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Chiika100% Music video set (photos)

2014-05-22T10:28:00.001-07:00

Chiika100% Music video set:

D-Lash Music video set (Photos)

2014-05-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

D-Lash Music video set:

Love Recipe 2

2013-03-20T16:49:00.001-07:00

The second Item on the recipe is “passion”

Passion (from the Ancient Greek verb πάσχω (paskho) meaning to suffer) is a term applied to a very strong feeling about a person or thing. Passion is an intense emotion compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for something.

The term is also often applied to a lively or eager interest in or admiration for a proposal, cause, or activity or love – to a feeling of unusual excitement, enthusiasm or compelling emotion, a positive affinity or love, towards a subject. It is particularly used in the context of romance or sexual desire though it generally implies a deeper or more encompassing emotion than that implied by the term lust.

-From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Last week we discussed the first item on the LOVE RECIPE... we mentioned "TRUST". This week we share the second item on the RECIPE; and it is "PASSION". the above wikipedia defination is very intelligible. I will just expansiate a bit more.

Passion may be defined as the “drive” propelled by vision. It is a function of an undying desire and affinity towards a particular interest or interests. Without adequate passion, no project can survive the usual obstacles and deterrents that almost always militate against any venture. These obstacles constitute a force aimed at frustrating the dream- the vision.

....The role of passion in this “kitchen” cannot be over emphasized; both cooks need to realize that they need to have genuine deep seated interest in the cooking, otherwise they won’t achieve a delicious meal. Literally speaking, no good meal can be prepared successfully if the cook or cooks involved do not have a clear vision for what they really want as a final product.

Everybody involved in a relationship needs to realize the importance of passion; you need to know that without this item, that relationship of yours is just like a mere dry leave in the wind -easily blown in all directions-. Therefore, if you really want that relationship to blossom, or rather that meal of yours to taste great… then work on both your passions. Build an undying desire, a strong interest and resolve to make it work… no matter what! This will definitely form a protective shield for that love that you so cherish.

With mutual “TRUST”, which is the first item on the LOVE recipe, and passion as mentioned above… there is a very good chance of achieving a delicious “meal”. It is important that both cooks develop mutual passion towards their LOVE project.

It is a fact that without adequate passion any project is bound to fail… if it ever even kicks off!

Let’s hear your opinion on the issues highlighted here! Thanks and please be here again next week when I shall share with you the third item of the LOVE RECIPE

Love Recipe!

2013-03-20T16:47:00.001-07:00

The relationship between two individuals can start as simple as two items in a pot of soup; they may have arrived from different markets, and miles apart, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter… It always depends on the cook and how he mixes the items together as a recipe.
Relationships are like different soups; some are very tasty and delicious, and others are a pain to the taste buds. What really makes the difference? Simple!... the cooks! How many times have you heard people complain about a particular cooks’ meal. About how insipid the menus taste. And they wish they hadn’t taken that bite in the first place. The truth is that some cooks don’t put a lot of knowledge into their meals:

You really need to understand the various items you put into a cooking; how they should blend and in what proportion. Considerations are also expected in the timing… when what goes into the pot during the cooking process. Archiving a list of recipes is just the beginning. The real deal is “how to prepare them”.

Love in a relationship is a complex, intricate and profound item; sophisticated but yet simple. Simple when you compare it to assembling an atomic plant.
In fact, most people spend years in a relationship without ever understanding what love truly is; they wouldn’t know it, even if it were staring them in the face. These people are BAD cooks, and they do not have a good grasp of the LOVE RECIPE.

Two individuals involved in a romantic affair must regard each other as cooks, and their imputes into that romantic entanglement are like the items needed for the SOUP. They must understand how much of influence they should exercise over the other. And of course, a good sense of timing when contributing their own imputes. You mustn’t be too harsh or over bearing. You mustn’t assume that you alone can make the SOUP taste right.

I know they say that “too many cooks spoil the meal”… but not in this case. In fact, the reverse is rather true. The only law that applies in this KITCHEN is “three is a crowd”. Only two cooks are needed to make a delicious meal when you are applying the LOVE RECIPE… just two.
The relationship is the SOUP and both of you are the cooks. Whether it is delicious or insipid depends on how you appropriate the condiments... your imputes.
For a successful and blissful relationship, I would recommend the LOVE RECIPE. It is a simple and easily applicable arrangement. It requires the minutest, almost insignificant IQ range to practice and perfect. And you don’t need a university education to understand it. All you will need is an open heart, ready to love and be loved.

