"American Idol" declared guitar-strumming Phillip Phillips the winner of its 11th season on US television Wednesday after viewers cast a record 132 million votes.

"All the fans out there, thank y'all for voting for us,"said the boyish 21-year-old from the southeastern US state of Georgia before host Ryan Seacrest announced the result at the end of a two-hour gala season finale.

Runner-up was Jessica Sanchez, 16, a southern Californian of Filipino and Latino heritage whose prospects, critics say, dimmed with a less-than-impressive performance during Tuesday's pre-vote sing-off.

The show ended with Phillips playing his country-inflicted first single "Home," but - clearly overcome with emotion - he broke off before the end to hug his family amid a blizzard of confetti.

Though its ratings have waned over the years, notably since the departure of acerbic British music mogul Simon Cowell from the panel of judges,"American Idol" remains one of the most-watched shows of any genre on US television.

Its impact on popular music was reaffirmed this month with past contestants Adam Lambert and Carrie Underwood both taking turns at the top of the pop charts.

For the season finale, Phillips and Sanchez shared the stage at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles with a galaxy of stars from Neil Diamond to Rihanna, as well as other top 12 season contestants with whom they will now embark on a national tour.

Two of the judges, Jennifer Lopez and Steve Tyler, also performed, the latter with his band Aerosmith.

Easily the most surprising moment came when Seacrest invited former Idol contestants Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo-now an item-on stage, whereupon Young asked DeGarmo to marry him. Cheers filled the venue when she tearfully replied yes.

Queen of Disco Donna Summer has been laid to rest in a private funeral ceremony attended by a few hundred friends and family members.

She was buried after a service at the Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville Tennessee, where the musician has lived since the 1990s.

No cameras were allowed into the church venue, as close friends and fellow musicians sang and paid tribute to the "She Works Hard For The Money" singer.

Summer's brother Ricky Gaines reportedly spoke at the funeral, as well as several of her girlfriends, who shared tales of their friendshis.

Donna is survived by husband Bruce Sudano, and her three daughters,Brooklyn,Mimi and Amanda.

The reigning Miss World, Ivian Sarcos is in Nairobi to attend the finals of the Miss World Kenya contest that takes place this weekend.

She arrived from Ghana last night, accompanied by the Miss World CEO, Julia Morley, Miss World Europe Alize Mounter, and several beauty queens from across Africa.

Ivian is expected to be the guest of honour at the event, co-sponsored by Snapp, scheduled for the Sarit Centre on Saturday evening.

"It is a big honor and a privilege for us to host the reigning beauty, we acknowledge the works of charity she has been doing and Miss Ivian is a classic example of a true beauty with a purpose," crooned Terry Mungai, the Miss World Kenya Franchise holder.

Apart from the Kenyan finale, Sarcos is also expected to be involved in various charitable activities, primarily focusing on water conservation.

We are proud to be associated with this high profile event. We guarantee to support the various activities that the beauty queens will be involved in to the greater benefit of the society,"said the EABL Marketing Director Caroline Ndung'u.

Her visit comes barely a year after Miss World 2010; Alexandria Mills visited the country for a charity mission, which took her to Central Kenya to witness work being done on eradicating jigger infestations in the region.

At Saturday's event, Kenya's representative for the Miss World competition in China will be chosen, and she will also win a cool Sh1 million to set her off. The reigning Miss Kenya Nancy Onyango will hand over the tiara at finale.

The contest carried the theme "Beauty with a Purpose"and it is expected to elevate the standards of Kenyan contestants that make it to international beauty pageants. Check out their progress here.

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Xtatic, whose video 'Prep Track' has been doing the rounds since March is being managed by Sony Music and ROCKSTAR4000, who are intent on putting her firmly on the African musical map.

She is the second female hard core rapper to make it big from East Africa,after Stella Mwangi, who is signed up by EMI Norway.

In a statement on the ROCKSTAR4000 website, Sony Music Entertainment Africa reveals that Xtatic will drop a fresh new single from her debut 'full-length' album by the end of the month.

'WILD!' is due to hit the airways in the next two weeks, the statement reads.

The 'rising African rapper',whose husky voice is reminiscent of that of legendary emcee Lauryn Hill's, is fresh on the scene but has recently returned from Johannesburg where she teamed up with producers The Fahrenheitz to work on her upcoming album, due for release later in the year.

"We're convinced that Xtatic has the kind of standout talent that will take her into many different markets and are thrilled to welcome her into the Sony recording family,"expressed RCA Africa Director, Spiro Damaskinos.

The statement also quotes Jandre Louw, Founder and CEO of ROCKSTAR4000 Music Entertainment. "We are truly ecstatic to work with her and thrilled to be part of the Sony Music team to take her and her music to fans across the world".

Xtatic reveals that she thought it was a prank call when she was approached by ROCKSTAR4000

"I was at home and thought someone was prank calling me. I always thought that I had the skills to stand out from the crowd, but actually, a few years back I didn't yet have the proper mix of content, flow and delivery to really do something special so this timing just feels right."

Only two songs by Xtatic are out for public consumption, and they are enough to keep fans waiting with baited breathe for the next one. The record label is based in Johannesburg,South Africa.

The Award-winning actress through a Facebook post did not hesitate showing her excitement being in the region which she calls home.  Her post says, “From 6,000 pearls to just 1: Uganda. Excited to be back in East Africa to work with Mira Nair on Queen of Katwe.”
 

Mira Nair is the Director of the film.

Ugandan fans were happy with Lupita’s visit, and shared warm messages welcoming the Oscar Award winner. Here are some of them:

Ronald Muchz Rygan: Uganda Pearl of Africa is proud to have you home.

Thinnah M. Enekwa:  Lupita thanks for visiting. Enjoy yourself.

Abraham Karanga: Lupita, welcome home.  Have a great shoot. I am looking forward to the movie.

Zee Zee:  Ah! The pearl of Africa - Africa will rise! Lupita you are the second pearl.

However, her Kenyan fans could not hold back their anxiety, and had to ask if she would visit her motherland:

William Jilavoya Kivisi: Pass by home – Kenya. We got love for you.

Philip Mbithi Kiswii: Why did you skip your homeland Kenya in your visit? Your parents are here and you should make a point of visiting them.

Lena Kinyanjui:  Lupita, your city your town is near – Nairobi, Kenya. Pay a visit

Princess Achieng: Lupita come home (Kenya) yawa!

Evans Ochieng:  How did you sneak through Nairobi’s JKIA to Uganda without being noticed by our paparazzi? We will camp at the airport.

The film Queen of Katwe has Lupita as the lead starring. She plays the role of a mother to a brilliant teenager, Phiona Mutesi. She grows up in sheer poverty. She lacks school fees to get proper education. However, her decision to join Sports Outreach Institute as a chess player turned out to be her changing point. Since then, her life has progressed for the better.

Bobbi Kristina Brown's family took to social media to express happiness after it was announced that the 22-year-old was awake and taken off life support. Bobby Brown had made the announcement during a concert on Saturday in Texas that his daughter is "awake."

Tina Brown, Bobby Brown's sister, wrote on Facebook on Monday: "So many messages, sorry can't answer them all right now but I will get to them later..just allow me this time with my family,,yes,she woke up and is no longer on life support!!!!!):)God is good!!thanks for your prayers,,still a process,but she is going to be ok:):):):)"

The family has, however, not yet disclosed how well Bobbi Kristina is recovering since being taken off life support, according to E! News.

"I could say today…Bobbi is awake," Bobby Brown had told the audience at the Verizon Theater in Grand Prairie, adding: "She is watching me."

Kelilah Fell, a person reportedly close to the situation, said on Facebook: "Please don't stop praying for Bobbi Kris even though she is off life support and she has woke up. We are decreeing life in her body and healing and we want to pray that god restore her body and everywhere that she hurts and we want god to mend her broken heart and make her whole all over again."

Bobbi Kristina was found unconscious in the bathtub of her house in Atlanta on Jan. 31 and was admitted to Emory University Hospital. Since then, she has been in a medically induced coma due to a swelling in the brain. She was moved to the Dekalb Medical facility last month, where she is being treated in a private room. In mid-February, doctors had tried taking her off life support, but were unsuccessful as she ended up having seizures.

Prince William's wife Kate on Saturday gave birth to a girl, who will be fourth in line to the British throne, Kensington Palace said in a statement.

BOSTON--In what turned out to be one of the best moments in the Kenyan community in Boston, over 200 guests, joined by the new Kenyan Ambassador in USA, Robinson Githae turned out to celebrate the Kenyan culture and pride at the Boston Kenyan Festival held one day before the Boston Marathon last week.

During the unique event that took place at the Lowell Lodge of Elks, guests, including the Ambassador, were moved by a Kenyan Kikuyu traditional dance performed by women dancers from St. Michael's Catholic Community in Lowell, led by enigmatic soloist, Anne Cardosi, followed by two equally moving performances by the renowned St. John's Anglican Church choir from Worcester under Maestro choirmaster, John Karathi.

Janet Koome, a local Shairi composer and performer form the PCEA Neema church also amazed guests with a recital that urged Kenyans to embrace peace and support for each other rather than continue on the conflict path.

Adding more flavor to the rarely observed cultural celebration was a live band performance by Bernard Mutua, a legendary Kenyan Diaspora bass guitarists who, accompanied by his two sons, brought Kenyans down the memory lane with nostalgic patriotic music.

Making his second appearance at the event after performing during the inaugural event last year, Jamaica based Kenyan reggae musician, Kariz Karizman also presented a number in praise of Kenya as his motherland.

So moved by the apparent inspiring Kikuyu traditional dancers not usually seen in the Diaspora, was Ambassador Githae, who instantly popped out of his seat at the high table to join the dancers for close to 2 minutes of cultural dancing as guests present cheered in admiration.

Moments later, guests applauded loudly as the highly trained St. John’s Anglican church choir, that featured men and women performed two songs under the precision guidance of a the choirmaster.

Interestingly,two  St.John's church pastors, Rev. Peter Kiama and pastor Cyrus Irungu was among the men in the choir providing bass vocals, to the delight of the crowd.

A group of Luhya Isikuti traditional dancers from Worcstere and Springfield invited to perform at the festival for a display of the variety available in the Kenyan culture did not show up, with no response forthcoming from the group leaders.

Delivering a keynote speech during event, the ambassador castigated Kenyans engaging in perpetual infighting and tearing down each other's initiatives.

He said that the embassy in Washington was trying it's best to improve services for the Kenyans including visitations to suffering Kenyans in detention centers, hospitals and even homes in and effort to console them and help find solutions to their problems.

Githae added that the embassy was in the process of identifying immigration attorneys in different US states who may be willing to help Kenyans facing immigration challenges resolve them on pro-bono status.

He also said that the Embassy, through the ministry of Foreign Affairs now has a budget to lobby for those Kenyans who may be willing to apply for top positions in world bodies since the government has realized Kenyan nationals are highly educated and can match skills needed anywhere in the world.

"I encourage anyone out there who has an interest in a particular position in the big world bodies to apply and contact us to help lobby for them. We now have a budget for that," he told Kenyans present.

He also said that the embassy was in the process of setting up consulate offices in several US cities including Boston for the purposes of bring services closer to the people and help Kenyans register to vote in 2017.

However, Githae said that as the embassy tries hard to step up services to the people, the people are also expected to do their part I return.

He said one of the most important things a Kenyan in the Diaspora should do is to belong to either a church or a community organization instead of operating as lone rangers out there.

"People who operate as lone rangers are the ones who get hit hard when tragedy occurs. The embassy does not have a budget to help repatriate bodies of dead members of the community back home. That's why it is important to belong to a certain group where people know you and can help bring your issue up in case of a problem," he added.

He thanked the clergy for helping keep the community together and urged them to continue helping Kenyans wherever needed to serve the community.

However, Githae castigated Kenyans who have been clamoring to sabotage initiatives started by others while why themselves are not doing anything.

"I have never understood why some people think that in order to go up you must bring somebody down. This is like giving community PHDs (Pull Him Down).We don't need this. Both of you can go up, why not? Where did this concept come from?" he posed.

"Let's award academic PHDs not thse community PHDs.We as the Embassy, we are here to serve all Kenyans irrespective of their backgrounds, and we will attend any event we are invited to if the schedule allows,"added  the new Ambassador.

Amb. Githae was reacting to reports of serious infighting among Kenyans in Boston on anything related to community activities, including multiple elements who had been clamoring to destabilize the cultural celebration event by falsely claiming that the embassy had planned to charge $40 as entry fees to have their Kenyan Identity cards renewed at the venue.

He said that is was regrettable that several Kenyans had chosen to dissuade others from attending the unique cultural festival, just because the Kenyan association that planned the event was charging $25 entry fee to cater to the hall rental, food and other expenses association with hosting an event.

He added that those claiming that they were being charged to see the ambassador were wrong and needed to change their thinking, as the ambassador was a guest of Nekwa.

"Why is someone feeling bad that we came here? I was invited here today and I came. If you invite us, we will come. But don't just feel bad because we came and you never invited us," he emphasized.

Githae downplayed the much touted Diaspora community umbrella organization as pre-mature idea as people are still bonding in their current groupings.

He urged them instead to respect and support the current existing groupings or organizations that bring people with common goals. 

"If I am a Catholic and you are telling me to change to Anglican, hapo iko shida.(That's a problem right there.")

He thanked Nekwa officials for their initiative to hold a Kenyans Festival which gives a chance to those Kenyans who love their country and community in the Diaspora to celebrate it's culture and pride while far from home.

As the event progressed, Embassy officials were busy processing Kenyan ID cards and dual citizenship applications in a nearby room.

Guests were treated to delicious Kenyans cuisine of roasted goat meat, Ugali and spicy salad (kachubari) as they socialized with each other.

