2Face Idibia, Tiwa Savage, D’banj, Banky W, Waje, Iyanya, P-Square & Seyi Shay Nominated for the 2014 World Music Awards

A standing ovation for our Nigerian entertainers.

World Music Awards recently unveiled its nominees list for 2014; and a few of your favourite music stars shine bright like diamonds in all the categories.

From D’banj to Tiwa Savage, Waje to P-Square, they all made it.

Check it out!
2014 World Music Awards Nominees List
World’s Best Song
Iyanya – Away
Wizkid – Eledumare
Tiwa Savage Feat. Don Jazzy – Eminado
Banky W – Jasi
Iyanya – Le Kwa Ukwu
D’banj – Oliver Twist
P-Square – Personally
Seyi Shay – Ragga Ragga
Dr Sid Feat. Don Jazzy, Wizkid, Phyno – Surulere

World’s Best Album

                                                                                     Femi Kuti – No Place for My Dream

Waje – W.A.J.E.

World’s Best Video
Tiwa Savage Feat. Don Jazzy – Eminado
Banky W – Jasi
Iyanya – Le Kwa Ukwu
D’banj – Oliver Twist
P-Square – Personally
Seyi Shay – Ragga Ragga

World’s Best Female Artist
Seyi Shay
Tiwa Savage
Waje

World’s Best Male Artist
2Face Idibia
Banky W
Darey Art-Alade
Davido
D’banj
Dr Sid
Femi Kuti
Ice Prince
Iyanya
Kcee
Modenine
Olamide
Praiz
Timaya
Wizkid

World’s Best Group
P-Square

World’s Best Live Act

2Face Idibia
Banky W
Darey Art-Alade
Davido
D’banj
Dr Sid
Femi Kuti
Ice Prince
Iyanya
Kcee
Modenine
Olamide
Praiz
P-Square
Seyi Shay
Tiwa Savage
Timaya
Waje
Wizkid

World’s Best Entertainer of the Year
2Face Idibia
Banky W
Darey Art-Alade
Davido
D’banj
Dr Sid
Femi Kuti
Ice Prince
Iyanya
Kcee
Modenine
Olamide
Praiz
Seyi Shay
Timaya
Tiwa Savage
Waje
Wizkid

Congrats to our stars. To vote – CLICK HERE

history has proven over and over again that "unmerited suffering is redemptive

Holy water washes away sins at Ethiopia's Timket festival

There are services the following morning which culminate in the priests blessing the waters of the historic bath, while onlookers crowd every nook surrounding the bath -- some getting a pristine view from nearby trees.

When the priests are done, the mood turns jubilant, and the spectators rush to jump into the pool.

"The water is blessed in the name of the Holy Trinity ... in the name of God. The water is now sacred, and the sick shall be cured," explains Ezra Adis, the head priest at the local Medhanelem Church.

"That is why the young people who jump in first get excited; it is a spiritual love," he adds.

The plunge is so swift that some participants get battered in the process -- though most are unperturbed by a few scratches.

"I jumped from high above," boasts one man who dived into the waters from one of the nearby trees.
"I was apprehensive," he adds. "The branches could give way and you could fall on the rock edge of the pool, and there was a possibility I could have lost my life, but at this moment, I am doing what I feel good about, and that possibility of death doesn't scare me."
The Timket festival dates back to the 16th century, but it was marked only in churches until the baptismal ceremonies were introduced, explains Bantalem Tadesse Tedla, a historian at the University of Gondar.
The baptisms, usually held on January 19, are celebrated differently in other parts of the country. "There are three options for Timket," says Tedla. "To be immersed, to collect water from three pipes and pour it on people, or to collect water and sprinkle it -- it depends on the availability of water.
"In Gondar, the first is implemented, because of the existence of this very important building," he adds, referring to the stone bath -- a UNESCO world heritage site built in 1632 for King Fasil (Fasiledes).
As the afternoon winds down, people begin to leave the pool and head back to the streets, but the festivities aren't quite over. Each tabot is now paraded back to its respective church with crowds of onlookers eager to get one last look at them.
Back at the churches, it's a different, quieter scene. Congregants fill the church grounds to listen in on a final service, and after a closing prayer it's time to send the tabot back inside the church to its resting place.

