HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday period.

We, at Ariztos, wish you all a very merry christmas...and a happy new year in advance.

We have so much planned for 2008 and can't wait to share it with you.

:-)

check out this video...

Kenya's first lady slaps official over name gaffe

Kenya's first lady slapped a government official during an Independence Day celebration after he introduced her by the name of a woman widely believed to be President Mwai Kibaki's second wife, local media reported.

An official from the president's office made the gaffe introducing Lucy Kibaki to hundreds of guests during a State House garden party.

"Before he could finish, the First Lady rose from her seat at the dais, walked to him and slapped him on the face," the leading Daily Nation said.

Lucy Kibaki was reported to have been incensed when the official acting as master of ceremony introduced her as "Wambui".

Mary Wambui is a woman many Kenyans believe has been Kibaki's second wife for 30 years, despite repeated denials from State House.

"President Kibaki, the Vice-President Moody Awori, several cabinet ministers and members of the diplomatic corps watched in dismay as the drama unfolded," the Standard newspaper said.
A presidential press official said he could not immediately comment. A Daily Nation reporter said security agents forced the media group's cameraman to erase footage of the incident.

Lucy Kibaki was at the centre of a controversy in 2005 when cameraman Clifford Derrick accused her of slapping him when she stormed into a newsroom to protest her treatment by the media.

Derrick sued her for assault, but the case was later thrown out of court.

In 2004, she publicly upbraided Vice-President Awori for referring to her in a speech as the "second lady". Although Awori apologised, neither he nor Kibaki could mollify her.

The first lady's outburst is likely to cause the private, soft-spoken Kibaki some embarrassment as he seeks a second five-year term in December 27 elections.

The latest opinion polls show Kibaki, 76, trailing his main challenger, Raila Odinga.

Source.

World Aids Day

World Aids Day was marked on December 1st. I thought I'd just post a little quote from Mr. Mandela from a speech during an event in South Africa.

"The trend is encouraging but still for every person receiving treatment four others are newly infected. If we are to stop the Aids epidemic from expanding, we need to break the cycle of new HIV infections. All of us working together with government, communities and civil society can make the difference that is needed."

Let us all do our part.

Akon...going to jail?

Akon is facing criminal charges after a fan said she suffered a concussion when the hip-hop star tossed a teenager off the stage and onto her in the concert crowd.

Akon, 34, is scheduled to appear in Fishkill Town Court on Monday morning for arraignment on a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a minor, and second-degree harassment, a violation, according to a news release Thursday from Police Chief Donald Williams.

Audience members said that a spectator lobbed something at Akon and that the singer asked the crowd to point out the culprit. A security guard picked out a 15-year-old and sent him up to the stage, where Akon hoisted him onto his shoulders and flung him into the crowd.

The boy landed on Abby Rosa, who told the Poughkeepsie Journal she was later found to have a concussion. She said she has hired a lawyer and spoken to Fishkill police.

Read the rest here.

Happy Holidays...

I hope everyone (in the U.S.) enjoyed the thanksgiving break.

Lola in Cambodia!

A friend (and Ariztos contributor) recently went to Cambodia in what she describes as her "most emotionally draining and inspiring trip so far." And she has travelled a lot! Read her note below.


I have seen how low man can go but also how high he can rise back upJust returned from Cambodia where I was fortunate to get behind the scenes of sex trafficking as a photojournalist. Visited a couple shelters which houses rescued victims, had a few discussions with local NGOs and a private investigator, as well as volunteered at the villages of Krang Yaw and Takeo.



A cruise along the Mekong, visits with monks, fried tarantulas, standoffs with monkeys, as well as an elephant ride capped off what has become my most emotionally draining and inspiring trip so far.Currently gathering my thoughts for upcoming blog posts at Matador Travel - http://matadortravel.com/travel-community/united+states/geotraveler/travel-blogIn the meantime, you can peruse my Cambodia gallery - http://www.lemurworks.com/lola/travel/cambodia/index.html

Wharton African Business Forum 2007

The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
3730 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA

For details, visit: http://www.whartonglobal.com/africa/index.html

The Wharton Africa Business Forum (WABF) is an integral component of the Wharton Global Business Forum, the pre-eminent business school event addressing the major economic, social and political trends affecting Africa, Asia, Europe, India and Latin America. Over 1,300 participants from around the world converge at Wharton every year to drive discussions on business issues and developments around the globe.

