2014 BALLON D'OR: MARADONA RENEWS FEUD WITH PELE

 

Seems the feud between these two football greats is not going to end soon. The funniest part is that Maradona does the talking or slamming most of the time. Reacting to the Brazilian hero, Pele’s recent honorary Ballon D’or award, the Argentine Legend maintained that the three-time World Cup-winner will always remains second best to him.

Speaking with reporters, he said, “How can people say Pele received the Ballon d’Or before me? I received the Golden Ball for services to football from France Football in 1996. So to make out as if Pele is the first one to receive the award before me is a huge mistake. For me, Pele will always remain second best in football when compared to Maradona.

He continued, “Look at it this way, in his own country, Brazil, Pele is the second best sportsman after former Formula One racer Ayrton Senna. Pele will always be second, be it in international football or in Brazilian sports. The sad thing is that he is second best and he will continue to stay in that position. While presenting this year’s Ballon d’Or to Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele uttered his name as ‘Cristiano Leonardo’. This just shows where he belongs.”

I consider the ‘Cristiano Leonardo’ statement totally off-point.

2014 GRAMMY AWARDS: FEMI KUTI LOSES OUT AGAIN+ FULL LIST OF WINNERS

 
Whatever happens, he remains a winner to us. The eldest son of Afro-beat Legend, Femi kuti has for the fourth time lost out in the Grammy Awards again. The saxophonist was nominated in the 56th edition of the prestigious music awards in the ‘World Music’ category, for his album ‘No Place For My Dream’. But the award was clinched by two music groups (a tie); French group Gipsy Kings and South Africa male choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Below is the full list of winners.

LIST OF WINNERS
1. RECORD OF THE YEAR

Get Lucky
Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers

2. ALBUM OF THE YEAR-Random Access Memories-Daft Punk
3. SONG OF THE YEAR-Royals-Track from: Pure Heroine


4. BEST NEW ARTIST-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

5. BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE-Royals Lorde-Track from: Pure Heroine
Daft Punk Featurin-Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers
6. BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE-Get Lucky-Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers


7. BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM-Steppin’ Out-Herb Alpert
8. BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM-Unorthodox Jukebox-Bruno Mars


9. BEST DANCE RECORDING-Clarity-Zedd Featuring Foxes
10. BEST DANCE/ELECTRONICA ALBUM-Daft Punk


11. BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM-To Be Loved-Michael Bublé

12. BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE-Radioactive-Imagine Dragons

13. BEST METAL PERFORMANCE-God Is Dead?    Black Sabbath

14. BEST ROCK SONG-Cut Me Some Slack-Track from: Sound City – Real To Reel

15. BEST ROCK ALBUM-Celebration Day-Led Zeppelin
16. BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM-Modern Vampires Of The City-Vampire Weekend

17. BEST R&B PERFORMANCE-Something-Snarky Puppy With Lalah Hathaway-Track from: Family Dinner Volume One


18. BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE-Please Come Home-Gary Clark Jr.-Track from: Blak And Blu

19. BEST R&B SONG-Pusher Love Girl-James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake)
Track from: The 20/20 Experience – The Complete Experience
20. BEST URBAN CONTEMPORARY ALBUM-Unapologetic-Rihanna


21. BEST R&B ALBUM-Girl On Fire-Alicia Keys

22. BEST RAP PERFORMANCE-Thrift Shop-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz
23. BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION-Holy Grail-Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake

24. BEST RAP SONG-Thrift Shop-Ben Haggerty & Ryan Lewis, songwriters (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz)

25. BEST RAP ALBUM-The Heist-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

26. BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE-Wagon Wheel


27. BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE-From This Valley-The Civil Wars

28. BEST COUNTRY SONG-Merry Go ‘Round-Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
29. BEST COUNTRY ALBUM-Same Trailer Different ParK-Kacey Musgraves


30. BEST NEW AGE ALBUM-Love’s River-Laura Sullivan

31. BEST IMPROVISED JAZZ SOLO-Orbits-Wayne Shorter, soloist
32. BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM-Liquid Spirit-Gregory Porter

33. BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM-Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue

34. BEST LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM-Night In Calisia


35. BEST LATIN JAZZ ALBUM-Song For Maura-Paquito D’Rivera And Trio Corrente

36. BEST GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC PERFORMANCE-Break Every Chain [Live]-Tasha Cobbs

37. BEST GOSPEL SONG-If He Did It Before… Same God [Live]-Tye Tribbett, songwriter (Tye Tribbett)
38. BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC SONG-Overcomer-David Garcia, Ben Glover & Christopher Stevens, songwriters (Mandisa)