The first item on this RECIPE is TRUST:

Yea, Trust!. As simple as it sounds, it determines to a great extent the life span of any romance. An American mayor once said, during his visit to Nigeria in the late 90’s, that:
“..without trust we cannot work together, even when we are working together”
How ironical that statement is: two people could be in a relationship and not really be enjoying that relationship. They are two BAD cooks because their SOUP is tasteless. But they can make it delicious if they add some TRUST in the cooking.
Yes, they are together physically, but their souls are not! And this is a disaster waiting to happen. You need to build trust in that romance of yours. Try to communicate your expectations and fears. Constantly reassure each other of your commitment to the relationship… the cooking!

“MISTRUST IS A FIGMENT OF DEEP SEATED FEAR AND INSECURITY”
…Abu Samuel

Our cooks need to understand the importance of learning to trust; the importance of giving each other a plain platform to express and perform cannot be overemphasized. We must be transparent in our dealings and interactions with other people… especially, perceived threats to our partners. By threats I am referring to those prospective rivals you converse with on the phone, or on the streets . Your partner needs to understand in full details the nature of your conversations with an opposite gender.
The fear and insecurity that we all unconsciously harbor in our hearts are like explosives that can be detonated by the slightest trace of insincerity or dishonesty from our partner -cook-.

POOR ALBUMS OF 2012!!!

2013-03-20T16:46:00.002-07:00

It became very important that i share this publication with the 2tyte community. I was surprised to see that so many albums that were released in 2012, and by popular names in the industry, did not make the desired marks intended. The artistes highlighted here all have one thing in common- FAME: they have all had "HITS" before. So what happened this time? Did the market factors change?... or could it be that the taste of consumers of their music suddenly changed! Perhaps, a friend of mine opined... maybe their fans migrated to another planet.

Whatever the reason for this poor investment, i think artistes should always research properly before recording their songs, regardless of your status. KUDOS to 2face Idibia, P-Square and some of them out there who keep reeling out Hits after Hits. e no easy ma people!!!

... Wale Applause of Nairaland.com writes below.

2012 is one of those years that seemed to have less than 24 hours in each of the 366 days. The Nigeria music factory left fans agog as it has been a year of all-round entertainment. Several folks bagged accolades both home and abroad. The regulars kept their heads up and there was room for a couple of new-comers who played their cards well.

It must be said that this epistle is my view and opinion as it takes a critical look at 12 quality or flash albums that supposedly should make commercial success but did not. I bet there are a few albums on this list that will leave readers wondering and asking when they were released.

It is understandable that several music lovers did not know that these albums dropped due to laxity in the PR of the artistes and their management or just fate going by the saying that “talent is natural, excellence is a choice”.

Without further ado, let me hit the nail on the head:

1. FAZE - REFAZED: This is an album with which Faze baba tried to re-establish himself in the music factory. This is quality album, truth be said. It housed several intelligent lyrics, good vocals and quality beats. There were digressions in the genre of music, but Faze baba still got the R’n’B touch and flavour. With songs like “My Girl” featuring Vector, “Nkem”, and “In The Mood”, this 17-tracker LP is another good one by Faze, but ironically it did not do commercially well. Although some videos have been shot off the album, this did not change the commercial attribute of the album. For a feel and understanding of what I mean, grab a “Refazed” album today, although it took me days and distance to get mine.

2. FLAVOUR - BLESSED: With features by Wizboy and Fally Ipupa, this album did not make very good commercial success. It might surprise a lot of people to know that this indigenous act released an album this year. Although most of the songs were recorded in the native Igbo dialect. It can be defined as a brilliant beer parlour music compilation. Even with a song and video with Fally Ipupa, it did not bring to peoples’s notice that it’s off his “BLESSED” album, I think people cared less. This is an excellent compilation of indigenous music, it is the best high-life album to be found in any store in recent times.

