Music

Damn the Carnival fever for 2007. I'm not bitter, but I see some fresh tan, dark, chocolatey skin folks complaining about the 50 degree weather. Whatever!!

Anyway, I've heard songs from the following albums this week-

Stylplus - Expressions

Thomas Mapfumo - The Blacks Unlimited

D'Banj - Rundown
Fela Kuti - Fela De Greate Non Stop Mix "Abami Eda Lives" Volume 1

"I Think I Love My Wife" The Story of an African Man.

Okay I made up the 'African Man' part. Check out the preview here, starring Chris Rock.

We have some passes to see the movie before it comes out in the theaters. We will mail them out next week. Send an email to NicoleA@ariztos.com with your name and mailing address. Include in the subject line "movie pass."

Screening details:

Tuesday, March 13
7:30 pm
Magic Johnson Theatre

Synopsis:

I THINK I LOVE MY WIFE, written, directed by and starring Chris Rock, is a sophisticated comedy about marriage and the lure of a new love. Nikki (Kerry Washington) is the exciting free spirit who makes Richard's (Chris Rock) daydreams come true while Richard's wife Brenda (Gina Torres) is so preoccupied with her own career and raising their two children that she has little time for her husband.

I THINK I LOVE MY WIFE will open nationwide on Friday, March 16.

sexiest woman- ayaan hirsi ali

Not saying she's sexy because of her looks (though, she's hot), but because of her inspirational story and brilliant mind. Originally from Somalia, Ayaan Hirsi Ali fled to Holland after her father attempted to arrange a marriage for her.

Then in 2004, Hirsi Ali helped a Dutch director, Theo van Gogh, make a controversial film, "Submission," about Muslim women suffering from forced marriages and wife beating. Van Gogh was murdered by an angry Muslim radical in response, and Hirsi Ali went into hiding.

Anyway, I just ordered her books Infidel and The Caged Virgin.

Oprah's special is on tonight.

Just a reminder, that Building A Dream: The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy airs tonight, Monday, 2/26/07 at 10pm (eastern time).

It shoud re-air on March 3rd.

[African] Oscar's Best Dressed goes to...

Djimon Hounsou.

I expected him to win best supporting role. His time is coming though, heard he has some deep acting projects coming up.

Forest Whitaker wins Oscar for Idi Amin role

"...a prolific character actor who gained 50 pounds and learned some Swahili for the role that landed him Hollywood's highest honor for a big-screen performance."

Part of Whitaker's thank you speech "...I want to thank the people of Uganda who helped this film have a spirit. "

"God, who believes in us all - and who has given me this moment in this lifetime that I will hopefully carry to the end of my lifetime and into the next lifetime."

FREE Ariztos Magazine!

Okay, we've decided we'll skip lunch for a couple of weeks, and offer you this:

If you want a free copy of the magazine (before you actually subscribe), send an email with your name and address to walea@ariztos.com. *only applies to those that have never received a free copy* And for those currently subscribed, we'll contact you shortly to send you a thank you gift.

P.S. It's only while supplies last. To guarantee future delivery, and help little Ade eat, and to get a free gift, subscribe here (download form or subscribe online through the events page). Thank you.

Francophonie 2007 is here!

Been waiting for this. Click here for more information.

Binta and the Great Idea

SYNOPSIS: Binta is a seven-year old girl who lives in a small village on the Casamance river in southern Senegal. She goes to school. Her cousin Soda, does not have the same good fortune and is not allowed to learn about the things of the world.
Meanwhile, Binta's father (a humble fisherman) is concerned about the development of mankind and he is determined to carry out his great idea.

We'll be having a showing in DC soon.

"I can treat asthma and HIV/Aids...within 3 days"

A claim by Gambian President Yahya Jammeh. Did you read about this?

Consider your next purchase from PRODUCT (RED)

"We are the people we have been waiting for"

IF YOU BUY A (RED) PRODUCT, AT NO COST TO YOUA (RED) COMPANY WILL GIVE UP TO HALF THEIR PROFITS TO BUY AND DISTRIBUTEANTI-RETROVIAL MEDICINE TO OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS DYING OF AIDS IN AFRICA.

Click here.

Some music from Nicole's ipod.

Alfredo Mos - Ke lela le lona
Puna Gabasiame (probably from a bootleg jazz CD...don't know the title, but she sounds great!)
Sunny Ade- Best of...Volume 3
Soweto Gospel Choir - Blessed
The very best of Mahotella Queens

Looking for a job anywhere in africa?

...and in the U.S.?



Check out this website.

"Talk To Me"

Movie starring Chiwetel Ejifor and Don Cheadle, is the story of Washington D.C. radio personality Ralph "Petey" Greene, an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist in the 1960s.