39. BEST GOSPEL ALBUM-Greater Than [Live]-Tye Tribbett
40. BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC ALBUM-Overcomer-Mandisa

41. BEST LATIN POP ALBUM-Vida-Draco Rosa

42. BEST LATIN ROCK, URBAN OR ALTERNATIVE ALBUM-Treinta Días-La Santa Cecilia


43. BEST REGIONAL MEXICAN MUSIC ALBUM (INCLUDING TEJANO)-A Mi Manera-Mariachi Divas De Cindy Shea
44. BEST TROPICAL LATIN ALBUM-Pacific Mambo Orchestra


45. BEST AMERICAN ROOTS SONG-Love Has Come For You-Edie Brickell & Steve Martin, songwriters (Steve Martin & Edie Brickell)

46. BEST AMERICANA ALBUM-Old Yellow Moon-Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell

47. BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM-The Streets Of Baltimore-Del McCoury Band
48. BEST BLUES ALBUM-Get Up! Ben Harper With Charlie Musselwhite

49. BEST FOLK ALBUM-My Favorite Picture Of You-Guy Clark


50. BEST REGIONAL ROOTS MUSIC ALBUM-Dockside Sessions-Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience
51. BEST REGGAE ALBUM-Ziggy Marley In Concert-Ziggy Marley

52. BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM (TIE)-Savor Flamenco-Gipsy Kings-Live: Singing For Peace Around The World-Ladysmith Black Mambazo

53. BEST CHILDREN’S ALBUM-Throw A Penny In The Wishing Well-Jennifer Gasoi


54. BEST SPOKEN WORD ALBUM (INCLUDES POETRY, AUDIO BOOKS & STORYTELLING)
America Again: Re-becoming The Greatness We Never Weren’t-Stephen Colbert
55. BEST COMEDY ALBUM-Calm Down Gurrl-Kathy Griffin

56. BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM-Kinky Boots


57. BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA-Sound City: Real To Reel
58. BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA-Skyfall-Thomas Newman, composer

59. BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA-Skyfall-Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (Adele)-Track from: Skyfall


60. BEST INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION-Pensamientos For Solo Alto Saxophone And Chamber Orchestra
61. BEST INSTRUMENTAL ARRANGEMENT-On Green Dolphin Street

62. BEST INSTRUMENTAL ARRANGEMENT ACCOMPANYING VOCALIST(S)-Swing Low

63. BEST RECORDING PACKAGE-Long Night Moon-Sarah Dodds & Shauna Dodds, art directors (Reckless Kelly)

64. BEST BOXED OR SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION PACKAGE-Wings Over America (Deluxe Edition)


65. BEST ALBUM NOTES-Afro Blue Impressions (Remastered & Expanded)-Neil Tesser, album notes writer (John Coltrane)

66. BEST HISTORICAL ALBUM (TIE)-Charlie Is My Darling – Ireland 1965

67. BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, NON-CLASSICAL-Random Access Memories
68. PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-
CLASSICAL-Pharrell Williams
• BBC (Jay Z) (T) • Blurred Lines (Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell) (S) • Happy (Pharrell Williams) (T) • I Can’t Describe (The Way I Feel) (Jennifer Hudson Featuring T.I.) (S) • Nuclear (Destiny’s Child) (T) • Oceans (Jay Z Featuring Frank Ocean) (T) • Reach Out Richard (Mayer Hawthorne) (T) • The Stars Are Ours (Mayer Hawthorne) (T)

69. BEST REMIXED RECORDING, NON-CLASSICAL-Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix)-Cedric Gervais, remixer (Lana Del Rey)
70. BEST SURROUND SOUND ALBUM-Live Kisses-Al Schmitt, surround mix engineer; Tommy LiPuma, surround producer (Paul McCartney)


71. BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, CLASSICAL-Winter Morning Walks
72. PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, CLASSICAL-David Frost


73. BEST ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE-Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4-Osmo Vänskä, conductor (Minnesota Orchestra)
74. BEST OPERA RECORDING-Adès: The Tempest

75. BEST CHORAL PERFORMANCE-Pärt: Adam’s Lament

76. BEST CHAMBER MUSIC/SMALL ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE-Roomful Of Teeth

77. BEST CLASSICAL INSTRUMENTAL SOLO-Corigliano: Conjurer – Concerto For Percussionist & String Orchestra


78. BEST CLASSICAL VOCAL SOLO-Winter Morning Walks
79. BEST CLASSICAL COMPENDIUM-Hindemith: Violinkonzert; Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik-Christoph Eschenbach, conductor

80. BEST CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL COMPOSITION-Schneider, Maria: Winter Morning Walks-Track from: Winter Morning Walks

81. BEST MUSIC VIDEO-Suit & Tie-Justin Timberlake Featuring Jay Z

82. BEST MUSIC FILM-Live Kisses-Paul McCartney
 

PHOTO: CHELSEA'S LASTEST SIGNING, MOHAMED SALAH GETS JERSEY NO 15.

