ANTO NEOSOUL COMES OF AGE WITH CHIPS FUNGA

From a humble background, patience, persistence and perseverance, Anthony Mwangi a.k.a Anto Neosoul has used the lessons learnt and interwoven this in music. This he shares with the world. He is working on his debut album that that fuses, love, deception, struggle, strength and a spice of innate passion to sing and perform!
Anto is in the studio with the legendary Chris Adwar, churning a fusion of Afro, Reggae and Neo Soul sounds that will liberate you to love, protest, chant, embrace and accept us for who we are! Be ready to be entertained, edutained and inspired!

Here is Anto's latest video release dubbed Chips Funga. You can watch the trailer below.

ALPHA RECORDS NEW SONG READY FOR ALL STAR CONCERT

Tusker All Star winner Alpha is in the studio with producer R Kay working on a musical project. The Rwandese reality show star who jetted into the city recently told Hot Secrets his new single, No Money, No Love is almost complete.
“It is a kind of Afro pop single that is themed generally about life. Something the society at large has had to experience. Where one loves you for your money,” Alpha said.



Alpha bagged a cool Sh5 million when he won Tusker Project Fame in it’s third season explained that No Money, No Love isn’t the story of his life.
“It is a reflection of what happens in society. I don’t write songs about myself but about themes that most people would relate to,” he said.
Alpha is alos planning to record another single with singer Mimmoh. “I’m looking forward to do something, right now we are just working at the logistic.”



Mimmoh narrated how the collaboration came about. “Actually I tweeted Alpha during the finale (of Tusker All Stars) congratulating him, saying I would like to do something with him. He tweeted back,” Mimmoh told Hot Secrets, “We have not yet decided whether to do a patriotic song or a love song.”



Alpha together with Ugandan Davis Ntare and Tanzanian Msechu won the chance to share a stage with American rapper Eve, Angolan sensation Cabo Snoop and Jamaican ragga heartthrob Shaggy at a concert to be hosted at the Carnivore on October 1.
“It is an honour, we want the international acts to go back home saying, they saw talent,” Alpha promised of the show.

FOUR AFRICAN FOOTBALL LEGENDS TO STAR IN THE GUINNESS FOOTBALL CHALLENGE SEASON 2

Football fans in Kenya and across East Africa are set to enjoy a great season of the Guinness Football Challenge as Guinness brings on board four African Football Legends in the up coming TV game show set to debut on October 6. The show will be bringing together contestants from the three East African countries, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and will also have a West African Edition that will involve Ghana and Cameroon.
Jay Jay Okocha, from Nigeria, Marcel Desailly from Ghana, Rigobert Song from Cameroon and Kalusha Bwalya from Zambia have been selected to feature in the show for their renowned talent and skills as they are some of the most successful footballers who made headlines in the 80’s ,90’s and recent years in football circles both locally and internationally.
The four legends will be the stars of the show in an exclusive season finale dubbed Legends Special where they will pair up with selected contestants from East Africa in the East African Edition (Kenya Uganda and Tanzania) and West Africa Edition (Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon). The legends will take part in the physical skills and the contestants will take on the knowledge. During this special episode the teams will battle it out against each other to see who tops the league to win big cash prizes.
The contestants of the Guinness Football Challenge Season 2 were selected during the auditions that were held at the city Cabanas early August to select teams that will represent Kenya in the first of its kind show as similar activities took place in Kampala and Dar es Salam.



According to Guinness brand manager Agnes Kinga, “the four legends were selected on the basis of their popularity as they are among living soccer legends who are still celebrated not just locally but in other countries beyond Africa, this are some of the soccer icons that our upcoming stars can emulate because Guinness Football challenge is about nurturing future talent” she said
Speaking during a telephone interview from Ghana, the legends expressed optimism in the state of football in Africa and are really excited to have been selected as to be part of the Guinness football Challenge “there is a lot of untapped talent in Africa because it’s a continent that has the potential to bring forth international stars and that is why Guinness is giving young talented soccer fans a platform to showcase their skills in the Guinness Football Challenge show, personally I am really honored and looking forward for the show ” said Kalusha Bwalya who is currently the president of the Football Association of Zambia.
Since its launch last year, the Guinness Football Challenge has received overwhelming support from fans and consumers and this year, the show is expected to be even bigger and better as it brings on board other East African countries. This year, contestants and football fans will have a great opportunity to win lots of cash throughout the season.