The locals will eventually return to their homes for a special feast, but in the meantime, the celebrations on the streets of Gondar continue -- a chance for orthodox Christians to celebrate and come together for one of the most sacred and festive days of the year. 

Peek inside the world's most expensive hotel rooms

(CNN) --At $83,200 a night, the Royal Penthouse Suite at Geneva's Hotel President Wilson is the most expensive hotel room in the world.Guests are not left wanting for much: the suite has 12 bedrooms and 12 marble bathrooms, plus a wraparound terrace with views of the Alps that have been said to move a handful of famous musicians to song (there's a Steinway piano, should the backdrop not be enough). VIPs traveling without an entourage can make use of the private staff -- butler, chef, personal assistant.

While such super-premium suites are nothing new, it used to be that they were a one-off. These days, luxury hotel are clamoring to turn over space (and a lot of it) for these ultra-luxury abodes.

     "There were five-figure rooms in the '90s, but there were fewer," acknowledges Nikhil Bhalla, vice president of equity research in lodging at FBR Capital Markets.

 "Since then, the world has produced many more millionaires than what existed 20 or 30 years ago, so clearly the number of people who can easily afford these rooms has gone up many fold," he says.Last year, as part of a $140 million renovation, the New York Palace Hotel unveiled a couple of specialty suites, including a penthouse overlooking Central Park for $28,000 a night. According to Paul James, the global brand leader for Starwood's luxury brands, of the 40 or so new properties the hotel group has in the pipeline, about half will be outfitted with premium rooms.

    "We call them our e-wow suites -- short for 'extreme wow,'" he says, referring to suites at the W Hotels

 Bhalla says that emerging markets are helping to push the demand for luxury rooms to new levels."There's more money in the world today than there was five, or even two years ago. In countries like China or India, there's a whole new class and level of people moving up the economic ladder who can afford these luxury experiences. As other parts of the world get developed and their economies get bigger, I imagine that will continue to be the case."

                                                         A new class of amenities

 Given the price point, it's important these premium rooms offer more in the way of perks than generic shampoo bottles or a pillow chocolate. In many suites -- which these days mimic apartments, or even mansions in size -- bath products range from L'Occitane to Hermes. Butlers, private chefs, personal trainers, drivers and masseuses are on call (and often included in the price). There's usually extra bedrooms, dining and living rooms for hosting and offices for conducting work. Exceptional views and a prime location are a must, as is discretion (most suites have private entrances).

According to Christopher Noton, the president of hotel operations for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for the Four Seasons, the real worth of a luxury stay is the service, not the space.

"Our clients go from having multiple expectations to hyper-expectations, and what that means is that we must know who they are, how they act and what they want," he says.

"If you want to be left alone, I sense that, and I make sure that happens. If you want to be fussed over, we'll fuss over you. Really, it's the total custom experience."

High expectations?

Of course, when someone's dropping that kind of money on a hotel stay, the pressure to make it perfect is heightened.

"There are very high expectations, but then, there's a very high level of personal service," says James.

Bhalla adds that the higher the price tag, the greater the importance of adding experiential elements to the package -- everything from stunning views of sporting events to NBA-sized basketball courts.

"It's almost a funny thing to say at this price range, but at the end of the day, what people are looking for is value. If I'm spending $25,000 a night at a hotel, am I getting an experience that makes me feel it's worth it?" he says

R. KELLY COULD BE HEADED TO PRISON

R. Kelly reportedly behind on child support.

R&B legend, R. Kelly has allegedly fallen behind on child support payments. His lawyer is said to have fears that the star could face jail time. The ‘Black Panties’ artist reportedly fell behind $100, 000 in payments last year, but settled the debt.

