A Pictorial Glance at Ashley Nwosu of Nollywood

Versatile actor and a pioneer artiste of the Nollywood phenomenon, Ashley Nwosu has another side of him, which the public is yet to know.

At the recent launch of Ogologolonga, a musical album by gospel musician, Ayo Agbaje, the actor stunned many of his fans including his wife and son, when he vacated his table to join the singer and his cultural dancers on stage. Nwosu, who was obviously carried away by the song could not restrain himself from singing.

“Yes I have a very big passion for music,” an excited Nwosu told http://nigeriafilms.com shortly after his brief performance.

He explained further, “I would say acting was a second talent because when I was 10 years old, I used to entertain people in my community through music.”

The actor, who shot into limelight in the early 1990s in Day of Reckoning, said something new is happening in his life. He reveals this and others to us:

Love for music
I have a very strong passion for music. In fact I would say acting was my second talent because when I was 10 years old, I used to sing for people in my community. I was involved in millinery where I cut and dry materials. But in the evening when people got tired, they would return and I would entertain them. I used to do exactly what Ekom Obong Okere, the Nigerian native Xylonophone prodigy does to people in Cross River. Throughout my youthful days, I was always composing songs and I often received inspiration in my dreams all of which I used to remember clearly the next day. Unfortunately, I lost my song book, an exercise book which contained over 200 songs during the Biafran war.

Favourite musicians
I grew up listening to foreign music such as Isaac Newton, Kool and the Gang, Kenny Rogers, Don Williams among others. However, my favourite was Barry White and up till now, I have about ten of his albums with me. Back home, I enjoy and draw inspirations from artistes such as Victor Uwaifo, Nduka Osadebe, Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey and Sonny Okosuns. Till date, I still enjoy their music in spite of the growing pop culture among young musicians of today.

Going into music
I still nurse the ambition to go into music. At the moment, I am preoccupied with a new movie, which will soon be premiered in Lagos and Abia, my state of origin. Once I am done with this, I will throw myself into music. This time around, it will strictly be Christian music.

Why gospel
I can't explain this, but one way or the other, the impression continues to dawn on me that I have to join the choir and showcase what I can do. Occasionally on my own, I sing fantastic songs but I don't know why I have not recorded them. I sing for myself, and I enjoy doing this quite a lot and the inspiration just keeps coming. After the premiership of the movie, I hope to have pulled enough funds to go into music.

My new movie
It is a Christian movie that addresses various aspects of human life. It featured stars such as Olu Jacobs, Nonso Diobi, Alex Usifo, Emeka Enyiocha, Queen Okoye, myself and a group of 18 elders in Enugu State. So, it is a very big movie. I deal with two things in the movie one of which is the challenge youths go through. The movie is about the battle a pastor encounters with evil forces and it also exposes the extent, which men of God go to become successful in the ministry.

Something is happening in my life
Something new is happening in my life. Although, I have always been a Christian, the level, which I have gone now is higher. I have never in my life envisaged this. I attend a local parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

Absence from movies
There is no big problem about that. The fact remains that throughout last year, we had a conflict between Censors board and marketers, which affected the number of movies shot last year. It is not as if I have not been shooting movies, but most of the ones I shot, I discovered, were taken outside the country before they were returned here. This time around, with this new censor's board arrangements, this ugly development would be stopped. When an artist shoots a movie, he loses contact with the marketer. They just abandon one and feel one is not entitled to know what happens afterwards. I feel it should be a mutual relationship where actors are encouraged to shoot their own movies. There is need for cooperation from both sides.

Era of movie premieres
This is a positive development for the movie industry. It will give investors such as corporate bodies and government the guarantee that through premiership alone, good profit can be recouped. For instance, I plan to have a Hausa translation for my movie and get a northern government to partner with me. With this trend, Nollywood will become an investor's delight. The standard of production will also be raised and our movies will become globally accepted when there is enough funds.

The new marketing framework
The implementation of minimum capital requirement for marketers by the censor's board is very important. As an insurance person, pooling of resources is very critical to the existence of the insurance industry. Otherwise, just one major case of accident or disaster is enough to make an insurance company crumble. Essentially, I think the new drive by the Censor's board is for security of investor's fund. I can remember when I went to England, an Irish man challenged Nollywood that we needed to be more organized.

He told me that our movies were selling in the West Indies like hot cake. So what stops our marketers coming together to go and see how we can establish direct business deals with people over there through the Nigerian envoy. If the policy is pursued aggressively and unregistered marketers are driven out of business, investors will smile. Recently, I learnt that somebody loaded 40 feet of containers with Nollywood films in VHS format and was moving it to countries like Mozambique and Angola because that is what they are still using there. Now, how do our marketers react to this? Instead, we still depend on the Idumota clique.

How l started acting
I started with NTA in 1988/1989, and I am among the people who started Soap operas and Tele movies. I also acted in the movie, Glamour Girls (Part 1) in 1992, after that I ventured into other businesses but the urge for acting was strong. So, I returned and featured in Day of Reckoning, First Lady, Old Soldier, The Rise of and Fall of a Prophet (which was very tasking for me) among others. I have now lost count of the numbers of films, which I have acted in but I think it should be over a hundred.

