Category: Entertainment

Meet Lissette DeJesus, The Ben’s ‘Habibi’ queen

The Ben, Rwanda’s Artist who is in America recently released a clip of his ‘Habibi’, a song which has become popular in Rwanda in the recent three months.

The video released on 21st November 2016 has now been viewed more than 200, 0000 and audio 700,000 views on YouTube respectively. Habibi clip has been appreciated by music fans for high quality production along with quality images.

The video features Lissette DeJesus, a 19-year old model. IGIHE has caught up with the beauty queen. In an exclusive interview, Lissette DeJesusi unveils how she came to bond with The Ben in producing the video of Habibi.

Lissette DeJesus is a Puerto Rican and Caucasian origin, born and raised in Buffalo, New York.

A model, actress, creative director and painter, Lissette says she met The Ben as she exhibited her work in Buffalo.

“The Ben had a show here in Buffalo and we met the day after his show; he saw my portfolio shortly afterwards and was impressed. So meeting him was great! I seemed to meet the description of what was expected of “Habibi” and I believe my work showed that I was very well qualified for the part.

“Currently I am an independent model. So I handle my professional business personally along with a legal representative to ensure that the projects I’m apart of are quality productions and will benefit me and my career. After viewing how popular and professional both Ben and Cedric are, I was ecstatic about working with them,” she added.

Lissette says she started modeling when she was 14 years old and has earned a lot of experience which qualified her for good performance in Habibi video .

“I was a Theatre major during High School and was part of various productions. I think my training in Theatre helped immensely in my ability to perform well in this video along with other productions I’ve participated in. I believe I was asked to be part of this video because I fit the description, I have the credentials and I have an enthusiastic energy when working collectively on something as amazing as Habibi. Communication was effortless and very ensuring through the weeks of filming. Every person I met while on set had such a great personality and energy to them, so much that I dreaded coming back home. The environment created was so trusting, ambitious and most of all fun. Even discussing business matters were very comfortable since Ben and Cedric are so humble and respectful towards other artists,” she said.

Excitement of Lissette DeJesusi performance

Lissette explains that her friends and family were astounded when they saw the video.

“My mother actually cried the first second I’m shown in the video. My friends, family, and even people I don’t know personally are telling me that they love the video and that I did an amazing job in it. It’s such a boost of confidence. I’ve been doing this for a while but after doing this project, my imagination and ambition have increased by far. This really was a great experience for me and now I know how I’d like to approach projects, hire other artists, and end with a quality product. I hope to serve as a living testimony to the people in my life, from my community and others from all over,” she said.

Lissette DeJesusi message

“My message to the audience would be to always believe in yourself no matter what cards you’ve been dealt with. Whether you grew up poor, having a single parent, being bullied or anything that may be considered a “set back”, YOU CAN DO IT. Life is about making mistakes and learning what life is. Be who you are, humble yourself, and continue to bless the world with whatever you can bless it with. Make sure you encourage your colleagues to succeed and surround yourself with people who want to see you win. I am so honored to be part of the production of Habibi and essentially BE Habibi. I’ve met and worked with so many beautiful people during this process and I know every artist involved will continue to achieve great things. I can’t wait to see what Ben and Cedric have planned next.”

Written by Munyengabe Sabin

December 5, 2016
Cécile Kayirebwa entertains fans as she clocks 70

Cécile Kayirebwa, a Rwandan female singer has held concert at Kigali Serena Hotel dubbed ‘Igitaramo-Celebration’ as she celebrated 70 years.

The folk music legend who celebrated her birthday on 20th November 2016 with 30 years of performing traditional music reminded lovers of her music that her songs trace back to her father.

Kayirebwa’s concert was a panoramic tale of how Rwandans would hold folktales with various artists showing their talents including poetry, singing and traditional troupe dance for leisure.

The concert was attended by relatives, government officials including senator, Tito Rutaremara, veteran and underground musicians and lovers of Rwanda’s music in general. The artistes included Masamba , Muyango , Mariya Yohana, Eric 1Key, Jules Sentore, and Deo Munyakazi among others.

Kayirebwa said that the concert she held in Serena Hotel was a good opportunity to contemplate the legacy inherited from her father.