'$100 laptop' begins production

According to BBC News...

Mass production of the so-called $100 laptop has begun, five years after the concept was first proposed.

Computer manufacturer Quanta has started building the low-cost laptops at a factory in Changshu, China.

One Laptop per Child (OLPC), the group behind the project, said that children in developing countries would begin receiving machines this month
Last month, OLPC received its first official order for 100,000 machines from the government of Uruguay.

"Today represents an important milestone in the evolution of the One Laptop per Child project," said Nicholas Negroponte, founder of OLPC.

The organisation had reached the critical stage despite "all the naysayers," he said.

Home-made helicopters hit northern Nigeria

I needed this thing this morning with the crazy traffic!!

KANO (AFP) - Mubarak Muhammad Abdullahi, a 24-year-old physics undergraduate in northern Nigeria, takes old cars and motorbikes to pieces in the back yard at home and builds his own helicopters from the parts.

"It took me eight months to build this one," he said, sweat pouring from his forehead as he filled the radiator of the banana yellow four-seater which he now parks in the grounds of his university.

The chopper, which has flown briefly on six occasions, is made from scrap aluminium that Abdullahi bought with the money he makes from computer and mobile phone repairs, and a donation from his father, who teaches at Kano's Bayero university.

It is powered by a second-hand 133 horsepower Honda Civic car engine and kitted out with seats from an old Toyota saloon car. Its other parts come from the carcass of a Boeing 747 which crashed near Kano some years ago.

For a four-seater it is a big aircraft, measuring twelve metres (39 feet) long, seven metres high by five wide. It has never attained an altitude of more than seven feet.

Read more

Sad sad news: Lucky Dube shot dead!

JJ just sent this to me:

From BBC News:

Fans across the world are mourning the South African reggae star, Lucky Dube, who has been shot dead.

He was dropping his teenage son and daughter off in a Johannesburg suburb when he was attacked by car thieves.

Local radio stations have been flooded with tearful callers expressing outrage at the murder and renewing demands that the authorities act to curtail crime.

South Africa's leader paid tribute to him and called on people to "confront this terrible scourge of crime".

Alongside Bob Marley, Lucky Dube was thought of as one of the great reggae artists - singing about social problems.

He was also one of the apartheid regime's most outspoken critics.

Read more...

Blog of the week- Awesome Tapes from Africa

I've been going through the blog, Awesome Tapes from Africa, for like a week now (which explains my lack of work productivity). Check it out...

"Ex-child soldier raps about hellish life"

My dreams are like torment, My every moment.
Voices of my brainOf friends that were slain,Friends who died by my side of starvationIn the burning jungle and the desert plain.But Jesus heard my cryI was tempted to eat the rotten flesh of my comrade.

JJ sent me his story on CNN.

Another "Rumble in the Jungle?"

I don't understand the tighty-whites neither, but I saw this on BBC this morning.

The organiser of "The Rumble in the Jungle", one of the world's greatest boxing fights, says he would like a similar contest in Africa again.

Don King made the famous fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in 1974 happen, in what was then called Zaire.
"Without a question of a doubt I have to go back to the motherland," the US boxing promoter told the BBC.

He made the comments as Nigeria's Samuel Peter looks to defend his World Heavyweight Boxing Championship title.
King said that Peter may be considered for a future WBC fight in Africa.

But first, he said, the Nigerian boxer had to defend his title against US opponent Jameel McCline, in New York's Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

King told the BBC's Network Africa programme that a victory by Peter would make both Nigeria and the African continent proud "and the world will be respectful for a great champion".

The 1974 fight, in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, saw Ali make a comeback by defeating Foreman, the reigning heavyweight champion.