About my NGO
I want to premiere it here in Lagos and I have started talking to Dansa Juice as well as to Abia State government for the premiere in Abia State. All these efforts will culminate in the setting up of an NGO with the Abia State government, which I propose to call MyThird Eye. I have noticed that a lot of government functionaries do work but because of lack of monitoring units, they have a problem that is why I call it My Third Eye. I hope to meet the Governor on this project. Whose project will involve going to hospitals, motherless babies home, communities among others. I will then give them feedback because most of the people in the ministry might not have time to report the correct state of affairs. I hope to achieve this before the end of this year.

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Pictorial Glance at Franca Brown of Nollywood

Everywhere the now rested soap opera, Behind The clouds was aired on the network service of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Nigerians will never forget Franca Obianuju Brown, who played the role of Mama Nosa. Unlike what most people thought that she began her acting career with Behind the Clouds, the ageless actress revealed to Klieglights that she had featured in another Soap prior to Behind the Clouds.

"I did not start my acting career with Behind the Clouds. I started with Behind the Bukka an NTA Jos production. It was actually my stepping stone to playing the role I got in Behind the Clouds. In the earlier soap I acted as Ngozi a police officer's wife and I was the one giving my husband trouble in the house. I wanted him to do anything to get money so I could look good," she said.

The former banker, whose stay in the industry is older than many imagine speaks on her acting career and the wifely role she normally plays.

"I don't know why directors give me that role; maybe because I have a matronly look but I can play other roles too. Every thing depends on the director and the role he feels I can fit into. Whichever role I'm given I know I can carry it well because I'm an actress. I started acting in the industry as a very kind woman, good wife and good mother, but at a point, the producers decided to give me wicked roles," she said.

Continuing, she said she does not have any favourite film but recalled one outstanding role;

"I don't have a favourite but there is one film that is very touching to me and that is Women At Large. In the film I have to change my usual character and was chasing after younger men. That was not really me, because I don't go after younger men, I go out with my age mates."

Countering the notion that she no longer act and explaining about her fewer screen appearance she said: "I still act. I'm an actress for life, once I get a role I act but I have also diverted into other areas such as directing, production and scriptwriting. I have started doing my own film so definitely my appearance in other movies will be limited."

The famous actress whose filmography includes Valentino, Clash of Destiny, Discord, Cross of Agony, Human Cargo, My Goodwill, My Sweat, Never Let Go, Only Angel, Pains Of Love, Problem Child, Sawam, Sunrise, Tears and Sorrows, Leap of Faith and Endless Passion among others, spoke on the gains of her long stay in the industry.

"I have gained a lot from my long stay in the industry. We all started in this industry as apprentices, but for some of us who actually went back to school to read film production, I have gained and I have also given a lot. A lot of people have gained from me from apprentice, like when I'm directing I see a lot of people who I ask to assist me asking me questions. People have asked me how they could become an actress and I keep tutoring them so I believe that I have given a lot to the industry, she said.

In retrospect she admits having no regret for any mistakes in the past. According to her, "I don't have any regret whatsoever. Life is about you making some mistakes and improving on your mistakes so I do not regret any role I have acted. But one thing I always do is to critique myself when I watch my film. I will always tell myself, 'Franka, you need to improve on this, you need to improve on that.'"

Her advice to up and coming artistes is that "they should acquire the skill, go to school, refresh their skill and come out with a great act instead of criticising others."

She also has a word for those who criticise the Nigerian home movie industry: "They should know that a lot of us gather our resources together to do this thing, it is not magic, we get fund from mostly brothers and sisters so when they compare us to the outside world they should know that the outside world have functional film funds unlike here. When you talk of banks, it is just a few of us that have been able to get funds from banks. Majority of us have tried in our own way to get funding from our own little way. So, just like the proverbial lizard that fell from the iroko tree with no one to praise him, will praise himself. Nigerian home movie have come a long way and anyone who is there to criticise and not critic is doing us harm."

The screen legend also spoke on her production outfit. "Rubby Diamonds Pictures started from the 1990s and I would say that we are more than 15 years old now."

Quantifying her success for the past 15 years or so, she said:

"God has been my help, He said He will provide my needs according to His riches by Christ Jesus so I cannot really rate my success. But all I can say is you watch out and you will see me enlarging my coast and I believe my coast is being enlarged everyday."

Commenting on the journey so far she said, "I'm fulfilled because I enjoy what I'm doing. Despite the fact that I have not started seeing the reward in terms of funds but I'm so happy I'm in this industry. There is nothing like doing what you love doing, I wouldn't have fitted any where else."

Franka might not be seen at every party or event but she doesn't miss any meeting of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP), the directors or scriptwriters' guilds. Last week the ace actress cum producer was bereaved but this did not deter her from attending the AMP meeting and taking part in the preparation for the association's week. Commenting on her commitment to the industry she said: "If I was not acting I don't think there is any other thing I would have loved to do. That is why whatever concerns the industry concerns Franka Brown personally. You can see how involved I'm for the AMP week, we have deliberated on a lot of issues and I'm so excited, I believe this AMP week will be a boom for producers."

For many who are confused about Franka's marital status, the middle-aged actress is definitely single, but is she searching? Her reply is; "I believe that question should be directed to God and not me because it is God that ordains marriage."

culled from Naijarules

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I dread November

Today, my son, will be exactly 3 years that you left me. A day hardly passed by, without remembering you, your memory still lives on. I dedicated this blog to you, and true to my aim, it has received a wide acceptance.
Today, as if your sibling sense your death anniversary, he was awake all night with bout of malaria, and crying uncontrollably. I missed you so much my son. Continue to rest in perfect peace. Adieu.

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