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Listening To Me: Nubya Garcia Interviewed Teju Adeleye , June 1st, 2018 11:59
Saxophonist, bandleader and best jazz newcomer (officially!), Nubya Garcia is a powerful and precious force on the thriving London jazz scene. Ahead of her set at Field Day, she talks about bebop discipline, dealing with microaggressions, and how to feel the fear and play it anyway
A lot has changed for saxophonist and bandleader Nubya Garcia this year. For one, she recently bagged Jazz FM’s Best Newcomer Award, and the past six months have seen her add a few stamps to her passport. With her core band – Femi Koleoso on drums, Joe Armon-Jones on keys and Daniel Casimir on bass - she’s played in Brazil, and at SXSW, she’s headlined shows at Ronnie Scott’s and at her own Church of Sound tribute to tenor sax player Joe Henderson. That was at the magnificent St James the Great Church in Clapton, and the event doubled as the launch for her recent EP When We Are.
“Church of Sound was great,” she remembers, smiling. “It was sold out, and it’s such a beautiful space. Joe Henderson is king. A lot of artists’ later material can sound quite abstract, but he was of the bebop and hard-bop eras - there were so many different elements to his playing. I love his music writing - when I first heard him, I loved that he wasn’t trying to sound like Coltrane or Rollins. He sounded like himself.”
The same can be said for Garcia. Her numinous tone is instantly recognisable, as is the signature fusion of soul, African, Caribbean, Latin and electronic styles that she has made her own, most notably with her 5ive release on jazz:refreshed. With support from the Steve Reid Foundation and mentorship from Floating Points (aka Sam Shepherd), the record traverses into more electronic territory; continuing the conversation between the idioms of her training, modal leanings and the sounds of the city that has created this moment in UK jazz.
Her recent release explores “the nature and notion of just being yourself - rediscovering who you are and embracing that.” When We Are comes laced with crystalline gospel flavour, cuts a hip hop edge and develops new grooves as each track progresses. Casimir’s bass shadow shuffles against Armon-Jones’ tripped-out keys, whilst Koleoso gymnastic drum licks rise and fall across both tracks. “The connection we have opens up new doors over time,” Garcia says. “Musically, we’re striving for movement.”
There’s a sparkling coolness to the record – the dynamism comes with the ‘tension and release’ the band craft conversations around. Generally, Garcia draws as much from early 90s soul as she does from Dizzee Rascal and Dexter Gordon. On this record, she takes her cue from the roster of south London players and producers who have contributed to the scene – Ben Hayes, Tom Misch, Joe Armon-Jones, Jake Long and Maxwell Owin – crafting a sound that builds on the energy of some of her favourite nights. These include Touching Bass, Co-op and the freewheeling Steez jam nights in south London: “Everyone talks about it like it was a heyday, but it was where we cut our teeth. It was the fact that people were into it, whether it was moving slow to poetry or hollering and whooping.”
Of course, there are different ways of appreciating music at gigs, but as she reflected during our interview, “Dance is one of the primary ways we respond to music.” Its also one of the ways listeners create and exchange energy with musicians in live contexts. Recently, perhaps with the growth of live nights featuring jazz-orientated acts, there have been reflections from gig goers and artists alike about what it takes for people to feel like they have permission to move without inhibition. “I’m always wondering about where the fear lies,” she says. Sometimes, its about the space: “a lot of venues perhaps weren’t designed for the kind of music we are making – so you get a different energy. Right now I’m inclined to play gigs where people are really with you - in some places you don’t know that until end of the show.”
A graduate of Trinity College London, Garcia’s a lead figure in London’s booming jazz community. Alongside leading her own band, you’ll find her on stage as part of Nerija (who just signed to Domino records), Maisha, Theon Cross’s trio and Joe Armon-Jones’ projects. Born to creative Trinidadian and Guyanese parents, Garcia grew up in Camden where she was immersed in music from a young age – she has musical siblings, and was playing the piano from the age of 5. She attended weekend classes with pianist Nikki Yeoh, and was part of youth groups at the Roundhouse and Saturday groups at the Royal Academy of Music, also completed the 5 week course at Berklee College of Music. Like many of her peers, she attended Tomorrow Warriors, who she says “basically gave birth to the scene”.