Mandela announces new South African HIV/Aids gig

Source BBC News:

Former South African president Nelson Mandela has announced an international concert to be held for World Aids Day in Johannesburg on 1 December.

The aim is to raise awareness about HIV/Aids in a country with one of the world's highest HIV prevalence rates

More than five million people are HIV positive in South Africa.

Fifty thousand people are expected at the Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg. More than 30 local and international artists will be performing.

For the past four years, Nelson Mandela has allowed his old prison number 46664 to be used as a banner in the fight against HIV/Aids.

Several 46664 concerts have been held around the world and Mr Mandela said 46664 would continue to organise major events to highlight the problem.

"I am very delighted that we are engaging the youth in schools, communities and through the media, breaking the silence and stigmas around HIV and Aids, and making them realise that the power to beat the pandemic, lies in their own hands," he said.

Since his retirement from politics, Mr Mandela has thrown himself into the struggle against Aids with determination.

In 2005, the cause took on a tragic personal dimension for him when his only surviving son, Makgato, died of Aids.

African design(er)s...

First, rubber sandals idea is gone (for those of you Africans that grew up in Africa, you know what I'm talking about). Now big named designers are using African prints?




Sade found this online.

NY: "A Celebration of Sistas in Cinema, Art and Politics"

Click image for a larger view.

african movies continues to grow...fast

Dey-dey is still addicted to African films. Apparently, so are folks in Florida. Toks sent this to me this morning...



FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—They’ve never walked along the dusty roads of Lagos, Nigeria, or set foot in an extravagant mansion in Ghana.

But fans of African movies now being sold in South Florida say they find themselves glued to their screens because in so many ways, the faraway continent feels so familiar.

“It’s everything from the drapes hanging at the entrance door in the kitchen to the way people go down on their knees before saying good morning to their elders,” said Hermante Leonard, who sees similarities to her Haitian culture in the movies.

Here's the full article.

Alek Wek's book signing...

Went to Alek's book signing. There was also a local TV interview before the signing.



Yes...I had my book signed. Anyway, stay tuned for our own interview and a book review in the next issue of Ariztos.



Yes I got my book signed :-)

Wale!!

Someone sent me this picture of Wale with Ms. Hilton at the VMAs. Dude is having some well deserved fun....I mean if your name is Wale...

Oh...and happy birthday Wale. Invite us to the party too!

Check out his latest- "Nike Boots."

NTA - 5th Public Lecture

Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria Chukwuma Soludo will be in attendance .

Venue:6400 Ivy LaneGreenbelt, MD 20770

@ 5pm!

Runway Africa 2007 (some pics)

Thanks to everyone that came to support Runway Africa 2007. Stay tuned for exclusive pictures and interviews in the next issue of Ariztos.

Alek Wek...Lady of the week ;-)

Ok...maybe I'm a bit obsessed...whatever!
Check out why she's my lady of the week...

Nigeria U-17 Champs

'Three is a magic number' goes the old song and FIFA U-17 World Cup Korea 2007 winners Nigeria are unlikely to disagree. The tournament has now been held three times on Asian soil and, having scaled the heights at China 1985 and Japan 1993, the Africans will now leave the continent with their third global crown. No doubt less than enamoured with the number three, opponents Spain have now reached three finals and tasted defeat in every single one.

Yemi Tella's Nigerians appeared potential candidates for the main prize right from the off, and were certainly not lacking in confidence. "We'll take the trophy back to Nigeria," announced the African champions' coach, and those words seem more than a little prophetic now. France, Japan, Haiti, Colombia, Argentina and Germany all fell by the wayside, unable to cope with tireless captain Lukman Haruna in midfield, technically-superb duo Rabiu Ibrahim and King Osanga and goal-scorer extraordinaire Macauley Chrisantus.

Read more...

P.s., Check out the Women's World Cup. Very little promotion...but the games are actually really good....and competitive.

Bill Clinton- "Giving: How each of us can change the world."

