HOLYWOOD ACTRESS IN KENYAN SLUMS TO FILM DOCUMENTARY

Hollywood actress Olivia Wilde is in KENYA to shoot a documentary for an American media portal called PBS (Public Broadcasting Service). On Saturday, the actress known for her role in blockbuster movie Cowboys and Aliens and TV series House was in Kibera.
In her twitter account on Friday afternoon, the actress posted: “I'm in Kenya with PBS and Nick Kristof shooting a doc for Half The Sky!! Tomorrow we head into the slums to interview female entrepreneurs.”
On Saturday (September 3) Olivia was at the Jamii Bora Trust in Kibera know for it’s initiative in getting over 50 street beggar families in Nairobi out of poverty and building a better life for their families.
PBS is the most prominent provider of television programs to U.S. public television stations.
The documentary Half the Sky, based on Kristof's book of the same name will highlight how women turn oppressive situations into opportunities. He is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner who writes op-ed columns for New York Times.

K’NAAN TO SHOOT ROMANTIC MOVIE IN MWANZA

Rapper K’naan will have to take on a mushy role in a new romantic movie set against Belgian Congo's decolonization in the 1960s. K’naan will star in the movie titled The Catastrophist alongside actors Steve Coogan and Stephen Dorff that will be shot in Mwanza, Tanzania.
Produced by British director Nick Broomfield via his Lafayette Films, Paul Miller of Escape Pictures and Blighty's Channel 4 with line producer Donall McCusker ("Hurt Locker") the movie will tell an endearing l0ove story. According to Variety, Broomfield believes The Catastrophist will give Tanzania's fledgling film biz a similar boost. While McCusker expects difficulties -- such as finding the period vehicles and set pieces to recreate the Belgian Congo of the 1960s -- Tanzania has enough of a barebones industry with equipment and local technicians to support a foreign production.
Meanwhile, K’naan was in Kenya together with retired basketball player Dikembe Mutombo and Cindy McCain the American businesswoman, philanthropist, and the wife of failed presidential candidate John McCain. The trio visited Dadaab, the main refugee camp on the border of Somalia and Kenya.

RAPPER AY REVEALS COLLABO WITH T-PAIN

Tanzanian rapper AY has already recorded a single with American rapper T-Pain and is planning on shooting the video.  The rapper was in the country for Saturday evening award show EMAS where he bagged the award for Best Collabo for him musical effort with Mwana F.A. in the track Habari Ndio Hiyo. AY released his latest collabo with Romeo and La'Myia Good – actress Meagan Good’s older sister - for the single titled Speak With Ya Body.

MAURICE KIRYA PROVES HIS MIGHTY

There were no curtain raisers, no posters reminding us of who had sponsored the concert, no parents being hurled up to stage by the artiste, apparently to be thanked for their input in their son’s music career, no host boring us with eulogies about the artiste in a bid to kill time as the organisers wait for the crowds to swell. And oh… there were no publicity stunts for the concert involving religious conversions, no. The Maurice Kirya Live concert on Friday didn’t have that nonsense. It was simply all about music.

He walked onto stage at 8.15pm at Victoria Hall in Kampala Serena Hall and went straight into his set with the soulful, I will sing to the applause of the crowd. It was Kirya unplugged. It was Kirya shedding off the skin of “yeah he’s alright”, putting one a more tougher skin that signaled his arrival as one of the most accomplished East African artistes.

The way Kirya approached his concert in terms of preparation and concept also spoke volumes about the kind of artiste he wants to portray but better still, his knowledge about how music concerts in the West are run in terms of advertising. He for example didn’t have the traditional approach of using FM stations to announce the concert, but rather relied on the social media in avenues like Facebook to get his message out. He used Twitter to do auditions of those who wanted to participate in the concert. He actually had the concert shot live (in a documentary form) in HD (High Definition). Now, Ugandan artistes don’t do that.

