Saturday 7 December 2013

THE WORLD’S BIGGEST FUNERAL!: Obama, Cameron, Pope, Queen, Other World Leaders For Mandela’s Burial



Nelson Mandela’s will be the world’s biggest funeral.
Indications emerged on Thursday that the United States
president Barack Obama will personally grace the event.
The White House had tweeted that Obama was preparing
to personally attend the funeral.
Although there hasn’t been any other formal
announcement as to when Obama will leave the White
House for South Africa, the expectation is that the
President of the free world will be in attendance in
endorsement of the values that Nelson Mandela lived for.
Other past United States presidents are equally expected to
be in attendance. Of certainty is Bill Clinton who referred
to Mandela as his personal friend.

 The British Prime Minister David Cameron is equally
expected to grace the event with his presence. So shall some
members of Parliament. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair
might equally be attending.
The Canadian Prime minister is expected to be in
attendance. All the former Prime Ministers of Canada have
already been invited for the funeral. Mandela was offered
honorary citizenship of that country in 2001. He was the
second in history to be so bestowed.
Many heads of government the world over will be
attending the burial of the man some sections of the media
fondly called the “President of the World”. So shall Kings
and royalties, religious leaders and business leaders,
celebrities and entertainers. Of certainty is Bill Gates and
Oprah Winfrey.
Every president/prime minister in Africa is expected to be
present at the funeral which will hold December 15.
Mandela, the first democratic president of South Africa,
died Thursday in his Johannesburg home after a protracted
battle with lung infection, throwing the world into a
combination of mourning and gratitude for a life lived
absolutely for humanity.
South Africa’s president Jacob Zuma has already declared a
period of national mourning.
During this period, condolence books will be opened at all
South Africa’s foreign embassies as well as at Mandel’s
former home in Soweto, which is now a popular museum. A
special sitting of parliament may also be held in Cape
Town, South Africa’s legislative capital.
After some days of liaison with foreign governments and
last-minute arrangements, a Ceremony of Remembrance is
expected to be held on Monday in the Soweto football
stadium that previously hosted the soccer World Cup,
known by locals as the Calabash after its resemblance to a
traditional beer-drinking pot.
Africa’s largest stadium, it has a capacity of 95,000. In July
2010, it played host to Mr Mandela’s last public
appearance when he was driven onto the football pitch in a
golf cart for the soccer tournament’s closing ceremony,
accompanied by his wife Graca and resplendent in a bear-
skin hat.
On this occasion, the Calabash is expected to be filled to the
rafters by people eager to play their part in celebrating Mr
Mandela’s life and, in habitual African fashion, singing and
dancing will play a key role in the event. Others will watch
the proceedings from big screens expected to be put up in
Soweto, Pretoria and Cape Town.
Among the names mentioned to compere the event is that
of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, the passionate
cleric who fought apartheid alongside Mr Mandela.
After the ceremony, Mr Mandela’s body will spend three
days lying in state from Dec 11 to 13, either in Pretoria’s
City Hall or the Union Buildings, the seat of government
where Mr Mandela was sworn in as South Africa’s first
black, democratic president in 1994.
One day will be set aside for the vast number of VIPs and
VVIPs who are expected to fly in from around the globe to
steal a last moment alone with the former leader.
Afterwards the doors will be opened to ordinary citizens
who are likely to flock to Pretoria in their thousands to pay
their last respects.
The focus will then shift to Qunu, the tiny village 560 miles
south in the rural Eastern Cape, where Mr Mandela grew
up and his family still has a home. There he will be given a
state funeral on Dec 15.
Mr Mandela’s body will be flown to the local airport where
his coffin is expected to be met by Mr Zuma and a full
military contingent who will accompany it on an 18 mile
procession along a road lined with people to its final
resting place at his home.
The burial of former president Mandela will be in
accordance with the traditions of his Xhosa tribal roots and
a private, family event although a handful of the celebrities
and dignitaries closest to him are thought likely to be
invited.
Xhosa tradition usually includes the slaughter of a cow or
sheep, periods of prayer, singing and silence, and the
possessions of the loved one placed inside their grave to
help them in the afterlife. As a lover of good food, whose
personal cook is a celebrity in her own right in South
Africa, Mr Mandela is likely to have stipulated that a final
feast be held in his honour.
Mr Mandela is understood to have chosen his own burial
spot, on a hillside within his family’s compound,
overlooking the green fields where he tended cattle and
played as a boy.
Ekekeee would like for you to send us, in not more than
700 words, your views on Nelson Mandela. What does the
name mean to you? We shall publish your article for the
pleasure of our numerous readers

