Entertainment
Fun Lovers Ready For Valentine’s Celebration
All is now set for this year’s
St Valentines celebration which comes up tomorrow, Saturday, 14th February 2015. The celebration would have coincided with the presidential election in Nigeria, but for the postponement of the election to a later date.
Our investigations show that most of the entertainment outfits in Rivers State, particularly Port Harcourt, the capital city have left no stone unturned in their preparations for the D-day. It was gathered that Tourism Ambassador and multiple awards winner, Emmanuel Amakiri, popularly known as Oba Omega has a special Valentine show at the Boomerang Night Club Rumuogba, Port Harcourt.
A similar bash will also take place at the Ever rich resort centre, other entertainment joints set for the Valentine celebrations include Illusion night club, Cassablanca, Charlies, Eddie’s wine bar, Royal Afrigue night club, Fabulous night club and Barracuda night club.
Others include Le Meriden Ogeyi place, 45 Tombia Street GRA Phase II, Port Harcourt, Morella, Amadi flats Port Harcourt, Sahara, Trans Amadi T’s Place Amadi flats, Barracuda, Perekule close GRA Port Harcourt, Blue Elephant GRA, Port Harcourt, Hotel Presidential along Aba Road Port Harcourt and Devange Hotels, Rumuigbo, among others.
Also ready for the fun lovers are the eatries such as Kilmanjaro, Sammies, The Promise, Mr. Bigs as well as the drinking bars and pepper soup joints scattered all over the nooks and crannies of the ever bubbling Garden City of Nigeria.
The cinema houses such as Genesis Delux cinema, Tombia Street, GRA Phase II Port Harcourt and the Silver Bird Cinemas, former Obi-Wali Cultural Centre, Abonnema Wharf Road, Port Harcourt.
The Silver Bird Cinemas will be showing some new thrillers to entertain their numerous viewers such as “Jupitar Ascending,” “The Sponge Bob,” “The Green Eyed” (Nollywood) and St. Vincent. Same goes for Genesis Deluxe cinemas.
The Tide entertainment also spoke with some residents of the oil rich city of Port Harcourt on how they intend to celebrate this year’s Valentine and they stated as follows:
Easy Blaze (comedian) said, “I intend going on a recreational event/picnic with my friends and loved ones at Parks and Garden, off Airport Road, I will also go for some shopping at Port Harcourt mall as well as perform at a singles and married relationship programme tagged “Candid Marriage at flock of Christ Mission, Rumuokoro Port Harcourt.” Mr. Ezekiel Nkwocha (Civil Servant), “I intend to take my family to Tinapa in Cross River State”. According to him Valentine celebration symbolises love and exchange of gifts. But this year’s celebration coincides with electoral campaigns, the interest of many is politics, so this year’s event may be low key, all the same my family comes first and I will give them the best of love and gifts on Valentine’s Day.”
Patricia Julius (event planner) “The Valentine’s Day coincides with my birthday, so I will have a birthday bash to celebrate with my friends and loved ones. It will be very good day of music, dancing and eating”.
Love Joshua (hair stylist) “I will attend my friend’s birthday to celebrate with her and wish her a happy birthday. After which I will go to Silver Bird cinemas to watch a movie and also attend a party with my friends, in short, there will be no dull moment for me on the Valentine’s Day”.
Saint Valentine is observed on February 14 every year. After the New Year day, it is the most celebrated holiday around the world, although it remains a working day in most of the countries.
The most popular martyrology associated with Saint Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing wedding for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians who were persecuted under the Roman Empire.
During his imprisonment, he was said to have healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius. Legend states that before his execution, he wrote, “from your valentine” as a farewell to her. Today, St Valentine Day is an official feast day for Anglican Communion as well as in Lutheran church.
Spotify yesterday revealed a significant surge in heartbreak song streams in Nigeria during the Valentine’s Day season, with a 626 percent increase between 2022 and 2024.
This was disclosed in a statement issued in Lagos, Nigeria by Spotify’s Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa Phiona Okumu.
Okumu said, “Spotify data reveals a surprising trend, a massive surge in heartbreak song streams.
“Nigerians are turning to their playlists to express their emotions, with a staggering 626 per cent overall growth in heartbreak streams from 2022 to 2024.
“This Valentine, the sound of love is accompanied by the sound of heartbreak, and the data shows it’s louder than ever before.”
She said on Valentine’s Day, most surprisingly, male listeners streamed heartbreak songs at a significantly higher rate than female listeners, with a 362 per cent increase compared to 169 per cent among women.
“This could suggest that men resonate with the feeling of heartbreak more and turn to music as a private outlet for processing emotions.
“Whatever the reason, one thing is clear, when love is in the air, so is heartbreak and Nigerian men are pressing play on their pain more than expected.
“While Valentine’s Day is often celebrated with grand gestures, heartbreak is a common theme on Valentine’s Day -more than what’s publicly shown,” she said.
Nigerians will join their counterparts across the world to mark the 2025 Valentine’s today.
Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has joined MLS side San Diego FC’s ownership group as a club partner.
SDFC announced today that Tems joined the ownership group through her company, The Leading Vibe.
In the process, Tems became the first African woman to be involved in MLS ownership.
“We are delighted that Tems has joined San Diego FC as a club partner,” SDFC chairman Sir Mohamed Mansour said in a statement.
“Tems is a globally significant artist who will help us reach new audiences and spread the word about our unique project, which, of course, has its foundations in sub-Saharan Africa through the unique Right to Dream organisation.”
Reacting to her addition as the latest partner in SDFC’s ownership group, the singer said: “I am thrilled to join San Diego FC’s ownership group and to be part of a club that celebrates creativity, culture, and the power of community.
“Football has a unique way of bringing people together, and I am excited to help build something special in San Diego, a city that thrives on diversity and innovation.”
Fashion and beauty entrepreneur, Toyin Lawani, has claimed she is enduring back pain and that her spine is degenerating.
Lawani revealed this in a video posted on social media last Tuesday.
In the clip, she opened up about her experience with epidural anesthesia, an injection administered to pregnant women in the spine to reduce pain during childbirth.
The mother of three claimed that since receiving the injection, she has not felt like herself.
She accused doctors of not fully informing women about the long-term side effects of epidurals.
According to Lawani, she received the anesthetic injection during the birth of her last two children.
She said, “When you hear ‘epidural,’ run. Doctors tell you about the side effects but do not tell you about the long-term effects on your body. I have about three friends having the same issues that I am having.
“Like, I am just 42, how did I end up with spine issues? I have a degenerating spine. I have implants in my spine. I go paralyzed. I can’t stand for a long time. I can’t even breathe properly sometimes because it affected so many things in my body when I had the surgery.
“They will not tell you because you just want the pain to go away. I have had two epidurals. I had my first as natural birth. The last two were epidural. The last one I had epidural because I had to undergo a surgery and I had no choice.
“See, the pain does not stop. My back is killing me and my spine is degenerating.”