MAFIKIZOLO SING AWAY THE RAINY BLUES IN NAIROBI

South African group Mafikizolo sung away the rainy blues that threatened to stop their maiden show in Kenya during Sunday’s Blankets and Wine show in Nairobi’s Mamba Village.
The duo whose 2003 album release Kwela was a huge success, headlined this month’s edition of Blankets & Wine.



Happening every first Sunday of the month, the afternoon event features outstanding afro-based bands that range from afro soul, afro-fusion, afro-jazz, ethnic, experimental and other emerging genres.
Also performing at the twenty ninth edition of the musical extravaganza, were new local acts Aziza and the soulful Maia Von Lekkow, alongside the ever-captivating Muthoni - The Drummer Queen.



This is the third installment of the KCB Advantage sponsored series of Blankets & Wine concerts following shows in April and June that featured celebrated artists Thandiswa Mazwai and Belgium based Ivorian strummer, Manou Gallo respectively.
The event prides itself in showcasing outstanding musicians in the emerging genres of afro-based music.
Blankets & Wine has this year partnered with KCB Advantage Banking and which targets high net worth customers with offers such as a selection of accounts, discounts on mortgages and personal loans, waivers on credit cards and up to 40% discounts at select hotels, restaurants, spas and other outlets across East Africa through a partnership with Go-Places.

AVRIL BAGS ROLE AS MISS B’HAVE IN SHUGA II

Ogopa DJ artiste Avril has bagged a role in the second MTV drama series, Shuga that starts filming this week in Nairobi.
Avril who will play the role of a character called Miss B’have will be joined by other Kenyan personalities like Nick Ndeda (Angelo), Nancy Wanjiku (Baby), Brenda Wairimu (Dala), Edward Nyanaro (Rayban) and Ikubese Emmanuel - a.k.a. 9con - (Femi).
Meanwhile, Lupita Nyong’o, who played the pivotal character of Ayira in Shuga, returns on the other side of the camera as co-director alongside South African veteran Teboho Mahlatsi.
Commented Lupita, “Shuga was such a groundbreaking series and I am so thrilled to be working on the project again! This time I’ll really have my hands full as I will be both in front of and behind the camera but I can’t wait to be involved in the sequel to this incredible story.”
Also returning for the second series of Shuga are Sharon Olago (Violet), David Omwange (Skola), Nick Mutuma (Leo), Antony Mwangi (Kennedy) and Valerie Kimani (Sindi).
Other actors chosen at the public casting a few weeks ago are Christopher Otieno and Wairugi Mutero. Wairugi will be playing the role of Njoki (a party girl who loves to live in the moment) while Christopher will be cast as Slim, a small-time gangster.
Shuga: Love, Sex, Money is sponsored by MTV Base, The Staying Alive Foundation, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and The Partnership for an HIV-Free Generation (HFG).

OLIVIA WILDE SHOOTING DOCUMENTARY IN NAIROBI

Hollywood actress Olivia Wilde is in the country 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.
Anyho, 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.



In his blog post about the PBS documentary deal in May this year, Nick wrote: “Sheryl (his wife) and I will be traveling with various celebrity actresses for filming on location about issues ranging from human trafficking to girls’ education. I’m sure that some people will be wary of celebrity involvement, and I understand the reason for the wariness. But on the other hand, celebrities are a fabulous way to get the attention of people who don’t otherwise show much interest in issues of global poverty.”
The show will be aired in US TV stations in March 2012.

SUZANNA OWIYO CLINCHES HARPIC AND RADIO JAMBO DEAL!

Afro fusion singer Suzanna Owiyo has bagged two major million bob endorsement deals. The first of which is with Harpic. She told Hot Secrets the deal is worth “some millions. It is a good deal that is why I went for it.”
The singer who is back from filming of the TV ad in South Africa remarked, “It was a great experience and tiring, I have never done something like this before. Yes, I have shot many of my music videos but this is different and it happened right after I had embarked on my music tour. The shoot for the new Hapic ads took one and half weeks.”



