Chameleone for Mobos again!

Jose Chameleone won the Pam Award back-to-back (2003-2004) and now he is set to get a nod for Mobo Awards in a similar fashion.
After getting what he considered a surprise nomination in last year’s Music of Black Origin (Mobo) awards, East Africa’s heavyweight pop singer Chameleone is at it again.
A source from the Mobo organising committee sent Chameleone a message informing him that he has been short-listed again for the nomination under the category of Best African Act.
The Mobos normally first short-list eight nominees out of whom they choose the top five to appear on the list of the final nomination list in each category.
And the news is that Chameleone is back on the list of eight just waiting for June to see his fate.
Last year he lost out to Ghana’s Batman Samini who misses out on the list this year.
And I would like to say mawoko na mawoko (hand in hand) we can support Chameleone to become the first artiste from East and Central Africa to get an award from Britain’s prestigious awards organisation Mobo.

Sagara set to wed Miss Uganda Asiimwe

Now this one is hard to convince people about but I am sure the truth will always prevail!
Like it or not but Daily Monitor’s scribe Harry Sagara is wedding the reigning Miss Uganda Praise Asiimwe!
I hope even if I stopped here, you would have understood it.
The story is that on March 29, a source for Rafshizzle met Sagara in town and during the course of their conversation the source happened to land on a sample of invitation cards and a poster announcing Sagara & Asiimwe’s wedding.
The source said he first thought that maybe the lad was arranging the papers to take us for a ride (like he normally does in his column Saggy’s Wacky World) but when the source saw a wedding budget proposal and wedding meeting schedules on paper, he was forced to ask Sagara what was going on.
And you know what answer Sagara gave, “yes but don’t tell anybody else. This will be known soon but it is not ripe yet for public consumption.”
Mbu Sagara even told the source that by the time Praise gives up her Miss Uganda crown in the last quarter of the year, she would have become Praise Sagara.
They are going for introductions at the girls home in Rukungiri and you better watch the space for more developements.
I know some of you are saying that will be the kind of “Beauty and Beast Wedding!” but here at Rafshizzle we respect everybody’s choice.
Well, if any of you guys doubt this story please wait for July and you will be shocked, however, for you who have more info about the Sagara-Asiimwe affair and you are willing to help, please send in those comments.
Thanks.

Sylvia Owori more than Preggie!

First of all, we must sprinkle a little reality over this story.
There has been no official word from Sylvia and or from her Mzungu boyfriend on the matter of a pregnancy but in regard to what I have witnessed there is no doubt she is.
Hope my point is clear!
Rafshizzle was at Simbamanyo Building just above Central Police Station Kampala the other day and guess who comes…Sylvia Owori in a maternity dress?
The interesting thing is that I had taken a friend for scanning at Kampala Imaging Centre, kumbe, Owori was also coming at the same place.
We were served first because we came first but as a voyeuristic mite, I kept around so as I could see why Owori had come for scanning although I had already started guessing the reason after seeing that much as she wanted her stomach to stay put, it had ideas beyond its station.
I happened to know that she wanted to know the condition of the baby in the womb however, I remain puzzled to this day about who exactly was the man I saw in her car that was left in the parking lot.
He resembled an artiste I know but I don’t want to insinuate and so I rest my case!
Thanks.

Kisumuluzo opens Sweden gates for Tool Man

What about singing a song and it does for you what you sing about in it?
After his song Kisumuluzo has put him in the limelight he has been hunting for the last seven years, artiste Tool Man has started enjoying what prominence comes with. I mean the good things!
The lad is set to leave Uganda for Sweden where he is scheduled to perform with Sweden-based reggae maestro Maddox Sematimba on an Easter Season Tour.
Sources in Sweden told Rafshizzle that Maddox chose Tool Man to back him on the tour after Bebe Cool backed-off the show at the last minute.
Bebe Cool was supposed to embark on the tour with his reggae counterpart Maddox for what was expected-to-be a “fantastic tour” on Easter weekend but was ruled out by other commitments.
And Maddox said he couldn’t think of any other replacement better than Tool Man whose song Kisumuluzo is the biggest hit among Ugandan community in Sweden.Surely this “kisumuluzo” (the key) has opened the gates for Tool Man.

