Beginner Friendly Make up Tutorial

How To Grow A Thick, Full, Beard (video)

Please watch my video as I give tips and share some products I used to achieve a natural, full, thick, beard

Dance cover of Rema's Woman Song By My 5Yr Old Daughter

 My daughter doing a freestyle dance to one of her favourite song. Please watch to the end

Throwback Thursdays- Do You Remember This Soft Drink?

I remember this gorwing up, what a sweet drink...especially when chilled with rice and fish stew dam!!😌😌😌💕💕💕💕💕💕

What other soft drinks do you remember from your childhood?

Edo Traditional Dancers Thrill Us At Ewusi Palace Sagamu During Kabiyesi's 10th Year Coronation Anniversary

To say my father's 10th year coronation anniversary celebrations in Makun, Sagamu, Ogun State in Nigeria back in February 2018 was a mini carnival would not be an exaggeration at all. It was  indeed a very colourful affair and a showcase of rich cultural and traditional heritage from not just his loyal subjects of Makun but indeed all parts of Nigeria.

As part of the celebrations, we invited the Edo cultural dancers from Benin to add their graceful steps to the occasion. Edo is part of the historic and powerful Benin Empire. The Kingdom of Benin's capital was Edo, now known as Benin city in Edo State. The Benin Kingdom was "one of the oldest and most highly developed states in the coastal hinterland of  West Africa. The dancers had arrived in Sagamu a day earlier from Benin city and they went through a brief rehearsal in the palace ground before retreating back to their hotel.

Fast forward to D day, my father kabiyesi Oyesola Akinsanya was escorted to his seat and exchanged greetings with his high chiefs and some of his subjects before relaxing in his seat for the performances by different cultural, traditional social groups which had come to honour him.

After a few performances, it was time for the colourful ladies from Edo to take centre stage. They wore lemon coloured wrappers and were adorned with beads- head, neck, hands and feet. We were treated to a medley of soulful Bini songs most of which were in praise of the celebrant.

One of the members who translated most of the songs said some of the songs took us back to the Ancient Benin empire. They sang bout the divinity and sacredness of their kings (Obas). They narrated their story through song- How they built an empire with slaves, trading in palm oil, textiles and ivory, their deep rooted culture and wealth, their bronze artefacts before all was destroyed by the British.

We were also thrilled to the rhythmic and melodious sounds of their drums and the women moved energetically all over the arena with such speed and elegance that ladies half of their age would have been in jealous.

The ladies were not done yet and in a grand finale of enormous proportions, they then sent the crowd in a frenzy when they started gyrating their backsides in synchronised fashion. Their movements timed to perfection with the speed of the drum beats. My father and his high chiefs burst into laughter and you could see the excitement on their faces and they proceeded to join the dancers on the arena, spraying them with wads of Naira notes in appreciation.

The ladies rounded up their performance with a rendition of  'Happy birthday' in their local dialect and walked off the arena to a rousing ovation by all those who were in attendance.

Kabiyesi been escorted to his seat by some of his security personnel

The dancers take up position

The Edo traditional performers thrilling the crowd

Kabiyesi Oyesola Akinsanya going to meet the dancers

My father appreciating the performance

The dancers pay homage

                                                           

The dancers start to move their backsides in unison like clockwork

My father and his chiefs join them in appreciation

The drummers from Edo

Subjects paying homage to their king

On the right is the high chief Aro of Makun Sagamu. He is also one of the kingmakers

The female dancers

Me (In white) with the performers

Don't Mess With Me

My Favourite Food- Pounded Yam & Efo Riro

My Favourite Food

When it comes to food, I do not joke with my stomach and I really love my Nigerian cuisine. My favorite food has to be pounded yam and efo riro (Nigerian Spinach Stew)

What is Efo Riro

Efo Riro is a Yoruba word and it loosely means ‘stirred spinach’. In Nigeria, the vegetables used for Efo Riro are ‘Efo Shoko’ (Lagos spinach) or ‘Efo Tete’ (African spinach).

These are the local spinach varieties that are very popular and easily available. In other parts of the world, any spinach greens will do.

Efo Riro is traditionally made with palm oil, spinach, peppers, ground crayfish, and meat. They are often cooked with two or more different meat varieties.

It is best when the stew is 'loaded'- when it has different types of assorted meats like bokoto (cow foot), ponmo (cow hide) roundabout (intestine), shaki (tripe), snail, crayfish, crabs etc. My mouth is now watering like a broken tap.

There is also Efo elegusi which I also love usually made with ugu (pumpkin leaves) or spinach or bitter leaf

Me at a buka eating pounded yam with efo riro and assorted meat😀

Pounded Yam

This is made by cooking yam in a pot with water for a about 15 minutes till they are soft for pounding . It is then picked with a fork and transfer into a mortar then go ahead and pound with a pestle, pound until the yam is seedless and can easily be moulded, you can add water and pound until you have a smooth soft pounded yam.

Me at another buka eating pounded yam and efo elegusi. Notice how happy I look😤

Buka

I usually love to visit bukas to eat my pounded yam. The word buka originated from the Northern part of Nigeria and it means "hole in the wall" restaurant and it is used interchangeably with 'Mama put joints". They usually serve a variety of delicious local dishes and bukas are a cheaper alternatives to eateries or fast food restaurants. You can usually get a satisfying meal with N500 ($1.29). There is such a high demand that the food is always prepared the same day, served piping hot and all consumed the same day with some bukas often running out of some delicacies by lunch time.

Palm wine or Stout

I usually love to wash down my pounded yam with fresh palm wine or Nigerian Guinness Stout.