The show didn’t disappoint and had a few surprises like former Tusker Project Fame contestant, Valerie Kimani having a duet with Kirya entitled Village Girl. His other duet was with his brother Vampino at the end of the show. Kirya fused his brother’s hit Sika Chapati with his own hit Boda Boda. Everything worked out well for Kirya right from his constant cheeky engagement with the fans, to issues like time-keeping. He started on time and ended on time. It was a perfect show.

The show was wrapped up by 10.30pm and going by the huge diverse crowd, Maurice Kirya had managed to convince his fans that he had moved a gear in his journey as an artiste.

CHAMELEONE ATTACKS MEDIA

Jose Chameleone’s Mukisa Gwo album launch on Friday was more than launching songs; the controversial singer also launched attacks on the two leading dailies. Chameleone was not happy that Daily Monitor did not give him prominent pre-event coverage for his concert.

The singer took time off and mentioned names of scribes whom he thought had ignored giving his concert pre-event coverage to his fans who welcomed his tantrums with wild cheers. The singer bragged that by not writing about his concert, the media houses were retarding the Ugandan music industry. “I’ve done everything, I’m no longer looking for fame.

I don’t doubt my fan base, these people are not here because of stories, they are here because of the love they have for Chameleone. If you think you can destroy me, be rest assured, even if an elephant died of HIV/Aids, it could never have shrinked to the size of a dog!” A fan near the photographers in the VIP section screamed out a question; “How come you never tell us when they write good about you?” That’s a question only Chameleone can answer.

Besides the attack on the media, Chameleone reminded the crowd about his efforts towards getting Ugandans to appreciate Ugandan music. Back to the show, Chameleone performed for about two hours, mainly focusing on his 2010 and 2011 songs, like Owakabi, Movie Star with AK 47, plus duets with Papa Cidy, Jackie and Eritrean Sammy. After performing Mukisa Gwo the album title track, most revellers stood up to leave, but Chameleone announced, “If you came for the launch, it just ended, but if you came for music, I’m now starting to sing.”

The singer observed a moment of silence for departed comedian Jimmy Musisi who died earlier last week, before he resumed his performances, this time round taking the crowd back in time with songs ranging from his breakthrough hit Beyi Kali before he was joined by his mother on stage as he sang Maama Wange.

Before Chameleone got on stage, Ronald Mayinja, AK47, Skeleton, Raga Dee, Eddie Kenzo, Catherine Kusasira and Big Eye entertained the revelers with exhilarating performances. The show ended a few minutes after midnight and many revelers went home wondering why Chameleone had to attack the media that has helped sell him and the entire industry to them-his fan base.

NOLLYWOOD'S MERCY JOHNSON'S WEDDING

UGANDA'S SLUM SHOWBIZ'S PRESIDENT LAVISH WEDDING

Around 1000 guests were invited to the lavish Bobi, Barbie wedding  on Saturday, 27 August 2011.

Singer Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, wed Barbara Itungo at Rubaga Cathedral Kampala in a ceremony presided over by Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga. Their guests were treated to a luscious lunch in the sprawling Victoria Hall at the lakeside based Lake Victoria Serena Hotel.

From the guests that attended the party, it looks like the invitations were limited to the ‘who is who’ in society. A rough breakdown of guests included religious leaders, members of parliament, ministers, cultural leaders, prosperous businessmen, artistes (both in music and film), family, friends and well wishers and not forgetting city socialites.

Each of these categories of people were duly represented. Notable guests included the Nabagereka of Buganda Sylvia Nagginda, Prince Wasajja, Gilbert Bukenya, Godfrey Kirumira and his wife, Latif Sebbagala, Eria Lukwago, Ken Lukyamuzi, top artistes except Bebe Cool, Chameleone and his wife Daniella were present for mass but curiously absent at the reception, socialites led by Judith Heard among others.

Bobi’s wedding goes down in the books as the poshest celebrity wedding so far! We are comparing it with the fellow artistes Jose Chameleone’s, Ragga Dee and Silver Kyagulanyi who also had lavish weddings.