Entertainment

The Trials, Travails and Tribulations of Talented Singer, Naira Marley

Published

6 years ago

June 17, 2020

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Has it become a norm that each time popular singer, Azeez Fashola, aka Naira Marley, is mentioned in the news, it will definitely be for the wrong reasons. That may not be completely true however.

Just last weekend, the self styled president of Marlians, was again involved in a crisis with both the authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration and the management of Executive Jets, a privately owned airline operation services.

On Saturday, the singer in company of ten members of his traveling crew were ferried from Lagos to Abuja to perform at Jabi Lake. The performance was against federal government laid down rules of social distancing and public gathering. Consequently, the event place has been locked up by government while the license of Executive Jets was suspended.

In their bid to defend their actions, the management of the airline tendered an apology letter, signed by its chairman, Sam Iwuajoku, to the FCT government wherein they called Marley and his crew ‘bunch of useless people’. In retaliation, and justifiable so, Marley has vowed not to patronise the airline, which he also described as ‘useless’ again.

The worst of it all is that the government has threatened to arrest the singer, and if they make do their threat, it will become the umpteenth time he will be visiting the office of the law enforcement agency.

Recall that in March 2019, Naira Marley first made the headlines when he shared a particular post on his Instagram page to defend internet fraudsters. Not a few celebrities gave him the backlash.

Undeterred, he released the record ‘Am I A Yahoo Boy’ which though became a hit led to his arrest in the early hours of Friday, May 10 2019 by men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for internet fraud.

His trial was talk of the town, and even promoted his brand as fans storm the court premises to catch a glimpse of him. He spent some days in prison, and was granted bail shortly after. He return to public made him an instant hit.

In December of the same year, Naira Marley was again accused of car theft. The singer and his brothers were accused of stealing a Toyota Camry and iPhone from one Mr Adelekan Ademola.

Marley refused to show up in court despite presiding judge’s injuction that he be brought to court. He reportedly bragged about the number of expensive cars he owned just as he ridiculed the accusation of car theft.

Naira Marley was not done, as earlier in 2020, during the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic, he broke the lockdown orders when he attended Funke Akindele’s private birthday party.

He was arraigned among others, but was later pardoned after an apology letter was tendered to the Lagos State Government.

Naira Marley is adored by his teeming fans for his effortless production of likeable rhythm, but has he at any time fallen on the right side of the law? He has remained as anti-government as he is anti-law with his group reputed as ‘lawless’ and group of people ‘wey no get respect’.

His misdemeanors notwithstanding, Marley can hold his head as one of the musicians, if not the only one so far, who has held a successful virtual concert for his fans. It is absolutely obvious that he has the interest of his fans and teeming supporters at heart.

Controversial may be the right name for Naira Marley as this time, but it is imperative to note that though Naira Marley may be popular, he is still far from being famous. Of course, fame, no doubt, is within his reach. He is not only highly talented but also highly educated to attain it.

Entertainment

Great Facts About the Forthcoming Oscars You Need to Know

Published

2 days 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.

Entertainment

South African Actress, Nomzamo Mbatha, Tells Success Story on Glo-Sponsored African Voices

Published

1 week ago

March 9, 2026

Eric

Delectable South African actress, Nomzamo Mbatha, will this week on Globacom-sponsored Cable News Network International’s African Voices Changemakers, reveal her trajectory from the Rainbow Nation to the global stage of make-belief.

In the 30-minute magazine programme, show anchor, Larry Madowo, will engage Mbatha on her soaring career which earned her a mention in the prestigious TIME100 Next in 2025.

The thespian who has been featured in two Hollywood productions has also gained acclaim in the beauty industry as she has signed endorsement deals with Neutrogena and Cream of Nature, both global brands in skincare and haircare, respectively.

Madowo and Mbatha sat for the exclusive interview on set of the final season of the hit television series, Shaka iLembe at the historic Cradle of Humankind outside Johannesburg where she highlighted the cultural significance of Shaka iLembe, and why giving back to her society is at the center of her aspirations as well as the legacy she desires to build beyond the glitz and glamour of the big screen.

This edition of African Voices Changemakers will be broadcast on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. with additional broadcasts at noon same day. On Sunday, further repeats hold at 4:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and on Monday at 3:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. The repeats continue on Tuesday at 5:45 p.m and Saturday, March 14 at 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m and Sunday, March15 at 3:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m as well as Monday, March 16 at 3:00 a.m.

Entertainment

Tiwa Savage Launches Music Foundation in Lagos

Published

3 weeks ago

February 26, 2026

Eric

Nigerian Afrobeats star, Tiwa Savage, has unveiled a new initiative aimed at nurturing emerging African creatives, announcing the launch of the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation and a landmark partnership that will bring the prestigious Berklee College of Music to Lagos for the first time.

The 46-year-old singer announced on her social media platform on Wednesday, declaring, “After years of building globally… It’s time to build at home.”

She introduced Tiwa Savage Music Foundation as “a new initiative dedicated to empowering emerging African creatives through access, mentorship and world-class music education,” adding that, “For the first time ever, Berklee comes to Lagos with the Tiwa Savage Intensive Music Programme empowering Africa’s next generation of talent.”

Berklee College of Music, based in Boston, Massachusetts, is the world’s largest independent college of contemporary music, renowned for its programmes in jazz, modern American music, and a broad range of genres including rock, hip hop, reggae and more.

In an interview with CNN, the “Ma Lo” singer explained that while Afrobeats has gained global prominence, the industry requires more structural support to remain sustainable.

“Afrobeats has captured the world’s attention, but attention alone is not enough to sustain an industry. Talent is universal — but access is not,” she said.

According to CNN, the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation is designed to bridge that access gap.

Beyond supporting vocalists and performers, the foundation will also focus on producers, composers, sound engineers and music business professionals — areas Savage considers critical to building a durable creative economy across Africa.

The foundation’s first major project, tagged Berklee in Nigeria: Tiwa Savage Intensive Music Programme, will see Berklee faculty travel to Lagos from April 23 to 26, 2026, to host a fully funded four-day training for 100 emerging Nigerian music creators.

The programme marks Berklee’s first-ever event in West Africa.

Savage underscored the impact of short, focused training, saying, “You’d be surprised how much you can learn in four days. It gives you a taste of what’s possible and exposes you to parts of music you may not even realise you’re drawn to.”

With the launch of the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation and the forthcoming intensive programme in Lagos, the award-winning singer is now seeking to extend that same opportunity to the next generation — shifting from building global acclaim to building sustainable structures at home.