Soul mates - Nnenna Mozie (16/09/2014)

For as long as I can remember I have heard my parents describe one another as their respective "soul mates". Hearing this over and over again as a child, I fell in love with this notion that someone can be so completely and wholly made for you, that even your souls possess a connection. However like all beautiful fantasies our parents sell to us as children, I began to question it; whether it was because my own life experiences no longer fit the formula they assured me would work, or whether it was because I looked around and started see situations that no longer allowed for me to believe in this fantasy any longer. 

   The moment for me that I began to question the existence of soul mates was on one of my birthdays; as I sat staring at a list of various friends I wished to invite to the celebration and wondered how best to go about planning this to ensure the overall group dynamic was pleasurable. This got me thinking, as human beings we are not two dimensional there is so much to us as characters. For example looking at the friends in my life I have a large spectrum, there are my core group of friends who I call "girlfriends" they will sit in my kitchen with half full glasses of wine, gossiping, advising each other and revealing respective plans for the future. Then I have the friends I call when I want to let my hair down, I also have the friends who take me out of comfort zone "Nnenna let's go camping" they’ll say, or "let’s go back packing". Last but not least I have my friends who know me so well it's scary, they can predict my every reaction and action because we are so similar, I can tell them my deepest fears and wildest fantasies because they get me almost as much as I get myself. When I think of this and the variety of people in my life I wonder how then it is we can actually have soul mates. 

The idea of having a soul mate that caters to your every need and characteristic, someone who was created solely for you and is so alike you are almost one seems bamboozling. My theory goes as such: as humans we are like prisms, when you shine a light through a prism different colours illuminate, and each colour is needed to complete the spectrum, hence as humans we have so many different aspects to our character we are almost four dimensional. Therefore there is no way that only one person out there can be made for us. It is possible to fall so deeply in love with someone solely because they cater to a certain aspect of you character, and then a year later you fall in love with someone else because they cater so completely to another characteristic in the spectrum that makes you you. 

    Of course I understand why so many people fall in love with this idea of having a soul mate.  Stories we are told as children such as Romeo and Juliet, where love so perfect and complete one could not truly live without the other. However love is testing and difficult, it will take the best from you and try every shred of patience you have. There will be friction and anger, but within this there will be beauty because two people so different against all odds have come together based on the appreciation of a few mutual harmonies found within themselves. 

   I get it, when you look across at the person you love and as far as you are concerned they tick every box and complete you, and of course you can find that rarity, that one person who will cater to three, four or even five aspects of your character. However do not be fooled into believing that they and only them are made for you and you cannot love with such intensity again if need be. 

"I never believed much in that holding hands kind of love. I've always thought love is about two different personalities, trying to confront life, trying to make sense of their responsibilities, to themselves, to each other and to wider society." - Alan Bates 

NCGM x

The England Conundrum: Who's to blame and what next? - Ola Adeotoye (13/09/2014)

For years I have supported the England national football team, through the good times and the numerous bad times, and long shall it continue. However one thing has always been a gripe for me and I'm sure I speak for many of the avid supporters of the 'three lions' when I say this. England really missed a trick with the so called 'golden generation' of footballers we had at our disposal. For so very long we have blamed those very players for the failures at Euro 2004, World Cup 2006, and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but I can't help feeling that as much as player performances were a let down, we the fans were let down by the management.

 Let's look at the list of players that were a part of the 'Golden Generation'.Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole, Michael Owen, and I'm sure readers could name a few others.

All of the mentioned players are some of the finest players to sweat for the three lions and the flag of St George, yet the quarter-finals of major competitions was always our final destination and at the last two World Cups we haven't even made it that far (2nd round in 2010 and group stages in 2014). Not to mention the disaster of not even qualifying for Euro 2008 under the expert leadership of the 'wolly with a brolly' Steve Mclaren. In some cases people became so accustomed with us getting knocked out at the quarter-finals during Sven's reign that we started seeing it as a more than acceptable time to exit tournaments. But look at the above list and tell me that we shouldn't have had greater successes. 

