Music Minute - BET's Best International Act (Africa) nominees video

The BET Awards will be held tonight in Los Angeles, California.  The show will be televised live from the Shrine Auditorium at 8pm EST.  While these award shows are exciting for the star power they pull, I am more excited about one category - Best International Act (Africa). If you are not familiar with the nominees in this category, fret not.  Here's your chance to catch a glimpse of the artists - their videos are below.  Press play!!!  
1. Camp Mulla (Kenya), 2. Ice Prince (Nigeria), 3. Lira (South Africa), 4. Mokobe (Mali), 
5 .Sarkodie (Ghana), 6. Wizkid (Nigeria)


Win or lose, to be nominated is great recognition and these artists who are obviously talented and should be very proud of themselves! Big ups Africa!!!

Movie Minute - Winnie Mandela Biopic Trailer Released

At last!  We get to catch a glimpse of the controversial biopic, Winnie. Starring Jennifer Hudson who plays Winnie Mandela and Terence Howard who plays Nelson Mandela.  The biopic chronicles the life of Winnie Mandela who is known for her anti-apartheid activism long after her ex-husband Mandela had been improsoned.

The casting choice created a lot of controversy.  Winnie Mandela threatened to sue the film makers because she had not been asked to consult on the film and because an American is playing her.  While I do agree that Winnie should have been consulted, I still feel that casting Jennifer Hudson to play her was not a bad choice either. 

Below is the trailer:



I'm not sold on these actors accents based on the trailer.  There have been American actors who have played African characters very convincingly;  Don Cheadle in Hotel Rwanda and Forest Whittaker in The Last King Of Scotland.  I couldn't imagine anyone else playing a better Idi Amin than Whittaker! He owned that role that led him to win an Academy Award for Best Actor.  Cheadle also earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his role.
There will be some Oscar buzz for Jennifer Hudson & Terence Howard next year.

Will you be watching?

Movie Premier - Hands of Time by Van Vicker

I recently had the utmost pleasure when I got to sit down with one Africa's sexiest men alive!  He is actor, producer, director - Mr. Van Vicker who has been featured in multiple films in the Nollywood film industry.   He couldn't have been more gracious, smart & charming!


He was in town to promote and screen his latest film, The Hands of Time.  This was not my first time meeting him and I have featured him on this blog before.  See the story here.
Some incredible people enabled this meeting to take place and it is no small feat. I am very grateful that these people came through for me. Van & I talked about various topics and he gave some great advice.  Check out the footage here:


Here's addional footage from the actual film premier in Atlanta;

Product Placement: Coca Cola Africa

Coca Cola has done it yet again!! Unveiling yet another great commercial highlighting their signature product/drink for the African market.  As an African living abroad, my heart swells with pride & my patriotism just gets deeper for a continent that well represents me.  This commercial is beautifully done, very well written & couldn't have been done better given the current state of the world.  Enjoy!!