2GETHERapril2012.indd 2-3 17/04/2012 09:00ohtv.co.uk/2gether/download/2gether-apr2012.pdf ·...

ISSUE01

C U LT U R E • S P I R I T • B E L I E V E • L I S T I N G S • V O I C E

B R I N G I N G U S TO G E T H E R

MAY 2012

ISBN - 65 756903 TQQERST 124 9945THE WILD

ENOCHADEBOYE

OMOTOLA

BLACK POUND

THE HOT NEW SOUTH AFRICAN

SOAP

THE MAN, THE VISION, THE

DESTINY!

BLACK CONTIBUTORS TO THE BRITISH ECONOMY

NOLLYWOOD SHINNIG STAR

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3456

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Bolt!THE X-FACTOR OF SPORTS

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the x factor of sports

hugely successful South African soap

This publication has been produced by the OPEN HEAVENS MEDIA LTD, All rights reserved. Production in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without written permission. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors in adverts or articles, although 2GETHER has endeavoured to ensure that all information is correct at the time of printing.Opinions expressed in 2GETHER are necessarily that of the publishers.

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A Equam iam egiliam habendefes ineris, clutem ego et vide condac mante fecervidiore contem occiemus. Cupermi hilicae catime tus hucierv ignost L. Mae ercerum quo vit, norum et publius hortea milis dicerorum quonirid resse etem nonvert imius; nondem licae, mora actarbis, cissignatia nos con

EXECUTIVEEDITOR | Patrick Campbell | EDITOR | Marko Joensuu | CONTRIBUTINGWRITERS | Don Omope, Janelle Oswald, Joseph Onwuchekwa, Ken Wilson-Max, Bukky Alabi, Earnest Ekokobe, Obi Emelonye | ARTDIRECTION&DESIGN | Axel Taylor | PICTURERESEARCH| Diane Ifode | PUBLISHINGMANAGEMENT | Joensuu Media Ltd

2GETHER is an OHTV publication. OHTV airs on SKY channel 199 in the UK, on free-to-air satellite across Africa and via OHTVBOX in the USA, Canada and Australia.OHTV WRN Broadcast Media Village, Wyvil Court, 10 Wyvil Road, London, SW8 2TG Tel: 020 7720 8210 | www.ohtv.co.uk | twitter.com/ohtv | facebook.com/ohtv.sky199 | Twitter @2getherMagazine

Pg6Omotola Jalade, Nollywood shining stars.

Pg14the Man, the Vision, the Destiny

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EDITORIAL| OHTV is changing. After four years of dedicated service, our strapline 'It’s All Good' is being retired with full honours, 21-gun salute, gold medal and a healthy pension! When we first started, it perfectly reflected our outlook and attitude to life. Young. Positive. Feel-good. Four years later, we are still all that but also more - OHTV, OH Africa, OH Films, OH Card, OHBoX, OH Creative and now 2gether. After the multi-award winning end to 2011 we wanted to have a brand signature that reflects our position and vision as a global media network focused on connecting people around the world to the black experience in all its complex and diverse glory via our content, our products and services. So we are saying bye bye to 'It’s All Good' and replacing three little words with… three little words: 'Bringing Us Together'. For us OHTV is all about making connections. Bringing people together. Nations together. Bringing the diaspora together. Channels together. Bringing countries together. Brands together. Believers together. Bringing ideas and content together. Bringing families together. Connection and a sense of togetherness are at the heart of everything we do. Which brings us neatly to this magazine, 2gether. It is an eclectic mix of entertainment, culture, politics, faith and ideas, aimed at a smart, modern, international and culturally diverse audience. In this issue we celebrate Enoch Adeboye's 70th birthday, cover Usain Bolt and Omotola's career, talk about the new soap, The Wild, and sift through the black power list. Don’t miss out on a chance to win business class flights to Africa by downloading the OHBoX app. Let’s get 2gether! Email us at [email protected].

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Omotola made her film debut as an actress seventeen years ago. Today, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, nicknamed 'Omosexy' by fans, remains one of the brightest stars of Nigeria’s growing Nollywood movie industry.

Omotola’s first movie role was in Venom of Justice in 1995 but she really hit the limelight later on the same year with her role in Mortal Inheritance, a true life story about love and sickle cell anaemia. Mortal Inheritance is still rated highly by many as one of the best Nollywood movies ever made.

These films have been followed by over two hundred and fifty more which have brought her over twenty Nigerian and international movie awards.

It was by no means self-evident that Omotola would become a movie icon. She was born to Mr. & Mrs. Shola Jalade and she has two brothers, Tayo and Bolaji. She attended Chrisland Nursery School in Opebi, and Oxford Children School in Santos Layout. She then proceeded to Kaduna for her secondary education at Command Secondary School.

The sheer number of films she has made demonstrates her high work ethics and steely drive which must have undoubtedly contributed to her successful movie career.

Omotola on marriage

Omotola was married at the Ikeja registry on the 23rd March 1996, to Captain Matthew Ekeinde. They now have four children. Matthew is a pilot and prefers to stay out of publicity. Five years later, they had a beautiful white wedding onboard of a DASH 7 Aircraft flying from Lagos to Benin.

A few years ago Omotola was asked what keeps their marriage together.

“It’s God. For me when I met him it wasn’t love at first sight. But he said it was love for him. But even

then before we got married he told me he prayed about it. According to him he had to submit the names of the girls he was dating then to pastors so they could pray about it to know who is the right girl for him.”

Omotola on music

Omotola is also a singer and a recording artist. She released her debut album in 2005. All the reviews weren’t positive which she puts down to the music industry not taking artists who come from the film industry seriously. “People thought that I would just run away,” she says.

But she stuck with it and released another album. Her effort to break into America is managed by Bishop Entertainment Consult, an Atlanta-based entertainment company. She writes most of her songs. Their lyrics are mostly inspirational and she sees her music as an extension for her humanitarian efforts.

Her music career must be going somewhere as in February 2011 she became the first Nigerian actress to walk the red carpet at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Even in the morning of the awards, she prayed, fearing for last-minute cancellation. “God, don’t let anything go wrong!” she prayed.

O m o t o l aA Nollywood IconBukky Alabi looks at the life and career of Omotola Jalade, one of the Nollywood’s shining stars.

Omotola on God

Regardless of her celebrity lifestyle Omotola remains a committed Christian. In a recent interview she was asked about her faith and evangelism. She responded,

“I evangelise everyday but maybe not in Molues [yellow Lagos buses] anymore. It’s just a way of life for me. It’s about what I believe. I talk to people about God. I talk to them about Christ and about values and what I believe in. So that’s the way I do my own evangelism to the people I come in contact with every day. I tell them things that could help their lives.”

Her faith guides her humanitarian work. She was recently appointed as spokesperson for the human rights group Amnesty International, mainly because of her work in Sierra Leone. She ran a campaign with Amnesty in Sierra Leone on maternal mortality rate in 2010. That year, Sierra Leone had the highest rate of maternal mortality in the world. The campaign took a human rights perspective, focusing on every woman’s right to carry and give birth to a child. The campaign was effective, as today every pregnant woman in Sierra Leone is supported by the government until the birth of her child.

O n e o f t h e e x c i t i n g n e w s h o w s f o r O H T V ' s s u m m e r l i n e u p i s t h e f l y - o n t h e w a l l r e a l i t y s e r i e s , O m o t o l a : T h e R e a l M e . S h o t i n t h e U K , G h a n a a n d N i g e r i a , w e g e t u p c l o s e a n d p e r s o n a l a n d g e t t o s e e w h a t r e a l l y g o e s o n i n t h e l i f e o f o n e o f A f r i c a ' s l e a d i n g l a d i e s , O m o t o l a J a l a d e .

