Google announced its annual 14th Annual Year in Search, a look at 2014 through the collective eyes of the world
on the web, offering a unique perspective on the year’s major events
and hottest trends based on searches conducted in Nigeria. JOAN
OMIONAWELE chronicles the list.
Don Jazzy
Just
recently, Don Jazzy was named the producer of the year at the Headies
awards as his crew gathered to celebrate their boss and leader.
Don Jazzy is the future of most up and coming musicians in Nigeria as most of them dream to be signed unto his record label in order to record a breakthrough in their musical career
Also on the Forbes’ list of richest musicians in Africa, Don Jazzy is set to take his crew, Mavin, to its eldorado this year.
Davido
From
winning the Best African Act(BET) award to the MTV EMA awards to the
Headies awards, award- winning musician, Davido surely had a good year.
During the Headies awards last week, Davido went home with two awards as the Song of the Year and Artiste of the Year categories.
Davido was also a big winner
at the 2014 NEA Awards which held in New York, USA. The ‘Aye’ singer
walked home with the ‘Artiste Of The Year’ award, while also jointly
clinching the ‘Best Collaboration’ gong with singer, Runtown.
Though not yet a graduate, the 21-year-old has promised his fans that he is sure to graduate in 2015.
Tiwa Savage
Love her or hate her, Tiwa Savage has grown to register
her name in the minds of music lovers. This year, the Eminado crooner,
who became an ambassador for Forte Oil, got married last year, but news
of her separation from her manager ande husband, Tee Bilz, filtered
into the social media, but the couple found a way of resolving their
issues amicably.
Also her video, “Wanted” which was released in
May 27, a song from the Once Upon a Time album, prompted a huge public
backlash across various social networking sites, including Face book,
Twitter and YouTube.
Phyno
When Phyno released his no guts no glory album, it was sure that the rapper was set to take the industry by a storm.
Collaborating
with popular musicians like Sean Tizzle, Olamide, Chidinma and others,
there was hardly no major event that Phyno did not perform at in 2014.
In
August 2014, Phyno became an ambassador of Guinness Nigeria’s Made of
Black campaign alongside Olamide and Eva Alordiah. In an interview with
Saturday Tribune, Phyno, who is known for rapping in Igbo language, told the Saturday Tribune that he raps in Igbo because he respects his culture and loves being himself.
Kefee
Social
media were flooded with prayers when it was reported that Branama
queen, Kefee slumped and went into coma aboard a US plane and
reportedly gave up the ghost on Thursday, June 12, 2014. According to
the Netng, the singer had finished recording songs for her upcoming
album in Nigeria and was returning to Chicago where she was based.
Friends and associates, including Darey, Yaw, Yemi Alade, mourned
continuosly on Social media. Kefee was married to radio and show host,
Teddy Don-Momoh.
Kefee was born in Sapele, Delta State, to Mr & Mrs Andrew Obareki who were at a time decons at a church
founded by the parents of her ex husband, Alec Godwin. Kefee graduated
from University of Benin with a degree in Business Administration.
Growing up as teen, she actively engaged herself in church activities, especially singing in the choir.
Sean Tizzle
When
Sean Tizzle won the “next rated” musician award in 2013, many tongues
wagged, but this year, the 25-year-old artiste was able to shut the
wagging tongues when he bagged the Best Pop album of The Year award
during the Headies, with his Album “The Journey.” He also became an MTN
ambassador and performed at major events during the year.
Lil Kesh
Street rap crooner, Olamide, during the year signed new act, Lil Kesh, to his new artistes to his label, YBNL record .
The 18-year-old Lil Kesh, who is also a rapper, released his hit single,
titled ‘Shoki’ which was widely received among Nigerians this year.
Though he was not given the rookie of the year award at the Headies, it
is certain that Lil Kesh should have a solid ground in 2015.
Yemi Alade
Since
she won at an edition of the Peak talent hunt some years back, Yemi
Alade has not rested on her oars. She released Tangerine and a hit song,
Jonny which had nine million views on YouTube.
