Ladybrille Upcoming Fashion/Film/Arts/Music Events

L-R: Zebra Ball 2007 guest Sola & Zebra Living's Fashion Designer, Ugoma Ebilah
Here's our selection of some of the hot upcoming fashion/art/film/music events we think are worth checking out.
If details are not provided, click on link to take you directly to site.

1. Swaziland Fashion Week , City/State/Country : Swaziland, South Africa Date/Time: Dec. 18th-20th, 2008. Dec. 18th = Black & White VIP Ball.
2. Harriet's Alter Ego Shop n Mingle, City/State/Country: New York, New York, USA Dec. 6th-7th, 2008. Biggest Shop n Mingle Show ever for. Great finds at amazing prices!
3. Chillin's Biggest Event Ever in 10years, City/State/Country: San Francisco, California, USA Time/Date: Dec. 6th, 2008. Irene Hernandez-Feiks brings it all under one roof: Fashion/Film/Music and Arts at the biggest Chillin' show ever! Also a great place to purchase some awesome stuff at ridiculous prices!
4. Liberia Fashion Week, City/State/Country: Monrovia, Liberia Date/Time: Dec. 17-20th, 2008. Yaeto McIntosh & her team at Cammepa productions present the 1st ever Liberia Fashion Week. Congrats!
5. Zebra Ball 2008, City/State/Country: Lagos, Nigeria Date: Dec. 20th, 2008. Zebra Living's Fashion designer Ugoma Ebilah brings back her popular Zebra Ball event. In its second year, proceeds from Zebra ball 2008 will be donated to the African Child Development Initiatives. Time: 6:30pm - 11:30pm Location: The Blowfish Hotel Street: 17 Ojo Ologbon Street, Off Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island Contact: 08026990796 Email: mailto:zebraball@zebraliving.com
6. Farafina Magazine Presents A Visual Arts & Literature Event, City/State/Country: Lagos, Nigeria Date/Time: Dec., 13th, 2008.
7. Kora Awards 2008, City/State/Country: Cross River City, Calabar, Nigeria. “One Billion Viewers…..One Hundred countries….One Hundred Artistes…….One Amazing Prize………….One Million US Dollars.” Wow! Sounds like the place to be. Date/Time: Saturday, December 6, 2008 at 7:00pm to Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 7:00am. Location: Tinapa Trade free Zone Contact: 08063018069 Email: chastedavirgin@gmail.com.
8. TAN Holiday party, City/State/Country: Palo Alto, California, USA Date: Dec. 13th,2008 . TAN just finished it's 2008 Conference and they are celebrating their achievements with an end of year party! Date/Time: Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 6:00pm to Sunday, December 14, 2008 at 2:00am Location: Fenwick & West LLP Street: 801 California Street City/State/Country: Mountain View, California, USA Email: mailto:fassobande@yahoo.comCOST: $20 (Members $15) RSVP: Thursday December 11 Latest.
9. Angel Africa 3rd Anniversary Celebration, City/State/Country: New York, New York Date: Dec. 12th, 2008.
10. Gidi Connect, City/State/Country: Lagos, Nigeria Date: December 28th, 2008.
11. Art Basel Miami Beach, City/State/Country: Miami, Florida, USA Date: Dec.7th, 2008 Location: Municipal Parking Lot #54, between NE 2nd Avenue and NE 1st Court in Miami's trendy Design District.

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Ladybrille Brilliant Posts of the Week!

Love in Africa by Karolisia

Enjoy this week's brilliant posts from some of our Web Snob online media partners who are some of the top online publishers/bloggers.

