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Name: Tracy Ugoh State : Ebonyi Height : 5'5 Statistics: 32, 27 ,37 Occupation: Student Likes : Honesty Dislikes : Dishonesty Hobbies: Travelling, Dancing, Cooking. Favourite Personality: Agbani Darego
Tel: 0802 904 3340, 0803 412 1605

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'Not the Girl' Was Mere Fiction - Dare Art Alade
He's remained fresh since he settled on us like dew with his first album- From Me 2 U, in April 2006. A proud chip of his late father's musical creativity, he caps his with good roundedness of the entire arts with particular reference to broadcasting, comparing, anchoring and an incredible stage presence. Dare is one of the very few Nigerian singers with terrific vocal dexterity. His expertise comes to bare especially when performing live with a band, which he prefers to do rather than mime to CD which most of his peers do when on stage. Now spelt Darey- as against the original native spelling of his name, 'Dare from Oluwadamilare- his songs Carry Dey Go and Not the Girl have been chart toppers in two different classifications.

The former- Top Song and the latter- Top Video. Today we journey into the mind of this gorgeous looking father of one, as he reveals the intention behind his creations and tells us why we should wait for UnDAREYted, his coming album. Enjoy the excerpts. How old is the song 'Carry Dey Go' now? Carry dey go is about a year and a half old. It was shot in Abuja by Clarence Peters. What was the idea behind the conception and exactly how did it come to you? It was an attempt at creating a distinct sound.

It was also a product of Tu Face and I combined experience. The beat was first created by TY Mix specifically for me and then the chorus came second when Tu Face and I were driving to the studio in Abuja from the airport. How long did it take you to write and tidy up the song? The whole song including the version with Naeto C was finished within one weekend and the main drive was that for 2face and myself to come together it has to be a fusion of backgrounds and that must be heard and felt in the music. All this we did effortlessly and we had fun also. Why did you decide on featuring Tu-Face? Carry dey go was a song that we enjoyed recording. I figured that if two quality musicians like 2face and I came together we could make something magical. And so you were so sure it would blow just like it has...? Honestly, we never thought it would blow like this. God really blessed the project and also I thank my bro Tu-face for lending his talent.

The only clue we probably had was that we really had fun in Abuja while recording the song. We actually recorded two tracks together so look out for the second one titled "Se ti gbo" (Have you heard) coming on the unDAREYted album. Was the message in 'Not the girl' directed at anybody or else how did you arrive at the name, Owoyemi Akinwale? The song isn't directed at anybody. The Owoyemi name is actually Natz's real name (Tu Face's manager) and he was there with us giving ideas so I decided to turn his name into a woman's (laughter), so it is not directed at anybody . It's mainly fictional. What do you think is in the song that draws so many people to it?

Sometimes it's difficult to put ourselves in other people's shoes but Cobhams and myself pulled it off together very nicely I think. He's such a genius. I think people are attracted to the message and delivery of the song. It's a sincere, heartfelt song that speaks directly to people in the situation described in the song and those who have either been there before or are on the verge. Who directed the video? The video was put together by my production company "soul produktionz ltd" and it was directed by Mark and Gwydion.

Why did you shoot outside Nigeria? Was it that the concept of the video could not be achieved if shot in Nigeria? We used Cape Town in South Africa because of its beautiful scenery and also to add variety to my video collection. I have already shot about ten music videos in Nigeria over the short course of my career. I have created jobs and represented our culture and tech-ability. I would love to shoot also in places like Seychelles, Jamaica and other unknown locations around the world. So you are not surprised that the video is highly rated among top-standard videos...? Not the girl has been on the air waves for about two months now and has currently hit Number One spot around Nigeria and on some Charts in Africa. Yet, there are still more videos coming this year. We still have over five unreleased new videos.

Olu Maintain Quits Sleeping in Hotel
It is no longer secret that the Yahoozee king himself Olu Maintain has finally moved into his mansion in Anthony village in Lagos. Olu who has been living in his friend's hotel (Mark's Place Ikeja) for about 18months completed a beautiful building in Anthony village more than a year ago but never lived there. He preferred the comfort and security of a hotel whenever he is in town.

Although, he chose not to disclose how much living in the hotel cost him, gist has it that the least room where he spends his time whenever he is in Nigeria goes for N11,500 while the suite goes for N20,000. We heard the Kentro crew also benefited from Olu's 'big boy' status. As a wise thinking guy, Olu we gathered has taken the decision to move into one of his houses (as he has other choice properties in other part of the town), 'l guess to cut cost'. It is true that, 'when God closes a door, somehow, He opens a window'. That really is the story of Olu Maintain whose musical career took a U-turn when he went solo with the track 'Yahoozee' coming as the lead track in his album Maintain Reloaded which he released in 2007.