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6 | MAY 2012 2GETHER | 7


“ I t ’ s G o d , F o r m e , w h e n I m e t h i m i t w a s n ’ t l o v e a t f i r s t s i g h t . B u t h e s a i d i t w a s l o v e f o r h i m , b u t e v e n t h e n b e f o r e w e g o t m a r r i e d , h e t o l d m e h e p r a y e d a b o u t i t . "

She also runs the OYEP Foundation, the Omotola Youth Empowerment Program and is a UN ambassador for the World Food Programme.

Omotola has recently expanded into producing by launching a new production company, Redhot Concept, which will be producing documentaries and movies. The documentaries will focus on personal lives, events, and informal activities such as weddings, birthdays and naming ceremonies.

Amongst the many awards given to Omotola is the Award of Excellence by the Organization of African Female Entrepreneurs (O.A.F.E) given to her in 2009 in Washington D.C. for exceptional achievements in entertainment. Only time will tell how successful her endeavour to build an entertainment empire will be!

S e l e c t e d f i l m o g r a p h y

Thorns of Rose . What I Want . I Will Die For You. The Silent Book. Market Sellers. Final Step. Angel of Doom. Maniac 1 & 2 .The Outside.Mid Night Scream. Two Faces of Evil Blood Sister 1 & 2 . Oyato 1 &2 . My Best Friend. TheProstitute. Not My Man. Dark Moment. Beyond BeliefIntotality. True Love. Flaming Passion. Abused. Queen of Aso Rock 1&2. Sound of Silence. No One But You. The Woman in Me 1&2. Royal Family1 & 2. Moment of Joy 1 & 2. Worst Marriage 1 & 2. The World Is Mine. Scores To Settle. Rescue. Reckless Heart. Venom of Justice. The Oppressor. Pretty Woman. Out of Love. Day Break 1 & 2 No Rival (1&2). Working for Love. Society Lady. Okosisi. Mortal Inheritance. Iva. Slave. One & Only 1 & 2. Master Stroke 1&2. What to Do. A Kiss from Rose.

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WE MAKE BRANDS COOLWhat makes a brand successful with specific ethnic groups? This question has been on the minds of marketers for years. Find out how we influence the major brands and we don’t even know it!

Read the Weekly World for the best in alternative views to mainstream news.Subscribe today for £9.99 and win a smart phone, a tablet computer or any one of the many prizes we have on offer in our monthly subscriber draw.

Alternativ e views t o mains tream news

8 | MAY 2012


According to the New York Times, estimates vary between three and five million. Four out of five black people in France are of African descent, with the remainder of Caribbean ancestry.

In the UK, most black people can be found in the large cities and metropolitan areas. Around 70% of all ethnic minorities in England are concentrated in just five areas: London, West Midlands Metropolitan County, West Yorkshire Metropolitan County, Greater Manchester Metropolitan County and Leicester Unitary Authority.

London alone accounts for almost half of the England’s ethnic minority population, with over two million people from ethnic minority groups – equivalent to 29% of its population (Source: ONS Census 2001, Table KS06).

The gross annual turnover of all BME (black & minority ethnic) enterprises in London was estimated at around £90 billion, compared to the turnover for all London businesses of £800 billion. The sales turnover is as follows: Asian £60 billion, black £10 billion, others £15 billion.

The ethnic minority population in the UK is expected to make up almost 50% of Britain’s population by 2051 and the number of BME businesses in the UK is growing at a faster rate than ever before.

BME communities have a strong culture of entrepreneurship, which is well supported from within the community. Surprisingly, the features and structures of the African-Caribbean business community are relatively under-researched, despite it being the second largest ethnic minority group in the UK, after the South Asian population.

It is twenty years since Britain passed legislation to combat racial discrimination. Despite this, evidence suggests that Britain’s non‐white ethnic minorities still do not appear to face a level playing field in the UK labour market and their relative position does not appear to have improved since the 1970s.

Minority ethnic groups are underrepresented in both the public and private sector relative to their share of the total population of working age.

Overcoming unemployment

The proportion of people in employment that are from ethnic minority groups is 7% whereas their share of the total population of working age is 9% (LFS Autumn 2004). The difference in employment rates between whites and ethnic minorities is approximately seventeen percentage points with some groups showing far greater differences.

Diane Abbott, writing in The Guardian in March 2012 highlighted figures from the Labour Force Survey saying that 44% of young black people (aged 16-24) are currently unemployed – over twice the rate of their white counterparts, of whom 20% are jobless.

Clearly, there is work to be done! Yet the black community as a whole has enormous potential for growth. In 2006, The Smith Institute published a report on the diverse workforce in the UK, particularly in York and Humberside. Figures show that while the overall employment rate was 74.5%, for ethnic minorities it was only 59%. They predicted that over the next ten years, ethnic minorities would account for more than half the growth in the working-age population.

The report highlighted the fact that not to make use of the skills and talents of those from an ethnic minority background would be extremely foolish. The current recession only reinforces that suggestion.

In future articles, we will be looking at the type of jobs and businesses the black economy holds, as well as exploring the barriers to success and growth. We will be asking what drives the black economy.

You can email Earnest at [email protected]

With the British economy growing at an anaemic rate, investigating the performance of its many components might not seem like a useful idea. However, the evidence of the disproportionate impact it has on the different ethnic groups warrants a new conversation.

We need to view the country’s economy through the diversity lens. In this downturn starting a conversation like this might raise awareness in the black community from their kitchen tables to the public squares.

Black economics

The black ethnic minority includes the Africans, Caribbeans, mixed black people and those referred to as 'black others'. In order to get this conversation started on the right note it is important to identify where we stand in the UK population as black people.

Black growth

The black population increased 40% from 1.1 million to over 1.5 million between 2001 and 2009.

The UK has the second-largest black population in Europe, after France where there are between 1.5 million and 1.865 million black people – equivalent to just under 4% of the population.

P o w e r o f t h e B l a c k P o u n dEarnest Ekokobe reviews the black contribution to the British economy.

T r i v i aWhy Africa matters to the UK

The UK’s annual exports to Africa are around £15 billion. That’s worth more than exports to China and India combined. Here are a few of the other reasons, provided by Foreign & Commonwealth Office, why Britain has an eye on economic opportunities in Africa:

IMF forecasts suggest that seven African countries will be in the top ten fastest-growing economies during the period 2011-2015. These are: Ethiopia 8.1%; Mozambique 7.7%; Tanzania 7.2%; Congo 7%; Ghana 7%; Zambia 6.9%; Nigeria 6.8%.

During the next five years the average African economy is likely to outpace its Asian counterpart. Africa’s economy will grow at an average annual rate of 7% over the next 20 years, slightly faster than China’s.

In the past decade, sub-Saharan Africa was the third fastest growing region in the world, after China and India.

Thirteen African countries already have a higher GDP per capita than China, and twenty-two countries have a GDP per capita higher than India.

By 2040, Africa will have a bigger working age population than any other continent.

Africa has some of the world’s fastest growing economies, and receives exports from the UK worth more than those sent to China and India combined. African countries and the African Union are increasingly dynamic diplomatic forces on the international stage, and many are our partners in the Commonwealth.

The diagram on the next page shows the strenght of black economics globaly*

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Next Generation88

� +7+3+A � +6+A� +� 0+

THE BLACK ECONOMYIn 2010, Ethnic minority businesses made up 6% of the total SME population and accounted for 7% of employment by small and medium sized businesses in the UK, amounting to over one million jobs nationally.

Source- http://www.emda.org.uk/

Around 9% of the UK population comes from ethnic minorities. 2.9% (1,521,400) of the UK population is black

UK Population54 million

Greater London 1,100,000 Birmingham Area 176,700

Hackney, East London 67,104 Lambeth, South London 65,800

Southwark, South London 64,400 Lewisham, South-east London 63,700

Croydon, South London 55,900 Newham, East London 55,400

Brent, North West London 54,300 Haringey, North London 47,200

Waltham Forest, East London 39,300 En� eld, North London 38 220

Greater Manchester 38,300 Redbridge, North East London 24 650

Leeds 21,000 She� eld 18,300

Bristol 16,100 Wolverhampton 16,000

Hillingdon, West London 15,000 Sandwell 14,769 Liverpool 12,200 Coventry 11,800 Bradford 11,000

THE MAIN PLACES WHERE BLACK PEOPLE LIVE

Ethnic minority businesses are more likely to be micros (1-9 employees) than non-EM businesses (90.2% compared with 82.2%).

