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Aphroden Spotlight: Nneoma Anosike
Simple Steps to Superstardom: How to Package your Demo.
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MEN’S FASHION BASICS – THE SUIT
“Clothes and manners do not make the man; but when he is made, they greatly improve his appearance.” – Arthur Ashe
A good suit is an investment that would most certainly last a lifetime. Every man, irrespective of his vocation, SHOULD own a suit. There’s power in wearing a suit, as it tends to boost your confidence and presents you in a sophisticated light, a quality that almost never fails. All these can be yours only if … you are wearing the right suit.
What’s the right suit?
There is no universally acceptable ‘right suit’, because as our body measurements vary, same goes for our ‘right suit’. For some it could be a single button, others two or three, not four (avoid any number above three at all costs). It could be double breasted suit or the traditional three-piece suit?
Irrespective of the variations in a suit, a key component that is always present in finding that perfect suit for you is known as Comfort. If you feel uncomfortable, you will look uncomfortable, and this defeats the whole purpose of a good suit. And when comfort meets the proper fit, then you have … the right suit.
Here are 4 things you need to consider to possess your right suit:
1. THE SHOULDERS: These are the most important parts of a suit to get right as they can’t really be altered. Make sure they are as wide as your shoulders and not wider, i.e. the suit should be hugging them, not tight in any way. Also, the pads should not be sticking out further than your own shoulders.
2. LENGTH: Jacket length is next in importance as alterations are very tricky. They could either be short or long. The classic suit jacket is long, as the short jackets, which look good, don’t flatter the majority of body builds. Stick to the classic length, which you can measure with your arms straight down by your sides you should be able to cup your fingers inside your suit jacket, if you can’t it’s too short, if you can but have lots of material in your hand then it’s too long. The suit’s sleeve should end exactly at your wrist bone and the waist narrowed a bit to highlight the shape of your torso. Remember, the top button of a two-button suit — or the middle button of a three-button suit — should not fall below your navel (belly button).
3. CHEST: Once you are able to button the suit with ease, put your hand on your chest and make a fist, it fits in between your shirt and suit jacket, then you are ok, if not … it’s the wrong size.
4. TROUSERS: These are the easiest to get right; they should be comfortable for you because you’ll be wearing them regularly and make sure the trouser leg is just long enough to cover your socks when standing still and not longer. Your trousers should reach your shoes and have a slight break.
Another thing to consider in owing that perfect suit is the lapel. With a lapel you have two options, notch or peaked. Notch is standard for most business suits and is the kind of lapel that comes to mind when most people think a traditional suit. The peak lapel is usually equated with elegance, as it has often been associated with making bold statements. Whichever one you go by, remember – if the lapel is thin, wear a slim tie and shirt collar to match.
Remember, if you’re wearing a two or three buttoned jacket, leave the last button unbuttoned; and cut off those tags of your sleeve.
If you are looking to buy your first suit, why not start with a blue, black or grey one.
Confidence plays an important role in the making of the ‘right suit’, thus to look good in a suit you need to feel good about wearing it. Be the man wearing the suit and not the suit wearing the man.
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Expose on African Dance
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MIKEL OBI AND GENEVIEVE NNAJI SIGNED AS AMSTEL MALTA AMBASSADORS
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African Writers Series: Hisham Matar
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KENYA’S MOST INNOVATIVE APPS
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The Complete List Of Winners Of The 2014 Africa Magis Viewers’ Choice Award
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History of Moroccan literature
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AFRICA’S LEADING LITERARY AWARD: THE CAINE PRIZE
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Waje, Pilani Bubu, Kemi Lala Akindoju, Molara Wood, set to thrill at the music concert and art weekender
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Africa Literary Legends: Ben Okri
“The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering.”
