Tan Leather Boat Shoe
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Saturday, July 10, 2010
GOSPEL ARTISTE SAMMIE OKPOSO WEDS OZIOMA MKPARU
Gospel Artiste Sammie Okposo finally quit bachelorhood as he walks Miss Ozioma down the aisle.At last he has finally debunked the rumour of dating the Nollywood Actress Stella Damascus.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
CAN'T STOP PLAYING WAKA--SALAWA ABENI
After investing over three decades in music, Waka queen, Alhaja Salawa Abeni is not ready to call it quits with a career from which she earned fame and fortune. Not even the recent rumour about her being paralysed with stroke can frustrate her out of music.“Music is a career that God has appointed for me from heaven. And I don’t care what people say about me. I am only concerned about what I do,” a livid Salawa Abeni told nfc.The 48-year old diva who would soon release her 39th album has continued to hold fans spell bound with her peculiar style of Fuji music which had its roots from Waka, a genre popularized by aged musician, Mama Batile Alake. Salawa’s activities earned her the title of ‘Queen of Waka Music’ by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi in 1992.Abeni’s first album which was released in 1976 on the seal of Leaser Records according to Wikipedia, an online profiling media, is the first musical album to have sold over a million copies by a female artist in Nigeria.Meanwhile, Salawa’s relationship with Leader Records came to an end in 1986, and her relationship with the label’s owner, Lateef Adepoju also ended. She later married Sir Kollington Ayinla and joined Ayinla’s record label and remained with him until 1994. The musician who hailed from Ogun State in this interview with Daily Sun spoke on several issues such as her absence from the music scene, her relationship with her ex-husband, Kollington Ayinla and how she relaxes among other things.
Rumour about strokeFirst and foremost.
Rumour about strokeFirst and foremost.
I want to let my fans know that I am a human being like them. It is true I was sick but the sickness was not related to stroke or paralysis. Of a truth, I was sick but now I am fine. Stroke or paralysis is not in my lineage, it didn’t happen and it won’t happen. Even at that, is it proper for people to just sit down somewhere and write stories without facts? Absence from the sceneI was sick early this year. I travelled to Paris along the line. And I got an invitation from a family friend to perform at a burial ceremony which held at Police College which brought me back to the country. Generally, middle of the year is always dull for entertainers. Apart from this, as a policy which I have maintained for the past 35 years, I don’t perform during the Ramadan season. With these rumour, they have given me something to sing about. We have been working on it for some time before I was sick. Yet the sickness didn’t last more than a month. Without bringing people with stroke to ridicule, I believe stroke is something one can hide. Fans from different parts of the world have been asking me why I have not released a new album but I want them to be rest assured that very soon, they will hear from me.
Handling negative pressI have been around for a long time now.
The media once said I prayed with 35 candles. Another time they said I told my husband’s second wife to abort her pregnancy. I have been accused of snatching someone else’s husband all of which is false. However, the recent rumour that I suffered stroke is the most grievous. I am appealing to the peddlers of such rumour that I am human and have my own weaknesses. Whatever evil they wish me would go to them. A few days ago, the father of my children Alhaji Kollington Ayinla called to inform me that there was an appeal on radio that people should begin to pray for me to recover from an illness. And I told him that his children are with me and they should be the first to confirm such rumour or information.
Handling negative pressI have been around for a long time now.
The media once said I prayed with 35 candles. Another time they said I told my husband’s second wife to abort her pregnancy. I have been accused of snatching someone else’s husband all of which is false. However, the recent rumour that I suffered stroke is the most grievous. I am appealing to the peddlers of such rumour that I am human and have my own weaknesses. Whatever evil they wish me would go to them. A few days ago, the father of my children Alhaji Kollington Ayinla called to inform me that there was an appeal on radio that people should begin to pray for me to recover from an illness. And I told him that his children are with me and they should be the first to confirm such rumour or information.
Quitting music
My last album, The Truth came out towards the end of 2007. I am not doing any other business and if I want to do anything at all it would still be music. Music is my career from heaven. There is also one thing about me and that is, I don’t care what people say about me. I am only concerned about what I do. Therefore I appeal to my friends and family that by the end of the year or latest early in the New Year, my album would be released. Waka music in NigeriaI don’t think the popularity of Waka Music on the Nigerian music scene has reduced. What we now have are variants of Waka. God just made me to be the symbol of Waka Music but I met the music on ground. Waka is an Hausa language that means music. What makes it different is that it is most sung by female musicians. The forerunner of Waka music, Mama Batila Alake always sat down whenever she performed but when I started singing as a kid, I stood because I was short as a kid. That makes me different from others.In addition, when I started, I introduced new instruments that would make my music more appealing to younger people. Someone sang Ori mi wu o ela gi mo, this was a remix of my song Orin mi ni o mo de o! The man even spoke to me while I was in England and invited me to sing the original version at an award which held in June 2007.So what we have is a variety of Waka music, it is not dead and it will not die. I met it and will leave it for coming generations. Mama Batila Alake has not retired, it’s just that she is now old. There are several Waka musicians and they include Adebukola Ajao, Princess Adetoun (now late), Hamdala Aweni among others. If you want something new to Waka, then I will advise that you wait for my new album. My children taking after me all my children like music. One is singing RAP while another is singing Hip-hop. But they are all in school except for my first born, who has bagged her first degree at the University of Ilorin and her Masters Degree in England. She is presently working with me. Music then and nowI have released about 38 albums. When the situation of the country was good, we could release three or two albums in a year. These days, one might not do any release in two years because as soon as the work is released, pirates would have taken their share of the job.
Secret of my looks
If possible, I would have asked you to see my mother. At 92, she is still agile and moves about by herself. Though my dad died at the age of 78 on April 19, 1990 and the only thing I picked from him is his skin colour. Every other thing I picked from my mother. Looking youthful and fit is something that is common to everyone in my family. Don’t forget I grew up in the village. Men still disturb me.One thing I know is that one has got to be wise and careful. Men will continue to make advances at one but one has to be clever with one’s approach without being rude. This is because you can’t tell where one will meet the same person in the future. But while some people would just want to take advantage of one, one needs some level of tolerance. Some male admirers can even be provocative. I have had funny experiences but I have used wisdom to get off the hook. One day somebody just bashed my car for no apparent reason. This prize came with being a celebrity.
On remarriage
First and foremost, I have kids and God is taking care of them. We are all human beings and if God says I should re-marry who am I to say no, and if he says no, who am I to say yes. I wouldn’t want to say more than this.
