Fierce Mexican Boxer Seeking To Extend Winning Streak Against Kenya's 'Iron Fist' In Nairobi (Photos)

Young, upcoming Mexican boxer Yamileth Mercado goes into the World Boxing Council (WBC) world super-bantamweight title bout against current champion, Kenya's Fatuma Zarika, having lost only once during her stint as a professional boxer.

Yamileth Mercado.

The 20-year-old made her debut in professional boxing against compatriot Yoatzin Meraz on July 19, 2014, a memorable one indeed, as she trounced her opponent to be declared the winner via unanimous decision. A sanguine Mercado resumed training after her first victory and five months later, she recorded yet another unanimous decision victory over another Mexican, Maria Susana Uribe Ramirez. Her only loss in a professional boxing match came last year on March 3, when she went down to Jessice Arreguin Munoz in Chihuahua, Mexico.

The WBC world super-bantamweight bout against the prolific 34-year old Zarika will arguably be Mercado’s biggest fight of her embryonic boxing career, ensuring the stage is set for a gargantuan contest come September.

Fatuma Zarika.

“Truth is, we’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this for long, so we are very excited, working very hard, here in Hermosillo, Sonora. I am experiencing a different climate, new changes, new types of training; I had never done a camp before. I hope to bring this belt to Mexico,” Mercado said.

Judging from their last fights, both boxers are set for the task having both recorded victories the last time they stepped into the ring. Mercado’s last fight was on June 1 this year in Hermosillo, Mexico, where she edged out her compatriot Beatriz Arangure on unanimous points in their super featherweight bout.

As for Zarika, she successfully defended her WBC super-bantamweight title against Zambia’s Catherine Phiri at the Carnivore Grounds in Nairobi in December, 2017. Mercado will jet into the country on September 4, five days ahead of the most anticipated boxing match in recent Kenyan history to be staged at the Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC). Tanzania's former Big Brother Africa contestant, Idris Sultan, will be among other celebrities in Nairobi for the fight.

Zarika has been training hard in the UK for the last one month courtesy of SportPesa, under the guidance of two trainers and popular UK Boxing champ Tony Bellew. She returns to Kenya this Saturday, September 1 at 2pm aboard an Emirates flight.

Yamileth Mercado.

Fatuma Zarika.

Yamileth Mercado.

Fatuma Zarika.

Yamileth Mercado.

Kenyan AMVCAs Nominees Anxious As Winners Are Unveiled This Saturday

Kenyan nominees in this year's Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs) will know their fate this Saturday, September 1, as the award ceremony takes place in Lagos, Nigeria. Movers and shakers in the continent’s fledgling film industry will converge at the Eko and Suites Hotel in Victoria Island, for the biggest night of African productions.

Kenyan productions and personalities including 18 Hours (with five nominations) Nyce Wanjeri (Best Actress in series/comedy), Denis Maina Wanjohi (Best Documentary), Sarika Hemi Lakhani (Best Indigenous Language movie or TV series) and Victor Gatonye’s K.E.R.U. in the same category, remain hopeful to bag accolades at the prestigious gala event.

Lighting up the stage at the sixth edition of AMVCAs will be some of Nigeria’s biggest and award-winning musicians including songwriter and producer Cobhams Asuquo, rapper and song writer Falz and singer Adekunle Gold.

The night promises an exciting and diverse line-up of stellar performances as viewers will also get to see live on stage the SEKI traditional dance troupe. The dance drama group are heavily influenced by traces of American tap dance which originate from five different masquerade groups of the lower Niger Delta area of Nigeria. On the opposite end of the spectrum will be a classical performance by Omo Bello, the award-winning Nigerian soprano, and a special performance by singer and Big Brother Naija 2017 alumni, Bisola Aiyeola.

The red-carpet event will be broadcast live on all Africa Magic channels on DStv and GOtv. Viewers can join the conversation using the hashtag #AMVCA2018 and follow @dstvng, @gotvng and @africamagictv for live tweets. For more information about 2018 AMVCAs and other Africa Magic programming, visit www.africamagic.tv

Selina Premieres Second Season With Fans In Kisumu (Photos)

Kisumu viewers of popular Swahili telenovela, Selina, experienced the premiere of the second season in style when the cast of Selina hosted over 300 fans to a screening at Anga Cinemax in Kisumu. The meet and greet organised by Maisha Magic East accorded ardent followers of the show, local film producers within Kisumu, DStv and GOtv subscribers and media spend an entire evening with the cast members and producers of the popular show.