Then she went
ahead and released an album, entitled ‘King of queens’ which took about
two years to put together. Though she also lost out at the Headies, Yemi
has been out and about various countries, performing her songs and
having the best time of her life.
Mercy Johnson Okojie
In
the realm of Nollywood celebs, Mercy Johnson-Okojie retained her
position as most-searched Nollywood personality, as she also was
google’s most searched celebrity last year.
During
the year, the ban which was placed on the actress for charging over
N1million per role was lifted because Nollywood producers kept piling
up scripts for the actress.
But as a wife, the actress got
pregnant and went to the US for delivery of her child. She got delivered
of a baby boy which she named Henry on October 15, 2014.
Amaka Igwe
Amaka
Igwe was a foremost filmmaker, writer, director and producer, and CEO
of Amaka Igwe Studios. A visionary and pioneer of modern Nigerian TV
drama and movie production, she stamped her authority on numerous roles she played in the Nigerian television sector, as well as the home video industry, known as Nollywood.
News of her death filttered into the air in May 2014, as she was said to have died of complications from asthmatic condition.
She
will be remembered for some of her popular productions which include
Rattle Snake, Violated, Checkmate and Fuji’s House of Commotion. She
organised the annual Best of the Best in African Film and Television
Programmes Expo, BoBTV, the regular forum for idea exchange, policy
evaluation and business connections. A graduate of both the University
of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and the University of Ibadan,
she was the CEO of TOP RADIO 90.9FM, one of the leading radio stations
in Lagos, Nigeria. She founded Q Entertainment Network, the first
Nigerian drama series channel in 2014.
Ini Edo
Nollywood
actress, Ini Edo’s five-year marriage came to an end in August 2014
amid so many speculations and rumours. Some sources close to the
actress said that her parents were ready to return her bride price to
her husband family. This led her to react to the news of the break-up on
Twitter where she denied the story that her marriage ended because of
infidelity on her part. She said: “I asked for a divorce from my
ex-husband because of irreconcilable differences. I never cheated on my
husband. There is a conscious and malicious attempt at tarnishing my
image. This whole saga is familiar, let’s not forget the past. Thanks
and God bless.”
Omoni Oboli
In the course of the year,
Nollywood actress, Omoni Oboli’s movie was recognised by the Federal
Government and her first movie was premiered at Aso Rock with President
Goodluck Jonathan in attendance.
Her dressing to the premiere
sparked an uproar on Twitter as fans lashed her for dressing in an open
necked blue long dress, but the actress was unpeturbed. Rather, she
counted her blessings.
In an interview with Saturday Tribune, she
said, “it was more than glorious. I honestly didn’t believe it was
going to happen. The producer, The Film Marketers’ Association of
Nigeria, wrote the presidency about my new movie. We didn’t expect to
get any response from them, not even a quick response, but to our
surprise, the presidency accepted to watch my movie. Even after the
premiere, I told my sister that if I woke now to realise this was a
dream, I was going to be very unhappy.
So, I would often pinch
myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Yet I couldn’t believe it was
real. She told me that both of us couldn’t be having the same dream. It
was real. I think it is a very big achievement for Nollywood. When
things like this happen, it boosts courage; it makes people believe that
they could still do more. People would aspire to become better. For us,
that is a good thing. We all know where Nollywood is coming from.’’
Charles Novia
He
is a filmmaker, but in the last eight months, Charles Novia was more
known for lending his voice on ongoing issues and also looking
critically and making rather controversial points about those issues
than movie appearances.
He thrived on commenting on entertainers
who erred or had bad videos and dressed provocatively, through his blog
this year. He was, however, placed on a hot seat after affirming that a
particular Nollywood actress was better than Genevieve Nnaji.
Most
recently, he lashed out at Etisalat ambassador, Seyi Shay, for dressing
in a provocative outfit to the Channel O Africa awards. He was,
however, asked to apologise for saying that Shay’s career would soon
dwindle, which the filmmaker did
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