AYO'S SAX HOMECOMING

Ayo Solanke is the newest sensation in the Johannesburg music scene, because of his unique soulful style that distinguishes him from the rest. His sound touches the mind and reaches deeply into the soul, always leaving his audiences and followers yearning for more.

Since his arrival in South Africa, he has become one of the most sought after performers both on stage and in the studios; having performed and recorded with some of the best artists and producers in South Africa. Notably; Danny K, Vusi Khumalo, Lawrence Matshiza, Lesego, Don Laka, Pops Mohammed, Louis Mhlanga, Eric Paliani, Kunle Ayo, and Stix Hojeng.

He has also featured on various albums and recordings with the likes of; Judith Sephuma: Change Has Come, Hugh Masakeila: Phola, Margarette Motsaphe: Dwala Lam and Sharon D. Just to mention a few. He has also had the opportunity of sharing the stage with international artists like: Ron Kenoly(USA), Masada Band(USA), Miguel Zenon(USA), Daguero (Belgium), Steve Rhodes(Nigeria), Cobhams(Nigeria), Wole Oni(Nigeria) etc.

Ayo is one of the unique resident artists working with MOYO entertainment in Johannesburg. He has featured both as an artiste and as a sideman at several concerts, events and venues some of which includes; Capetown Jazz Festival- Capetown ‘08
Confederation Cup gala- Sandton ‘08
Afro café (feat Lira and Simphiwe Dana-dedication to Mariam Makeba)- ‘08
Joy of jazz – Joburg ‘07
Jazz by the river – Vereenigin ‘07
Secunda jazz & cultural festival – Secunda ‘07
Mpumalanga jazz & cultural fest – Wit Bank ‘06
Afro Café (Kunle Ayo) – Joburg ‘07
MUSON jazz Festival – Lagos, Nigeria – ’04 & ’05
Commonwealth head of government meeting – Abuja, Nigeria
Lagbaja’s Motherlan – Lagos, Nigeria ‘06
Miss Commonwealth Beauty pageant – Lagos, Nigeria

Ayo could be said to be one of the prominent rising stars in Africa, with an excellent track record dating back to his days in his home country, Nigeria.

He was the band leader of “Spectrum 4 Jazz ensemble”; a leading jazz band in Nigeria. They released two CD’s and also won a local award for the best jazz band in Nigeria, which made them popular among jazz and music lovers throughout the country. He also became the band leader of “Steve Rhodes Orchestra”; a twenty-man orchestra performing various standards and classics in the African and jazz styles. “Steve Rhodes Orchestra” performed alongside Jonathan Butler, Habana sax from Cuba and several other notable local and international artists.

Ayo was also one of the directors of Pure Magic Entertainment Foundation; a non-profit organization which supports and promotes Nigerian youths talented in the areas of music and fine art. He is an inspiration to many young people home and abroad and has himself been influenced by some of the world’s most renowned artists and performers such as; Kirk Whalum, Gerald Albright, Kenny G, Fela Kuti, Charlie Parker, Bob Marley, Sonny Rollins, Stevie Wonder, George Benson, John Coltrane, Bob James, Justol Almario and several others.

Simply speaking, Ayo is described as; the new sound of the African contemporary jazz artists.

Monitoring HIV/TB budget would foster Accountability.

