LIFESTYLE

Ibadan-born Professor, Aderemi Raji-Oyelade Crowned Humboldt 2017 Innovative Network Award Winner

Published

8 years ago

April 10, 2017

The organizer of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation has formally announced an Ibadan-born Professor, Aderemi Raji-Oyelade as a winner of the 2017 edition of Humboldt Alumni Award for Innovative Networking Initiatives.

The award ceremony will take place in June 2017 during the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s Annual Meeting in Berlin. Funding for the award is being provided by the German Foreign Office.

Raji-Oyelade, who is the immediate past Dean of Faculty of Arts of the University of Ibadan, has volumes of poetry which have been translated into French, German, Catalan, Swedish, Ukrainian, Latvian and Hungarian include: Webs of Remembrance (2001), Shuttlesongs America: A poetic guided tour (2003), Lovesong for My Wasteland (2005), Gather My Blood Rivers of Song (2009) and Sea of My Mind (2013).

The foundation, it was gathered, grants up to four Humboldt Alumni Awards per year to promote innovative networking initiatives of alumni of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s fellowship and award programmes. It is designed to support initiatives not covered by the Foundation’s existing sponsorship and alumni programmes and to promote academic and cultural relations between Germany and the Humboldt Alumni’s own countries and strengthen their collaboration in the respective regions.

Remi Raji’s award-winning project is entitled “Postproverbial Africa: Building a Corpora of Wits in Texts, Media and Performance”, a trans-national initiative which brings African scholars in the humanities together with the ultimate aim of contributing to the body of modern and radical proverbs which are created mainly in urban communities almost all over the African continent.

Remi-Raji, an orator and a poet is a Salzburg Fellow and visiting professor at a number of institutions including Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, the Universities of California at Riverside and Irvine, University of Cape Town, South Africa, and Cambridge University, UK. His scholarly essays have published in journals including Research in African Literatures and African Literature Today. Remi Raji who served as the Writer to the City of Stockholm, Sweden in 2005 had read his poems widely in Africa, Europe and America.

Remi Raji, a chieftain of the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, was the former publicity secretary, Vice Chairman, and chairman of the Oyo State chapter, 11th president of the association, served as the Year 2000 Editor of the ANA Review, the official journal of the association. He was also the former National Coordinator of the resuscitated Nigerian PEN Centre.

ENTERTAINMENT

Denzel Washington Opens Up About 15-Year Battle With Alcohol

Published

6 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Reporter

Denzel Washington On 15-Year Battle with Alcohol | fab.ng

Hollywood icon Denzel Washington recently disclosed his past struggles with alcohol during an interview with Esquire.

The two-time Academy Award winner candidly shared a fifteen-year pattern of wine consumption. What began as a casual habit gradually escalated into a regular occurrence.

He began, “Wine is very tricky. It’s very slow. It ain’t like, boom, all of a sudden,” he elaborated, recalling how a wine cellar he constructed in 1999 within his home became a place for self-indulgence.

The actor added,

“And part of it was we built this big house in 1999 with a ten-thousand-bottle wine cellar, and I learned to drink the best. So I’m gonna drink my ’61s and my ’82s and whatever we had. Wine was my thing, and now I was popping $4,000 bottles just because that’s what was left. And then later in those years I’d call Gil Turner’s Fine Wines & Spirits on Sunset Boulevard and say, Send me two bottles, the best of this or that.”

Washington also delved into his past, acknowledging his youthful experimentation with drugs. However, he emphasized that he never developed an addiction to substances such as heroin or cocaine.

He continued,

“I’m sure at first it was easy because I was younger. Two months off and let’s go. But drinking was a fifteen-year pattern. And truth be told, it didn’t start in ’99. It started earlier.”

A decade ago, as Washington neared his 60th birthday, a turning point arrived. He made the resolute decision to abstain from alcohol completely.

“I’ve done a lot of damage to the body. We’ll see. I’ve been clean. Be ten years this December. I stopped at sixty and I haven’t had a thimble’s worth since. Things are opening up for me now—like being seventy. It’s real. And it’s okay. This is the last chapter—if I get another thirty, what do I want to do? My mother made it to ninety-seven,” said Washington.