Relationship with Kollington Ayinla
Yes he called recently. He is the father of my kids. He wouldn’t wish me bad that is why he called. We can’t be enemies, despite the fact that we are no longer married. We talk when it is necessary especially concerning the children. I don’t see anything wrong in this. Even when I was sick, he called to wish me well. There is a way we’ve always communicated especially when it comes to the children.
How I relax
I do gym regularly. In fact I have the equipment in my house. I usually stand for eight hours to perform. This work requires a lot of stamina. I eat anything, I don’t have preferences but I don’t over indulge myself. I grew up in a riverine community, so I can even eat herbs in the morning. I listen to all kinds of music, even the contemporary ones. But I love Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister’s music a lot as well as my late colleague and legendary king of pop, Michael Jackson. I was away when he died. His death shocked me so much that I cried like a baby. We have something in common which is that both of us started playing music at tender ages. Although he is older than I with three years. I was told that I started music at the age of nine.
Advice to young musicians
My advice is that younger musicians should be focused on what they do and they should be faithful to their art. They should also focus on songs that make sense. One can do any kind of music but one should have his or her listeners in mind.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
WAYS TO CONNECT WITH YOUR SPOUSE
If you want to connect more with your spouse, try these communication and listening methods.
If your spouse wants to communicate with you, stop what you are doing so that you can give your spouse your full attention.
When talking with your spouse, maintain eye contact.
When you don't want to be distracted while talking with one another, choose a neutral location to have your conversation.
It is important to remember to listen to one another without interrupting.
Don't jump to conclusions about what your spouse is saying.
If you need clarification of what your spouse has said, ask questions, but don't point fingers.
Respond without being critical of what your spouse has said.
Be affirmative and supportive.
Decide together to make time to have alone time with each other on a regular basis -- preferably once a week.
If your spouse wants to communicate with you, stop what you are doing so that you can give your spouse your full attention.
When talking with your spouse, maintain eye contact.
When you don't want to be distracted while talking with one another, choose a neutral location to have your conversation.
It is important to remember to listen to one another without interrupting.
Don't jump to conclusions about what your spouse is saying.
If you need clarification of what your spouse has said, ask questions, but don't point fingers.
Respond without being critical of what your spouse has said.
Be affirmative and supportive.
Decide together to make time to have alone time with each other on a regular basis -- preferably once a week.
GETTING YOUR MARRIAGE OUT OF A RUT
Do you ever think that your marriage relationship is stuck in a rut? Do you feel stifled? Do you see your marriage as going nowhere? It took time to get your marriage in a rut. It will take time to get your marriage out of a rut.
Here is a seven-step approach to help the two of you get your marriage out of a rut and to repair your marriage. Driving on the Freeway when you take a trip on a freeway traffic usually moves along pretty smoothly. However, there are times when you may find yourselves stuck in stalled traffic speeding along at 20 mph. You may experience a temptation to get off the freeway. The side roads through the various towns look pretty clear, and are moving along okay. Then you think about the traffic lights and the curves and turns and you reconsider that decision.
Marriage is a lot like driving on the freeways. It can be easy for your relationship to get bogged down in the traffic and rush of everyday living. Your communication may just be crawling along, slower and slower, til you are tempted to think that another relationship may be the answer to being stuck in a rut.
Hopefully, after you stop to consider the reality of your lives and you each look at your own responsibility in allowing your marriage to be in a rut, you both will realize that the "easy or quick" route of changing relationships will not make your lives better.
Seven Approaches to Getting out of a Rut in Your Marriage.
So what do you do when the freeway comes to a dead stop or your marriage feels like it is on a dead end street? A road map with some alternate routes or a GPS device help on the freeway. The way to get out of a rut is to reconnect with one another.
A Weekend Away.
Take a weekend away to a quiet place with no kids, no tv, no internet, no chores, and no work from the office to distract you from one another. Make this a time just for the two of you. Use this time to talk with one another. Talk about good memories, of future dreams, of current concerns and fears.
A Weekly Date.
If finances are tight or you can't be away from your children for an entire weekend, find a way to spend time alone with each other each week. Saying you will have monthly dates isn't good enough when your marriage is in a rut. You need more time than that to reconnect with one another.
A Peaceful Room.
Look at your home environment. If you don't have any rooms in your house that are uncluttered and inviting, then create such a space. Decide together to make at least one room in your home free of clutter. If you can't get a room uncluttered in a weekend together, spend 15 minutes each day working on the room. You both need a space that enables you to feel relaxed and calm. Such an environment can actually make you feel good about yourselves and your marriage.
Write a Letter.
When talking about sensitive issues in your marriage, express yourself without showing hostility. Do not blame your spouse. Keep sarcasm out of the conversation. Examine your own attitudes about the issue to see if you are contributing to the problem in your marriage. If this is difficult for you to do, write down your thoughts and feelings about one issue, wait a day or so, then re-read what you wrote before giving the letter to your spouse.
Make Plans for Your Future Together.
Ask yourselves if you are living the way you want to live. If not, do some brainstorming about strategies to get yourselves to where you want to be -- emotionally, financially, physically, etc. Make specific plans for achieving a goal the two of you have set.
Spend Ten Minutes Together Daily.
Develop a routine of spending ten minutes alone together each day. Make this a time to reconnect. It is not the time to share frustrations or to want to solve problems. This ten minutes has to be a positive ten minutes together. You could spend ten minutes talking about your expectations of the day, or talk about good things that happened to you in the past 24 hours. You could take a ten-minute walk together or do breathing exercises together. What you do with that ten minutes shouldn't be the same every day. Some couples sitting together quietly and watching the sun set or looking at stars.
Do Something New.
Do something new each day. Take a different route home. Eat a vegetable cooked in a different way. Watch a television show or movie you haven't seen. Discover something new about your spouse. Move a piece of furniture. Plant a flower seeds you never planted before. Walk on a different street or path. Play a new card or board game. Learn how to together. It doesn't matter what you do that is new. What is important is sharing what you did that was new with your spouse.
Here is a seven-step approach to help the two of you get your marriage out of a rut and to repair your marriage. Driving on the Freeway when you take a trip on a freeway traffic usually moves along pretty smoothly. However, there are times when you may find yourselves stuck in stalled traffic speeding along at 20 mph. You may experience a temptation to get off the freeway. The side roads through the various towns look pretty clear, and are moving along okay. Then you think about the traffic lights and the curves and turns and you reconsider that decision.