Taken from his Man Booker Prize for Fiction winning novel, The Famished Road (1991); novelist and poet, Ben Okri has used his works to express his concerns for humanity through magical realism, which was fuelled by his mother’s (Grace) preference to tell stories as a way of correcting him. Okri’s writing style varies as he bounces off spiritual realism to magical realism, to African folklore and post-colonial traditions – simply put, Ben Okri writes fantasy literature, which focuses on the early post-colonial history of Nigeria. Born 15th March, 1959 in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria, Silver Okri (Ben’s father) moved his family to England, before Ben was two years old and moved back in 1968, when Ben was nine. Okri’s foray into writing began when the civil war ended when he began to write articles on social and political issues of the time, though none of his articles were published. Ben later decided to use his early articles to form short stories and – alas – success was on the horizon, his works began to get published in evening papers and women’s journals. Much of his early fiction explores the political violence that he witnessed firsthand during the civil war. He left the country in the late 1970s when a grant from the Nigerian government enabled him to read Comparative Literature at Essex University in England. But funding for his scholarship suddenly stopped, and Okri found himself homeless, living on the street which strengthened his writing, as he described it – “I wrote and wrote in that period... If anything [the desire to write] actually intensified.” Not long after his plight on the streets, Ben Okri’s book Flowers and Shadows (1980) was published; and with it came international recognition as a writer. By the end of the 1980s, Ben Okri had written and published two collection s of short stories in Incidents at the Shrine (1986) and Stars of the New Curfew (1988). Both collections were set in Lagos and London touching the different aspects of life in Nigeria, by reflecting on the child’s eye view of the Nigerian Civil War, a depressed Taxi driver who finds two hundred thousand pounds left at the back seat of his cab by a ‘big’ Nigerian (perhaps a politician) or stories of shanty towns and of men from the villages seeking their fortunes in the streets and filthy gutters of the new town. His exposure to the Nigerian civil war and a culture in which his peers saw visions of spirits at this time later provided inspiration for The Famished Road (1991) - Okri's most popular work till date - about Azaro, a stubborn spirit child (aka abiku), who refers to himself as ‘an unwilling adventurer into chaos and sunlight, into the dreams of the living and the dead.’ The Famished Road is the first of a trilogy (with Songs of Enchantment – 1993 and Infinite Riches – 1998) that explores ‘the rotten milk of politics’, violence, traditional rituals, human-animal hybrids, sudden transformations and a ‘delirium of stories.’ Okri’s work has been influenced as much by the philosophical texts in his father's book shelves as it was by literature, and Okri cites the influence of Francis Bacon, Michel de Montaigne and William Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s influence can be seen in his 2002 adventure – In Arcadia, where freedom becomes a major theme, something that also reflected in his last novel – Starbook (2007). Okri’s accomplishments do not stop at being a novelist; he is also an accomplished poet whose works (An African Elegy – 1992, Mental Flight – 1999 and Wild – 2012) have been highly praised for ‘beauty of language and sweep of subjects.’ His poems are carefully rhymed, as they speak about an enhanced vision of nature. DID YOU KNOW THAT… 1. Ben Okri’s first hand experience of the Nigerian civil war would go on to influence his writing, especially his earliest works - Flowers and Shadows (1980) which was published when Ben was just twenty one, and The Landscapes Within (1981). Both stories were set in Nigeria and featured two young men as central characters struggling to make sense of the disintegration and chaos happening in both their family and country. 2. He was rejected to study physics in university because of his age – 14. 3. Ben Okri, today, has been awarded by the Queen of England an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2001. 4. He is a fellow at The Royal Society of Literature (FRSL). He has also been awarded five honorary doctorates, all from different schools. 5. Ben Okri is the Vice-President of the Caine Prize’s Council members. He was the chairman the first panel of Caine Prize Judges, in 2000. Ben Okri still writes till date, remaining a vital figure in the ongoing dialogue between Africa and the West. Written By: Olusola AgbajeThe post Africa Literary Legends: Ben Okri appeared first on Aphroden.
Get and retain your target business customers with technology and excellent customer service
The main purpose of setting up any business entity is to render quality services to target customers as consequences get paid in return. Many scholars maintain several position on what make customer locate one’s business, patronize, satisfied and even make a comeback. Some hold the views that advertisement can bring enormous awareness of about one’s business premises, services and products. Others say advertisements cannot make customers always want to comeback for the same services and product, but that enterprises should focus more on rendering efficient customer services and good experiences. Another group of researchers say that quality customer service experience is realized majorly through qualified staff and trained personnel hires by many business organizations.