“Even my father was a passionate musician. We would enjoy music at home as he sang for us. We were born 12 children and he used to call us his disciples. He seem to have guessed that I will too become a singer when he named me Cécile. Cecilia was the leader of World Musicians and I too was directed in the same way,” she said.

Kayirebwa performed her songs like; None twaza, Iwacu, Rwanda, and Tarihinda with which fans chorused with her.

Cecile Kayirebwa, 70, spends most of her time in Belgium where she lives. She recently released albums; Rwanda and Urukumbuzi.

November 25, 2016
Mos Def is allowed to leave South Africa after passport row

Mos Def has been allowed out of South Africa, 11 months after getting arrested for using the wrong passport.

The rapper, who’s also known as Yasiin Bey, has been living in the country since 2013 but was stopped from leaving in January.

Officials also accused him and some members of his family of overstaying on their visas.

They’re now letting him fly out but say he’ll be declared an “undesirable person” and not allowed back.

Mos Def released his first album, Black on Both Sides, in 1999.

Alongside his solo career, he has since featured on records by Kanye West, The Black Keys and Gorillaz.

He’s also an actor. You might have seen him in Dexter, The Italian Job or The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

He was using something called a World Passport, a type of passport that doesn’t specify which country you are from.

According to the people who make them, the World Government of World Citizens: “the very acceptance of a national passport is the mark of the slave, serf or subject”.

They claim that their alternative has been accepted for 60 years, by more than 160 countries, on a “case-by-case basis”.

Mos Def, though, was arrested when he tried to use his earlier this year. But South Africa’s Home Affairs department says he has now apologised.

In a statement, it added that “based on his apology, and the confirmation that he will depart… using a valid passport, the department will withdraw the charges against him”.

But it isn’t all good news for Mos Def. The statement went on to say, “for his conduct, Mr Smith Bey [Mos Def] will be declared an undesirable person… He will therefore not qualify for a port of entry visa or admission to the republic.”

He can apply for a waiver in the future though.

November 23, 2016
Singer Cindy for Kigali Jazz junction

Celebrity singer Cindy Sanyu seems to be making only the right moves lately and the latest from the grapevine indicate that she will be performing in Rwanda in just two weeks at the 4th edition of the Kigali Jazz Junction.

The “Kigali Jazz Junction” show will take place at Serena Hotel in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. The show slated for December 2nd will also feature Uganda’s Qwela band and multi-talented vocalist and instrumentalist MoRoots.

November 18, 2016
Nigerian actress Rahama Sadau sorry for ‘offensive hug’

A leading Nigerian actress, who was banned from the Hausa-language film industry because of her “immoral” behaviour, has apologised.

Rahama Sadau’s appearance in a music video “hugging and cuddling” Nigerian pop star Classiq offended some people.

Ms Sadau said sorry to those she upset, but said her actions were “innocuous”.
Hausa films are popular in the mostly Muslim northern Nigeria where it is taboo for men and women to hold hands in public.

The industry, commonly known as Kannywood, has been under fire from conservative Muslim clerics who accuse it of corrupting people’s values.

The Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria banned the actress from Kannywood films, saying that her appearance in the video violated the industry’s code of ethics.

It added that it hoped the ban would serve as a deterrent to other actors and actresses who are “expected to be good ambassadors of the society they represent”.

As the film opens parents are seen discussing who their successful city-dwelling son should marry. They decide on a cousin who they deem meets all their expectations of a good wife.

But there’s a hitch, their urban, and urbane, son is in love with an educated city lady. He wants to marry her.

The family confronts their son with their choice of wife for him. The dispute generates tension and finally the parents force their son to marry the cousin.

He goes through with the wedding but stays in touch with his preferred partner. They go on romantic outings during which he mentions his loveless marriage.

Throughout the film, dancing and singing punctuate the action.

Despite the passionate plot, there will not be any physical contact. That means no hugging and definitely no kissing. If there is to be any suggestion of sex, the screen will go dark.

Ms Sadau said she took full responsibility for what happened, but argued that she was behaving professionally and added that in her line of work “innocuous touching with other people… is inevitable”.

But she reassured people that she would behave with decorum, adding: “I have lines that I would never cross.”

Responding to the criticism she has received she said people should “be more tolerant and forgiving towards one another and to cease all the senseless abuse, name calling and backbiting”.