Marriage is a lot like driving on the freeways. It can be easy for your relationship to get bogged down in the traffic and rush of everyday living. Your communication may just be crawling along, slower and slower, til you are tempted to think that another relationship may be the answer to being stuck in a rut.
Hopefully, after you stop to consider the reality of your lives and you each look at your own responsibility in allowing your marriage to be in a rut, you both will realize that the "easy or quick" route of changing relationships will not make your lives better.
Seven Approaches to Getting out of a Rut in Your Marriage.
So what do you do when the freeway comes to a dead stop or your marriage feels like it is on a dead end street? A road map with some alternate routes or a GPS device help on the freeway. The way to get out of a rut is to reconnect with one another.
A Weekend Away.
Take a weekend away to a quiet place with no kids, no tv, no internet, no chores, and no work from the office to distract you from one another. Make this a time just for the two of you. Use this time to talk with one another. Talk about good memories, of future dreams, of current concerns and fears.
A Weekly Date.
If finances are tight or you can't be away from your children for an entire weekend, find a way to spend time alone with each other each week. Saying you will have monthly dates isn't good enough when your marriage is in a rut. You need more time than that to reconnect with one another.
A Peaceful Room.
Look at your home environment. If you don't have any rooms in your house that are uncluttered and inviting, then create such a space. Decide together to make at least one room in your home free of clutter. If you can't get a room uncluttered in a weekend together, spend 15 minutes each day working on the room. You both need a space that enables you to feel relaxed and calm. Such an environment can actually make you feel good about yourselves and your marriage.
Write a Letter.
When talking about sensitive issues in your marriage, express yourself without showing hostility. Do not blame your spouse. Keep sarcasm out of the conversation. Examine your own attitudes about the issue to see if you are contributing to the problem in your marriage. If this is difficult for you to do, write down your thoughts and feelings about one issue, wait a day or so, then re-read what you wrote before giving the letter to your spouse.
Make Plans for Your Future Together.
Ask yourselves if you are living the way you want to live. If not, do some brainstorming about strategies to get yourselves to where you want to be -- emotionally, financially, physically, etc. Make specific plans for achieving a goal the two of you have set.
Spend Ten Minutes Together Daily.
Develop a routine of spending ten minutes alone together each day. Make this a time to reconnect. It is not the time to share frustrations or to want to solve problems. This ten minutes has to be a positive ten minutes together. You could spend ten minutes talking about your expectations of the day, or talk about good things that happened to you in the past 24 hours. You could take a ten-minute walk together or do breathing exercises together. What you do with that ten minutes shouldn't be the same every day. Some couples sitting together quietly and watching the sun set or looking at stars.
Do Something New.
Do something new each day. Take a different route home. Eat a vegetable cooked in a different way. Watch a television show or movie you haven't seen. Discover something new about your spouse. Move a piece of furniture. Plant a flower seeds you never planted before. Walk on a different street or path. Play a new card or board game. Learn how to together. It doesn't matter what you do that is new. What is important is sharing what you did that was new with your spouse.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
MRS TEJU PHILIPS--FORMER COMMISSIONER IN LAGOS STATE
Chief (Mrs.) Teju Phillips, a chartered accountant and former commissioner in Lagos State, in this chat with TOLUWANI OLAMITOKE speaks on her career, role as a politician, marital life and how to run a successful home. Excerpts: Saturday, January 17, 2009
Who is Teju Phillips?
I’M a Lagosian, born and bred there. I schooled in the old Western Region-Ibadan and Oyo precisely, where I I had my primary, secondary and Higher School Certificate (HSC) education. I completed my education in the UK to become a Chartered Accountant. I worked briefly with my father and later Peatmarwick, that is, Ani-Ogunde as a chartered accountant. Peatmarwick used to be the old name. I also worked with UAC before joining the public service as a commissioner. I’m married to Engineer Lanre Phillips and we are blessed with four children and two grand children.
You are a politician. How easy do you think it is for a woman to get to the top in the Nigerian politics?
I was at the top of my career before I joined politics. To me, it has been an era of good education and hardwork to get to the peak and I got appointed as a commissioner.
As a former commissioner in Lagos State, what did you miss out of office?
What was your growing up like?
It was simple. I grew up in a boarding school all my life there until I got married. I grew up well-disciplined.
Did you marry your spouse because he was rich?
As a daughter of a rich man, how were you able to cope?were you still taking pocket money from home?
What are those things that cause conflicts in marriage from your own experience?
Foremost, if your husband notices you do not respect him enough, that will cause a lot of conflict in your relationship. My advice is that you always ensure you respect his views and those things that matter to him must be adhered to. You will have arguments, that’s natural, but you have to argue in a way which will get him to listen to you. Don’t argue with your husband in a domineering manner or try to impose your views on him. If it’s going to take you a hundred and one times to discuss and repeat your views for him to see in your own light, then you do it that way, but please don’t attempt blasting it over him; no, it won’t work.
Again, you have to be domesticated –be a good cook and ensure that what goes into his mouth is super; you must be able to clean the home, have the ability to raise the children and inculcate discipline in the home. Monetary issues shouldn’t lead to crises all the time, no. Also, the habit of leaving kids to be manned by the man alone should not be encouraged. Rather, both couple must join hands together to say ‘no’ before the child when need be, you must let that child know it’s ‘no’ at that time. But when both are together and alone, you can now express your views or feeling on the subject. This encourages a total and perfect upbringing of the child. It’s very impotant to make the children learn to love and fear God from their early ages while the lifestyle of parents must also portray this example. children learn easily from what they see their parents or those who are close to them do. Where the woman has a career and has a lot of money, she shouldn’t flaunt it before her husband. Each other’s inadequacies must be managed, there is no perfect human being.
Can you compare your upbringing with that of your children?
My mother used to beat me a lot when I was young, but my style is different. I was strict with my children, they know I believe in the ‘food stick’ (omorogun), that’s what I used in threatening them. I sometimes tell them to pull their ears and go up and down as punishment. But it was not as tough as what my mother used to do. I feel that I was more liberal.
A school of thought says we are fast losing grasp of our mother tongue. Does this hold in your home?