3. BRYMO - THE SON OF A KAPENTA: The Chocolate City’s male vocalist had a very good year with success from singles such as “Ara”, “Good Morning” and “Go Hard”. This made his album one of the few craved for in the year 2012, but ironically it’s release went unnoticed. What a sheer waste of talent. A very distinct compilation of vocals, beats and lyrics. BrymO did not disappoint me with this album, but it is a commercial blunder. A friend of mine will call it a “rushed project”. I hope for the best probably after he shoots a few videos off the album.

4. SOUND SULTAN - ME, MY MOUTH AND EYE: Firstly, in my opinion, I think the album title is not appealing and fascinating in comparism with it’s priors – “SS4”, “The Textbook”, “Back From The Future” and others. The name is not striking. After 12 years of stage life, the sultan of sound in the Naija ninja kingdom decided to release this album following the success of his single “People Bad” featuring the veteran, Wyclef. The album housed 12 tracks which did not make commercial mark. This is an album with true definition of music. Sound Sultan is indeed a veteran, but I guess people just want to wine and dance.

5. CAPITAL F.E.M.I - THE YEAR OF R'n'B: In my opinion, this young man is the new king of R’n’B. His lengthy 17 tracks album is indeed worth the purchase. I can only wonder why this young man is not getting the much deserved credit. An album with songs such as “Get Low”, “Never Felt A Love”, “If”, “Am Just Saying” featuring Jaywon and Sinzu should have done commercially better. This brings us back to the words of some veterans who think that good music is loosing it’s value in this generation of ours. I’ll give kudos to Capital F.E.M.I for this debut album of his. It shows a lot of dynamism, proficiency and efficiency. The year of R’n’B is indeed an undiluted R’n’B album.

6. REMINISCE - BOOK OF RAP STORIES: His debut album with the monster hit “Kako Bii Chicken” did not do well in the market at all. To my utmost surprise, only a couple of DJs has this LP in their bags. They would rather have the singular hit track on a mix-tape. I feel so sad for this dude who has worked really hard to drop this much anticipated album. Features by the veteran Ruggedman, and his long time friend Jahbless did not push the album. To add salt to open wound, not long after he dropped this album did Vector skin his head causing a setback for his musical career, but I guess he’s back now considering his latest features.

7. MAVINS - SOLAR PLEXUS: After the defunct of the world famous Mo Hits Records, there was an immediate release of the “Solar Plexus” album by the newly formed Mavins. It is a compilation of songs by the remnant of the crew Wande Coal, D'Prince, Dr. Sid, and the newly recruited Tiwa Savage. On release of the album, expectation was high as all social media networks were flooded, only for us to have gotten what we did not deserve. I think after a critical view at the album which only has a hit song by each artiste by the Don, he decided to place it online for free download, but to my utmost surprise I soon found this album on the streets. Singles and videos from Wande Coal was quick to heal our pains though.

8. DUNCAN MIGHTY - FOOT PRINTS: With the album banger “We Go Dey Dey” which featured Wande Coal, “Light Ooo”, and “Port Harcourt Boi Remix”, it can be said that this beautiful and loaded album which also features Shaggy and Timaya did not go far commercially. A couple of readers might be surprised to know that Duncan Mighty has an album this year. This LP has 18 tracks although a couple of them still has the “Wene Mighty” beat and touch; another good one from Duncan mighty. His vocals and lyrics were not disappointing as usual. The new beats were spectacular and well mixed and mastered, but alas it did not reach the commercial heights as the previous albums. As a lover of good music, it hurts though, but only little can be done on a personal note to push the album.

9. D’PRINCE - FRENZY: In my own words, the album is a flashy but empty album. Coming from the brother of the Mavin’s Don, one would have expected a better album. “Frenzy” is a clumsy 25 tracks album which should not have come as a surprise to anyone who has followed the trend of D’Prince. Although it has popular tracks such as “Goody Bag” and other singles which have done well in the past. His secret wasn’t fully exposed as fellow label-mate Tiwa Savage and Wande Coal were there to cover him in the cold and dark times. This album though very flashy did not make commercial way forward. The appearance of the super-star Wizkid did not help matters. The only positive about the album is that it lives up to it’s name as it boasts of songs that can fuel your party rage. I must say that it had no idea and very low on creative fuel. From this album, it’s an evidence that music lovers are now better critics.