Angelina, Pitt in Mabira conservation plea

You might treat this one as a shaggy-dog-story but Rafshizzle promised to give you the truth and now the truth is that Hollywood acting couple of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt has expressed concern over the Ugandan Government’s giving away of Mabira Forest to a sugar-cane factory investor.
I would like to exclusively reveal to you that the couple has contacted the Ugandan government pleading for conservation of the country’s biggest forest.
Maybe you still doubt this but I can stand by my words and prove that Jolie and Pitt met The Last King of Scotland actor Forest Whitaker and asked him for President Museveni’s contact. Last year, Jolie also set up the Maddox Jolie Project, which will aid forest conservation and poverty alleviation in the northwest region of Cambodia, where she adopted her second daughter Maddox in 2002.
A source said Jolie knew about the Mabira forest selling after CNN reported the story that the Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Mutebi had offered his land to save the forest.
Meanwhile Skynews online reports that the goodwill keeps on coming from Jolie and hubby Pitt
And this time the couple is helping to build a medical facility in Southern Sudan just near Uganda.
The Jolie-Pitt Foundation has donated £55,000 to help build the first modern medical hospital in Duk County, Sudan.
Called the Duk Lost Boys Clinic, the facility will serve upwards of 150,000 people.
Skynews quoted Sudanese philanthropist John Dau, who will run the clinic: “Words cannot express my gratitude, and the gratitude of the people of Duk County.”
“Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt demonstrate the American spirit of generosity,” Dau added, “Hopefully, their donation will inspire others to join with us to rebuild southern Sudan.”
The clinic will open later this spring.
Dau met the couple during the filming of the documentary God Grew Tired Of Us, which Brad executive produced.
The Jolie-Pitt Foundation was established last September, and the couple immediately funnelled £1.2million to the organisation Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres) and Global Action for Children.
Medecins Sans Frontieres operates in Uganda as well and in October last year they partnered with Alliance Française to present a photo exhibition dubbed Beyond Night Commuting, purposely to show that the end of the LRA war and the closing down of the camps wouldn’t constitute a solution for the well-being of the children in the war-ravaged Northern Uganda.

Queen Mother dodges parking ticket

When it comes to dodging taxes or parking tickets, you are not the only one but even the Royals do (at least the people close to them!).
Not convinced?
Well, I would like to tell you that last week I witnessed free drama at the Pioneer Mall parking lot as security guards tried to make the charge the Tooro Queen Mother’s car of parking fee. The car occupants had come for shopping at the mall but unfortunately my arrival was 5 minutes later than when everybody had entered the black Mercedes Benz. And I couldn’t see who was inside the car not even through the tinted windows.
Time check was 2 p.m. and when the driver of the car tried to drive off, the security guys told him to first pay but he refused. When he tried to forcibly leave, the security guys closed the gate hence prompting an exchange of hot words.
But before the whole Wilson Road population could gather at the scene, a bodyguard in army uniform got out of the Queen Mother’s car and forcibly opened the gate and even warned the gate keepers not to dare close it again lest they would regret the consequences.
They drove off leaving everybody in awe.
Rafshizzle can confirm this was the Queen Mother’s car but I cannot confirm whether she or any of her family members was in the car at the time of the conflict.

The Bad 2 Kings come to Club Volts

When reggae music hit, all nightclubs started reggae nights just like what they did on other music that hit, however, we had never gotten a local music theme night despite local music being the currently most-listen to in Uganda.
But all that will end next Friday March 30 when Club Volts launches a local music theme night titled the B2K Night.
B2K stands for the Bad 2 Kings where Rafsanjan and Miles Rwamiti will be the bad two music kings behind the machines.
Miles will spin the discs, as Rafsanjan does the talking.
The night is purposely to support and promote local artistes. Every local artiste with new music would be given a chance to come and showcase what he or she has got.
The first night will have Bobi Wine talking about his latest singles Kiwanyi and Kikomando, which have recently put him under fire after two different upcoming artistes claimed the songs.
For the details behind the truth about the songs and some performance from Bobi Wine plus Maisha Dancers aligned with great local music blaring from the speakers, please come to Club Volts along Entebbe Road just after Kibuye next Friday.

Kabaka wants Chameleone auto

Someone has ever told me he would feel extremely honoured to handover his wife to his king if he asked him to but now I wonder how would he feel if the king instead asked for his autograph.
Mad or overjoyed! And I guess that is how artiste Jose Chameleone is feeling after the king of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II “ordered” him to sign him an auto. (I’m using order because Kabaka doesn’t request!)
Through Buganda minister Kabuza Mukasa, Kabaka ordered Chameleone to sign on a CD with his two latest single Kolazizo and Abataasiga Nsigo, and send it to him.
In both songs Chameleone preaches hard work and urges the youth to work for themselves instead of bragging about their parents’ wealth. Kabaka Mutebi has for long been preaching the same gospel wherever he goes and so Chameleone’s songs could help extend his word. Moreover in Abataasiga Nsigo, Chameleone mentions Kabaka’s name hailing him for always reminding the youth about hard work (talk about Chameleone knowing pr).
The songs are repeatedly played on Buganda radio CBS and other FM stations.