Unmarried Kween Delivers Baby Boy in London
Soul singer, Queen Onokala aka Kween whose wedding scheduled for later this month has been rumoured derailed, was last Saturday delivered of a bouncing baby boy in a London hospital. The Jebele crooner gave birth at about 7am and the father of the baby, Dotun Omotoye, her fiancé, was all smiles. Speaking on her bundle of joy, Kween said: "This is the happiest moment of my life. It is the joy of every woman to hear the cry of her baby at birth. I have heard mine and am fulfilled." Kween, however, debunked rumours that her marriage plan has derailed.

"Yes, my marriage was earlier scheduled for February but it is a common knowledge that one can not travel with an infant unless he or she is about two months old. When I return to Nigeria hopefully in April, I will let everyone know my new plans for the grand wedding. Also, I am bouncing back in my career and already my album, Kween Don Come has been completed and will be released when I return home," she said.

Nigerian Men are Emotionally Shy - Ashionye Ugboh
Ashionye Ugboh is a songwriter, singer, actress and also a businesswoman. The Orangootan artiste is presently among the few Nigerian artistes that are brand ambassadors. She first came to the limelight as a member of defunct female group, Emete and when the group broke up, she decided to go solo. The R&B crooner in this interview with SANDRA OKAFOR speaks about her career, perfumery and her first relationship. You were the brand ambassador of Pepsi Light; can you tell us what the brand saw in you, before making you their ambassador? I had a one-year contract with Pepsi Light as the brand ambassador. That one-year has expired and we are hopefully looking at the possibility of renewing the contract. As Pepsi Light Ambassador, my job entailed promoting and speaking about the brand. I think the reason why the company chose me was because of the sophistication of my style and my personality. They saw it in me and I got the deal. How did you venture into the music industry?

My first outing was with the group, Emete. We were three girls; we did Afro Pop with a fusion of Rock and Funk. Our first single was called Save Your Love. We were supposed to release a 12- tracker album but unfortunately, we didn't because the group broke up before we could even release that album, we did released an (EP) Extended play of four tracks. After the break up of the group, I went solo in 2005 and released my first solo album titled A Piece of Me in 2006. Any hope of the reunion of Emete? I can't say. There might be a possibility of the group coming together. Tell us about your Perfume? My perfume was released into the market in August 2007; it took the company and me to manufacture it for nine months.

We actually started the process in November 2006. The perfume is a softsmooth scent. It's got a whole lot of fragrance in there and it is basically for women. We are currently working on another perfume. How will Romance Perfume compete with the known labels? When I released my perfume into the market, my perfume was the first to be released into the market by an entertainment person in Nigeria. That is actually, a first and it is a plus. So far, the perfume has been doing wonders in Nigeria and Liberia because we also have a company that is distributing it in Liberia. To be honest, I am making money from that side. Romance perfume is basically a very affordable product for both elite and non-elite. The second perfume we are working on will be extremely good, because we are hoping to take it abroad.

Do you have plans of getting into the movie industry? Yes I do!! I have two producers who have approached me to feature in their movies, which they intend to start shooting very soon; I am looking forward to it. I featured in a drama serial called Doctors Quarters that was aired on MNET it was watched in 43 countries in Africa. How do you handle male admirers? Anyway they come, give out a smile. What was your experience in your first relationship like? I was a teenager then. I actually thought I was in love, but looking back now, I probably wanted to be a part of what was happening then. Looking at my friends who had boyfriends, I believed I wanted to be a part of that. Right now, I know I am really in love with the person I am dating. Right now, whom are you dating? I don't talk about the men, that my heart belongs to, I don't talk about my relationship, I have been in an amazing relationship hopefully, we are trusting God to lead us to the altar Have you ever experienced heartbreaks? Not yet How do you see Nigerian men?

I see Nigerian men as fashionable, lovable but they are emotionally shy; not all of them though, but about 40percent of them. Maybe it is a man's thing. I see them as men who actually respect their women and family. What is the craziest thing a fan has ever told you? I had a guy that I've never met; he sent me a text message that God has ordained us to be married as husband and wife. I also had a guy who worked up to me and asked me to kiss his white T-shirt because he wanted to put it on the wall of his bedroom." What was your reaction? I just laughed, because I am fast becoming the cynosure of all eyes. Do you think you have an edge over other artistes? Yes, because my style and my personality stand me out. Any hope of doing a duet with a foreign act? Definitely, it is in my plan at the moment, my record label owner and the label owner of the other artistes have almost completed the arrangement. It is a male artiste that I am going to duet with very soon. Just be on the look out, I am not going to mention his name now, until you hear the song.

 
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