An Artist known as Cobe Obeah

Cobe Obeah’s an MC, singer, songwriter and producer of Nigerian decent hailing from Los Angeles, California. With a forward thinking mindset and an urge to do better for himself and his community, he crafted an eclectic style of hip-hop driven by a love for his people. Some of Cobe’s notable accomplishments include circulation on numerous blogs from:  OkaPlayer, 2DopeBoyz, IllRoots, GlobalGrind and SourceBounce. He’s opened for KRS One, Janelle Monae, Immortal Technique, MURS, B.O.B and Tribe Called Quest. Now working with ‘The Royalty of Tomorrow Entertainment Company’, Cobe’s out with his newest mixtape album “Song of the Starz” following the success of his 2009 release “The Alarm Clock Richtape”. It features the hit “Song of the Starz”, an inspirational song about hope in a fast moving world. Check out his fan page on Facebook and The Royalty of Tomorrow fan page.            

British Nigerian Artist Exhibit on World Famous Fourth Plinth, London’s Trafalgar Square

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London elected British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare to build the world-famous Fourth Plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square – “Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle”. This was formally unveiled on Monday May 24th, 2010. Set in a giant bottle, the 5 meters long and 2.5 meters high scale replica of Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory links directly with Nelson’s column, located just meters away at the front of the iconic square.  The artwork will be the first commission on the Fourth Plinth to reflect specifically on the historical symbolism of Trafalgar Square, which commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, and is also the first of such commissions by a black artist. 
The ship's 37 large sails are made of richly patterned textiles commonly associated with African dress and symbolic of African identity and independence.  Tying together historical and global threads, the work considers the legacy of Britain’s expansion in trade and Empire, made possible through the freedom of the seas that Nelson’s Victory provided. Yinka Shonibare says his piece will reflect the story of multiculturalism in London. Boris Johnson said “Set against the backdrop of one of the most iconic symbols of Britain's seafaring heritage, Yinka Shonibare's ship, with its riot of color, makes a powerful statement that will intrigue and inspire in equal measure”.
Watch Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OowSsEh7H4o

London Film Day

London Film Day was presented by the Mayor of London in association with Film London and the BFI London Film Festival in March 2010. The centerpiece of the Day was 15 sold out world public premieres of Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang which took place in different theaters across London.  Lucky competition winners took a tour of Ealing Studios and enjoyed a special film tour from the London Eye among lots of other film related prizes. For Londoners it was a chance to celebrate the magic of cinema and much fun was had by the thousands people who got involved in the first ever London Film Day. To know more about this movie event and others, visit www.filmlondon.org.uk.

AFRICAN DESIGNERS SHOWCASE COLLECTIONS IN
SOUTH AFRICA

African designers from all over the world were in South Africa to showcase their Trans-Seasonal 2010 collections at the Sandton Convention Centre during Africa Fashion Week on June 30, days before the FIFA 2010 World Cup Quarter Finals.
Established South African fashion designers included Marianne Fassler, Errol Arendz, Stoned Cherrie and David Tlale alongside global talents like Deola Sagoe (fresh from New York Fashion Week) and LaQuan Smith. Xuly Bët, the award-winning label that recently made global headlines with the 'Obama' dress at New York Fashion Week and the Paris-based go-to label for many celebrities, including Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill and Neneh Cherry, opened this year's FashionWeek. Also showcasing their work were the Somali sisters, Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim who have been featured on CNN and Oprah. Bunmi Koko, a British-based label known for her innovative, structured designs also showcased her work.

For more information and highlights from the shows go to www.africanfashioninternational.com  

Below is a list of the featured designers:

African Music Concert

On April 2nd, 2010, Ciba and Emaginethat Entertainment produced a concert featuring the original “African King of Comedy” Michael Blackson; musicians “Bracket” (Nwachukwu Ozioko and Ali Obumneme) and the “Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa” Timaya (Inetimi Odum). The concert was held at the Arena Theater in Houston, Texas, U.S.A. The performances were full of life and the show was awesome! The audiences enjoyed themselves and were left wanting more. A “thank you” goes out to Nkem Oji (Emaginethat Entertainment) for allowing AfroStyle Magazine cover the concert.

WOMEN FOR CHANGE INITIATIVE – FORMAL LAUNCHING, ABUJA- NIGERIA

On Friday, July 16th 2010, women from all works of life attended the National Center for Women Development in Abuja to discuss the under representation of women in elective posts and appointments from the Local Councils Areas to the Federal Government at the “NGO” Women for Change Initiative (W4C) which was created by the First Lady of Nigeria, Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan.
Giving the keynote address at the launching, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Robin Sanders, reminded the women that at 75million strong women make up 50% of the Nations population and as such must take up the gauntlet and change the tide of things.

Ngozi Onyioha

500 African artists create a masterpiece on African unity

The hosting of the 2010 FIFA world cup on African soil has created unique opportunities for the African Arts Industry to be counted along with the rest of the world. Over 500 visual artists from Africa's 53 countries partook in the ambitious creation and exhibition of a 530-metre banner that was displayed during the games. “African creativity and ingenuity never ceases to amaze” says Munyaradzi Muzenda who’s the brains behind this historic feat. He added that this is the time for Africa to carve a new image that will reflect the true image of the continent.

The “Afrika Speaks” banner which was displayed in South Africa during the World Cup received a boost after seventeen African ambassadors, effectively committed 10 artists from their respective countries to put their works on their banner. The gifted and not yet exposed artists would be identified through Arts College , Universities or Youth Cultural Organizations from all across the continent . All the individual paintings were joined together to form a huge road of meaning, dialogue and entertainment to all target markets. The completed banner toured 20 African countries courtesy of Toyota .

Original African Art has been sought after by collectors all over the world and this is a great opportunity for African Artists to make an impact on the artsy palate of those who attended the soccer event.

by Ellen Chiyindiko