10. MONEY MAKING MUSIC – RUGGED MAN COLLABORATION ALBUM: Ruggedy baba who can be boldly referred to as a veteran after dropping 2 singles off the album before release got back into the heart of people, especially with his monster hit “Push” featuring Terry G. His collaboration with his new signing Mbryo on the “Ruggedy Baba Pt. 2” is also applaud-able. A couple videos off the album and the previous one further instilled Ruggedy baba in our hearts. Although this album is another very good package from the veteran, it did not follow the trend of the previous. It was first released on the music download website Spinlet, but I guess this did not affect the sale. The album with 11 wonderful tracks is a good come back by Ruggedy. Probably a few videos off the album could do the magic.

11. eLDee - UNDENIABLE: This is the reported last album by the veteran and CEO of Trybe 2.0 records who has been in the game since 1998. This is one album that should have done better commercially; the Don did not digress into the craze of noise in music’s name. He featured his label signings Sojay, K9 and also the superstar Wizkid. Although it also had on it the wedding anthem “Today Today” and the street credible “Wash Wash”, this did not in any way improve the sale. His lyrics, beats and delivery stuck to his definition of good music. His versatility was again brought to the obvious and one can only wonder why it is not an anthem on most radio stations.

12. JHYBO - BEE NA NI: Probably this post would have been up earlier only if I could go back home to get the title of Jhybo’s album. I had to reach over 20 people to get this title not knowing that I was telling them that Jhybo has an album. At last, I had to reach DJ Sean who almost instantly reminded me of the title. That only shows how “unpopular” the album is. It’s another good compilation of songs and beats, but failed to reach limelight. Jhybo’s well promoted “Run Their Mouth” single is off this album, but sadly it did not affect the sale of this album positively. A couple of readers will argue why this album made this list; please do me a big favour, cop this album.

Well, there it is, another epistle from “Poison Pen” by Wale Applause.

applauseafricamedia30@gmail.com

Dying Soldier!

2013-03-20T16:43:00.001-07:00

It happened too fast for me to comprehend. Seemed like hours passed before I could hear anything; my ears were literally deafened... blood spurting out from both of them, and my nostrils. I couldn’t feel my legs and my eyes burn so bad they couldn’t stay open. “This is it”, I thought to myself. I felt around me to see if any of the other soldiers was nearby. Though the darkness made it hard for me to see anything around, but I was also glad for it enveloped me from the enemies… a protection from more assaults.

The explosion was the loudest I had ever heard. It was deafening; like it was in my head. I saw bodies splintering into the dark thick smoke; the bodies of my colleagues. Limbs and flesh scattered in the air. As I was being blown off the ground by the momentum of the explosion, I lost my grip of reality. “God, my leg!”, a sharp and painful sensation ran through my lower part. No doubt it was a primitive explosive… but there was something more about it… I could perceive a strong chemical, tearing through my throat… choking me. The other soldiers were screaming and crying too. The darkness encapsuled us and made it impossible for us to see each other; but we knew every other person was in pain…and dying.

We were in the front line of the battle when the rebel soldiers sprung up this surprise attack. We didn’t see it coming and hadn’t prepared in any way for it. Emeka was the first soldier to complain about a choking sensation in his throat. He had been with the commandos who infiltrated the enemy camp few hours before the rest of the troupe arrived the fringe point. He was not comfortable with the atmosphere. He said that he was finding it difficult to breath. I heard him complain to the teams' medic and he was given some prescriptions. Ten minutes after, he went into an uncontrollable seizure. Before we could do anything, within seconds, he was dead…lifeless! Our commander began to scream,

“retreat!!!"... ”gaseous poison!!!”, he said frantically.

I didn’t understand what he meant by that, but I didn’t need to be told that Lieutenant Amos knew exactly what was about to happen if we didn’t move immediately.