In the 21st Century business environment, lots have changed as to what customers anticipate or really want. Technology has come to the rescue though with many sides to it, whenever quality customer services were considered. Below are some useful tips:
Pre-emptive service: It is one of most prominent tool for excellent customer service delivery, because it manages and includes services for even the unexpressed wishes, desires and needs of one’s customers. Technology provides an opportunity for business personnel to adequately leave an indelible experience or memory on the minds of customers. This is the point to make permanent impressions and shift customers’ perception of one’s enterprise, which assist your customers to form opinions such as lasting commitment, sincere loyalty to your business, service and product. Let your customer look forward to your service and product in advance e.g. a movie cinema should tell their customer ahead of time what movies will be on the offering.
Start the conversion about your product: A good number of customers decided to patronize certain services and products because they came across information about your enterprise. Advertisements are very powerful tool aside from print, radio and TV media platforms; social media can be very cheap and new way of selling one’s business services and products. Bother your target customers, should be the principle, until they are able to find your business location and polices in timely and easily manner. That ultimately help your target customers decide to patronize or check it out on your services. Use the magic of technology in the first place to provoke and get into the minds your customers especially simple details of your business and services you render. For instance, a customer who wants to find about your product from your contacts should get through to you at a dial of phone or an email.
Customer empathy: This is one stage many big and startups businesses fail to deliver. Customers will be loyal to your enterprise once your reach-out to them first and always. Customers feel safe to transact with your company whenever you make them feel remembered. Get to your customers by telephone calls, or better still get customers database that include: email addresses, place of residence, office residence, birthdays, colour likes, hobbies, etc. Technology has helped a great deal to achieve customer service, empathy and retention. Interact with your frequently, which help them get a feel of concern, interest, care etc., using any of technology tools to command their loyalty to your company. Nothing makes a customer more satisfied than being first to inform them about changes, new products and failure of service (e.g. send texts to your customer whenever a flight may be cancelled, next flight details, prices of tickets, etc. for an Air transport company).
Written By: Abraham Alfa
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What To Wear to A Wedding
- Informal Daytime: Short dress or suit (business attire OK for morning weddings)
- Informal Evening: Cocktail dress (which is any dressier dress -- for example, a little black dress -- that's not full-length.)
- Semi-formal Evening: Cocktail dress
- Formal Daytime: Short dress or suit. Hats and gloves optional (although it's rare to see hats and gloves at most weddings.)
- Formal Evening or Black-Tie: Long or dressy short cocktail (beading, glam accessories, wrap)
- Ultra-formal or White Tie: Long gown, extra glitz (furs, diamonds, etc.)
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Trend Guide: How to wear Palazzo Pants
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Interesting career achievements of TY Bello!
She is a Director of Link-a-child; an NGO dedicated to propagating information on orphanages in Nigeria and soliciting sponsorship on their behalf. TY dedicates her time to her NGO and once had a conversation that impacted on her so much to which she dedicated a song on her album ‘Ekundayo’ which she did with Olufunmi. The 4 minutes song done in English and Yoruba is about a conversation between Toyin Subair, Ty Bello and Mrs. Ekundayo (owner of Ekundayo Children’s Home, an orphanage in Isanlu, Kogi State). According to TY, “that conversation made her realize how empty my life was. She saw someone who was doing a lot more than she was and had much less than she did.
TY Bello believes that the crisis in Nigeria is beyond politics and she described the bombings in Nigeria by terrorist sects as a “metaphor of the hopelessness and impending tragedy that may lie ahead if we do not become more engaged in building the country we desire.” TY Bello is considered on the A-list of prominent and influential photographers. To her, Art is about collecting experiences and expressing them. For her, music and photography are similar art forms. She collects experiences, stir them in her and express it in her own language. Just like my photography, music is her language.” TY has taken pictures for magazines, Presidents, Governors, celebrities and A-Class celebrities
HER WORKS
They say “Action speaks louder than words”. Here are a few magazine covers and photos done by photographer, TY Bello. Notice that she has done quite good for herself.