"This was a great event.That's what we need in the community, to just come together as one and support people hosting this kind of an event without beating each other up. If someone else hosts another event, we all should go and support it," said Sammy Maina Mpesa as he enjoyed goat meat with several friends at the festival.

The event was attended by eleven Kenyan clergymen who had help a closed door meeting with the Ambassador at the venue prior to the event kick off.

Michael Kamau Mburu from the St. John's Anglican Church in Worcester served as the master of ceremonies, drawing many instances of light moments to the delight of the Kenyans assembled.

The event was in it's second year having launched in 2014 with Emmy Kosgei and Eric Omondi and Karizman as the inaugural guest entertainers.

To Join the growing New England Kenyan Welfare Association, click here for registration Form

To View Nekwa's communuity empowerment programs, Click here >>>>

LOWELL, MA--Barely two years after her highly successful Faces of Love Movie Premier in Woburn, MA, Monica Swaida, a Nigerian songstress actress and entrepreneur in Lowell has released a new, highly entertaining Afrobeat music video titled Palava Dey(Nigerian Pidgin English for Chaos Day).

The video hit the airwaves for the first time last night at midnight, with an extremely high demand in Radio and TV stations across her home country of Nigeria.

Speaking to Ajabu Africa News from her home in Westford, MA, Swaida said that Palava Dey is a dedication Africans who are dissatisfied with all the multiple problems afflicting their home lands due to poor leadership- delivered via a mix of politics, culture and religion commentaries.
 
The video is part of her new CD that features Afrobeat, Reggae, Highlife, Gospel and Naija beats and ballads hits that will resonate well with Africans both in the motherland and the Diaspora, Haitians, Jamaicans as well as other lovers of African cultural entertainment.

The video is edited and directed by Robert Peters, the Atlanta based director who directed Monica's hit movie, Faces of Love.

It contains outstanding images of the African culture and popular music legends including the late Fela Kuti, of the great and world renowned Afrobeat and Jazz musicians to ever break out from the African continent.

As opposed to mainstream entertainers I USA, Monica has recently come across as an ambitious entertainer who is promoting the African culture on the big screen and on the radio, utilizing a shoe string budget cobbled together from her savings and with support from family and friends.

She said that the biggest challenge to her budding career if is the piracy of the music and videos by unscrupulous people who choose to copy the music instead of downloading it cheaply online.

"I hope my fellow Africans and friends out there can support me by downloading the music online or purchasing the DVD and CD from my office in Lowell," she told Ajabu Africa.

The DVD goes for $10, and the CD is $10 also. However, each song can be downloaded online via credit card for 99 cents ($0.99).

Buyers can also pick up the DVD or CD from Swaida's office located at 19 Mill Street, Lowell, MA or by reaching her on the phone at: 978-394-2149

THIS IS BREAKING NEWS. CHECK BACK LATER FOR DETAILS.

To sample to the music or download, click here >>>>>

For more information on Monicazation,visit:http://monicazation.com

Oscar-winning star Lupita Nyong'o on Saturday attended the wedding of her younger sister Esperanza Nyong'o at the exclusive Great Rift Valley Lodge in Naivasha.

LOWELL, MA--Despite threats of bad weather with  pregnant skies hovering above throughout the day, the 2015 edition of the Annual Lowell African Festival last Saturday provided revelers with memorable treats of entertainment, ethic food, fashion as well as a unique outdoors socializing platform.

The annual affair took place at the usual Sampas Pavilion on Pawtucket Boulevard organized by the African Cultural Association of Lowell.

Monica Swaida, a Lowell based songstress, actress and business entrepreneur returned on the stage after several years break as the event host and master of ceremonies. Swaida wa praised by many for her outstanding performance that ensured a flawless flow of the program, keeping most the audience engaged throughout the day.

During the festival, several thousands of African Diaspora nationals and friends who love the taste of African culture turned out, ranging from toddlers to teenagers, the youth as well as the elderly.

A wide variety of music was presented by several artists displaying a rare mix of cultural, pop and religious music entertainment that define the contemporary life of people from the continent of Africa.

Among the most visible and highly impacting performers was the African Roots band, a live gospel music band made up of youthful artistes from several African counties of Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbambe.

The group, dressed in army fatigues and boots and led by Kenya's Apostle George Melden of the new Well of Worship Center in Dracut moved revelers with the familiar lyrics of "Double Double" blessings that may result from heeding the word of God.

Apostle George Melden of the Well of Worship Center in Dracut leads the African Roots Band during a gospel music performance.AJABU MEDIA PHOTO/H.MAINA

Other performing groups included the upcoming Lowell High School performing group, also led by Kenya's Shiro Wang'ang'a that performed a silent foot thumping and hand clapping dance to the delight of the large crowd.

Also on state were several cultural and traditional dancers from Nigeria, Ghana and other West African communities in Lowell.

However, a highly entertaining African attire fashion show was staged by a dozen youthful male and female Africans, showcasing a massive talent by local Diaspora African fashion designers and incredibly courageous and talented models hitting the catwalk.

"I am very happy with what is going on here. The weather was not for us today but we have seen a lot of great performances and the people seem to like it," said Lee Furusa, chairlady of the African Cultural Association during an interview with Ajabu Africa News.

Furusa said that the association will continue to improve the Lowell African festival as the premier source of African cultural pride in Lowell and Massachusetts. She thanked all the guests and sponsors who had made the event a huge success.

A model poses for a pic during a fashion show at the Lowell African Festival. AJABU  MEDIA PHOTO/H.MAINA

During the event, food vendors from Liberia, Kenya, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria did a roaring business, with many guests snapping up the fish, Chapati, Atieke rice, Ugali , Nyama Choma and other ethnic dishes on sale.

Craft vendors as well as corporations also took advantage of the large turnout to market their wares and services to the increasingly economically powerful African community in the region.
 
Among the corporate companies with a huge presence there was Nizhoni Health Systems, as well as Essy Healthcare, a Kenyan owned healthcare company.

Jay Kalungi, founder of the Praise through Worship Entertainment Company from the Ugandan community provided the sound system at the event for the 4 year in a row.

"We are here to let Africans know that we are hiring and we are giving a lot of opportunities to people," said one Kenyan representative from Essy Homecare.

Guests from all walks of life and races enjoy the entertainement at the Lowell African Festival.AJABU MEDIA PHOTO/H.MAINA

"It's a great festival. I love it. People are having fun before going back to their busy lives," said Rev. Jeremiah Menyongai of the Christ Jubilee International church that also had a food stand at the festival.

The event ended late in the evening when the skies made true their threats and light rain started dropping on departing guests, and disappointing others who were arriving hoping to catch some late end of the day action.

Another African Festival dubbed the Boston African Festival will take place at the City Hall Plaza in Boston on Saturday July 18 organized by a different group of African Diaspora cultural enthusiasts.

Event host, Monica Swaida.AJABU MEDIA PHOTO/H.MAINA

Watch this space.More hillarious Ajabu Pics coming soon!

BOSTON--Fast rising Kenyan gospel artiste,Vickie Kitonga performed at the PCEA Neema church and the St. Andrews Catholic church in Worcester last Sunday during an initial Boston leg of her 2015 US tour, before advancing to Harrisonburg Virginia for this weekend's KCFA annual convention.

After the KCFA appearance, Vickie, who is a daughter to Arch Bishop Arthur Kitonga of the Redeemed Gospel Ministries based in Huruma, Nairobi Kenya, is scheduled to perform in Kansas before returning for a final performance in Boston on Sunday August 9th at the CCF church in Lowell.

During the performance at the Neema church, Kitonga introduced her newly released hit Tulia (relax) from a newly released CD.

She told worshipers at the church that she was honored to have an opportunity to worship with them and perform, hoping that she would encourage someone who may be going through a hard time.

Vickie Kitonga at PCEA Neema church. AJABU MEDIA PHOTO/H.MAINA

"I would like you to know that I am very grateful to be here with you today. I feel honored to worship with you and perform a few songs. I hope my music will encourage someone who is going through a hard time. If you are the one, don't lose hope. Just be assured that everything is possible with God."

In Worcester, Kitonga sought to console the family of the late Fredrick Mwaura, a Kenyan man who passed away last week after a 3 month battle with liver cancer.

She performed five hits during the memorial service.

During the Boston appearance last week, Vickie also visited Salon D'Afrique, the increasingly popular Kenyan owned hair salon on West 6^th Street for hair maintenance courtesy of the business operators, Cathy Olu and Gerald Kanyi.

"I was pleased with the service I got at Salon D'Afrique. These guys are the best. Kanyi gave me a cool retouch of my dreads and now I feel great," she revealed.

Kitonga thanked all her fans in the US for their continued support by listening to her music. She said that she and hoped she will be able to meet most of them along her tour locations that include Dallas, 

Tour dates and locations include:

Vickie Kitonga gets hair done by popular Kenyan hair stylist, Gerald Kanyi of Salon D'Afrique.AJABU MEDIA PHOTO/H.MAINA

Vickie Kitonga at St. Andrews Catholic church in Worcster for the memorial of the late Patrick Mwaura..AJABU MEDIA PHOTO/H.MAINA

Founder and President of the African Hiddden Talent Show, Naomi Osagiede, far right, together with a Nigerian talk show hosts during a meeting at the Best Western Hotel in Woburn on the eve of the auditions taking place Friday and Sunday. AJABU PHOTO/H.MAINA

WOBURN, Mass.,--Judges and hosts of the highly expected African Hidden Talents auditioning that will kick- off today arrived at the Best Western Hotel in Woburn as organizers decided to extend the registration period till the final day on Sunday.

The free entry event will take place from 8am to 5pm today Friday, and 8am to 5pm on Sunday, with willing participants expected to arrive at their own convenient times.

By Thursday evening, a team from different African communities in Boston, including Nigerians, Kenyans, Ugandans and more, as well as others flying in from Nigeria assembled at the Best Western Hotel venue to put final touches in place.

Contestants selected from this weekend's audition with compete in a Grand Finale in September with the winner taking $3500 in cash, followed by $2500 for second place and $1000 for the third place winner.

Performer’s registration is free and can be done on the spot at the venue or online by clicking here >>>>>.

The Best Western Hotel is located at 1 Raining Rd, Woburn, MA 01801. ( Right Off Exit 36 of I-93 North or South).

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS STORY. CHECK BACK LATER FOR DETAILS.

PROVIDENCE, RI__Grammy award winning reggae band, Steel Pulse, in conjunction with other reggae titans including Yellowman, Mighty Mystic, Third world and more will entertain fans at the annual Waterfront Reggae festival tomorrow Saturday August 8 at the India Point Park located on Gano Street in Providence, Rhode Island.

Other scheduled performers at the event that will take place from 12 noon to 10pm include the High Hopes Band, The Copacetics and Omega Sound's DJ Realm.

Since inception, the festival has been taking place at the Newport Yachting Center in Newport, Rhode Island but organizers decided to relocate to Providence.
 
The highly popular event attracts hundreds of African immigrant reggae fans who troop from all over New England just to meet up the popular reggae music artistes whom they grew up listening to while in the motherland where reggae music enjoys a near- fanatical following.

Yellowman

According to many Africans in the Diaspora and in the motherland, Reggae music is much loved for it's liberating messages on a wide ally of social, political and economic issues including political oppression, slavery, and domination, poverty, religion as well as love.

According to recent census data, there are hundreds of thousands African immigrants in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, and other neighboring states that make up New England.

Tickets to the event are going for $40 in advance and $50 at the door.

Advance tickets can be purchased on line at:http://www.newportwaterfrontevents.com/or via Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

PROVIDENCE, RI--Founder and key member of the Steel Pulse Reggae band, David "Dread" Hinds said that the current spell of police officers shooting at the black youths here in the U.S. could be racially motivated.

He spoke during an interlude at the sixth Annual Waterfront Reggae Festival in Providence Rhode Island Saturday August 8th. He made the comments before he sang a new song Hands up Don't Shoot, with a message against the police shootings. "Many afro Americans getting shot down by police officers, he said. I know you are the smallest State in the union and I know you can make a change. Tomorrow is the first anniversary since the Michael Brown shooting, so listen to this," he told an enthusiastic crowd of more than 3,000 people who cheered him on.

He added that because President Obama is biracial that could have triggered anger in some white police officers. "I think this is all because some people are mad to see a black man being president of the USA he said. So they are killing black youths as revenge. It's like we are going back to the 1950's when black people were being killed everywhere," Hinds told Ajabu Africa News in after the show interview.

However, he also said that hope lied in people's attitudes. He said that if Americans reached out to each other, the tension could be eased.

Steel Pulse's David "Dread" Hinds prepares for remarks against police shootings of black African Americans.AJABU AFRICA  PHOTO/H.MAINA

He attended the annual concert last Saturday that brings together reggae artists from around the world to perform at the event organized by the Rhode Island Waterfront Events and Newport Waterfront Events. Among those who attended this year's event included Hinds Steel Pulse, Jamaican reggae star Yellowman, Third World reggae band, and Mighty Mystic of Boston, High Hopes band, The Copacetic and Omega Sounds' D.J, Realm.

Hinds also called for legal education courses to be introduced for all black youths so they understand their rights and know how to respond when they come into contact with the police officers. He cautioned black youths to avoid responding to police with aggression saying that "aggression breeds aggression."

He advised black youths in America to listen more to reggae music so that they can be educated on some of the issues that affect their lives in USA. "Listen to the vibes man, he said. There is a lot of education in reggae music."

The 10 hour event started at 12 noon ending at 10pm.To warm the stage at around mid-day were performances by the High Hopes band, The Copacetic and Omega Sounds' D.J, Realm D.J and Mighty Mystic band.

Later, the crowd got fired up by the appearance of Jamaican born Christian Winston Foster popularly known as "King Yellowman" when he got on the stage accompanied by his daughter, Kareena Foster.

