Entertainment

Ovation Carol 2018 Hits Ground Running, Promises High Octane Entertainment

Published

7 years ago

December 15, 2018

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The yearly mega charity concert popularly known as Ovation Carol, and hosted by the Ovation Media Group, publishers of Africa’s best celebrity journal, Ovation Magazine, is billed to hit the city of Lagos this weekend. The event is precisely taking place on Sunday, December 16, 2018 at the prestigious Eko Convention Centre of the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

This year’s show is being sponsored by the Esther Ajayi Foundation with the magnanimous epitome of charity and godliness, Reverend Esther Abimbola Ajayi, the Founder of Love of Christ Generation (C&S) Church, Clapham, England, at the helm of affairs.

Leading the army of entertainers and performers at the 2018 mega show, is the one and only Omo Baba Olowo (OBO), Davido with support artists of no mean feats including sonorous gospel singer, Sinach, Sammie Okposo, Yinka Ayefele, and Nonso Bassey.

Others are the multi-talented performer, Falz the Bahd Guy; smooth sailing Mr. Eazi, crowd puller, Burna Boy, Adekunle Gold, Teni, Mayorkun, Zeynab and Trill Tega.

While Big Bolaji will lead the praise session, DJ Cuppy will do what she does best on the wheel of steel, and not forgetting DJ Femo. Others are Vermis Bakare, Twizzy, and Jire.

The 2018 show will also be featuring a fashion show where A-list designer, Simi Ajayi, is expected to set the runway on fire with exquisite designs donned by beautiful women.

With its usual theme of ‘It’s all about hope’ the Ovation carol will also be dishing out goodies as is its tradition to deserving Nigerians. Among others, it will empower deserving young entrepreneurs, who will be announced on the night.

Above, the fiesta will witness the induction of personalities into the Ovation Hall of Fame. Recall that Dr. John Mahama and Reverend Esther Ajayi were inducted into the hall of fame the previous year.

Expected to grace this year’s event are the former President of Ghana, Dr John Dramani Mahama; Founder of Esther Ajayi Foundation, Reverend Mother Esther Ajayi; Chairman of Forte Oil, Mr. Femi Otedola; CEO of UT Financial, Mr. Ade Adebajo; Governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Jimi Agbaje; Social Democratic Party, Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse; captains of industries, royal fathers and many more.

For the past 11 years, Ovation Carol has showcased itself as arguably the biggest Pan African year end event featuring top and rising stars from the African continent and beyond.

Entertainment

Joeboy Stars on Easter Edition of Glo-Powered African Voices

Published

1 week ago

April 3, 2026

Eric

Nigeria-born Afro-pop star, Joeboy, whose melodies now ripple across continents, takes centre stage this week on the Easter edition of African Voices, the Globacom-sponsored CNN magazine programme.

In a captivating session from Lagos, show anchor Larry Madowo drew out the rhythm of Joeboy’s journey, tracing the arc from a starry-eyed university dreamer to a maestro whose songs now traverse the globe like whispered secrets carried on the wind.

Born Joseph Akinwale Akinfenwa-Donus in 1997, Joeboy—affectionately dubbed Afrobeats’ “lover boy”—embarked on his musical odyssey in 2017 with a viral reinterpretation of Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You.

This pivot from rap to melodious crooning caught the discerning eye of Nigerian artiste and entrepreneur Mr Eazi, who, upon discovering him on Instagram, extended an invitation to join the emPawa Africa Talent Incubation initiative—a sanctuary for budding African talents where raw potential is nurtured into brilliance.

The partnership bore fruit in 2018 with the release of Fààjí, featuring Mr Eazi, and soon after, Joeboy was signed to Warner Music Africa. From there, his ascent became a symphony of milestones: the intoxicating single Baby in 2019, followed by Beginning, which amassed over 23 million views on YouTube, and Love & Light the same year.

Collaborations with Mayorkun yielded the spirited tracks Don’t Call Me and All for You, further cementing his place in the Afrobeats constellation.