Mr President and family Agbani Darego Agbani DaregoWritten By: Frank Ugo
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KENYA’S MOST INNOVATIVE APPS (2)
Last week we began this list – Kenya’s Most Innovative Apps (web & mobile) – and these apps have shown Kenya to be Africa’s forerunner in the positive use of mobile apps in impacting the lives of the people, as their implementations have not been restricted to people with internet access alone, as most are SMS/text based. Its obvious Kenya’s paving the way to accessible technology, and it’s time for the rest of Africa to tailor our technological innovations to our needs. Here are the five remaining apps Kenya has used to better the lives of its citizens. RUPU: Voted among the ‘Top 20 African Start-Up’ by Forbes Africa Magazine (February 2012), Rupu, a daily deals and discount website, which started operations in December 2010, helps get the best deals for a variety of items and holiday treats within Kenya. A place to find gifts and publicize business ideas, by providing online marketing resources for small, medium and large businesses to the millions of Kenyans who access the internet. Rupu, who emerged runners up on the Kenya ICT Board Innovation Awards - Wholesale, Retail & Trade category, is based in Nairobi, Kenya. M-PEPEA: A fully automated app used to offer instant loans to workers at a fee through their mobile phones. M-Pepea has set out to revolutionize Kenya’s credit system by targeting employees on full-time basis registered for the service and offering small emergency loans ranging from KSh5023.96 (US$58) to KSh30317 (US$350) depending on pay-scale. Users can access loans anytime anywhere without the necessity of having to wait for advance approvals or having to visit a financial institution to request for emergency money.
h ttp://mpepea.co.ke/ M-PESA: An award-winning mobile money transfer service, launched by Kenyan mobile network operator, Safaricom, in March 2007. M-Pesa had already captured 14 million subscribers as at November 2011, with 2 million daily transactions and over 28,000 agents across the country. M-Pesa has since expanded to East Africa (Uganda and Tanzania) and has also been launched in South Africa, Afghanistan, India and Egypt; as it has emerged winner at the 4 GSMA awards, 2011 Mobile Money Award and UN-Habitat. It’s innovative, yet simple and practical solutions have set it apart worldwide.
iCOW: As the name suggests, iCow is an SMS and voiced based app for small scale dairy farmers, acting as a virtual veterinary nurse and midwife for subscribers, giving advice on cow breeding, animal nutrition, milk production efficiency, gestation and fodder. Voted by Forbes.com as the best new African Mobile App of 2011 and winner of the US Department of State sponsored Apps 4 Africa contest in 2010, iCow has emerged the world’s first mobile phone cow calendar.
MEDAFRICA: Developed by Kenya’s Shimba Technologies in 2011, MedAfrica helps users diagnose symptoms and provides directories of doctors and hospitals with the aim to revolutionize how people in developing areas, particularly on the African continent, access and use health information. It brings basic information about health and medicine to all phones, enabling people to use that information on their own.
http://www.medafrica.org/
Written By: Olusola Agbaje
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Good things you should know about fitness and exercises
The effort of keeping fit for people may not be in their priority scales and so do exercises due to choices of their careers and lifestyles. This popular quote finds more expression here, health is wealth but wealth is health. There is no amount of money that brings back life once it is destroyed. Simple care, exercises and fitness activities can improve well-being of people and individuals. The challenge has been that many people spend a lot of money taking care of their physical well-being such as feeding, beauty and skin care, but little attention is paid to the other side of the equation, the spiritual part. A human body is typical composed of what can be seen and what cannot be seen i.e. mortal and immortal, which require same extent of care and attention to continually keep them fit. Below are benefits of physical and spiritual exercises:
There are no side effects for guided physical exercises, because their natural as against beauty and health products that can cause many health hazards though with some proven potency. Continuous and regular exercises increase energy of muscle tone, strength of bones, endurance of cardiovascular, flexibility, reduction of blood sugar and cholesterol levels, reduce body fats, enhances long capacity, increase circulation and metabolism. Exercising regularly reduces rate and vulnerability for depression. Relentless exercising with motivational and inspiring materials can help a great lot in this direction. Physical fitness activity is a very useful anti-depressant that helps to enhance mood as well as stimulating endorphins production in the brain for feel of well-being. Alcohol and drugs have not really helped because of their