Jamaica's dancehall reggae superstar, Christian Winston Foster a.k.a  "King Yellowman" together with daughter, Kareema Foster.AJABU AFRICA PHOTO/H.MAINA

Yellowman moved the crowed that had been seating most of the afternoon on its feet with the introduction of his dance hall music especially the Zungu Zungu.

Joining him on the stage was his daughter, Kareena. Kareena is following in the footsteps of her father as an entertainer.  She performed several hits from her new album titled Father's Love, in dedication to the legendary dancehall entertainer.

"I felt blessed to be here today,Yellowman said. My music brings people together, just like Bob Marley, Steel Pulse, Burning Spear, Jimmy Cliff, Third World, Mighty Diamond, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer. Only music can bring Africa together, because the politicians fail the people, disappoint the people," Yellowman told Ajabu Africa News.

He received a lot of adorations of his music from the crowd and educational value. Reggae music He received a lot of adorations for his music from the crowd for its entertainment and educational value. Reggae music has a massive following across nations and especially the continent of Africa. The music appeals to many Africans especially the youth in the impoverished parts of the cities.

Kareema added that she felt blessed and honored to be the daughter of the world famous reggae star and she eyes a successful career in the reggae music world.

Other performers included the world famous Jamaican reggae band, Third World who belted out hit after hit for several hours before Steel Pulse, the main events headliner took the stage at prime time.

Third World.AJABU AFRICA PHOTO/H.MAINA

It was the first time for the annual reggae event to be hosted at the new India Park Waterfront location in Providence.  The Newport Yatch club located in Newport, south of Providence, has hosted the event in the previous years.

Artists voiced their satisfaction with the venue and the organizers. They hoped that the organizers will keep improving the festival that has been expanding every year to accommodate the growing numbers of entertainers and music lovers. "I think the organizers did a pretty remarkable job. This new location seems great and attracted a lot of people," said Rich Nesin, Steel Pulse band tour manager. But there is room for improvement to make the experience much better in the future."

Mighty Mystic added, "I loved being here today and the opportunity to do my songs. The people were fantastic, the vibes were great and the day was beautiful."

Mighty Mystic.AJABU AFRICA PHOTO/H.MAINA

Fans also had their take for the outstanding festival, praising organizers for the choice of the new location. "I have been attending the Waterfront Reggae festival every year since it was launched, said Ben Ndirangu, a reggae fan from Kenya. This location is the best. It is closer and convenient for everyone to get to. The only problem was the limited parking and the dust in the park."

"This was awesome, said Joanne Keaveney, who identifies herself as the Queen of Diversity on Boston's 101.3 FM radio station. I have waited for 37 years just to see Third World, my favorite reggae band."

Keaveney said her favorite song by Third World was the "Now that We Got love what are we gonna do with it".

Fans. AJABU AFRICA  PHOTO/H.MAINA

"I loved the music and the day was fantastic. Reggae music is great," said a Gambia man who preferred to go by Yus.

"It was an awesome day. I can't wait for next year," said Francis Kimaru, a renowned Kenyan entrepreneur based in Worcester, MA.

Steel Pulse, a band originally founded in Birmingham, went on to perform at the Hamptons in New York the following Sunday as part of their current US tour, while Jamaica's Yellowman and Third World were also scheduled to perform at other venues in different US cities.

More Pics

More pics coming sooon!

Editor's Note: This article was originally posted o July,26-2015. Now Updated on September 26, 2015 to clarify Naomi Osagiede of Boston, MA as the Founder, President and Financier of the African Hidden Talent Show.

BOSTON--Three top winners will walk away with $7,000 in cash prizes during the upcoming African Hidden Talents show, New England edition that kicks off with auditioning on Friday July 24th and Sunday 26th at the Best Western Hotel in Woburn, MA.

A grand finale is slated for September 18^th at the Memorial Hall in Melrose MA that will see the top winner scooping $3,500, $2,500 for the runners up and $1,000 for the second runners up.

According to the organizers, the African Hidden Talents show is first of it's kind in the community to promote and enhance the gift and spirits of Africans featuring  colorful varieties of Singers, Magicians, Dancers, Comedians, Jugglers, Hopeful and Hidden stars and all manner of talents found in them as their passions dictate.

However, to enter into the thrilling competition, aspiring "future African Stars" must register and submit their intended presentations for the initial auditioning.

According to Lilian Emefiele, the show producer on behalf of Beyond Faith TV, the show owners and sole financiers, the online registration is free but will only be open for the next two weeks to close on Tuesday July 21^st.

BeyondFaithTV, the organizers of the show, is looking to nurture and develop talents that remain hidden among African youth in the Diaspora.

Among the most recent African to make such headlines is Uzo Aduba of "Orange is the new black" and Lupita Nyongo, who started as an aspiring drama and theatre actor in Nairobi Kenya before her talent was spotted and natured in the USA.

"We have so much talent in arts, performances special skills in our people. They are not getting many avenues within the African community in New England to expose these talents. We urge anyone out there who thinks they have anything they can do well to come and audition with us. Those who will make it to the grand finale stand a chance to walk away with cash prizes in addition to other opportunities opening up for them in the entertainment industry," she said during an interview at the Ajabu Africa News studios in Woburn.

Recent trends in the film and entertainment industry point to an increasing awareness of the massive potential that the continent of Africa has to offer with many top Hollywood and Nollywood actors, poets, musicians, dancers etc making headlines around the world.

Lupita went on to shock the world when she won the Oscar Award's Best Female Supporting actress for her role in the movie 12 years a Slave during the 2014 Academy Awards in Hollywood. Since then, Lupita has continued to win other awards and top film roles, even as she travels around the world to inspire young girls to explore and develop their talents.

Multi-talented African Diaspora Oscar winning actress, Lupita Nyon'go and her assistant show off fashionable African themed bags. More Africans in the Diaspora have been urged to step up and audition at the upcoming African Hidden Talents show by Beyond FaIth TV in Woburn, MA on July 24& 26. PHOTO BY COURTESY/LUPITA FACEBOOK

While accepting her Oscar Award, Lupita said that, if she could win such an award based on where she came from, then it was possible for anyone else from Africa to do the same or even better.

Lupita decided to dedicate the award to young people out there in the World, urging them them to realize that their dreams are as also valid and should not shy away from finding any avenue to develop them.

It is in the footsteps of Lupita and other top Hollywood and Nollywood actors of African descent, as well as the examples set forth by the popular America Got Talent show that the organizers of the African Hidden Talent Show are moving to promote and nature African Diaspora future stars.

Jacqueline Jeruto Komen became Miss Tourism Africa during the Saturday night world finals in Malaysia.

Ms Jeruto bagged the African title during the continental finals where she was up against Miss Tourism Nigeria, Ghana, Lesotho and Reunion Island.

Miss Tourism Thailand became the 2015 Miss Tourism World, while Miss Tourism Ecuador was the 1st Runner Up, Venezuela the 2nd as Serbia and Great Britain capped the top five.

The Miss Tourism World 2015 ceremony took place at the Swiss Garden Hotel Melaka during which the Miss Tourism World 2014, Tomomi Kondou, took to the stage to hand over her crown to the winner Nuchnarin Sinlaparak.

The Kenyan delegation was led by Baringo County first lady Dr Emmy Chesire who is also the county patron of the Miss tourism Baringo Chapter.

She had mobilized other five county first ladies to accompany her to Malaysia where they joined Ms Jeruto’s family members in solidarity.

Ms Jeruto is a law student at Kabarak University and hails from Poror, Eldama Ravine Sub County.

She was crowned Miss Tourism Baringo in October 2014.

Miss Tourism Africa 2014, Marley Sianto Sikawa from Narok County was also present during the Saturday finals that saw the continental crown remain in Kenya.

I was prepared to dislike Kara Brown's Jezebel article, "I'm So Damn Tired of Slave Movies," based on the title alone. That sentiment has been popular lately, given all the attention garnered at the Sundance Film Festival for actor-turned-director-producer-screenwriter Nate Parker’s upcoming film, The Birth of a Nation. Reports from Utah say the movie--a biography of Nat Turner's life and the slave revolt he led through Southampton County, Va., in 1831--received a standing ovation after its debut screening. Fox Searchlight quickly snatched up the film for $17.5 million, a new sales record for the festival.

Award-winning Kenyan fashion blogger and reality TV star Silvia Njoki joins the long list of international A-list celebrities like Drake, Adele, The Weeknd and Taylor Swift who have been nominated for this year's Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards.

This year, the number-one entertainment brand for kids has included the African Bloggers category, in their prestigious award ceremony set to take place on Wednesday March 16 in the US. And Kenya'sSilvia Njokibecomes the first ever East African to be nominated for the award.

Other nominees include celebrities like Justin Bieber, Jennifer Lawrence, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Chris Pratt, John Boyega, One Direction, Sofia Vergara, Daisy Ridley, Chris Hemsworth and more.

Voting is now open for all categories on NICKELODEON'S digital platforms including KCA.NICKELODEONAFRICA.COM, and fans will also be able to vote on Nickelodeon's Twitter feed @NICKELODEONAFRICA using #VOTE #KCA followed by the hashtag of their favourite nominee.

The music categories, which span an eclectic mix of genres, finds vocal powerhouse Adele against Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran for "Favourite Song of the Year", and new kids on the block, Shawn Mendes and Alessia Cara competing for "Favourite New Artist".

Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez are all tied with three nominations each, while artists Drake, The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar follow closely behind with two.

In the movie categories, Jennifer Lawrence will face off against Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson and Scarlett Johansson for "Favourite Movie Actress", while Jurassic World, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 and Star Wars: The Force Awakens compete for the title of "Favourite Movie".

Mbooni, Kenya: Police in Mbooni East Sub County have launched investigations into an incident in which a woman was found dead in a lodging house.

Mbooni East OCPD Peter Njeru said the body of 40 year old Nzisa Makau was discovered by the lodging guard yesterday morning.

He said the guard Kyalo King'oo was supplying bathing water to the lodgers when he found the half-naked body of the deceased on the bed.

It is said the woman booked the room in Mbumbuni market at about midnight on Saturday in the company of a man who is yet to be identified.

Njeru said the guard reported the matter to the near Mbumbuni police station, adding the body had no visible injuries neither were there signs of struggle.

The police chief told The Standard on telephone that the body of the deceased was removed to Tawa funeral home to await a post mortem examination.

It was reported that the woman had during the day complained she was feeling unwell and was unable to feed at a burial ceremony she had attended with friends.

Somefellow African-born friends of mine had an opinion that Oscar boycotters should stop complaining and work hard next time.I disagreed. Here is why. In a perfect world, all you need is qualifications, experience, skills, persistence, positive attitude, great passion and a sprinkle of optimism. Nobody is disputing for a minute that you need all these for personal success.

But there are critical Issues in the minority communities concerning health, education, justice system and employment that may still require collective action.We would like to pretend that "all is well" but the evidence is overwhelming. In this world there a risk that you may be denied opportunities, rights or even freedom based on some subtle generalization, perceptions, stigmas and stereotypes in the society.

For the millions of native Africans living in USA, we tend to be bystanders when it comes to issues concerning the black community. It’s as if we have developed some false immunity from it all.Since we are also dealing with national origin, language, accent and other bias classes, racism is often treated as a common nuisance that we think we can live with. We are hardworking people. We are above it all right? Wrong!When one race, tribe, gender or social class dominates the economic system there is high likelihood that the minority may be kept out of opportunities. Sometimes the thing that is holding you back may not be necessarily be your incompetence.

You would think Africanswouldunderstand social exclusion considering what is happening back home. Notably there has been a regressive slide towards tribalism for the last few years. Social media has contributed in fueling this hatred. The tribal keyboard warriors can lie behind obscure usernames and spew whatever hatred they have been incubating. The mix of cheap tribalism and obscene sycophancy is intoxicating to the youth. This feeds the idea that one’s tribesman is the only perfect leader and somehow superhuman. For the benefits of our politicians we are taught to hate other tribes almost instinctively for reasons that can't be substantiated.Ethnicity has become a minimum requirement for jobs and other growth opportunities.How is that working out for us?

You can make the same case about race relations in America.Even without looking at the number cases of unarmed black young men killed by police over past few years, the facts are clear. Race and class-based exclusion in USA is alive and well. Even following market forces, in-group cliques form over-time, often based on ethnicity. Sometimes practice is just better-disguised or subtle. Complaining is therefore not always a sign of weakness. The "work harder" mantra should not be used as an insult to those seeking equal opportunity. Abuse should not hidden in order not to appear whinny.

One salient question still remains: should you do something? Should you take a side? While the hope is that one day the society will outgrow the culture of intolerance, I believe we have to do two things simultaneously: Join the world in fighting exclusion and develop a strategy that will allow you to earn a living in spite of the prevailing conditions.

Let's look at these one at a time, starting with the communal effort.The task promoting equality and respect in the community belongs to everybody.This job is still on-going worldwide.That is why many nations are attempting to have parliaments and cabinets that are not only gender balanced, but diverse enough to represent the population. In your own small way, you can shoot for greatness and at the same time refuse to settle for mediocracy.These are not conflicting values. When we stand by, not wanting to admit what’s happening, we give these gatekeepers the upper hand. Yes, you will be accused of being lazy, developing a victim mentality or joining the grievance industry. I have to agree that a thin line separates being whinny from being a strong person who demands respect.But remember, silence is consent.

At individual level you can work hard while still recognizing boundaries and continually pushing them. In my new book, a compilation of intriguing short stories, I demonstrate 40 ways that gatekeepers may attempt to exclude you from opportunities and how to thrive in such an environment. You will definitely need to factor in the various conventional prejudices in your society so that you can improve the odds of thriving in spite of bias.