Capital’s Bright Baba got the Deal!

I had decided to painfully remain hushed on this one but at this rate I cannot avoid talking about the Ugandans who are in the M-net game show Deal or No Deal.
You know those DStv guys want all contestants to be revealed on their respective days of play---for surprise purposes, but well they have somewhat let the cat of the bag.
If you are aware, you must have watched their promo playing on M-net where Uganda’s Bright Baba of Capital Radio is shown as a contestant.
The truth is that Bright played and won $10,000 (approximately Shs18 million)---at least the smallest of what has been won so far. You know previous winners like the Kenyan girl Sylvia won $12,000 and the first contestant Levey Sakala from Zambia won $18,000.
We won’t tell you how Bright played up to this amount of money because now that will be infringing and DStv could sue and neither are we going to mention the other Ugandans. But we would like to tell you that there are three Ugandans who played in the game and one is a woman.
Watch the space!

Maddox's Abato CD review

Artiste: Maddox Sematimba
Album: Abato
Number of Tracks: 12
Key tracks: Nakatudde & Abato
Reviewed by: Abbey Rafsanjan

Some artistes impose themselves through releasing numerous (poor) songs to stay in the limelight, however, Maddox remains on the scene with his few but polished songs.
His debut album Namagembe was released in 2000 and picked in late 2001 but stayed a record three years on the chart shows and distributor Kasiwukira reckons it as the best-selling local album ever.
And Maddox’s latest album Abato (2006) is simply a good follow up although it is still struggling to strike.
The reggae CD comprises Nakatudde, Nga Olabye, Wa Nsonyi, Leka Nkulage, Kabiite, Come Let’s Rock, All Time Lover, Easy, Fed Up, Won’t Give Up, Kampala and title track Abato.
Abato is a blend of rock reggae with Bakisimba drumbeats. In Abato Maddox pleads to the grown-ups to respect and love the young ones---surely a song that all but Aisha Nabukeera’s stepmother should understand. Maddox sings: “Care about the children, feed them well, teach them, don’t harass them because they are not only the future but also a gift from God…”
The people’s favourite Nakatudde has been rocking for over a year and last year it earned Maddox a Pam Award nod for Reggae Artiste of the Year.
But my first choice is the lovers-rock Wa Nsonyi, which eases your ears with some real melodic and mellow singing over guitars as Maddox eulogises his well-mannered, yet shy girlfriend. And he explains that she prefers to stay home and avoid the rich men who could inveigle her.
Kabiite and Leka Nkulage are also love songs whereas Kampala is a tribute to the city that houses a collection of people from different tribes including expatriates.
Nga Olabye consoles the heartbroken ones and Maddox advises them to apologise, however, to remain hopeful even when things fail to work out.
The other fives songs, Fed Up, Come Let’s Rock, All Time Lover, Easy and Won’t Give Up are in English.
Fed Up lambastes people who pick-on others and is a hit on Capital FM whilst All Time Lover would be a perfect number for a date, just talking about a lover of all seasons---the one who loves you in morning, afternoon and evening. This is a timeless album.

What's the deal with Deal or No Deal

Show: Deal or No Deal
Starring: Dr. Mich Egwang, Banker and 26 contestants
Showing on: M-net on DStv
Time: Mondays at 7:30 p.m.
Category: Game Show/Reality
Premiered: March 12, 2007