Almost all of Chinese (95.4%) and Pakistani (94.5%) businesses with employees are micros (often employing family members).

SMALL BUSINESS MAKE UPIndian (11.2%)

Other Asian (10.6%)

Black (8.3%)

Pakistani (4.6%)

Chinese (4.1%)

9

SALES TURNOVER BY MINORITYAsian £60 billion Black Caribbean & Black African £10 billionOthers £15 billion

£800bnThe turnover for all London businesses

£90 bnThe turnover over for all BME enterprises

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12 | MAY 2012 2GETHER | 13


Voted in 2008 by Newsweek as one of the world’s fifty most influential people, Pastor Enoch Adeboye is the leader of a 5 million member congregation and the overseer of 20,000 church branches spread across 140 countries. Yet, many fondly call him ‘Daddy GO.’ He is an adviser to presidents and his life and message have inspired and impacted millions around the world.

The man

Enoch’s journey began in extreme poverty and obscurity seventy years ago in the South Western region of Nigeria. He humorously says his family was so poor that even the poor called them poor! He never owned a pair of shoes until he was eighteen. What he did possess though was focus, a brilliant mind, and a determination to succeed.

Refusing to let poverty frustrate his ambitions, he pursued academic achievements, showing an early aptitude for mathematics which he studied up to doctorate level. Though born into a Christian home, Enoch had only vague knowledge of God. That was until 1973 when he was invited to a church.

“I drifted away from church until I had a little problem that defied all solutions, and then someone invited me to the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). I came expecting the pastor would just pray and my problems would go away, but instead he said I would have to give my life to Jesus Christ first. So of course I resisted for a while but eventually I surrendered and gave my life to Jesus Christ and my problems disappeared.”

E n o c h A d e b o y eThe Man, the Vision, the Destiny

At the time RCCG was led by its founder Josiah Akindayomi, an illiterate but visionary leader who named Enoch as his successor and upon his death in 1981 Enoch took over the leadership of RCCG.

“Of course I didn’t want to have anything to do with working fulltime for Christ. I preferred the way I was doing it – teaching at the university, preaching the gospel – because that allowed me more or less to be my own master. But then when the time came, I discovered that I might lack some things but I have a joy that money can’t buy.”

That was over thirty years ago, and since then he has presided over the phenomenal growth of the RCCG which has grown from about forty local church branches to over twenty thousand globally. He says,

“You feel fulfilled. You are being used by God to meet the needs of so many people at a time which is probably one of the greatest joys of being a pastor. In the university, yes, you are influencing lives, teaching them – moulding them – but they are very few in number. I think the largest number of students I had in one class must be less than hundred. Now to see you could influence over a million people at a time can be very exciting.”

Whilst his journey is characterised by growth and a process of change his message remains the same, encouraging millions worldwide to put their faith in God who will come to their assistance today. He says,

“We pray for the sick, but we also pray for their prosperity, for their overcoming of evil forces and so on. While we have to worry about heaven, there are some things God could do for us in the here and now.”

The vision

Enoch’s passion is to live a life of holiness and teach others to do likewise. His vision is audacious.

“In the developing world we want churches to be within five minutes’ walk of every person. In the developed world, we say within five minutes’ driving.”

Enoch is not daunted by the enormity of the challenge. He says,

“I believe the gospel is for all people. But I believe it is even more for the masses and majority of the masses. If you are going to reach for them you have to be at their level. If they see in you someone they can relate to it’ll be easier for them to listen, to hear from you. But not just that – the so-called high and mighty – if you get close to them, you will know that underneath the beautiful dresses they’re human: presidents, heads of states, CEOs. They all still get tired, all feel pain. So if you go to the basics you will reach everyone, because in every man there is that basic need.”

The RCCG General Overseer turned 70 on 2nd March 2012. Joe Onwuchekwa looks at the life of one of the most influential Christian leaders in the world.

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The destiny

Enoch’s destiny is best summarised in his own words.

“I would love to have a breakthrough to such a height that I can lend to nations and preach on every television and radio station at least one hour per day.”

As a man whom people at every level of society turn to for guidance because they believe he hears from God, Enoch is not unmindful of the risk associated with this level of influence.

“If I had my way, I would not want influence over anyone but my little family. Particularly as the Bible says on the Day of Judgment, the judgment is going to be based on this influence – how have you used this influence – for good or evil.”

His influence has also entailed some sacrifice, most notably the invasion of his privacy.

“It’s difficult for me to now even walk in the streets. Everybody wants to come and ask me to pray for them. Occasionally I want to go to market – to buy things for myself – but last time I went to the supermarket I had to run back into the car because the people who were around the shop left the shop and wanted to turn the place into a crusade ground. So I can only walk in the night when they’re supposed to be sleeping and they can’t disturb me – and once in a while I go to fish in a place that is excluded – just for the fun of it.”

He however has no plans of quitting or retiring anytime soon as he believes that he is still a long way from his goal.

“We want to reach the whole world. We want to have churches in every nation and have members in every family in the whole world and that’s where we believe God will take us before I leave this world.”

Without a doubt, the best is yet to come.

The RCCG was founded by Nigerian pastor Josiah Akindayomi (1909-1980). After being involved in several churches, he founded the Redeemed Christian Church of God in 1952.

In the early 1970s Akindayomi started to look for an educated successor who was not at that time a member of the church. He chose Enoch Adejare Adeboye, a university lecturer who joined the church in 1973. Adeboye, a lecturer of Mathematics at the University of Lagos, initially became one of the interpreters translating Akindayomi's sermons from Yoruba to English. He was ordained a pastor of the church in 1975.

The New York Times calls the church "one of its most vigorously expansionary religious movements, a homegrown Pentecostal denomination that is crusading to become a global faith".

Today, there are over 20,000 RCCG churches worldwide.

The vision of the RCCG is to make it to heaven, to make as many people as possible along, and to have a member of RCCG in every family in every nation. The RCCG emphasises holiness as a lifestyle, and has a bold goal of planting a church within five minutes walking distance in every city and town of the developing countries and within five minutes in the developed countries.

R C C GThe Redeemed Christian Church of God

“ I w o u l d l o v e t o h a v e a b r e a k t h r o u g h t o s u c h a h e i g h t t h a t I c a n l e n d t o n a t i o n s a n d p r e a c h o n e v e r y t e l e v i s i o n a n d r a d i o s t a t i o n a t l e a s t o n e h o u r p e r d a y . ”

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16 | MAY 2012


Over the last five years I have written extensively about the politics of media representation and stereotypes within the global media coverage of Africa. I have always argued that never has there been a more urgent time for a rethink of the global media representation of Africa and its diaspora than today.

The news from Africa account for mere 2% of global news reports, and 90% of this 2% focus mainly on poverty, disease, conflict and natural disasters. The remaining 10% highlight perceived anomalies in the everyday life of Africans - healthy children going to school, people excelling at business, social cohesion, peace and so on.

While we can’t deny Africa having a history of poverty, disease and conflicts, the continual reporting from Africa as if the continent was defined by such negativities is of grave concern. The problem therein is not that diseases, poverty and conflicts are reported when they occur but that they are continually reported as if that's all there was and as if these negative issues defined Africa.

While some of these opinions on the global media stage are based on deeply held racist views, most are based on ignorance of our culture, rich history before slavery, aspirations after the era of colonialism, our sense of pride and self, and what it is means be an African – from the African perspective!

What this alerts us to is the fact that we will see no respite from the negative stereotypical reports that have come to be the norm in the reporting unless we ourselves actively engage in the politics of global media representation and champion a more realistic image that challenges the prevailing stereotypes.

The rise of African TV

Many African TV stations with an international remit have been created over the years with promises of great programming but most have either failed to live up to expectations or have failed entirely.