1. 55 Secret Street vets candidates for Michelle Obama's Inaugural Gown.
2. A Few Goody GumDrops is amazed that Birkin Shoppers were out in droves!
3. Stiletto Jungle picks "revenge dresses" for the newly single.
4. Allie is Wired showcases the gorgeous new Madonna for Louis Vuitton photos.
5. Bag Bliss talks with handbag designer June Chang of CHia New York.
6. Bag Snob- Hayden Panettiere hopes to become "Hero" of handbags!
7. Beauty Snob may be eating her holiday gifts!
8. Coquette gets cozy with a Pajama Party.
9. Fashion Pulse reveals how to look chic while staying bundled up this winter.
10. The Fashionable Housewife shows us Christmas Party Attire Meant To Dazzle. You'll be the belle of the ball!
11. KRISTOPHER is wanting, wearing, hating Giuseppe Zanotti shoes, on sale.
12. Quinta Trends talks about the importance of a little black dress.
13. Second City Style is giving away 12 Days of Amazing Holiday Giveaways...sign up everyday!
14. StyleBakery has chic ideas for glamming up your basic office attire for the holidays.
15. Stylehive is feeling generous this year, and has come up with gifts for celebrities who need them. Check out "All I Want for Christmas is Another Celebrity Crisis (The Gift Edition)!"
16. Sxy Fashion Queen adores The Blonds - masters of corsetry.
17. The Beauty Stop features holiday gift picks that smell delicious.
18. The Fashion Bomb offers Celebrity Looks for Less for the urban fashionista!
19. The Shoe Goddess is very impressed with Roger Vivier's couture collection.

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Fashion's Top Designers Take a Stab at Michelle Obama's Inauguration Gown

Oscar De La renta, Michael Kors, Tracy Reese, Isaac Mizrahi, Monique Lhuillier and Betsy Johnson are some of the forty top fashion designers who have recently taken a stab at Michelle Obama's inauguration gown with some rather creative sketches.  Visit WWD for the rest of the 42 designs.

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Ladybrille Woman of the Month, Jacque Reid II

We continue our interview with Ladybrille's Woman of the Month, the very brilliant Jacque Reid.If you missed Part I, click here for it! Interview by Ladybrille's Niama Sandy.

LADYBRILLE.com: In 2004 you interviewed then-Congressman Barack Obama as he was running for the Senate seat against Alan Keyes. Did you have any inkling that we’d have this moment four years later?
Jacque Reid: At that moment I didn’t think “Wow, he’s going to be the next president of the United States.” It was the day after he gave that speech at the convention that I sat down with him. When you interview politicians who when you sit down with them it’s very natural and in-the moment like Bill Clinton. Some politicians that I’ve interviewed are very measured about what they’re saying. They are trying to stay on message and there is a stiffness to the conversation. Barack Obama is very down-to-earth, very natural, and when you ask him a question you honestly feel like he’s just answering the question.

I interviewed him recently after he clinched the Democratic nomination. The first thing I said was “You said you were going to take your wife out to dinner because you’ve been campaigning so hard. Have you had a chance to do that?” and he said “We got dressed up, we made reservations at a nice restaurant with candles, and that’s all I can say about that!” [Laughs] He answers the question! He doesn’t get back into “Okay, I’m talking to voters.” I saw that in him and I saw that there was something special about him. I didn’t make the connection to him running for president at the time but that’s probably my limitation because I think that was the buzz at that time. He’s very very impressive and I’m very happy for him.

LADYBRILLE.com: Do you see this moment as a “game changer” for blacks in America?
Jacque Reid: I see it as a game changer across the board for African-Americans in two ways: how we see ourselves – I think there'll be a lift in our confidence as a group, as a body- and I think how the world and specifically other Americans view us. The typical stereotypes about us will have to be buried somewhat. It’s a new game, it’s a new day. When little white, Asian, and even Hispanic boys and girls see us not just as entertainers or sports figures, but they’re growing up with a black man as the president. You know we can go through a history class in school or a science class and things like that, and never if you’re in an every day public school that doesn’t have a predominantly African-American with black teachers and things like that you can study things and never see blacks as role models or even see them in a positive way. I think it’s a game changer in that way for us as a people. Because now you’ve got all races, especially young people growing up, seeing this man in office as a black president, that has to change their perception of black people; you can’t say “he’s not like the rest of them.” He is one of us and it is what it is.