Stories by Chimdia Ugoh
In order to achieve the maximum benefits from budget allocations for the Health Sector, especially funds earmarked for HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB), experts have called for the establishment of community groupings in the 774 local government council areas to monitor budget implementations at those levels and the creation of mechanisms that will ensure that public officers are accountable.
Although, going by their approach, most correspondences of the government are tagged 'Top Secret', a coalition o f watchdogs in form of Citizens Action Groups (CAG) can work towards the achievement of good governance and better service delivery system in their communities. These groups can establish frameworks that would pave the way for proper accountability and transparency regarding budget issues and their implementations.
Project Director, Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC), African Leadership Forum (ALF), Ayodele Aderinwale who made these recommendations also said there must be incentives for being accountable.
He gave these advise in an address titled Transparency and Accountability: a Key to Development & Good Governance at a 3-Day Training on Budget Monitoring and Tracking for Media organised by Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) in Ota, Ogun State last week.
According to the project director of the ALF, working within the framework of these groupings will make it possible for citizens to access issues of their rights. Similarly, they could create community values and use them to push for the realisation of their vision while holding government functionaries accountable.
Although, attempts to track these budgets could draw the ire of public officers, the task can still be achieved if community groupings engaging the government constructively, using existing protocols of which Nigeria is signatory to demand for action.
Even on the part of the media, he noted that there could be stumbling blocks in the budget monitoring exercises considering that most newspapers worldwide and other media organisations represent certain interest, “There are ways people work to achieve success. Be thorough, be professional and hope that somebody up there is rational,” Aderinwale said.
He particularly advised media professionals who are pushing for accountability and transparency to avoid the traditional way. “Be creative,” he charged.
In his contribution, the Executive Director, International Press Cent re (IPC) proposed the idea of networking a means to get those in public office to be accountable.
In his presentation titled, Acceptability & the FOI Bill: What Rules for the Media, Arogundade urged the media to be development oriented in terms of the type of reports they do and must relate budge with specific work done.
He noted that a lot of donor money goes to the government and sometimes these fund are duplicated. Hence, Arogundade urged the media to keep their own record, pay attention to non-tax revenues, humanize the figures and ensure that reports focus on the impact of the people

New Web Site Launch: News Release

Stories by Chimdia Ugoh

The Adeleke Adejobi Foundation is delighted to announce the launch of a totally redesigned and improved website for, viewable and searchable at www.adelekeadejobifoundation.org.
The new site provides users with a comprehensive overview of the workings of the foundation, including previous, current and upcoming events, press releases and news clippings. Visitors to the site also will find the aesthetic—similar to the print version of the publication—to be inviting and sophisticated. The web developers at GPS Stream responsible for the redesign, worked closely with the media Unit of the Foundation to enhance the site's usability and navigation.
The updated site features an interactive, up-to-date calendar of events where registrants can get automated reminders for programs. User can now also easily access archival and cross-referenced information. For example, recordings from our lectures and symposia are available and the most current resources for such as biographies, image-galleries, and news articles are automatically presented in an “also of interest” section throughout the site. The upgraded site also enables our online visitors and members an easy, instant, and secure way to register for programs, make donations. The site allows our visitors to create individual profiles. In addition to the site’s many new technical features, the graphic design and interface present a dramatic improvement. We have streamlined the site’s navigation, making it more intuitive and user-friendly. We also created a visual navigation system for the many visitors who simply want to browse around the site without a specific destination. We think this dual presentation will allow our "power users" the ease and efficiency of rapidly getting to their resources, while simultaneously inviting
The Adeleke Adejobi Foundation (AAF) was inaugurated on September 15, 1995 by family and friends of the Late Primate at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos, to immortalize and sustain the ideals of Most Rev. Apostle (Dr) Emmanuel Owoade Adeleke Adejobi, the second Primate of The Church of the Lord (Aladura) Worldwide.
His ideals found expression in his zeal in proclaiming the Word of God worldwide with his deepest love and concern for humanity. His specialties were theological scholasticism and ecumenism which he pursued with passion. He actualized the earlier by establishing a Theological Seminary – Aladura Theological Seminary now renamed after him as Adejobi Memorial Theological Seminary (AMTS), and the latter by his roles, and his significant and notable impact on the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), the Organization of Independent African Churches (OIAC), the Nigeria Association of Aladura Churches Inc (NAAC) at the national level and the All African Conference of Churches (AACC), the West African Association for Theological Institutions (WAATI), and the World Council of Churches at the international level.
Media interested in setting up an interview with Adeleke Adejobi Foundation representatives as regards workings of the foundation should contact The secretariat 0803-402-1685 - Pastor Adebola Adejobi0805-563-7047 - Evang. Johnson Idowu or mail- eoajuly@yahoo.com,info!adelekeadejobifoundation.org
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