T h e R e - i m a g i n i n g o f t h e A f r i c a n I d e n t i t yDon Omope charts the rise of OHTV to a leading black entertainment channel in the UK, its expansion to Africa and the USA, and its impact on the African self-perception.

However, in 2008, OHTV was quietly launched in the UK, and over four years this TV network has grown from strength to strength, championing quality black family-focused programming.

Today, OHTV is one of the leading black entertainment channels in the UK, voted three times the best black channel, and it has expanded to Africa and the US with OH Africa and OH US.

Yet the real significance of OHTV’s success is not that it reaches five million people online or even its global reach of twenty-five million but that it is shifting the broadcast landscape of TV in Britain.

Bringing people together

Popular OHTV programmes such as Afrika Rising and Uprise are evidence that TV programmes about black experiences can be enjoyed by every race if the required high production and editorial values are treated sacrosanct.

OHTV epitomises the possibility of what can be achieved when a TV channel is run properly and used as a vehicle to promote an alternative view of Africa – one devoid of western stereotypes.

However, we need more TV channels and media to come onboard with the same ethos and focus in order to create a plethora of voices. TV played a significant role in the miseducation of the world about Africa and it is only through this medium that the world's reeducation can be achieved.

TV stations such as OHTV have taken a huge step in the right direction towards taking control of our image and representation. Yet the re-imagining of the modern African identity will be no small task and one global TV network alone will not solve the underlining problem of Africans being portrayed the way they are in the western media outlets. What is needed isn't just selling our culture but a relentless project of reeducation on a global scale.

Today we are celebrating the contribution of OHTV to the UK television landscape and beyond. Tomorrow, we hope to celebrate others!

Don Omope is a producer on the television programme Afrika Rising and editor of the African film website www.africanscreens.com.

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18 | MAY 2012 2GETHER | 19


T h e W i l d

The Wild, a hugely successful South African soap will begin showing on OHTV from May 2012. It revolves around three families – the Lebones, the van Reenens and the Tladis – who because of past conflicts struggle to negotiate a cohesive future, despite being bound together by their relationship to a special piece of land.

The Wild is set on Dinaledi Lodge, a five-star game lodge and shot entirely on location. So far, over two hundred 30-minute long episodes have been aired in South Africa on M-Net.

The cast features some of South Africa most popular actors such as glamour couple Connie and Shona Ferguson and veteran actor Ian Roberts.

“The Wild is unlike anything that has been produced for South African television before,” Theo Erasmus, Director, M-Net General Entertainment says. In terms of logistics, we have learnt many valuable lessons on how to turn such an outdoor venture, which is dependent on the elements of nature, into a well-oiled machine.”

The Wild is the first South African soap to be shot entirely on location. It will begin to air on OHTV in May 2012.

Shona Ferguson, who plays the role of the love-to-hate character, Itumeleng Tladi, says, “I’m honoured to be part of such an unusual production like The Wild. It amazes me how we manage to shoot a daily soap on location.”

Putla Sehlapelo, better known to The Wild’s audience as Tiro Lebone says, “Being on The Wild has been like test driving a car. We all know what it feels like to finally drive your dream car and that is how I feel about working on The Wild. It feels like I have just bought myself that car.”

Connie Ferguson, who plays matriarch Marang Lebone says, “After being in the industry for as long as I have been, being on The Wild is like a breath of fresh air. It pushes me to the limits and allows me to enjoy life and acting all over again. I feel like a kid in a candy store, excited and looking forward to tasting all the sweets available to me.”

In Episode 1, aired in May on OHTV, Dinaledi Lodge prepares for a banquet to celebrate the concession agreement but everyone's world is thrown into crisis when Tiro threatens to sell the land.

Popular with guest stars

The Wild has proved popular with guest stars including Sindi Nene And Tarina Patel.

Sindi Nene, a runner-up for 2010 in South African Idols, will make an appearance on The Wild. She plays herself and gets invited by Marang to perform at a function at Dinaledi Lodge for the rich and famous. Marang enlists Lelo to help with the function and together they manage to get the talented Sindi Nene to perform for the guests.

South African born movie actress, Tarina Patel, who has taken Bollywood by storm, will blur fact and fiction in a gripping storyline

" F o r u s , b r i n g i n g T h e W i l d t o O H T V a n d t h e U K i s s t a t e m e n t o f i n t e n t t o o u r a u d i e n c e , t o l e t t h e m k n o w t h a t i n a s u m m e r o f b i g e v e n t s w e p l a n t o h a v e a f e w b i g T V e v e n t s o f o u r o w n . T h i s i s g o i n g t o b e a h u g e s e r i e s t h a t f o l l o w s i n t h e f o o t s t e p s o f J a c o b ' s C r o s s a n d b e c o m e s a h u g e c u l t h i t . W i t h o v e r 2 0 0 h u n d r e d e p i s o d e s w e p l a n t o m a k e T h e W i l d a m a i n s t a y o f o u r s c h e d u l e a c r o s s t h e s u m m e r .W a t c h t h i s s p a c e . "

P a t r i c k C a m p b e l l - D i r e c t o r o f P r o g r a m m i n g s p e a k i n g a b o u t O H T V ' s a m b i t i o u s e x c l u s i v e a c q u i s i t i o n o f T h e W i l d

T o s e e s n e a k p r e v i e w o f t h e T h e W i l d a n d m e e t t h e m a i n c h a r a c t e r s g o t o w w w . o h t v . c o . u k / T h e w i l d

T h e m a i n b a c k d r o p t o t h e s t o r y i s a s t r e t c h o f l a n d t h a t i s h o m e t o a f i v e - s t a r g a m e l o d g e , p r e s e n t i n g t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o m a k e t h e b e s t o f t h e b e a u t y o f t h e A f r i c a n w i l d .

I n E p i s o d e 1 D i n a l e d i L o d g e p r e p a r e s f o r a b a n q u e t t o c e l e b r a t e t h e c o n c e s s i o n a g r e e m e n t b u t e v e r y o n e ' s w o r l d i s t h r o w n i n t o c r i s i s w h e n T i r o t h r e a t e n s t o s e l l t h e l a n d .

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R e a l T a l kThursdays @ 8pm

Trish Adudu hosts the new live and interactive debate show, Real Talk that is setting the agenda and fast becoming the pre-eminent arena for discussion of issues and concerns facing the black diaspora and wider communities. Real Talk ignites debate and discussion not only on-air but online and across the blogosphere. It utilises live calls, Twitter and emails. Have your say on UK's No 1 black debate show!

P a m p e r Y o u r M u mThursdays @ 8pm

Pamper Your Mum is a new TV series hosted by award-winning presenter Anita Erskine that rewards deserving West African Mums who have faced hardship in their lives.

The mothers don’t know they will be rewarded but our presenter goes on location and surprises them with their pamper surprise.

The pampering sessions are provided by Allure Spa In The City.

B l a c k W o m e n : I n t h e M e d i aThursdays @ 8pm

Black Women: In the Media is a three part documentary TV series that gives an exclusive insight into the lives of some of the UK’s most successful and talented women, making their way in the media.

J a c o b ' s C r o s sMondays, Thursdays & Sundays @ 9pm

Jacob's Cross is a South African television drama series about powerful oil magnates battling for Africa's rich off-shore oil resources.

Set in both South Africa and Namibia, the story centers around businessman Jacob Makhubu and his quest to build the next great South African empire.

T h e D z i g b o r d i S h o wThursdays @ 8pm

Allure Africa CEO & 'Pamper Your Mum' wellness expert Dzigbordi Dosoo has partnered with top international TV executives to produce The Dzigbordi Show which captures this essence and trait of the host.

In this case personal success refers to the numerous people who seek Dzigbordi’s insatiable words of wisdom and tried and trusted solutions to problems that hinder success at work, home, in relationships, finances, and so on.

