Music: Black - Wonderful Life

I love this song so much. Brings me back to the time I was a teenager. British singer Black (Black Vearncombe) died on Sunday at the age of 53 years. The singer had a severe car accident some months ago and was since on life support. May his soul rest in Peace and thank you for this beautiful song that liveth on. Here I go out to sea again The sunshine fills my hair And dreams hang in the air Gulls in the sky and in my blue eye You know it feels unfair There's magic everywhere Look at me standing Here on my own again Up straight in the sunshine No need to run and hide It's a wonderful, wonderful life No need to laugh and cry It's a wonderful, wonderful life The sun's in your eyes the heat is in your hair They seem to hate you because you're there And I need a friend oh I need a friend to make me happy Not stand here on my own Look at me standing Here on my own again Up straight in the sunshine No need to run and hide It's a wonderful, wonderful life No need to laugh and cry It's a wonderful, wonderful life I need a friend, oh I need a friend To make me happy, not so alone Look at me here Here on my own again Up straight in the sunshine No need to run and hide It's a wonderful, wonderful life No need to laugh and cry It's a wonderful, wonderful life No need to run and hide It's a wonderful, wonderful life No need to laugh and cry It's a wonderful, wonderful life Wonderful life Wonderful life Read more: Black - Wonderful Life Lyrics | MetroLyrics

Video: Emotional wedding 'dance' video

I can't point out why I'm moved by this, but I love the beautiful feeling after watching this video. It is raw, wild and kind of crazy but still so emotional! I love it!

Quick introduction: Haka is an ancient war cry of the Maori that was used before battles as an intimidation tactic. Today it's used as a battle cry before games or as a victory chant after a win, to show a sign of respect to someone, or to acknowledge, bless or honor a special occasion or funeral.

The video was filmed at Benjamin and Aaliyah's wedding reception in Auckland last week. In it, they watch with emotion as the groomsmen and guests surprise them with a heartfelt performance of the traditional haka dance, before joining in themselves.

 "I wasn't planning on jumping in until one bridesmaid did. I felt the need to show love and respect back," said Ms Armstrong. "I was really blown away." Women do not normally perform the haka in Maori culture, but she said they can do at weddings. The nearly three-minute video ends with the couple emotionally embracing the performers.

The haka was organised by the 23-year-old groom's best man and was led by his older brother. It was filmed by her cousin's production company. Benjamin Armstrong thanks the groomsmen with a Maori greeting at the end of the dance "Ben is a Maori, he is probably more Maori than I am," Ms Armstrong said. "Because he has fair skin, some people have been saying on social media that 'he'd better not hurt the bride', but they're actually his family."

 

No more child marriage in Simbabwe

 Wow great move from the Simbawian government, this is the way to go Africa! Girls need to go to school so they have the chance to be independent. No great society can succeed without educated men and women!

 Zimbabwe’s highest court outlawed marriage for any person under the age of 18 on Wednesday. The decision is a victory for gender equality and anti-poverty efforts. The nation’s Constitutional Court made this ruling in a case brought by two women who were forced into child marriages. Both claim the early marriage restricted their access to education and sentenced them to a life of poverty.

Zimbabwe currently has a high rate of child marriage, with some estimates saying 21% of children are married before their 18th birthday. The majority of those children are girls. Across the African continent there are an estimated 14 million under-age girls married each year. Child marriage is a major obstacle to the development of girls and eventually communities. These early marriages often keep girls out of school and the workforce and, therefore, reliant on their husbands.

The scourge of child and early forced marriages (known by policy makers as CEFM) has kept millions and millions of people in poverty. The victory in Zimbabwe is a big step towards creating gender equality and ending extreme poverty, and is hopefully a sign that African nations are taking this issue more seriously. The African Union held its first major summit on the issue last year, calling for nations to enact and enforce laws protecting children. This is an especially important call in the wake of UNICEF predicting that without a change in laws and enforcement, child marriages on the continent will double by 2050. Source: Global Citizen

Music: Almok - Molo molo

yeah Togo's own music Queen has dropped another gorgeous dance hit. ALMOK released the music video of her latest song "Molo Molo". ALMOK is has been around for awhile but the last year has advanced her to the Top of Togo and beyond. Enjoy the video!