Check out more updates here.

FASHION

Skepta Graced Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) In Elegant Trad

Published

8 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Reporter

Skepta Graced Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) | fab.ng

Skepta made a grand entrance at Africa’s biggest film celebration, the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF). Through his attire, he showcased his deep connection to Nigerian culture.

The globally acclaimed artist donned an exquisite navy blue Agbada, tailored to perfection and adorned with striking royal blue and white embroidery highlighting the richness of his Yoruba heritage.

His choice of an Eastern native red cap added a distinctive flair, symbolizing his embrace of the Igbo culture. At the same time, adding a white necklace further enhanced the authenticity of his traditional look.

Skepta’s outfit was a testament to his impeccable sense of style and a deliberate nod to his dual cultural roots, blending elements of Western and Eastern Nigerian traditions.

The embroidery on the Agbada sparkled under the lights, drawing admiration from onlookers who marvelled at how seamlessly he combined cultural symbolism with modern elegance.

The bright red cap perched confidently on his head served as a bold statement of pride in his heritage, while the white necklace provided a subtle yet impactful finishing touch.

Nigerian paparazzi videographer Tosin Adeaga, popularly known as Coccolait, captured these unforgettable moments with his lens.

The up-close visuals reveal the intricate details of Skepta’s ensemble. Indeed, it emphasizes the craftsmanship and thoughtfulness that went into every element.

Coccolait’s expert videography showcases the textures, colours, and movements of Skepta’s attire as he mingled with attendees, further immortalizing this iconic cultural expression.

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With his appearance, Skepta not only celebrated the artistry of Nigerian fashion but also sent a powerful message about the importance of honouring one’s roots in creative and meaningful ways.

The moment was a true highlight of AFRIFF, blending tradition with the contemporary flair of a global icon.

Watch the photos below.

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For more updates, click here.

ENTERTAINMENT

It Hurts – Don Jazzy On Not Having A Partner

Published

2 days ago

November 19, 2024

Reporter

Don Jazzy opens up on not having a partner | fab.ng

Renowned music executive and record label boss, Michael Collins Ajereh, better known as Don Jazzy, recently expressed disappointment over his current relationship status.

On Monday, he took to Instagram to share his desire to participate in the popular “suspect challenge.” This social media trend involves couples playfully teasing each other. However, the 41-year-old entrepreneur lamented that he couldn’t join in the fun due to his single status.

“Suspect wants to do suspect challenge but no suspect partner,” he wrote. In the accompanying caption, the music executive lamented that “it hurts.”

This isn’t the first time Don Jazzy has publicly discussed his relationship status. In 2021, he revealed that he married Michelle Jackson, a UK-based writer and model, at the age of 20. Unfortunately, their marriage ended in divorce after two years.

“I fucked it up cos I was giving all my time to my music. Music became a priority instead of my family. We got divorced when I was 22 and it hurt,” he said.

Earlier this year, Don Jazzy explained that he has not remarried as he is currently focused on personal growth and self-development.

“I dey work on myself so that when my head correct, my babe go enjoy me,” he wrote in pidgin English.

A few months ago, Don Jazzy made headlines when a foreign investor acquired his record label, Mavin Records.

In 2004, Don Jazzy and his former partner, D’banj, co-founded Mo’ Hits Records. Following its closure, Don Jazzy established Mavin Records in 2012.

Mavin Records has produced and nurtured a roster of talented artists. They include Tiwa Savage, Reekado Banks, Korede Bello, Dr SID, D’Prince, DNA Twins, Ayra Starr, Johnny Drille, Crayon, Boy Spice, Bayanni, Rema, Lifesize Teddy, and Ladipoe.

To commemorate his 37th birthday in 2019, Don Jazzy unveiled the Mavin Creative Studios. The studio is a multimillion-naira mansion serving as the label’s corporate headquarters.

Mavin Records has received numerous accolades, including two consecutive MTV Africa Music Awards for Best Record Label in 2013 and 2014.

The label’s artists have also collaborated with international music stars such as Beyoncé, Selena Gomez, Kelly Rowland, and Chris Brown.