I want to encourage every one especially black people to be conscious of the fact that not only does Barack Obama represent us but we represent him in everything that we do. It’s time to raise the game across the board. No matter what level you’re on or what you’re doing it’s time to raise the game and make him proud so we can alter and significantly uplift the way black people are viewed in this country. He started it [but we have to finish it]. We have to do our part. On Election Night I was out in DC, and it was ridiculous and glorious. One of the first things that occurred to me that life will never ever be the same after today. Yes, this change has come but we also have to change too. I don’t know if people get that yet.

I hope so, I think they will. I think people feel different. I keep hearing these stories. Black people feel different. I felt different. When I left Denver where I was for Election Night, I was going through this mostly white airport and I felt like white people were looking at me differently. They weren’t wondering if I was gonna steal something, or if I was gonna get mad and start shaking my head from side to side and cuss somebody out [laughs].

LADYBRILLE.com: I’ve noticed, and this is going to sound crazy, that white men are looking at black women now. Like really looking now. It’s really interesting.
Jacque Reid: It really is. And I have to speak on the Michelle Obama thing. I was already proud to be a black woman and [I] wanted to change the game with how we were portrayed in the media. Her going into the White House makes it 10 times easier because again it’s not gonna just change the way white people look at us but the way we look at ourselves and the way brothers look at us.

Barack’s selection of Michelle Robinson now Obama as a wife says he had the character and the confidence to say you know what - he could have any body probably to be his wife - he choose a brown-skin, every-day-looking, beautiful black woman - an intelligent black woman. He had the confidence to make that choice. He didn’t say “Well I need someone who looks like this to make people look at me like that,” or “I need this on my arm.” He chose the best partner for his life to help him live the best life and now he’s in the White House. I challenge any one to say that he could have gotten there without her. I challenge them to show me that.

I’m confident about who I am, about how I look and about what I bring to the table. I feel good about me but there are a lot of brown-skinned sisters who don’t, especially little girls who look at music videos and think “I gotta get a weave” and “my skin’s not light enough;” and little boys who wanna be with the Rihannas, and the Beyonces and the J.Los of the world. There’s nothing wrong with those sisters, I love and appreciate them for what they do but what I’m saying is that society hasn’t set us up to define for ourselves what is beautiful and what is not. I hope that brothers can realize that the spectrum is much wider than what they are limiting themselves to - of course I don’t mean all brothers but you know what I’m saying. I’m encouraged with Michelle Obama stepping into the role of first lady and I’m excited about the next eight years

LADYBRILLE.com: So you’ve just re-elected him in your mind! A lot of other people have too! [Laughing] Do you think that with a Black president there should be a conscious effort to have more journalists of color in the White House Press pool?
Jacque reid: Yeah, I do. I definitely do. Like I said I don’t think it should be all black. I think that when it comes to this president that our perspective really matters and it needs to be part of our story. I think that when it comes to things like the way Michelle Obama said that she was proud of her country for the first time or this whole flag pin thing, there are those of us who’re black who get that and think “that’s not really a big deal.”

You just have to wonder if there had been more African-Americans at the decision-making table covering the campaign would those stories have been such a big deal. In my mind, I’m not speaking for Michelle Obama; I don’t know why she said what she said. But I understand it, When she said it I was like “Oh,” I didn’t think anything of it. It reminds me of growing up as the only black girl in my class in elementary school. People focus on peculiar things about you being black but for you and me it’s nothing new. Girls would ask me “I hear you put grease in your hair. Is it Crisco, like cooking grease?” It’s that whole thing. It’s like the Black in America; it was highly criticized because it was like “Being Black 101.” It was things that we as black people already know.

LADYBRILLE.com: Let me stop you there, did you see The Black List on HBO. In comparison to CNN’s Black in America it was outstanding!
Jacque Reid: The Black List was in depth. It was really interesting and significant conversation about being black. It took the conversation somewhere that even as a black person I was like “Wow!” CNN was like “Okay, what’s new?” They just did a very basic look. It was like an introduction to “Being Black 101,” and I think that that’s what happens when we are not at the table. I think the same types of things that can happen with the coverage - it’ll be a story about “Look at Sasha and Malia they have braids! Let’s do a story about braids, a story about the history of cornrows!” I definitely think there need to be more journalists of color in the White House press pool.