Up to a point it did. I was corrected and had to made sure my kids had Yoruba lesson from 7 a.m-8 a.m every morning until they mastered it. When you are a career woman and you are off to work, you have home services provider that are there with the kids. They also come and brush in their own English language, they don’t dialogue with the children in Yoruba. So, I had to make conscious effort in making them learn and speak their mother tongue.
It’s obvious you have a successful marriage. What were the things you put in place to achieve this?
What place does trust occupy in your relationship?
It holds a very important place.
Can you expatiate?
How do you feel being a grandmother?
Wonderful! You see yourself in the children and grandchildren. Thank God for the grace of seeing the third generation.
What do you do to keep fit?
What would you like to be remembered for?
A stylistic ambitious woman with a large heart for the people.
Can you tell me your age?
I will be 55 years old this year.
Extracted from nigeria tribune newspaper
Thursday, January 15, 2009
BARACK OBAMA'S PICTURES
Barack Obama’s stepfather Lolo Soetoro; biological mother Ann Dunham; and half- sister Maya Soetoro-Ng
Barack Obama’s biological mother, Ann Dunham holding very young Obama
Barack Obama's Grandparents
OBAMA'S FATHER
MAN OF HISTORY---BARACK OBAMA
BARACK OBAMA QUICK FACTS.
Meaning of the name “Barack”: One who is blessed
Barack's nickname when he was young: Barry
Birthdate: August 4, 1961
Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii Height: 6’1”
Alma Mater: Columbia University (1983); Harvard Law School (1991)
Marital Status: Married
Wife’s Name: Michelle Obama
Date of Marriage: October 18, 1992
Children: (2) Malia Ann Obama, born 1999; Natasa Obama (known as Sasha), born 2001 Residence: Chicago, Illinois
Parents: Barack Obama. Sr., from Kenya, and Ann Dunham, from Kansas (Mother and father have passed away)
Religion: Christian Hobbies: Poker and basketball
BARACK OBAMA'S QUOTES
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Barack Obama
There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America .
Barack Obama
I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars.
Barack Obama
We've gotta restore the American people's confidence in the ethics process by ensuring that political self-interest can no longer prevent politicians from enforcing ethics rules.
Barack Obama
If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists - to protect them and to promote their common welfare - all else is lost.
Barack Obama
We have to acknowledge the progress we made, but understand that we still have a long way to go. That things are better, but still not good enough.
Barack Obama
Americans…still believe in an America where anything's possible -- they just don't think their leaders do.
Barack Obama
If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress.
Barack Obama
People are very hungry for something new. I think they are interested in being called to be a part of something larger than the sort of small, petty, slash-and-burn politics that we have been seeing over the last several years.
Barack Obama
Hope – Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. A belief in things not seen. A belief that there are better days ahead.
Barack Obama
Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. And it will leave you unfulfilled.
Barack Obama
In the end, no amount of American forces can solve the political differences that lie at the heart of somebody else's civil war.
Barack Obama
The true test of the American ideal is whether we’re able to recognize our failings and then rise together to meet the challenges of our time. Whether we allow ourselves to be shaped by events and history, or whether we act to shape them.
Barack Obama
Americans…still believe in an America where anything's possible – they just don't think their leaders do.
Barack Obama
Faith doesn't mean that you don't have doubts.
Barack Obama
Faith is not just something you have, it's something you do.
Barack Obama
America is a land of big dreamers and big hopes. It is this hope that has sustained us through revolution and civil war, depression and world war, a struggle for civil and social rights and the brink of nuclear crisis. And it is because our dreamers dreamed that we have emerged from each challenge more united, more prosperous, and more admired than before.
Barack Obama
I always believe that ultimately, if people are paying attention, then we get good government and good leadership. And when we get lazy, as a democracy and civically start taking shortcuts, then it results in bad government and politics.
Barack Obama
When people are judged by merit, not connections, then the best and brightest can lead the country, people will work hard, and the entire economy will grow - everyone will benefit and more resources will be available for all, not just select groups.
Barack Obama
You know, there's a lot of talk in this country about the federal deficit. But I think we should talk more about our empathy deficit - the ability to put ourselves in someone else's shoes; to see the world through the eyes of those who are different from us – the child who's hungry, the steelworker who's been laid-off, the family who lost the entire life they built together when the storm came to town. When you think like this – when you choose to broaden your ambit of concern and empathize with the plight of others, whether they are close friends or distant strangers – it becomes harder not to act; harder not to help.
Barack Obama
It's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.
Barack Obama
If we aren't willing to pay a price for our values, then we should ask ourselves whether we truly believe in them at all.
Barack Obama
We have a stake in one another … what binds us together is greater than what drives us apart, and ... if enough people believe in the truth of that proposition and act on it, then we might not solve every problem, but we can get something meaningful done for the people with whom we share this Earth.
Barack Obama
The fact that my 15 minutes of fame has extended a little longer than 15 minutes is somewhat surprising to me and completely baffling to my wife.
Barack Obama
What Washington needs is adult supervision.
Barack Obama
The country is not as polarized as our politics would suggest.
Barack Obama
A good compromise, a good piece of legislation, is like a good sentence; or a good piece of music. Everybody can recognize it. They say, "Huh. It works. It makes sense.
Barack Obama
Most people who meet my wife quickly conclude that she is remarkable. They are right about this. She is smart, funny and thoroughly charming. Often, after hearing her speak at some function or working with her on a project, people will approach me and say something to the effect of, you know, I think the world of you, Barack, but your wife, wow!
Barack Obama
My wife has been my closest friend, my closest advisor. And ... she’s not somebody who looks to the limelight, or even is wild about me being in politics. And that’s a good reality check on me. When I go home, she wants me to be a good father and a good husband. And everything else is secondary to that.
Barack Obama
We need to steer clear of this poverty of ambition, where people want to drive fancy cars and wear nice clothes and live in nice apartments but don't want to work hard to accomplish these things. Everyone should try to realize their full potential.
Barack Obama
We can't change the way Washington works unless we first change how Congress works.
Barack Obama
Whenever I write a letter to a family who has lost a loved one in Iraq , or read an email from a constituent who has dropped out of college because her student aid has been cut, I'm reminded that the actions of those in power have enormous consequences – a price that they themselves almost never have to pay.
Barack Obama
That is the true genius of America , a faith in the simple dreams of its people, the insistence on small miracles. That we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door.
Barack Obama
Our goal is to have a country that's not divided by race.
Barack Obama
Iraq is sort of a situation where you've got a guy who drove the bus into the ditch. You obviously have to get the bus out of the ditch, and that's not easy to do, although you probably should fire the driver.