She worries that future generations don’t have space to find their voices in music, particularly with cuts to specialist music provision and affordable tuition. “What’s the point in all this if no one Is coming up behind you?” she reflects, thinking about a recent video by bandmate Femi Koleoso encouraging musicians to give time to mentor young people. Garcia recalls how important it was for her to partake in master classes by trumpeters like Terrence Blanchard and Ambrose Akinmusire while she was still studying: “I’m still under 30, so it matters for young people to see us now, to know that they can do this. We always hear people complain that no young people are playing jazz, but its up to us to keep it going – Steez was a place where fresh-faced 18 years could pop up and grow.”
The community of friends and collaborators Garcia plays with has been a decade and a half in the making. One of the things that brought this group together, and kept them coming back at weekends and whenever else they could rehearse, most notably at Tomorrow’s Warrior’s, was a love of bebop: “It taught us focus and discipline. You can’t be good without hours and hours of practice. You have to love it, in the grand scheme of things, it’s pretty fucking abstract and virtuoso. Those people were recording at 300bpm, and they were all slaying. That. Takes. Years. Bird and Coltrane were putting the hours in every day – but they also hung together and played together. That music - you can’t learn it by yourself, you need to team up with someone and share the pain. You can’t blag being good at bebop, so you best go practise!”
Much of the engine driving the community of musicians in London lies in a DIY ethos. Tomorrow’s Warriors grew out of a jam, Jazz:refreshed was born out of the desire to champion artists at all stages of their careers, Steam Down is a space to jam with other musicians. Independent labels and self-released projects are an extension of this – there’s 22a and On the Corner, for instance. Garcia embraces this ethos, and self-released her EP. “It’s been really rewarding, and hard!” she says. “I am financially in control of my own stuff. I can do a re-press if I want to, and it’s helped me understand how things work at all levels, from marketing to distribution. I’ve been able to share that with friends and colleagues. It’s important to know your worth.”
Next to her sizeable record collection rests a row of books. Titles include Akala’s Native, Angela Davis’s Women, Race and Class, Skin Deep magazine, and nayyirah wayeed’s salt. Alongside her musical inspirations, Garcia is increasingly taking her cues from literature: “I’ve been reading stuff by black and brown writers. At the moment I’m reading The Good Immigrant, and it’s summing up my life experience. It feels like we’re all finding new ways to talk about these things more.
“Reading the work of people I feel more akin to, people who are writing about the way I also feel in certain situations, helps me to process micro-aggressions. And I’m curious about my history, so I want to know more of these writers because they are the ones that will express what you are feeling, the ones who can shine a light on what is happening and what has happened.”
In the recent We Out Here film that accompanies the Brownswood compilation released at the beginning of the year, many players talk about their music as a product of their African and Caribbean heritages and a celebration of the global sounds that both live and find new life in the capital. Garcia features on five out of the nine tracks on the record. The day of our interview, the ongoing Windrush and wider immigration scandals were still high on the news agenda: “My granddad came here during that time. It’s hard thinking about who is running country and what they are doing to people that look like me. We don’t talk about it, and the apologies mean nothing, but what will be done to repair things?”
A highlight of her recent travels was getting to see Angela Davis in conversation with Esperanza Spalding at the NY Winter Jazz Festival. “It made me feel validated for all the people on the panel sharing how they have had to change, or have thought they had to change, their personalities. When you walk into rooms, you’re thinking about how to look at people. That itself changes you - you become harder. It’s like, we could’ve had a really nice chat but you had to change up the energy! You all ruined it…” she chuckles wryly.
”I am a black wave / in / a white sea / always seen / and / unseen” reads waheed’s salt poem, ‘the difference’. Garcia’s wary of the pigeonholing that can come with being black and female: “Often people don’t know what to do with that information, or they’ll make assumptions and stereotype you in some way.” She recounts frustrating moments of being mistaken for the manager rather than bandleader, ignored while others speak to her bandmates, overlooked while giving staging direction or being confused for other black female artists. Over the coming year, she hopes to develop projects to bring black female creatives together to co-create and support one another: “Black women are often portrayed as angry, but people miss the middle ground – when push comes to shove, people ask where did this come from? But the whole time, you weren’t listening.”