Speaking during the meet and greet, GOtv Kenya GM Simon Kariithi reiterated the commitment by MultiChoice to make entertainment on its platforms more accessible to the viewers.

He said, “We as MultiChoice, via our local content Channel Maisha Magic East are committed to keeping to our promise of giving our viewers the best local entertainment. Because of the loyalty of our viewers, Maisha Magic East has become a very popular channel within East Africa. This
screening and opportunity to meet the stars we see on TV is our way of appreciating your support as we endeavour to improve your interactions with us on both our DStv and GOtv platforms.”

The main cast including Nelson (Pascal Tokodi), who plays the rich young man who falls in love with Selina (Celestine Gachohi), Luke (Abel Amunga), Jacqueline (Gloria Songoro), Patricia (Helen Keli), Collete (Joyce Maina), Reagan (Kone Nouhum), Zoe (Mbeki Mwalimu), Kristina (Victoria Mzenge), Biko (Peter Kamau) and Zakayo (Wycliffe Eravuna) were at the meet and greet that also served as a
screening of the first and second episode of the second season of the show.

Selina is a classic Cinderella-like tale that combines the romance of the fairy tale with the relevant social issue of educating the girl child. It depicts the life of Selina, a 19-year-old girl, who goes to work in a wealthy city home after being brainwashed by her step-mother, Kristina, who has convinced her to leave her family and education behind and instead work as a housemaid in order to support her family, her sickly father and her younger step-brother and sister. As fate would have it, Selina falls for the youngest son of the house where she is deployed to work.

Selina airs every Monday to Wednesday at 8.30pm EAT on Maisha Magic East on DStv channel 158 and GOtv channel 4.

More photos below:

2018 Groove Awards With Safaricom Winners Unveiled (Photos)

The 13th annual Groove Awards with Safaricom went down on Sunday, in a colourful celebration held at the Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi.

Fashion, pomp and colour graced the red carpet black-tie event, whose style was largely inspired by this year’s theme – Rebuild, which focuses on the message of unity in rebuilding and restoring the glory of the gospel industry and the country at large.

Guardian Angel of Nadeka hit song bagged the Artiste of the Year Award which was the most coveted award of the evening while Odi Dance by Timeless Noel, Jabidii and Hype Ochi won big by bagging four awards in Song of the Year, Collabo of the Year, Dance Style of the Year and Skiza Ringback Tune categories respectively. The awards for Teen Choice Song of the Year went to Master Piece for his song Chini Ya Mwamba.

“This has been a different year and an amazing one at that. We made a myriad of changes in how we have run the awards previously for more public inclusion and we are so happy that the changes were received very well both by the artists and the public. We have seen a larger participation and ownership of the awards process especially tonight which is a great honour. This is the biggest production in Kenya and by far Africa involving artistes, dancers, deejays and top producers,” said Groove Awards Founder, Kevin Mulei.

“We are very grateful for the opportunity to shape youth culture positively and are very proud of the work the Gospel artistes continue to put in to advance the kingdom business. We are even more proud today to be able to celebrate them, those that took home an award and those that did not alike,” he added.

The Awards, which were first launched in 2004, are held annually to celebrate gospel artistes both in Kenya and in the region, and have over the last decade grown into a highly anticipated feature of the gospel industry calendar. Among the highlights of the ceremony were throwback gospel old school show-stopping performances by Mercy Masika, Joyce Omondi, Mercy Wairegi, Pitson and Rebecca Soki, among others, who took to stage some of Kenyan biggest hits supported by the Groove Band.

Other performances that carried the night included Mash ups of 2017/2018 big hits by among others, Moji Shortbabaa, Master Piece and the big win dance, Odi Dance by Timeless Noel, Jabidii and Hype Ochi which scooped four awards.

Winners in each category were selected based on number of votes by the public, a two-week process that began soon after the Groove Nominations Night earlier in the month. To protect the integrity of the voting process, all votes were assessed by leading audit firm EY.