The Kannywood star appeared in the video with Classiq, in a song entitled I Love You.
In it, the Nigerian pop star is smitten with a vegetable seller in a market, acted by Ms Sadau.

Initially, she rejects his advances, batting him away with a bunch of vegetables, but he eventually wins her over.

They hold hands and engage in a bit of cuddling that would be considered demure in a Western film.

But many people in northern Nigeria felt she had gone too far with Classiq in the music video, reports the BBC’s Isa Sanusi from the capital, Abuja.

October 5, 2016
Nigerian actress Rahma Sadau banned after on-screen hug

A leading Nigerian actress has been banned from the Hausa-language film industry because of her “immoral” behaviour, the main industry body says.

Rahma Sadau caused offence by “hugging and cuddling” pop star Classiq in a video, it added.

The industry, commonly known as Kannywood, has been under fire from conservative Muslim clerics who accuse it of corrupting people’s values.

They regard it as taboo for men and women to hold hands or kiss in public.

Ms Sadau, who is said to be on a holiday in India, has not yet commented on the ban imposed by Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (Moppan).
Its chairman, Muhammadu Kabiru Maikaba, told the BBC Hausa service that the ban was “total”.

“This is not the first time that she has been doing these wayward things. We have been warning her, but she still went ahead to dent our image,” he said.

The Kannywood star appeared in the video with Classiq, in a song entitled I Love You.
In it, the Nigerian pop star is smitten with a vegetable seller in a market, acted by Ms Sadau.

Initially, she rejects his advances, batting him away with a bunch of vegetables, but he eventually wins her over.

They hold hands and engage in a bit of cuddling that would be considered demure in a Western film.

In a statement, Moppan said it hoped Ms Sadau’s expulsion would serve as a deterrent for other actors.

Its code of conduct requires actors to avoid doing anything which violates Islamic and Hausa culture, reports the BBC’s Isa Sanusi from the capital, Abuja.

Many people in northern Nigeria felt she had gone too far with Classiq in the music video, he adds.

Classiq cannot be banned because he is not a member of Moppan.

October 4, 2016
Nigerian musician, Keziah Jones comes to Kigali this month

A Nigerian innovator, artist, singer, songwriter and musician – Keziah Jones will arrive in Kigali on Sunday, September 25th 2016.

Discovered playing music on the Parisian metro in early 1990, Keziah Jones embarked on what has already been a prolific and successful global career as a true original on the contemporary popular music landscape.

Although a black man with a guitar was a common sight in the rock-pop world, think Ben Harper, Little Richard, Prince, Lenny Kravitz and Jimmy Hendrix, as a talent born and raised on the continent, Jones, was and is a son of Africa. In his typically unorthodox way of doing things, Keziah has managed to reach heights of influence in the rock-pop scene rarely reached by other Africans.

Blufunk is his trademark music style aesthetic which is a percussive and unique way of strumming the guitar infused with a fusion of blues and funk. He counts music luminaries Fela Kuti, Miles Davis, Jimmy Hendrix and John Coltrane as his main influence and inspiration.

With a career spanning over nearly 3 decades, 7-full length albums, countless singles and memorable appearances on some of the most prestigious stages and festival across the world, not to mention unique collaborations with the likes of Marcus Miller, Lenny Kravitz, The Rolling Stones, Amadou & Myriam, Blitz The Ambassador, The Roots, Patrice, Ayo, Nneka, Ben Oncle Soul and Asa to name just a few. KJ is also an inventor, multi media artist and educator.

Constantly challenging himself to push the boundaries of creativity & innovation further, around 2008 KJ partnered with LAG Guitar, a leading instrument manufacturing company, to create a special guitar model specifically adapted to his energetic style – the RUGGED1 was born – watch Keziah explaining his creation: http://goo.gl/nnQt4a

The Nigerian musician will perform his trademark BLUFUNK music style in a solo performance at a secret location in Kigali.

September 9, 2016
Schools meet in Nairobi for national music festival

Festival organisers are looking into ways of integrating the East African region through drama, music and other arts.

The 90th Edition of the Kenya National Music Festival starts Monday at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi County.

Items by primary and nursery schools will be presented in the first four days.

The festival will be held at the Kasarani Gymnasium, hotel area and at the main stadium.

According to Ministry of Education Director General Leah Rotich, teachers and officials accompanying participants will be held accountable for any malpractices of students under their care during the travelling and entire period of the festival.