LADYBRILLE.com:On your website jacquereid.com you have a phenomenal short video news story up. In “Not in My Lifetime” you touch on the historical impact of the election for older black Americans. The video is incredible! What was it like working on that project, and have you considered making a full-length piece?
Jacque Reid: It was great experience because one of the people I interviewed is my grandmother. So I interviewed people in her apartment building – which reminds me I need to send her the DVD copy before she kills me [laughs]. It was a great experience, it was very moving. Unfortunately it had to be a certain length so there were people who ended up on the cutting room floor, or sound bites that we couldn’t put in there. I wanted to go back on Election Day and see them vote.

I definitely wanted to do more with it but I’m glad that I did that. It was a great experience and it captures how so many people who are black feel about this whole experience. Whether you’re their age or younger, you know what it’s like to be black in America you don’t need CNN to tell you. We live it, we know what it’s like, and so we know the significance of this moment of this Barack Obama time. But to talk to people who actually dealt with racism on that level it was an incredible experience and I’m so glad I was able to do it.

LADYBRILLE.com:Piggybacking off of what you just said about living in the face of blatant discrimination. Do you feel that in your career, your talent has been overlooked because of your race or sex?
Jacque Reid:Overlooked yes absolutely it has. There was a situation at BET with the whole Trent Lott situation. It was unfortunate because it happened at a black network. We were trying to interview John Kerry and George Bush for thirty minute specials on air. The decision was made that Ed Gordon should come back and do the interviews. It was told to me that there was the perception that a man could do a better job at it. That disappointed me. I spoke to management about it and I wanted to let them know my feeling that it was an unfortunate decision. But it wasn’t my network, which is why I do my own thing because I make my own decisions.

LADYBRILLE.com: Why did you start your company Jacque Reid Media? What is the goal/vision for the business?
Jacque Reid: Because I realized that I could work for myself and control the way that I was connecting and communicating with people. That I could decide what I would say, how I could say it. That it would be up to me to say yes to a job or no to a job and keep working. I could do things on camera, or behind the scenes, that I could do a variety of things and be in control. That was the thing. I had worked for so many years with other people making decisions about my career that disappointed me.

From news executives, to agents, to producers, everyone was controlling what I was doing. “This needs to be shorter!” “This needs to be longer!” “You don’t need to ask this question!” “You need to do this story.” I got to the point where I said “enough,” and opportunities presented themselves for me to be involved with some projects and I said “You know what I like making decisions, I can do this!” And so I just jumped off and did it!

It is to create and provide positive, uplifting, inspirational, encouraging content. It is to raise the quality level of what is in the media. That’s it in a nutshell. I get sick and tired of how we’re [African Americans] covered in all media forms. The way that we’re interviews, the way we’re presented, the way we’re portrayed in movies, on radio, on television and those are all industries that I’m trying to get my foot in. I want to raise the level of how we’re portrayed.

LADYBRILLE.com: What has been your proudest moment in your career so far?
Jacque Reid: Launching my website.

LADYBRILLE.com: I thought you’d say that.
Jacque Reid: [She laughs]Jacquereid.com is a news magazine and I just felt like there were so many stories - like the “Not in My Lifetime” story, and the whole “Man Talk” page is about black women and those of us who are single. There’s a page dedicated to charities in a really unique way, there will be user-generated content. It’s my baby; it’s something that I’ve been trying to do for about two years now. I finally reached a place where I had room to do it. God made changes in my life where I had room to do it and I did it and I love it. It’s just getting started but it’s my baby and I plan to make it a big success on my terms.