Suzanna was on the set of the TV advert production together with Nigerian actress Chioma Chukwuka who in 2007 won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a leading role. Chioma was shooting the same ad for the Nigerian market.
Following the Harpic deal closely is a media deal with Radio Africa’s Radio Jambo where she picked up a SH 22M worth of airtime to push and publicize her Kenyan mini tour that will see her perform In a number of cities in Kenya.
On her music, Suzanna, “This year looks promising for my musicians I start on my mini tours around the country in various towns like Mombasa, Kisumu, Kakamega and Nakuru. A tour to Uganda is also in the works.”
The sponsorship is for her Kenyan tour after the launch of her third album, My Roots, at the Carnivore in Nairobi in May where Zimbabwean legend Oliver Mtukudzi was a guest artiste.



During the presentation of the cheque, the General Manager Martin Khafafa said, “Suzanna represents authentic African talent and her association with the Radio Africa Group under the Radio Jambo banner correlates with what Radio Jambo as a brand aims at achieving; going into the grassroots, the hook and cranny and to the borders to touch everyone at a personal level.”
Suzanna’s first tour date to commences with a show at the Mombasa’s Mamba International disco on July 30. The tour will then proceed to other towns like Kisumu, Kakamega, Nakuru, Meru and Eldoret.
An elated Suzanna remarked, “I’m humbled that the CEO of Radio Africa, Patrick Quarcoo supported this noble undertaking. I’m also humbled that Radio Jambo is part of this by supporting local music, which is what the music industry needs. This is just the beginning expect more of the live performances supported by The Stage.”

IT'S NO RUMOUR WENDY KIMANI IS BACK!

Former Tusker Project Fame contestant Wendy Kimani is coming into her own in the music industry. Wendy may not have bagged the Ksh5 million from the talent reality show but she came off the show with a strategy and a clear road map of conquering the big bad music industry.
Wendy who is famed for her song Clande had an interview with Hot Secrets and talked about her journey to releasing her maiden album. Her latest Afro-Soul single, Rumour off her yet to be released album, is slowly inching up the musical charts.



Life after TPF, how has that generally been like?
To be honest, really tough. But the best thing is that I take all that as life lessons and use them to motivate me. Because of that I’ve done a lot. Since the show I recorded a band album – yet to be titled – and is almost out, I have also shot and released a couple of videos and there are still more to come. Basically, I’m loving it, the good and the bad.




When will your album be out and what should fans expect?
Well, I really can't tell right now, when the album will be out because I'm trying to get it mastered after which, I can announce the definite date.

Which songs off the album have you already released?
I have released Rumor only from the album the rest have been collabos maybe I'll have a collabo album too…



Rumour, what inspired the song?
The single was inspired by how rumours fascinate us all, it doesn't matter whether they are true or not, we just love to listen and repeat them.

Who have you featured in the yet to be released album?
I have Manjoro how does comedy as well as rap. I also have Sauti Sol and B-Skills



You teamed up with Labalaa for the single Yuko Juu. Tell me a bit about the back story, how it came to be?
Labalaa and I meet way before TPF. We were involved in recording a peace song alongside other different artistes and we decided to do something but before we could TPF came along, so we waited and after the show, we finally recorded Yuko Juu.



Which other song are you planning to release next – off the album?
I guess it could be Nightstool, it is an all English song, this time round.




Last year you took part in the anti-rape campaign. What role do you play for the campaign, are you a goodwill ambassador?
Yes. I’m a goodwill ambassador who's roles involve coming up with suggestions on how to combat rape as well as spread awareness on rape avoidance tips!

Who is the founder and what does the campaign advocate for?
Adelaide Onyango started the campaign in May 2010. The campaign advocates for - global awareness on the rise of rape incident rates. Using social online networks to get youth around the world coming up with suggestions on how to reduce rape incidents. Youth from around the world sharing what organizations in their countries are doing to combat rape.



Lastly, educate individuals on what to do after rape in terms of medical tests they must have done, steps they should take to avoid tampering with evidence like showering and also avenues for legal action. All this is done through photography and video clips.

What is your take on the current scenario on protection of women in Kenya?
Women in Kenya are currently under attack through different forms of rape like date rape, marital rape and war rape (that was experienced during post election violence. Very little is being done to educate both women and men on issues surrounding rape. Also, very few people are aware of how many women in Kenya are going through rape and because of the ignorance. This issue needs to be taken seriously.