It may not look like a big deal, but this Oscar issue is about employability and opportunities for minorities. Oscar nominees and winners have more lucrative offers than those who are not mentioned at all. In this instance, not a single person of color was nominated.In a broader sense the boycott is about disrupting such patterns of social exclusion whenever they occur. Let us remember one small fact. As members of various demographics, we are all direct beneficiaries of those who fought to bring equality.  We are enjoying the little freedom and opportunities we have today because somebody stood up. Somebody refused to give up her seat on a bus. Somebody spent 27 years in jail. Somebody risked his or her life. Most people will work hard given equality of opportunity and human rights as endowed by the creator. Nobody said life would be easy. All they ask is a level playing field.

This why Africans in Diaspora should support the Oscar boycott.

Mahugu Nuthu, author of the book "Nuthology".

Johannesburg (AFP) - Barefoot, wearing traditional costumes including animal hide skirts and elaborately beaded headdresses, the contestants strutted the stage before Ghanaian Rebecca Asamoah was crowned the first 'Miss Africa Continent'.

The 24-year-old dental hygienist beat 11 finalists drawn from an original list of 40 contestants from across the continent in the inaugural pageant at Johannesburg's Gold Reef City casino on Saturday night.

Runner-up was Michelo Malambo of Zambia, while South Africa's Jemimah Kandimiri was placed third.

The swimsuit contest was also a departure from the beauty contest norm, with contestants wearing black t-shirts and tight shorts while dancing barefoot to music such as "Africa" by Mali's legendary afro-pop musician Salif Keita.

The pageant is the brain child of South African film producer Neo Mashishi, who says it aims to empower young African women.

"This is the first ever Miss Africa Continent," said Mashishi, adding that it had been five years in the making.

"This is about Africa, we are selling Africa to the world, and we are proud to be Africa".

"The way everything was done was African, we didn't emulate anything from Miss Universe, or Miss World," he said.

Asamoah, who wore braids, entered the stage in a traditional Ghanaian Ashanti gold-coloured beaded crown and then returned in a evening dress made from the country's trademark kente cloth.

She walked away with a grant to study business management at Monash university in Johannesburg.

Runner up in the 2015 Miss Ghana competition, Asamoah said she wanted to see young people help uplift the continent.

"There are a lot of things to be fixed in Africa---water, education, environmental issues," she told AFP.

"My main concern is the empowerment of youths... so we can work hand in hand and put our continent in the best place it should be."

In the weeks running up to the event, the 12 finalists embarked on a series of pre-pageant activities, including showing off their culinary skills in cooking traditional meals from their native countries.

Ultimately, the organisers hope to involve the continental body, the African Union, "so our winner can play a role in uplifting Africa"and spearhead campaigns to fight Africa's woes such as malaria, poverty and xenophobia.

Walt Disney Co. said it's prepared to take action to protect its intellectual property rights after performers dressed as Snow White and Captain America were sighted at Dalian Wanda Group Co.'s new theme park and entertainment complex in China.

"We vigorously protect our intellectual property and will take action to address infringement," the company said in an e-mailed statement Monday in response to Bloomberg News queries about the characters, who resembled ones from Disney. "Our characters and stories have delighted generations, these illegal and substandard imitations unfortunately disappoint all who expect more."

The statement from Disney, which broke its silence since billionaire Wang Jianlin recently took a jab at the world's largest entertainment company,illustrates the escalating rivalry between the two.The Wanda chairman said just over a week ago that Disney's "one tiger" --its Shanghai Disney Resort set to open on June 16-- will be no match for Wanda's "pack of wolves," prompting the U.S. media company to say that Wang's comments were not "worthy of a response."

The Disney look-alikes were spotted at the official opening of the $3.2 billionWanda Citypark complex in Nanchang, the first of his conglomerate's 15 planned theme park and entertainment projects in China that it hopes will help it unseat Disney as the world's largest tourism operator. The companies are vying for dominance of China's $610 billion tourism industry, which the government predicts will double by 2020 amid a growing middle class.

"The non-Wanda characters were operated by individual stores within Wanda Mall. They do not represent Wanda," Wanda said in an statement Sunday in response to Bloomberg's queries. The company declined to comment on Disney being prepared to protect its intellectual property.

Tourism City

The Wanda Cultural Tourism City, spanning 2 square kilometers (200 hectares) in southeastern Jiangxi province, features a theme park, a movie park, an aquarium, hotels and retail stores, according to the company.Wanda said it expects the complex to attract 10 million people a year.

The people dressed as Snow White and Captain American were posing for pictures with visitors in a non-ticketed area of the complex.Stuffed animals resembling the characters Pokemon and DreamWorks' Kung Fu Panda were also seen on sale.

"There's more than a passing similarity between the costumes seen at Wanda's park and designs registered by Disney," said Via Law Corp. director Wang Yingyu, who is based in Singapore. "Legally, the bottom line is that the owner of a space is responsible for infringement that has occurred, unless they argue that they cannot exercise control over their tenants-- which would require thorough proof that they have done all they can to control the situation."

Disney is very protective of its intellectual property rights and might want to proceed with legal action as a matter of principle, she said. "The issue in China has always been that damages awarded for infringement are generally not high," she said.

Wang, who vies with Jack Ma for the title of China's richest person on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, had said he couldn't understand how Disney spent $5.5 billion on a park similar in scale to the Jiangxi province project, in an appearance on a China Central Television show. He also took shots at Disney's iconic characters and said the global media giant is "cloning previous products with no innovation."

Others have another take on the sightings of characters that resemble those of Disney's at the Wanda City park.

"The incident shows that Disney's intellectual property is so popular that shops use the characters as marketing," said Jennifer So, a Hong Kong-based tourism analyst at China Securities International. "Wanda doesn't have any IP to start with--their model is more of a property developer, not an entertainment company."

Tickets for the outdoor theme park at Wanda's Jiangxi project are priced at 198 yuan ($30) on most days and 248 yuan on holidays and weekends. That's about half the price of Shanghai Disneyland, which charges adults 370 yuan each for regular tickets and 499 yuan during peak days.

His career is growing in leaps and bounds and for that, he is being recognized for his hard work.

The only East African to be nominated for this year's BET awards, Diamond Platinumz will fight it out against other African music heavyweights. Also nominated in the Best International Act Africa is Yemi Alade and Wizkid from Nigeria, Black Coffee, Cassper Nyovest and AKA from South Africa, Mzvee from Ghana, and Serge Beynaud from Ivory Coast.

Unable to hide his excitement Diamond took to Facebook expressing his gratitude: 'Just wanted to thank you for your Major Support and let you know that I have been nominated for BET Awards as the Best international Act Africa,' he posted last week.

Many celebrities from the region have asked fans to vote for the talented artist including Kenya's very own Eric Omondi.

Modern dating. Boy no longer meets girl in class, at church or in the estate. They meet online; on social media and dating sites. After befriending each other, one of them, most likely the boy, will 'hit the inbox' or 'slide' into the DMs (Direct Messages) and the rest, as they say, is history.

What follows is a flurry of text messages or 'sexts'- you know, the provocative sexual messages, a ton of selfies and lo and behold! Boy and girl are in a relationship.

According to a recent study by market research company, Consumer Insight, more and more Kenyan youth are meeting their boyfriends and girlfriends online.

Out of the 1,300 youth interviewed, a whopping 88 per cent of the women said they had met someone online, while 73 per cent of the young men said they had met someone they liked online.

Did these romantic relationships blossom? Yes - 57 per cent out of the 88 per cent of men say their online-forged relationships flourished, while 47 per cent out of the 73 percent women say their relationships moved beyond chatting to each other online. Ruth Ruigu, Senior Research Manager at Consumer Insight, attributes this to the fact that the internet is really a bottomless pit should you settle on that channel to search for 'the one', as opposed to relying on the traditional channels of socialising.

"Simply put, there is higher success online because there are many people to interact with," says Ruth.

To also bear in mind is the fact that nowadays, young people spend most of their time online, so it makes sense that they would form their relationships online.

According to the report, contrary to popular belief, Kenyan youth really do value marriage and relationships. Most get married between 24-26 years, and prefer a religious wedding ceremony -- yes, Kenyan youth might come across as brash and reckless, but deep down, most of them want to settle down, have two children and live in a nice house with a white picket fence.

That said, since this group is online most of the time, it is usually easy to know when they are in relationships and who they are dating. For today's youth, an Instagram account is not complete without photos of a significant other, and will regularly tweet each other, using terms such as bae, and comment on their numerous Facebook photos in an effort to mark their territory.

When the boys are not claiming their girlfriends online through the popular trend, 'Woman Crush Wednesdays', the girls are blogging about their engagement and posting photos of bejewelled ring fingers captioned, "I said Yes."

But young people are not just hooking up on Facebook, more and more are turning to dating sites. The survey by Consumer Insight found that 11 per cent of young men and seven per cent of young women have used an online dating site. Popular dating sites among the youth in Kenya include Badoo, Mpenzi and Kenya Online Dating.

Though the research did not delve into the dangers that sometimes accompany relationships formed online, though the idea of meeting someone online and perhaps falling in love and getting married sounds romantic, many of these relationships do not end up well, especially if you conducted the relationship under the full glare of social media.

The fact is that relationships end and people move on. In between the melee and the heartbreak, the single most important thing you need to remember is that you need to come out in one piece. Not exactly smelling like roses, but you need to get out of that relationship (if it ends) with your dignity intact and your reputation untarnished.

Why reputation? Your reputation is all you have, so you have to guard it with your life. More so, in this age of the Internet. And the Internet never forgets.

So, how do you manoeuvre an online relationship?

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS

First things first. Whether you forge your relationship on an online dating site or meet someone special on social media, never reveal your sensitive personal information. While online dating services collect your data through forms, quizzes and questionnaires, social media collects your personal information through the pictures you post, information you volunteer and the sites you check in, for the perennial check-inners. Your online profile and your digital footprint are the key tenets of your online reputation, therefore, you must be very careful about what you post online.

Philip Ogola, a digital strategist and social media consultant, advises you to take your time before you post anything about your personal life online.

"The Internet never forgets. It always keeps a log of your actions, actions that will come back to haunt you. It is therefore important that you keep your private details private," he says.

By the way, did you know that data posted on the internet is regarded permanent after 20 minutes, even if you delete the file? Also, whatever information you post on a dating site, or on social media, is usually retained even if you cancel your account, fall in love, get married and move to the moon. Be careful about personal photos too. If you must post your pictures, restrain yourself from going overboard; keep the tiny bikini pictures to yourself.

It is also advisable that you have only a few pictures of yourself online; you do know that some people use other people's photographs for the wrong purposes, don't you?

BEWARE OF THE PITFALLS

"Online dating creates a shopping mentality, and that is probably not a particularly good way to go about choosing a mate," says Harry Reis, a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, New York, in an article in Psychology Today.

The shopping mentality refers to a situation where you are presented with an array of so many options, such that you have no idea where to start and whom to choose, making you to make the wrong dating decisions.

Bear this in mind therefore, as you scroll through those numerous websites. Once you settle on someone and form a rapport with that person, avoid giving minute-by-minute accounts of how the relationship is progressing. And by all means, control your emotions.

"Do not discuss your relationship on social media, no matter how angry or depressed you are, because people read a lot into your Facebook status and Tweets and make conclusions, which they can use against you," says Ogola.

There are also some Facebook groups that purport to help people with their relationship problems, only for you to end up posting your personal relationship problems for all to make fun of.

"Our Facebook friends and Twitter followers give us a false sense of comfort. That block thinking that everyone is on your side is not true," says Ogola.

The bottom line is, you need to check, cross check and verify the people you meet online before you commit to a relationship. We have heard cases of women getting into relationships with men who secretly photograph and film them, only to use the pictures and videos to blackmail them.

We have also had cases of jilted exes posting nudes of their previous partners online, in blogs and social media. Pray, how do you recover from this? Before you commit to someone you mostly interact with online, someone you have never, or rarely see, consider the pitfalls. If anything, in most cases, online dating tends to focus more on the physical attributes than the personality, and more often than not, one ends up getting disappointed.

DEATH BY SCREENSHOTS.

"I found that those who met their partners via online dating sites became romantically involved significantly sooner (an average of two-and-a-half months) than those who met in other ways (an average of one-and-a-half years).This suggests that online dating sites don't facilitate slowly finding love the way that we often do offline," says Gwendolyn Seidman on Psychology Today. Seidman is an associate professor of psychology at Albright College, and studies relationships and cyberpsychology.

She has a point.The thing with online dating is that there is so much pressure for the relationship to succeed, that sometimes we get involved with the wrong people. This is fueled by the fact that online dating is accelerated by profile photos and an online persona that is often the opposite of who we truly are.

A man sees a beautiful girl with a smoking hot profile photo and immediately wants to meet her and have something romantic with her, without necessarily wanting to know who she is beyond the beautiful picture.

There are a few fundamental questions you need to ask yourself as you take the plunge into the online dating pool.

Who are you texting? Whose DMs are you replying to and who is that are you talking to about your personal life on Facebook messenger?

Screenshots are usually proof of a conversation and can be used to embarrass you. Women screenshot your messages to their girlfriends and men screenshot your messages to their boys, just to have a good time.

If you question the motives of someone you have met online, keep your conversations general, and remember, when in doubt, listen to your instincts and pull away.

So much depends on your reputation; guard it with your life.

You stand the risk of damaging your reputation for good by what you post online. The information you shared online with that significant other, the nudes you sent them and all other sexually explicit stuff you shared will always come back to haunt you. And that's the good news.

The bad news is that most of the time, a damaged reputation is like a shadow, you have to learn to live with it. For the rest of your life.There are many documented cases where online reputations have cost people their jobs and even spouses.

Think hard therefore, before you send those nudes or agree to film yourself performing sexual acts.

HOW TO MANAGE AN ONLINE RELATIONSHIP

Be careful what you share with the stranger online. Have rigid, general and subtle responses and Facebook posts/tweets.