Ultimately for Garcia, music is a way of speaking. “When I was younger, I had so much to say, and loads of energy, but I wasn’t a talker. Music was an outlet for expression. It makes you feel things that you don’t normally get to feel. For instance, someone playing a ballad is melancholy - there is longing and beauty, and no one is saying anything. In instrumental music, you have to emote a whole spectrum of things in your instrument. It’s a next-level conversation with your band and with the audience - it’s learning how to speak in a different way.”
Nubya Garcia plays Field Day on Friday 1 June. More details of her gig and a load of other ace London jazz sets here.
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NATIONAL COLUMNS POLITICS BUSINESS SPORTING SUN FEATURES THE SUN TV ENTERTAINMENT Enter keyworks – The Sun News LATEST 3rd August 2018 - CAA Asaba 2018: Okagbare, Brume, Onyekwere strike gold for Nigeria3rd August 2018 - Spain 2018: NBBF appoints Hughley as replacement for Vincent3rd August 2018 - NFF leadership battle: Giwa rejects Pinnick’s olive branch3rd August 2018 - AFTERMATH OF BARCA TALKS: Pogba wants Iniesta’s shirt number3rd August 2018 - ROAD BLOCK! 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I grew up in a street called Akeju in Shomolu, Lagos. It was there I started playing tennis with my friends and younger ones. I took it up to the next level by practicing it inside a soak away pit and I became the area champion. Now here I am, all I have achieved through Table Tennis. Who knows what I would have become without this game? I started representing Nigeria at age 10, but I give all glory to God Almighty. You are the most capped female Olympian in Nigeria, what’s the secret behind this? Hard work remains the secret of any success. If I tell you how I started, you will pity me. I am not surprised being the most capped Nigeria Olympian. I remember when I made my Olympics debut at the Atlanta 96 Olympic Games; I knew I would go a long way. I actually started earlier and my dad has been supportive. In a nutshell, my dad remains the secret of all my achievement. READ ALSO: Quitting table tennis, not on my mind until Tokyo 2020 –Oshonaike We understand you are not planning to quit intentional tennis despite your age. Don’t you think it’s high time you gave the upcoming ones a chance? You see, my philosophy about life is, you must beat the best if you want to be the best. Yes I’m 43 years old, but I can proudly say it that no Nigeria tennis player can defeat me hands down. Why must people keep repeating the word retirement when I still see myself as the best in the country? Let me make this clear, once the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation observes anyone far better than me, then I will drop the bat for such champion. You are 43 years of age, and you still look young, active and sexy, how have you been coping with male admirers? I do welcome my male admirers. In life, every one loves a good thing. I feel happy seeing them coming to me, it tells the work of God in my life. Let me tell you, I am a mother of three and I am proud to say I have more toasters than single ladies out there. I realise men love hooking up with a successful and hard working lady. No man wants to be with a lazy bitch that enjoys being idle. Till now, top sports administrators in Nigeria still ask me out despite the fact that am married with kids. But I thank God, I have never fallen victim or cheat on my husband. You and Super Eagles’ captain, John Obi Mikel were named flag carriers and captain of Team Nigeria at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Did you enjoy your days with the former Chelsea star and host of other footballers? Yes, why not? He is cool and mature. I am not a football fan and I have never dated any player. We all went there to make the country proud. The footballers were all nice. They see me as their mother while in camp. Some of them stares at me with a lot of surprise after noticing my age and young body. As a Lagos girl, I got to be sharp and I made them realise am their mama (laugh). Where did you meet your husband? I met my husband in a shopping mall in Germany. The young man never knew who I was. He is a Nigerian, but based in Germany. He helped me out in the mall and before I knew it, he has started chasing me here and there with the aim of winning my heart. He actually did after a long stress. You know, no one wants to look cheap. I developed feelings for him based on how he rallied round to make sure am comfortable inside the mall. It was there we exchanged contacts and before you knew it, love and affection drew us closer and here we are with three kids. Despite your sexy look, hope your husband is not the jealous type? Oh not at all. I can proudly say I married the best man. He is too understanding and caring. As a lady, all we want is a man that shows care. He supports me with everything he has. Aside that, he’s not the jealous type. He overlooks my shortcomings. He’s just too mature for me and I also do all things that will make him happy. Either I like it or not, he remains one of the secrets behind my success. He handles me with free hands and I have also vowed not to disappoint him. READ ALSO: How jealousy kills