Barack Obama
My faith reminds me that we all are sinners.
Barack Obama
Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it's not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won't. it's whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.
Barack Obama
I have seen, the desperation and disorder of the powerless: how it twists the lives of children on the streets of Jakarta or Nairobi in much the same way as it does the lives of children on Chicago ’s South Side.
Barack Obama
When we send our young men and women into harm's way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they're going, to care for their families while they're gone, to tend to the soldiers upon their return, and to never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect of the world.
Barack Obama
Yes, our greatness as a nation has depended on individual initiative, on a belief in the free market. But it has also depended on our sense of mutual regard for each other, of mutual responsibility. The idea that everybody has a stake in the country, that we're all in it together and everybody's got a shot at opportunity. Americans know this. We know that government can't solve all our problems - and we don't want it to. But we also know that there are some things we can't do on our own. We know that there are some things we do better together.
Barack Obama
Most people who serve in Washington have been trained either as lawyers or as political operatives – professions that tend to place a premium on winning arguments rather than solving problems.
Barack Obama
We’ve come to be consumed by a 24-hour, slash-and-burn, negative ad, bickering, small-minded politics that doesn’t move us forward.
Barack Obama
In an interconnected world, the defeat of international terrorism – and most importantly, the prevention of these terrorist organizations from obtaining weapons of mass destruction -- will require the cooperation of many nations. We must always reserve the right to strike unilaterally at terrorists wherever they may exist. But we should know that our success in doing so is enhanced by engaging our allies so that we receive the crucial diplomatic, military, intelligence, and financial support that can lighten our load and add legitimacy to our actions. This means talking to our friends and, at times, even our enemies.
Barack Obama
We should be more modest in our belief that we can impose democracy on a country through military force. In the past, it has been movements for freedom from within tyrannical regimes that have led to flourishing democracies.
Barack Obama
Race is still a powerful force in this country. Any African American candidate, or any Latino candidate, or Asian candidate or woman candidate confronts a higher threshold in establishing himself to the voters
Barack Obama
Our enemies are fully aware that they can use oil as a weapon against America . And if we don't take this threat as seriously as the bombs they build or the guns they buy, we will be fighting the War on Terror with one hand tied behind our back.
Barack Obama
Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions. And that's what we have to change first. We have to change our politics, and come together around our common interests and concerns as Americans.
Barack Obama
It's not just enough to change the players. We've gotta change the game.
BARACK OBAMA BIOGRAPHY
Barack Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 4, 1961.
The name “Barack” means “one who is blessed.” And when Barack was young his family and friends called this blessed young boy “Barry” for short.His father, Barack Obama, Sr., was from Kenya, and his mother, Ann Dunham, was from Kansas. His parents met at the University of Honolulu when they were students (his father was attending on scholarship).
Barack’s parents separated when he was two years old and then divorced when he was four, and his father eventually returned to Kenya. His mother later married another foreign student, Lolo Soetoro, who was from Indonesia; and in 1967, Barack moved with his new stepfather and mother to Jakarta, where he lived from age six to ten.
When Barack was ten, he returned to Honolulu and lived with his grandparents, who took over parenting duties. While in Honolulu, Barack attended the renowned Punahou School until he graduated in 1979.During this period, Barack was able to see his biological father, who returned to Honolulu for a brief visit in 1971. Sadly, that would be their last meeting as his father died in an automobile accident in 1982. (Barack would lose his mother to cancer 1995.)
After his 1979 high school graduation, Barack moved to Los Angeles to attend Occidental College. He studied there for two years and then transferred to Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in Political Science and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983.
After graduation, Barack worked in New York at Business International Corporation and New York Public Interest Research Group before returning to Chicago, where he became a community organizer with a church-based group which worked to improve living conditions in poor neighborhoods.
He entered Harvard Law School in 1988, where he was elected the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review in its 104-year history. He went on to receive his J.D. degree from Harvard in 1991 with magna cum laude honors.
He then returned to Chicago, directed a voter registration drive, and soon became a civil rights attorney and a lecturer on constitutional law; and in 1992, married the love of his life, Michelle.
And it was in Chicago in 1995 that Barack released his first best-selling book: “Dreams from My Father.” He was offered the book contract shortly after becoming the president of the Harvard Law Review. The book is a compelling memoir of his life.
Barack’s political career began with his election to the Illinois Senate in 1996, where he would serve from 1997 to 2004. In 2000, he ran an unsuccessful campaign for a seat in the House of Representatives, but would go on to run for the U.S. Senate a few years later.
And while Barack was running for U.S. Senate, he was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime: to give the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. And it was at that convention that Barack gave one of the most inspiring and moving political speeches ever delivered, and by the time the speech was over, Barack became a political heavyweight and an instant celebrity.
Barack went on to win his U.S. Senate race in a landslide, capturing 70% of the votes. And, riding a wave of strong popularity, published his second best-selling book in 2006, “The Audacity of Hope,” which expanded on the issues he touched on in his 2004 DNC speech.
On February 10, 2007, Barack Obama announced his candidacy for president of the United States.
But of all of Barack’s achievements, nothing has made him prouder than becoming a father to his two wonderful girls: Malia (born 1999), and Sasha (born 2001).
Meaning of the name “Barack”: One who is blessed
Barack's nickname when he was young: Barry
Birthdate: August 4, 1961
Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii Height: 6’1”
Alma Mater: Columbia University (1983); Harvard Law School (1991)
Marital Status: Married
Wife’s Name: Michelle Obama
Date of Marriage: October 18, 1992
Children: (2) Malia Ann Obama, born 1999; Natasa Obama (known as Sasha), born 2001 Residence: Chicago, Illinois
Parents: Barack Obama. Sr., from Kenya, and Ann Dunham, from Kansas (Mother and father have passed away)
Religion: Christian Hobbies: Poker and basketball
BARACK OBAMA'S QUOTES
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Barack Obama
There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America .
Barack Obama
I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars.
Barack Obama
We've gotta restore the American people's confidence in the ethics process by ensuring that political self-interest can no longer prevent politicians from enforcing ethics rules.
Barack Obama
If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists - to protect them and to promote their common welfare - all else is lost.
Barack Obama
We have to acknowledge the progress we made, but understand that we still have a long way to go. That things are better, but still not good enough.
Barack Obama
Americans…still believe in an America where anything's possible -- they just don't think their leaders do.