LADYBRILLE.com: You’ve also ventured into radio through The Steve Harvey and Tom Joyner Morning Shows. There was a bit of controversy in 2006 over your seemingly sudden exit from The Steve Harvey Morning Show. Do you care to comment on that?
Jacque Reid: No Comment.

LADYBRILLE.com: That’s fine. Let’s talk about your other forays into radio.
Jacque Reid: Two years on Tom Joyner. I also do a segment on Al Sharpton’s nationally syndicated show “Keeping it Real.” I’m a frequent quest on the Michael Baisden show, and the Warren Ballentine show. I do a segment for Tom Joyner two days a week on Tuesday and Friday, I’m on Sharpton every Friday, and whenever they call on me I’m on Michael Baisden or Warren Ballentine to talk about issues or whatever they need me for. Radio is a different animal but I enjoy it a lot.

LADYBRILLE.com: I’ve read a lot about your community service efforts. What are some of your favorite charities and why do you feel that it’s beholden to you to give back so actively?
Jacque Reid: I think it’s important for all of us to try to find the time to consider other people that are not as fortunate as we are. Even in this country when you think about poverty it’s nothing in comparison to the poverty in the world. I was in Sudan last year and the poverty there took my breath away. I think it’s important to do your part even if it’s just talking about it. It’s a way to make people think about it. I believe that we are on this planet to help each other. I think there is a basic level of kindness that we should have. That’s always been my personality, to be kind and help people in every way that I can.

I am a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and that was one of the main reasons I decided to pledge. I did the graduate chapter, I’m not trying to go be in a step show [she laughs], I’m trying to make my life better and make the world better and that’s what Delta Sigma Theta is all about. It’s all about making the world a better place. By signing up and having access to participate in the initiatives that we organize locally, nationally, and internationally it makes me proud to be a member of my sorority. I’m a board member of Life Camp with Erica Ford here in New York. The group works with teenagers in Brooklyn, NY. . .It’s about teaching young people who see themselves as disadvantaged that there’s always some way you can give back to someone else.

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Islamic Fashion Festival 2008

For a long time, our Ladybrille muslim fashion-forward have just been plain left out in fashion icy cold land when it comes to satisfying their needs. These women want to hold on to their beliefs yet satisfy their strong appetite for sexy, tasteful, elegant and conservative fashions. Today, they can. The producers of Islamic Fashion Festival [IFF] which is in its second year, and just recently completed another spectacular week of Islamic fashion in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, are determined to put Islamic Fashion on the global fashion map!

"The need and presence for Islamic fashion has never been more pressing than now, as Islamic capitals of the world continue to expand and welcome foreign investors an undeniable setting as human societies establish closer ties across the globe. Leave aside religious needs, Islamic fashion plays a much greater role than just to drape and to cover. ‘’While there are the obvious reasons needs to don Muslim attire – in a mosque, for weddings, for prayer etc., women and men of all walks of life and cultural backgrounds will see the need for Islamic fashion as world trade activities take place. . . "--says the Producers of IFF.
Brilliant! Check out photos from the recent Islamic Fashion Festival 2008.
Photocredits: Kien Huo, AFP, Getty Images

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Toms Shoes-30,000 Pairs in 30days!

Toms Shoes'Blake Mycoskie strongly believes every needy child should have shoes to wear and he is doing something about it. The holidays are here and for Blake and Tom Shoes it is all about a 30,000 pairs of shoes in 30days drive!

For every pair of Toms Shoes purchased, Blake donates a pair to a needy child!Please support him with your purchases. You will get to hear more about Blake from our main feature Summer Rayne Oakes and her work with him in Africa. Visit Toms Shoes here. Happy Shopping!

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Nigeria's 'Child Witch' Accuser Bishop Sunday Ulup-Aya Apprehended and in Custody

SIR: On the orders of Governor Godswill Akpabio, the Police in Akwa Ibom State on November 29 at about 2 p.m. moved swiftly to Mbo Local Government Area for the search and arrest of one Bishop Sunday Ulup-Aya who stated his involvement in this matter in a documentary broadcast on Channel 4 and placed on several websites.