Speaking during his acceptance speech, Guardian Angel, who scooped the Artiste of the Year award called upon gospel artistes to produce more music that glorifies God saying Nadeka came to him at his lowest and it became the song that got him the recognition that he had so yearned for years.  He urged them to be keen on content asking them to wait on God as his timing is the best.

A surreal moment engulfed thousands that were in attendance, as the Late Angela Chibaloza was honoured with the Contributor to the Industry Award and there after a tribute performance.

A winner’s concert is slated for July 8, 2018 at The Embu Municipal Council Stadium and will see all winners meeting their fans to celebrate their wins whilst appreciating their support during the nomination and voting process.

Find below the complete list of winners and more photos:


ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

GUARDIAN ANGEL


SONG OF THE YEAR

ODI DANCE - TIMELESS NOEL, JABIDII & HYPE OCHI/ Producer : David Saidi


TEENS CHOICE SONG OF THE YEAR

CHINI YA MWAMBA - MASTERPIECE


BREAKTHROUGH ARTISTE OF THE YEAR OF THE YEAR

JABIDII

HIPHOP SONG OF THE YEAR

CHEKI VILE - EKO DYDDA


REGGAE/RAGGA  SONG OF THE YEAR

SHOOT SATAN - JABIDII


PRAISE AND WORSHIP SONG OF THE YEAR

HUNIACHI - REUBEN KIGAME FEAT. GLORIA MULIRO

COLLABO OF THE YEAR

ODI DANCE - TIMELESS NOEL, JABIDII AND HYPE OCHI


MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR

JIGI JIGI - WILLY PAUL / Video Producer : Sammy D


DANCE STYLE/SONG OF THE YEAR

ODI DANCE - TIMELESS NOEL, JABIDII AND HYPE OCHI

MEDIA PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

DJ MO


HYPEMAN/MC OF THE YEAR

TIMELESS NOEL


BREAKTHROUGH DJ OF THE YEAR

DJ TERROTS

WESTERN COUNTIES SONG OF THE YEAR

INGABO - GLORIA MULIRO


EASTERN COUNTIES SONG OF THE YEAR

KIWANGO KINGI - WILBERFORCE MUSYOKA


RIFT VALLEY COUNTIES SONG OF THE YEAR

ARUSI - CYRUS KOECH

 COASTAL COUNTIES  SONG OF THE YEAR

WATANGOJA SANA - ANNASTACIA MUKABWA


CENTRAL  COUNTIES SONG OF THE YEAR

IREMA - SHIRU WA GP


NYANZA COUNTIES SONG OF THE YEAR

COME TO ME - FENNY KERUBO

 OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTOR TO THE INDUSTRY

ANGELA CHIBALONZA


SONGWRITER AWARD

REUBEN KIGAME


SKIZA RINGBACK TUNE

ODI DANCE - TIMELESS NOEL, JABIDII & HYPE OCHI/ Producer : David Saidi

AMVCAs Nominations To Be Announced June 30

Nominees for the 2018 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs) will be announced via a televised broadcast on all Africa Magic channels on DStv and GOtv on Saturday, June 30 at 9pm EAT.

The nominees for each category will be revealed by popular Ghanaian actress and TV host, Joselyn Dumas, and Nigerian comedian and actor, Bovi. The 2018 AMVCAs is brought to viewers across the continent by Africa Magic in association with MultiChoice Africa and the sponsors, Airtel and Konga.

Bovi and Joselyn Dumas

Speaking on the milestone telecast, Channel Director, Africa Magic, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, revealed that close to 3,000 entries were received across the continent. She also said that the judging panel spearheaded by veteran film maker, Debbie Odutayo, painstakingly reviewed each of the entries to arrive at the final shortlist of nominees.

“We are honored to showcase and celebrate the creative industry each year on the platform of the AMVCAs. In the past five years, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to nurture and showcase indigenous talent from across the continent. Join us on Saturday, June 30 we reveal the nominees for the sixth edition of the Awards,” she said.