To this day it pains me when I look at the number of times Scholes, Lampard and Gerrard were shipped out to wider positions (Scholes playing Left Midfield especially) as a means of accommodating players. A three man midfield would have solved England's problems so easily, but an obsession with playing 4-4-2 and other such rigid formations was too strong an urge for those managers and as a result England were destined for failure.

England's Defence, Midfield and Attacking options have never looked as strong as they did collectively with those individuals present. Watching a Rio Ferdinand interview on BBC's Football Focus one thing he said struck a chord with me. When asked about England's failures at past tournaments he spoke about how both managers and players must take responsibility for the sides shortcomings, but the former England defender made it clear that past teams "maybe weren't set up the right way". Evidence of this was present at the recent World Cup hosted in Brazil. 

Steven Gerrard is not only one of this country's best ever midfielders and in his prime was also (and Liverpool fans will argue still is) one of the best in European and World football. However as he's reached the twilight years of his career, his ability to run the whole pitch for 90+ minutes is a thing of the past. Brendan Rodgers noticed this and reinvented the recently retired England captain as a Deep lying playmaker in a midfield three, with the energy provided from Henderson and Joe Allen allowing him to sit back and dictate the game, in a way which Andrea Pirlo does for Juventus and Italy. Yet Roy insisted on playing him in a two-man midfield with club teammate Jordan Henderson and the team suffered for it, there wasn't any balance and consequently an inexperienced back pairing in the shape of Jagielka and Cahill were exposed repeatedly.

However with the disappointments of Brazil fading into the horizon and with Gerrard and Lampard both having retired, only newly appointed captain Wayne Rooney serves as the sole reminder and member of the 'what could have been' generation. But there appears to be light at the end of this seemingly very long and very dark tunnel. Step forward the 'New Generation' in the shape of Daniel Sturridge, James Henderson, Ross Barkley, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jack Wilshere (when fit anyway), John Stones, Danny Welbeck, led by Liverpool starlet Raheem Sterling, whose stock seems to rise with every appearance.

Those are only just a few of the names who will be a feature of the National side for many years to come. Yes England had a terrible World Cup and Yes they will have to earn some of their fans faith back, but without getting too carried away yesterdays 0-2 win over the Swiss in Basel was a small step in the right direction. Hopefully now with the abundance of fresh faces and talented players there are plenty more good times in store for England. It's clear that the diamond formation seen regularly by the Anfield faithful can work with this squad of players. 

A new formation to go with the new generation and a new England capable of worrying the best with lightning quick counter attacking play, now that would be nice change wouldn't it Roy? It's about bloody time anyway!

Miss Teen Nubian - Mimi Akpata ( 10/09/2014)

The stage was awash with vibrant colours, Afro-beats filled the air, not to mention Azonto and Kukere moves were in full vogue and motion… very much the carnival atmosphere!

I am describing the vibrant setting of the new Afro-Caribbean beauty and cultural pageant event called Miss Teen Nubian UK. The show kicked off with a bang on the 16th of August 2014 at the Hub Studio, 90 Monier Road, Bow London E3 2ND.  The pageant was developed with the aim in mind to promote unity, whilst still embracing the diversity amongst the Afro-Caribbean community, and more importantly to showcase and celebrate the various cultural traditions.

I was one of the lucky finalists and winners, and write this in order to share my experience with you. I was first drawn to take part in this particular pageant due to the strong ethos that it embodies. Its goal was to find young females who could be ambassadors for the young Afro-Caribbean community by carrying out charitable work and other positive deeds, this really resonated with me.  I have always been interested in helping my community in any way that I can, and I hoped that this pageant would give me the opportunity to do so further. Additionally, I believed it would broaden my horizon and give me the opportunity to not only be a role model, but also a spokesperson for the young Afro-Caribbean diaspora here in the UK and abroad.

It was a fabulous night! After all the strenuous rehearsals which took place over a two week period, to finally be able to go on stage for the live show and reveal the effort of all our hard work was an absolutely amazing feeling.  The effort and time put in by the members of Miss Teen Nubian Team was unbelievable, many of which made time around their busy schedules to provide makeup, hairstyling, chorography routines, singing and modelling prep for all the contestants. They made sure that all the contestants looked and performed to their very best, their efforts were deeply appreciated by all the contestants.