The said Bishop who claimed he had "killed" several children was successfully apprehended with an accomplice and are at present in detention on a holden charge from where he will face criminal prosecution this week. In view of the above, Government will not hesitate to effect further arrests and prosecutions of organisations, individuals or even parents who are involved in child abuse and labelling children as 'witches'. Already one Rev. Onuoha operating from Oron and fingered in the child stigmatisation saga has been arrested by the police for questioning. At the arrest of the self-styled bishop, about three children were discharged from illegal custody and immediately given government support. They appear normal and healthy. Also the state government has ordered full investigation into the child abuse issue. This will help government fashion out ways of tackling the social problem head-on.

The Governor plans to assent to the Child Rights Act in December, a law that will be fully implemented for the protection of Akwa Ibom children irrespective of economic background.

We here at Ladybrille are super pleased with the Governor's actions and his efforts to also make sure these children are taken care of." Read the rest of the article here.

Source: Nigeria's Guardian Newspaper.

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Oluchi, Cobhams, Dbanj, TY Bello, Others Make the Nominees List for The Future Awards 2009!

Congratulations to the many young high achievers who made the list for the Future Awards 2009. The event will be held on January 18th and 19th, 2009. Visit the Awards site here to check out the list of nominees which include Oluchi, Cobhams, D'Banj and Ty Bello, among many, to vote your preferences.

Ty Bello

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Farafina Magazine Presents A Visual Arts & Literature Event

Farafina magazine invites you to its premiere Visual Arts & Literature event which will be held at the Bambuddha Restaurant in Lagos, Nigeria on the 13th of December, 2008 at 2p.m. There will be a photography exhibition (by Adolphus Opara), a film screening (selected clips from Molara Wood’s interview with acclaimed writer, Ben Okri), spoken word performances, and readings by Nnedi Okorafor and Eghosa Imasuen.

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Ghana's Kate Menson Wins Face of Africa 2008!

Congrats to Ghana's Kate Tachie-Menson who beat out nine girls to win the 2008 Face of Africa. Her win means she is the recipient of a three year $50,000 contract with O Model Africa, a modeling agency owned by Supermodel Oluchi Onweagba-Orlandi; who ten years ago won the first ever Face of Africa.

“I’m so happy right now because after having the door closed on me the first time, I did not give up and worked hard to be what the judges wanted,” said Menson in response to her win.
“On the judging panel, it was clear to us all that Kate was perfectly suited to be the next Face of Africa. She’s the complete package, a model designers dream that magazine editors embrace and that catwalks are made for. Kate won the title purely on merit and the fact that she had this fairytale story, this incredible journey to the top, makes it just that little bit sweeter,” said Oluchi who pledged her support in making sure Menson is successful in the modeling business.
For the complete story, read more at the Daily Nation here.

Watch snippets of the event and listen to Kate Tachie-Menson here.

Photo credits by Africanfuturist.

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Ladybrille Woman of the Month, Jacque Reid!

She worked her way from the bottom at the one and only news station in Brunswick, Georgia to rising through the ranks to become one of the most notable African-American female journalists in America. Who is this maverick you ask? Well, it’s December’s Ladybrille Woman of the Month,Jacque Reid!

For the last decade, Jacque Reid has been on the scene as one of the leading black women in American news media. We’ve seen her in so many different settings over the years: in front of the camera on everything from CNN Headline News, to BET Nightly News, to The View, and more recently behind a microphone on The Tom Joyner Morning Show. Reid is slowly but surely making her way to becoming a media juggernaut, but on her own terms. Reid is freelancing, running her own media production business Jacque Reid Media and a new news magazine website http://www.jacquereid.com/– needless to say she isn’t taking “no” for answer anymore. She is making decisions that are sure to guarantee her place in the pantheon of champions of true, quality journalism.

LADYBRILLE.com spoke with her about her journey thus far, the latest in current events and her life not as just a journalist but as a woman. We talked about everything from her beginnings at that small station in Brunswick, Georgia to community service and how proud she is to be a black woman. Meet Jacque Reid!