M-net proved they never run-out of ideas by launching a new breathtaking game show Deal Or No Deal, which puts contestants’ intuitions on the test.
26 contestants were selected from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Somalia and Zambia and each of them plays in one of the 26 episodes in a bid to win $100,000 (approximately Shs182 million).
Episode One’s contestant, Zambian musician Levey Sakala gave the show an amazing start with his theatrics.
The show host, Uganda’s Mich started with elucidating the game’s mechanics before cameras rode our eyes to the 26 identical gold-plate suitcases each held by a beautiful model on a glittering platform.
Each suitcase has an identifying number from 1 to 26 on the front and inside them are labels stating different amounts of money ranging from $1 to $100,000, which is only seen after a contestant chooses to open a particular suitcase.
And when Mich invited Sakala to start the game, the chubby artiste picked suitcase number 7, which he thought contained the $100,000 and so it was in his interest to keep it sealed and open the remaining 25.
Each figure appears in only one case, so any values revealed in the uncovering process are not in the contestant’s case and if a contestant opens several suitcases with little money there is a hint his/her suitcase could be having the highest amount.
However, the Banker (a mysterious character shown only in silhouette and who acts as the contestant’s antagonist whose money is notionally at stake in the game) usually offers to buy the suitcase back.
After Sakala had opened four suitcases the Banker made an offer of $1,200 through Mich via telephone but Sakala refused it by closing the glass case that covers a red button, which a contestant presses to accept the deal.
You need to stay in the middle of greediness and moderateness because you might say “no deal” and you keep a suitcase with less money than the Banker’s offer and/or you might sell your suitcase at a lower amount than what it contains.
Sakala got a standing ovation from the audience when he managed to force the Banker to raise the offer up to $29,500 after several rounds but he lost it when he picked the suitcase containing the highest amount prompting the Banker to reduce his offer to $18,000.
Sakala gave in and eventually pressed the red button to accept the $18,000 (approximately Shs32 million).
The Banker’s offers seem to be unfair despite a paradox that an independent adjudicator seals all the suitcases and not even the presenter, model, contestant, Banker or the production team knows the value inside each suitcase before the game.
There are three Ugandans in the competition and the show resumes on Monday.

The Game in Tanzania

Last year, Tanzanians enjoyed the feel of hip-hop heavyweights Ja Rule, Jay-Z and Akon who put up memorable performances in the coastal town of Dar es Salaam. And this year promises a similar experience for Tanzanians after another hip-hop big gun The Game confirmed he would perform in Dar es Salaam in June.
The Game, who starts his African tour in May, would perform in Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa before coming to Tanzania. Several local artistes from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania have been short-listed to perform alongside the bad boy rapper who is a fan of David Beckham’s new football club LA Galaxy FC.
The Game is an ex-G-Unit member and former bosom-buddy of rapper 50 Cent but they are now bitter enemies of each other.For more info please watch this space!

Jose Chameleone in child row in UK

Some of us thought that Chameleone’s trip to Europe last week was specifically to visit his brothers in Ireland like he said, but nay! News from UK is that Chameleone (real names Joseph Mayanja) is instead battling for custody of his daughter with ex-wife Dorotia. The source said Chameleone has since failed an attempt to persuade Dorotia’s relatives to give him his daughter Ayla Mayanja. Dorotia is on a 14-year imprisonment penalty after a Norwich City judge found her guilty of carrying 20 kilograms of cocaine at Norwich Airport in June last year.
A source told Rafshizzle that after failing on a peaceful agreement, Chameleone has even threatened that he would sue his ex-sisters-in-law in Belgium---all in the name of securing the custody of Ayla. Chameleone who was denied access to Dorotia in prison had earlier told us that he wanted to talk to Dorotia so as to know “about what is next for Ayla from her.”
“I thought that if one parent dies or gets imprisoned, the remaining one takes custody of the children,” he said, “Can you imagine these people (Dorotia’s relatives) even refuse me to talk to my daughter ever since her mother was arrested.”
A source said Chameleone is using the 5000 pounds he signed for a performance deal in England to pursue custody of his daughter.
He would travel to Belgium this week where he expects to talk to his 5-year-old daughter before he returns to Uganda.

Angelina hooks Vietnamese boy

MOVIE beauty ANGELINA JOLIE has named her new adopted son PEACEFUL SKY — after picking him from photos taken when she visited his Vietnamese orphanage.

The actress, 31, became besotted with the bashful three-year-old after he tried to hide from her last November.

An orphanage source said last night: “When Angelina came, all the children went out to greet her.

“But the boy hid and cried. She asked for photos of the children and she recognised him and said she would love to adopt him.”

The star has two other adopted kids — son Maddox, five, from Cambodia, and daughter Zahara, two, from Ethiopia.

She had her own baby, Shiloh, with film hunk partner BRAD PITT, 43, ten months ago.

Yesterday, Angelina returned with Maddox to the Tam Binh orphanage near Ho Chi Minh City to pick up her new son.

She has called him Pax Thien — which means Peaceful Sky.

Devoted ... couple with Shiloh and Zahara
Picture: GOFFINF.COM


Orphanage director Nguyen Van Trung said the Hollywood star greeted the boy with a kiss and a hug, but the child seemed shy.

He added: “He cried because, for him, they are strangers. Jolie was very moved.”

The boy’s real mother abandoned him as a baby. The orphanage source said: “He is a very emotional and obedient boy who loves football and gets on with the other children.”