your relationship Sometime ago, you revealed via Facebook post, about how you lost your fiancé three month to your wedding, can you shed more light on that? Yes! It’s true. I lost my fiancé three months before my wedding. The sad incident almost made me dump Nigeria. Robbers killed him when he visited Nigeria for a holiday. I mourned him for two years before I decided to move on with a new guy. But lets forget about that. That’s an issue I don’t love to remember. Was he your first love? No! Not at all. I once dated a guy back then. He is 10 years older than me. I loved him so much, but he took advantage of that. He maltreated me and even beat me up. Then I was a student at the University of Lagos. I always go to class with a swollen face before God wiped away my tears. I see that as part of the challenges ladies face in their earlier stage of life. I also think all that happen to me because am soft hearted. Back to sports, despite being a six time Olympian, do you still dream of representing Nigeria in the next Olympics in Tokyo 2020? Why not? I am currently eyeing my seventh Olympics outing. Like I said earlier, I am not ready to drop the tennis bat for any one until am defeated. I’m sure by then I would have clocked 45. There is this thing I realise about myself, the more I grow older the more experienced I become. I don’t care about what people say. I know some are saying I am a selfish type, but I challenge them to look for a better Nigerian female tennis player like me, then I will drop my bat. Lastly, what are you giving back to your teeming fans across the globe? I have been giving out a lot of things to support tennis in Nigeria. I’ve been spending my money to represent Nigeria lately and I can’t remember the last time I was paid any allowance or the last time I was rewarded for winning for my country. I’m very hurt about a lot of things that’s happening in sports in Nigeria, but because of the love I have for my country, I’m still trying my best. Aside that. I do organise tennis competition every year. I have a foundation known as the Oshonaike Foundation. Our aim is to produce more tennis talents and I am saying this boldly that this is just the beginning of great things fans should expect from me. READ ALSO: Gold Coast 2018: Table Tennis gives Nigeria first medal FacebookTwitterGoogle+WhatsAppShare by Taboola Sponsored Links You May Like Flight Attendant Reveals 1 Tip For Flying Cheap Travel Cheaters Man Turns Old Airplane Into His Home; Look When He Opens The Door And Reveals The Inside IcePop He Transformed His Belly With One Thing Gundry MD by Taboola Sponsored Links You May Like Flight Attendant Reveals 1 Tip For Flying Cheap Travel Cheaters Man Turns Old Airplane Into His Home; Look When He Opens The Door And Reveals The Inside IcePop Share this Post: « Previous Article The 2018 African Senior Athletics Championship Tagged with: atlanta 96 olympics funke oshonaike jealous John Mikel Obi male admirers Nigeria Table Tennis Federation olympian oshonaike foundation sexual abuse success table tennis tokyo 2020 ABOUT AUTHOR Tokunbo David Tokunbo David Writer and editor. 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Funke Oshonaike: At 43, men still eye me
— 4th August 2018
Bolaji Okunnola
Nigeria most capped female Olympian and Table Tennis player, Funke Oshonaike in this exclusive interview with The Sunsports on Saturday, revealed the secret of her success, her humble beginning, how and where she met the love of her life, words on her tremendous record, reason behind her sexy look despite clocking 43, how she was sexually abused, her bitter experience and lots more.
Can you tell us about your beginning?
I have a humble beginning. I grew up in a street called Akeju in Shomolu, Lagos. It was there I started playing tennis with my friends and younger ones. I took it up to the next level by practicing it inside a soak away pit and I became the area champion. Now here I am, all I have achieved through Table Tennis. Who knows what I would have become without this game? I started representing Nigeria at age 10, but I give all glory to God Almighty.
You are the most capped female Olympian in Nigeria, what’s the secret behind this?
Hard work remains the secret of any success. If I tell you how I started, you will pity me. I am not surprised being the most capped Nigeria Olympian. I remember when I made my Olympics debut at the Atlanta 96 Olympic Games; I knew I would go a long way. I actually started earlier and my dad has been supportive. In a nutshell, my dad remains the secret of all my achievement.
READ ALSO: Quitting table tennis, not on my mind until Tokyo 2020 –Oshonaike
We understand you are not planning to quit intentional tennis despite your age. Don’t you think it’s high time you gave the upcoming ones a chance?
You see, my philosophy about life is, you must beat the best if you want to be the best. Yes I’m 43 years old, but I can proudly say it that no Nigeria tennis player can defeat me hands down. Why must people keep repeating the word retirement when I still see myself as the best in the country? Let me make this clear, once the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation observes anyone far better than me, then I will drop the bat for such champion.