LADYBRILLE.com: You’ve done so many great things in your career at CNN and BET, but we rarely hear about where you began. You started out in network television, tell us about that?
Jacque Reid: I started out in Brunswick, Georgia. It was a small family-owned station, in a one-station market. I got that job right out of grad school. It was interesting [she laughs]. It’s what you do. You have to pay your dues in this business. That’s where you want to mess up on live shots or not have the writing down. When it comes to writing the stories for news, you want to cut your teeth in a small market. I moved on to Lexington, Kentucky. I really grew a lot in Kentucky and I moved on to Houston, Texas. Houston is where I really became solid as a journalist. I came into my own there, I developed my style. I really honed my interview style.

LADYBRILLE.com: How was that different from cable news once you got to CNN and BET?
Jacque Reid: It was different because it was cable and not local. Although in network you’re producing as a company as a network or a show, but in cable you are producing more news 24 hours a day. News is news, so whether you are doing it for cable or for network, to me, it doesn’t make a difference. At CNN, I was just anchoring whereas at my [prior] jobs I was anchoring and reporting. So, I did not have the experience of still going out on stories, communicating with people, telling their stories. That’s why I ended up leaving CNN for BET. A lot of people are like “why did you leave CNN for BET?”

It was a different experience for me. I was at CNN Headline News - which is a new show every 30 minutes - it was very different. There were robotic cameras, it was a different experience. It wasn’t like being a journalist. It was like being a newsreader and that’s not what I wanted to do. BET came along with this opportunity to do news in conjunction with the granddaddy of them all, CBS. I got to work out of the CBS News building where Dan Rather was still working, where the folks of 60 Minutes – folks like Ed Bradley- were still walking the halls. It paid off. I was on the CBS Early Show. I did a lot of work for CBS when I was there with BET.

LADYBRILLE.com: Though it’s been years, some folks are still curious about why you left BET. Can you shed some light on that?
Jacque Reid: Well they cancelled the show? A new show wasn’t presented to me but I think in fairness to BET, it’s not my network. I think it was time for me to move on. BET had a desire to have a very young-MTV-type network. I’m not in my twenties; I’m not a teenager so it really didn’t make sense for me to stay there. They stopped producing news. There wasn’t a place for me to do news and there wasn’t room for me to do what I do and I didn’t want to end up in the situation that I was in at CNN Headline News where I was just on air [and] not being able to do what I do. . .

LADYBRILLE.com: For this year’s election you were a host and correspondent for TV ONE’s Election coverage this year. Considering that it was such a historic election, what was that experience like for you?
Jacque Reid: I’m still in shock, quite frankly. [I think we all are] It’s just like he said on 60 Minutes, “it hasn’t sunk in" for me yet. I don’t know what it’s going to take to. I don’t know if it’s gonna take inauguration day, seeing him come in and out of the White House. I don’t know what it’s gonna take for it to really sink in for me. I always say you know I am a journalist and I try to remain objective. Throughout the election process I tried to keep my opinions and who I was voting for and my opinions about the candidates to myself. But I’m a Black person, an African-American, first and so I don’t know in this country who could really be an African-American and not be touched by Barack Obama’s victory.

Even if you didn’t vote for him, I don’t know how you cannot look at our history and be moved. Even what Condoleezza Rice had to say the day after the election, or days after the election, was touching because it was heartfelt. You have to acknowledge the enormity of this victory. So for me on election night, unfortunately, when you’re on live television you’re in the middle of it. It was a crazy, chaotic night – which election night always is. When you’re in that moment, once they announced that he won, it was like “Oh whoa! Wait a minute. Okay but we are going to commercial.” [So you have those two minutes to go crazy and come back to center] Yes! For me, that’s how I work. So it really did not even dawn on me until really the next day, when I woke up and I was like “Wow! He Won!” It was an incredible experience and to be able to say years from now where I was and to be part of announcing our first black president was Barack Obama, I am proud.