• Don't give them something to blackmail you with.

• If you finally decide to meet, meet in a public place, during the day, and let a friend know where you are.

• Never take nudes, and better still, never send them to anyone.
• And sextapes too. These are silly decisions you are likely to regret later.
• Avoid those discreet groups where people share their names and numbers looking to date. They are not only creepy, but dangerous too.
• Your profile photo: It says volumes about you, and what you are looking for. Your profile photo should say that you respect yourself.
• Don't ever share intimate issues with a friend on social media messaging apps. People hack these sites, and you will be surprised what they can do with your personal information.
• Finally, not everyone is happy that you seem happy, so try and restrain yourself from posting your happy moments on social media.

KEEP YOUR RELATIONSHIP OFF SOCIAL MEDIA

Philip Ogola, a digital strategist, thinks that relationships should not be on social media altogether. He believes relationships and social media should not mix, and that all relationships are great, until social media finds out about them.

"Do not invite us to your bedroom. Some things are best left to text messages between couples. Never display your affection on social media, don't throw your private life on our faces. Once you bring emotions on social media, that will be the beginning of your downfall," he promises.

He believes that many couples flaunt their relationship on social media to show off, and it is no wonder therefore that they fall prey to the mtaachana tu (you will split up eventually) squad of envious friends that will be waiting for your breakup with screenshots of all the lovey dovey Facebook updates you used to send when things worked, to worsen your heartbreak.

"Don't take pictures just for show. If you love somebody, keep it under wraps. Do not feed people ammunition to bring you down. People love to read, analyse and dissect your social media status. Don't give them something to work with," he says.

NAIROBI, Kenya -- Not many musicians can boast they've made U.S. President Barack Obama get up and groove to their tunes. But Kenya's Afro-pop band, Sauti Sol, did just that.

Obama, whose father hails from a village in western Kenya, put his heritage on full display at a state dinner in Kenya last July when he boogied down to the traditional Lipala dance that the band revived with their hit song "Sura Yako."

"Singing and dancing with the world's most powerful man was incredible," said Bien-Aime Baraza, a vocalist for the four-man band. "He really was feeling us. It was wonderful for Kenya."

A savvy mix of catchy tunes, appealing looks and social media promotion has brought success to Sauti Sol, Swahili for voices in the sun. The band has worked to make traditional East African music cool again, said Rand Pearson, who runs Nairobi's hip monthly, UP Magazine.

"I first remember seeing Sauti Sol in a dingy Nairobi club 10 years ago. My first impression was that finally there it was, a modern pop version of Kenyan music," he said, crediting the band's growth internationally to "visionary management, styling and its ever-evolving musical talent."

Sauti Sol's have won a number of international awards including the All African Music Awards Best African Group in 2015 and MTV's Best African Act.

Pop music is big in Africa, where there are more than 200 million in the 15-to-24 year age group. It is also big business. The entertainment and media industries of Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya together will grow to be worth $24 billion in 2018, according to a 2014 report by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The band recently toured Kenya and performed in South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique.

In November last year Sauti Sol launched their latest album "Live and Die in Afrika" free on their website, the first Kenyan album to be released online. The demand was so high that the site crashed and soon it was offered on the website of Safaricom, East Africa's biggest mobile-phone operator with more than 25 million subscribers.

"This is testament to the fact that an increasing number of users in this market are using high speed data connectivity to access a whole new world of entertainment," said Bob Collymore, CEO of Safaricom,

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta booked the band for his inauguration in 2013. "He definitely likes our music. We've even played at his last private birthday party," said Savara Mudigi, drummer, vocalist and producer for the band.

The band, whose members grew up in modest conditions in Nairobi, are now gaining fame across the continent. Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama invited Sauti Sol to play at the West African country's national holiday in March.

Social media is one of the main driving forces propelling Sauti Sol to African and worldwide audiences, according to band manager Marek Fuchs.

"Cheaper handsets and data plans have allowed the fans to be continuously in touch with the group and we strive to give them a dynamic and interactive story to follow every day," he said.

Sauti Sol has a dedicated social media team who, along with the band members themselves, run campaigns on Twitter and Facebook, competitions on Instagram, instrument tutorials, Q&As and behind-the-scenes snippets on Snapchat and YouTube.

"We also have to adjust our strategy to fit the local context, language and time zones. It is a balancing act between posting for our traditional Kenyan base, our pan-African and worldwide fan base in different time zones," he said.

Willis Austin Chimano, a vocalist, said this strategy is new for Africa.

"You've got to get with the times. More and more Africans are online, on their phones, using social media and that's where we are," he said.

Despite their international successes Sauti Sol remain with their feet firmly on Kenyan soil. The band members say their latest album is an ode to loving and loathing the good and bad of Kenya and the continent.

Drummer Mudigi said the band members get angry when they see corruption, poverty and violence in Kenya and Africa. "But the message is that we are happy to be where we are," he said. "Being in Africa and making a living out of this wonderful continent of ours."

How was it like growing up

I grew up in Mathare 3C in Nairobi Kenya.I am the third-born in a family of five, but I lost my two elder brothers. I dropped out of school in class three, since my parents couldn't afford my school fees. To survive, I collected charcoal and sold it in paper bags. Life was tough, but I had to make ends meet. It was a do-or-die situation.

How did you end up being a DJ?

From a tender age, I loved music. I admired how DJs mixed music and always danced to their beats. It was a fascination. I would spend most of my nights in reggae sessions in town. In 2002,an entertainment group in Mathare hired me as a deejay.We travelled across the country playing reggae music in clubs and other events.

At some point, you were a criminal. What exactly happened?

During the reggae sessions in the 1990s, I turned to crime. I remember praying before going out to rob people. Most of my friends were shot dead and I was lucky I escaped. The most memorable incident was in 2000. A pal of mine with whom we had started a movie library and barber shop was arrested by police and has not been seen to date. I don't know what happened to him.

How did you lose your left hand?

My life took a turnaround after the hotly contested 2007 presidential elections. I was entertaining revellers at a club in Kisumu when a group of rowdy youths stormed in and attempted to kill me claiming we had stolen their victory. I was rescued by the club owner, and for four days, I locked myself in the house until a neighbour helped me catch a bus to Nairobi. I arrived at Mathare on January 12, 2008, only to find my relatives had been displaced and were residing at a camp outside the airforce base in Mathare.

What transpired later?

On January 17, after the tension had eased, we decided to go and pick our household items. We encountered a group of over 15 armed men who had cornered a woman and were raping her in turns. I stoned them to get them off the woman, but unknown to me, others had laid ambush behind us. One of them aimed a sharp panga at my neck, and when he made to slash me, I blocked it with my arm, which was sliced by the sharp panga and fell on the ground. I dashed towards the camp and was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital by the military personnel.

Then what happened?

I was hospitalised for like a month. The hospital was overburdened. My hand was amputated. When my mum and younger sisters went to pick the chopped arm, they broke down. My friend took it as my mother removed the wrist watch. I was told the government took it for burial, but I doubt that. Why didn't they involve us in that burial? I suspect it is somewhere in a learning institution.

How was the healing process?

My family was there for me. The support I got was immense. It was tough and some days, I just wanted to be alone.My current wife (Anne Mwihaki) was very supportive after my ex--wife took off. A friend catered for my medication and paid for my surgery at no cost. I recovered fully, but was jobless and nobody wanted to hire me.They said they could not trust a one--handed deejay.

LOWELL, MA--Several thousand Africans immigrants and friends from the city of Lowell, other neighboring cities in Massachusetts as well as from far flung regions such as New Jersey congregated at the renowned Sampas Pavilion along Pawtucket Boulevard--on the banks of the Merrimack river-- to celebrate the 16^th edition of the increasingly popular Lowell African Festival last Saturday June 18.

According to many festival goers interviewed by Ajabu Africa News, the Lowell African Festival is the best African cultural festival anywhere held anywhere in the entire Diaspora, providing a picture perfect scenario for children, youth adults and senior citizens to mingle as they remember their African heritage.

Business vendors also reported roaring business with food being the fastest moving product, including the Liberian Cassava leaf and the Kenyan Nyama Choma (roast goat meat).Other items on sale included a wide variety of arts and crafts, and African inspired clothing, jewelry, as well as professional services.

The event was graced by the mayor of Lowell, Edward J. Kennedy Jr. and a battery of other local civic and spiritual leaders.

The event has always been organized by the African Cultural Association, a non-profit organization that seeks to promote the African culture and heritage in the rapidly expanding immigrant gateway city.

According to Zoe Kamara, one of the organizers, the African Cultural Association is urging more Africans to volunteer to organize future events for the benefit of the current and future generations.

"We are looking for more organizers and sponsors. This event makes all of us happy, so if you would like to help us organize, please contact us through our website, www.Lowell African Festival.org," Kamara told Ajabu African News, the leading African Diaspora News organization in the region.

The event was co-hosted by Monica Swaida, a renowned African entreprenuer, actress and music entertainer in Lowell together with Eric Chu, a renowned dancer.

On the Net:www.Lowell African Festival.org

MORE PICS COMING SOON, BUT CATCH THE HIGHLY ENTERTAINING ACTION FROM VIDEO BELOW

SALISBURY, MA__In the calming ocean breeze on a Sunday evening August 21, the self proclaimed "One Woman Man King" defied age to put up a spectacular reggae music performance to the delight of his crowd--a show that also challenged his fanss, fitness at the popular Blue Ocean Music Hall and Resort in Salisbury MA, several miles north of Boston.

Among the fans present included hordes of Kenyans from different cities around the New England region.

Can you spell the word Zungguzungguguzungguzeng?

Winston Forster, popularly known as King Yellowman, the reggae legend who brought us the classic dancehall hits such as, "Still Be a Lady", the labyrinthine title 'Zungguzungguguzungguzeng' among other great hits, took the stage dressed in athletic attire complete with jogging shoes.

At first, fans were skeptical of the relatively unusual gear for a musician on stage.

However the skepticism didn't last long, for as soon as he took the mic, Yellowman swung into action with vigorous dance moves full of impressive footwork and athletic jumping.

Kenyan fans of different age groups who swarmed the show from different cities in the region could be spotted everywhere among the huge crowd at the already sold out King Yellowman concert.

One contingent of Kenyan fans that had driven all the way from Lowell and the surrounding cities, had no choice than to wait in line for extended period of time, in order to secure box office tickets to the event, as the regular tickets had been sold out.

This came as no surprise to a majority of Kenyans who are notoriously known to wait and scrabble for tickets at the last minute at the gate, rather than secure them well in advance online.

Kenyans among other fans at the Yellowman concert in Salisbury, MA. PIC BY MOSES MATHENGE/AJABU AFRICAN NEWS

Halfway into his performance, Yellowman paused to introduce his youthful daughter K'reema Foster, a fast rising reggae artist, hoping to fill the large shoes her already very popular dancehall reggae father.

"Please join me in welcoming my beautiful daughter K'reema on stage," he said.

The crowd of fans didn't let him down. A sustained applause was overly amplified throughout her maiden appearance on stage for the night.

There was no doubt that K'reema, though in the early stages of her reggae music career, has won the hearts of her fans, for she continued to receive a loud applause every time she stepped back on stage to perform.

There was a right moment when the bassist suddenly insisted on taking a quick unscheduled break, perhaps to answer the call of nature, prompting King Yellowman to hold his performance while waiting for the bassist to return on stage.

Upon the bassist return,Yellowman psyched the fans to vote by acclamation on whether he (Yellowman) should kick his (bassist) butts. He engaged the bassist in a mock fight before turning to the fans to seek opinion.

"I really wonna kick his butt! Do you want me to?" he jokingly inquired.

"If you want me to kick his butts, can I hear you say Yeees!" He continued, "If you want me to spare him, can you say Nooo!" .

The crowd was in favor of "No", saving the bassist from the "butt kicking". The performance continued without a hitch.

In a brief interview with Ajabu Africa News, K'reema learnt more of her father's great reception and performance in Kenya (late 80's).

Suddenly as it dawned on her how father's popularity had drawn a huge presence of enthusiastic Kenyans to the show as seen in the crowd, K'reema Yellowman said she will definitely consider Kenya for a near future concert performance.

After the show, Kenyans and other fans congregated over a late dinner snacks just outside the concert hall.

Many could be heard  wondering and discussed how, the otherwise senior artiste exhibited  and maintained strength, vigor, and athleticism, throughout the show that lasted over four hours something that his way younger revelers could not match.

In an interview during the Waterfront Reggae Festival in Rhode Island last year, Yellowman told Ajabu Africa News that he gives thanks to God everyday for healing him from a devastating cancer that had attacked his face, prompting massive invasive surgery that left his face disfigured over 20 years ago.

"I give thanks to the almighty Lord every day. He healed me from cancer," the reggae maestro revealed.

Kenyans at the Yellowman concert in Salisbury, MA. PIC BY MOSES MATHENGE/AJABU AFRICAN NEWS

Kenyans at the Yellowman concert in Salisbury, MA. PIC BY MOSES MATHENGE/AJABU AFRICAN NEWS

BOSTON--Close to 3,500 members of the Ugandan community from across the globe have converged in Boston for a 3 day annual Ugandan North American Association convention attended by Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, main Opposition leader, Dr. Kizza Bessigye, 70 members of Uganda Parliament, Musicians, religion leaders and business entrepreneurs.

The massive event that started Friday is taking place at the Boston Park Plaza hotel and ends tonight with a gala dinner reception tonight featuring speeches, cultural music entertainment and a fashion show.

The event has attracted thousands of Ugandans from many parts of USA, Canada, Europe, Uganda and elsewhere whoi have brought in major business impact in Boston. The Ugandans have paid about $170 a person for event registration, creating roaring business for Uber and cab drivers as they tour the city and patronize entertainment joints in and around downtown Boston.

