Zimbabwe is all over the news today, in a good way for a change and I LOVE it!
I iust got wind of a Zimbabwean film set to be released this weekend in Harare. "The Gentlemen" is a movie about a young man in a quandary when forced to choose between saving his dying pregnant wife or going against his beliefs. Word on the street (Facebook rather) is the movie premiere is shaping up quite nicely with a celeb filled red carpet and sizzling after party.
The movie stars former Big Brother Africa housemate, Munya Chidzonga along with Tsotsi star, Presley Chweneyagae. Impressive cast, so far I'm intrigued!
If you cant make it to Harare for the premiere, don't fret my friend you can also order the flick online here
Check out the trailer and let me know what you think!
Shout out to my homegirl Sylvia Chimhina who also produced the movie. I love to see fellow Zimbabwean peeps take control of our entertainment landscape by creating films for us, by us!
Thoughts on the trailer? Will you check out the movie?
There is a Zimbabwean girl named Alexandra on the MTV's Real World: San Diego. First of all, I am surprised that this show is still on the air. How many years has it been on? Anyway I digress back to Alexandra.
Her bio below says:
Raised in a village in Zimbabwe with no electricity or running water, Alexandra is, without a doubt, the most accomplished person to ever appear on "The Real World." She was the first woman of color and the youngest person ever to compete on the Zimbabwean National Gymnastics Team. After witnessing many of her childhood classmates contract HIV from vaccinations using dirty needles, she started the Kijana Project, a charity that supports AIDS orphans.
The one questions I have :
But why must she come from a village in Zimbabwe that has no electricity and running water? Can we change this misconception of Africa please? Yes some people live in poverty but MTV I'mma need you to stop perpuating the stereotypes.
The show premiered yesterday Sept 28. Did you tune in?
Do things smell differently now that you’re pregnant?
Oh! My nose is like [mimics radar] ‘doot, doot, doot’! I smell everything! It enhances it. If it smells bad, I smell it! My husband’s fragrance, his one that I always love, I hate right now. So, thank God I love this one [laughs].
How cute are these girls? Twins Tia & Tamera Mowry were spotted out and about in NYC. The 33 year old twins just got the second season of their reality show renewed on the Style Network. I will be watching, I love these two!
Three of former president Nelson Mandela's grandchildren are to star in a new reality show. The show will feature Swati Dlamini granddaughter of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, her cousin Dorothy Adjoa Amuah and Swati's older sister Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway.
"The show will be about our lives as young, black women ... We're not wearing 'I'm a Mandela' T-shirts," Swati Dlamini, granddaughter of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, told reporters in Johannesburg on Thursday.
To be honest with you, I am not sure I like this idea. Here's the thing with reality shows, they stir up TONS of drama to bring in ratings and keep the audience engaged. I really don't want to see that from Mandela's granddaughters. I guess time will tell how this will pan out. They certainly have a large amount of responsbility on their shoulders. hope they carry it well.
I was hoping this movie would get shelved and wouldn't see the light of day. Not because I don't like Jennifer Hudson or Terrance Howard, I think they are wonderful actors. My adverse reaction to this movie is because after seeing the trailer and listening to the horrible quasi South African accents, I couldn't control my gag reflexes.
Hearing Terrance Howard say "amanda" instead of "amandla" almost made my ears bleed! Amandla means power in Xhosa or Zulu and it was used prominently during the anti -apartheid movement. Saying amandla was the only thing the government couldn't take away from the people in the liberation struggle.Wouldn't it have been just easier to pick a South African actress/actor who intimately understands the culture and heritage and can actually pronounce the words in the local culture?
Since when has Nelson Mandela looked like a light skinned, green eyed brother? Looks aside I am rather unimpressed with the casting choice for this movie. No wonder Winnie Mandela herself is not supporting this flick.
Hollywood please pay attention, stop casting African American actors in lead roles for African movies. The movie cost about $15 million US dollars to create and has no release date in the US.
Will you go if it ever goes into theaters check it out?
This past Saturday Sept 24, I had the honor of attending the first annual Afrotainment Awards held in Queens New York. It was an awesome event featuring Africa's hottest acts.
Makho at the event!! Entire outfit by Zara of course!
