Happy birthday to my beloved friend, sister, and one of Africa’s finest actresses, Clarion Chukwurah. In the Nigerian entertainment industry, many performers crash in to seek fame and money but eventually pursue other endeavors. In the past, it was evident that numerous entertainers, musicians, and actors who made the most noise in our homeland lacked natural talent and struggled to portray their assigned roles as directed by movie directors, producers, and music label owners. The industry’s focus was solely on appearance rather than actual talent. They showcased many actors who lacked passion and had a limited understanding of their roles.

Time is the ultimate differentiator between those who aspire to be actors (or musicians) and those who truly excel at their craft. As countless pretenders fade away one after another, those with genuine talent, passion, and dedication to acting or performing endure through time.

In Africa’s entertainment scene stands Clarion Chukwurah – a screen goddess for four decades – still going strong without slowing down as she gracefully ages. She remains radiant as ever while retaining immense time and passion for her greatest love: acting. Whenever I call her up, she kindly replies with “nna, agam akpogi, biko o” meaning “brother” in Igbo language (a Nigerian dialect), saying she will return my call because she is busy filming. I genuinely hope other African actors, musicians, comedians, and dancers can find inspiration in Clarion Chukwurah’s journey. It is essential to realize that you are your own main obstacle if you give up after a few years in the entertainment industry. Your age does not limit your growth; you improve with experience.

Please take a moment to reflect on Clarion Chukwurah’s life; she continues to thrive, enriching Africans at home and abroad. We celebrate her birthday today. Happy birthday, Clay! May the good Lord grant you grace, stamina, and good health to persevere. Party like a rockstar, girl!

Alla-bama (Ik)

After perusing my reflections on the recent African movie series, Fatal Seduction, many fans felt I was too lenient towards the producers. Allow me to clarify: Fatal Seduction’s version of The Dark Desire is not the first time African movie producers have borrowed an entire script from a movie that most African viewers may not have seen. Years ago, when Nollywood movies started gaining popularity overseas, I invited some friends to my studio to watch African films. A few minutes into the film, one of my friends pointed out that the idea had been stolen from A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, starring Martin Lawrence and others.

As we progressed through the movie, my friends lost interest, and we decided to watch the original version instead. I was shocked because the producers of that particular African film never credited or acknowledged those behind the original production. This made me lose interest in watching Nollywood films since many lacked originality.

However, it’s not only African filmmakers who are guilty of this; many African musicians also reap huge benefits from this copycat practice. Unfortunately, it has gone unnoticed by most music lovers for years. Our people follow popular trends and catchy melodies without realizing when a musician has lifted an entire melody from another song. If you dare point it out, some might label you as jealous. The copycat syndrome is prevalent in Nigerian music and sadly, original creators rarely receive any credit.

The producers of Fatal Seduction did not pay me as an influencer to promote their series. How many African actors would be willing to strip down or perform simulated love scenes? Are Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, and Stephanie Okereke bold enough? Many African actors (especially Nigerians) fear a public backlash if they step outside their comfort zones in life-changing movies. Instead, they often focus on producing films centered around witches, wizards, and native doctors. Very few of them genuinely create mind-blowing movies that you would want to watch repeatedly.

In Fatal Seduction, the actors were bold; if I hadn’t seen the original version, I could have spent a perfect day watching Fatal Seduction over and over again. This sets it apart from other African movies available on Netflix. Based on these factors, I gave it a five-star rating.

alla-Bama (Maziyke) is a Nigerian-American singer, songwriter, and music producer based in New York City.

A few hours ago, I decided to relax and watch the new South African movie, Fatal Seduction. The film premiered today on Netflix. The picture quality, the actors, the scenes, and the storyline elevated African cinema to a whole new level. The love scene evokes an unexpectedly romantic yet somewhat reasonable mood.

However, before I reached the third episode of this movie, it felt like I was watching ‘Dark Desire’, a well-known Spanish TV series. Dark Desire was released in 2020 and featured Maite Perroni (“El juego de las llaves”), Alejandro Speitzer (“The Club”), Erik Hayser (“Ingobernable”), and Jorge Poza (“Ringo”). Frustrated by the similarity between Fatal Seduction and Dark Desire, I switched off the movie and began expressing my discontent about this resemblance.

In Dark Desire, “A married woman named Alma spends a fateful weekend away from home that sparks passion, ends tragically, and leads her to question the truth about those close to her.” Leticia López Margalli created this popular TV series; season 2 premiered in 2022.

Fatal Seduction was released approximately 16 hours ago. According to Netflix’s review: “Relationships can be complex, especially when you suspect your partner is cheating on you. In this steamy South African thriller created by Steven Pillemer (The Brave Ones) and starring Kgomotso Christopher, Prince Grootboom, and Thapelo Mokoena, the messy situation begins when one married couple decides to cheat on each other, which ultimately leads them into a potential murder case. When a married woman falls into a passionate affair with a younger man during a fateful weekend away,it all takes an unexpected turn of events ending tragically, leading her to question those closest to her.”

Curious about how this new film came about,I did some research on Netflix’s Deep Dive by Ingrid Ostby and discovered that the movie was based on ‘Dark Desire’ by Nayura Aragón Herranz and Leticia López Margalli. However, the opening captions of the movie never mention Dark Desire. Only during the closing credits does one notice that the film is based on Dark Desire. If I hadn’t researched, I wouldn’t have known how Netflix allowed this movie to be released on their platform.

Considering all the hard work put in by the cast and crew of Fatal Seduction, Netflix should ensure that viewers who watch this movie for the first time know its source material. I am not critiquing this movie; as a musician who loves to encourage and support fellow African entertainers and actors, I would hate for anyone to stop watching Fatal Seduction simply because they feel it is a copycat of something they’ve seen before.

Lastly, let me give five stars to the cast and crew of this movie. They delivered!

Alla Bama (Maziyke) is a renowned Nigerian musician/producer in New York City.

Los Angeles, US – Fact; no one knows if actress/comedian Yvonne Orji’s ‘First Gen‘ sitcom passed the Pilot stage. We are proud to announce the release of the first Nigerian themed American sitcom on CBS, ‘Bob Hearts Abishola‘.

The American sitcom television series created by Chuck Lorre, Eddie Gorodetsky, Al Higgins, and Gina Yashere was premiered on September 23, 2019, on CBS. It stars Billy Gardell(Bob) and Folake Olowofoyeku(Abishola) as the title characters, with Christine Ebersole(Dottie Wheeler), Matt Jones(Douglas Wheeler), Maribeth Monroe(Christina Wheeler), Shola Adewusi(Olu), Barry Shabaka Henley(Tunde), Travis Wolfe Jr.(Dele), Vernee Watson(Gloria), and Yashere(Kemi) in supporting roles.

This promising story is a sequential exhibition of the cycles of diverse Nigerians living in the United States of America. The story revolves around Bob, a rich American hard worker and Abishola a no-nonsense Nigerian immigrant nurse; two unlike characters in a one-sided love web.

Live from social media, Nigerians both home and abroad lack falling short in expressing their awe towards the sitcom. To some; a symbol of respect and others a glimmer of hope for the Nigerian identity.

Watch trailer.