Anything else you would like to add?
All my fans can Like my page Wendy Kimani it will soon have all my music on it for now my stuff is on ReverbNation.

TUSKER ALL STARS COMPETITION HEATS UP

After Tusker All Stars performances in the first week, fans across East Africa have voted for a trio of charismatic male performers as their top favorites so far.
Heart-throb Alpha of Rwanda stood tall at the top with charming Tanzanian Msechu and sensational Ugandan Davis taking up the second and third slots respectively.
Show host Gaetano released the week one voting results during the Tusker All Stars second show that was screened across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania.
The second show featured four of the eight Tusker All Stars, Msechu, Patricia, Ameleena and Alpha.
Each of the four Tusker All Stars performed two songs - a popular hit single and an original composition. Their fans also got to discover the personalities behind the music at the Tusker Pub where they were interviewed by Eve D’Souza.
Viewers were in for a surprise when the straight-talking Tusker Project Fame Judge Ian Mbugua appeared as a guest. Judge Ian, who has been involved in the formation and shaping of the Stars into who they are today, was at hand to give viewers an insight into the artistes’ performance.







The show started with a bang when Msechu took to the stage with Samba Mapangala's Vunja Mifupa hit song. He gave us a peek into what he had been up to when he sang a moving tribute titled Mama to his late mother.





Patricia performed Foreigner's I Want to Know What Love Is and her own composition, Nakupenda What Not; while Ameleena performed Carol Atemi’s Simama and her up-beat composition, Dance.










Alpha was the last Tusker All Star to take to the stage with a cover of the popular Phil Collins' hit song, Another Day in Paradise, before he closed the show with his bubbly song Love.





Davis, Ngangalito, Caroline and Hemedi will feature in the third show performing two songs each.
Viewers can vote for their favourite artist by sending a text message with the star’s Tusker number to 8009 for persons in Kenya and Uganda. Individuals in Rwanda can vote by sending a text message with the star’s Tusker number to 7333 while for those in Tanzania the number is 15324.

FOOTBALL LEGEND ANDY COLE IS IN NAIROBI

Andrew Alexander Cole who known as Andy Cole is in Nairobi, Kenya for charity. Andy who currently works as a forwards coach at Huddersfield Town under his former Newcastle United and Fulham team-mate Lee Clark.



A former England international, Cole is the second-highest goalscorer in Premier League history; in his career, Cole has scored a total of 187 Premier League goals, placing him behind Alan Shearer who has 260 goals. Cole has the distinction of being one of the few players in England to have swept all possible honours in the English game, including the PFA Young Player of the Year award, as well as the coveted UEFA Champions League title. Cole was also capped fifteen times for England between 1995 and 2001, scoring once, against Albania in a World Cup Qualifier. He announced his retirement from football on 11 November 2008.

NONINI’S HANDLERS: HE IS NOT VIOLENT

After a section of the media published a story detailing an altercation between rapper Nonini and a photog, his handlers sent out a release denying anything like that happened.



It read:

“We are saddened by the recent articles published in one of the tabloids on 7th June 2011 in relation to the public character of the above artist ‘Nonini’.
It was portrayed that the artist is a violent person and that he was involved in a fight at the Rangers restaurant during an evening out. The artist named is not a violent person; neither did he get involved in a fight at the said restaurant. Witnesses at the venue can counter for every detail that happened that night.
We are thus saddened that an Editor of a renowned magazine plus their reporters can publish such lies and insults. Morever, this story led to reputation damages to Nonini and on his brand. Nonini is currently working on final touches for his movie Killer Moja which will be released hopefully on 2nd October, 2011. The above matter has in one way or another affected the execution of the above project.”

Anyhow, Hot Secrets talked to Pius Cheruiyot (a photographer for Pulse Magazine) who claims, “Nonini hit my camera and damaged it, then I was like ‘What is happening?’ He started pushing and shoving me till I fell and hurt my head and chest.” Pius adds that the right side of his lip was bruised and bloody.
“I have reported the matter at Langata Police Station and waiting for action, “ He continued: “What he did was not good and he should have asked me to delete the photos if he did not want me to take them.”

