Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Big AD

Soon Rafshizzle shall be starting an "SMS Gossip Service" where our subscribers will get updates on their mobile phones as the stories come in.
However, three organisations have also requested to include this blog on their websites so we shall be giving you all the updates.
Watch the space!
Thanks and stay well, all of you.

Ben Mwine apologises over BBA2 job

Usually the celebs love to bask in the glitz, glamour and glory of their new jobs.
But when they face it rough they’d rather keep their heads down...
Ain’t that right Ben Mwine?
The former BBA2 field presenter should know as he has hidden the news of his apology from us. But could he keep it for long?
Not really, because we already know that he was made apologise in front of a congregation at Kampala Pentecostal Church (KPC) because of his stint with the Big Brother show as a field presenter in Uganda.
Rafshizzle has been reliably informed that Mwine had to apologise before he could get the job at Power FM.
Now, who will you apologise to when BBA3 comes and they still need you as the presenter?
Over to you, Ben.

Bobi’s self-given B-Day present

Well, most of us ordinary folk celebrate our birthday with a cake and maybe a meal out.
But Bobi Wine ain’t no regular person.
The “bad man from Kamwokya” pulled out all the stops at his 28th birthday bash that, according to him, cost Shs10 million.
24-Seven understands that Bobi Wine had wanted to celebrate his birthday with a new Cadillac Escalade but he hadn’t cleared taxes by the time of the birthday party. So he was kind of disappointed.
However, nothing could stop him from fulfilling his special wish on a later date and as you read this, the Ghetto President is the proud owner of the black Escalade cruising on Kampala Streets. A source told Rafshizzle that Bobi Wine paid taxes of Shs50 million to URA last week.
He has put a personalised number plate written on “Ghetto.”
And on the windscreens he put the words, “Firebase Naro.”
Are we not late to say happy birthday, Mr President?

Who does Naava really love?


Bad news for footballer David Obua and tycoon’s son Yassah Matovu but good news for the rest of Kampala lads…
We had just gotten bored of speculating about the pair’s special friendship with former EATV presenter Suzan Naava.
But speaking candidly to Rafshizzle, Naava cleared things up for us.
When speaking about Matovu, who is the son of YOUMA proprietor Yusuf Matovu, she uttered the words no lad ever wants to hear: “Just very good friend.”
She even gave us his Malaysian number to call him for clarification but network issues failed us.
And about Obua she said: “I’m not dating him either.”
And when asked who the love of her life was, Naava replied that she hadn’t met him yet.
So we couldn’t even waste time asking about Eddie of Glitzy Events, another of Kampala blokes rumoured to be enjoying a date or two with Naava.
Ouch. How disappointed we are, because we don’t want to believe a beautiful, young and ambitious lass like her is not dating.
We’re keeping a roving eye on you, Naava!

Presenting the UB40 awards…

It’s a beautiful day and we are at the Great Rafshizzle Arena to mark the great end of the UB40 concert. Today we shall be awarding the outstanding revellers in different categories and here we go:

Jolly Couple of the show
Let’s call on the HIV/Aids activists to hand over the award of best jolly couple to Mr Jim Muhwezi and the lady in his company – though she’s not his wife – Mrs Kigongo. The couple was over the moon on seeing UB40 perform and they sang loudly for each throughout the show. We all saw it and they looked liberated.














Comical couple of the show
If you want a laugh, always keep around Kahinda Otafiire, he doesn’t run out of drama.
And it is not surprising that he is the one taking home the award for the comical couple. Reason? Because he and his date kept our eyes busy on them for their theatrics after gulping in a few bevies.











Bad workmen of the show
SPC might end this year with hands full of awards. After being criticised on how they handle business, Rafshizzle want to give them an award for failing to do what they were supposed to do at the UB40 concert.
First, they failed to stop people from invading the safety zone. Then some of them were behind fighting for drinks and eats as people pushed each other. And other SPCs sat and relaxed and enjoyed watching the show like it’s what brought them. The only positive thing that cut their points for the award is when they separated two whites who were fighting in the audience. But they still win it for letting in more people onto the Gold platform that was set up for 1500 but ended up carrying more than 3000 and it was about to collapse – little wonder people had named “the titanic.”