You are 43 years of age, and you still look young, active and sexy, how have you been coping with male admirers?
I do welcome my male admirers. In life, every one loves a good thing. I feel happy seeing them coming to me, it tells the work of God in my life. Let me tell you, I am a mother of three and I am proud to say I have more toasters than single ladies out there. I realise men love hooking up with a successful and hard working lady. No man wants to be with a lazy bitch that enjoys being idle. Till now, top sports administrators in Nigeria still ask me out despite the fact that am married with kids. But I thank God, I have never fallen victim or cheat on my husband.
You and Super Eagles’ captain, John Obi Mikel were named flag carriers and captain of Team Nigeria at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Did you enjoy your days with the former Chelsea star and host of other footballers?
Yes, why not? He is cool and mature. I am not a football fan and I have never dated any player. We all went there to make the country proud. The footballers were all nice. They see me as their mother while in camp. Some of them stares at me with a lot of surprise after noticing my age and young body. As a Lagos girl, I got to be sharp and I made them realise am their mama (laugh).
Where did you meet your husband?
I met my husband in a shopping mall in Germany. The young man never knew who I was. He is a Nigerian, but based in Germany. He helped me out in the mall and before I knew it, he has started chasing me here and there with the aim of winning my heart. He actually did after a long stress. You know, no one wants to look cheap. I developed feelings for him based on how he rallied round to make sure am comfortable inside the mall. It was there we exchanged contacts and before you knew it, love and affection drew us closer and here we are with three kids.
Despite your sexy look, hope your husband is not the jealous type?
Oh not at all. I can proudly say I married the best man. He is too understanding and caring. As a lady, all we want is a man that shows care. He supports me with everything he has. Aside that, he’s not the jealous type. He overlooks my shortcomings. He’s just too mature for me and I also do all things that will make him happy. Either I like it or not, he remains one of the secrets behind my success. He handles me with free hands and I have also vowed not to disappoint him.
READ ALSO: How jealousy kills your relationship
Sometime ago, you revealed via Facebook post, about how you lost your fiancé three month to your wedding, can you shed more light on that?
Yes! It’s true. I lost my fiancé three months before my wedding. The sad incident almost made me dump Nigeria. Robbers killed him when he visited Nigeria for a holiday. I mourned him for two years before I decided to move on with a new guy. But lets forget about that. That’s an issue I don’t love to remember.
Was he your first love?
No! Not at all. I once dated a guy back then. He is 10 years older than me. I loved him so much, but he took advantage of that. He maltreated me and even beat me up. Then I was a student at the University of Lagos. I always go to class with a swollen face before God wiped away my tears. I see that as part of the challenges ladies face in their earlier stage of life. I also think all that happen to me because am soft hearted.
Back to sports, despite being a six time Olympian, do you still dream of representing Nigeria in the next Olympics in Tokyo 2020?
Why not? I am currently eyeing my seventh Olympics outing. Like I said earlier, I am not ready to drop the tennis bat for any one until am defeated. I’m sure by then I would have clocked 45. There is this thing I realise about myself, the more I grow older the more experienced I become. I don’t care about what people say. I know some are saying I am a selfish type, but I challenge them to look for a better Nigerian female tennis player like me, then I will drop my bat.
Lastly, what are you giving back to your teeming fans across the globe?
I have been giving out a lot of things to support tennis in Nigeria. I’ve been spending my money to represent Nigeria lately and I can’t remember the last time I was paid any allowance or the last time I was rewarded for winning for my country. I’m very hurt about a lot of things that’s happening in sports in Nigeria, but because of the love I have for my country, I’m still trying my best. Aside that. I do organise tennis competition every year. I have a foundation known as the Oshonaike Foundation. Our aim is to produce more tennis talents and I am saying this boldly that this is just the beginning of great things fans should expect from me.
READ ALSO: Gold Coast 2018: Table Tennis gives Nigeria first medal
Tagged with: atlanta 96 olympics funke oshonaike jealous John Mikel Obi male admirers Nigeria Table Tennis Federation olympian oshonaike foundation sexual abuse success table tennis tokyo 2020
ABOUT AUTHOR
Writer and editor.
