#BrunchThots Lunch with Ramsey Nouah

He is a prolific actor, one who many consider to be a front runner of 'Nollywood' as we know it. While he may not have the notoriety a lot of the newer actors are famous for, Ramsey Nouah has had that staying power, Peter Panning his way to our screens once in a worth-it while.

Just fresh off a movie- '30 Days in Atlanta', and with new one, 'Gbomo Gbomo Express' out soon, Ramsey is both busy but quiet, and somehow still manages to captivate us and make us star struck.

So what can we learn from someone like Ramsey who has stayed relevant in a tough industry?

•  The first thing you need is PASSION. What has kept him going in the industry for this long is passion and the love he has for it
• Keep Paying your Dues. There is no such thing as you are done paying your dues because that means you have put a ceiling on your growth.

And what's his secret to his youthfulness? He says Be Happy, Don't Keep Things In and Learn to Let Things Go!!!

It was a great session with Ramsey and we are thankful that he left us with some good thoughts!

#4pminLagos Bringing Mary Poppins back? I don't know how i feel about that!!!

Part '2's are bad enough (did you ever watch Dirty Dancing or Grease 2?) but reboots can be a dodgy thing. While books like 'Cinderella' and 'Snow Whit' get reboots quite often (all claiming to have a new take on the story), reboots of 'classics' are usually not a good idea.


A movie like 'Grease' for example which was cleaned up and re-released still does well with its original story and cast. I watched 'Sounds of Music' with the original cast two weeks ago and was fine with it. So why is Disney trying to remake 'Mary Poppins'?

According to 'Variety', Mary Poppins will be remade with Rob Marshall set to direct. The story takes place in London twenty years after the original.

I know i sometimes wonder what happened to the 'Von Trapps' after they got on that hill, and wonder what 'Baby' did when she left that resort so maybe seeing Mary Poppins twenty years later won't be a bad idea.

Sigh
But why?

#TosynTravels An Evening with Disney!

I am feeling a bit like a mum who has kids and never wants to say which one is her favourite. But if you threatened to take away all Disney music i would have to say the Disney experience was one of the best at the #OnlyTheBest content showcase in Mauritius.

Basically, Disney Africa welcomed 90 journalists from across Africa to their first ever showcase to media from the continent, at this year’s Multichoice Africa Content Showcase Extravaganza. It started on Thursday 3 September when we received a Disney Movie ticket which gained us entry to the special outdoor screening, set under the stars on the lawns of the idyllic Outrigger Beach Resort in Mauritius.

First we got our own Disney picnic basket and blankets, full of delicious treats and filling food, then we made our way to the seating area, replete with comfortable chairs and loungers. Once the Disney fans were settled, the vast outdoor screen lit up and the evening’s festivities were well under way.

A welcome speech by Deirdre King, Head of Marketing for The Walt Disney Company Africa, preceded the screening of two animated shorts. The first, the Academy Award-nominated Get a Horse, featured Disney favourites like Mickey, Minnie, Horace Horsecollar and Clarabelle Cow, in a laugh-a-minute romp across the countryside. The second animated short, Disney•Pixar’s Partly Cloudy, beautifully tells the tale of where delivery storks get their infant cargo. The main feature was Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time.

Disney showcased Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, as it perfectly showcased their theme for the Showcase – Globally Connected, Locally Relevant – as key sequences in the film were shot on the African continent in 2014. What is even more exciting is that sequences of the next Marvel super hero filmCaptain America 3: Civil War, will also be shot in Africa!

Other local initiatives across the continent include:
o    The dubbing of the hit Disney Junior series Doc McStuffins, in Swahili for East Africa.
o    Desperate Housewives Africa
o    Collaborations on two Fashion Halo Projects in conjunction with SA Fashion Week:
o    Local cameo roles like Jeremy Mansfield in Toy Story 3 and Unathi Msengana in Doc McStuffins 

Also newsworthy;  I ♥ Violetta; the first ever South African Disney Channel local production, with 3 local presenters and two Disney-produced projects (The film Queen of Katwe, starring Academy Award-winner Lupita Nyong’o and ABC television series Of Kings and Prophets).

And if you have nieces like me or younger ones, then Disney has something for you wiht Disney Junior which airs on DStv channel 309 and GOtv Plus channel 60.

Highlights across the Disney Junior channel include animated television series, Sofia the First and Doc McStuffins. Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Pluto and Daisy all join Mickey in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,and animated series such as Gummi Bears, Chip ‘n Dale, Ducktales with classic Disney movies Aladdin, Cinderella and more.

#TosynTravels Meeting the hot Gecko brothers from 'From Dusk Till Dawn'

The #OnlyTheBest Content Showcase was a working holiday which meant i worked, but i also holidayed. Lol. One of the perks of being there was meeting the hot 'brothers' from the television version of iconic movie, "From Dusk till Dawn".

Gotta get those autographs in!

D.J Cotrona (the cute one) and Zane Holtz (the eyes-that-pierce-into-your-soul-one) were at the MNET Africa showcase and also special guests at Vuzu AMP's anniversary party. Plus, i wasn't stalking them i promise, but they also did a bit of chilling by the seaside and i just happened to catch them again.

Honestly, the Multichoice Content Showcase Extravaganza reached fever pitch when the stars of From Dusk Till Dawn: the series arrived at a press junket held at The Plantation Club in Mauritius. D.J and Zane s.h.a.r.ed the thrills of working on the show as the Gecko brothers, roles played by George Clooney and Quinton Tarantino in the movie. 

Cotrona had high praise for actors and directors from the continent who have gained global exposure. “South Africa is one of the countries that has amazing actors and directors. I’m a huge Sci-Fi fan and I love the way Neil Blomkamp takes high concepts and grounds them in reality,” he said. “Trevor Noah is hilarious – taking over The Daily Show is like taking over America and I love watching him. There’s amazing African talent crossing over in a big way in the international industry, both in front of and behind the camera.”

“If you’re talented and good at what you do, you can make it anywhere – it’s about being there and being right for the part,” was Holtz’ encouraging advice for aspiring African actors. “I’m 15 years into my career - I started when I was 13 or 14. It took me a long time of living in Los Angeles and auditioning to get a part – and now I’m in a series that is traveling around the world! There’s no definitive timeframe for success – just believe it, do it, and stick with it until you get it!” Quizzed about whether he would take on a role, telling African stories, he said he would work with anyone, from any country, if the story he was presented with was good and the director and his fellow cast were talented. “Whether from Africa, Europe, anywhere – I’d love to work with any team I thought had an important story to tell, and would tell it well.”

The duo discussed their love for the original From Dusk Till Dawn film, and paid tribute to director Robert Rodriguez for his vision and ability to bring a fresh perspective to a 20 year-old film, on the small screen. “The series is really giving us the chance to re-establish the characters on TV,” said Holtz. “The first season sees a retelling of the origin story, but it also opens up more avenues for other stories to be told, showing the characters in a new light.” Cotrona said he was a big fan of the film and held it close to his heart as a fan. “Anytime you’re a fan of something you feel protective of it, and you don’t want anyone to mess with it. Luckily we’re working with the talented, original director and playing characters written by Quinton Tarantino, which is a dream come true for me,” he said.

Asked about the process of bringing the series to life, Cotrona revealed that a large part of the production value is down to director Robert Rodriguez’ ability to work on a shoestring budget. “Robert made his first film, El Mariachi, for $7 000, which he helped raise by volunteering to take experimental medicines in University studies!” he said. “We don’t have a massive budget for the series, but what we get on the screen belies that. Robert shows that you don’t need a lot of money to make something look compelling and interesting – it’s about the vision and the story.”

It takes 4-5 months of shooting 12-15 hours a day to produce a season of From Dusk Till Dawn, a challenge which the pair relish.  “We also do a lot of our effects without computers – Robert enjoys using real-world action – explosions, fights, car chases and fights,” said Cotrona.

Cotrona also discussed the revival television has experienced over the last few years.  “A couple of years ago, when everything started going digital, people thought TV would be dead,” he said. “Now it seems like the opposite has happened. I’m not an expert, but my opinion is that in order for a film to be financially successful, it needs to be a hit everywhere – not just in the US. “As a result, you can’t tell such specific stories in film – the most successful films these days seem to be the ones with big characters and stories that a global audience understands. If you’re a director with a specific vision or a particular story, you have to look at series. The way people watch series is also different now – and we’re all watching the same shows at the same time, across the planet. It’s like a new version of film – a 10-hour movie – where actors and directors can tell their stories in a longer format.” He said that there was no longer space to be either a ‘TV actor’ or a ‘film actor’: “The best story wins and it’s a level playing field.”

Both Zane and D.J. invited From Dusk Till Dawn fans from the continent to reach out to them on social media. Tweet them on @DJCotrona and @zaneholtz, and on instagram, @djcotrona and @zanerayholtz.
Will they follow back? Well...

Vuzu AMP turns 1 and celebrates with 'Power' and more!

My current favourite channel, Vuzu Amp, threw an anniversary party like no other in Mauritius at the #OnlyTheBest Content Showcase.

First they had Dj Spinall and Dj Neptune playing the freshest and the most memorable jams, then they had Sauti Sol, Diamond and Patoranking performing. It was, 'lit'.

More 'lit' was the fact that DSv’s premier youth brand will be turning up the heat on content across Africa. The channel has recently acquired a number of leading crime, action and comedy series to keep viewers entertained, securing major deals with leading studios like:  HBO, Starz, NBC, Disney and ABC. 

'Power', a crime drama with 50 Cent and Naturi Naughton kicks off October 31st while 'Survivor’s Remorse' is now on. Survivor’s Remorse follows Cam Calloway, a basketball wonder in his early 20s who is suddenly thrust into the limelight after signing a multi-million dollar contract with a professional basketball team in Atlanta. Cam, and an unforgettable group of characters, wrestle with the rewards and pitfalls of newfound stardom, love, and loyalty. 

'How to Get Away With Murder' will finally return in January, and the continuation of NBC's successful serial drama series, ''Heroes', titled, Heroes Reborn', will kick off on the 29th of September.

For more information, please visit www.dstv.com.

Get your aprons out! Food Network programme highlights! Whoop

Like cooking? Always trying something new in the kitchen? Why not check out some of these exciting shows to learn, laugh and cook up a storm!

Food Network delivers a fresh approach to food programming and celebrates everything that is bold, fun and entertaining about the genre. It is not your typical ‘how to’ cooking channel. Food Network continues to be one of the fastest growing lifestyle and entertainment brands, packed with award-winning cooking, celebrity chefs and competition shows.

DStv Premium and Compact Plus subscribers can access the Food Network offering on DStv Channel 175. The websitewww.foodnetwork.co.za is the 24/7 companion to the TV Channel where you can find daily TV listings, view chef biographies, recipes and more. From September to December 2015, here’s what’s on the channel lineup:

Dinner at Tiffani’s

Premieres: Friday 11^th September at 20:00

Tiffani Thiessen invites her celebrity friends over for good company, great stories and delicious food. With guests like Jason Priestley, Seth Green, her White Collar co-stars and more, it's a wonderful blend of dinner, drinks and fun. Come for the party, stay for the food.

The Kitchen s3

Premieres: Tuesday 15^th September at 09:00

Spend a fun and food-filled morning in The Kitchen with hosts Sunny Anderson, Katie Lee, Jeff Mauro, Marcela Valladolid and Geoffrey Zakarian. These five talented food experts will bring fun conversation and delicious recipes into your kitchen every week. From simple supper ideas to the latest food trends, to the "Cookbook Club," we'll cover all things fun in food. Pull up a stool at the counter and join us in The Kitchen. Everybody knows every great party ends up in The Kitchen

Man Finds Food

Premieres: Tuesday 20th October at 21:00

 Adam Richman travels across America to find the hidden gems of the fast food scene. His search takes him to Boston, where an elusive lobster eatery operates out of a residential house garage. Los Angeles sees Adam hit a bar named The Escondite – a variation of a Spanish word meaning ‘hidden’ – to find an off-menu breakfast sandwich called Godzilla Destroys Skidrokio. Adam heads straight to the kitchen to learn the secret of the amazing dish, which includes a grilled six-ounce New York strip steak, grilled onions, two eggs over easy, a fried hash brown patty, a warm layer of vegetarian breakfast gravy, and even more! In Hawaii, Adam finds a classic dish so outré that it was once illegal, and he stops off at a New York steakhouse where the special inside-out veal chop Valdostana is only served five times a night.

Siba’s Table s2

Premieres: Friday 16^th October at 20:00

 Siba Mtongana shares the rich fusion culture of modern South African food. She gives the traditional recipes she grew up with a totally modern twist, while an injecting them with international flavours

Grandma’s Secret Cookbook s3

Premieres: Tuesday 1^st December at 16:30

Blow the dust off your old cookbooks and join Mo Rocca in the kitchen, as he dons his apron alongside some golden oldies, who reminisce and reveal some treasured recipes from generations gone by

Holidays are becoming Happee thanks to Turner and DSTV!

Pop Up channels are becoming quite a thing on DSTV and now, MultiChoice Africa and Turner Broadcasting will make African television history with a first African pop-up children’s channel! The channel called ‘Hoolee’ will  be up from December 1st 2015 to January 31st 2016 on DStv Premium.

“Imagine laughing, sharing surprising adventures and celebrating the summer holidays with your children every day. This is what the pop-up channel has in store for the whole family” says MultiChoice Africa CEO, Tim Jacobs.

(I can imagine, after Turner Time at the #OnlyTheBest content showcase which basically turned us into kids again).

Of course, Turner already has two children's channels on DSTV- Boomerang and Cartoon Network, but now subscribers will enjoy Hoolee with it's ground breaking eight week long programming, built around a selection of the very best shows from Turner and Warner Brothers productions, as well as premieres of the latest and the best.

With a large volume of 100 hours programs, the new channel will offer carefully chosen movies and animated shows. So that, DSTV viewers will enjoy all the festivities of the holidays with bright, refreshing, surprising and joyful content.

For more information, please visit www.dstv.com.

#TosynTravels Day 3 of Mauritius... O look at them toned legs!

By Day 3 of being at the Outrigger Resort for the Multichoice Africa content showcase, I had noticed something odd- I had muscles.

Okay let me clarify. Of course I have muscles, we all do. But I could actually feel them. Specifically my legs. And that's because we were doing a lot of walking, running, clapping, standing and more, on a beach.

Not going to complain though, toned abs, arms and legs are every girl's dream.

Of all the roundtables so far, the Zee World was one that had me smiling a bit sheepishly. I mean, for someone who overdosed on 'Ghazab', 'Sholay, 'Maad' and more, sitting in a room with a panel that could bring that and more to my room (via the tv silly) made me happy. I almost burst into song.

In attendance were the CEO of Zee Africa and Indian Ocean Islands (Harish Gyal), the Business Head CAT2 Zee Africa and Indian Ocean Islands (Ratna Siriah) and Linda Oliphant, the Marketing Manager, Zee World Africa.

Do you know the cooking shows on Zee World have to be customised, especially in terms of the ingredients? Not everything available in India is available here! The movies and television shows are also customised with some of the singing cut out (noooooooy, and titles changed.

Also, the old movies will air soon starting with 'Sholay'. Heyyyyyyyyy.I spent my day being a kid again. Blame Turner!

Basically Turner had a Fun Fair Factory and Sundowners planned for us. First we got in teams, then in smaller groups, and we played games. I learnt two things- wearing a cap can be an advantage when playing games, and I can actually throw better than I give myself credit for.

The drinks were on the house and delish, the food and desserts tasted so good, and o, I made a lot of new, mute friends.

Check out some pictures from my day and get ready for the Day 4 gist. It involved an Avenger... Or five.

#TBDaily x Taking Mauritius in Pictures from #OnlyTheBest Content Showcase

#TBDaily x #OnlyTheBest There are mosquitoes in Mauritius and other cool Day 2 stories!

This post has to start with that revelation.

When you get on a plane in Naija, you assume you're leaving traffic, NEPA and yes, MOSQUITOES behind. I got bitten by two mosquitoes yesterday, or the same mosquito bit me twice. Either way, it was an interesting welcome. It could not however overshadow the main Welcome Dinner- a Night of a Thousand Stars. First off was the Walk of Fame with our names in stars...

Then there was the paparazzi screaming my name and scrambling to take my picture. A selfie here and an autograph there (ok fine I was just giving my email address out) and I was up for a great night.

Read more about that here- A Night of Stars as Multichoice launches biggest Content Showcase

Banky W and Ramsey Nouah at the Dinner

Even the food was for #OnlyTheBest

Red Carpet Beach Side 

Had to take a quick selfie with Banky W

I ended up crashing early because I knew the next day would be a long, fun one.

Theo Erasmus, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, Tim Jacobs and David Booth

Breakfast, check! Then we had a Multichoice Roundtable where people had various questions like why there's no Pay Per View, how come GoTV was not available in certain countries, why Supersport had moved to a premium bouquet in others and more. 

Read up on that here- Multichoice Roundtable tackles tough questions

Considering that I had been remarking with my friends from Kenya that we (Nigerians) don't seem to know what goes on in Kenya, it was nice to hear from Multichoice that they will look into making content from one region available in all (eg, East African Content). Amen. Amen. Amen.

We had lunch, bumped into the stars like Stonebwoy and Basketmouth, then went off for Sony TV's take on the Amazing Race.

Naija Meets Ghana! Stonebwoy

My bandanna indicated I was in Team Red; not a bad team to be in. The race involved downloading an app, answering a question, getting the clue then going off! I ran past Korede Bello at some point but I had my eye on the prize. Did i win? Find out here- Sony TV takes us on an Amazing Race!

Not the first time i have been in a Team Red!

Running but had to take a picture of Korede Bello

I did win a Mojito though!

