Month: March 2012

Yesterday, I had the opportunity of sitting down and having a one on one with the King of Facebook, Oj. Interesting guy. This is how it went down.

GHAFLA!KENYA:Which is your favorite social media application?
OJ: Facebook of course. I’m the king right! Facebook is fun and wide. I develop apps on Fb so it makes it the ‘thing’.

GHAFLA!KENYA: What tactics did you use to gain your facebook King title and what came with it?
OJ: Extreme campaign on my friends’ walls and popular facebook pages it was fun I can say. I actually never slept for a whole month during the campaign period. I also bought airtime worth Sh.20k and sent Sh.100 to each of my friends so that they would vote for me. I also put up posters at the university notice boards. I won an Apple Mac book, PS3, Huawei Mobile Smartphone, Unlimited Internet for one year and a party for me and 30 friends hosted by Safaricom.

GHAFLA!KENYA: What exactly is your role for facebook and how do you go about it? OJ: I became the facebook brand ambassador for Safaricom. Doing data services commercials and adverts plus getting Safaricom subscribers to know how and to use the short code *544#

GHAFLA!KENYA: What are some of the opportunities and exposure that your title has brought you?
OJ: It gave me an opportunity to work with some of the top CEO’s and public figures. The then Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph, Churchill, among others. Sitting at a meeting with Michael at that time was actually a challenge to me. I learnt a lot from them.

GHAFLA!KENYA: Best perk that your title has given you?
OJ: Being a brand myself! Corporates, Companies, Clubs came looking for me to endorse me as their brands ambassador. I got a deal with Club Legend a popular night club in Nairobi. My main role was to enhance the club’s sales online as well as increase its visibility on the social media platform as well as create brand visibility strategies.

GHAFLA!KENYA: Any problems associated with being the facebook king?
OJ: No problems. It’s actually fun. You get to meet and know new people each and everyday. I like making new friends so it was actually a boost to my social life.

GHAFLA!KENYA: With the title ‘King’ comes favors and ladies (groupies). Have you received any?
OJ: Ha ha ha…. when you talk of favors yea there are lots of favors. With ladies, groupies all I can say once you keep your morals right you will actually attract more not as groupies but as friends. Nuh I have not received any (smiling). I keep off.

GHAFLA!KENYA: Is there anything between you and the queen of facebook? [hehehe]
OJ: When you talk of anything! I’d say yes. She’s my queen on facebook, we work together. Unless you are talking of another “anything” which I don’t know!

GHAFLA!KENYA: So, any special queen in your life?
OJ: Non at the moment.

GHAFLA!KENYA: What’s your ideal type of a woman?
OJ: Supportive, independent, beautiful inside and out, confident, simple and down to earth.

GHAFLA!KENYA: Where do you like to hung out?
OJ: Galileo in Westlands and Mercury at Junction anytime. Find me at this joints… I always buy rounds [hahaha]. I also like doing weekend get road trips-Naivasha is the place.

GHAFLA!KENYA: Would you say you are a celebrity?
OJ: No, I don’t think so… to me a celebrity is somebody who when he/she walks on the streets people will always be like…hey that’s so and so. but I walk on the streets and nobody actually notices me. Chill… at some point I always get some “hi Oj” when I check in to a club or at some social event. Does that qualify me as a celebrity? Lol!

GHAFLA!KENYA: Has social media consumed a larger percentage of your life?
OJ: Yes. I now do social media full time. I am a social media consultant, last year November I was in Rwanda and Burundi doing Social media and ICT training to NGO’s in Development. I am also a Director and Social media manager at a digital marketing company (www.trincmedia.com)

GHAFLA!KENYA: Tell us about your blog and website:
OJ: I am into Social media and IT. Actually Information technology is my passion. So my blog (www.johnoballa.com) is just full of funny stories, jokes and gossip. I love gadgets so I do review the latest in the market. Global trends in fashion, sports and entertainment business. I mean you will just find everything there and won’t get bored while at it.