Launched in March 2013, the AMVCAs continue to celebrate the contributions of African filmmakers, actors and technicians to the success of the continent’s film and television industry. For the 2018 edition, several awards will be presented in 27 categories, with seven categories open to public voting and 20 being categories to be decided by the AMVCA panel of judges.

The full list of nominees will be published on the Africa Magic website, www.africamagic.tv and social media platforms following the reveal. Viewers can join the conversation using the hashtag #AMVCA2018 and follow @dstvng, @gotvng and @africamagictv for live tweets.

Watch the 2018 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs) Nominee Announcement on all Africa Magic channels on DStv and GOtv on Saturday, June 30 at 9pm EAT.

Cartoon Network Urges Comedians And Comedy Creators To Submit Content

If there’s one thing Africans do really well, it is the ability to laugh at themselves! Taking advantage of Africans’ humorous streak, and incredible storytelling abilities, Cartoon Network Africa is proud to announce the launch of their brand new initiative, Cartoon Network Africa Creative Lab, an African venture designed to bring innovative, local short form content to the channel, and its digital platforms, while reinforcing the local relevance of the brand.

In this ground-breaking move, the leading network in the kids’ entertainment industry, Cartoon Network is taking another bold step in addressing the gap in locally relevant content which offers a viewing experience that resonates with its African audience. The initiative will encourage African talents: creators, writers, graphic artists, animation students ... in fact anyone who loves kids’ content, to explore their creative, animation and production talents and have the chance to produce a short-form animated comedy to make Cartoon Network viewers across Africa laugh out loud!

“As sponsors of the Discop 2016 Animation Pitching Programme, we were exposed to some really inspiring local animation projects,” says Ariane Suveg, Head of programming and acquisition Turner kids Africa. “We were so impressed by Cape Town-based Punch Monkey Studio’s amazing creative energy in the winning entry, Cloud Life, that the project has been traveling through the Turner group and is now in a development process with the Turner Asia Pacific production team! This just reinforces our need to invest in local content and our commitment to further mentoring talent in the African animation industry.”

Entries for the Cartoon Network Africa Creative Lab will be open from 7th June until 31st August 2018 across the continent. African residents, aged 18 and over, or any African-based company, can submit their one-minute to three-minute creative short project which must be in the genre of comedy and fit with Cartoon Network’s values of funny, random, irreverent, smart and contemporary humour. Editorial guidelines can be found on www.CartoonNetworkAfrica.com/CreativeLab.

Ten projects will be short-listed in September, and the local creators will get the opportunity to pitch their work to Cartoon Network Africa’s content programming team. The winner and two runners-up will then be revealed at DISCOP Johannesburg at the end of the year.

The winner and runners-up will be given the opportunity to get their project produced as a pilot with Cartoon Network Africa which will then premiere on Cartoon Network Africa and its digital platforms in 2019.

“We are honoured to be supporting local African animation talent through the Cartoon Network Africa Creative Lab. We look forward to seeing the entries and hope to see the winners flourish in their career as content creators, following the footsteps of some of Cartoon Network’s greatest talents.” concludes Ariane Suveg.

NRG Radio Expands To Eldoret And Mombasa By Launching Frequencies

NRG Radio has embarked on its expansion plan launching two frequencies in two key cities in the country, Eldoret (98.4 FM) and Mombasa (96.3 FM), as it seeks to reach a greater audience.

The Eldoret official launch is to take place on Saturday, June 16, at Club Timba where a host of NRG deejays and presenters will host a party with fans from across the county to celebrate its entry to the county. Since its launch in March, the station has grown its operations with the inclusion of new shows and the absorption of #NRGetic MVP’s in the radio routine, giving fresh talent an opportunity in the media realm.

The radio station that is keen on youth culture, has adopted the social audio-visual trend that seeks to capitalize by tapping into the internet penetration’s steady increase. It's model and flexibility allows it to be a launch pad for up and coming local artists as well hence the intention to reach a wider audience in other counties in addition it has a vision and a desire to make a difference while delivering a great music experience.

NRG Radio presenters Timmy T-Dat and Mwalimu Rachel.

NRG Radio brings to Eldoret ad Mombasa a fused radio, digital and visual experience that fuels #NRG for real music lovers. In Nairobi, catch NRG Radio on 91.3 FM.