Entertainment

Canadian-born Nigerian Singer Relocates To Native Delta Village, Says Nigeria Better Than Canada

Published

4 years ago

August 30, 2021

A Canada-born Nigerian, Ndubuisi Okwumabua has relocated to his native place, Isele-Ukwu village, Delta State, Nigeria for his music career to gain more recognition.

Okwumabua, popularly known as Ndu, is a young, up-and-coming rapper, songwriter, and producer, who left his place in Winnipeg’s Forte Rouge in Canada, to settle in Nigeria.

Speaking about his decision, Okwumabua, according to Nigeria Abroad, said, “In Canada you cannot fully own anything, everything you own can be taken away from you.”

“I feel at home. I’m realising my dream. That’s important to me,” he added.

He admitted that living in Nigeria is not the same as living in Canada as many Nigerians are scrambling to migrate to Canada, perceived as a land of opportunities, but the music artiste related differently.

He submitted that Nigeria does not have the same accessible amenities as Canada, but spiritually, Nigeria is stronger.

“A simple life can be a good life,” he stated. “I am among my uncles, aunties, cousins and family friends. I’m okay. Luckily my parents used to bring my siblings and me to visit Nigeria since we were children, so I’m chill here.”

“I’ve written a lot during the pandemic and produced hundreds of songs for other artistes and myself and background music for movies. People are getting to know me around here. That feels hopeful.

“I have a big interest in doing independent mix with afrobeat. I want to do it all, dance music, reflection music, and car-listening music,” he said.

Asked why he felt Nigeria is a better place to accomplish his music dreams, Okwumabua responded that “artistes need genuine support in the beginning but there is not a lot of support for artistes like us who are attempting to break the manufactured mainstream mould.

“People who are seen as socially acceptable and successful get more grants than those of us who are behind the curve. I do not think that is fair or right.”

The rapper who once got a grant said the requirements were a hard nut to crack in Canada.

He added, “When I saw what they needed from me, the red tape and all, I returned it to the funder to avoid any further creative block. I am using my own money to create my music right now. It is a little more cost effective in Nigeria to make music, but that is not including the ongoing electricity problem.

“It is sometimes challenging living in Winnipeg, branded as one of the most racist cities in Canada by Maclean’s magazine, where you can be accused or judged because of the colour of your skin or ethnicity and not by the content of your character.

“Nigeria has its own prejudices and post-colonial tribal conflict, but I am accepted as a human being first here and if you work hard and stay focused, you can own a few things.

“You may think you own a house after paying for it for 25 years and if you do not pay your taxes, it can be taken away from you. It’s not like that in Nigeria. What you own belongs to you.

“Life is good in Nigeria, not perfect but good. I am creating my music the way I want to. I would rather be free and be happy with myself to live longer.”

Entertainment

Oscar-winning Actress Diane Keaton Dead At 79 – Report

Published

2 days ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

Actress Diane Keaton, known for her Oscar-winning performance in 1977’s “Annie Hall” and her role in “The Godfather” films, has died at age 79, People magazine reported Saturday.

Details were not immediately available, and Keaton’s loved ones have asked for privacy, a family spokesperson told People, which confirmed that the actress died in California.

Keaton, a style icon, was a frequent collaborator of director Woody Allen, portraying the titular character in “Annie Hall,” the charming girlfriend of Allen’s comic Alvy Singer.

The film also garnered Oscars for best picture, best director and best original screenplay, cementing Keaton’s place as one of the industry’s top actresses and an offbeat style icon as well.

The actress made her mark co-starring in eight Allen movies, from “Play in Again Sam” (1972) to “Manhattan” (1979) and “Manhattan Murder Mystery” (1993).

As the Hollywood sexual harassment scandals detonated in late 2017, cascading from producer Harvey Weinstein to heavyweight actors like Kevin Spacey, old accusations of child sex abuse against Allen by his adoptive daughter Dylan, resurfaced.

“Woody Allen is my friend and I continue to believe him,” Keaton tweeted in January 2018.

A BAFTA and Golden Globe winner, Keaton scored Oscar nominations three other times for best actress, for “Reds,” “Marvin’s Room” and “Something’s Gotta Give.”

In “The Godfather” films, she played Kay Adams, the girlfriend and eventual wife of Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone.

Late in her career, Keaton starred in two movies about ageing women: “Book Club” (2018), with its message that love has no age, and “Poms” (2019).

“Poms” is the story of Martha, a terminally ill woman who moves to a retirement community to die, but winds up forming a cheerleading squad made up of female senior citizens.

As for ageing, Keaton said in a 2019 interview with AFP that life actually got easier.

“I think so, because what have you got to lose? It’s like it’s the truth. That’s what it is. You face it, we talk about it,” she said.

Born Diane Hall in Los Angeles on January 5, 1946, Keaton was romantically involved with Allen, Pacino and Warren Beatty, but never married.

“Most people in the movies get married at some point, and then they divorce. But I’ve never even got married. I am (a) failure,” she joked in the 2019 interview.

Did she regret it? “I don’t think about it a lot, but I’m aware of the fact that I’m unusual in that regard, and maybe I did miss out on something — but then, nobody can have everything, right?”

She is survived by her two children, Dexter and Duke.
AFP

Entertainment

Why I Can’t Quit Music – Erigga

Published

3 days ago

October 10, 2025

Editor

Nigerian rapper Erhiga Agarivbie, popularly known as Erigga, has revealed that he can’t quit music, stressing that he is doing it for passion and not for financial gains.

In an interview with Hip TV, Erigga noted that every year, some of his colleagues leave the music industry due to various circumstances.

However, he said he can’t quit because music is his life.

The rapper emphasised that his passion for music supersedes the financial and social benefits.

“Every year, people leave music for real-life issues. But I can’t stop. Music is life. It’s what keeps me going. Take the business and everything out of it, it’s more of a passion. I can’t disappoint my fans,” Erigga said.

Entertainment

Tiwa Savage Reacts To Allegation Of Sabotaging Female Colleagues

Published

3 days ago

October 10, 2025

Editor

Afrobeats singer, Tiwa Savage has denied allegations of sabotaging other female artists in the music industry.

She challenged those accusing her of sabotaging her colleagues to mention their sources and come forward with evidence.

Recall that a few years ago Kenyan singer, Victoria Kimani, accused Tiwa Savage of indirectly blocking her from performing at several shows.

Reacting in a recent episode of the Offair Show, Tiwa Savage explained that she was being wrongly accused of sabotaging the chances of other female artistes to get bookings, claiming that show promoters could be lying to other artists using her name.

“If you’ve heard from anybody that I tried to block your bag, mention names. Maybe the promoters are lying and using me, maybe they don’t want to book three, four girls. So, they claim I am the one blocking others,” Savage said.