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Exclusive: Destination Quidha Test Tour Leaves Tourists Yearning for More, Bodex Media Gushes

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7 years ago

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Destination Oudah

Morning after, which is the day two of the test tour, Benin Royal Hotel woke us up to sumptuous breakfast which translated from bread rolls to croissant, coffee and variety as you would have wished for. Our dishes kept filling up with food at very instance. One of us even said jokingly that the first he would do when he gets back to Nigeria is to check his weight as he suspects he must have added a few pounds. From the appetizer, to the main course itself, and even to the dessert, spelt for us the true royalty that we exude. We were treated to a mesmerizing buffet that left people going back for more to have their fill.

A quick survey revealed somewhat that apart from French as the major language of the Beninoise, another widely spoken language there is Egun, from Nigeria. Those that could communicate in the language and comprehend all what is being said feel like they are in charge.

Meanwhile, we came in company of Prince Adekunle Adeyemo, the Executive Assistant to the Ambassador of tourism in Africa and President of Motherland Beckons/ La Campagne Tropicana beach Resort, Otunba Olawanle Akinboboye, Otunba Niyi Babade of CNN Africa, Mr Wale Ojo of Tribune and the Most Beautiful girl in Nigeria, Tourism, Miss Winfrey Okolo.

After breakfast and all, we set out on our destination to Quidha. We left at about 11:55 am in a convoy up until we got to the place where pythons are worshipped ( Les Temples de pythons) at about 1:00pm. Though we didn’t stop there immediately, we made a down payment of 20,000Franc CFA for our visiting expenses.

We headed to the slave mausoleum where several slaves were buried on a daily basis.  Some slaves were even buried alive because slave masters felt they couldn’t continue on the journey. Historical estimates run to about 40 million souls buried there. We paid our homage to the lost souls by observing a minute’s silence. The African Ambassador of Tourism, Otunba Olawanle Akinboboye gave a heartfelt speech on the sufferings and pain the souls of the departed are languishing in.

While we were in motion with this, we were met and greeted by the representatives of the honorable minister of tourism, to appreciate our efforts and visit, in line with destination Quidah. A memorial bouquet of flowers was presented and lain by the Most Beautiful girl in Nigeria, Tourism, Miss Winfrey Okolo, on behalf of Nigeria in remembrance.

We proceeded on the journey to the point of no return, where slaves if taken to this point, were rest assured to never see their countries or families. This point served as a major exchange point and port for slave trade on the African continent. Destination Quidah opened the eyes of many to the culture and sounds of the people of Benin republic.

Meanwhile, as we left the slave mausoleum, little did we know we were going to have an encounter with strong believers and practitioners of voodooism (voodun) right on the same route. They were receptive and approachable and as well gave a little insight into what they do and how they do what they do.

In rounding off our tour for the day, we made a final stop at the temple of pythons. Most people from the stop earlier made were excited, a few apprehensive and others non-different. Here, the facilitator informed us that the pythons don’t bite, as they were royal pythons and that is what people in that locality worship. Ironically, the first Catholic Cathedral in West Africa is situated directly opposite this temple.

The snakes, we were told, are released once every month to go into the neighborhood to feed and be worshipped, after which they return to the temple on their own accord, whilst some are brought back by faithful worshippers. They feed on small livestock and rodents each time until their next release. Mind you, they are never killed!!

Things spiced up momentarily as we took turns to touch, carry and wear the live python as a muffler round our necks. Though some tourists were freaked out and barely had the nerve, it all boiled down to stepping up your fear game, just as the saying “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.”  Even Bodex herself, was scared to the bones as the sight of the snakes gave her the hives. She screamed and almost took to her heels when it was her turn to wear the snake as a muffler.

We weren’t alone on this journey as white men from different nationality were seen taking a tour of the different places we visited. It showed to us that if we as Africans do not appreciate the tourism elements we carry, foreigners from other continents actually do.

At 3:35pm we were back at the Benin Royal Hotel. The journey this time seemed shorter and a lot faster. This time, we resumed at the VIP restaurant for the humongous lunch awaiting us. Though it was a fun journey, we were pretty exhausted from the heat of the scotching sun. Resting a while, we set out again at 7:15pm for the high point event of the night.

There was a blend of Nigerian and Beninoise music with performance from Motherland’s very own Olo – omidan bata, Anu – the lady Ekwe, and many more with models and multi instrumentalists serenading all to pleasant sounds of jazz and pure African music.

The major highlight of the event this evening was by Nigeria’s very own Remilekun Abdulkalid Safaru, popularly known as Reminisce, a.k.a Alaga Ibile. His performance was off the hook, with blaring hit songs to his title. He is a man of few words, but left fans bedazzled all night out.

See pictures:

Destination Ouidah Destination Ouidah

 

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Zanzibar to host 2025 Trace Awards in February

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1 week ago

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November 1, 2024 8:24 am

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Trace, the Afro-urban music and culture platform, has announced that it will hold its next award ceremony in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

The event will take place from February 24 to 26, 2025, at the luxurious Mora 5-star resort.

The ceremony will begin with a two-day summit featuring panel sessions and masterclasses on African creative industries, technology, and branding.

The award night, scheduled for February 26, will broadcast live across 25 Trace channels and in over 200 English, French, and Portuguese-speaking countries.

Olivier Laouchez, Trace co-founder and executive chairman, said the summit aims to empower African artistes with essential tools for success in the global music landscape.