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T h e W i l d i s a S o u t h A f r i c a n s o a p o p e r a c r e a t e d b y R o h a n D i c k s o n , R i c h a r d N o s w o r t h y a n d B r o n w y n B e r r y a n d p r o d u c e d b y M - N e t ' s i n -h o u s e p r o d u c t i o n a r m M a g i c F a c t o r y a n d s h o t e n t i r e l y o n l o c a t i o n . T h e m a i n b a c k d r o p t o t h e s t o r y i s a s t r e t c h o f l a n d t h a t i s h o m e t o a f i v e - s t a r g a m e l o d g e , p r e s e n t i n g t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o m a k e t h e b e s t o f t h e b e a u t y o f t h e A f r i c a n w i l d .

about a movie diva with attitude. In The Wild, viewers will see Tarina as ‘Jiah Shah’, a drop-dead gorgeous movie goddess who is visiting South Africa to shoot a Bollywood movie. Jiah is a queen in all sense of the word. She travels with an entourage – make-up artist, wardrobe ladies, fitness trainer, personal assistant, bodyguard, in other words everyone who’s willing to be at her 24/7 beck and call. She only does things her way, even while she’s relaxing at Dinaledi in between feature films.

When Tarina was offered the guest appearance gig in The Wild, she signed up almost immediately – such was her enthusiasm for the show. “I choose my roles very carefully, and thought this role would be fun and offer me a unique learning experience being part of such a groundbreaking series.”

And how did the gorgeous well-groomed star experience filming on the outdoor set of The Wild in the African bush? “

Working on The Wild was a lovely experience,” she says. “I am always happy to be back home, in South Africa and to work on local productions. However, working on a show of this magnitude and quality is naturally the best possible option. The team was incredible during filming, available to me for everything and caring about me being happy and at ease.”

She adds: “It's my first ‘soap’ experience and I’m amazed at how quickly and smoothly everyone works, like a well-oiled machine.”

The Wild was nominated for best TV soap, best actor and actress, best ensemble, best director, technical team and art direction at South African Film & Television Awards in 2012. Based on its popularity with the awards, guest stars and audiences, it is likely that The Wild will be on our screens for years to come.

T O P T E N T H E T O P R A T E D S H O W O N Y O U R F A V O R I T E N E T W O R K

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The Mirror Boy is the first Nollywood film ever to get theatrical distribution in the UK. It premiered last year at Empire Leicester Square Cinema, a landmark venue known for Hollywood film premieres. It was the first Nigerian film ever to receive UK wide Odeon cinema release. It was the biggest African UK release ever, it made it to the top 20 in the UK box office, and it had the longest run of any African film ever in any UK cinemas. It also made box office records all across Africa, and CNN profiled it as the ‘future of Nollywood’.

The film is an enthralling journey through the picturesque terrains of Gambia, as seen through the eyes of a London-born 12-year-old boy, Tijani who gets involved in a street fight. Convinced that he needs discipline, Teema, his mum decides to take him to Gambia to live with her sister.

On their arrival in Banjul, Tijani encounters what he considers to be a simple apparition – a boy smiling at him in a mirror and vanishing afterwards. However, seeing the same boy in a crowded street market the next day sets in motion a chain of events that culminates in him getting lost.

While the panic-stricken Teema struggles with the police to find her son in an intriguing game of survival brinkmanship, Tijani is left alone in the company of the enigmatic Mirror Boy who is only visible to him.

As a bruising spiritual rite of passage, the Mirror Boy takes Tijani on a magical journey through the dark belly of the forest.

The Mirror Boy has turned out to be an awards magnet for OH Films, the film production arm of OHTV. Awards include Breakthrough Actor (Genevieve Nnaji) at the Monaco Film Festival 2011, Best Young Actor (Edward Kagutuzi) at AMAA 2011, and nominations for Best Film & Best Supporting Actor (Osita Iheme)

T h e M i r r o r B o y The Mirror Boy is one of the most exciting films to come out of Nollywood in recent years, and it has put OH Films, the production company behind it, on the global movie map..

at AMAA 2011, and Best Picture (Obi Emelonye) & Best Pan African Actor (Edward Kagutuzi) at Nigerian Entertainment Awards.

The Mirror Boy was screened at record number of film festivals including Monaco Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Africa in Motion Film Festival, and Dubai Film Festival.

Main cast and filmmakers

A formidable team of acting talent and filmmakers got together to make film. The title role is played by Osita Iheme. He has made over 80 films, including Aki na Ukwa, Mr Ibu, Back from America and he is instantly recognisable all across Africa.

Edward Kagutuzi plays the central character, the 11-year old Gambian boy Tijan. He is an amazing actor as he really is 19 rather than 11. He has been acting since the age of 12 with appearances on series such as The Bill and award winning global phenomenon Law and Order.

The role of Tijan’s mother is played by Genevieve Nnaji who debuted in the popular TV soap Opera Ripples at the age of eight and has since appeared in Nollywood films such as Most Wanted, Valentino, Sharon Stone and Runs.

Fatima Jabbe plays the role of the devious and deadly Queen. Before graduating from drama school in London, Fatima worked as a highly successful international model gracing the covers and cat walks of some the most famous magazines and designers around the world.

The Mirror Boy was directed by Obi Emelonye. He is a Nigerian-born, UK-based director whose films have graced European cinemas since 2004. Obi obtained a BA in drama and later a post graduate in creative writing. Obi’s directorial credits include: Echoes of War (2004), The London Successor (2006) Lucky Joe (2006), The Asylum (2008) and Quiet Storm (2009).

The Mirror Boy was produced by Patrick Campbell, an award-winning producer and director who has worked with the cream of talent both in the UK and US. He is also Creative Director and Exec producer of OH Films, and Creative Director and Director of programming of the UK TV network OHTV. Before OHTV Patrick spent seven years as a director at the BBC.

Clive Norman took the role of Director of Photography. Clive has won more than thirty international awards including D&AD, BTAA, Royal Television Awards and Promax. Clive’s work has also been singled out by being voted Number One Director of Photography on David’s Review website in 2009 and 2010. His most recognised work is the high profile BBC ONE idents including the iconic 'moon landing' and 'bicycles'.

New African Cinema

Artistically ambitious films such as The Mirror Boy are rapidly changing the face of Nollywood and taking African films to cinemas all across the world. Nollywood isn’t always a synonym for cinematic quality but these new films dubbed as ‘New African

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Cinema’ are pushing the barriers of African cinematic expression and making African films more accessible to global audiences.

Nollywood, the cinema of Nigeria, grew quickly in the 1990s and 2000s to become the second largest film industry in the world in terms of number of annual film productions, placing it ahead of the United States and behind the Indian film industry. Around 200 films are released every month, mostly straight to DVD or VCD. Estimates about the annual turnover of the Nigerian film industry vary between $250 and $500 million.

OH Films

Behind the success of The Mirror Boy is the vision of OH Films to transform the African film industry with cinematically ambitious but commercial and universally appealing storylines.

OH Films was founded with a mission to make smart inspirational commercial films and documentaries for a global audience. OH Films have attracted world-class talent including Oscar winning composer AR Rahman from Slumdog Millionaire and Grammy winning singer Kirk Franklin.

OH Films has a production slate of 2-3 films each year, with a bias towards inspirational, drama, comedies, teen stories and faith based titles.

OH Films has gathered a team of industry professionals but is keen to discover new talent. They are on the lookout for great scripts and story ideas. If you think OH Films might be interested in your talent please email [email protected].

M i r r o r B o y - G h a n a P r e m i e r e

O H F i l m s h a s a p r o d u c t i o n s l a t e o f 2 - 3 f i l m s e a c h y e a r , w i t h a b i a s t o w a r d s i n s p i r a t i o n a l , d r a m a , c o m e d i e s , t e e n s t o r i e s a n d f a i t h b a s e d t i t l e s .

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Apart from Robert Nestor Marley, Usain Bolt is undoubtedly the most famous Jamaican icon in the world.

Dubbed a human cheetah, the fastest man on two legs and the greatest sprinter of all time, the sassy 22-year-old has become the X Factor personality in sport, transcending track and field to another level.