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Funke Oshonaike: At 43, men still eye me
— 4th August 2018
Bolaji Okunnola Nigeria most capped female Olympian and Table Tennis player, Funke Oshonaike in this exclusive interview with The Sunsports on Saturday, revealed the secret of her success, her humble beginning, how and where she met the love of her life, words on her tremendous record, reason behind her sexy look despite clocking 43, how…
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The 2018 African Senior Athletics Championship
The 2018 African Senior Athletics Championship kicked off at the newly refurbished Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, Delta State, on Wednesday. Nigeria hosts the continental athletics event, which is in its fourth edition, with athletes from 52 countries vying for honours. Nigeria won the first edition held in Port Novo, Benin Republic, while South Africa… -
CAA Asaba 2018: Delta State breaks 39-yr-old record
Monica Iheakam in Asaba The ongoing African Senior Athletics Championship in Asaba, Delta State, has recorded a milestone of the highest number of participation since the championship began 39 years ago. The championship, in its 21st edition, has 800 athletes in attendance, the highest in the history of the competition, 46 events and with 52… -
UNBELIEVABLE: Kante rejects PSG’s £350,000 deal
Set to remain at the Bridge Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante has gone cold on a move to PSG. L’Equipe says PSG sports chief Antero Henrique is in contact with Kante’s camp and pushing hard for his approval to open talks with Chelsea about a fee. But Kante has made it clear over the last 24… -
FG to partner varsities on water availability
Okwe Obi, Abuja The Federal Government has indicated its willingness to collaborate with tertiary institutions to improve the quality and quantity of water across the country. Executive Director, Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission (NIWRMC), Mr. Reuben Habu, stated this, on Saturday, in Abuja, when he received a delegation of postgraduate students, Department of Geography,…
ENTERTAINMENT
Rich The Kid’s Social Media Hacked, Hacker Wants $750K For RTK’s Page
— 1st August 2018Rich The Kid’s social media platforms are being held ransom for $750K. Rich The Kid’s had a strange day so far when it comes to his social media platform. Earlier in the day, the rapper shared a post that read, “R.I.P Rich The Kid 1992-2018.” The rapper came out after and claimed that he wrote…SOUTH-WEST REPORT
DStv, GOtv to air live U20 Women’s World Cup
— 2nd August 2018All 32 matches of the 2018 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup to be broadcast live on DStv and GOtv and across SuperSport’s online and digital platforms. The biannual tournament kicks off on 5 August, giving hosts France an opportunity to celebrate a second world football title in the space of two months, following the men’s victory…ABUJA METRO
Eagle Square: Abuja’s melting pot
— 1st August 2018Eagle Square is a big “market of its own.” During various programmes held there, especially political and religious functions, it provides some sort of seasonal employment for different businessmen and women. Ndubuisi Orji Eagle Square, Abuja, is renowned as the biggest gathering spot for politicians in the country. But unknown to many, there are actually…ORIENTAL NEWS
Rice: Ebonyi’s untapped goldmine
— 1st August 2018Nigeria has about 12.2 million rice farmers expected to substantially bridge the gap in its seven million metric tonnes rice demand. Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki A rice mill located somewhere along the popular Ogoja Road in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, is a beehive of activities. On a daily basis, millers, merchants and other people who have…FEATURES
How Boko Haram killed Argungu fishing festival
— 3rd August 2018• Kebbi community shadow of its old self Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin-Kebbi If there is a single dream that is shared in common by the members of Argungu community in Kebbi State, it is the resuscitation of the once famous Argungu fishing festival. It used to be a source of excitement for fishermen, tourists and fun-seekers,…LITERARY REVIEW
Ronke Onadeko presents book for the ambitious
— 27th July 2018Henry Akubuiro If you think book launch is all about the author smiling to the bank, moneymaking isn’t every author’s fetish. Aderonke Onadeko’s idea of book launch is bringing glamour and fun to book reading and, above all, creating an avenue for intellectual give and take. But, then, a book has to be taken home….LIFELINE
How to end Apapa traffic chaos, by Ambode
— 2nd August 2018“This issue has become perennial and in the last six years it has always been there. It comes and goes, but the challenge is to be able to find a permanent solution.” • FG must revamp moribund ports, halt creation of tank farms in Lagos Kenechukwu Madukaife In the past few months, roads in Apapa…EDUCATION REVIEW
How I emerged 2018 UTME highest scorer with 354, says 17-year-old Ape