Bump of the show
Forget about UB40 meaning Unemployment Benefit 40, this time around it could have meant Underlined Bellies 40…
Seriously we’re not the type that enjoys discussing pregnant women but at UB40 show they were just so many in that we couldn’t even avoid a chat about them – more than we normally see at events.
Everywhere you looked there was a pregnant woman in the audience. Will they tell their yet-to-be-born kiddos of how they also attended the historic concert?

















Worst dressed
We didn’t think it was Halloween just yet...
So what’s the excuse for the super-scary outfit going on here, young lady? Lass you have too much make-up and that dress doesn’t match, actually, you almost sent us into hiding (we hate bad fashion) but to present your award is regular winner in this category, Straka Mwezi.













Dirty dancers of the show
We didn’t see Bebe Cool at the concert but at least we saw someone else doing what he does – standing on tables. A clique of one white girl, a black chap and a white guy decided to dance atop a table in the VIP only to stop after security guys intervened.




Kirk Franklin confirmed for May

The latest reaching the Rafshizzle desk is that American gospel artiste Kirk Franklin will be performing in the country this May.
The source told us that the Kirk concert is being organised by one of the Limitex artistes.
The show has been confirmed but for the details of the show, from the venue to entrance fee and exact date, please watch this space.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

UB40 concert makes history

When Rafshizzle first broke the news of the coming of British premium reggae band UB40, everybody developed questions in their minds; can they pull a crowd; what age-group will go for their concert?
But we all got those questions answered (on February 23 2008) in a style that Ugandans have never seen. It was UB40's first time in Uganda and it was simply the biggest music concert Uganda has ever held – if you’re thinking of Lucky Dube in Namboole, Chaka Demus & Pliers or Red Rat and so forth, please don’t waste your time comparing because this was far above all of them. Hold on for the details of the show; the audience and the performance.

Pam awards to hit Burundi

I’m not ashamed to admit it – I’m a rumour addict.
Imagine I was just having a simple chat with the Pam awards organising committee chairman Isaac Mulindwa when he talked about taking the event to Burundi but now I am here publishing it.
Am I fair, Mulindwa?
Swear not, but now that I have already broken the news let me spare nothing.
I will even talk about the Pam awards 2008 launch party that is scheduled to take place in the last week of April in Club Silk.
Then the launch in Burundi will follow.
The M-Net Idols East Africa and Tusker Project Fame II will be running in the same month but that cannot scare Mulindwa, because he said so.
Yep, I had a long chat with him at the Golf Course Hotel on Monday morning.

Britney compared to Uganda

We’re not dim-witted but we sometimes enjoy weird stories…
For example this one where one American writer compares troubled singer Britney Spears to our country Uganda.
According to the writer for ethanzuckerman website, Britney is the 60th most reported person in the world, a position that Uganda holds in the ranks of the most reported nations in the world.
One of the people who commented on the story said, “Your study is just spot-on because Uganda is also full of drama and if she was a human-being nobody would have allowed her taking custody of her kids not when she would make them child soldiers. And she would always be in the news for the bad things.”
Agree?
Well, what makes the study more interesting is the fact that Britney’s ex-boyfriend Kevin Federline ranks at number 94 that is held by Rwanda in the nations’ department.
There are several other people included on the list and if you feel like indulging yourself into this harebrained experiment, enter this link: http://ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/11/26/the-peoples-democratic-republic-of-britney/

Uganda now turns to Busta

Here comes the Busta Bus, call him Busta Rhymes...
Reports say he could drop-by Uganda for a show.
Yes, that wonderful thing called the grapevine has been working overtime.
But what’s sparked the entire Busta natter?
Well, the Jamaican American hip hop musician and actor, aged 35, will perform in Tanzania come next month and the organiser in Tanzania has told Rafshizzle that he has been contacted by Uganda promoters expressing interest to hold a Busta Rhymes concert in Uganda.
And yet we have also overheard of a telecommunication company planning to bring in a big US singer to counter MTN Uganda who brought UB40.
So putting together a speculative one and one, the resulting two has been that Busta could be the easier American artiste to bring given the fact that he would be near Uganda when he comes to Tanzania.
When we asked the Tanzania promoter if the Ugandan guys have already paid deposit or done something significant as far as Busta is concerned, his lips sounded no.
So there you have it.

Who angered the General?