I heard it's a great movie.

more fun oluchi pics...

our favorite model...

Oluchi. In the Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition ...I'm sure everyone has seen them by now...but it doesn't hurt to take a look again.

a lovey dovey akon...

maybe we should have an Akon section. Here's his latest video from his album Konvicted called "Don't Matter"

Africans at the Bafta Film Awards

Thandie Newton

I only caught the first few minutes....but I saw that "Last King of Scotland" won best film (by a director I think). Forest Whitaker was also honored for his performance. Continues to rack up on those awards...

currently reading...

Uzodinma Iweala's Beasts of No Nation. The book tells the story of Agu, a child soldier in an unnamed country in Western Africa, who has been recruited by a unit of guerrilla fighters after watching his own father being slaughtered.

Uzodinma Iweala is a 23-year-old Harvard graduate who grew up in Washington, D.C. His mother is the finance minister of Nigeria.

Read an interview here.

Just so you know...it's official. OBAMA for '08!

Just in case you were waiting for the official announcement, Obama is [officially] running for president. "A fresh face capable of leading a new generation." Visit his website for more information.

The Virgin Flames

[Nigerian born] Chris Abani's new book, "The Virgin of Flames," is out now. You may remember him from when he was first imprisoned by the Nigerian regime at the age of eighteen when his debut novel was labeled a threat to national security, Abani continued after his release to challenge injustice as part of a guerrilla theater group that performed in front of government buildings. His activism led to more arrests and, eventually, a death sentence. When he was released he chose exile, finally settling in California.

He also wrote "Graceland," one of my favorites.

Marley Birthday Celebration...

Still waiting for some more pictures

Africans at the Grammys...

Seal...


Akon...

Those are the only two I have...whoelse was there?

Coming out the closet?

Well, you might not even know him but John Amaechi (British/Nigerian), who played for five seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz and Orlando Magic, will become the first NBA player to publicly admit he's gay, according to a report on Outsports.com.

Read more.

Ghana comes out on top in Friendly Match!

Last I saw, it was 3-1, Ghana on top. Let the trash talking begin!

Natural Mystic...still flowing through the air...

Happy Birthday Mr. Marley! lol...my friends over at that other magazine, put it best by saying we would miss you if we weren't still routinely jamming your records and trying to keep up with the gazillion parties being thrown for you this month. And not to mention, our CEO is selling his left pinky toe to see the Marley family perform at Africa Unite 2007. And he is letting everyone know about it!

We were planning a party in your honor (and for Black History Month), but our events department is busy trying to plan a vacation to get away from the freezing weather. We may push the celebration till April.

"How good and how pleasant it would be, before God and Man, to see the unification of all Africans..." Bob Marley

Passion for Fashion, or, Fashion for Passion?

It's an old article, but someone just sent it to me again. It's interesting.

KINSHASA, Congo -- He struts down the muddy, trash-strewn alley like a model on a catwalk, relishing the stares and double-takes from passersby.In a country where many survive on 30 cents a day, Papy Mosengo is flashing $1,000 worth of designer clothing on his back, from the Dolce & Gabbana cap and Versace stretch shirt to his spotless white Gucci loafers."It makes me feel so good to dress this way," the 30-year-old said when asked about such conspicuous consumption in a city beset by unemployment, crime and homelessness. "It makes me feel special."But Mosengo can scarcely afford this passion for fashion. He worked eight months at his part-time job at a money-exchange shop to earn enough for the single outfit, one of 30 he owns, so he'll never have to wear the same one twice in a month.



Click here for the article.

Mr. Nigeria Pageant

It's not even 7am yet, and we've gotten 6 emails about seeing pictures from the Mr. Nigeria Pageant, a product of Silverbird Productions, in Nigeria. No pictures yet, but rumor has it that the show was the real deal.

A Nigerian....next to Yahoo, Google...

Step aside, Google Desktop and Yahoo -- there's a new way to search that's ahead of the pack.
And it's made in North Jersey.
Gaviri Technologies, a feisty upstart in Parsippany, has written a software program that searches for files on your desktop PC -- and all your other gadgets.
Programs such as Google Desktop and Yahoo Desktop Search are designed to search for files on your desktop computer. Gaviri is designed to find files there, as well as on the expanding list of popular mobile devices, including USB flash drives, cameras, MP3 players, PocketPCs, external hard drives and SD cards.
"Technology is moving very, very quickly but search [technology] has been stuck on the desktop," said Emeka Akaezuwa, Gaviri's CEO and founder.

Read more...

she's on to something...

Estella (she's on the bottom right) is the next fashion designer the world needs to know.

black history month...

stay tuned for events celebrating black history.