Bill Clinton's new book is out. "Giving" is an inspiring look at how each of us can change the world. First, it reveals the extraordinary and innovative efforts now being made by companies and organizations -- and by individuals -- to solve problems and save lives both "down the street and around the world." Then it urges us to seek out what each of us, "regardless of income, available time, age, and skills," can do to help, to give people a chance to live out their dreams.

Bill Clinton shares his own experiences and those of other givers, representing a global flood tide of nongovernmental, nonprofit activity. These remarkable stories demonstrate that gifts of time, skills, things, and ideas are as important and effective as contributions of money. From Bill and Melinda Gates to a six-year-old California girl named McKenzie Steiner, who organized and supervised drives to clean up the beach in her community, Clinton introduces us to both well-known and unknown heroes of giving. Among them:

Dr. Paul Farmer, who grew up living in the family bus in a trailer park, vowed to devote his life to giving high-quality medical care to the poor and has built innovative public health-care clinics first in Haiti and then in Rwanda; a New York couple, in Africa for a wedding, who visited several schools in Zimbabwe and were appalled by the absence of textbooks and school supplies. They founded their own organization to gather and ship materials to thirty-five schools. After three years, the percentage of seventh-graders who pass reading tests increased from 5 percent to 60 percent;' Oseola McCarty, who after seventy-five years of eking out a living by washing and ironing, gave $150,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi to endow a scholarship fund for African-American students; Andre Agassi, who has created a college preparatory academy in the Las Vegas neighborhood with the city's highest percentage of at-risk kids. "Tennis was a stepping-stone for me," says Agassi. "Changing a child's life is what I always wanted to do"; Heifer International, which gave twelve goats to a Ugandan village. Within a year, Beatrice Biira's mother had earned enough money selling goat's milk to pay Beatrice's school fees and eventually to send all her children to school -- and, as required, to pass on a baby goat to another family, thus multiplying the impact of the gift.

the African "white man" rocks rebel north!

In an attempt to explain his sudden love for rock music, JJ sent me this article...

In a country which couldn't care less about rock music, Ivory Coast's "white man" is up against huge obstacles.

Kutchala Sutchi is a rock star - well, a rock musician anyway.

This summer, Ivory Coast's "white man" has been playing gigs all over the north of the country, controlled by New Forces rebels, as part of a tour organised by the Ivorian musicians' union to promote national unity.

Read more.

ALEK: From Sundanes Refugee to International Supermodel.

We all know her story by now...



Washingtonians: Just got word from our girl Jaja that she'll be at Howard's Campus bookstore on September 19th. 4:30pm-6pm. Look for our "GQ" to be stalking her during those hours :)

We have a book review in our upcoming issue.

Happy Labor Day!

Top [African] Models on the cover of Ebony.

Speaking of magazine covers...



Iman & Alek, joined Tyra Banks and Kimora Lee on the latest issue of Ebony.

This issue covers the history and success of Blacks in fashion.

Ghana U17 stun Brazil at World Cup

Ghana knocked tournament favourites Brazil out of the under-17 World Cup in South Korea with a 1-0 win on Wednesday.

Isaac Donkor scored the only goal of the game, played in Gwangyang, on 51 minutes.
The Black Starlets played the entire second half with ten men after Francis Boadi was sent off a minute before the break.

Ghana will play Peru in the quarter-finals on Saturday in Changwon.

Meanwhile, Tunisia suffered a 3-1 defeat in extra time against France. in another second-round tie.

France took the lead just before half-time with a free-kick from Henri Saivet, but Nour Hadhria gave the Carthage Eaglets the equaliser four minutes after the break with a stunning 25-metre drive.

It was still 1-1 after 90 minutes, but France scored twice in extra time through Damien Le Tallec.

Tunisia had been reduced to ten men after 76 minutes, when Mohamed Karoui was sent off for a foul.

The resultant penalty was saved by goalkeeper Habib Tounsi.

Nigeria play Colombia on Thursday in a second round match in Gwangyang.

Source: BBC Sports

Obama is...GQ!

GQ magazine followed us, and put Mr. Obama on the cover of their magazine.