2014 Grammy Awards nominations revealed: See the full list


Album Of The Year:
The Blessed Unrest — Sara Bareilles
Random Access Memories — Daft Punk
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City — Kendrick Lamar
The Heist — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Red — Taylor Swift
Record Of The Year:
“Get Lucky” — Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
“Radioactive” — Imagine Dragons
“Royals” — Lorde
“Locked Out Of Heaven” — Bruno Mars
“Blurred Lines” — Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell
Williams
Song Of The Year:
“Just Give Me A Reason” — Pink Featuring Nate Ruess
(songwriters: Jeff Bhasker, Pink & Nate Ruess)
“Locked Out Of Heaven” — Bruno Mars
(songwriters: Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine & Bruno Mars)
“Roar” — Katy Perry (songwriters: Lukasz Gottwald, Max
Martin, Bonnie McKee, Katy Perry & Henry Walter)
“Royals” — Lorde (songwriters: Joel Little & Ella Yelich
O’Connor)
“Same Love” — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Mary
Lambert (songwriters: Ben Haggerty, Mary Lambert &
Ryan Lewis)
Best New Artist:
James Blake
Kendrick Lamar
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Kacey Musgraves
Ed Sheeran
Producer Of The Year:
Rob Cavallo
Dr. Luke
Ariel Rechtshaid
Jeff Tweedy
Pharrell Williams
Best Pop Solo Performance:
“Brave” — Sara Bareilles
“Royals” — Lorde
“When I Was Your Man” — Bruno Mars
“Roar” — Katy Perry
“Mirrors” — Justin Timberlake
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
“Get Lucky” — Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
“Just Give Me A Reason” — Pink Featuring Nate Ruess
“Stay” — Rihanna Featuring Mikky Ekko
“Blurred Lines” — Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell
Williams
“Suit & Tie” — Justin Timberlake & Jay Z
Best Pop Vocal Album:
Paradise - Lana Del Rey
Pure Heroine - Lorde
Unorthodox Jukebox - Bruno Mars
Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke
The 20/20 Experience - Justin Timberlake
Best Rap Song:
“F***in’ Problems” – ASAP Rocky Featuring Drake, 2
Chainz & Kendrick Lamar
“Holy Grail” – Jay Z featuring Justin Timberlake
“New Slaves” – Kanye West
“Started From the Bottom” – Drake
“Thrift Shop” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz
Best Rap Performance:
“Started From The Bottom” — Drake
“Berzerk” — Eminem
“Tom Ford” — Jay Z
“Swimming Pools (Drank)” — Kendrick Lamar
“Thrift Shop” — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration:
“Power Trip” — J.Cole Featuring Miguel
“Part II (On The Run)” — Jay Z Featuring BeyoncĂ©
“Holy Grail” — Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake
“Now Or Never” — Kendrick Lamar Featuring Mary J.
Blige
“Remember You” — Wiz Khalifa Featuring The Weeknd
Best Rap Album:
Nothing Was The Same — Drake
Magna Carta…Holy Grail — Jay Z
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City — Kendrick Lamar
The Heist — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Yeezus — Kanye West
Best Country Solo Performance:
“I Drive Your Truck” — Lee Brice
“I Want Crazy” — Hunter Hayes
“Mama’s Broken Heart” — Miranda Lambert
“Wagon Wheel” — Darius Rucker
“Mine Would Be You” — Blake Shelton
Best Country Album:
Night Train — Jason Aldean
Two Lanes Of Freedom — Tim McGraw
Same Trailer Different Park — Kacey Musgraves
Based On A True Story — Blake Shelton
Red — Taylor Swift
Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
“From This Valley” – The Civil Wars
“Don’t Rush” – Kelly Clarkson featuring Vince Gill
“Your Side of the Bed” – Little Big Town
“Highway Don’t Care” – Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift & Keith
Urban
“You Can’t Make Old Friends” – Kenny Rogers with Dolly
Parton
Best Country Song:
“Begin Again” – Taylor Swift
“I Drive Your Truck” – Lee Brice
“Mama’s Broken Heart” – Miranda Lambert
“Merry Go ‘Round” – Kacey Musgraves
“Mine Would Be You” – Blake Shelton
Best Rock Performance:
“Always Alright” — Alabama Shakes
“The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” — David Bowie
“Radioactive” — Imagine Dragons
“Kashmir” (Live) — Led Zeppelin
“My God Is The Sun” — Queens Of The Stone Age
“I’m Shakin’” — Jack White
Best Rock Song:
“Ain’t Messin ‘Round” – Gary Clark Jr.