Chelsea's latest and last signing (for the January transfer window), Mohamed Salah has been given the jersey no 15 shirt. The former Basel winger who was signed for a reported fee of £11m played against Chelsea four times last year and scored three times. Jose Mourinho has lavished praises on the 21 year-old player adding that he likes the fact that he can play the same way Chelsea attacking players do, "which is players with adaptability, to play right, left or behind the striker."

"He's young, he's fast, he's creative, he's enthusiastic. When we analysed him he looks the kind of humble personality on the pitch, ready to work for the team and to work and to adapt himself to a new life. We think with him and André Schürrle, Eden Hazard, Oscar and Willian we will be fine. We lose an experienced top player like Juan Mata but we bring in a young player with great potential.

The Portuguese continued, "Willian did that transition from his previous world to the top world of football. Hopefully, if Salah comes, he can do the same. He has some experience in Europe, the Europa League, Champions League, so he's not a naive boy arriving in the jungle. Hopefully he comes and hopefully with the talented players we have around in the same positions we all can develop together."

SINGER, WAJE AND DAUGHTER POSE FOR THE CAMERA

That sweet mother and daughter moment! 14 year-old Emerald is the splitting image of her pretty mum and we are not sure if she's following her footsteps (i.e singing). By the way I'm loving every bit of Waje's new look; the hair and figure. Hope she maintains it!

CURBING INCESSANT RAPE CASES: INDIA PRODUCES FIRST GUN FOR WOMEN

 

Rape happens in India every 22 minutes, according to a recent study. And that horrifying issue will forever be decried in our society, country and in the world world at large. But is snuffing life out of a fellow human being the panacea to curb incessant rape cases? Some manufacturers in The India Ordinance Factory think so and taking cues from the US firearms industry, they’ve produced India’s first gun for women.

The pink lady gun also called “Nirbheek” was named after a 23 year-old who died weeks after she was gang-raped in Delhi, in December 2012. The 500 gram light-weight gun is small, light and can “fit into a lady’s purse”. Manufacturers strongly believe guns are “empowering” and more importantly, women alone are responsible for keeping their aggressors away. Other studies have also shown that women with guns in the home are more likely to be murdered than if there were no guns.

I personally think it’s unsafe. What’s your take?