Senator Barack Obama is conducting a determined and closely watched bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. And yet the candidate remains a citizen, son, husband, and father. In an in-depth cover story for the September issue, GQ correspondent Ryan Lizza reports on Obama's campaign trail life and the successes and challenges he's experienced as a presidential candidate in 2007.

Lizza interviewed Obama numerous times beginning in early 2004, just after his Senate primary win. In the same year, Obama delivered his history-making speech at the Democratic National Convention and went on to decisively capture the seat as the junior senator from Illinois. Since officially announcing his presidential candidacy on February 10, 2007.

In the whirlwind race for the White House, Obama tells GQ how he has worked to maintain the balance between the expectations placed upon him and the realities of waging a presidential run: "Finding that balance is hard," [says Obama], "because one of the criticisms in the national press of me is, 'Well, he may not be mean and tough enough for the rough-and-tumble of a presidential race.' Well, it turns out we've had some sharp elbows once in a while. But then people are shocked, and they say, 'Look, the guy's not who we thought he was!' "

Obama also speaks about the struggle to stay true to his core beliefs while communicating a meaningful political stance: "The danger," he goes on, "is that you start becoming so risk-averse that you become canned and scripted, and I'm resisting that, which means there's still gonna be some times when I want to push the boundaries a little bit, try to make a point...."

The story explores the impact of a presidential campaign on the candidate and his family. Obama's wife, Michelle, expresses a sense of how it feels inside the campaign bubble: "We'll joke," [Michelle Obama says], "when we're sitting at home watching TV, on the rare quiet night, and something will come on the news, and it's about Barack Obama. We'll say, 'Hmm, there goes that Barack Obama again. Sounds really pretty interesting.' I think there's an out-of-body kind of aspect to it."

Source: GQ Magazine

Vogue magazine also followed our footsteps :) in their last issue

Nelson Mandela statue is unveiled in London

Mr Mandela, his wife Graca Machel, and Prime Minister Gordon Brown were among those at the unveiling in Parliament Square.

Mr Brown hailed Mr Mandela as the "greatest and most courageous leader of our generation".
The late South African anti-apartheid activist Donald Woods had the idea for the 9ft-high (2.7m) bronze statue.

Sept. 15th - CELEBRATING AFRICAN FASHION!!!

Here in D.C., African fashion will be showcased and celebrated.

LA MAISON FRANCAISE (EMBASSY OF FRANCE)
4101 Reservoir RdWashington, DC, 20007

SEPTEMBER 15, 2007
RED CARPET RECEPTION – 6pm - designed for VIP ticket holders, sponsors and special guestsInvited to meet the designers and experience the life behind RUNWAY AFRICA, see our footage of special events leading up RUNWAY AFRICA, Light fare and drinks. EVENT hosted EXCLUSIVELY by Amarula Cream.

RUNWAY AFRICA FASHION SHOW – begins @ 8pm WATCH RUNWAY AFRICA’s five international couture designers: RUBY – SOUTH AFRICA, SIKA DESIGNS – GHANA, BEZEYMAILAN – TOGO-RUSSIAN and VIETNAM-FRENCH influenced, BLOKES N’ DIVAS – NIGERIA, HARRIET’S ALTER EGO – NIGERIA all representing different countries in Africa as they present Africhic fashions on the RUNWAY, featuring Miss GHANA 2006, Miss Angela Assare – THE FACE OF RUNWAY AFRICA 2007.

For tickets, click here! This event will sell out!

After party details coming shortly...

Wale!!

Wale doing it big time...just heard a song featuring Jay Z & Freeway.
Personal opinion: best rapper in 2007!

Afrikan Boy...

We've been listening to dude's songs, quite often....

hilarious!

"Gimme Shelter" Angelique Kidjo and Joss Stone

Angelique Kidjo and Joss Stone remake The Rolling Stones hit with a universal message.

Lovely!!

Naijafest.....

We spent all weekend in the beautiful far off land of Baltimore city at the Naijafest. We had a blast. Good music...good food...good people....