Ms Rotich said teachers are required to be close to their teams throughout the festival period.

“They should also guarantee the safety and welfare of the participants by ensuring that drivers do not speed, overtake carelessly or drive under the influence of alcohol,” she said.

Ms Rotich said school buses should also not carry excess passengers and drivers should take extra caution, especially when overtaking.

Students will be accommodated at Kiambu High School, Thika High School, Mangu High School, Highway Secondary School, Upper Hill, Moi Forces Academy, Lenana School, Nairobi School, Senior Chief Koinange, Loreto Kiambu, St Francis Mang’u and Alliance Girls.

UGANDAN GUESTS

Kenya will host 449 students from Uganda, 37 teachers and seven officials of the just concluded Uganda Secondary Schools National Music, Dance and Drama Festival as guest performers.

Kenya National Music Festival Executive Secretary Ruth Agesa told the Nation during the adjudicators briefing at the stadium Sunday that they had extended an invitation to seven Uganda schools to perform in the festival.

The outstanding performers were picked during Uganda’s festivals finale at Mbale Secondary School.

Several Kenyan teams were invited to perform.

Bungoma High School and Kakamega High School carried the day in the closing event.

Festival organisers are looking into ways of integrating the East African region through drama, music and other arts.

This was the first time that Kenyan schools performed in the Ugandan event.

August 8, 2016
Rwandan shortlisted in Australia Film Festival

Shema Deve, a 24-year old Rwandan has had his short film ‘Running’ qualified to compete among 17 films from 15 countries shortlisted in Australia Film Festival.

The Australia festival is dubbed “focus on ability short film festival’.

‘Running’, a short film is about a deaf-mute boy whose sister suffered from physical disability.Their father was in jail while the mum is critically ill and getting medical assistance at the hospital. As the bank wants to auction their house since their parents had unpaid bank loans, the mute young boy decided to join athletics where he performed well and won awards which helped him to liberate family’s property from being auctioned.

Talking to IGIHE, Shema Deve the artiste who produced the film ‘Running’ of 4 minute and 56 seconds explained that she was interested to depict how disability is not inability and avoid discrimination against disabled people.

“I produced the film as a way of fighting discrimination against disabled people for they can also contribute to the progress of the family and community in general. This makes them feel not abandoned,” he said.

Shema Deve produced the film Running in March, 2016 encouraged by Sylvie Kwisenga , a Rwandan living abroad who informed her about submission of films to compete in Australia film festival.

After the submission on 13th April, 2016 his film was shortlisted in June, 2016.
Shema Deve got inspiration when he was in ordinary level at College George Fox de Kagarama wherehe started writing short stories .He continued writing short stories when he went to College de Kigoma in Nyanza district where he did advanced level in Computer Science.

After completing his secondary studies in 2013 he attended Rwanda Christian Film Festival held at Goethe Institute in Kigali where he got tips of how to write a good script of the film.

In 2014 he attended another workshop dubbed Kwetu Film Institute in Nyarutarama, Kigali city where he obtained advanced knowledge of making a film.

In 2016 he attended another workshop of Maisha Film Lab .Since then he started the film project.

‘Running’ was his first short film which he produced in March, 2016 making his dream true.

After online voting in July, the Australia film festival will award the best shot film and the most voted.

Shortlisted films are voted on http://www.focusonability.com.au/FOA/films/Running_958.html .After opening this website the voter clicks the section of international films where the short film of Shema Deve is listed and is voted after submitting the form filled by the voter.

The festival will award the best international shot film and the most voted film after online voting in July,2016 .Awarding winners is set to be held on on 7th September,2016.

August 6, 2016
Rio 2016: Bittersweet Olympic dream for Kuwaiti swimmer

With Kuwait banned by the IOC, Faye Sultan will participate alongside other displaced athletes at the Rio Games.

When Kuwaiti swimmer Faye Sultan finally got the call-up to compete in the Rio Olympics, the feeling was bittersweet.

Although the 21-year-old graduate of Williams College in the United States had endured pre-sunrise swims during brutal Massachusetts winters to appear in her second consecutive Olympics, the offer came with a big hitch. With Kuwait currently banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over alleged government interference – which Kuwait has countered with a $1bn lawsuit – Faye will participate as an independent athlete under the Olympic flag.