SO TOUCHING! READ JUAN MATA'S HEARTFELT LETTER TO CHELSEA FANS

25 year-old midfielder Juan Mata who officially became a Manchester United player this week after a £37.1 million move from Chelsea has posted an heartfelt letter on his official website to his ever-supportive blues fans. According to the Spaniard, his intention was to stay long at The Bridge, win more titles and keep his them happy but….things changed after the preseason."Hi everyone,As you can imagine this is a very important day in my life, and with these lines I would like to express the memories and emotions that come to me as I write. This letter is written from my heart, and first of all I would like to say that I will never forget all the affection given to me by the Chelsea fans. From the very first day until the last. With your support and affection I have grown up as a player and I have had an amazing time both on and off the pitch. I will always feel the gratitude towards you. Always.No words are enough to give back all the things I have received. There has been plenty of good moments: the FA Cup, my first trophy as a Blue; the immense happiness of winning titles for the first time in the club's history, such as that magical Champions League night in Munich and the Europa League…On the other hand, I have experienced some complicated situations from a personal point of view, mainly during the last six months. Every message I got through the social media, every nice word you have said to me on the street, and of course, your support in the stadium, has made me feel incredibly proud of the Chelsea fans; you deserve a team like the one you've got, with so many fantastic players.I won't forget the faith you put in me when I was given the player of the year award the last two seasons. I feel really proud and I will never forget those nights. Thank you so much for the way you have treated me, you have been unbelievable. I hope you understand that after going through a complicated and, for me, new situation in the last few months, I believe this is the best choice in order to carry on with my football career and to keep enjoying this sport.Before last summer, my intention was to stay here for a long time; as long as the club wanted me to, and to keep winning trophies for Chelsea FC. This is how happy I was in the club and in the city.
However, as you all know, things changed after the preseason. From feeling like an important player, I started to experience some difficult situations and I felt unable to help the team to the extent that I wanted and was used to. Obviously, I fully respect the circumstances. Football is a team sport and it's not easy to play regularly in such a good squad. In sports you may win or lose, but the most important thing is to give everything. I hope you know and feel that I have always done so. In every game, in every training session, without exception. I have always tried my best for the club.I would like to emphasise the affection, admiration and respect that I've had for my former team mates since the first day. I want to thank the captains for their help and understanding at all times. They made me feel comfortable when I arrived and they have supported me throughout the difficult times this season. I thank all my former team mates for these two and a half years and I wish them the best, personally and professionally, for the future.Of course I have been closer to some of them, but the most important thing is that my years in Chelsea have left me with great friends. Friends forever, football rivalries aside. I also want to highlight the day-to-day job of every member of the Chelsea staff: medical team, kit men, staff at Cobham and Stamford Bridge, media and marketing department, Chelsea TV team… All of them are very important in making this club a great one. Thank you for your treatment and your efforts to make the life of the players easier.Furthermore, thanks to every manager I have had the pleasure to work with during my time here. They have all been a big help for my progression as a player. I have always respected their decisions, whatever they were; they made me more mature and a stronger person. You learn from everything, and certain situations make you think about other team mates who are coping with similar situations more regularly.Thank you Andre for giving me the opportunity to join Chelsea FC. Without your support, none of this would have happened. To Robbie and Rafa, for their unlimited trust in me. And to Jose, for making me a stronger player, because in difficult moments, I have learnt to remain positive and to keep working hard.Lastly, I want to thank the Club, and in particular its owner, Roman Abramovich, for trusting me and making an important investment when signing me. Also for their understanding regarding my situation over the last months. I'm very glad to have been part of the squad that made his and our dream come true: winning the Champions League on that unforgettable night in Munich.Additionally, my years in Chelsea have been profitable for the club, which I'm very pleased about. I want to make clear that the stage that now comes to an end has been extremely important for me, personally and professionally. Although many of you, like myself, never thought this moment would come, this is football and a new chapter is about to begin.I would have liked to say good bye to all of you in the stadium, or in a press conference, but it has not been possible. I'm sure, I will be able to do it in the future, because is what you deserve. Evidently, today is a day of mixed feelings, remembering the past and looking forward to the future and what it has to bring.I look forward to being happy and to enjoy what I like the most: play football. I will never forget my time in Chelsea and the affection I take with me, I will keep forever. I wish you the best. A big hug to all of you".THANK YOU so muchJuan

KUNLE AFOLAYAN RECEIVES DOUBLE HONOURS AT BRITISH COUNCIL AWARDS

Established film maker and actor, Kunle Afolayan continues to win plaudits, having received two awards for the Creative Enterpreneur in Filmmaking and overall Creative entrepreneur of the year at the recently-held British Council Awards.

The figurine star shared the good news on his official social media pages, "God just did it again. I was presented the British Council awards for the Creative Enterpreneur in Filmmaking and overall Creative entrepreneur of the year. Thanks you to the organizers and you guys for your supports and prayer"

PHOTO: SUPER EAGLES' EJIKE UZOENYI RECEIVES MAN OF THE MATCH AWARD

Needless to say, Super Eagles Forward, Ejike Uzoenyi has been very impressive in the ongoing CHAN 2014 competition. The promising Enugu Rangers footballer who was one of the goal-scorers in the team’s comeback victory over Morocco this evening in South Africa was honoured with the Man of the Match award.

DORIS SIMEON, BIMBO THOMAS, IYABO OJO, OTHERS CELEBRATE IRETI OSAYEMI AT 32

It's certainly a birthday to remember for popular actress, Ireti Osayemi-Bakare who turned 32 last week; January 14 to be precise. The Economics graduate gave herself a big treat at an expensive hotel and also hosted her friends and colleagues to a private gig. In attendance include Doris Simeon, Iyabo Ojo, Bimbo Thomas, Liz DaSilva, Tayo Odueke and a host of others.

Photocredit: Movie Moments

VETERAN ACTRESS, LIZ BENSON IS AN AGELESS BEAUTY

Virtually all movie lovers, particularly those who have been following Nigerian films from the late 90s miss the uber-talented and beautiful Liz Benson. Here's a recent picture of the veteran actress, she still oozes beauty and grace. Liz is married to Bishop Great Ameye and they run a ministry called Freedom Family Assembly in Delta State.

Photocredit: Best of Nollywood!

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