Bolt is famed for his lean yet muscular body, big, broad and massive, irresistible smile and signature ‘bolt’ pose, which he always strikes after winning his races.

Born on 21st August 1986 in Sherwood Content, a small town in Trelawny, Bolt grew up in a close-knit family home.

A boisterous child, Bolt whose middle name is St.Leo, spent his childhood playing cricket and football in the streets with his brother, and attended Waldensia Primary and All-age School, where he first began to show his sprinting potential. By the age of twelve, Bolt had become the school's fastest runner over the 100 metres.

Fast track 10 years, his achievements in sprinting have earned him the media nickname 'Lightning Bolt' and awards including the IAAF World Athlete of the Year, Track & Field Athlete of the Year, and Laureus Sportsman of the Year.

Also known as 'Bolt From The Blue', the 6ft 5in athlete star won a 200m gold medal at the 2002 World Junior Championships, making him the competition's youngest-ever gold medalist. In 2004, at the CARIFTA Games, he became the first junior sprinter to run the 200m in less than 20 seconds with a time of 19.93s, breaking the previous record held by Roy Martin by two-tenths of a second.

In 2007, he broke Don Quarrie's 200m Jamaican record with a run of 19.75s and was awarded the Order of Distinction by Jamaica for his Olympic accomplishments in 2008, which kick-started that year with his first world record performance – a 100m world record of 9.72s – and culminated in world and Olympic records in both the 100m and 200m events at the Beijing Summer Olympics.

Sighting fellow Jamaican track star Herb McKenley as one of his all-time heroes, Bolt became the first man to win three sprinting events at a single Olympics since Carl Lewis in 1984, after achieving 9.69s for the 100m and 19.30s in the 200m, and also set a 4×100m relay record of 37.10s with his Jamaican team. This made him the first man to set world records in all three at a single Olympics.

The following year he further lowered his own 100m and 200m world records to 9.58s and 19.19s respectively at the 2009 World Championships, which made him the first man to hold both the 100m and 200m world and Olympic titles at the same time. His 2009 record breaking margin over 100m is the highest since the start of digital time measurements.

Bolt revealed last year that his disqualification in the final of the World Championships 100m made him hungrier than ever.

"I will be a more determined runner for 2012 because I missed out in the 100m in 2011, so I have to really make an impact in London to be a legend in the sport. For me the Olympics is going to be a big milestone. There is not going to be any joking around in the season. I'm going to be serious. I'm going to be ready."

His determination to keep on winning has caused other top athletes in the world to run faster, which scientists call the 'Usain Bolt Effect' because he has significantly improved the average performance of the world's top sprinters, who are now suddenly running about 1% faster than they did prior to Bolt's explosive appearance in 2008.

The reason? The sprinters are basically just trying harder to keep up with the competition.

What makes Bolt special?

Although his father attributes Bolt success to yam and he credits his speed to his love of chicken nuggets, the reggae lover uses a combination of plyometric training and weight training to build his strength.

In addition to building core functional strength, his workout plan includes a lot of flexibility training and sprint drills, which he does about three hours a day followed by rest, massage and relaxation to ensure full recovery before his next session.

Sports editor and author Rodney Hinds says about Bolt’s success,

“It’s a combination of natural ability, desire and mental hunger – put all those things together and you will get a gold medalist. Bolt’s determination to be the best at his game is priceless. He plays hard. He has a strong mentality. When you reflect on where he was when he started running he was blighted by injuries as his body is

U s a i n B o l t - T h e X F a c t o r o f S p o r tJanelle Oswald has a look at the career of one of the greatest athletes of our time and how he is preparing for London 2012.

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not built in the traditional way like most sprinters, but what he has done is fought back and proved that he has mental as well as physical strength.

“The fact that Bolt is getting mentioned in the same breath as Muhammad Ali says it all. He has transcended his sport. He has the X Factor!”

The hottest global sports icon in the advertising and sponsorship industry and well on the way of becoming the richest man in the Caribbean, Bolt is currently appearing in TV campaigns in the UK for brands including Virgin Media, Visa and the Jamaican Tourist Board.

Proud to fly his Jamaican flag at the 2012 Olympic, Bolt will be wearing a special uniform designed by Bob Marley's daughter, Cedella who was selected by Puma to design his competition clothing along with the rest of the Jamaican track and field team.

Thinking about retiring from sprinting after this year’s London Games, Bolt said, “I’ve always said that I want to retire after the 2016 Olympics but you never know. I definitely want to retire on top, like Michael Johnson."

• Nine of the 10 fastest times in the history of the 100 metres had been recorded by either Usain Bolt or Asafa Powell.

• Bolt’s winning margin of 0.66 seconds was the largest since the 200 metres became part of the Olympics 108 years ago.

• Bolt received several American university scholarship offers, but declined all of them and remained in Jamaica to train.

• By the age of 16, Usain Bolt had surpassed the times Michael Johnson had recorded at age 19.

• In 2004 Usain ran the 200 metres in 19.93 seconds. No junior sprinter had ever broken the 20-second barrier.

• Usain Bolt became the first runner since fellow Jamaican Donald Quarrie to hold the world records in the 100 metres and 200 metres simultaneously in 2008.

• When Usain Bolt crossed the finish line for his Olympic victory in the 100 metres, his shoelace was untied.

• Usain’s Dad attributes his son’s speed to 'Yam Power.'

• Usain Bolt reached 6ft 5in by the age of 15.

• Usain Bolt has a seven-foot stride that carries him across 100m in only 41 steps – five fewer than Asafa Powell, the previous world record-holder.

9 . 5 8 s e c o n d s w o r t h o f f a c t s a n d f i g u r e s a b o u t J a m a i c a ’ s b i g g e s t s t a r :

D u b b e d a h u m a n c h e e t a h , t h e f a s t e s t m a n o n t w o l e g s a n d t h e g r e a t e s t s p r i n t e r o f a l l t i m e , t h e s a s s y 2 2 - y e a r - o l d h a s b e c o m e t h e X F a c t o r p e r s o n a l i t y i n s p o r t , t r a n s c e n d i n g t r a c k a n d f i e l d t o a n o t h e r l e v e l .


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Of the 1,226 people who made it to the Forbes World's Billionaires 2012 list, only six black people made the cut.

Sheikh Mohammed Al-Amoudi

Ethiopian-born Saudi billionaire Sheikh Mohammed Al-Amoudi is the new richest black man in the world worth a whooping $12.5 billion. Al-Amoudi was born to a Saudi father and Ethiopian mother and immigrated to Saudi Arabia as a child. He made a fortune handling lucrative construction contracts for the Saudi Royal family. His most prominent assets include oil companies Svenska Petroleum Exploration, which produces crude oil in Africa, and refinery operator Preem. In February, he announced a $3.4 billion investment in Ethiopia via his newly formed Derba conglomerate. The funds will be invested in agriculture, cement production, steel and transport. He also owns gold mines in the country and the very prestigious 5-star Sheraton Hotel, Addis.

Aliko Dangote

Passionate philanthropist who has given away millions to education, health and social causes, Aliko Dangote has lost his title as the world’s richest black man, but he remains Africa’s wealthiest individual worth $11.2 billion. He shed more than $2.6 billion from his net worth since last year because of Nigeria’s floundering stock market. His $15 billion (market cap) Dangote Group is Nigeria’s largest industrial conglomerate, with interests in everything from sugar refineries, flour milling, salt processing and cement plants in Nigeria, Zambia, Senegal, Tanzania and South Africa.

Mike Adenuga

Fellow Nigerian Mike Adenuga runs in third place as the richest black man in the world, worth $4.3 billion. Originally making his fortune in trading lace and Coca-Cola, Adenuga was the first

B L a c k P o w e r L i s tJanelle Oswald sifts through the Forbes list of the world's wealthiest and most powerful people to look for black billionaires and influencers.