As the names of more than 200 countries are called out during opening ceremonies on Friday, Faye will be grouped with other displaced athletes, including refugees from South Sudan and Syria, and a Russian pole vaulter granted amnesty from her country’s track-and-field sanctions.

Because the IOC does not allow participation by Kuwait of any kind, Sultan paid her own way to Rio from New York, where she was training for her 50m freestyle event, scheduled for August 12.

The Rio Olympics will be a marked contrast from her first opening ceremonies in London, when the 6ft-tall swimmer, dressed in a traditional thawb, struck a chord with proud Kuwaitis as cameras zoomed in on her beaming smile.

Although she was only 17 at the time and barely out of high school, the moment is permanently etched into Sultan’s memory.

“Those feelings at the last London Olympics are something, honestly, that I still cannot describe,” Sultan told Al Jazeera. “I was just feeling so much pride, and I’m not going to be able to do that again.

“I’m going to be wearing a blue [Olympic] uniform. I’m going to be part of a team that is just not from the same country that I am – which is still an honour, and I’m still happy to be able to go and everything, but … it’s obviously very disheartening. You work so hard to represent your country, and it’s definitely a blow to not be able to walk [under the Kuwaiti flag].”

Kuwait was also suspended by the IOC before London 2012, but the ban was lifted two months before the Games.

Infighting among the country’s sports authorities led to a series of contentious laws passed between 2007 and 2015. Although those laws were repealed by parliament in June, according to a report by AFP they maintained the government’s right to dissolve sports clubs and federations – a sticking point for the IOC. Kuwait is also currently banned by football’s governing body, FIFA.

“I hope that Kuwait can turn something this bad into something good,” Sultan said, suggesting that the emirate should “put in place a necessary governing body to ensure that this doesn’t happen again”.

Neither the Kuwait Olympic Committee nor the Kuwait Swimming Authority responded to Al Jazeera’s requests for comment.

“It’s a tragedy that the institutions that Kuwait has invested in building cannot run independently when there is a struggle at the top tier,” said Alanoud al-Sharekh, a specialist in sociopolitical issues of the Gulf at the London Middle East Institute, and a Kuwaiti herself. “A lot of people are feeling this sense of disappointment, humiliation and embarrassment that things have gotten so out of hand.

“[The athletes] feel like they have been abandoned,” Sharekh added. “There is a vacuum, where the country should be backing them, or reaching out to them, or putting them on a pedestal. Athletes are heroes regardless of any petty issues that we are plagued with in Kuwait.”

Sultan’s frustration is palpable, more so because of the hurdles leading up to London 2012, when she became the first female swimmer to represent Kuwait at an Olympics.

She spent much of her time training in a pool designed for toddlers – “I’m a pretty tall girl, so it wasn’t ideal by any means,” she recalled – while stealing precious minutes in Olympic-sized pools starting at 5:15am, two hours before the men practised. Olympic-sized pools in Kuwait are generally found in the semi-professional athletic clubs, which are dominated by men. There are no women’s swim teams in those clubs.

“In Kuwait we have beautiful facilities; it’s just that for a girl they are so much harder to access,” Sultan lamented.

It was only six months before London that Sultan was granted permission to swim alongside her male counterparts and afforded a reasonable amount of time in a professional setting, she said.

In London, Sultan finished seventh in her heat with a time of 27.92 seconds, and did not qualify for the 50m finals. But after four years of rigorous NCAA training and two swimming world championships under her belt, she is eager to display her better form in Rio.

The idea is not just to challenge the heavily favoured Campbell sisters of Australia, but also to galvanize more women from the Gulf to get active. Eight Kuwaiti men also qualified for Rio, including Fehaid al-Deehani, the only medallist in Kuwait’s Olympic history – but Sultan’s only female teammate from Kuwait in 2012, 10m air rifle specialist Maryam Erzouqi, did not join her this time around.

“I really hoped that we would have more female participation in Kuwait, especially in this Olympics, but [that’s] another heartbreaking moment for me,” she said.

“The way I see it, is that I’m the prototype,” Sultan added. “I’m getting the ball rolling. The first of anything, you’re not necessarily going to be the best, but I’d like to show people the importance of sport and just how much it can give you.”

August 4, 2016