There was a vast array of glamorous music and media professionals in attendance, including the likes of Lara Adegbenro and T-Boy, famously known as 'Don’t Jealous Me', who both were hosts on the night. They both made sure that the audience were entertained and joyful through-out.  The star-studded judge’s line-up included Ezi- Emela a British born Afro-beats artist, Breeny Lee a fashion model and Daniel Sync , a celebrity and events photographer.

The event went into full swing with a group dance which included all contestants. This was then followed by three rounds which were the cultural round, evening round and talent round. The talents showcased by the contestants were varied which made the show exciting to watch such acts included a saxophone recital ,poem recital, acting, dancing, singing, and martial arts just to name a few.

The judges had a tough time deciding on the winner due to the great efforts put in by all finalists. The judges even went as far as to ask all the contestants to return to the stage twice at the end, so as to see us all again. When the judges finally came to a decision it was then time to allocate awards and prizes.  Contestants were called to the stage for one final time, the air was filled with great anticipation to find out what everyone had won.  Osoro was crowned the winner of Miss Teen Nubian Queen 2014. I came 2nd and won Miss Teen Nubian 1st RU 2014 and Tiffany won Miss Teen Nubian 2nd RU 2014. 

There were also further prizes and awards given for best talents, best cultural wear, and best evening wear. After the event all the main winners were interviewed by Angie an up and coming presenter and asked what advice we could give to those who may be interested in taking part next year.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I am glad that I won one of the great titles. I hope that the pageant will be even bigger and better next year, and that I can make good use of the position that has been bestowed on to me to help my community wherever possible.

I dedicate this piece of work to contestants and Miss Teen Nubian UK MTN Management

By Michelle Akpata (Miss Teen Nubian 1ST RU UK 2014)

Competition on the VMAs Red Carpet? -   

Symone Keisha (02/09/2014)

I love red carpet events. It’s like a giant celebrity runway, and usually there’s a great show to watch afterwards. Just like this year’s MTV Video Music Awards broadcasted on Sunday 24th August. The ceremony celebrates the best of this year’s music videos, and a swarm of celebrities attend giving people like me a chance to drool over their outfits. This year’s ceremony housed outfits that were quite similar to each other. Read on to find out how…

All Blacked Out

As every girl knows, a Little Black Dress is a girl’s best friend. If done right, it’s timeless, classic and sexy and has been a staple in a woman’s wardrobe for decades. But these ladies decided to switch it up a little with their VMA outfits. Keeping the colour, but changing the garment, Jourdan Dunn, Miley Cyrus and Kendall Jenner opted for a black bralet and bottoms combo.

Keeping it simple, Jourdan wore a black Balmain bandeau and a matching high waisted maxi skirt. The simplicity of the outfit only drew attention to her tiny waist and long limbs. Alexandre Vauthier was the designer of choice for Miley Cyrus. Her bandeau and high waisted trousers were made more interesting by the leather finish to each garment, but both Jourdan and Miley failed to stand out in their block colour outfits. Unsurprisingly, Kendall Jenner looked striking even in a simple black get up. Her AlonLivnefitted high waisted trousers accentuated her long legs and a matching sheer top, which covered her La Perla bralet enhanced the look.

The Ladies in Red

Two stunning floor length gowns in a gorgeous red were worn to the VMAs by Rita Ora and Demi Lovato. Rita finally seems to have got it right in a Donna Karan ateliercharmeuse dress. The thin straps and silken finish alludes to a sexy negligee and a thigh high leg split coupled with the backless dress only adds to the sauciness. If the dress was slightly more fitted, it would have been perfect. However, Demi Lovato trumps Rita Ora in the dress stakes with her Lanvin gown. An oh so daring plunge neckline and another naughty high leg split is counterbalanced by full length sleeves and the thickness of the woollenfabric. A slightly narrower neckline would have made the gown just that little bit better, and Demi’s cleavage too. 

Gowns Galore

Floor length gowns were a popular outfit choice at the VMAs. Whilst the likes of Beyoncé and Iggy Azalea wore gowns that clung provocatively to their curves (or in the case of J.Lo, tackily), Kylie Jenner and Kesha chose to go for a looser fit. Another leg split arrived in the form of Kylie in her black silk Alexandre Vauthier gown. Perhaps not age appropriate, but there’s no denying that Kylie didn’t look stunning in the wrap dress. Kesha deviated away from her usual look in her music videos in a beautiful beaded Johanna Johnson gown in a soft white. Cinched in at the waist and falling freely down her hips and legs, the gown created a flattering silhouette.