Amongst all the love exchanged, there was also some hatred traded on the Valentines Day.
And Gen. Mega Dee had a share of hatred at Bat Valley where he went to perform with Eagles Production band on the lovers’ day.
After performing, the “singing general” paid a tribute to public system suppliers Vibes Production, something that angered the Eagles instrumentalists and they shouted at him.
One of the instrumentalists told Mega Dee to shut up.
And you guessed right, the general hates being teased or scorned.
Mega Dee confronted the instrumentalists and even “ordered” them to pay respect to him because he is “a big artiste.”
If we say the words, eyes turned red, breathing fire and clenched fist ready to punch, maybe you will begin to get the idea of Mega Dee’s situation after the incident – Afande had reported for duty!

Donald Mugisha on DW TV

Should we call it 100% good news or bad news, Mr Bobi Wine?
Here we seek your advice, His Excellence.
We are talking about Donald Mugisha’s interview with international TV channel, DW TV.
Oh, you could be unaware; well, Mugisha who is the director of the movie Divizionz that you starred in was interviewed by Germany’s DW TV and the interview was screened on Monday morning.
He talked about the movie that also featured at the Berlinale Film Festival last week.
Whoever watched the replay of this interview on WBS TV, we’re sorry for telling you an old story, but we just wanted to inform the President of the Ghetto Bobi Wine because presidents tend to be too busy to watch TV.
So, Mr President your movie received good reception – but we’re yet to know, is it bad or good news?
Over to you, sir!

Friday, February 15, 2008

Nkozi babes fill Bebe’s phonebook

Sometimes we love a sing along.
So in the words of MJ in his song Dirty Diana…
“She likes the boys in the band…Every musician’s fan after the curtain comes down…”
Such tune could have been written about many of Nkozi University girl-students.
Let’s just say they run mad for every musician who goes to their campus – from Chameleone to Nameless and it was no exceptional as Bebe Cool went there for the utl Jazz Profile promo last week. We have been at this university before and every time artistes finish performing, girls tend to mob them asking for their phone numbers.
And after his performance, last week, Bebe Cool was mobbed by a horde of girls backstage.
They were star-struck?
Nope.
Whispering into his ears like they would eat them and then all scrambling to get his phone number? That was beyond ordinary.
However, Bebe Cool instead asked all of them to give him their numbers and he saved them in his phone.
Eh! Hold on Zuena, don’t check his phone because he deleted all the numbers immediately after leaving the campus – he did kiwani on the girls!

Why is Tigan having sleepless nights?

Hallelujah and praise the Pam award gods that be.
Henry Tigan has bought a new car and now he is about to fly to the UK…
Don’t tell us you didn’t know about all this, folks?
How come when the lad has been telling whoever cares to listen, that the Pam awards have done him great – he said and we’ve written.
He even told our source that he no longer sleeps normally because he is always dreaming while in London – shopping, singing, dancing and eating burgers!
If you didn’t know, when Tigan won the New Artiste of the Year award, Bell Lager offered to sponsor him to record in the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London.
And he would be making his trip in April but he has started dreaming about what he wants to do in London two months before.
Excuse us, folks, we have no objection!

Kina-Uganda goes to Germany


CAPTION: Kick-boxer Abu-baker Kabunga who inspired this film making
That Ugandan actors are really creative!
It has been a case of them sitting and waiting for filmmakers from the west to come here and give them small roles.
But it seems the acting lads and lasses have got a little bored of that...
So instead, it’s Ugandans flying out to shoot movies in outside world.
Take example of Isaac Mutumba and Yassin Kiiza of Multi-films International who are set to travel to Augsburg, Germany to shoot a Ugandan film titled The Lost Hero.
The reason for the trip is to capture reality because the action-packed movie is inspired by the Germany-based Ugandan kick-boxing champion Abu-baker Kabunga who left to Germany for kyeyo some years ago.
The scenes in Germany will be finalised in May and the movie will be released shortly afterwards.
Mutumba said that they will shoot the movie in Germany as a different tactic to “highlight stories of Uganda’s unsung heroes. Kabunga remains unknown to the Ugandan community despite his contribution to the Ugandan name in Germany.”