Brandy breaks down in tears after performing at Lagos Concert [PHOTOS]

 Everyone was taken by surprise when American singer, Brandy Nor wood, who was the co-headliner of the Classic FM Valentine concert in Lagos, broke down in tears after her performance.

Brandy who was in Nigeria for the third time, was seen crying uncontrollably upon leaving the stage after her performance.

The “Have you ever” singer was spotted weeping with her head bent and mouth covered, as she was being escorted to her room immediately after her awesome performance.

Her bodyguards barred photographers from capturing the moment, and no one gave an explanation for the tears.

Although NET is reporting that the pop singer fell ill en route Nigeria over the weekend, other online portals claim the tears were due to the “awesome reception” she received from Nigerians.

“She must have been overwhelmed by the love and warm reception she got from the near-full capacity audience.” they report.

Sweet Surprise: Mother Expecting Triplets Delivers Identical Quadruplets (PHOTOS)

 Kimberly Fugate gave birth to quadruplets

A pregnant woman in Mississippi went into the labour room expecting to give birth to triplets but delivers identical quadruplets.

Kimberly Fugate, who already has a 10-year-old daughter and wasn’t planning to have any more children – until she found out she was pregnant with triplets in November 2013, got a surprise when she ended up delivering four healthy baby girls last week, The Clarion Ledger reported.

One of the babies

FOX News reports:

When Fugate, 42, went into labor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) on February 8, she had delivered three healthy babies as expected. But then, her doctor looked at her and said, “More feet.”

Shortly after, a fourth baby girl was delivered – surprising Fugate, her husband and her doctor. Dr. James Bofill, director of maternal-fetal medicine at UMMC, said the scenario was a first in his 27-year-long career.

“I was very embarrassed, obviously,” Bofill told The Clarion Ledger. “The news was sent to me by one of my fellows. I thought she was kidding.”

Fugate’s ‘surprise’ baby wasn’t the only thing that made her case so unusual. Bofill noted that Fugate’s quadruplets were all identical – an extremely rare phenomenon.

“No one really knows what makes a single zygote separate into identical twins or identical triplets, or in this case, identical quadruplets,” Bofill told The Clarion Ledger. “It’s definitely an accident; it’s not supposed to happen and, in some cases, like Ms. Fugate’s, it happens in a spectacular manner.”

The baby girls – Kenleigh, Kristen, Kaleigh and Kelsey – were born premature at 28 weeks and will remain in the hospital until May.

MR OLU MAINTAIN FIRES BACK AT CRITICS; “WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE?”

 Mixed feeling has trailed Olu Maintain’s recently released video ‘Enuff Effizzy,’ with many on Social media applauding the visual and condemning the song, pointing out that the lyrical content is ‘crap.’

In reaction to the criticism, the Yahoozee hit maker says the chunk of his followers; people who buy CDs and those who attend artistes’ concerts are the people on the street not online. He put forward a pertinent question to the so called social media critics. read his comment after the cut

“You just sit in front of the computer and criticize people, what are you doing with your life?,” Mr Olu asked while speaking to Hip TV news.

He recalled that Yahoozee, which later became a monster hit, was boycotted from being aired on radio for months because the OAPs thought the song was crap.

The former two-man group (Maintain) member, who somewhat confirmed that he’s married to a Brazilian woman, also said that his upcoming album is a 10-tracker and titled ‘The Chosen One,’ adding that he would also videos for each song when the album drops.

Forever young: Ini Edo looks smoking HOT in this red dress (PHOTOS)

     We don’t know if it’s the makeup or the dress, but Ini Edo appears to have sliced off a few years from her age just by rocking this smoking hot red number.

The Nollywood star shared this photo on her Instagram handle with the caption: “Love dis neck piece I got frm h& m”