₦airaland Forum

Hugh Masekela's tribute to Fela.


Fela


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi_jU9VnD4w

South African jazz musician Hugh Masekela had not seen his good friend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti for many years, so when he came to perform in Nigeria, he took the opportunity to visit his friend & the following conversation ensued.

Hugh: I heard you got married to 27 women, where are they? I want to see them.

Fela: (Hisses) I divorced them.

Hugh: You divorced them? Why?

Fela: My girlfriends were jealous



Here is Hugh Masekela's cover of Fela's song, Lady.


Hugh Masekela - Lady


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QjO6rHHqpw

laudate:
Yes, o! The first time I heard Frank Olize speaking on NTA, I thought he was singing! Funmi Odubekun was a glamour girl. I heard from my aunties at that time, that anything she wore on air, especially her head-ties, often ended up setting a fashion trend. Those broadcasters in NTA back then, were well trained. Chinyere Anyiam-Osigwe was another good presenter, along with Augusta Maduegbunam.

Unlike now, when continuity announcers and news presenters especially on private TV stations are something else. They cannot decide what accent to adopt, and they find it so easy to murder Nigerian names. For some of them, their accent starts out as a British one, which changes halfway to an American one, and then ends up as a mangled mix of both.

BushWickBill:
Frank Olize had an opening monologue that sometimes included him singing. That guy was a creative genius. He had a way of drawing you to watch the program and before you knew it Newsline was the most popular program on tv back then.
The reporters were well spoken and basic letting you into their stories without being overbearing.

Right now it's hard to watch local tv stations even those on satellite. They must be all in your face with their contrived accents and overbearing attitudes.

Nigeria was once a simple but quality society back then.

Yinka Craig and Patrick Oke started that practice of beginning Newsline with jokes and an opening monologue in 1989.

They called Cyril "Your Reach Out Stober" and Sienne "All-Well-Wed".

Frank Olize was already known for asking hilarious questions on the streets of Lagos in the 1980s (it got to a point that some members of the public would have already started laughing before Frank asked his question), so it was very easy for him to continue the practice.

His jokes had an effect on all newscasters except Hauwa Baba-Ahmed. She always began with, "Good evening. Here is the news" (delivered with a straight face), no matter what Frank said.


Let's also not forget the super legends like Julie Coker (I had a crush on her), Rosemary Anieze-Adams (I was in awe of her voice) and Anike Agbaje-Williams.