Barack Obama
If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress.
Barack Obama
People are very hungry for something new. I think they are interested in being called to be a part of something larger than the sort of small, petty, slash-and-burn politics that we have been seeing over the last several years.
Barack Obama
Hope – Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. A belief in things not seen. A belief that there are better days ahead.
Barack Obama
Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. And it will leave you unfulfilled.
Barack Obama
In the end, no amount of American forces can solve the political differences that lie at the heart of somebody else's civil war.
Barack Obama
The true test of the American ideal is whether we’re able to recognize our failings and then rise together to meet the challenges of our time. Whether we allow ourselves to be shaped by events and history, or whether we act to shape them.
Barack Obama
Americans…still believe in an America where anything's possible – they just don't think their leaders do.
Barack Obama
Faith doesn't mean that you don't have doubts.
Barack Obama
Faith is not just something you have, it's something you do.
Barack Obama
America is a land of big dreamers and big hopes. It is this hope that has sustained us through revolution and civil war, depression and world war, a struggle for civil and social rights and the brink of nuclear crisis. And it is because our dreamers dreamed that we have emerged from each challenge more united, more prosperous, and more admired than before.
Barack Obama
I always believe that ultimately, if people are paying attention, then we get good government and good leadership. And when we get lazy, as a democracy and civically start taking shortcuts, then it results in bad government and politics.
Barack Obama
When people are judged by merit, not connections, then the best and brightest can lead the country, people will work hard, and the entire economy will grow - everyone will benefit and more resources will be available for all, not just select groups.
Barack Obama
You know, there's a lot of talk in this country about the federal deficit. But I think we should talk more about our empathy deficit - the ability to put ourselves in someone else's shoes; to see the world through the eyes of those who are different from us – the child who's hungry, the steelworker who's been laid-off, the family who lost the entire life they built together when the storm came to town. When you think like this – when you choose to broaden your ambit of concern and empathize with the plight of others, whether they are close friends or distant strangers – it becomes harder not to act; harder not to help.
Barack Obama
It's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.
Barack Obama
If we aren't willing to pay a price for our values, then we should ask ourselves whether we truly believe in them at all.
Barack Obama
We have a stake in one another … what binds us together is greater than what drives us apart, and ... if enough people believe in the truth of that proposition and act on it, then we might not solve every problem, but we can get something meaningful done for the people with whom we share this Earth.
Barack Obama
The fact that my 15 minutes of fame has extended a little longer than 15 minutes is somewhat surprising to me and completely baffling to my wife.
Barack Obama
What Washington needs is adult supervision.
Barack Obama
The country is not as polarized as our politics would suggest.
Barack Obama
A good compromise, a good piece of legislation, is like a good sentence; or a good piece of music. Everybody can recognize it. They say, "Huh. It works. It makes sense.
Barack Obama
Most people who meet my wife quickly conclude that she is remarkable. They are right about this. She is smart, funny and thoroughly charming. Often, after hearing her speak at some function or working with her on a project, people will approach me and say something to the effect of, you know, I think the world of you, Barack, but your wife, wow!
Barack Obama
My wife has been my closest friend, my closest advisor. And ... she’s not somebody who looks to the limelight, or even is wild about me being in politics. And that’s a good reality check on me. When I go home, she wants me to be a good father and a good husband. And everything else is secondary to that.
Barack Obama
We need to steer clear of this poverty of ambition, where people want to drive fancy cars and wear nice clothes and live in nice apartments but don't want to work hard to accomplish these things. Everyone should try to realize their full potential.
Barack Obama
We can't change the way Washington works unless we first change how Congress works.
Barack Obama
Whenever I write a letter to a family who has lost a loved one in Iraq , or read an email from a constituent who has dropped out of college because her student aid has been cut, I'm reminded that the actions of those in power have enormous consequences – a price that they themselves almost never have to pay.
Barack Obama
That is the true genius of America , a faith in the simple dreams of its people, the insistence on small miracles. That we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door.
Barack Obama
Our goal is to have a country that's not divided by race.
Barack Obama
Iraq is sort of a situation where you've got a guy who drove the bus into the ditch. You obviously have to get the bus out of the ditch, and that's not easy to do, although you probably should fire the driver.
Barack Obama
My faith reminds me that we all are sinners.
Barack Obama
Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it's not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won't. it's whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.
Barack Obama
I have seen, the desperation and disorder of the powerless: how it twists the lives of children on the streets of Jakarta or Nairobi in much the same way as it does the lives of children on Chicago ’s South Side.
Barack Obama
When we send our young men and women into harm's way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they're going, to care for their families while they're gone, to tend to the soldiers upon their return, and to never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect of the world.
Barack Obama
Yes, our greatness as a nation has depended on individual initiative, on a belief in the free market. But it has also depended on our sense of mutual regard for each other, of mutual responsibility. The idea that everybody has a stake in the country, that we're all in it together and everybody's got a shot at opportunity. Americans know this. We know that government can't solve all our problems - and we don't want it to. But we also know that there are some things we can't do on our own. We know that there are some things we do better together.
Barack Obama
Most people who serve in Washington have been trained either as lawyers or as political operatives – professions that tend to place a premium on winning arguments rather than solving problems.
Barack Obama
We’ve come to be consumed by a 24-hour, slash-and-burn, negative ad, bickering, small-minded politics that doesn’t move us forward.
Barack Obama
In an interconnected world, the defeat of international terrorism – and most importantly, the prevention of these terrorist organizations from obtaining weapons of mass destruction -- will require the cooperation of many nations. We must always reserve the right to strike unilaterally at terrorists wherever they may exist. But we should know that our success in doing so is enhanced by engaging our allies so that we receive the crucial diplomatic, military, intelligence, and financial support that can lighten our load and add legitimacy to our actions. This means talking to our friends and, at times, even our enemies.
Barack Obama
We should be more modest in our belief that we can impose democracy on a country through military force. In the past, it has been movements for freedom from within tyrannical regimes that have led to flourishing democracies.
Barack Obama
Race is still a powerful force in this country. Any African American candidate, or any Latino candidate, or Asian candidate or woman candidate confronts a higher threshold in establishing himself to the voters
Barack Obama
Our enemies are fully aware that they can use oil as a weapon against America . And if we don't take this threat as seriously as the bombs they build or the guns they buy, we will be fighting the War on Terror with one hand tied behind our back.