Nigerian to strike oil in commercial quantities in the early 1990s. Today, his Conoil Producing Company is Nigeria’s largest indigenous oil exploration company. He also owns mobile phone operator, Globacom, which has 15 million subscribers in Nigeria and over 500,000 in Benin Republic.

In fourth place is mining billionaire Patrice Motsepe. He is worth $2.7 billion. He is South Africa’s first black billionaire.

In fifth place is American TV mogul Oprah Winfrey who remains the only black female billionaire in the world. She is worth $2.7 billion.

In sixth place is the Sudanese-born telecoms magnate Mo Ibrahim. He is worth $1.1 billion. Mo made his fortune by creating Celtel, a mobile phone company that serves 23 countries in Africa and the Middle East.

What black ‘sista’ is running the world?

Top of the list, and more popular than her husband, Michelle Obama keeps a high profile with her mission to end childhood obesity and her stylish fashion picks. She is ranked the 8th most powerful woman in the world according to Forbes.

Second is Oprah Winfrey (14th on Forbes rich list).

Third and a reflector of her own music is Beyonce Knowles (18th) who dedicates many of her ballads to strong, independent women. The power singer takes control of her own business dealings. She is one of the best-selling musicians of all time, earning 16 Grammy awards. She also runs her fashion line House of Dereon with her mother, Tina.

Fourth and ranked 27th on Forbes list of 100 most powerful women is Ursura Burns. She oversees a staff of 134,000 employees at Xerox and is the first black woman to run a major public US corporation.

Fifth is Dr. Helene Gayle (36th) is President and CEO of CARE, an American humanitarian organisation with more than 10,000 on staff.

Sixth is President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (62nd). She is Africa's first female head of state governing Liberia. Educated at Harvard University as an academic economist, she returned to Liberia in 1972 to assume a position in a ministry.

Lucky seven is Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (87th) who made headlines when she left the World Bank, where she was a managing director and the second-in-command, to become the Finance Minister of Nigeria.

As president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the largest health-focused philanthropic organization in the US, Risa Lavizzo-Mourey (95th ) is the ninth most powerful black woman in the world who oversees endowments of $10 billion annually and manages over $400 million in distributions to charities and programs.

Tenth is is Nonkululeko Nyembezi-Heita (97th) She is the CEO of ArcelorMittal in South Africa.

Baroness Amos is the eighth and current UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. Before her appointment to the UN, she was the British High Commissioner to Australia, was made a Labour life peer in 1997,

A l i k o D a n g o t e N i g e r i a ' s r i c h i e s t i n d i v i d u a l w o r t h $ 1 1 . 2 b i l l i o n


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served as Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council.

Baroness Scotland is a barrister, and has served in many ministerial positions within the UK Government, most notably as the Attorney General for England and Wales and Advocate General for Northern Ireland.

A newcomer on the black power list is Lorraine Pascale who is now dubbed as the best paid TV personality in the UK, by OK! Magazine. The model turned TV chef made a cool £2 million last year.

Celeb power

On top of the celebrity black power list taken from Forbes’ 100 most powerful celebrity list is Ms O. She is second on the entire listing. She was knocked off from the top of the list by Lady Gaga.

Sizzling in second place is Tiger Woods (6th on the Forbes' list) Despite problems on and off the golf course, he took in $75 million in annual earnings. He still commands $3 million a pop for overseas appearances and continues to collect money from his remaining sponsors.

Showing off their slam dunk as the most influential black celebrities in the world are LeBron James in third place (10th) and Kobe Bryant in fourth (14th).

Next is producer/writer/actor Tyler Perry (19th). His movies have earned $260 million touching the hearts of millions of African American families.

Beyonce (29th), Usher (32nd), Jay-Z (38th) and Sean Diddy Combs (52nd ) all fly the flag for musical celebrities.

The tenth place is taken by the basketball star Dwayne Wade (57th).

N g o z i O k o n j o - I w e a l a

L e o n a L e w i s

Black Billionaires

Sheikh Mohammed Al-Amoudi ,Construction, Real Estate, OilAliko Dangote, Sugar, Flour, Cement, Entrepreneur Mike Adenuga, Telecom, Banking, OilPatrice Motsepe, Mining Oprah Winfrey, TV Mo Ibrahim, Telecom When it comes to power, there is a thin line between money and influence.Only one black person makes the Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful people, but President Obama actually tops it.

Most Powerful Black Women in the WorldMichelle Obama, First LadyOprah Winfrey, TVBeyonce Knowles, Entertainer Ursura Burns, CEO of XeroxDr. Helene Gayle, CEO of CAREPresident Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of Liberia Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Finance Minister of NigeriaRisa Lavizzo-Mourey President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nonkululeko Nyembezi-Heita, CEO, ArcelorMittal, South Africa

Top Black Celebrity Power ListOprah Winfrey, TVTiger Woods, GolfLeBron James, Basketball Kobe Bryant , BasketballTyler Perry, Film Beyonce, Entertainer Usher, EntertainerJay-Z, EntertainerSean Diddy Combs, Entertainer Dwayne Wade, Basketball

UK Leona Lewis was ranked 22nd on the Times Rich List 2011/2012 with £12 million. Taio Cruz was ranked 44th with £5 million.


U p r i s e V i d e o N a t i o nThursdays @ 8pm

Uprise Video Nation showcases the very best of urban gospel Hip-Hop, R’n’B, Soul, Garage and Reggae through credible and authentic programming that gives voice to Christian creatives and musicians, reflecting their world, expanding the horizons and providing viewers with a positive alternative to current negative urban music and culture.

Uprise Video Nation will deliver international and localised groundbreaking entertainment found nowhere else.

A f r i k a R i s i n gWednesdays @ 9pm

Afrika Rising is a half-hour factual entertainment magazine show aimed at anyone but particularly at 18-35 year olds with a keen interest in contemporary African popular culture. Entertaining and informative, Afrika Rising brings together a plurality of views, and a context to everything.

T h e W i l dWednesdays @ 9pm

The Wild tells the story of three families – the Lebones, the van Reenens and the Tladis bound together because of their relationship to a special piece of land.

It is shot on a five-star South African game lodge, renowned for its fine dining, expensive champagne, pampering sessions, wildlife, game drives at sunset and private chalets that attracts staff and guests who are up to all kinds of shenanigans.

T h e S h o wMondays,Wednesdays and Fridays @ 7pm & 10.30pm

OHTV's new flagship show, aptly titled The Show is like NO other. It is an interactive, fun-packed, primetime extravaganza of conversation, comedy, clips and critique where anything goes.

The Show centres around one-to-one interview with a celebrity guest but there is a twist! There are not two, but three people in this interview - the presenter, the guest and a telephone which is a direct hotline to the elusive and extremely hard to please producer.

Each week a pool of presenters from all walks of the broadcasting world will vie for the presenter's hot seat. Not only do they have to impress their guest and the audience but they have to impress the producer.

The only way the presenters can keep themselves in that hot seat is via the audience. If you want them to stay you need to vote!

Tweet, Facebook or email the producer and let us know what you think!

C u l t u r e V u l t u r e sTuesdays @ 7pm

Culture Vultures is a panel discussion and review show presented by award-winning radio personality Rosemary Laryea. Each week, special panel guests pick apart and review new films, music, books, art, plays and cultural trends.

34 | MAY 2012


C h u r c h L e a d e r s i n P o l i t i c sMarcia Dixon writes about the influence of black preachers in the british society

Whilst very few British black church leaders would class themselves as politicians, they would most probably agree that they do seek ways to exert their influence in the political world.

They do so in a number of ways, whether it’s through engaging with politicians and political structures, supporting campaigns to bring about positive social change – or through the sermons they preach, the social issues they support, or by encouraging their members to vote, join a political party or stand for election.

OHTV has compiled a list of church leaders who exert political influence.