Battle of Balmain

Although other stars at the VMAs wore garments designed by Balmain, Kim Kardashian and Joan Smalls arrived in similar beaded dresses from Balmain’s Resort 2015 collection. Uh oh! Inevitably, speculation over who wore it best arose. Kim’s curves, although gorgeous, detracted from the beauty of the dress and made it less refined than Joan’s, however she did outdo Joan regarding the styling of her hair. Kim paired her dress with Balmain braided heels which, although cuter than Joan’s T – strap shoes, cut off her ankles and made her look shorter than her already small stature.But, Joan worked it for the tall girls! Her slim and tall figure, coupled with the high neckline of the dress which revealed no cleavage whatsoever, alluded to a higher degree of sophistication.Who do you think wore it best?

Best Dressed
Remember what I said about the little black dress earlier? Timeless, classic and sexy?Well Chanel Iman did it perfectly with Balmain. It’s sexy but not overtly sexy. The figure hugging dress is elevated by the modest length and high neckline, and the leather detailing gives it an arresting edge. Definitely a winner!

MISS TEEN CARIBBEAN - BOOHEMA BOOHENE (26/08/2014)

The Ultimate Teen pageant and Talent Showcase for young girls aged 13-17 years in the UK. It was a spectacular display, which I enjoyed very much.

The pageant consisted of 7 young females representing the Islands in the Caribbean. It started with the beautiful host announcing each female, including their hobbies, interests and aspirations. This gave the audience a deeper understanding of each young girl, and what they enjoy during their spare time. The host had a rather strong, and what sounded like a Bajan accent. This gave the event a more authentic feel and portrayed a strong image of culture to the audience. Each female took to the stage gracefully performing a talent such as dancing, singing or spoken word. I could only imagine the type of day the girls had encountered, and how much preparation was involved beforehand. Making sure they model correctly and remembering to look at the audience and camera's at the same time.

 It was all a bit too much for 17 year old Renee Cocker who broke down in tears on stage, whilst performing her spoken word piece. The audience however encouraged her to carry on and cheered for her to be confident. After overcoming her fears and realising she was strong enough to perform, Renee delivered a beautiful piece which many enjoyed. 

The show then continued with a cat walk, as each girl walked down the stage in style, as if they were a part of the popular TV show ‘Britain’s next top model'. The dresses worn each had a elegant shine with diamonds sparkling in each corner. I couldn't take my eyes off Gabrielle Joseph's long pink princess gown. My eyes weren't used to absorbing so much light at once.

During intervals the DJ kept the audience, happy and bubbly whilst entertaining us with popular reggae music which many of the older generation enjoyed, as it reminded them of back home. Although I am African I really felt welcomed and embraced by the Caribbean people at the event and with the music it helped to set the scene.

The last section of the pageant showed the level of intelligence and innovative skills each girl had. They were each asked one question about their specific Island such as " How can we get the young Jamaican people in this country to know more about their culture". One of the contestants Taneka Miles answered by saying schools in the UK could partner up with Jamaican schools and students could be pen pals, to find out more about life in each country. It will also create a larger and stronger community. 

It was coming towards the end of the show and parents and the families were all sitting down nervous, as they wanted their child to win. Although it was a competition it was definitely made clear that the Caribbean people are still a Diaspora, as they all supported each other. After waiting impatiently for the winner to be announced. The host crowned 15 year old Gabrielle Joseph from Trinidad and Tobago as Miss Teen Caribbean. Gabrielle was surprisingly shocked and burst into a flood of tears. It was such a wonderful moment for us all to witness and everybody was delighted for her.

Gabrielle will now be a young ambassador for the Caribbean and will be responsible for many tasks concerning her Island in the future. Each contestant looked very pleased when the event ended and I’m sure it was an experience they will never forget.