ONCE UPON A RHYME : AN AFRICAN HIP HOP DOCUMENTARY

Once Upon a Rhyme is a story about Hiphop, experienced through a journey into the lives and careers of 8 African artists on a personal level. Rap music and the Hiphop culture have been labeled as negative and sinister on several occasions, but this documentary film reaffirms that Hiphop can be (and is) used as a positive form of expression, to spread a message of hope and life in Africa. Gospel rappers featured are determined to use Hiphop for the glory of the Almighty God, and to dispute the adversarial image of the Hiphop culture. They reveal the influence of Hiphop in their lives, giving surprising insight into their personal struggles and experiences as young Africans.
The Artistes include Pepe Haze — Burundi, Yung Noiz — Kenya, The Addvoket — Malawi, Nyach — Kenya, Zuze — Malawi, Gich-man (Frank) – Kenya, M. Ricks — Uganda and Blackskillz — Kenya.
Here is the 30 sec trailer...

NKULI IS EVICTED! NIC IS HEAD OF HOUSE

Africa voted – and South Africa’s Nkuli became the second Housemate to be evicted from M-Net’s Big Brother Amplified. This Week Kenyan's Tail Housemate, Nic who is currently sucking face with Kim ( should we call them K'Nic or Nicki) is the head of house.
Moving on, Nkuli's Tails Housemates Luclay, Mumba and Kim were sent back into the house to continue their quest for the USD 200 000 prize.
After Miss P had revealed her decision to save Karen and replace her with Mumba – citing the entertainment value of the Nigerian’s ‘exaggerated personality’ as the reason for the switch – IK summoned Luclay, Nkuli, Mumba and Kim to the stage. After a brief chat with each of them, he asked Luclay, Mumba and Kim to stand, before sending them off stage without revealing their fate.
As they re-emerged into the house amidst screams of delight from their Housemates, it dawned on Nkuli that she had been evicted from the Big Brother Amplified House.
After checking out a clip of Nkuli’s highlights from her time in the house, IK confirmed that the verified name in the envelope handed to him by the Ernst & Young auditor was Nkuli’s and that she had been evicted from the game. He quizzed her about her best memory of her time in the House. “I definitely enjoyed both of the parties,” she replied. “And who will you miss the most?” asked IK with a wry smile. “Michael, definitely,” she replied. “Who will you miss the least?” he asked. The South African replied that she would miss Ernest, Nic and Alex the least, calling them two-faced.
Nkuli’s departure – and Lotus’ disqualification earlier in the week after her argument with Luclay got physical – means that there are 23 Housemates in the two houses competing for the USD 200 000 prize, with 70 days of Amplified action left! Earlier in the show, two African stars had graced the Big Brother Amplified stage – first Ethiopia’s Nhatty got down with his tune “Brand New Day” and then top-selling Zimbabwean star Cindy got the crowd jumping with her energetic rendition of “Tonight”. Viewers also got the chance to hear from last week’s evictee, Jossy, as he headed home. The Namibian said he was looking forward to visiting his new-found friends in Mozambique, Botswana and Ghana and sharing his music with the continent.

WAHU TO BE ANNOUNCED THE FACE OF REXONA

On Friday night at a cocktail organized by Unilever, MAMA award winner Wahu will be announced as the face of the company’s brand Rexona.
It is not yet clear if she will be endorsing the soap, lotion or the deodorant. Anyho a guy called simonreid1980 tweeted pix from the photoshoot that took place over a month ago in Khlong Tan Nuea, Thailand.




Simon describes himself on his twitter page as an“Art Director at Lowe Mena/ Co-creator/ DJ/ Promoter/ Radio Presenter for Must Have Soul living in Dubai.”
The launch dares you to come and feel the difference on the blue carpet event. On the guest list is the who is who, the glitterati and the members of the fourth estate in attendance.




According to the Global Unilever website: “Rexona gives you the confidence to handle whatever the day has in store because you know your deodorant won't let you down. The Rexona 50ml roll-on deodorant is one of the most environmentally friendly on the market. The moulding, assembly and packaging processes were streamlined and energy efficiency improved, with the resulting roll-on weighing an average 8% less. The new offering uses 1 000 tonnes less plastic a year than the old 50ml roll-on.
It is also quite affordable for everyone via affordable mini-sticks, mini-roll-ons and sachets of deodorant lotions, supported by personal hygiene education programmes.