“Cut Me Some Slack” – Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist
Novoselic, Pat Smear
“Doom And Gloom” – The Rolling Stones
“God Is Dead” – Black Sabbath
“Panic Station” – Muse
Best Rock Album:
13 — Black Sabbath
The Next Day — David Bowie
Mechanical Bull — Kings Of Leon
Celebration Day — Led Zeppelin
…Like Clockwork — Queens Of The Stone Age
Psychedelic Pill — Neil Young With Crazy Horse
Best Alternative Music Album:
The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I
Fight, The More I Love You — Neko Case
Trouble Will Find Me — The National
Hesitation Marks — Nine Inch Nails
Lonerism — Tame Impala
Modern Vampires Of The City — Vampire Weekend
Best Dance/Electronica Album:
Random Access Memories — Daft Punk
Settle — Disclosure
18 Months — Calvin Harris
Atmosphere — Kaskade
A Color Map Of The Sun — Pretty Lights
Best R&B Performance:
“Love And War” — Tamar Braxton
“Best Of Me” — Anthony Hamilton
“Nakamarra” — Hiatus Kaiyote Featuring Q-Tip
“How Many Drinks?” — Miguel Featuring Kendrick Lamar
“Something” — Snarky Puppy With Lalah Hathaway
Best R&B Album:
R&B Divas — Faith Evans
Girl On Fire — Alicia Keys
Love In The Future — John Legend
Better — Chrisette Michele
Three Kings — TGT
Best Urban Contemporary Album:
Love And War — Tamar Braxton
Side Effects Of You — Fantasia
One: In The Chamber — Salaam Remi
Unapologetic — Rihanna
New York: A Love Story — Mack Wilds
Best Americana Album:
Old Yellow Moon — Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
Love Has Come For You — Steve Martin & Edie Brickell
Buddy And Jim — Buddy Miller And Jim Lauderdale
One True Vine — Mavis Staples
Songbook — Allen Toussaint
Best Comedy Album:
Calm Down Gurrl — Kathy Griffin
I’m Here To Help — Craig Ferguson
A Little Unprofessional — Ron White
Live — Tig Notaro
That’s What I’m Talkin’ About — Bob Saget
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media:
Django Unchained
The Great Gatsby
Les Misérables
Muscle Shoals
Sound City: Real To Reel
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media:
Argo (Alexandre Desplat, composer)
The Great Gatsby (Craig Armstrong, composer)
Life Of Pi (Mychael Danna, composer)
Lincoln (John Williams, composer)
Skyfall (Thomas Newman, composer)
Zero Dark Thirty (Alexandre Desplat, composer)
Best Song Written For Visual Media:
“Atlas” – Coldplay (From The Hunger Games: Catching
Fire)“Silver Lining” – Jessie J (From Silver Linings
Playbook)“Skyfall” – Adele (From Skyfall)“We Both Know”
– Colbie Caillat & Gavin DeGraw (From Safe Haven)
“Young And Beautiful” – Lana Del Rey (From The Great
Gatsby)
“You’ve Got Time” – Regina Spektor (From Orange Is The
New Black)
Best Musical Theater Album:Kinky Boots
Matilda: The Musical
Motown The Musical
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Viva Duets - Tony
Bennett & Various Artists To Be Loved - Michael Buble The
Standards - Gloria Estefan Cee Lo’s Magic Moment - Cee
Lo Green Now - Dionne Warwick
Best Jazz Instrumental Album:
Guided Tour — The New Gary Burton Quartet
Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue — Terri Lyne
Carrington
Life Forum — Gerald Clayton
Pushing The World Away — Kenny Garrett
Out Here — Christian McBride Trio
Best Gospel Album:
Grace (Live) — Tasha Cobbs
Best For Last: 20 Year Celebration Vol. 1 — Donald
Lawrence
Best Days Yet — Bishop Paul S. Morton
God Chaser (Live) — William Murphy
Greater Than (Live) — Tye Tribbett
Best Music Video:
“Safe And Sound” – Capital Cities
“Picasso Baby: A Performance Art Film” – Jay Z
“Can’t Hold Us” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring
Ray Dalton
“Suit & TIe” – Justin Timberlake featuring Jay Z
“I’m Shakin’” – Jack White
Best Recording Package:
Automatic Music Can Be Fun – Geneseo
Long Night Moon – Reckless Kelly
Magna Carta…Holy Grail – Jay Z
Metallica Through The Never (Music From The Motion
Picture) – Metallica
The Next Day – David Bowie
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package:
The Brussels Affair – The Rolling Stones
How Do You Do (Limited Edition Box Set) – Mayer
Hawthorne
The Road to Red Rocks (Special Edition) – Mumford &
Sons
The Smith Tapes – Various Artists
Wings Over America (Deluxe Edition) – Paul McCartney
And Wings