Pictures show him in a yellow T-shirt surrounded by other children at the orphanage.

Adoption forms, signed on February 7 and seen by The Sun, show orphanage bosses had named him Pham Quang Sang, meaning Bright Light. Angelina acted alone in the adoption as Vietnamese laws bar unmarried couples. Brad didn’t travel with her due to film commitments.

Officials said the process was fast-tracked because of Angelina’s celeb status. The actress will have to stay for up to a week in Vietnam while her new son’s passport is processed. She and Brad have homes in California and New Orleans and recently splashed out £2million on a flat in Berlin.

NB: This story was reported by EMILY SMITH (US Editor) of The Sun online on MARCH 16, 2007

I’m tired of this!

Here on Rafshizzle blog, I do nothing but gossip and I break the news!
I’m the gossip who gossips gossip!
Because I normally see it first and talk about it before somebody else does, I promise to write about it before anybody else does.
Well, you should expect some press channels to bring similar stories but I request that once you see their stories get back to my blog and check the date of publish and compare with mine! There you will get the news breaker, which in all probability would be me!
I’m saying this simply because some people have already started picking stories from my blog for their publications which I think is okay only if they attribute to the source. It’s either you acknowledge me for my information you picked or you don’t take the info. I always recognise the sources of my stories.
Sorry my readers because that was not the kind of your bread to chew but I promise that yours is coming soon because I will give you only what you want; gossip, gossip, gossip (non-stop) because I won’t stopppppppppppppppp……….

Angelina Jolie skips Oscars for African visit

Once the used and unused acceptance speeches at the Oscars were popped in the bin, actors and actresses in Hollywood switched to sorts of parties.
But many could be wondering why Angelina Jolie has skipped all the Oscar festivities.
Rafshizzle has the answer: she skipped the Oscars for a good cause.
People Magazine reported that The Goodwill Ambassador travelled to Africa over the weekend on behalf of the United Nations.
Jolie who was in Namibia in April last year arrived in the town of N’Djamena, Chad on Sunday to help raise awareness and monitor the ongoing crises in the region.
She is expected to stay in Africa for several days and is scheduled to visit refugee camps in Chad and Sudan. And sources in Northern Uganda told Rafshizzle the actress could make a surprise visit to Uganda, however there are worries of security after the truce between UPDF and LRA ended on Wednesday.
The source said there are cautious preparations of hosting Jolie who is expected to stay for hours before returning to Chad.

Pastor Imelda Namutebi buys Pride Theatre

She is a famous female pastor in the country; she owns one of the most expensive cars and now Imelda Namutebi has joined the list of top property moguls in the city.
The latest on her ownership sheet is the Namirembe Road-situated Pride Theatre, which has been housing the prominent drama group Bakayimbira Dramactors.
Reliable sources have told Rafshizzle that Indian owners the Lohana Family have sold the building to Namutebi at a whopping Shs170 million.
The selling news infuriated Bakayimbira that they instantly started vandalising the building.
When I visited the theatre, I found the building without windows, doors and different furniture, and Bakayimbira’s Andrew Benon Kibuuka said they had to remove all their belongings as they prepare to construct their own theatre along Entebbe Road.
A source said Bakayimbira fell out with the Lohan Family after they raised the monthly rent from Shs6 million to Shs7 million.

Pastor Kiwewesi gets hitched

Jingle bells came and went and now it is the wedding bells in the air. And Rafshizzle can reveal to you that Kansanga Miracle Centre’s senior pastor Isaac Kiwewesi is wedding soon!
Sorry that a mere mention of Pastor Kiwewesi getting married could leave many girls and women disappointed, but like it or not we have to enlighten the truth.
Kiwewesi who is in his late 30s is getting married to a 23-year old beauty Sasha who works with Uganda Telecom.
However, it seems the pastor has been trying to keep the big news on the hush-hush for various reasons.
A source told me that last week Kiwewesi invited a few friends to what he had called a birthday party in Bunga only to shock them by pulling out an engagement ring and slips it onto Sasha’s middle finger. Utl’s Hans Paulsen and Peter Sematimba were among Kiwewesi’s friends at the private engagement party at Fire Masters’ boss Stokes’ residence. Meanwhile, several women and girls are preparing to obstruct the wedding on ground that they were each told by God that they would marry the pastor.
Mbu one even said Kiwewesi is risking his life if he doesn't marry her.
"I've been coming for services at this church for the last 11 years waiting to marry him and I cannot let someone just come out of the blue to grab him from me, " she said, "God sent a message in a dream that he is the man I will marry."