify the impact of an insufficient health system, which has a long-lasting impact on our society and economy.”
Findings detailed in the report come against a backdrop of already alarming outcomes linked to low contraception among Kenyans, including high maternal deaths with an estimated 6,300 women dying annually during pregnancy and childbirth primarily due to unplanned pregnancies.
In Kenya, 42% of pregnancies are unintended, according to a 2019 study by Performance Monitoring for Action, a statistic that could rise because of the pandemic.
Already, as a result of barriers to accessing contraception information and methods, Kenya finds itself facing an avoidable maternal health crisis that has in recent years seen the country lose 7 women daily (2,600 annually) to unsafe abortions, most of which are as a result of unplanned pregnancies.
In a predominantly youthful country, with 74% of Kenyans under the age of 35 (according to the National Council for Population Development), the pandemic is bound to have a disproportionate impact on young Kenyans.
According to the COVID-19 and Contraception report, the pandemic, and associated mitigation measures, has had a financial impact on 50% of young Kenyans in the form of loss of business income, loss of employment or mandatory unpaid leave.
“In this new reality, a higher number of Kenyan youth whose contraception needs were previously being met may find themselves among the underserved or marginalized as new factors play a greater role in influencing access and usage. Reduction and loss of income, for example, mean that individual priorities and attitudes change if uncertainties persist,” said Andy Awiti, strategy consultant and a participant of the #formnigani Think Tanks.
In the development of the COVID-19 and Contraception report, Kenyan youth identified key drivers of contraception to include global influence, innovation and the state of the health system - most influential in shaping contraception in Kenya during the pandemic and beyond.
The report paints a picture of the state of contraception in the near and long term future, including worst case, moderate and best possible scenarios for contraception in Kenya. It is for this reason that young Kenyans find it imperative that steps are taken to mitigate against the low access to contraception during and beyond the current health crisis.
For young Kenyans, the role of contraception in achieving individual and national goals cannot be overstated. The achievement of sustainable and equitable development through access to quality family planning services cannot remain an afterthought, but a key driver, and this is only feasible if we address the gaps that contribute to unmet needs among Kenyans.
The COVID-19 and Contraception report also includes a minimum quality standard (MQS) framework, which outlines critical actions for the achievement of the best-case scenario.
In this framework, key contraception reforms vital for Kenya’s future include a community based, population approach to contraception policy and financing that seeks to include the most vulnerable, a contraception supply chain anchored on offering expanded choice of methods, and an SRH system that benefits from the synchrony between health facilities and outreach initiatives.
To read and download the full report: https://www.formniganikenya.
ABOUT #FORMNIGANI
#formnigani is an inclusive platform for Kenyans that is led by Kenyan youth, creatives and opinion shapers. The purpose is to help young Kenyans creatively frame, discuss and showcase positivity for family planning in order to achieve their constitutional right to quality family planning. Since the kick-off in 2018, the movement has used creativity to mobilise youth and spark high-level discussions on contraception creating 645 million impressions across national media and on social media. #formnigani has started a new national conversation, led by Kenyan youth, that places contraception as a key element for Kenya’s future.
#formnigani held Think Tanks with young social mobilizers in 2019 to conduct scenario-building exercises in Nairobi and Bungoma for the probable futures Kenya could face. The Kenya in 2030 Futures Report was published in November with four possible futures together with a roadmap of key inputs required to achieve the ideal scenario—Uwakilishi.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has threatened contraception efforts in Kenya. Therefore in spring 2020, #formnigani rapidly reconvened the Think Tanks and involved Kenyan youth in scenario building exercises that led to the creation of the Young Kenyan Voices: COVID-19 and Contraception report. The participants, comprising of young Kenyans working in the sexual reproductive healthcare space, took a deep dive into data and related projections and reimagined scenarios that Kenya faces in relation to COVID-19 with the link and implication with contraception. The Think Tanks were completed in May 2020 and were facilitated by Dr. Katindi Sivi, leading Kenyan futures expert.
Weasel Announces Major Album Release With Release Of New Song 'BwoBayo'
Ugandan Reggae dancehall Singer half of the Dynamic Radio & Weasel (Goodlyfe) Weasel is scheduled to drop his first album ever since he lost his partner Radio in 2018 the full album is expected to drop by end of July 2020.
Weasel is a household name in Uganda and East Africa’s entertainment with over 100 Million streams, Views and downloads.
Weasel releases his first single off the album, “BWOBAYO” .
The word, ‘BWOBAYO’ means ‘IF YOU ARE THERE’ in Luganda, Weasel’s local dialect.
‘Bwobayo’ is a romantic ballad inspired by a past experience, the track is very personal to weasel as it speaks to the fragility and vulnerability of love.
Weasel says, ‘I want all my fans to fall in love, dance, and be unafraid to express themselves when they listen to this song”. A hopeless romantic, He wants his fans to love without the limitations of ego.