“move. Move. Move!!!”... he kept on screaming. I grabbed the corpse lying in front of me and joined my mates as we started retreating towards our BASE. It was getting dark and we hadn’t the vaguest idea why the rebels had abandoned their camp. It was like chasing ghosts. We thought we had them surrounded, but to our greatest surprise we met their camp ground empty. And in fact poisoned with a this lethal gas. These rebels were devising different means of frustrating and prolonging this war unnecessarily. I was already tired of the whole mission; I just wanna go home; Back to my peaceful country and my family…my girlfriend and my little daughter, Margret! This was definitely the longest and most horrifying 6weeks of my life: I have killed more young men than I have had the privilege of playing soccer with in my entire life; some were barely 17 years old. But I had no choice -it was shoot before you get shot-. These young rebel soldiers hate Nigerian soldiers. They say we are the ones protecting the corrupt government of their country.

“without these stupid Nigerians, we would have toppled this useless government a long time ago”.

The rebel leader, Maputoo, said during one of their numerous internet broadcasts.

As I was beginning to sparingly get my vision accustomed to the night, I realized that I was the only soldier still alive. I saw mauled remains of my squad. Some headless and some with their limbs severed from the rest of their bodies. It then dawned on me that the warm, slippery and smelly moisture I had been lying on was my blood and that of my platoon members. “it is over”, I cursed myself! If I hadn’t been carrying Emeka’s lifeless body I would have been lying among the dead too. The weight of the corpse kept me some meters behind the platoon. They were several meters ahead of me and I was trying to catch up. I have to get Emeka’s corpse to the BASE for proper burial… whatever that is. He was my bosom friend from home. We grew up together in the ghetto of Ajegunle -AJ CITY-, a famous suburb in Lagos-Nigeria. I needed to give him a befitting burial…my last respect to a brave and loyal soldier. Deep in my thoughts and lying on my chest, face down because I couldn’t move, my left ear picked up a sound coming from a distance. No doubt, those must be the marching of rebel soldiers; and they were heading in my direction. I moved my hand in the dark, muddy ground to check for any ammunition close by… but none. If there was one, how would I manage it without my legs. The rebels were approaching my coordinate now. They are probably coming to see if their trap succeeded. I need to do something fast… I needed to leave my present position, if I must live; but strength fails me. I felt like a wet bag of sand, heavy and lazy to move. My thoughts were racing wild and senseless: I was thinking about my girl and how we met; how she so wanted me to be a medical doctor and not a soldier. She had always thought of me as an intelligent boy and that I was wasting away in the military. Now I wish I had listened to her and purchased that university entrance form. “God… I hate myself right now!”.

“stop there… you fool!”.

My heart stopped beating as I raised up my hands in surrender to the voice behind me. No doubt he must be pointing a gun at my back, cos a flash light was on me already. Any false move now will be a good reason to blow off my head. “I surrender!!!” was all I could mutter; A lame effort to see if I could be taken in as a P.O.W (Prisoner Of war).… at least I would live. And perhaps I would be used to broker a deal arrangement for whatever the rebels demand.

“you cockroach!”… “you think you people smart abi?’… ”now tell me, who smarter?”; “you or we?”. I didn’t know if he really expected me to answer that question. “this will teach your country to mind im own business and leave us alone to settle our domestic disputes”. This beast doesn’t seem to understand the whole concept of the African Union (AU) and the ‘one for all, all for one” mantra! When, and if he succeeds in toppling the government in his country, he would then begin also to signing such treaties with allies to prevent internal and external threats. Though I do not think that this is the right time or place to give him a short lesson on the international politics.

He walks around to face me, standing in front of me. And his “gang,” numbering about 17 youths had formed a circle around the two us... their guns all pointed in my direction. I was still lying in the pool of blood, wishing I was never born. My mates corpses were already beginning to putrefy; I could smell it. But at least they’ve been put out of their misery. I must have passed out for far longer than I remembered… maybe more than 24hrs. Why hadn’t the other platoons come to look for us? Were they also attacked too and killed?...attacked in the manner my platoon was ambushed? Then something from deep inside of me spoke some advice to my head: “I am a proud Nigerian… I must not show any sign of weakness to these elements of shame”.

