AFRICAN stars bask in multichoice content extravaganza

Port Louis, Mauritius. A galaxy of stars lined up this week in Mauritius for the second edition of Multichoice Content Showcase launch, from film to music this was the place to catch them all.

It was a marvel as the cream of the entertainment industry rubbed shoulders at the extravaganza dubbed has brought together over 50 journalists and content producers from across the continent.

On a cool night dubbed as ‘Night of a Thousand Stars’ at the Outrigger Resort, the stars and the guests got down to Walk of Fame onto a red-carpet that opened up to a sensational night of dazzling entertainment.

Some have travelled almost 10,000 km just to make it to the star-studded event that happens only once a year.

There was almost everything from the glitz of Hollywood, the glamour of Bollywood and the pomp of Nollywood came to life on the island paradise.

The guest list was rather illustrious with names such as Genevieve Nnaji, Rita Dominic, Desmond Elliot and Ramsey Nuoah representing Nollywood.

On the musical front Mr Flavour, Stonebwoy and The Mavins led by Don Jersey were at hand to entertain the guests who were left in fits of laughter as the MC duo IK and Eku kept the glamorous proceedings rolling.

Unfortunately there wasn’t a performance or artiste from East Africa something that left many wondering what was on the cards.

The Mavins in particular who were without their lead female act Tiwa Savage were an attraction as they performed one of their most popular single ‘Doro Buci’ to a thunderous applause from the audience. With more still to come comedian Basket Mouth also from Nigeria is set to do some stand-up act during the week. Yet even with that, the entertainment list still looked incomplete until Banky W came up with another crowd pulling performance as well.

During the five-day extravaganza we will see a host of DStv’s biggest channels, including Sony, SuperSport, Zee TV, A+E, Disney, MTV Base, BET, Comedy Central, BBC and M-Net previewing their latest and greatest content that will soon roll out on the different platforms.

Started from the bottom ....

With close to 30 years since the first channel was rolled out in 1986 M-Net regional director West Africa, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, reminded guests that M-Net has come such a long way from the days when it was a 12-hour broadcast, to become one of the game changers in African television.

“Our first broadcast in 1986 led to many other firsts like the launch of SuperSport and the Mzansi Magic, Zambezi Magic, Jango Magic and Africa Magic channels; and with the creation of exciting, genre-defining and iconic content like Carte Blanche and Tinsel, M-Net continues to shape cultures, build bridges and empower talent across Africa even as we remain synonymous with all things entertainment on the continent,” says Mba-Uzoukwu.

Constant evolution

She believes that it is only through constant evolution that they can manage to stay ahead of the video entertainment service provision field.

“We are launching and redefining channels and we continue to expand our content offerings to viewers across the continent. Our ongoing and significant investments in local productions have positioned Africa on the entertainment global arena and with new technology we continue to reach even more people, ensuring that no one ever misses the M-Net Magic. Our investment drive remains geared not only towards the industries in which we play, but also in the people who power them,” says Mba-Uzoukwu.

Present at the extravaganza too was the Multichoice Africa CEO, Tim Jobs who reiterated the group’s commitment and promise of providing quality entertainment. “We believe television is an extremely powerful tool that can educate, entertain and inform. The evolution of this medium has become fast and furious and we are constantly evolving to stay ahead,” says Jacobs.

A powerhouse

He adds: MultiChoice is built around three key pillars: people; content - in the form of great entertainment, news and sport - and the latest cutting-edge technology. We want to ensure that our subscribers do not miss out on any of the stories, events or moments that are shaping our future.

With more still to come with a list of Hollywood and African stars lined up for the showcase for the climax of the extravaganza this weekend.

And just like in the previous edition the debate that has dominated among the scribes in attendance is how the content on the different platforms can be representative of the whole continent as opposed to the certain sections taking a lion’s share.

And though it is something that Wangi and her team say they are working on, they too challenge the other regions to make quality content that can fit on to the platform.

“There is nothing against the other parts of Africa but what we have right now is the fact that productions in Nigeria are better than most that come from elsewhere,” she says. The good news for East African viewers there is a possibility that a new channel is in the offing to complement the existing Maisha Magic.