Barack Obama
Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions. And that's what we have to change first. We have to change our politics, and come together around our common interests and concerns as Americans.
Barack Obama
It's not just enough to change the players. We've gotta change the game.
BARACK OBAMA BIOGRAPHY
Barack Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 4, 1961.
The name “Barack” means “one who is blessed.” And when Barack was young his family and friends called this blessed young boy “Barry” for short.His father, Barack Obama, Sr., was from Kenya, and his mother, Ann Dunham, was from Kansas. His parents met at the University of Honolulu when they were students (his father was attending on scholarship).
Barack’s parents separated when he was two years old and then divorced when he was four, and his father eventually returned to Kenya. His mother later married another foreign student, Lolo Soetoro, who was from Indonesia; and in 1967, Barack moved with his new stepfather and mother to Jakarta, where he lived from age six to ten.
When Barack was ten, he returned to Honolulu and lived with his grandparents, who took over parenting duties. While in Honolulu, Barack attended the renowned Punahou School until he graduated in 1979.During this period, Barack was able to see his biological father, who returned to Honolulu for a brief visit in 1971. Sadly, that would be their last meeting as his father died in an automobile accident in 1982. (Barack would lose his mother to cancer 1995.)
After his 1979 high school graduation, Barack moved to Los Angeles to attend Occidental College. He studied there for two years and then transferred to Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in Political Science and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983.
After graduation, Barack worked in New York at Business International Corporation and New York Public Interest Research Group before returning to Chicago, where he became a community organizer with a church-based group which worked to improve living conditions in poor neighborhoods.
He entered Harvard Law School in 1988, where he was elected the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review in its 104-year history. He went on to receive his J.D. degree from Harvard in 1991 with magna cum laude honors.
He then returned to Chicago, directed a voter registration drive, and soon became a civil rights attorney and a lecturer on constitutional law; and in 1992, married the love of his life, Michelle.
And it was in Chicago in 1995 that Barack released his first best-selling book: “Dreams from My Father.” He was offered the book contract shortly after becoming the president of the Harvard Law Review. The book is a compelling memoir of his life.
Barack’s political career began with his election to the Illinois Senate in 1996, where he would serve from 1997 to 2004. In 2000, he ran an unsuccessful campaign for a seat in the House of Representatives, but would go on to run for the U.S. Senate a few years later.
And while Barack was running for U.S. Senate, he was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime: to give the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. And it was at that convention that Barack gave one of the most inspiring and moving political speeches ever delivered, and by the time the speech was over, Barack became a political heavyweight and an instant celebrity.
Barack went on to win his U.S. Senate race in a landslide, capturing 70% of the votes. And, riding a wave of strong popularity, published his second best-selling book in 2006, “The Audacity of Hope,” which expanded on the issues he touched on in his 2004 DNC speech.
On February 10, 2007, Barack Obama announced his candidacy for president of the United States.
But of all of Barack’s achievements, nothing has made him prouder than becoming a father to his two wonderful girls: Malia (born 1999), and Sasha (born 2001).
SUZANNE WENGER KNOWN AS ADUNNI OLORISA OF OSUN DEPARTED AT THE AGE OF 93
When the end drew near for the priestess of Osun, the elements combined and a sudden midday rain started and ended abruptly in Osogbo, Osun State capital, on Monday.
After the rain, Wenger, 93, passed on at the Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Hospital, Osogbo. Before she died, Wenger, who was surrounded at her sickbed by some of her 15 adopted children, asked, "What day of the week is it? What time of the day is it?" When answers were given to her inquiries, she replied, "It's time to go. It's good. It's ok." And with these words, she breathed her last in the presence of her first adopted son, Chief Sangodare Gbadegesin Ajala and her adopted daughter, Chief Doyin Faniyi.
After the rain, Wenger, 93, passed on at the Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Hospital, Osogbo. Before she died, Wenger, who was surrounded at her sickbed by some of her 15 adopted children, asked, "What day of the week is it? What time of the day is it?" When answers were given to her inquiries, she replied, "It's time to go. It's good. It's ok." And with these words, she breathed her last in the presence of her first adopted son, Chief Sangodare Gbadegesin Ajala and her adopted daughter, Chief Doyin Faniyi.
Recalling how the culture matriach passed on, Ajala attributed her transition to old age. "She died of old age. She was not particularly sick. She spent only a day in the hospital. A few minutes before her death, she took her bath and was served her tea, which she drank.
"In the last seven days to her demise, she called us (her children) together and talked about the philosophies of life; religion and culture with us. She engaged us for one and a half hours everyday on different topics. She said we should preserve our culture and religion.
"She was unhappy that the Osun grove was not being taken care of properly and that many of her artworks are in a state of neglect at the grove," he said.
"She was unhappy that the Osun grove was not being taken care of properly and that many of her artworks are in a state of neglect at the grove," he said.
According to her adopted daughter, no part of Wenger was removed during the burial rites performed in the forest grove late Monday night by Oro and Osun worshippers. It was said that Wenger specifically requested not to be kept in the mortuary but to be buried immediately.
Faniyi said, "She doesn't want any tomb to be erected for her. She doesn't want anyone to know where she's buried. She just wants to be buried without fanfare. But we are going on with all rites which will be in segments.
"We are commencing with a seven-day ritual and this will be followed by a 16-day ritual and another 21-day ritual."
Faniyi said, "She doesn't want any tomb to be erected for her. She doesn't want anyone to know where she's buried. She just wants to be buried without fanfare. But we are going on with all rites which will be in segments.
"We are commencing with a seven-day ritual and this will be followed by a 16-day ritual and another 21-day ritual."
Before her death on Monday, she was seldom seen in public due to old age. Her last public outing was in 2005 when artists, who went through her tutelage in arts and craft, celebrated her 90th birthday in Lagos. As expected, tributes have continued to trail her transition. Ambassador Segun Olusola thanked God for her fulfilled life while recalling the times in the 70s when they would carry her all the way from Osogbo to Victoria Island, Lagos, to participate in television programmes. "She was well versed in the Yoruba pantheon of the gods with which she was actively engaged," he said. He also described her as a significant member of the Yoruba cultural leaders. "She left a very straight forward relationship of her devotion to the goddess. She also nurtured younger ones in the traditional way," he said. painful as her death is, it is consoling that she lived a fulfilled life and was celebrated severally in her life time with the biggest recognition - a national honour of Member of the Federal Republic - accorded her by President Umaru Yar'Adua just two weeks ago. That was Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, acknowledging the contributions of late Susanne Wenger, MFR, whose remarkable devotion to the worship of the Osun Osogbo boosted the annual festival, giving it an international status. The late artist saw the potential in the festival and employed artists that added essence to the celebration of the goddess. Oyinlola described her death as the end of an era in the cultural world, and a loss to the entire world because she had become a bridge across cultures and continents. Her life, he said, "was a lesson in being true to oneself and to whatever one is committed to. "The late artist represented a bridge across continents and across cultures. She came from the western Europe in the early 1950s in search of what her partner, Ulli Beier, tagged, Ori Inu (her real essence), which she later discovered in the bosom of the spirituality of Osun."