"I am very happy to be in Boston for this great event. I am very excited to see our people organizing such an all inclusive event," said Dr. Bessigye, the opposition leader who billed by many as the world's most imprisoned man due to his political activities while speaking to Ajabu Africa News.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS STORY. CHECK BACK LATER FOR DETAILS.

(AJABU AFRICAN NEWS, Thursday, September 8, 2016 ) BOSTON__A colorful Ugandan North American Association (UNAA) convention in Boston wrapped up Sunday with revelations that the organization plans to launch day care centers to ease the burden on Ugandan Diaspora parents struggling with tight work schedules.

Making the announcement, UNAA president, Monday S. Atigo also thanked the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, for a $50,000 cash donation the government of Uganda presented to the organization that brings together Ugandans living in USA, Canada, United Kingdom and the motherland through various local affiliate associations and communities.

The Speaker had led a battery of over 23 Members of Ugandan Parliament to the 3 day convention that was also attended by Ugandan Ambassador to the US, Oliver Wonekha, Government Chief Whip, Hon, Justine Kasule and Opposition leader, Dr. Kizza Besigye, who has been gaining popularity the world over for his frequent arrests and imprisonments by the government for his sustained political activities.

Atigo said that as UNAA grows in size and scope, it has decided to embark on real programs that will improve the standard of living in the community, starting with day care centers in cities that host significant populations of Ugandan nationals.

"The community daycare centers will be of big help to many parents who cannot find enough time to be together at home and who have to exchange kids as they switch shifts,"

Speaker of the Uganda Parliamennt, Hon. Rebecca Kadaga (in black-center), during the closing night of the 2016 Ugandan North American Association (UNAA) Convention at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston. AJABU AFRICA IMAGE/H.MAINA

The UNAA president added that the funds recently donated by the Ugandan government to the organization had been disbursed to the various UNAA affiliations in different states and was already causing a positive impact.

"Madam Speaker, on behalf of the entire UNAA community, I would like to thank you for the donation of $50,000 that your office sent to this organization. I can assure you the money was received and disbursed to various local chapters serving Ugandan communities in various states."

Among the local chapters that received the donations were the Ugandan Community Association of Dallas, Ugandan Community Association of California, Ugandan Community Association of Atlanta, and the Ugandan Community in Seattle among others.

The UNAA president also said that the organization was constantly trying to improve its services to the Diaspora community and has already contracted a renowned attorney to deal with legal issues of all members at a heavily negotiated price.

He added that other members of the community not signed up for UNAA membership can also access the same legal services from the contract attorney, but will have to pay a much higher price.

"You do the math. Compare the amount of money you will spend to join UNAA and the benefits you get against the amount of money you will have to pay to get the same services as a non member," challenged Atigo, a resident of Dallas, TX.

Key Note Speaker, Major Dr. Lukia Mulumba

He thanked members of the local UNAA chapter in Boston for putting together a spectacular and well organized event.

Members of the community willing to join the umbrella organization get access to various services including legal help, discounted convention registration and hotel booking fees, as well free Trade and Investment Forums, workshops and corporate receptions.

Delivering a keynote speech, Major Dr. Lukia Mulumba, a Ugandan national serving as a major in the US Army, from where she founded the US- Uganda Sicklecell foundation after her daughter won a difficult battle to recover from the disease called on a few other Ugandans in USA who have been fighting to destabilize the community organization by forming a separate entity to join the rest of the community for stronger unity.

"Twenty years ago, during a labor summer barbeque by several Ugandan friends in Atlanta, Georgia, the idea of UNAA came up. Who knew it would grow to bring together so many people as you can see here tonight," said Major Dr. Mulumba, a highly accomplished Clinical Nurse Practitioner who published a paper of Sickle-Cell disease in Africa.

"As we are sitting here tonight, another meeting is talking place in Los Angeles. We don't need that. We want to be under one umbrella association for a stronger and need a more united community," she lamented.

She also urged Ugandans in the Diaspora to put their talents to work to solve various problems that are facing their motherland since they stood a better chance to do it due to the exposure they have gained while living and working in the West.

The highly entertaining convention ended with a fashion show where two Kampala based fashion designers paraded their prowess by bringing their sewing machines on the stage from where they held a live competition aimed at producing a wearable dress in 10 minutes or under.

Hundreds of bewildered guests watched in disbelief as the two designers cut material and sewed a dress each within the slotted time limit, then putting them on two models that had stood by patiently waiting for the dresses, to the delight of the cheering crowd.

Fashion designers from Kampala in a live competition to make dresses from scratch to clothe models waiting in the background during the closing night of the 2016 Ugandan North American Association (UNAA) Convention at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston. AJABU AFRICA IMAGE/H.MAINA

The 3 day convention brought together over 3,500 Ugandans and their friends to Boston, among them Kenyan and American citizens. It was sponsored by over a dozen business organizations including Equity Bank and Postbank, Umeme, as well as UNAA member contributions.

And in keeping up with their culture, the Ugandans managed to cut a deal with the Park Plaza Hotel which allowed them to bring in their traditional delicacies for dinner including Matoke, Chapati, Ugali, Fish, Cassava and more in order to customize the regular American dinner buffet offered to Ugandan tastes.

Revelers also overwhelmed the local Boston cruise ship operators who could not cope with the overbooked demand.

Only one boat was available for about 600 Ugandans, leaving many more disappointed for the several cruise outings planned on Saturday night.

Models doning outfits designed live on stage hit the runway during the closing night of the 2016 Ugandan North American Association (UNAA) Convention at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston. AJABU AFRICA IMAGE/H.MAINA

"It was a great 3 days here in Boston. This was an amazing event and we had a lot of fun. I am glad made the journey form Kampala to Boston just for this," said one very excited trader from Kampala.

Renowkned Ugandan Community Mcee, Chales Muvawala moderated the proceedings during the closing gala night.

According to organizers, the 2017 convention will take place in Miami Florida during the same Labor Day weekend as usual.
 

DAMASCUS, MD__The promised Diaspora policy to have Kenyans in North America wishing to relocate back home import second hand, right hand drive cars duty free from any country of the world is now ready and active, the Kenyan Ambassador to the US told over 1000 Kenyans gathered at the Damascus Recreational Center in Damascus, Maryland Saturday during the 53rd Jamhuri Day celebrations held one week after the official 12 December day due to work schedules for the majority of Diaspora based nationals.

At the same time, Ambassador Robinson Githae said that he was pleased to work with the State Department in the Obama administration to expand the amount of time Kenyan students got for visas when coming to study in the USA from the previous 2 years to now 5 year Visas.

"I engaged the State Department and they agreed to increase the period from 2 year to 5 years. The promise that President Uhuru gave to the Diaspora last year for second hand importation of cars duty free is also ready. All you have to do now is show us proof of purchase of the car and proof of a sale agreement which can then be used to process the waiver of duty in Kenya when you import a second hand car. But you have to be moving back to Kenya permanently to take advantage of this," Githae said during the event also attended by former US Ambassador to Kenya, Michael Rannenberger among other dignitaries.

Githae added the Government of Kenya has also worked very hard to satisfy stringent airport security conditions set by the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) required for the upgrade of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to category A, which would allow the National carrier o fly direct to the US.

R to L: Ambassador Njeru Githae, his wife, Alice Githae and Ruth Konchella, wife to the former US Ambassador to Kenya, Michael Rannemberger. AJABU MEDIA PIC/H.MAINA

"We have done everything required by FAA. Now we are just waiting for clearance and the go ahead to start the direct flights," he told Kenyans and guests to loud applause.

"This will enable us to import our flowers direct to this market instead of going through Europe where they are auctioned off. We will also be able to send ore visitors to Kenya as the cost will become significantly lower than it is now. There are a lot of benefits here as the trade between the two countries will increase," he added.

Indicating that the Embassy wants to see all Kenyans in the Diaspora succeed at what they are doing, Githae however urged Kenyans to obey the laws of the United States to avoid any unnecessary crashed with the law.

He advised that although the majority of Kenyans in the USA are documented, there are a few whose documents have since expired and should therefore avoid engaging in any unlawful activities that might draw unwanted attention to themselves.

"There is no Kenyan who came to America illegally. There is no way a Kenyan can come here illegally. In fact, Kenyans have to cross two oceans to get here," stressed the envoy.

Githae thanked the former US Ambassador to Kenya, Michael Rannenberger for attending the Jamhuri day celebrations, the envoy urged Kenyans in the Diaspora to respect their culture and the culture of their host countries so as to get along well with natives in the communities they live in.

"Even the Ambassador here had to pay some cows and goats to comply with the Maasai culture in order for him to be allowed to get the love of his wife. You have to respect the culture and laws of the country you live in," he said while thanking Rennemberger's wife, Elizabeth Rannenberger who was also present at the event for brining the renowned ambassador closer to home.

Former US Ambassador to the US, Michael Rannenberger with is Kenyan wife from the Maasai tribe during the 53rd Jamhuri day celebrations in Damascus, MD. AJABU MEDIA PIC/H.MAINA

He also said that the Government of Kenya was doing everything it can to enable Kenyans in the Diaspora take part in next year's General elections in the motherland as a way to thank them for the massive amounts of remittances they send back home that played a huge role supporting the economy.

"There is no other way to thank you for your contribution other than to allow you to vote. It's the least the Government can do for the Diaspora."

He said that the IEBC was already making preparations to kick start voter registration in the Diaspora in the next few months.

However, during a post event interview with Ajabu Africa News seeking clarification on whether Diaspora voter registration centers would be located closer to the cities where majority of Kenyans resided to avoid making long trips just to cast a vote, the ambassador said that the embassy has no control on the activities of the IEBC and would only await guidelines and instructions when the preparations are ready.

Githae sought to reassure Kenyans in the Diaspora that the security of their personal information that they will provide to the IEBC would be secure and no one in the Diaspora should worry about leakage or misuse of their information.

He pledged the embassy's continued efforts to issue new ID cards to Kenyans as will as the new 10 year passport after the discontinuation of the older 5 year one.

Kenyan-American children from the DMV area dance to Kenyan patriotic songs during the 53rd Annual jamhuri Day celebrations in Damascus, MD.AJABU MEDIA PIC/H. MAINA

During the colorful event, several Kenyan Diaspora performers entertained the large crowd. Among them included Kanja King, a popular musician from the Washington DMV area as well as several children dance performers.

The event also saw over 20 Kenyans receive recognition awards for their selfless service to the Kenyan community in USA as well as assisting the embassy with some tasks when ever called upon.

The recognition awards spanned across various categories including service providers, embassy staff, entertainers, community leaders, digital media, where Ajabu Media was among other award recipients.

"This is just the first time we are giving out recognition awards to some of you who have assisted community and the embassy whenever called upon. They are primarily from this area but we also have a few from other states far away. As from next year, we are planning to give awards that cover the entire USA and have people vote their nominees to received awards," Ambassador Githae told guests.

The event was coordinated by Freddy Muroki from the local Washington Maryland Kenyan community (DMV area) as the masters of ceremonies with a staff member from the Kenya Embassy helping in the award giving ceremony.

Guests to the colorful and highly entertaining celebration were treated to a sumptuous Kenyan traditional cuisine and a wide variety of drinks served by the fast growing Swahili Village restaurant located in the Beltsville area of Maryland.

"Kenya is my second home and this event makes me feel like I am home. The Embassy has done a tremendous job putting this event together," said Michael Rannenberger, the former US Ambassador who also revealed that he splits his time between his US home in Tampa Bay Florida and Kenya during an interview with Ajabu Media.

"We were very happy to have been chosen to serve Kenyans with food here tonight.This was a great honor for us and we fell very lucky. We were pleased to serve our own Kenyans and we also appreciated the recognition award given to us," said Kevin Onchana, founder and CEO of Swahili Village.

Kevin Onchana, President & CEO of the Swahili Village Kenyan cuisine restaurant in Beltville, MD poses with the Ambassador after receiving a recognition award for is service to the community. AJABU MEDIA PIC/H.MAINA

Other Kenyans who attended the event expressed joy and satisfaction with the organizers who they praised for doing a great job.

"This was a fantastic Jamhuri day. This is what we expect and I am looking forward to the one next year," said Mohammed Warsame, a Kenyan of Somali origin who had traveled all the way from Minneapolis, Minnesota with a friend.

"I liked it. Everything seemed well organized and in place. It was very inspiring," said Silvia Mumbua from Washington DC.

The event that had started around 4pm amid bad weather that hit the Maryland area on Saturday ended around midnight, with many Kenyans shifting to the Swahili Village for an after party till 3am, the official closing time for entertainment joints in Maryland.

Miss. Kenya USA 2016 from Oregon receives a recognition award.AJABU MEDIA PIC/H.MAINA

Kenyan men cool down with drinks courtesy of the Kenya Embassy.AJABU MEDIA PIC/H.MAINA

A Kenyan model from Seattle receives a recognition award.AJABU MEDIA PIC/H.MAINA

Harrison Maina , CEO of Ajabu Media with Ambassador Rannenberger.PIC BY COURTESY

Kanja King receives a recognition award. AJABU MEDIA PIC/H.MAINA

Warsame from Minnesota receives an award.AJABU MEDIA PIC/H.MAINA

Freddy Muroki from Maryland receives an award.AJABU MEDIA PIC/H.MAINA

A section of the staff from Swahili Village.AJABU MEDIA PIC/H.MAINA

Kenya's Evelyn Njambi Thungu was among the five finalist of 66th edition of Miss World 2016 pageant held this year in the United States.

Puerto Rico's Stephanie Del Valle was crowned Miss World 2016 on Sunday, winning the top prize.

The 19--year--old law and communications student said it was an "honour and a great responsibility" to represent her country.