Tax avoidance costing Africa billions report of Oxfam

*headshaking* this is alot of money in the hands of few! A recent global inequality report released by Oxfam confirms new findings on the growing gap between the rich and poor. Around 16 African billionaires live amongst 350 million people in poverty in the sub-Saharan region of the continent. The report also confirmed that the 62 richest people in the world have more money combined than the poorest 3.6 billion people.

“Power and privilege are being used to rig the system to increase the gap between the richest and the rest of us to levels we have not seen before,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America. “Far from trickling down, income and wealth are instead being pulled upwards at an alarming rate.” Hardworking people at the bottom of the income curve don’t make enough to put food on the table or buy medicine when their kids get sick, much less money to buy a home, start a business or save for the future. And so the engine of economic growth breaks down. A year ago, Oxfam predicted that the 1% would soon own more than the rest of us, a prediction that came true even before 2015 ended. BBC Africa's host Akwasi Sarpong interviewed Oxfam's executive director, Winnie Byanyima. Very interesting! Tax havens are at the core of the global system that allows large corporations and wealthy individuals to avoid paying their fair share, depriving governments, rich and poor, of the resources they need to provide vital public services and tackle rising inequality.

Globally, it is estimated that a total of $7.6 trillion of personal wealth sits offshore. If tax would be paid on the income that this wealth generates, an extra $190 billion would be available to governments every year. Such tax revenues could pay for public services, infrastructure, regulatory bodies, welfare systems and other goods and services that keep countries running. In developing countries in particular, where there is an even bigger need for strengthening health and education services for the hundreds of millions of people who still live in extreme poverty, revenues from taxes could make such a difference. But when money is hidden in tax havens instead, this can work in reverse, shifting the burden on the poorest people.

Video: Jada Pinkett Smith on Oscarssowhite- She nailed it!

Jada Pinkett Smith

  I normally decided not to post anything about #Oscarssowhite because I didn't like the way blacks were presenting themselves in this matter. Till I found this video of Jada Pinkett Smith, saying it the way I was feeling about it! I really respect this woman for this video! 



We black people both in Africa and America need to carry ourselves with pride and we need to start investing in ourselves and mostly let's start creating ourselves so that our children will have a platform to be honored like the whites honor their people on the Oscars and so on. 

We have to start now so that in maybe 50 years our academy will be huge like the Oscars even, if possible, bigger than the Oscars. If we are begging them like the hashtag #Oscarssowhite is insinuating then we will lose and our children and grandchildren will lose to. This hashtag makes me feel like the black race is asking whites to acknowledge them and if they don't do then we fall back in the time of the slavery. This is the wrong way to handle this matter!

I don't know why blacks do not see the opportunities that stand before them. If Afro-Americans and African film industry collaborate and establish an annual movie award that celebrate black people. With a lot of handworks and the will to succeed, we will be taken seriously in no time. Black American filmmakers need to start seeing the potential that is in Africa (Nollywood & Ghollywood) and start to collaborate with this industry. 

Africa is the fastest growing continent and the people in Africa love watching films! This is a great opportunity and time for us to create something of our own. It doesn't have to stop at the movie industries we can expand it to the fashion industry then we can use our black models and present the beauty that lies in the black race. The future generation will have something to be inspired by and to build on. 

This is just my own view on that matter.

Miss Ivory Coast 2012 married her boo

Former Miss Ivory Coast, Valerie Helene Djouka married her heartthrob Medak Doubia on the 2nd of January this year in the capital City Abidjan.

The couple is united for life in a simple wedding ceremony, sober; but elegant with families and close friends.

Hélène Djouka Valerie, a beautiful young lady rather discreet was elected the most beautiful girl from the Ivory Coast in 2012. She is one of  few Misses, whose mandate has not been tainted by any scandal.

More photos after the cut: