When my father died, my mother’s life crashed . Everything came to a stand still. My father had been everything in her life and unlike the older wives who were established, she was largely unsettled when he died.

Akon is the latest US superstar to sign up for the MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) with Zain. The Senegalese-American multi-platinum artist and producer is set to headline at the 2009 MAMA Awards in Nairobi, Kenya on 10 October, performing alongside Fugees’ alumnus Wyclef Jean and a host of Africa’s most celebrated contemporary artists including Wahu, M.I., Samini and Lira.

I try as much as possible to be down to earth with them. I try to make them comfortable but not too comfortable. And I try to let them know that this is how far I can go with them, unlike some people who will try to give in because there is no other way out. I try to be diplomatic about it.

The expectation was high and people were asking questions on how to dance ‘E be like fire…’ Even when we shot the video, we just had an idea of how the dance should go. We were not perfect unlike now.

The crisis that polarised Actors Guild of Nigeria deepened last Wednesday with the emergence of Segun Arinze as factional president of the association. SegunArinze emerged president on the platform of the Ejike Asiegbu-led leadership.