“what do you want?”, I asked, half heartedly, trying to buy time; perhaps rescue could be on the way. He knelt down, looked closely into my eyes and gestured to two of his soldiers to lift me to my feet. They did so in a matter of seconds. I must have lost a lot of weight, cos I felt like feather when they grabbed me by my shoulders. Could it be that I have lost too much blood? The beast now standing in front of me, walked towards me, held me by my throat, and squeezed my neck so hard… obstructing my wind pipe… until I felt faintly. The other soldiers were still holding my arms, so that I couldn’t shake him off or break loose from his strong grip. He punched me in the stomach twice and I felt my entire foundation shake ; the pain was excruciating. It tore through my whole body… numbing my nerves. The third time he punched me, blood gushed out through my mouth, my ears and nose. “I am dying”, I assured myself. It’s so sad - dying far away in a foreign land- … alone in the dark with strangers who hate my guts and my nationality.

“this is it. good bye earth… good bye my lovely girl friend and my beautiful Margret”. I have always wished for a life unto old age; with my wife and kids…even grand kids. That is never going to happen again...ever!. The beast grabbed hold of my throat again. I was facing the sky above me now. I could see the stars and moonless sky. It never looked so beautiful to me. I guess this will be the last thing I will be seeing before it is over.

and then it happened:

“aaaaaahhhhh!!!!”.

I heard myself scream at the top of my lungs. It was a sharp pain. It burrowed through my guts; I felt it deep inside my abdomen. I knew what it was: I had just been stabbed with a large cabin knife. He pulled it out and plunged it into me again… and again… and again! Each time looking into my wide opened eyes and swearing.

“cockroach”… “this is for my brothers you killed… this is for my friends,… this is for Naomi, my pregnant girl-friend whom you murdered in cold blood”

I could feel my organs tearing away from their attachments. Blood flowing into my abdominal cavity… flowing uncontrollably. Satisfied and certain that I would die, the beast drops me on the floor like a piece of rubbish. I crouched into a ball and lay there waiting for death to come. I was ready… ready to go home. Now I know what it feels like when death approaches. The sudden quiet and saintly outlook on life. Suddenly nothing matters any more. I don’t care about the date, the day, my name or which football club is leading by points in the championship leagues; Or what’s up at the Laliga, elclassico match between Barca and Real Madrid. Only one thing comes to mind:

'...HEAVEN & HELL'.

I guess that's two things actually. For me, I knew HELL was certain. I have Just about 3 minutes left to live, die and join my ancestors wherever they may be. I am thinking what should I do to make this 3 minutes count for eternity.

Preventing Death!

2013-03-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

The sad incident of the 14th of February, 2013 involving our own pop star, Sussan Oluwabimpe Harvey -GOLDIE, leaves a big question regarding artiste's health in Nigeria and abroad. Her's was not the first of it's kind, considering the myriads of misfortunes that litters Hollywood and Nollywood in the recent past. However, Goldie's case had, in my opinion, the greatest shock and pain...for she was so young and full of life. According to those who were with her hours before her unfortunate demise, they said that there was no forewarning whatsoever about the incident that unfolded afterwards.

The big question now is: what caused her death.

After the news of her death, especially when it was also announced by her record label-KENIS MUSIC-, it became a fact that truly GOLDIE was gone. But then rumors began to fly around concerning the cause of death. Some instantly concluded that like Whitney Houston, the queen of POP, Goldie may have been into drugs. The social media was alive with all sought of analysis and arguments about the circumstances surrounding her death. There were also publications by some popular blogs, suggesting a possible cause of death.

Famous among all the speculations was the claim about "PULMONARY EMBOLISM" secondary to "DVT":

DVT is short for DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS. Meaning a blood clot in the large veins in the thighs or the lower legs. When for any reasons such clots break loose, they may travel to any part of the body such as the brain, lungs or heart.

Where ever they hit, they'll block off oxygen from getting through. If it hits the brain for example, it will lead to cerebral Ischemia, whereby brain cells die very quickly and of course, we are facing massive stroke in such patients. Where clinical intervention is not rapid, death follows rapidly. When such clots hit the lungs, we say such patients threw a P/E meaning, Pulmonary Embolism. Lungs got occluded, starved of oxygen and oxygenated blood and of course Death within a short while.

The other plausible cause which was also credited to the Lagos State University teaching Hospital, LASUTH...where she was confirmed dead, disclosed that her death was caused by...