He noted that through her singular effort, Osun Grove has become world renown and preserved for posterity, adding that she would be greatly missed by all lovers of culture across the globe.
For Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Nigeria to UNESCO, Prof. Michael Omolewa, "Wenger left her mark and legacies indelibly on the cultural map of world, and she will always be remembered for her impressive works, love of Yoruba people, passion for the development of the African cultural heritage, and encouragement of truly global cultural village. Although she is dead, her name and her works will live for as long as culture lasts in the world."
The governorship candidate, Osun Action Congress, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, calls on the Federal Government to immortalise Wenger, whose death, he described as the end of an era.
A statement by the party's Director of Media, Mr. Gbenga Fayemiwo, on Tuesday, in Osogbo, said the "indelible marks made by Wenger on African culture will last till the end of history."
"We salute her deep insight, vision and perseverance to attain the stardom that her sojourn accomplished in Nigeria. If anybody deserves credit for the eventual recognition of the Osun Festival as a World Heritage Centre, Susanne Wenger's name stands tall as an Amazon of World Culture."
A statement by the party's Director of Media, Mr. Gbenga Fayemiwo, on Tuesday, in Osogbo, said the "indelible marks made by Wenger on African culture will last till the end of history."
"We salute her deep insight, vision and perseverance to attain the stardom that her sojourn accomplished in Nigeria. If anybody deserves credit for the eventual recognition of the Osun Festival as a World Heritage Centre, Susanne Wenger's name stands tall as an Amazon of World Culture."
As a young Austrian girl, the late Wenger began her sojourn in Nigeria in the 50s during a chance visit to the famous Osun grove and that became a defining point in her life.
She threw herself wholly into the worship of the Osun goddess and in that, her life took on a meaning. She succeeded in integrating her art into nature and the worship that is the essence of the Osun grove. An artist and a sculptor, she studied art in Graz and Vienna. She was a part of the famous Vienna Art Club and after the Second World War; she took her art to Italy and Switzerland where she had exhibitions together with the famous artists at the time in the gallery, Des Eaux Vives in Zurich. In 1949, Susanne went to Paris, where she met Ulli Beier who was being posted to work in West Africa. They got married and in the 50s, both arrived in Nigeria. They lived in Ibadan for a while and from there, they moved to Ede. She was quickly integrated into the culture of the people. It was in Ede that Susanne Wenger met a powerful Obantala priest, Ajagemo, who initiated her into the traditional Yoruba worship of Orisha. She would spend the next 50 plus years living as an "Adunni Olorisha" among the Yoruba people in Nigeria in West Africa.
She threw herself wholly into the worship of the Osun goddess and in that, her life took on a meaning. She succeeded in integrating her art into nature and the worship that is the essence of the Osun grove. An artist and a sculptor, she studied art in Graz and Vienna. She was a part of the famous Vienna Art Club and after the Second World War; she took her art to Italy and Switzerland where she had exhibitions together with the famous artists at the time in the gallery, Des Eaux Vives in Zurich. In 1949, Susanne went to Paris, where she met Ulli Beier who was being posted to work in West Africa. They got married and in the 50s, both arrived in Nigeria. They lived in Ibadan for a while and from there, they moved to Ede. She was quickly integrated into the culture of the people. It was in Ede that Susanne Wenger met a powerful Obantala priest, Ajagemo, who initiated her into the traditional Yoruba worship of Orisha. She would spend the next 50 plus years living as an "Adunni Olorisha" among the Yoruba people in Nigeria in West Africa.
The name, Adunni Olorisha signified a bridge between two cultures - European and Yoruba. She became an important part of the rich traditional cult life in Osogbo, which annually climaxed in the festival of the river, the Osun Osogbo Festival. Her love for the Yoruba culture saw her leaving her husband to embrace the Yoruba traditional religion wholly. She was later remarried to a drummer, the late Ayansola Oniru.
Wenger was essentially a spiritual being. From a very early age, she had been strongly attracted to nature and specifically by trees - in which she was said to have recognised "the images of sacredness". She was said to have specifically requested to be buried immediately and would not want her final resting place known for fear it could be turned into a tourist site. She was laid to rest in one of the sacred shrines in the groove.
To the uninitiated, late Wenger, known as Adunni Olorisa, was just a lover of nature. But she was more than that: she was a believer in that which is deeply etched in man- his essence. She searched and, her husband then, a German linguist, Ulli Beier, said, she found her real essence, which he called Ori-inu, in the worship of the Osun Osogbo. She became Adunni Olorisha which means 'the loved one who worships the deity,' and was influential in the listing of the Osun Grove as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2005.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
ESAMA OF BENIN KINGDOM,CHIEF GABRIEL IGBINEDION GIVES OUT DAUGHTER IN MARRIAGE
Omosede Igbinedion, the pretty daughter of Chief Nosakhare Igbinedion will soon be getting married to her prince. Her groom to be is Prince Avan Akenzua, Son of the Enogie of Obayanto, HRH Uyiekpen Akenza.According to the article in Ovation,“The prince charming, studied microbiology at the Edo State University said he is head over heels in love with Omosede. He revealed what endeared him to her was her transparency”
He also said this about his bride to be “She is a woman that can add to a man’s future and also help shape his future ambition. She also has the capacity to help you channel your resources on the right path. This is why I have chosen her as my bride to be”.
Omosede is a lawyer and a business woman. She is said to own a nice shopping plaza in Benin City. Congrats to the couple
CONGRATULATIONS BUKKY ADEOYE ON THE SAFE DELIVERY OF YOUR BABY GIRL
THE ENTIRE STAFF OF CELEBRATING AFRICA MAGAZINE REJOICES WITH YOU ON THE SAFE DELIVERY OF YOUR BABY GIRL.
THE ADEOYES
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