The first runner--up was Yaritza Miguelina Reyes Ramirez of the Dominican Republic, followed by second runner--up Natasha Mannuela from Indonesia.

Another top five finalist was Catriona Elisa Gray from the Philippines.

Contestants from more than 100 countries took part in the Miss World beauty pageant, held at National Harbor near Washington, D.C.

Njambi replaced Roshanara Ebrahim who was dethroned due to a breach of the Miss World franchise's "code of conduct". Njambi was the first runner--up to the Miss World Kenya 2016.

The 23 year--old interior design student at Maseno University is the reigning Miss World Kenya, Kiambu County 2016.

During her reign as Miss World Kenya Kiambu, she engaged in various activities for her county, including supporting children to access quality education.

She has worked with the Red Cross Chapter in Kiambu to donate text books and uniforms to children, as well as sanitary towels to girls.

Accepting the prestigious title then, Evelyne said, "I am excited to be Miss World Kenya 2016; the journey ahead is tough with such a short time, but I appeal to the public to support me both towards my international competition and my Beauty with a Purpose project of advocating against Female Genital Mutilation in our beautiful country."

BOSTON__The impact of the recent immigration developments in USA and the looming new taxation by the government of Kenya of nationals living and working abroad will be thoroughly discussed during the 3rd Annual Boston Kenyan Festival planned for next week, Saturday April 15 with the Boston Marathon taking place on Monday April 17.

The event, organized by a group of patriotic Kenyans in conjunction with the New England Kenyan Association will take place at the Anthony's Lounge, a popular event and catering hosting venue located in Malden, about 10 miles from Downtown Boston.

Kenyan immigration attorneys Charles Wanjohi and Mueni Muli opf Wanjohi & Muli law firm will be on hand to update Kenyans on the current immigration developments where recent reports indicate increased deportation procedures to immigrants with expired immigration documents including some in the process of streamlining their stay.

Immigration actions also have a big impact on Kenyans with proper documents as families face separation and other negative social impacts.

Speaking to Ajabu Africa News, attorney Wanjohi said that many people in USA are experiencing a lot of changes and confusion on the immigration front, most of which has been fuelled by a lot of misinformation leading to great fears and uncertainty.

As a result, according to Wanjohi, it is extremely crucial for all Kenyan immigrants in USA to learn the accurate position of the immigration laws and what changes have come into place.

"For those not in legal statuses, there is critical information you need to arm yourself with and also to know the pitfalls to avoid at this time of heightened immigration enforcement. For those in legal status, one needs to know the best ways to maintain and understand the many benefits that are freely available for such."

Wanjohi said that credible and reliable immigration information sometimes comes at a high premium making the Boston Kenyan festival a great opportunity for all interested Kenyans to avail themselves without fear of marginalization or any repercussions.

"Immigration consultation tends to be very costly, therefore everyone should take advantage of any available forum discussing immigration issues especially where you can get a chance to consult an experienced attorney one on one at no cost," he added.

In September 2014, Wanjohi and Mueni conducted an immigration seminar in partnership with Nekwa at the Lodge of Elks in Lowell where many Kenyans from different backgrounds and cities around Boston showed up for crucial information as a free service to the community.

At the same time, many Kenyans in the Diaspora have been shocked to learn of the intended taxation by the Kenya government of all Kenyans living and working abroad as the government plans to increase its tax base to raise funds to finance the 2017 budget.

According to media reports citing the Kenyan cabinet Secretary  for National treasury, the government of Kenya plans to raise Ksh300 billion ($3 billion) by taxing income generated by individuals, businesses and properties held abroad, to finance part of its Ksh2.6 trillion budget in the 2017/2018 fiscal year.

The new, far reaching measures are expected to be operational at the end of this year, starting November 2017, with artists, consultants, auditing forms, footballers and athletes like those who take part at the Boston marathon being some of the prime targets.(Recap here:Kenyans making money abroad get one-year tax amnesty)

However, the move has generated concerns from many Kenyans in the Diaspora that fear the new move would amount to double taxation of the same people who pay taxes to the US government on the same income that the Kenya government is targeting.

"This is something worth our meeting and discussing as a community in the Diaspora. We need more information about how this will be implemented and how it will affect our Diaspora remittances that go to help our loved ones back home. We could end up paying double taxes while we are getting very little or nothing back from the government of Kenya to our children in USA," said George Kamau of Quincy.

In addition to discussions on how to effectively react to government changes beyond their control, Kenyans also plan to use the opportunity to discuss ways to improve much needed trust and unity among the growing community in the region where divisions based on religious and tribal lines has reached alarming levels.

For more than 30 years of existence in the Diaspora, Kenyans in Boston have been bogged down with multi-layered divisions that force people to assemble in small, non-cohesive and perennially infighting groups all fighting to outdo each other for dominance and control.

However, many in the community feel that it is time for rational, well meaning community members let by young Kenyans who find it easier to adpt to changing situations to put their differences aside to genuinely combine efforts to build a cohesive community capable of solving many social problems utilizing modern technological and social trends.

"I agree we should all come together and build our community in one accord. I will avail myself to cover the event," said Anthony Thuo of ThuoThuo studios during an interview with Ajabu Media.Similar calls for unity were made by Sam Mwaura of Samrack media and Joe Kangethe of Kali Radio.

The event will feature gospel performances by Diaspora based Evangelist Charity Maina of Lowell, Generation Esther Leviticus Worshippers, a young girls ministry dance group based at the Christ is the Answer Church, as well as general entertainment by popular Kenyan DJ Yard.

"It's a good thing for us Kenyans to meet in this kind of a community wide event that showcases our Kenyan culture especially during the marathon time where our runners bring so much fame to our country. Let us come together and be proud of our culture," urged DJ Yard

Other Kenyans praised organizers for hosting this year's event in the city of Malden which was the main base for the organization of the Kenyan community in New England with the establishment of the first event Kenyan church, the St. Paul's Community church when later on disintegrated due to irreconcilable differences.

With the Easter holiday being celebrated on the same weekend starting with good Friday and Easter Sunday, many Kenyans in the region hope that the special moment in many Christians calendar can help Kenyans in Boston reflect of the impact of their divisions and use the opportunity to resurrect dead community relations as they celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ himself.

"This is good that for the first time we will have a Kenyan event in Malden. Many Kenyans have never been to Malden and this is a good opportunity for them to come and meet other Kenyans here," said Pastor Peter Maina of the PEFA church based in Malden.

According to organizers, guests will be treated to a full course buffet dinner meal including an ethnic side dish of popular Nyama Choma (goat meat) in addition to the expected entertainment. Organizers are also hoping Kenyan elite marathon runners will be able to attend the celebrations before the main Boston marathon race on Monday April 17.

Tickets to the event are going for $40 a person with kids below 15 years going for free.

"This is a very reasonable price for an event of this kind of importance especially where the kids eat for free. We spend much more to attend other events like weddings, baby showers and fundraisers where you cannot get the kind of free information to be provided at the Boston Kenyan festival. It’s a very small fee to invest in efforts to build our community," said many organizing committee members aWhatsApp group created for planning purposes.

However, due to the strict requirements by the lost, ticket sales that have been going on for the last two weeks will end this Monday April 10 at 6pm in order to establish the number of expected guests for food and logistical planning.

Kenyans willing to support community building efforts are urged to make their reservations via an online Eventbrite link here (Boston Kenyan Festival)or via Square Cash App using the cashtag:John Bret Giathi:857-891-5524

Roger Moore, the handsome English actor who appeared in seven films as James Bond and as Simon Templar on "The Saint" TV series, has died in Switzerland after a short battle with cancer. He was 89.

His family issued an announcement on Twitter: "It is the heaviest of hearts, we must share the awful news that our father, Sir Roger Moore, passed away today. We are all devastated."

Moore appeared in more official Bond pics than his friend Sean Connery over a longer period of time, and while Connery's fans were fiercely loyal, polls showed that many others favored Moore's lighter, more humorous take on 007.

In 1972, Moore was asked to join Her Majesty's Secret Service. He took on the mantle of 007 for 1973's "Live and Let Die," which would lead to six more turns as England's top spy. In addition to reviving the franchise at the B.O. after waning prospects at the end of Connery's run, the new James Bond relied on more humor in stories that cranked up the camp.

Moore as Bond began to shake off the Connery comparisons and pick up speed after 1977's "The Spy Who Loved Me" launched the series into super-blockbuster status, raking in $185.4 million worldwide. Next up, the outer space-traveling "Moonraker" (1979) cumed $202 million and 1981's "For Your Eyes Only" took $194 million.

"Octopussy" (1983) marked a downward turn in the franchise's fortunes, with B.O. of $183.7 million, and 1985's "A View to a Kill" saw the actor ready to surrender his license to kill, taking in a little over $150 million.

The young actor came to the U.S. in 1953. MGM signed him to a contract and he received supporting work on several pictures. He played a tennis pro in 1954's "The Last Time I Saw Paris," with Elizabeth Taylor. The role was one of several in the '50s that hinged on his tall, athletic good looks. He would often play royalty or military characters.

Moore had his first taste of smallscreen stardom from 1956-58 as the lead, Sir Winfred, in ITV's "Ivanhoe." While still drawing film roles, he would continue to star in TV programs, following "Ivanhoe" with short-lived ABC Western "The Alaskans" and replacing James Garner in "Maverick" in 1960-61 (Moore played British cousin Beau Maverick). By the time he arrived on "Maverick," its popularity was waning, but Moorewon over the cast and crew with his good humor and charm, on-set qualities for which the actor would be known throughout his career.

In 1962, Moore began playing one of the roles that would define his celebrity, dashing thief Simon Templar, who would steal from rich villains each week on "The Saint." The show ran 118 episodes, transitioning from B&W to color and finally wrapping in 1969. The British skein initially ran in syndication in the States but was part of NBC's prime time schedule from 1967-69.

Stories would feature exotic locales, beautiful women and plenty of action, elements shared with the big screen tales about a certain British spy of the era. Ironically, it was the "Saint" contract that prevented Moore from competing for the role of 007 when Sean Connery was cast in 1962's "Dr. No."

Moore returned to the big screen with a pair of forgettable thrillers in '69 and '70. Despite having sworn off TV, he was subsequently lured back for "The Persuaders." The show, which featured Moore and Tony Curtis as millionaire playboy crime-fighters, ran only one season; it was successful in Europe but failed in its run on ABC in the U.S.

During his 13 years as 007, Moore landed feature roles in other actioners, but none that would compete with the Bond franchise. Movies from that period include 1978's "The Wild Geese," with Richard Burton and Richard Harris, and 1980's "ffolkes" with James Mason and David Hedison, who played CIA agent Felix Leiter in "Live and Let Die."

The actor took great fun in skewering his slick image offscreen and on-, including appearances in "Cannonball Run" and TV's "The Muppet Show," in which he struck out with Miss Piggy; in the 2002 comedy "Boat Trip," he played a flamboyant homosexual with some Bond-like elements, and in 2004 he lent his voice to animated short "The Fly Who Loved Me."

He also occasionally appeared both on the big- and smallscreen. He appeared in the Spice Girls feature "Spice World," provided a voice for "The Saint" feature in 1997, appeared in an episode of "Alias" in 2003 and had a role in the 2013 telepic version of "The Saint" starring Eliza Dushku.

Moore did quite a bit of voicework in the 2000s in pics including "Here Comes Peter Cottontail," "Agent Crush," "Gnomes and Trolls: The Forest Trial," "De vilde svaner" and 2010's "Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore," whose title was an allusion to Bond girl Pussy Galore of "Goldfinger"; his "Cats and Dogs" character was Tab Lazenby.

He became a UNICEF goodwill ambassador in 1991 and had been an active advocate for children's causes. In 1999, he was honored by the British government with the title Commander of the British Empire.

Moore was born in Stockwell, South London. Despite health problems, Moore excelled at school and took an early interest in art and drawing. His grammar school education was interrupted by the start of WWII; he and his mother spent most of the war in Amersham, 25 miles outside of London.

In 1943, Moore decided to leave school and pursue work in animation at Publicity Pictures Prods., where he was a junior trainee in cartooning. But mishandling of some celluloid brought a swift conclusion to that career path.

Moore began his long acting career during the summer of 1944, when a friend recommended that he seek work as an extra on the film "Caesar and Cleopatra," which brought Moore a walk-on role and the attention of co-director Brian Desmond Hurst, who was impressed with the looks of the tall, thin young man and secured him extra parts in two subsequent pics. With the support of Hurst, Moore auditioned for and was admitted to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

In 1945, Moore was called up for national service and, after basic training, was recommended for the Intelligence Corps. "The only reason they commissioned me was I looked good in a uniform," Moore joked of his military career.

The actor's autobiography, "My Word Is My Bond," was published in 2008; his other books include memoir "One Lucky Bastard" and "Bond on Bond." In recent years he toured with a popular one-man show, "An Evening With Roger Moore."

Moore was married to skater Doorn Van Steyn, singer Dorothy Squires, Italian actress Luisa Mattioli and finally to Danish-Swedish multimillionaire Kristina "Kiki" Tholstrup. He is survived by Tholstrup; a daughter, actress Deborah Moore; and two sons, Geoffrey Moore, an actor, and Christian Moore, a film producer.

Skylar Diggins just might bust a freestyle here and there. Dirk Nowitski vibes to "Draco." And if we're talking about balling, the WNBA goes just as hard as the NBA. These are just a few things Poizon Ivy has learned as the in-arena DJ for the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Wings.

Born Ivy Awino in Nairobi, Kenya, the 27-year-old has also learned that rocking a crowd of 20,000 people is more intricate than one might assume. "A lot of people don't know that I'm pretty much the in-arena sound director, like the musical director per se, because I don't just play music," she tells Complex. "A lot of teams do it different ways, but I'm the sole person responsible for audio in the AAC [American Airlines Center]. So a lot of teams have a team of me, like three or four people who do what I do, but I control all the in-game prompts."

