In Abuja... Girl talk with dinner

LEFT PHOTO: Yacine, Maria, Denise (back), Victoria, Hilary (back), Thalie, and Emanuela
RIGHT PHOTO:   Front - Araceli, Maria, Victoria and Emanuela. Back - Denise, Hilary and Yacine

For many diplomats, life is about a series of comings and goings. It can be fun, but it can be tough as well. Fun because you get the chance to visit or reside in different countries, know different cultures, meet different types of people... and tough because you make new friends only to part ways with them again in a matter of time. And just when you have settled down to enjoy the new environment (as the case may be), someone in the Home Office is telling you to pack your things and move to another post – and that’s how the cycle goes. For those who have chosen this path, I guess they are very much aware of the system and they get used to it in time. They get used to the welcome and farewell parties, the packing and dealing with moving companies, and saying hello as often as you say goodbye.

Last Saturday, 16 March 2013, Victoria Tunba, who is with the American Embassy, said goodbye to her colleagues in the diplomatic world here in Abuja. Her tour of duty in Nigeria is over and she is going back to the United States for good. A farewell dinner in her honour was hosted by Yacine Ba, Ambassador’s P.A. at the Canadian High Commission. I was one of the invited guests... along with Yacine’s and Victoria’s colleagues from a few embassies in Abuja.

Yacine is a most gracious and vivacious hostess, entertaining us with a multiple-course dinner that we enjoyed along with the conversations. I liked that the night had a very informal feeling – all very light, and friendly, and cozy. And Yacine has a lovely home, filled with art works – paintings and carvings – a couple of family photographs, a potted plant just at the right place, a veranda with a magnificent view... and it’s perfect.

And despite the heavy rain that night, I was glad I was able to go because I met all these lovely, lovely ladies and I enjoyed listening to them. Had the chance to talk with Victoria and ask her a couple of questions, like what did she enjoy most while she was in Abuja and she said, “As you may know, there isn’t much to do around here. But I do enjoy giving myself a chance to read and to discuss what I’ve read with the ladies from the American community. I’ve never joined a book club before coming to Abuja. And because I love traveling, the other thing I enjoyed while here was traveling outside of Abuja . . . though I’ve only been to places like the pottery in Bwari, Gurara Falls, and Kaduna which was the farthest place I’ve been to – as a day trip in Nigeria; trip that was taken in January of this year.”

As I post this, she has but a few hours left before she boards a plane back to California.. Her parting message to expats who are coming to Nigeria for the first is simple and practical and that is: “Make effort to meet people outside your community.”

I couldn’t agree more.

So goodbye, Victoria. We at  INSIDE TRACK ABUJA wish you all the best!

Abuja Dining and Entertainment: Food Festival at Tandori Inn

TANDORI INN is organizing South Indian Food Festival on Wednesday, 5th September, 2012.

Menu includes the following:  idlee, dosa, sambhar, lemon rice,chutnies, Rasam, mixed veg cooked with coconut, chicken Madras, and hyderabadi Biryani.

PRICE: 3000 naira per person....

TIME : At 7pm onwards....

ADDRESS: 93, Aminu kano crescent, 805 restaurant,, wuse 2 Abuja or call 08050779933

21st June 2012 is World Music Day: Celebrations in Lagos and Abuja (Free Entry for all)

IN LAGOS

Goethe-Institut Nigeria, together with Alliance Française Lagos and Bristish Council Lagos, invites you to the World Music Day 2012.

Date: Thursday, 21st of June 2012, beginning at 5 pm

Venue: The New Afrika Shrine, 1 Nerdc Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos (FREE ENTRY)

Musicians from Europe and Nigeria would render melodious jazz, pop and indigenous music during the evening. The highlight of this musical event is a performance by the German Jazz band ‘Hyperactive Kid‘. Registered guests would also have the opportunity to perform during the open mic session. Towards the end of the concert there will be a jam session among the musicians.

IN ABUJA


On Thursday, 21st of June at 8pm, the French Institute will celebrate the International Day of Music with concerts of King Faji, the Speed Band and other pop singers. This year's theme is 'The Pop Years'. On that occasion everybody is invited to come dressed up as 60s or 70s style. A professional photographer will be there to take pictures of you if you wish. When the concert is finished, a dj will continue playing music until late in the evening!

Entrance is free and open to all. Don't hesitate to share this info with your friends!

Furthermore the Institute is hosting the festival of Barclays Ayakoroma's Plays until Saturday night (Plays every evening at 6pm. Gate fee: 2000 NGN adults, 1000 NGN students, 500 NGN for children). See details below.

And as always the Institute is screening a French movie with English subtitles every Friday!

A busy French month!

The French Institute is located at 52 Libreville Street, off Aminu Kano, Wuse 2, behind M. Biggs or visit their website www.institutfr-nigeria.org.

Crossed Perspectives - A Visual Arts Competition, at the 6th Spanish Cultural Week

As part of the 6th Spanish Cultural week, a competition on visual arts, tagged Crossed Perspectives - Nigerian Young Artists Interpreting Spanish Contemporary Masterpieces, was held at the Hilton Hotel on October 11, 2011.