Unfortunately, I was running super late and only caught the last 30 minutes of the show. However, I was watching the show online while getting ready so I saw most of the acts and nominees. Dont ask me why I was late. I am LATE for everything. I have to fix that!!!
I heard Angelique Kidjo performed and I am SUPER bummed I missed that.
Fally Ipupa onstage
Shout out to entire Afrotainment family, you guys did a brilliant job. Check out the pics below from the event and click in to see the full list of winners!
Host Farai Gundan of Farai Today
Interesting outfit here! Plus sunglasses indoors? Help me Lord!
Loving that pageant pose girlfriend!
Makho, Kaya and my cousin Noki
Karen & Iyadede (who performed at the show) and Makho. We were on all the Alicia Keys MTV Base show together!
With Else from the Afrotainment family, I heart this woman big time. I worked with her and her hubby on Ya'Mafrika!
Makho and Helene from Les Nubians. She was super sweet!
The ambiance at the awards show
Hosts of the awards show!
Beyonce girl is that you? Just kidding! A performance onstage at the awards show!
One last pic with Farai! Love to see Zimbabwean women doing BIG thangs!
BONUS: Peep the video t below of Fally Ipupa performing at the glittering awards ceremony!
Talk show host Oprah Winfrey was recently interviewed by Piers Morgan early this year. When asked whether money could by happiness she answered "money can't buy you happiness but it can certainly lead to the path of happiness"
I disagree with Mama O. You know how much I love Oprah, so it pains me to disagree with her. I believe that money CAN buy you happiness. Yep I said it. I think rich people that say money can't buy you happiness are just using that to pacify the brokies.
Now people often counter my "money can buy you happiness" argument with saying money can't buy you love, friendship or good health. Again I disagree.
Money can buy you great health even when faced with a terminal illness. Hello Magic Johnson? That man is super healthy and is afflicted with HIV. However money does not prevent death. It can keep you healthy but it cant keep the grim reaper away.
Money can buy you love. Ask Hugh Hefner. Yes he goes through girls look toilet paper, but really as long as they both understand what the real deal is; what da problem is?
Friendships! Yes a true friend is like a great bra, it's really hard to find. The underlying assumption here is money can't buy you lasting friendships. I challenge that. If you have money, you can afford the luxury to only do things that you WANT to. If you are happy and well rounded then it is my belief that you will attract like minded people.
Oprah, Richard Branson & Warren Buffett look pretty happy to me. I will have to give this money thing a try.
Please vote for me (Makho N) for the celebrity video correspondent position. Click the link below and search for my name..you can vote as many times as possible! Thank you!!
Check out this touching video from singer Musiq Soulchild. Musiq is an ambassador for Susan G. Komen for the Cure Circle of Promise. In his latest video you see him standing by his girlfriend as she struggles with her battle against breast cancer. Very touching!
Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting Gossip girl actress Tika Sumpter. She is the hot new black "IT" girl and I really see her going places in Hollywood. She is pictured above in the fro featuring fellow actresses Naturi Naughton and Rutina Wesley.
What's not hot though are these pictures of Miss Sumpter in Essence Magazine. I think she is a beautiful girl but the styling is just way off. I don't dig this masculine look on her at all! I know the premise of the shoot was to glam up 70's style but some things are better off left in the past.
This picture of actress Lindsay Lohan and her mom Dina is just flat out outrageous! Surely that has be to some explanation for this strange picture captured over the weekend. So many things are wrong with this image:
Who is that little boy sitting in the club? He looks like he's 12
Why are Lindsay and her Mom all over each other like that? They look like they belong in Girls Gone Wild
What on earth happened to that cute little freckled girl in Parent Trap and Mean Girls? Bring her back!
Earlier this month I tuned into the television to watch one of my favorite guilty pleasures: the re-union special for Basketball Wives. Lead by Shaunie O'Neal (Shaq's ex wife) the show airs on VH1 and features a bevy of women who have either dated, married or had kids with a basketball player. Trust me when I tell you these chicks are super entertaining and there is never a dull moment on the show. While enjoying the drama I couldn't help but wince at the numerous times the b-word was thrown around. Bitch must have been used over 200 times over the 2 hour finale.
When did it become socially acceptable to throw around the word bitch so freely?
I'm stating the obvious here but the definition of bitch is a female dog. The last time I checked my characteristics didn't mirror those of a dog. Call me uptight, saddidy or high strung but I just don't find the use of that word socially acceptable. I unfortunately don't find this word appealing nor do I view it as an affectionate term. I don't knock people that use it, heck there are a couple of people that I call that word to this very day. However I don't use this word in my everyday language and I certainly don't use it to refer to my girlfriends.
We can discuss at length hip hop's warped view on women. Jay-Z has repeatedly referred to his wife Beyonce as "his bitch" in several songs. As a matter of fact on his most recent album , Kanye and Jay have a song called "that's my bitch" which I suppose is an ode to the women in their lives. Dosen't that just scream romance? I'm sorry but I don't find that appealing.
Would it really be that terrible to use words that are encouraging towards each other instead of words that bring us down? Women bring life into the earth, we are often times providers of our families and we have at times literally shaped the world. So why do we continue to use the b-word to define who we are. Sister's let's uplift each other.
It's your turn to sound off, do you use the b-word? If so why? Or have you eliminated it from you vocab?
'Hey, I don't wanna be in this relationship no more. I'm liking somebody else" - Common on how singer Erykah Badu ended their relationship over the phone
I cant even begin to tell you how excited I am about this win! Maybe if I add multiple exclamation points you will get how I feel!!!!!!!!!
After beating 88 other hopefuls Leila Lopes is your new Miss Universe. And she's African. I am beside myself in pure adulterated joy!
Congrats are in order for this fabulous chick. Cant wait to see more of Leila in her upcoming year.
If you watched the telecast then you saw and heard how much of a fan favorite Leila was. I promise you it would have been a riot in Brazil had she lost the pageant. The pageant was her's to lose, it was truly her night.
I can see Leila going very far in the modeling industry. Congrats once again chica!!!
I can't even begin to describe how MAJOR yesterday was. As you guys know, New York Fashion week is upon us and there are fashion shows galore in the concrete jungle. I had the pleasure of attending fashion shows for designer Farah Angsana and Charlotte Ronson on Saturday. Check out the pics PLUS video from yesterday's goings on!
Bumped into my friend Joy who's a stylist!
Makho getting ready to head into the Farah show
Check out some of my favorite looks from the Farah Angsana show!
The designer being interviewed about her collection!
Beautiful dresses!
After the presentation style show, I hopped over to see a full fledged fashion show by designer Charlotte Ronson. On my way there I bumped into the stunning Tracee Ellis Ross! She was super sweet and she told me that I looked beautiful. I repeat, Joan (her character from Girlfriends) told me I looked beautiful..I was done for the night! ha!
Tracee Ellis Ross
Tracee Ellis Ross
Makho with Tracee Ellis Ross
Don't forget to watch Tracee's new show Reed Between The Lines with former Cosby star Malcolm Jamal Warner on BET!
After my run-in with Tracee, I headed to the Charlotte Ronson show. I spotted Russell Simmons in the front row in addition a plethora of Hollywood starlets.
From left to right: Joy Bryant, Angela Simmons, Kelly Osbourne, Nicky Hilton and Whitney Port
After the Ronson show- which lasted all of 10 minutes max, I headed over to the Essence/BET party for Tracee Ellis Ross. DJ Beverly Bond is probably one of the best DJ's EVER! She had the place rockin! I spotted a few celebs at the ultra exclusive soiree
Tracee Ellis Ross and Malcolm Jamal Warner
Tracee was wearing a dress that belonged to her mother! Doesn't she just look great in it? She told the crowd how wasn't feeling the outfit that she had originally planned out for the night. She rehashed how at the 11th hour her Mom saved the day by bringing her this "never been seen in public" dress. Must be nice to be Diana's Ross daughter! Tracee's father and sister were also in the audience.
Makho with singer Corrine Bailey Rae
Makho with Bevy Smith (I heart this woman big time)
I spotted actors Michael Ealy & Malcolm Jamal Warner in addition to BET President Debra Lee in the crowd at the party. 106 & Park host Rosci Diaz was also in attendance.
Anna Marie Horsford, remember her from the TV show Amen?
Actor Micheal Ealy
DJ Beverly Bond
BONUS:
Check out this video that I shot yesterday inside Lincoln Center. What an awesome day!
