Thursday, February 4, 2010
Nneka @ SOB's in NYC
Naija born singer named one of SPIN's 10 artists to watch in 2010
photo by Jackie RomanHeavy stuff for sure, and there were times when Nneka's earnestness got the best of her -- "It's very important that you pay attention to the lyrics" she said solemnly, before strumming her way through the Tracy Chapman-esque "Come With Me."
But for the most part, Nneka and her four-piece band kept things light and moving. A sparse, more guitar-focused "Walking" starting things off, followed by her hit, "The Uncomfortable Truth" (an ode, as Nneka explained, to "love that does not have an ulterior motive at the hack of its mind"), and the playful reggae-pop of "Kangbe." Nneka dedicated the rousing "VIP" to the "vagabonds in power" -- the corrupt politicians and feckless oil executives who've exploited her oil-rich homeland for decades.
Except for this last tune, Nneka stuck exclusively to Concrete Jungle's genre-hopping global vibe for her 90-minute set. And though one missed DJ Farhot's sample-heavy production, Nneka's band easily compensated. After all, who really needs a DJ when you've got a bassist who can scat?
By the fourth song, Nneka had ditched her hoodie and loosened up. Instead of hiding behind the mic, she danced and sassed her way across the stage, calling out her audience to sing along as they rallied to her cause. "Thank you for your participation," she smirked after "VIP," which had everyone in the place hollering, "Vagabonds in power, oh!" "You were louder than the people in L.A." Cheers to that.
Yet Nneka didn't truly hit her stride until "Heartbeat," more than an hour into her show. Radically different from its recorded cousin, the tune built slowly from a lilting piano melody and Nneka's vocal free-styling into a galloping, four-on-the-floor epic that had the narrative sweep of hip-hop and the pulse of dance music. "Can you feel my heart is beating?" Nneka implored, pumping her tiny chest as the crowd bobbed and weaved in time to her music. Absolutely.
By John S.W. MacDonald on February 3, 2010
Nigerian couple in Texas convicted for enslaving a naija widow !!!
FORT WORTH – A federal jury found an Arlington couple guilty Tuesday of compelling a Nigerian widow to work as their servant for nine years.
Emmanuel and Ngozi Nnaji each face up to 55 years in prison after their convictions on conspiracy, forced labor and other charges.
According to a Justice Department statement, trial evidence showed the Nigerian-born Nnajis lured the woman to the U.S. with promises of a salary and child support.
The evidence shows the couple seized the woman's passport, isolated her in their home and made her work long hours as their servant with no days off and little to no pay. They didn't provide support for the woman's six children in Nigeria and limited and monitored her contact with her family.
Emmanuel Nnaji also sexually assaulted the victim, according to the statement.
The woman had told investigators that she met Emmanuel Nnaji in 1996 while working as a nanny for his brother-in-law in Nigeria. Ngozi Nnaji's brother asked if she would go work for the couple in Texas, and she agreed.
Court documents show that he took her to the U.S. Embassy in Lagos and obtained a passport and visa for her as Comfort Nnaji, the name of Emmanuel Nnaji's mother.
The woman said she lived with the Nnajis first in their Irving apartment, then in their Arlington home, and cooked, cleaned and cared for their three children. According to testimony, the couple refused to let her attend church or have friends.
One day, the woman was able to hide in a closet and call her niece in Nigeria to tell her about her ordeal. Documents show that the niece told a Nigerian priest who lived in Texas and was back home on vacation. He gave the niece his cellphone number and asked her to pass it to her aunt.
The priest returned to Texas in February 2006, established contact with the woman and helped plan her escape. On Feb. 24, 2006, the priest drove to Arlington, where the woman met him on a street corner holding a bag and fled in his car.
From Associated Press
Emmanuel and Ngozi Nnaji each face up to 55 years in prison after their convictions on conspiracy, forced labor and other charges.
According to a Justice Department statement, trial evidence showed the Nigerian-born Nnajis lured the woman to the U.S. with promises of a salary and child support.
The evidence shows the couple seized the woman's passport, isolated her in their home and made her work long hours as their servant with no days off and little to no pay. They didn't provide support for the woman's six children in Nigeria and limited and monitored her contact with her family.
Emmanuel Nnaji also sexually assaulted the victim, according to the statement.
The woman had told investigators that she met Emmanuel Nnaji in 1996 while working as a nanny for his brother-in-law in Nigeria. Ngozi Nnaji's brother asked if she would go work for the couple in Texas, and she agreed.
Court documents show that he took her to the U.S. Embassy in Lagos and obtained a passport and visa for her as Comfort Nnaji, the name of Emmanuel Nnaji's mother.
The woman said she lived with the Nnajis first in their Irving apartment, then in their Arlington home, and cooked, cleaned and cared for their three children. According to testimony, the couple refused to let her attend church or have friends.
One day, the woman was able to hide in a closet and call her niece in Nigeria to tell her about her ordeal. Documents show that the niece told a Nigerian priest who lived in Texas and was back home on vacation. He gave the niece his cellphone number and asked her to pass it to her aunt.
The priest returned to Texas in February 2006, established contact with the woman and helped plan her escape. On Feb. 24, 2006, the priest drove to Arlington, where the woman met him on a street corner holding a bag and fled in his car.
From Associated Press
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Abdulmutallab speaks to FBI
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. Photograph: US marshals/EPA
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who had a bomb hidden in his underwear, is said to have been co-operating with investigators since last week.
The Obama administration had been under fire for giving Abdulmutallab the right to remain silent rather than interrogating him as a military prisoner.
In the days following the failed bombing, a pair of FBI agents flew to Nigeria and persuaded Abdulmutallab's family to help them. They brought family members back to the US, according to a senior administration official briefed on the case. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.
FBI officials continued to question Abdulmutallab, working with the CIA and other intelligence authorities, the official said, and Obama was receiving regular updates.
A law enforcement official, also speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the case, said Abdulmutallab had provided information about his contacts in Yemen, where an al-Qaida branch has claimed responsibility for the failed attack.
Authorities had hoped to keep Abdulmutallab's co-operation secret while they continued to investigate his leads but details began to trickle out during testimony on Capitol Hill by the FBI director, Robert Mueller, and director of national intelligence, Dennis Blair.
The Senate intelligence committee chairwoman, Dianne Feinstein, asked Mueller: "It is also my understanding that Mr. Abdulmutallab has provided valuable information. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Mueller replied.
Mueller then confirmed that the interrogation had continued despite the suspect being advised of his right to have a lawyer and remain silent
Associated Press in Washington
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 3 February 2010 Article history
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