— 31st July 2018I am Tiv by tribe, a Christian and from the family of Mr and Mrs Daniel Ape. My father works in the state High Court while my mum is a university librarian. Rose Ejembi, Makurdi In an exclusive interview with The Education Report, Ape Terhemba Moses, who emerged the highest scorer in the 2018 Unified…TSWEEKEND
AMVCA: An appraisal of continental reward platform
— 3rd August 2018AMVCA ceremony has grown to become the continent’s most recognised awards ceremony by riding on a wave of popularity, glitz, glamour and controversy… Olu James Since the inaugural Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) ceremony on March 9, 2013 at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, a lot of opinions have found their way…OPINION
Monetisation of the electoral process
— 3rd August 2018Are people deliberately allowed to wallow in poverty so as to achieve a cheap electoral victory? How come there is always enough cash to spend during election period? Itaobong Offiong Etim The increasing monetary inducement that has characterized our electoral process in recent times portends grave danger to the nation’s democratic experience. Of course, this…
COLUMNISTS
How sciatica pains disappeared
— 2nd August 2018Dr Bibbi Oluranti Dear Dr., I want to thank you and tell the whole world how you helped me get rid of my excruciating pains in the waist and lower back that tormented for 15 years. This pain was coming down to the muscles of the laps more often at two points of the buttocks…Weather and back pain
— 2nd August 2018While cold weather doesn’t cause arthritis or most other conditions that get worse when temperatures drop, it can cause problems for people who have them. Charles Ehirim We are really in the months of rainy season now. In the past week, it has rained cat and dog almost in every part of the country. For many…Another look at the Customs
— 2nd August 2018The Customs Service is a unique organisation that can be likened to the golden hen that over the years has continued to lay such improved golden eggs Ben Okezie An adage says, “Judging the cover of a book, has no relevance without opening and reading the content.” lt’s like what the advertiser’s say about an…Nigeria: A fractured nation (2)
— 2nd August 2018When we hear patriotism, we think about laying down our lives for the country. I would describe it as intense loyalty to one’s nation and its interests. Newton Jibunoh Love for one’s country is a primordial affection that does not hinge basically on anything substantial, simply an intangible essence with no physical substance, yet vicariously…Between physics of power and chemistry of politics
— 2nd August 2018In the power game, winning is less and less of the chemistry of the men at work and more and more of the physics of the forces at play. Jimanze Ego-Alowes What is presently happening with the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, specifically, and the National Assembly, generally, is a mystery. But it is a…Futile witch-hunt
— 2nd August 2018At this point, it became obvious to the watching world that the trial of Bafarawa was political. It was a deliberate witch-hunt. Amanze Obi For some 10 years now, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, former governor of Sokoto State, has been in the eye of the storm. He has faced a serial and ceaseless witch-hunt in the…Overcoming a servile mentality
— 3rd August 2018Grovelling, shaking or involuntary exhibition of nervousness before the boss is a clear evidence that you have a servile mentality. Ladi Ayodeji A spirit of fear is the motivating force behind a servile (or slave) mentality. By “spirit” I am not referring to the supernatural, but an attitude. “Servile” speaks of timidity, lack of self-confidence,…Buhari and disadvantage of incumbency
— 3rd August 2018When an elected leadership in a liberal democracy fails to meet its basic responsibility of security and welfare of citizens, such a leadership suffers from the disadvantage of incumbency. Majeed Dahiru Until the defeat of incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election by opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerians often held in awe the…Theatricals, illegalities all over
— 3rd August 2018Saraki timed his defection to tie with that of his (home) state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, and 23 members of the Kwara State House of Assembly. They were the latest in the series of political theatricals, absurdities and, in some cases, possible self-immolation. Duro Onabule Senate President Bukola Saraki’s eventual defection from the ruling All Progressives…APC stung by bees that swarm around PDP
— 3rd August 2018With what is happening in the APC at present, it is obvious that the same bees that swarm around the PDP and stung it in 2015 have bitten APC today. Onuoha Ukeh On June 12, 2015, I published an article with the above headline, wherein I talked about the controversy that engulfed the nation over…
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Online Editor: Aderonke Bello
Telephone: 08189015120
Email: sunonlineteam@gmail.com
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Email: sunonlineteam@gmail.com
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