“We are excited to celebrate Africa’s creative heartbeat by spotlighting music legends and rising stars,” Laouchez said.

“The awards and summit seek to empower artists with essential tools for success in today’s global landscape. The event will transform Zanzibar into a vibrant epicentre of music, culture, and innovation.”

Mudrik Ramadhan Soraga, Zanzibar’s minister of tourism, expressed pride in hosting the prestigious event, highlighting the island’s unique blend of nature, culture, and innovation.

“Zanzibar is proud to host the Trace Awards and Summit, a celebration of Africa’s vibrant music and culture on the global stage,” he said.

“This event strengthens our commitment to sustainable tourism and promotes Zanzibar as a premier MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) destination.

“It will showcase our island’s beauty and diversity, while highlighting our efforts to preserve its unique environment and culture. We invite the world to experience Zanzibar’s exceptional charm, where nature, culture, and innovation come together.”

The 2025 Trace Awards will feature 28 categories representing popular African music genres, including Afrobeats, Amapiano, Dancehall, Afro-pop, and more. The list of nominees will be unveiled on December 4, with voting to begin on December 18.

By hosting the Trace Awards, Zanzibar aims to position itself as a premier destination for music, culture, and innovation, promoting sustainable tourism and preserving its unique environment and culture.

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Events

MDI online event ” African and European Gen Z digital activism: what’s different? why now? where next?”

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1 week ago

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October 30, 2024 3:17 pm

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Amid the chaos of war raging in the Middle East and in other parts of the world, another critical battle is unfolding online where embattled communities are uniting and forging a powerful resistance, sometimes against oppressive regimes.

In Bangladesh, digital activists organised protests that led to regime change in August 2024. In Kenya and in other African countries online and real-life protests have shaped people’s participation and created a movement against corrupt and unlawful leaders. In Europe including the Western Balkans, and in the Middle East and North African region projects driving youth activism and civic participation are being implemented to promote online media literacy and defend the value of constructive and responsible activism.

Register now, join MDI online event,on 31 October from 17.00-18.15 Jordan time (UTC+3) to meet young digital activists from Asia, Europe and Africa as well as other experts to discuss the power of social media to keep decision makers accountable and using digital tools in a responsible way.

Our speakers will share insights into the protests and the online media projects they are/have been involved with. 

“We are grateful to UNESCO for giving the MDI the opportunity to share experiences of involving young people’s voices in shaping their future.” – Milica Pesic, panel moderator, MDI Executive Director.  

“Rather than saying ‘Give me a place to stand and I will move the earth’ as boasted by the great Scientist, Archimedes, youths from GenZ have a social media place to stand, a digital identity to uphold and with it, they intend to shake the world” Olunifesi Suraj, speaker, Associate Professor of Mass Communication, University of Lagos. 

“Digital activism is not just about hashtags; it’s about diverse voices translating virtual solidarity into real-world change.” – Hana Kojakovic, speaker, MDI Get The Trolls Out ! Project Manager. 

“Online innovative storytelling allows for a wide range of voices to be heard, particularly from underrepresented communities.”- Yazan Abu al Rous, speaker, Salam Online Project Manager. 

“Chaite gelam odhikar, hoye gelam Razakar.” (Demanded rights, only to become Razakar.) – The July Uprising in Bangladesh began as a peaceful student protest for quota reform in government jobs but escalated into a national non-cooperation movement, ultimately leading to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and flight to India.” – Raheed Ejaz, speaker, diplomatic correspondent at Daily Prothom Alo.  

This online event is organised in the framework of the Global Media and Information Literacy Week Conference will be hosted by UNESCO and the Hashemite Kingdom on 30-31 October 2024 in Amman, Jordan. 

To interview our speakers, please contact Anthea Kasonga, MDI Communications team: anthea.kasonga@media-diversity.org 

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Events

Ayra Starr to headline inaugural YouTube Live Concert in Nairobi

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3 weeks ago

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October 19, 2024 3:07 pm

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Grammy-nominated Nigerian music artist Ayra Starr will perform a special YouTube Live concert streamed globally from Nairobi, Kenya.

This concert will offer fans an intimate experience as Ayra Starr will perform new tracks from ‘The Year I Turned 21” alongside other fan favourites.

The event, produced in partnership with Raha Fest, will celebrate the release of her sophomore album, ‘The Year I Turned 21”, and will be available for fans worldwide to experience on her official YouTube channel.

The event will be livestreamed on YouTube, giving audiences around the world, the chance to be part of this special moment. Fans, Mobstarrs, as she calls them will also have the opportunity to engage directly with Ayra Starr through the ‘Woman Commando” YouTube Shorts challenge, allowing them to create and share their interpretations of her hit single.

Additionally, exclusive behind-the-scenes content will be captured, adding another layer of excitement to the experience, which will be shared on YouTube.

Nairobi, with its vibrant music scene, deep roots in African culture, and a youth population that adores Ayra Starr, was chosen as the perfect setting for this electrifying performance. Ayra’s growing fan base across Kenya and East Africa makes the city a fitting backdrop for her first YouTube Live concert.

Speaking about the concert, Ayra Starr said, ‘Performing live is where I get to connect deeply with my fans, and I’m so excited to do this on a global scale from Nairobi. This album means so much to me, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with everyone through YouTube.”

Fans all over the world can tune in to watch the concert live on October 20, 2024, at 9 PM EAT on Ayra Starr’s official YouTube channel: YouTube.com/AyraStarr.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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