6 Most Popular Christmas Songs


Think Christmas and the first thing that would come to
your mind are the Christmas songs. Radio stations,
television channels and shopping malls begin playing
Christmas songs well before Christmas day and if you go
out anywhere you can never miss the Christmas songs.
There are so many versions of the same songs and it is fun
to listen to listen to the different take of many artists on the
same song. The same song could be in the rock genre and
pop genre and can also be sung in the blues fashion.
Whatever the genre Christmas songs sure bring out the
festive spirit in anyone and here are some of the most
popular Christmas songs.
1. Mary’s boy child by Boney M
It is one of those classics that you can replay over and over
and never get bores. The rich voices of the singers and the
tempo of the music will make even the saddest of the
people cheer up and want to dance.
2. Jingle Bell rock
Surprisingly you would associate this Christmas song with
the movie Bad Boys, but nevertheless this is a great
Christmas song and is definitely a classic. Bobby Helms
does a great rendition of this most famous and popular
Christmas song.
3. Merry Christmas Everybody by Slade
An unusual style for a Christmas song. The screechy voice
and the loud music is definitely not very Christmas like,
but it is quite popular maybe just because of its different
style.
4. The Christmas song and White Christmas by Ant
king Cole
You will actually be transported to roasting chestnuts and a
warm fire in a living room when you listen to the deep
voice of Nat king Cole. This is definitely a must listen to
song for Christmas.
5. Winter Wonderland by Doris Day
This is one seriously mawkish, sugar sweet song by Doris
Day. The video id sweet too and that makes this song one of
the most popular songs played during Christmas.
6. Santa baby by Eartha kitt
Kitt has one of the sexiest voices ever and this song is truly
sexy if that adjective can be used to describe a song. The
cover by kylie Minogue comes nowhere close and should be
avoided if possible.
Everyone will have their own favorite Christmas songs and
it is almost a common thing to see people creating new
playlists around the beginning of December every year just
to get into the Christmas spirit. Some songs can truly create
magic and transport you to a Christmas wonderland.
6 Most Popular Christmas Songs

All Black Everything: Actress Rukky Sanda rocks goth look to Africa Magic event [Photos]


UNIZIK RELEASES 2ND BATCH OF JAMB UTME/ REGULAR ADMISSION


We advise all prospective students to access with their
JAMB Reg. No.
VISIT: my.unizik.edu.ng
Another list is sure to be released, Admitted students are to
report
to school and take part in the on-going physical and e-
clearance.
Congrats to newly admitted students!!!