Interview to be continued. . .

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Happy New Month of December!

Happy new Month of December! May you have an enjoyable Christmas, Kwanzaa and remain super blessed. Here at Ladybrille, we say goodbye to what has been a spectacular year by inspiring you with our Ladybrille Woman of the Month, Jacque Reid. Reid, a well known media household name, partucularly among Black America, tells us how she does it and what it felt like interviewing the soon to be President Barack Obama.

Another inspirational story is our main feature Fashion model/TV host/ Writer/Environmental Activist and Friend of Africa, Summer Rayne Oakes [SRO]. SRO is an amazing woman with super abilities. She, like us, believes in trailblazing new paths. SRO is at the forefront of the eco-fashion movement and we can't wait for you to meet her as she shares herself, work, passion and interest in Africa. We close out the year with Ladybrille's 2008 Top 20 African personalities and some really cool African inspired gifts to gift for the Christmas season. Stay with us through it all and have an absolutely brilliant month!

Cheers,

Uduak Oduok
Editor-in-Chief

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The MTV Africa Music Awards [MAMAs] is Over. Now What For African Musicians?

MAMAs generated so much publicity and promotions for the MTV brand and African artists worldwide. Even my local newspaper, here in the States, carried the headlines announcing the first ever MAMAs. But, now that it is over, what is its impact /effect on Africa’s artists and music industries? What are the pros and cons of the first ever MAMAs in Africa?

PROS OF MAMAs 2008

1. Africa’s local artists finally got the recognition they deserved [This is of course debatable if you are not from Nigeria/South Africa, the two countries who dominated the Awards].
2. Nigeria/South Africa/Africa’s music can now be exported globally because once the world sees these artists, it will create a demand for Africa’s music.
3. African artists got to share the stage with international artists under a widely recognized brand, MTV, which could lead to African artists collaborating with their international counterparts.

CONS OF MAMAs 2008

1. While mostly Nigerian artists, for example, got the recognition they deserved on a global scale, it is unclear the exposure will create a demand for Nigeria/Africa’s music, globally. Objectively, the majority of the genres of musical works showcased at MAMAs i.e. hip-hop, R &B, Pop & Alternative are replicas of American music and culture seen worldwide. As such, it logically cannot equate to a higher demand for African artists and their music. See MTV Asia Music Awards. Asian artists and music are yet to really break through the global music sphere, inspite of exposure on MTV.
2.  MAMAs, arguably, just opened the gates for large music multinationals to dominate and subordinate Africa’s emerging/infant music industries. With Nigeria, for example, MAMAs’ effectively makes Nigeria’s music industry an easy target for multinationals. Currently, in the global music industry, six major multinationals dominate: Sony, BMG, EMI, Warner, Universal and Polygram. Of those six, four have subsidiaries in South Africa. These multi-nationals enter the marketplace of a foreign country, set up shop and just plain dominate. In South Africa, for example, the aforementioned multinationals, at one point, owned 92% of South Africa’s music industry.
3. The entrance of large multinational record labels, in a country like Nigeria, as alluded to, poses a threat to existing independent record labels. Majority of Nigeria’s independent labels are not linked in the global distribution network. They also lack the capital required for the manufacturing/production processes of music. Yet, they have expended so much energies in getting their artists the visibility and spotlight needed. With a multinational’s existing network, global reach and distribution, it would inevitably cause the Independent labels' market share to shrink, quickly.
4. MAMAs, arguably, might have just helped usher in the death of authentic African music. The recently completed MAMAs’ award categories were Hip-hop, R &B, Pop, or Alternative music. These categories created and will continue to create an increase in demand by Africa’s music consumers, especially youths, for the above sounds that are already highly coveted globally. In turn, there will be a decrease in demand for more native or authentic African sounds. In the case of Nigeria, for example, Fuji music.

It remains to be seen the actual effect of MAMAs on Africa and its music industries. I will indeed be observing closely. In the meantime, have a super brilliant week ahead!

~Uduak

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