"An autopsy on late Nigerian pop star, Goldie Harvey, has revealed that the musician died of 'hypertensive heart disease' which triggered 'intracerebellar haemorrhage.'

The autopsy, done on February 19, was signed by Dr. O.O Oyewole of the Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, according to a report on a celebrity blog, http://www.Olufamous.com. The blog also provided a copy of the autopsy report.

These revelation has put paid to speculations that the musician died of doping complications, a suggestion her widower, Andrew Harvey, quickly dismissed." courtesy:http://allafrica.com/stories/201302201114.html

It is a relief to know that the young pop star didn't die from any drug related complications. But it is also scary to learn that other artistes, including this writer may be be in danger of DVT or Hypertensive Heart disease.

How to Avert 'Hypertensive heart Disease'

Most artistes may not understand that they can prevent such sudden death scenarios in their own lives. Hypertensive Heart Disease, if detected in time, death can be averted. How do you ensure that you don't become a victim? what can you do as an artiste, and indeed, as any individual to prevent a sudden death... as a result of hypertension? simple:

Constantly check your blood pressure and live your life in absolute moderation.
Don't drink irresponsibly;
Cut down or quit smoking,
Ensure that you are free from any type of infections, for example, STDs and related conditions.

Hypertensive Heart Diseases and DVT (deep vein thrombosis) are made worse when left unchecked for a long period of time. Wether Goldie was aware of her condition and was probably on medication or not... still remains a puzzle; with her wealth and level of exposure, one would expect that she should have paid attention to these parameters. Sometimes it's not always about money...it is oftentimes about information and discipline.

Check your blood pressure today. Let's collectively try o avert this type of lose in the industry.

The question remains; what are artistes doing to avert such untimely death? is there some life style that predisposes one to such sad fate? How many artiste out there invest in life policies, medical check ups and health information. We need to protect ourselves against untimely deaths.

"like" us @ www.facebook.com/2tytenigeria. support and encourage us through your comments and contributions.

Home Recording Studio

2013-03-20T16:39:00.001-07:00

The above diagram shows a simple arrangement for a home studio. You might be wondering why should you bother about setting up you own home studio!

This might seem like a very difficult feat to achieve considering the fact that people, especially artistes expect every recording studio to be fully kitted with all the high standard gadgets and equipments usually seen at PRO studios.

The truth remains that you don't really need all those expensive equipments to take your vocals or record your instruments...nor create beats. I want to assure you that you could put together a simple recording arrangement that can rival any PRO Studio production, quality-wise; once you know what you are doing.

Recording a successful song requires absolute concentration and sufficient time for creativity to truly bear on the project. Depending on a PRO Studio can be very expensive, and you might have enough time to actualize all your imaginations for the project.
The first two stages of music production does not really require sophisticated equipments. All you really need would few impute devices and a quiet environment... like your basement, or you can simply wait till it's night and everyone is asleep; no nice!

These are the stages mentioned: (1) Sequencing & (2) Voicing.

These two stages of production can be taken care of with the simplest equipments in the market. And I am going to show you how to put them together to work for your music career. And guess what, two or three artistes can come together and set up a mini recording studio for themselves and for friends. It would only encourage creativity and FREEDOM!

The Seven major components of every recording studio are:

A computer
Keyboard
Audio Interface/Sound Card
Computer Sequencer e.g., Cubase, sonar, FL studio
Microphone
Connecting cables
Monitor Speakers

Beyond these components, any other addition to the family is purely for enhancement of production and multi-tasking. But I can authoritatively tell you that with the above mentioned items, you are ready for production.

WHY YOU SHOULD SET UP YOUR OWN STUDIO?

Think of the freedom of being able to record at impulse; to wake up at any time and put your imagination to work…mindless of some management watching over your shoulders. No more getting furious with the engineer for delaying the rendering or mixing process. I am talking about absolute FREEDOM… and of course, in CAPITAL letters.

I remember back in 2005 when I was able to set up my first recording studio. It was a very wise decision, because it enabled me to mature musically. I decided hey! ‘Why don’t I make some money with my new found skills’? I started demo production for friends and sundry; soon I made back all the money I had put into setting up my home studio, and also had featured in more than 60 tracks. This is because I had all the time to perfect my voice takes.