According to the Ambassador of Spain to Nigeria, H.E. Alvaro Castillo Aguillar, the great Spanish painter, Pablo Picasso, saw an exhibition on African art in the Tracadero Museum of Ethnology (now the Musee de l'Homme) in Paris, and the colours and forms of the African masks and sculptures inspired him (Picasso) for the rest of his career. 

"Bearing this anecdote in mind," Ambassador Aguillar said, "we wanted to give our participants the opportunity to get to know Spanish masterpieces, which could serve as a source of inspiration for the works they would present in the contest."

In other words, the participants in the competition were shown photos of works by Spanish artists and were asked to interpret these works. The winner, Henry Osaretin, interpreted a work by Joaquin Sorolla, with a painting that Osaretin calls A Wall of Defence, showing a man helping a woman in tying a wrapper around her body (see photo No. 2 below).

Here are some photos taken during the awarding ceremony.

H.E. Ambassador Aguillar and Mr. Ignacio Garrido of the Spanish Embassy with
Mr. Abdullahi S. Muku (with cap), Director General of the National Gallery of Art, and another guest.

First Prize Winner, Henry Osaretin, who won an all-expensed paid trip to Spain.

Second Prize

Third Prize

Spanish Embassy staff and guests. Top left t is theAmbassador of Spain chatting with
the Ambassador of Venezuela

Guests and staff of the Spanish Embassy

Published by Araceli Aipoh

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ABRB concert in Abuja 2011

Six expatriates who are into music have come together to form a live band here in Abuja, calling themselves ABRB (Abuja Revival Band). They held a couple of concerts recently - the first at the Abuja Horse and Country Club on 26th March 2011, and the other at the Dantata and Saowe Clubhouse on 14th May 2011.

These photos were taken at the two concerts.

Norwegian pianist performs in Abuja

Geir Henning Braaten of Norway

The cosy ambience of the Lagos Room of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel was filled with classical music ranging from Bach to Strauss to Beethoven and Puccini on Wednesday, the 17th of February 2010, as the Philharmonics Company in collaboration with the Royal Norwegian Embassy Abuja and the Hilton Hotel Abuja presented Promoting Classical Music Concert featuring a piano recital by the Norwegian award-winning pianist Geir Henning Braaten who, since his debut in 1966, has performed and collaborated with conductors and orchestras all over the world, including Korea, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico, the Middle East, and most European countries. With a discography of more than 40 recordings, Geir Henning Braaten is one of Norway's most prolific pianists. He is also an Associate Professor at the Norway Academy of Music.

Norwerian pianist Geir Henning Braaten and Nigerian soprano Agatha Ibeazo

The audience

Standing for Geir Henning Braaten

One of the highlights of the night was a performance by Agatha Ibeazo, a Nigerian Coloratura Soprano, who gave a delightful performance as she sang Strauss’ The Laughing Song and Puccini’s Quando me ’n vo Soletta to the accompaniment of Geir Henning Braaten. Agatha Ibeazo started singing at age seven and later joined the choir of St. Paul’s Catholic Church Lagos where she began her formal education in music. She featured in many major concerts organized by the Music Society of Nigeria (MUSON) in Lagos after her thrilling performance at the 2007 MUSON youth competition where she took 2nd place. Following her success at the competition, she was invited to the MUSON Choir and was given a full tuition and book scholarship by the MTN Foundation, affording her the opportunity to pursue a two year diploma course in MUSON School of Music, majoring in voice, under the tutelage of Nigeria’s renowned voice trainer and conductor Emeka Nwodeki.

Inside Track Abuja covered the music-and- dinner event at the Hilton, which was attended by members of the diplomatic community as well as guests from other organizations in Abuja who listened to and watched the live musical performance with undivided attention, since after all, it’s not everyday you get to witness such a rare performance in Abuja. All photos are by Inside Track.

The photos below were taken by Inside Track after the concert.

Other guests...

Japanese Night

One of the diplomatic receptions to take place just before the year 2009 drew to an end last December was hosted by the Embassy of Japan, held at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel. Here are some photos taken at the reception by the Abuja Inside Track:

A Japanese umbrella on display at the reception

Diplomatic staff of the embassy (1st, 2nd, and 5th) with guests

Japanese art at the reception

Japanese art at the reception

Embassy staff with guest

A staff at the embassy (middle) with guests

Staff of the Embassy of Japan

Dr. Janet de la Cruz (Embassy of France), a guest, and Mrs. Ghesy Samosir (Embassy of Indonesia)

Nigerian Fashion Awards

The 2009 Nigerian Fashion Awards took place at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel on Sunday, the 29th of November. Organized by Legendary Gold Limited, the glittering event was attended by the First Ladies of Bayelsa and Benue States, as well as the President of the World Fashion Council, Mr. Paco de Jaimes, who flew in from Hollywood. Lexy Mojo-Eyes, a young man who is the president of Legendary Gold, is the initiator of the Nigerian Fashion Awards. Two of Nigeria's most prominent designers, Frank Osodi and Adebayo Jones, were also present and showed off their latest collections on the runway.

Inside Track was there.
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The Abuja Horse and Country Club

The Abuja Horse and County Club invited the public to Jabi Lake for a live musical performance by the ABRB last Saturday, March 28, 2009.

Club Night at the AHCC takes place every last Friday of the month and catering is provided by City View Restaurant.

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