cross cultures

Tongayi Arnold Chirisa is a Zimbabwean actor, experienced in theatre, film, and television. He played the part of Detective Trevor Davies in the ever-popular Zimbabwean soap Studio 263. He has appeared in numerous feature films, including the well-known Tanyaradzwa in 2004, for which he won the Best Actor for Film and Television Award. He has also been featured in music videos; and starred in a serial radio drama Mopani Junction that was taken off air at the height of political turmoil in Zimbabwe Johannesburg. He has won many NAMA Awards over the last five years; and recently played the lead in the comedy feature film Mr Bones 2: Back from the Past. He made a dramatic appearance in the mini-series Rough directed by British Director, Andy Wilson; appeared in an international feature film Skin, directed by Anthony Fabian, co-starring Sam Neill; and played a lead in a local drama series Redemption for SABC 1. Currently he is playing Man Friday on the NBC international television series Crusoe, based on the classic story Robinson Crusoe. He plays opposite actors Philip Winchester, Sean Bean and Sam Neill. He is also a noted singer.

www.nbc.com/Crusoe/ ___

Femi Oke is a British television presenter and journalist. Femi was born in Britain to Nigerian parents. Oke is a former anchor for CNN International's World Weather service at the network's global headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. She presented weather segments for the programs Your World Today and World News. She also regularly hosted Inside Africa- a program that looks into the economic, social and cultural affairs and trends in Africa. Femi began her career at age 14 working as a junior reporter for the United Kingdom’s first talk radio station LBC. She also worked for a cable station called Wire TV where she presented several shows for the station, including the popular Soap on the Wire on Saturday afternoons, with soap opera expert Chris Stacey. In the early 1990s, Femi presented the BBC's flagship educational science program Science In Action, and was also a presenter of Top of the Pops. She also worked for GMTV, London Weekend Television, Men & Motors and Carlton Television. She joined CNN in 1999, and worked there until 2008. She currently lives in New York and appears as a daily newscaster, contributor and interviewer on Public Radio International -WNYC's morning public radio news program, The Takeaway.

www.therealfemioke.com ___