permanent side effects on users. Recovering from stress and fatigue due to career and workloads can achieved through a good sleep. Exercises is known natural way to get better sleeping that help stabilize human body physically and spiritually. Most of very creative minds the world has ever produced are very good at exercises either physically or spiritually at some point in their lives. Exercises increase one’s creativity. Physical activity and other forms of exercises can minimize the effects of aging and improve life expectancy. Studies have shown clearly that people stay healthier, live longer and prevent untimely deaths, because they exercise habitually. The easiest way to restart and reactivate one’s creative system is through exercises. Motivations and inspirations teachings can reduce incidences of dryness or numbing experience of the mind. Exercises have become a good therapy for patients recovering from shocks, medical emergencies and loss of beloved ones. Psychologists have been known to be good in area of counseling and mental exercising activities. Exercises are shocks-absorbers. However, as much as exercises are very good for your body and spiritual well-being, medical experts have warned side effects from physical exercise can be minimized, when physical activities can be avoided three hours to your bed time. Again, fitness and life coaches can be of help when it comes to the choice of right and appropriate exercising activities and gym machines suitable for your body and disposition. Written By: Abraham AlfaThe post Good things you should know about fitness and exercises appeared first on Aphroden.
16 Facts On African Music History
“Music speaks louder than words.” - African Proverb
Music in Africa has always been used for different reasons to accompany various events, including celebration, hunting, marriage, child birth, politics and worship. What’s music to you? A means to tell stories, joyous sounds of instruments, a collection of sounds that transforms your state of being or something to dance to. Whatever music is to you, it’s a known fact that music is a significant component of any culture; and Africa is rich with different sounds that have gone on to shape our dear planet and way of life. Here are some interesting facts about African music that you should know:- Highlife originated in Ghana and was exported to Nigeria in 1951
- The dùndún pressure drum (talking drum), popularly associated with the Yoruba culture, was introduced around the 15th century, as it appeared in plaques made during that period in the kingdom of Benin.
- The lamellaphone, a small box-resonated musical instrument, called the likembe in Congo, was invented in the lower Congo region during the mid-19th century.
- East African music is known to have been influenced by Arabic, Indonesian, Indian and Polynesia music.
- Some African tribes sing there music nude, with the men and women dancing together.
- Blues emerged at the end of the 19th century as a form of self-expression for African-Americans, who were captured in Africa and brought over to America to become slaves. It emerged from a blend of spiritual songs, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants that were sung during a hard day's work.
- While Jazz originated from the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities after they were freed from slavery. Jazz uses improvisation, polyrhythm, and melodic patterns, which are also commonly used in African music
- African music has had the largest influence on western music through the slave trade. The slaves brought their drums and banjos and influenced popular music of the last century through blues and jazz
- The banjo and the guitar originated from Africa.
- The Senegalese band, Toure Kunda, pioneered the African invasion of Europe with the fusion of western-style melodies and reggae rhythms performed on traditional instruments with the album, “Freres Griots” (1979).
- African music is said to have greatly influenced Scottish folk music, Irish music and white American music.
- Drums are known to be the most common instruments in African music. African drums include the djembe, talking drum and bata drum.
- Senegal music legend, Youssou N'Dour, who became a teenage sensation with the band Etoile De Dakar, released “Xalis” (1979) which established mbalax (a fusion of popular Western music and dance such as jazz, soul, and rock blended with sabar, the traditional drumming and dance music of Senegal) as a major form of dance music.
- Cameroon saxophonist, Manu Dibango, started a vogue for makossa (basically, highlife with a steady rhythm), that spread from Cameroon to nearby countries, with his proto-disco groove, “Soul Makossa” (1972).
- Guinean kora player, Mory Kante’s dance-floor single, “Yeke Yeke” (1987), is the first ever African single to sell over one million copies.
- Ermelo "Lucky" Dube became the first reggae star of South Africa with “Rastas Never Die” (1985).
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SEYI SHAY TALKS ABOUT MENTOR, 2FACE ON MTV BASE’s OFFICIAL NAIJA TOP TEN.
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