YOUTH MEDIA SUMMIT 2014 - LYDIA WILLGRESS (11/08/2014)

#LoveYouthMedia - a hashtag created by the Youth Media Agency,and a slogan that dominated the 2014 Youth Media Summit. Five years after the first summit, the event was held at the British Film Institute and brought together 450 delegates from over 150 different youth media platforms.

Look up the definition of summit and you might expect a conference where industry experts talk at the audience aided by bland PowerPoints.  From the keynote speech - an inspiring insight into SBTV’s Liam Tootill’s climb to the top - the Youth Media Summit fought against this stereotype with young, energetic entrepreneurs and members of the youth media scene encouraging the audience that young journalists are the future. “The time is now,” Louis John, founder of What’s Good?, reminded us.  

The highlight of the day, for me, were the masterclasses we attended both before and after lunch. The first I went to was with a panel from The Guardian (Time Out and BBC ran two sessions at the same time) who drilled down into the key question of the day; how can mainstream media collaborate with youth media. The five journalists, from a variety of desks including social media and comment, spoke about how The Guardian uses community journalism to broaden its coverage. Examples included using Flickr to find a wide range of sources during the London riots and collaborating with the Everyday Sexism project to create video content. The panel then opened the floor for pitches and gave advice to individuals who wished to collaborate with them. (For those that want to pitch in the future, send an email to the relevant desk, Tweet them, use the You Told Us page or write in the comment box on Comment is Free.)

The second masterclass I attended was hosted by Nick Peitre, one of the founders of Wannabe Hacks and Deputy Head of News Development at The Times and Sunday Times. He spoke about digital strategy, advising those in the room that choosing what not to do is as important as knowing exactly what the long-term goals are. Nick also talked us through completing a SWOT analysis - the ability to know what your site’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are (worksheets can be found here) - and gave valuable advice to individual bloggers who wanted to know what they could do to improve.

After some lunch and great live music (a particular favourite was India Graye, a ukelele player and blogger), the afternoon consisted of a Q&A with three industry experts from the BBC, Channel 4 and Creative Skillset. Although heated at times (just why doesn’t the industry represent content from youth media?), the sessions contained useful advice including how to pitch to Channel 4 (email in, Tweet @Cilla4Talent or just start a conversation), a reminder that YouTube channels are a great way to showcase your presenting skills and advice from the BBC on interviews - attitude, approach and passion are the most important things. 

One of the last speeches of the day was given by Al Brown, head of video at VICE. As he told the room that we, as young journalists, have a responsibility to be angry at the world and how it represents Generation Y, the room erupted into applause. A fitting end to a day that celebrated Youth Culture. 

                 DASHIKI - Play Dirty Jones (05/08/2014)

The weather is great at the moment and wearing too much clothes is becoming a big problem... The weather has made the returns of the string vests and Dashiki's ever so welcome!

For those who don't know what a Dashiki is; The Dashiki is a colourful, vibrant men's garment widely worn in West Africa, that covers the top half of the body. It has formal and informal versions, and varies from simple draped clothing to fully tailored suits. A common form is a loose-fitting pullover garment, with an ornate V-shaped collar, with tailored and embroidered neck and sleeve lines.


DopeChef, we're the first brand that I know of to bring Dashiki's to the UK. The Dashiki Capsule was launched In March 2014 in time for their 5th Year Anniversary. Since then, Dashiki's have become more and more Popular in the UK.

The Lace garment has always been a popular style among Africans, thanks to its comfort, look, lightness. The fabric is lightweight, helping the wearer be somewhat more comfortable in the harshly hot African climate. The garments are loose-fitting in addition to being as long as they are. Even though the Dashiki is traditionally a men's garment, this summer I've witnessed many females wearing the Dashiki as a dress.. I like the look, it's simple but very effective (how cheesy). The fact that Dashiki's are one size makes it difficult to pull off for men as you may look like a pea in a huge top if you have a small build. However you can always take the Dashiki to a tailor to get it fitted.

Well known celebrities Beyonce and Chris Brown have both been photographed wearing a Dashiki, and it has now become a trend with people wearing Dashiki's everywhere! If you're Looking for a place to get great quality Dashiki for a good price, contact Selassie Taylor on Twitter or Depop and quote "ABIJONES"