Joeboy’s debut album, Somewhere Between Beauty & Magic, unfurled in February 2021, a melodic tapestry of youth, hope, and desire. By 19 May 2023, he unveiled his sophomore studio effort, Body & Soul, preceded by the evocative singles Sip (Alcohol), Contour, Body & Soul, and Duffel Bag. In 2023, he teased the world with Only God Save Me and the extended EP Body, Soul and Spirit, offering listeners a window into the essence of his artistic spirit.

February 2024 marked another milestone as he launched his own imprint, Young Legend, soon releasing Osadebe, a track that resonated nationwide with the familiar warmth of homegrown brilliance.

Joeboy’s dedication has been richly rewarded. He clinched Best Artiste in African Pop at the 2019 All Africa Music Awards and Best Pop at the 2020 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival. His music has earned numerous nominations, including at the City People Entertainment Awards and The Headies, affirming his status as a luminary of contemporary African sound.

The Easter edition of African Voices featuring Joeboy will air on DSTV Channel 401 at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, with repeats at 11 a.m.; Sunday at 3:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Monday at 3 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.; and Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. The schedule will be mirrored the following week, culminating in Monday at 3 a.m., giving audiences multiple opportunities to bask in the artistry of a musician whose voice carries the pulse of a continent.

Entertainment

Hollywood Action Movie Superstar Chuck Norris Dies at 86

Published

3 weeks ago

March 20, 2026

Eric

Chuck Norris, the US martial artist and Hollywood action star most famous for his role in “Walker, Texas Ranger,” has died, his family said Friday. He was 86 years old.

“It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning,” the family said in a statement on Instagram.

“He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved. Through his work, discipline, and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives,” the statement said.

Norris reportedly fell ill on Thursday on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

Norris turned 86 last week, marking the event with a video of him boxing on social media and saying, “I don’t age. I level up.”

Entertainment

Great Facts About the Forthcoming Oscars You Need to Know

Published

1 month ago

March 14, 2026

Eric

By Samantha Ofole-Prince

Below are great facts about the forthcoming Oscars most entertainment buffs may not have know…

1. Oscar is a nickname. The origins of the nickname are not clear, but a popular story has been that Academy librarian Margaret Herrick thought it resembled her Uncle Oscar and said so. The Academy staff began referring to it as Oscar, but the Academy itself didn’t use the nickname officially until 1939.

2. Each Oscar statuette is individually handcrafted, and the Oscar statuette stands at 13½ inches high and weighs 81/2 pounds.

3. The Oscar statuette is the most recognized award in the world and statuettes have been presented since the first initial awards banquet on May 16, 1929.

4. At age 74, Clint Eastwood became the oldest winner to date in the Directing category.

5. Hattie McDaniel is the first African American to win a best supporting actress Oscar. She won for her role as Mammy in the 1939 movie “Gone with the Wind.”

6. Halle Berry is the first African American actress to win best actress Oscar. She won in 2002 for “Monster’s Ball.”

7. In 2002, Denzel Washington became the second African American actor to win the Oscar for Best Actor (“Training Day”), and the first African American actor to have won Oscars for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor (Sidney Poitier was the first to win an Oscar in 1963 for “Lilies of the Field “).

8. Whoopi Goldberg and Chris Rock have previously hosted the Oscars, but Billy Crystal remains the longest serving host. Crystal has hosted the Oscars nine times to date.

9. Attendance at the Oscars ceremony is by invitation only. No tickets are sold to the public and in Oscar history; only three circumstances have prevented the Academy Awards presentation from going off as scheduled. The first was in 1938, when destructive floods all but washed-out Los Angeles and delayed the ceremony. In 1968, the Awards ceremony was postponed out of respect for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who had been assassinated a few days earlier, and in 1981, the Awards were postponed for 24 hours because of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan.

10. The longest Oscar telecast was the 74th Oscars show in 2002 which had a running time of 4 hours, 23 minutes. Shortest Oscar telecast was the 31st Academy Awards in 1959 which had a running time of 1 hour, 40 minutes.

The Oscars, one of the most-watched live entertainment events of the year, will be held on Sunday, March 15 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC, streamed live on Hulu. With 16 nominations, Sinners set the record for most nominations for a film for the 98th Oscars.

Samantha Ofole-Prince is a U.S. journalist and movie critic who covers industry-specific news that includes television and film.