KTN is extending to Uganda

Television business is already packed full of competition so just imagine our shock on hearing that a new television station will be opening soon.
But worry is not on our menu because bosses at other TV stations in Kampala have already taken it up as KTN will be giving them a run for their money – hate us not, we’re just messengers.
Actually, a reliable source told us that the 17-year-old KTN, which is also a leading television station in Kenya is to start a sister station in Kampala in mid-2008.
The Ugandan station to have its studios situated in the city centre will borrow some knowledge from the experienced journalists at KTN Kenya.
KTN was the first non-pay privately owned TV-station in Africa, and the first to break KBC’s monopoly in Kenya.
So we hope this time round, it doesn’t break others’ hearts.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Sex and the City’s Kristin Davis here


CAPTION: Kristin Davis in Muyenga, Uganda

It has been a case of Rafshizzle smoking out international celebrities as they try sneaking into the country but we have to admit, this time we were beaten.
Surely, how could a Hollywood star as big as Kristin Landen Davis sneak into the country without our knowledge?
For those that don’t know, on the Sex and the City series (it shows on DStv M-net series), Davis plays the innocent and adorable Charlotte York, a sweet and sensitive counterpart to the more blunt crassness of the program’s three other female main characters. She also played on Melrose Place and has starred in several movies.
She clandestinely jetted into Uganda on February 3 to visit Oxfam’s programmes in Northern Uganda.
And we missed her arrival but Rafshizzle Sherlocks worked overnight and found her at Oxfam Uganda headquarters in Muyenga as she presented bicycles to youths who won the climate change competition.
Davis, who is also the global ambassador for the international aid agency Oxfam then said, “This is my first visit (to Uganda) and I am really looking forward to meeting the people and seeing the country.”
Well, we’re also happy to see you, Ms Davis, but why were you hiding from us?

Santa has hit the big time

CAPTION: A teenage Santa as a model (left) and the olden Santa (R) claps for Mr C. Jack Ellis at his birthday party in Kampala recently.



















Santa Anzo has come a long way.
And her latest set of friends shows just how far she’s come.
She started as a waitress at Kampala Casino before having a brief venture into the world of catwalk though failed to impress.
Remember her as a tiny model? Thought not.
Well, it was until the new century that she hit the fashion designing scene and even started the Uganda Fashion Week that even attracted the attention of President Museveni.
And things have taken off from there and now Santa mingles with the creme de la creme of high society.
Recently Santa has been rubbing shoulders with Mr C. Jack Ellis, who is the outgoing mayor of Macon, Georgia. The couple met last year when Anzo had gone for the Uganda North American Convention where Ellis fell in love with her design works.
He started donning her attire and even took her out for dinner at P. Diddy’s restaurant in Macon. So, last month was pay-back time as Anzo hosted Ellis at a posh dinner at her Arapapa Gardens in Kampala.
But the democrat, who prefers to be called Hakim, came along with his Black-American girlfriend, so folks, don’t think otherwise.
Thanks!

Mayinja’s wardrobe modification

Good wardrobe adaptation.
Or should that be good adoption, Mr Ronald Mayinja?
We have just consulted our celeb-style bible and we can’t locate an entry on celebrities performing in suits being the in-thing.
The closest we can find is a blurb on artistes throwing away their decent clothes for weird ones whenever they’re going to perform – you see, even Jay-Z and Diddy remove suits and wear jeans, T-shirts and snickers as they head for stage action.
So, Rafshizzle is giving you Ronald Mayinja a big kudos for realising that.
We overheard Mayinja saying that he has abandoned performing in suits. That they make him look too old and yet he still wants to charm even the young ones.
Hmm, it’s an innovative move but only bling bling is missing...

Severe tension at utl

We have to first sprinkle a little reality over this story.
There has been some restructuring going on at utl; many have been sacked and replaced as others have been promoted or vice-versa (those things happen in all companies, anyhow).
And although there has been no official word from utl over the tension some employees are facing, we have stumbled on several e-mails and we have heard a lot from those in and out of the telecommunication company – and as usual we’re the type that doesn’t just hush.
Therefore we say there is no doubt there is some tension at utl.
Hope our point is clear?
Well, last week we received a letter from a one Kakubu Nambi saying that the Rwenzori Courts-situated company has set up a commission of inquiry into the matter of overwhelming complaints from old employees over the massive restructuring.
“The commission has finished its work and it is awaiting action to be taken against the complainants,” said Kakubu in an e-mail.
We wish all parties the best.