Archbishop John Sentamu

The Rt Rev Archbishop John Sentamu is the second most senior cleric in the Anglican church, sits in the House of Lords, and does not shy away from political or social concerns. He was an adviser on the ground-breaking McPherson Report, which accused the police of institutional racism, served as chairman of the Damilola Taylor review, and in 2007 cut up his dog collar live on BBC, stating he would not wear another one until the Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe was out of political office. He has also added his voice to a wide range of issues including police stop and search tactics, faith in the workplace, materialism, youth crime and racism.

Pastor Agu Irukwu

Agu is the pastor of the mega-church Jesus House in Brent Cross, northwest London and head of Britain’s fastest growing black Pentecostal denomination, the Redeemed Christian Church of God, which has over 40,000 members. Last year, Pastor Agu was voted Britain’s most inspirational black figure following a poll run by the office of the Mayor of London during Black History Month. Under Pastor Agu’s leadership Jesus House has played a greater role within their local community providing support to the disadvantaged and partnering with organisations that work with prisoners or through supporting charities like Compassion whose aim is to eradicate child poverty in the developing world.

Rev Ade Omooba

Rev Ade Omooba is the co-founder of Christian Concern, an organisation that aims to put Christian principles at the heart of Britain. Christian Concern have been involved with or supported numerous campaigns including Coalition 4 Marriage (C4M), a petition that aims to encourage the government to retain the current definition of marriage which is a voluntary union between one man and woman, fighting for employees to hold and manifest their religious beliefs at work and supporting foster carers who don’t want to compromise their beliefs in order to foster children.

Rev Joel Edwards

Rev Edwards is one of the most high profile and influential black Christians in the UK and has played a key role in the country’s social, religious and political life. He was the head of the now defunct African Caribbean Evangelical Alliance, a representative body for black Christians, served as General Director of the Evangelical Alliance, the representative voice for one million evangelical Christians from 1998 to 2008 and was formerly a Commissioner for the Equality and Human Rights Commission. He currently serves as International Director for Micah Challenge, an organisation whose vision is to rid the world of poverty.

Pastor Nims Obunge

During the 2011 Tottenham riots, one church leader regularly approached for their views as events unfolded was Pastor Nims Obunge, the leader of Freedoms Ark in Tottenham, north London and CEO of the Peace Alliance, a crime reduction charity that promotes peace. Pastor Nims has served as an adviser to Scotland

Yard, attended summits at 10 Downing Street about gun and knife crime, organised anti gun and knife crime events, hosts an annual Peace Week throughout London, and works closely with council and government agencies to reduce crime. He is a regular visitor to various Government departments. 10 Downing Street hosted a reception to celebrate the work of the Peace Alliance in 2008.

Rev Les Isaac

In 2005, Rev Les Isaac joined forces with fellow Christians Rev David Shosanya and Ian Crichlow to form Street Pastors, a Christian response to gun and knife crime. Due to Street Pastors' success Rev Isaac is considered an expert on urban issues, and his expertise is sought by MPs and police, and mentioned in government reports. Street Pastors is currently working in over 250 towns and cities across the UK, and overseas in Antigua, Jersey, Australia and Trinidad and Tobago. Street Pastors was cited as a good example of street based work in the Home Office report ‘Tackling Knife Crime Together’ by actress Brook Kinsella, whose brother Ben was stabbed to death in 2008.

Bishop John Francis

Ruach Ministries is one of Britain’s largest Pentecostal churches with branches in Brixton, Kilburn and Birmingham. Led by Bishop John Francis, Ruach Ministries made history when it became the first black Pentecostal church to play host to a British Prime Minister. Tony Blair visited their Brixton branch whilst in office in 2006 as a guest at their Power of One conference. Ruach Ministries' Kilburn branch has played host to pre-Mayoral election debate, featuring leading candidates in 2008 and 2012.

A r c h b i s h o p J o h n S e n t a m u P a s t o r A g u I r u k w u R e v A d e O m o o b a R e v J o e l E d w a r d s P a s t o r N i m s O b u n g e R e v L e s I s s a c B i s h o p J o h n F r a n c i s


36 | MAY 2012 2GETHER | 37


B l a c k B r i t a i n D e c i d e sOHTV broadcast the mayoral election rally organised by a coalition of black leaders live from Ruach

Ministries on 12th April.

The broadcast kicked off the second series of Real Talk on OHTV, which was the only channel airing the whole event. Throughout the show Real Talk took live tweets, texts and emails. That Real Talk and its viewers at the heart of the political debate.

Police racism, social housing and youth unemployment were the main issues that troubled the black Londoners as they asked the main mayoral candidates about their policies at the rally hosted by black churches, community activists, business leaders and faith groups.

The incumbent Mayor Boris Johnson from the Conservative Party, the former Mayor Ken Livingstone, Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick, and the Green Party candidate Jenny Jones sat at the main panel whereas the independent candidate Siobhan Benita had an opportunity to address most issues separately.

The candidates faced questions on support for black businesses, education and training, deaths in police custody, childcare, social housing and apprenticeship schemes.

Simon Woolley, director of Operation Black Vote said,

"This was a robust conversation for an empowered black community. But it's not about the candidates - this is about being strong together. We need to find our pathway to success, justice, equality and opportunity."

Mayor Boris defended stop and search, claiming that it had taken eleven thousand knives off the streets and reduced the number of teenage deaths on the streets. He said that the best way to tackle racism in the force was to increase the number of black and ethnic minority officers.

Brian Paddick acknowledged that black young men were much more likely to be stopped and searched than anyone else, and called an end to racial profiling. He emphasised that churches and community groups could play a major role in reducing knife crime by giving young people an alternative to gangs.

Jenny Jones called for CCTV cameras to be installed in every police van due to the 34 deaths of black people in police custody since 2004.

Ken Livingstone claimed that there was enough land in London to build an extra 300,000 homes which should be used for social housing.

1. Around 260 Tweets during the live debate – an average of 86 Tweets an hour and 1.4 Tweets a minute 2. A direct total audience of 13, 597 and average combined total audience of over 50,000 Twitter followers

3. #BlackBritainDecides had an average 1,540 interactions an hour over the main two hours of the debate 4. During the debate @OHTV account had an average of 253 mentions an hour with 4.21 mentions a minute.

The hustings took place on the day of launching the Green manifesto, and Jenny Jones urged voters to study the Green policies in more detail. One of her proposals was to restrict the top pay by ensuring that no one working for an organisation or corporation would be paid less than 10% of what the top earner makes.

One of Boris Johnson's ideas was to write into the conditions of free travel for young people the requirement to give their seat to older people, disabled and pregnant women.

The business is still down 50% in Tottenham after the riots, and many were concerned of what the mayoral candidates would do to rejuvenate the area. Another issue that concerned people was the fact that four of Stephen Lawrence's killers are still free.

Perhaps the most important thing about the hustings wasn't what the audience learnt about the mayoral candidates but what the candidates learnt about the audience. Whoever the next mayor will be, City Hall will be more aware of the concerns of the black and other ethnic minorities.

The mayoral and London Assembly elections will take place on 3rd May. For more info on the election and all the candidates go to londonelects.org.uk.

Social Media was handled by the Benn Boateng Social Media Team on behal f o f OHTV.Web: www.bennboateng.com Emai l : [email protected] / in [email protected] Twit ter : @BennBoateng

Black Britain decides on Twitter

A s p a r t o f a r e a l t a l k s p e c i a l h o s t e d b y T r i s h A d u d uF o r m o r e i n f o a b o u t R e a l t a l k g o t o w w w . O h t v . C o . u k / r e a l t a l k


@VoiceOfAfricaFM TweetsThe mainstream media don't care bout #BlackBritainDecides and lot ofblack Londoners don't care as well.#politics

@LeeJasper Tweets:#blackbritaindecides Ken slams Boris saying the only mention of blackpeople in Boris manifesto is in the section on crime . Audience roars!

@Siobhan4Mayor Tweets Thanks to #blackbritaindecides for giving me a voice this evening!

@TheVoiceNews #blackbritaindecides Paddick: My commitment to black community is not just for this debate. This is personal for me.

38 | MAY 2012 2GETHER | 39


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