Well, that was a digression over there. But nevertheless, it might also encourage you to know that you could also start recording young artistes who can’t afford dope studios…for a fraction of what it would have cost them. Thereby, making back your initial investment.

Now back to the matter of the moment- Setting up your own home studio-

Here we go:

Your Mixerless Home Studio (use a Laptop or Desktop)

This is a very simple Home Studio arrangement. It is ideal for HIP HOP, Dancehall, R&B, POP and all forms of electronic and dance music. Solo artistes or small groups can work perfectly with this; also it is for recording acoustic guitarists, ‘synthesists’, vocalists and song writers.

All you will need are:

An Audio Interface (either the Firestudio Mobile or The Motu Ultralite)

(Both of them are very cheap but effective Audio Interfaces: AI)

Firewire cable
Microphone
Keyboard controller
Active Monitors
A fast Laptop or desktop
…and of course, the Computer sequence (cubase, sonar, FL studio)

With as little as N170, 000, you could acquire all the above items. Give me a call if you need me to configure or purchase them for you. You can easily get every one of them at the famous Alaba International market in Lagos state, Nigeria. (BB PIN: 25EB6027 : Twitter:@abusamuel: Facebook:www.facebook.com/2tytenigeria) Feel free to contact me.

Notice that I didn’t mention a Mixer or a Sound Card among the needed items. For our simple Home recording studio, we shall be using Audio Interfaces instead of expensive sound cards.

Why?

Simple: The Firestudio Mobile will work with Macs or PCs. You can plug in your guitar and mic on the front panel and connect a synth in the back. This interface is rich in inputs (8 analog, stereo s/pdif digital) but only has 2 outputs, which is nearly perfect for a mixerless approach. Finally, you're going to be recording at 24 bits, just like many PRO studios.

The Firestudio Mobile:

MIC:

Any cheap microphone will do: Your studio Project B1 will be just perfect.

The studio Project B1

KEYBOARD:

You can get a fairly used keyboard from your electronic market; just ensure that it is MIDI enabled. You don’t really need an expensive keyboard since all you will need it for is just to punch notes unto your Computer synthesizer.

Monitor speaker:

For the Monitor speakers, the Behringer MS 16 does wonders. You could also complement it with any passive speaker…just to act as your “live” player.

MS16 behringer

COMPUTER:

One very vital component here is the Computer you use. It is important that you have a very fast and powerful processor configuration; a dual core, 500GB, 2GB ram will do just fine. Computers are available also in the fairly used market, but if you can afford it, get a brand new one. You don’t want compromise on this part of the project.

studio computer

Computer Sequencers:

Last, but in no way the least, is your computer sequencer. Computer sequencers are software that allows you to record midi and audio into tracks, which can later be edited and integrated into the final work. The impute devices like the Microphones, Keyboards, Guitars and other musical elements can only come together as a common entity in the computer, only by a sequencer. There are so many of them out there now, but there are some very popular ones. In later discussions, we shall be taking them, one after the other to discuss and illustrate how best to use them. The three very popular ones are as follows:

CUBASE

SONAR cakewalk

Fruity Loops Studio

HOW TO CONNECT THE COMPONENTS:

Connect Firewire cable from firebox to computer.

Mic to XLR input. Keyboard controller to any USB input.

Active Monitors on the main outs.

If you have a keyboard or module with sounds then it connects to the firebox line inputs 3 and 4 on the back.

If you have a keyboard with no USB use the onboard 5 pin MIDI jacks.

Very easy, isn’t it? Once you have all these components properly configured, you are ready to start recording at home.

REMEMBER:

The Firestudio Mobile will work with Macs or PCs.
You can plug in your guitar and mic on the front panel and connect a synth in the back.
This interface is rich in inputs (8 analog, stereo s/pdif digital) but only has 2 outputs, which is nearly perfect for a mixerless approach.
Finally, you're going to be recording at 24 bits, just like many PRO studios.

That will be all for now, but be here again next week to learn how to record audio and midi into your computer, using your home studio arrangement. Please leave a comment and you can be sure that I will get back to you. And i shall consider your suggestions or questions in my next discussion.