GHAFLA!KENYA: Any current or future projects In store?
OJ: Every year, one percent club (www.onepercentclub.com) an international NGO that hosts development projects online, we always highlight a local based project and help it collect funds to aid their operations. Last year we raised 136k in 8 hours via facebook for a Githurai based project. We are yet to do the same this year.

GHAFLA!KENYA: Tell us something that the world doesn’t know about you.
OJ: I’m emotionally high-maintenance, although I don’t require much- just time and attention. I’m sardonic, opinionated, uninhibited, irreverent, and soft top criteria of being allowed into my world. I don’t like putting up with peoples’ crap, and I don’t like whiners. I’m not shy about voicing my opinions and I have no problem telling someone to go jump in a lake if they are trippin’!

Well, there you have it. One on one with Oj, King of Facebook. Holla at him through Facebook and Twitter to get up close and personal:
Twitter: @oballajohn
Facebook: facebook.com/jon.oballa

These chances usually come so suddenly and have to get you prepared. So, ready or not, here it comes.

This Saturday, the 3rd of March from 9PM, auditions will be ongoing at the Insyder Offices. If you have always longed for a chance in stardom, do not dare miss this. This is not an ‘extra’ or one of the ‘behind-the-scenes’ audition. THIS IS THE REAL DEAL.

However, you must be a Kenyan citizen aged 16 to 22 years.

Most importantly, you must be HOT, Confident and have mad swag (you know, basic necessities…LOL).

Don’t come one, come all.

Shuga: Love Sex and Money is all the rave on local television channels as MTV released to us their sequel to the hugely successful first season.

The series, which revolves around the lives of some urban (and not so rural) young Kenyans and the risks they take in their lives, particularly with HIV, is in its second season, currently airing on MTV Base and KBC on Tuesdays at 10.30pm, KISS TV on Sundays at 9.00pm and on both Citizen and KTN on Mondays at 10.30pm.

Now, if you’re lost and trying to get to grips with the backgrounds of these characters, we have a special just for you right here on Ghafla. Check out the last episode of the first season of Shuga below, courtesy of MTV Staying Alive…

Austrian film maker Ulrich Seidl is working on a series of 3 films, the first of which is about a sexual relationship between a European tourist and a Kenyan beach boy at the coast.

The film, titled Paradise (or Paradies in its original German title) tells the story of two women, mother and daughter. Teresa, a 40 year old care worker for the disabled flies to Mombasa in search of love, luck and a local lover, and her daughter who is a 13 year old overweight girl struggling with her weight.

Ulrich describes the character Teresa as a ‘sugar mama’ who is desperate to find love and acceptance, and on her friend’s advice, goes to the Kenyan coast on vacation in the hopes of striking her luck. There she meets a young Kenyan stud who may or may not be interested in her.

In her thirst for love, she realizes that their relationship may just be business afterall.

Ulrich Seidl is a director of numerous award winning documentaries including Good News (1990) and Models (1998). Import Export, the first film Seidl ever produced featured at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

You may know him as Dr. Jeffrey Cole (a.k.a. ‘Big Love’) on the hit American TV series House, or you may call him Darwin from the 2011 American super hero film, X-Men: First Class. Whichever way, his name is Edi Gathegi, a Kenyan-American film, stage and television actor, and his star is just about to get even brighter.

The Twilight and Twilight Saga: New Moon actor has just landed another new role, starring in ABC’s upcoming comedy series, White Van Man.

The series centers around co-star Kyle Bornheimer (you may know him from the other popular TV series Worst Week) who plays Jack, a man forced to put his dreams on hold in order to run the family business.

Gathegi will feature as Darren, Jack’s dodgy assistant.

White Van Man was originally a British sitcom series released in March 2011, and received the highest ever rating of a sitcom on BBC3 in the UK. The American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is currently working on a US remake that should pilot soon.