*sigh*
This Nigerian dey carry last o. Or at least almost.

I'm back in my room resting now after a session with Supersport (Caroline moderated and she was so good!). 

Join me here tomorrow for what else I'm getting up to but get instant details via my social media- 'tosynbucknor'.

#TBDaily x #OnlyTheBest Truly a Night of Stars (Tosyn takes Mauritius)

The invite said, "A Night of Stars" and by the time the night was over, it was obvious they tell no lies.
lol.

After a long flight and some rest, a welcome dinner at the Outrigger Beach Resort was the perfect way to settle in although, there was more dancing and picture-taking than settling.

The dinner was graced by stars like musicians (i spotted Banky W and Flavour), actors ( Genevieve, Rita Dominic, Ramsey Nouah and Desmond Elliot) and a comedian or two ( Basketmouth). Everyone felt like a star though, especially as we got on the pathway to see our names literally written in a star, (creating a Media Walk of Fame), and also had 'paparazzi' announcing us, screaming and taking pictures. There were loads of selfies tweeted, and if i didn't dislike my lip colour and how i styled my hair so much, i would have taken more pictures.

#GirlProblems.

After the wine tasting, we sat down to dinner with hosts, IK and Eku Edewor kicking things off. There was a lot of music from some of my favourite movies like "Time of my Life" from "Dirty Dancing", and also a live edition of "Highlites with IK". His guest was Banky W and he suggested a 'Mrs W' reality show. Flavour and a lady from the audience, Adaora, were called on to play a game and thankfully, Flavour's questions were so tough that he had to take his shirt off.

No complaints here, thank you.

He also performed four songs and by the third song, everyone was finally shaking what their mama gave them.
Thank you mama.

The food was delish and the waiters kept our glasses full. I went more for juice though as i did not need a hangover the next day, but i did have some delicious white wine, because let us face it, if wine is made from grapes, then i was actually just drinking a salad.

There were speeches, but thankfully, nothing boring. First up was Tim Jacobs the Multichoice Africa CEO, and then from M-Net Regional Director West Africa, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu.
In all, it was a great night and a foretaste of what i hope is to come.

Don't forget there are more pictures on instagram and snapchat so follow follow!
Connect with me on Social Media

#TBDaily x #OnlyTheBest Day 1 of Tosyn taking Mauritius

Hey guys,

So I'm writing to you from sunny Mauritius. It is such a beautiful place. The resort we are camped in is the Outrigger Beach resort. It was love at first sight especially as they welcomed us with refreshing Lemon Grass tea. (I'm easily pleased).

Before I proceed, let's take this to the very beginning, for as they sang in the 'Sounds of Music', it's a very good place to start.

GoTV invited me down to Mauritius, alongside social media influencers like Olorisupergal, BellaNaija, Pulse NG and 360Nobs, for the annual #MultichoiceContentShowcase, themed, #OnlyTheBest.

Everyday a new adventure as to what to expect on GoTV, and indeed, DSTV.

I'm here with people from Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius (duh), Ethiopia, and more and I'll be uploading pictures and videos to my twitter, instagram and snapchat so heyyyyyy, follow me for great Behind the Scenes stuff.

(P.s, I can currently hear the Mavins doing their soundcheck).

With Olorisupergal (blogger) and  Korede Bello (Nigerian artiste, member of Mavins) on the flight

We flew Emirates (our Host on the Lagos to Dubai arm was a hoot!), and since the flights were looooong (at least six hours each, Lagos to Dubai, Dubai to Mauritius), I was able to watch 'Sounds of Music' (againnnnnnn), 'The Avengers' (again) and 'Cool Hand Luke'.

I also checked out the Ed Sheeran 'X' album and it's so good!!! Also worth checking out are Colbie Caillat's and Sam Smith's new albums.

I'll be heading out for a dinner at 7.30pm and I'm unpacking now so let me catch you guys later. In the meantime, don't forget to follow on instagram, twitter and snapchat for a blow by blow account.

I'm wrapping up with three essential tips for long distance travel

Tosyn's Travel Tips

- Have small tubes or containers for essentials like roll-on, lip gloss, foundation and powder.
You'll want to get off a plane looking like a million bucks!

- Don't skip the meals but be smart with the drinks. I recommend enjoying the complimentary water and asking for a little more, then keeping alcohol to a minimum

- Follow the clock! If you travel during the day, instead of sleeping off immediately (and then risking being awake at night), stay awake, read a book or enjoy an in-flight movie. Then sleep at night.
That way, you don't confuse your body and suffer too much jet-lag.

I hope the tips help!