This means she doesn't just bump the hottest records. She has to understand the game, anticipate the plays, and select the best asset to complement the action.

"I can tell when somebody's about to throw an oop to Nerlens [Noel]. And I can feel it, I can see it coming down the court, so I might go for a charge. Or I might go for a different kind of sound effect so that when he dunks it, it'll hit."

And if she's being honest, sometimes she antagonizes as well. "Say there was a fight, I might go with Jeezy 'Lose My Mind,' the instrumental, 'cause it's real hard and heavy, or Machine Gun Kelly, 'Wild Boy,' something like that.," Ivy explains.

But this foresight all comes from Ivy being a student of the game. As a little girl in Nairobi who often found herself playing with the boys, tapes of the Chicago Bulls were all she could get her hands on. "I swear to goodness I thought the NBA was the Chicago Bulls," Ivy says with a laugh. "We would watch them over and over, to the point where--you know how if you watch a tape over and over it would skip?--that's my early memory of loving ball."

When she moved to Dallas, Texas, at the age of 9 she learned that not only was basketball bigger than the Bulls, but there was a team right in her backyard. At 12, she saw a commercial for a basketball camp where the team picked its ball kids, and Ivy knew if she could get herself to that camp, she'd make it in--even though the cutoff age was 13. That's when Ivy learned something else that would carry her through her career: "I was like six months out of being 13, so I just asked and applied anyway. So my lesson to everybody out there is: Rules are meant to be bent and sometimes broken."

Ivy was a ball kid for the Mavs from ages 12 to 18, looking up to larger-than-life figures like Steve Nash and Mark Cuban. After she graduated from Marquette, alongside classmates including Jimmy Butler, Wesley Matthews, and Jae Crowder, it was those contacts she cultivated as a youngster that helped her land her current position. So for Ivy, game day is a full circle moment in the best of ways. "I don't like calling people my 'boss,' but I'm OK saying I work for Mark Cuban," she says, calling the team owner and self-made billionaire her hero.

"Once I started with the Wings I just reached out to the Mavs with a cold email, like, 'Hey, this is what I'm doing, this is who I am, don't know if y'all remember me. Do y'all have an opportunity?' At first the answer was no, and I was like, that's cool, OK...I really was just looking to learn in a bigger setting. And then in the summer, I got a call like, 'Hey we might actually need you.'"

Being a full-time DJ is a hustle, and Ivy is an expert at creating opportunities for herself. Back in 2014, she became the DJ for Skylar Diggins' "Shoot 4 the Sky" Basketball Camp Tour in a similar way.

"A question that I always ask myself is,How can DJ Poizon Ivy contribute to or be a part of this?"she says. "And so I literally just cold emailed and said, 'I don't know if y'all have a DJ, hell, I don't even know if basketball camps have DJs, but y'all should, and I should be the DJ.'" And no, Skylar doesn't mind if Ivy spins someDrake records.

A classically trained cellist and pianist, Ivy saw the turntables as one more instrument she wanted to master. Back at Marquette, she asked one of her frat brothers if she could borrow his. "The next day he showed up and dropped them off and told me to figure it out--and that's all she wrote," says Ivy, who majored in corporate communications and minored in advertising. She taught herself how to mix, gaining exposure on the radio in Milwaukee and moving on to clubs and main stages. She's spun for brands including Atlantic Records, Red Bull, and Adidas, as well as for nonprofits and events like Snoop Dogg’s Youth Football League and Obama for America.

Ivy joined the Wings as the in-arena DJ for the WNBA's historic 20th season in 2016. And as she wrapped this year with the Mavs, stumbling through a few rookie mistakes--"The running joke all season was please don’t play defense on offense. I did it twice, but it was so short that nobody caught it."--she didn't take particular pride in the fact that she's the first black female DJ in the NBA. She has her heart set on smashing higher ceilings.

"Actually my dream job was to be the first female commissioner of the NBA," says Ivy. "I was lucky enough to have a brief conversation with Commissioner Adam Silver during All-Star at a service project. We were talking and I told him, 'Yeah I wanted your job.'"

SALISBURY BEACH, Mass.,__Seemingly hard wired for reggae music with knack to catching the biggest Jamaican reggae artists in town for summer shows, several hundred Kenyans thronged the Tarrus Riley show last week at the Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts, a stone throw away from the popular Hampton beach in New Hampshire.

The show took place on Thursday June 22nd, with close to 300 fans attending, majority of whom were clearly Swahili speaking Kenyans of a varying ages.

Buoyed by the enthusiastic cloud, Riley, who was born in the Bronx, New York to reggae legend Jimmy Riley and raised Jamaica by his father, spewed hit after hit of his mostly love reggae songs.

Occasionally, the Riley would go mute for several minutes after introducing a hit song leaving the fans sing along happily.

Watch Ajabu Photos below:

BOSTON__Wildly popular, headline making Tanzanian Bongo Flava artiste, Diamond Platinumz is scheduled to his debut in Boston with a highly anticipated performance at Wonderland Ball room in Revere Saturday July 14th as part of his current US tour to promote a new album, "A Boy From Tandale".

The highly anticipated visit comes after Diamond survived a serious car accident in Oakland California over the weekend as he was coming from another show in the company of his brother Romy Jons and two other friends. No one was injured in the accident according to a post that Diamond posted on his Instagram account to his fans.

"Dah!!! Almost died tonight! but god gave me another chance to breathe and continue inpiring & creating more future for my fellow youth!!!...(Dah Tumepata ajari na kunusurika kufa usiku wa leo wakati tunatoka kwenye show....ila Mwenyez Mungu amenipa nafasi nyingine tena ya kuishi na kuendelea kushikana mkono na vijana wenzangu mtaani kwa pamoja tuziokoe familia zetu duni..)

With millions of followers online, Platinumz, whose real name is Nasibu Abdul is expected to thrill fans from various East African countries living in Boston at the event organized by Drip Events led by Alvin Kasule, a Boston based Afro Caribbean events promoter originally from Uganda in conjunction with other promoters including Ajabu Media., Watson Events, Boston Community Services.

The epic musician of the Kula Kwa Macho( For Your Eyes Only) hit song has been a constant fixture in entertainment news all over east African countries with his blended African and hip hop genre coupled with modern dance moves that earned him much respect and a much sought after performer.

Alvin Kasule, a Boston Based Afro-Caribbean events Promoter. Pic by courtesy.

Platinumz has also not disappointed the grapevine industry with news after news of many beautiful female socialites jostling for his attention in his love life.

He is one of the only known east African music artistes to have his hits featured once in a while during the Tropical Blends Mix Show that runs every Sunday night from 12am-2am on Boston's top radio station, Jam'n 94.5FM.

"This is a great honor for Drip events to be in a position to host Diamond in Boston. We know he has many fans here and this is the time to come out and meet him live," said Kasule during an interview with Ajabu Africa News.

Kasule added that the tickets to the events are going for $50 each and have been selling off the shelves fast but there is still a few left for those who may not have had a chance to reserve one.

However, according to Kasule who spoke to Diamond on the phone, the musician was in great spirits and was looking forward to the Boston visit.

"I talked to Mr. Diamond and he said he was unhurt in the accident. He even went on to do another show the next day. He is very excited about the Boston meet-up," Kasule told Ajabu Media.

The event will kick off at 9pm to end at 2am at the venue located at 1290 Northshore Road, Revere, MA
To reserve yours,click here >>>>>>>

For more info, call: (781)534-4115, (857) 222-1126, 9857) 919-3819

Here is part 1 of guest pics during the just concluded Ajabu Awards and 10 years anniversary held on Sunday July 29th at the Holy Ghost Society Hall in Lowell, MA.

More coming soon!

Legendary Kikuyu pop musician Joseph Kamaru music career can be defined as resilient. He never gave up even after White settlers destroyed his guitar.

The singer who died at MP Shah Hospital in Nairobi last week aged 79 will be buried on Thursday at his Kaharati home, Kangema, in Murang'a county.

Kamaru was born on November 8,1938, in Kangema.

His passion for music started in Kahawa Barracks where he worked as a cook and cleaner. From his earnings, he was able to buy his first guitar.

According to his eulogy, Mzee Kamaru moved to Nairobi in 1957 to look for a job. He lived with his brother, the late Peter Nyaga.

While staying with his brother, he joined Kenya Competent Commercial College to study a secretarial course. Later, he got a job at Kahawa Barracks.

While practising on his guitar, Kamaru was accused by White neighbours of making too much noise. They broke the guitar to pieces.

"He later moved to Kenya High in Kileleshwa where he supplemented his income by selling fruits and vegetables. He usually rode on a bicycle with wife Susan Wangari," the eulogy says.

His music career was influenced by political, social, economic and cultural events.

In 1965, Kamaru launched his music career by producing his first song Uthoni wa Mbathini (Celina) together with his sister. He also sang mboco iri mbuca.

In 1966, he recorded the highly controversial song Ndari ya Mwarimu with Ujuzi Radio Services, which took the country by storm and became a subject of discussion in Parliament.

Thereafter, Kamaru produced many songs under the Chandaria Studio in Kericho.

In 1971, after the registration of the Kenya Association of the Phonographic Industries (KAPI), he opened his first music shop in Luthuli Avenue under his own recording label Kamaru Music Store (KMS).

In 1972, he produced his first song Mundu Ececere and Ndanuko ciamitahato in his own label.

Read:Kibaki eulogises Joseph Kamaru as genius, apt commentator

His newfound success in music led to his partnering with a friend known as Kariuki to open a music shop at Ramogi in 1973.

In 1975 after the death of politician JM Kariuki, Kamaru recorded the famous song JM Kariuki, which was backed by CDM Kiratu.

The song was sold out and propelled him to national and international limelight.

At an early stage in his career, Kamaru demonstrated his selflessness by investing heavily in the promotion and production of many musicians such as Lawrence Nduru. Others are Joseph Gicheha, Kakai Kilonzo, Tom Mwangi, Wahome wa Maingi, Mukaramani and Osumba Rateng among others.

"At the dawn of digital media, Mzee Kamaru was involved in the development of the vernacular radio station programmes including the naming of Kikuyu FM stations - Kameme Kayu Ka Muingi and Inooro FM. He produced his own programmes including Itaha ria Muoyo.

He has also won numerous awards during his heyday. They include in 1977 - The Njenga Karume Cup and1978 - The Best Artist Nairobi Pop Festival.

In 1992 SOYA Awards (Singer of the year), 1994 - Head of State Commendation, 2009- Music Maestro of the Year by the African Culture Heritage, 2012 - MCSK Gala Awards (Living Legends and Most Consistent Artist).

The musician was awarded a honorary Doctor of Humanity Degree by the US-based United Graduate College and Seminary International in 2012.

Kamaru spent his early years in Kangema where he started school at Gathukiine Primary School.

He sat the Kenya African Preliminary Examination ( KAPE) in 1957 at Kangema Gakuru DEB .

As a young boy, Kamaru was famed for his prowess in traditional dances.

In his later years, Kamaru complained of a back problem that caused him difficulty in movement.

LOWELL, Mass.,__Rekowned Kenyan folk Musician popularly known as Musaimo Wa Njeri accompanied by fast rising songstress Mqueen aka Mkenya are is set to thrill Kenyans in the Boston region this Thursday July 4th at the Mill City Barbecue joint (formerly Train View Place) on 1018 Gorham street in Lowell as guests look to celebrate the USA Independence day 2019 in style.

According to the organizers led by Chomba Muriithi, a new Kenyan goat meat entrepreneur in Lowell in partnership with DJ Jonny Oz and Dj Creecha. The event will kick off at 3pm and run into the night as guests enjoy juicy goat meat and refreshments as the most highly demanded traditional Kenyan cuisine.

"We want to give Kenyans in the area a great and unique Fourth of July experience. Since Musaimo was in town for a show last weekend that did not last long, many Kenyans requested to invite him for another show at a venue where we can enjoy a good Fourth of July barbecue as well," Muriithi told Ajabu Africa News during a phone interview.

He said that tickets to the event are going at $25 per person. While goat meat and Ugali dinner will be on sale, wiling fans will have a choice of other dinner items and refreshments to choose.

Musaimo, is a long time, highly sought Kikuyu pop music performer with over four decades worth of experience on the entertainment scene.

He is well known for such hit songs as "Jemima Murata", "Marioni" and "Cai wa Fourteeen".

Last Saturday, while backed up by local diaspora musician, Mukarara Les Les of Worcester, Musaimo entertained Kenyans at the Stonehenge hall in Tyngsboro well into the midnight only to be cut short by authorities following disruptions by several rowdy fans right outside the main hall.

"The experience left many fans wanting for more," added Chomba while urging fans to be in their best behavior to ensure a quality Independence Day celebrations free of interference from law enforcement.

"We don't want our celebrations to be cut short for any unnecessary misbehavior. We will start early at 3.30pm so that we can accomodate as many as possible according to their difference schedules. We welcome fans from everywhere and urge them to maintain peace."

To guarantee seating at the much sought after event, fans are urged to reserve advance tickets by CashApp at:978-710902 or at the door

Diamond Platnumz has made history by becoming the first artist in sub-Saharan Africa to clock more than 1 billion views on his YouTube Channel.

Diamond has achieved this feat nine years after he started his YouTube account. He has more than 3.6 million subscribers.

Diamond posts his shows, both local and international, as well as behind the scenes clips of his music videos.

The most-watched videos on his channel include Yope remix, Nana, Inama and African Beauty

Diamond celebrated by holding a small bash at his home.

A congratulatory message from his WCB record label read:

"This was not an easy thing to achieve. Billion! Thanks to the fans. Congratulations to the boss on achieving that."

His proud mother, Mama Dangote, also congratulated him.

Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya