Coordinates: 4°57′00″N 8°19′30″E / 4.95°N 8.325°E / 4.95; 8.325

Kingdom of Calabar Greater Calabar
—  City  —
Flag
Kingdom of Calabar Location in Nigeria
Coordinates: 4°57′N 8°19′E / 4.95°N 8.317°E / 4.95; 8.317
Country	Nigeria
State	Cross River State
Area
• Total	233 sq mi (604 km2)
Population (2005)
• Total	1,200,000
Time zone	WAT (UTC+1)
Website	http://www.crossriverstate.gov.ng/

Calabar (also referred to as 'Canaan City')^[1] is a city in Cross River State, coastal southeastern Nigeria. The original name for Calabar was Atakpa, from the Jukun language.^[2][3] The city is watered by the Calabar and Great Kwa Rivers and creeks of the Cross River (from its inland delta).

Calabar is the capital of Cross River State. For the purpose of administration, the city is divided into Calabar Municipal and Calabar South LGAs. It has an area of 406 km² and a population of 371,022 at the 2006 census.^[4]

History[link]

The original town was known as Atakpa from the Jukun words Ata and Akpa.^[3] The spelling Calabar remained till the British came and pronounced Calabar as Calabah. The neighboring town of Ataba took over the name and its Efik /Qua/Efut/Biase/Akampkpa indigenes became known as Calabar pronounced Calabah till this day. Calabar is a large metropolis today with several towns like Akim, Ikot Ansa, Ikot Ishie, Kasuk, Duke Town, Henshaw Town, Ikot Omin, Obutong, Bakassi, Biase, Akamkpa, etc.

Sea-port city[link]

As far back as the 16th century, Calabar had been a recognized international sea port, shipping out goods such as palm oil.^[5] During the era of the Atlantic slave trade It subsequently became a major port in the transportation of African slaves. Most slave ships that transported slaves from Calabar were English, at around 85% of these ships being from Bristol and Liverpool merchants.^[6] Old Calabar (Duke Town) and Creek Town, 10 miles northeast, were crucial towns in the trade of slaves in that era.^[1] The first British warship to sail as far as Duke Town, where she captured seven Spanish and Portuguese slavers, may have been HMS Comus in 1815.^[7]

The main ethnic group taken out of Calabar as slaves were the Igbo, from the neighboring Igbo land.^[8] African-American writer and slave John Jea was from the area. There was also a small Mulatto community of merchants with links to missionary and other merchant colonies in Igboland and Lagos, and across the Atlantic to Britain's colonies in the Americas.

First Nigerian capital city[link]

The city once served as the seat of Government of the Niger Coast Protectorate, Southern Protectorate and Oil River Protectorate. It is thus effectively the first Nigerian capital city.

Climate[link]

Landmarks[link]

As a social centre the city boasts of the first social club in Nigeria, The Africa Club, and hosted the first competitive football, cricket and field hockey games in Nigeria. Among the city's firsts includes the first Roman Catholic Mass (held at 19 Bocco Street, Calabar – 1903) and the oldest secondary school (Hope Waddell Training Institution – 1895) in eastern Nigeria. The School later produced the first President of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe.^{[citation needed]}

Passengers boarding a Nigeria Airways Boeing 737 at Calabar Airport in 1981 for a flight to Lagos

The city boasts of an International Museum, a Botanical Garden, a Free Trade Zone/Port, an International Airport and Seaport, an integrated sports stadium complex, a cultural centre, one of the most prominent universities in the country the University of Calabar, a slave history park and several historical and cultural landmarks. It also boasts of several standard hotels, resorts and amusement parks. The former Liberian warlord Charles Taylor lived in the old colonial palace in the city under an agreement which led to the end of his country's civil war before fleeing extradition to Liberia in March 2006.^{[citation needed]} The Tinapa Resort, a development by the Cross River State government, lies to the north of the city beside the Calabar Free Trade Zone.^[10]

The Cross River State Annual Christmas Festival held every year attracts thousands within and beyond Nigeria. The Festival which include music performance from both local and international artists, the annual Calabar Carnival, Boat regatta, Fashion shows, Christmas Village, traditional dances and the annual Ekpe Festival is a yearly events that bring in thousands of tourists at the time of the year. The official website of the Cross River Festival has more information on the upcoming 2007 Christmas Festival in Cross River State.

Political authority[link]

Calabar has three principal landlord kingdom, namely The Qua Kingdom of ejagham (Ekoi)/bantu origin, The Efut and the Efik Kingdoms. The Qua Kingdom has the Ndidem of the Qua nation as the Grand patriach,The Efut have the Muri munene as the grand patriarch while the Efik Kingdom partriarch is knowns as the Obong. The Efik political authority as it concerns the Obong is hinged on a political tripod, Creek Town, made up of Ambo, Cobham and Eyo; Old Town made up of Obutong; and, Duke Town or Atakpa made up of Duke/Archibong, Eyamba, Ntiero, Henshaw and Cobham. Each leg of this tripod at one time or the other was ruled by a separate Obong. Within the last 100 years, a gentleman’s agreement to merge these three zones into one, with a single titular head as the Obong, and the distribution or opening up of the title to all Efik wards, was arrived at. It is the attempt to do away or dishonor this ‘contract of understanding’ that is at the root of the Obong of Calabar crises. Each of the aspirants to the throne is eminently qualified, none no more so, than the other. The title of the Obong of Calabar had been held by Nsa Effiom and Ekpo Nsa in the 17th century, these two gentlemen were from the Henshaw ward. Attempts by the Henshaw to have an Obong resulted in a war in 1870. The Henshaws did not attain this title again until the last 50 years when David Henshaw became Obong. Cobham Town where Bassey Ekpo Bassey hails from had their first and only Obong recently. All these were made possible because of ‘the contract’.^{[citation needed]}

Calabar Kingdom[link]

Before the colonial period, Calabar, originally known as Akwa Akpa, was a Kingdom with the City of Calabar as the site of government, the Obong of Calabar as the ruler and the Ekpe Secrete Society, Ekpe, as the stool on which the Obong of Calabar sat. The other kingdoms in Calabar are that of the Qua Nation with the Ndidem of the Quas and paramount ruler of calabar municipality and the Muri munene of efut and paramount ruler of calabar south

Calabar people[link]

Calabar people are mainly people from the Greater Calabar district - Calabar South, Calabar Municipality, Akpabuyo, Bakassi, Biase, Odukpani and Akamkpa, but as commonly used in Nigeria, the term Calabar People could also refer to both the indigenes of Greater Calabar as well as the people of the original South Eastern State of Nigeria which is at present the people of Akwa Ibom State and Cross River State.

Nigerian Navy[link]

Calabar is also the Headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command.^[11] The City has a new model school, Nigerian Navy Secondary School, situated in a serene part of Akpabuyo, about 10 minutes drive from the Airport. This new school complements favourably the existing Nigerian Navy Primary School and Naval Officers Wives Association Primary School both situated at Ikot Ansa Calabar to provide quality education.

References[link]

• Marshall, John ( 1823–1835) Royal naval biography, or, Memoirs of the services of all the flag-officers, superannuated rear-admirals, retired-captains, post-captains, and commanders, whose names appeared on the Admiralty list of sea officers at the commencement of the present year 1823, or who have since been promoted ... (London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown).

External links[link]

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Calabar.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Calabar

Chico Buarque
Chico Buarque receiving his award for best book in the 5th edition of the award BRAVO! Prime de Cultura in 2009.
Background information
Birth name	Francisco Buarque de Hollanda
Also known as	Chico Buarque
Born	(1944-06-19) June 19, 1944 (age 68)
Origin	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, writer, Poet, playwright
Instruments	Voice, guitar
Years active	1962–present
Website	http://www.chicobuarque.com.br

Francisco Buarque de Hollanda (born June 19, 1944 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), popularly known as Chico Buarque (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʃikʊ ˈbwaɾkɪ]), is a singer, guitarist, composer, dramatist, writer and poet. He is best known for his music, which often includes social, economic and cultural commentary on Brazil and Rio de Janeiro in particular.

Son of the academic Sérgio Buarque de Hollanda, Buarque lived in several locations throughout his childhood, though mostly in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Italy. He wrote and studied literature as a child and came to music through the bossa nova compositions of João Gilberto. He performed music throughout the 1960s as well as writing a play that was deemed dangerous by the Brazilian military dictatorship of the time. Buarque, along with several of his fellow musicians, were threatened by the government and eventually left Brazil in 1970. He moved to Italy again. However, he came back to Brazil in 1971, one year before the others, and continued to record albums, perform, and write, though much of his material was not allowed by government censors. He released several more albums in the 1980s and published three novels in the 1990s and 2000s, all of which were acclaimed critically.

Biography[link]

Buarque came from a privileged intellectual family background—his father Sérgio Buarque de Holanda was a well-known historian, sociologist and journalist and his mother Maria Amélia Cesário Alvim was a painter and pianist. He is also brother of the singer Miúcha and politician Ana de Hollanda. As a child, he was impressed by the musical style of bossa nova, specifically the work of Tom Jobim and João Gilberto. He was also interested in writing, composing his first short story at 18 years old^[1] and studying European literature, also at a young age.^[2] One of his most consuming interests, however, was playing soccer, beginning at age four, which he still does today.^[2] Though he was born in Rio de Janeiro, Buarque spent much of his childhood in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Italy.

Before becoming a musician, Buarque decided at one point to study architecture at the University of São Paulo, but this choice did not lead to a career in that field; for Buarque often skipped classes.^[3]

He made his public debut as musician and composer in 1964, rapidly building his reputation at music festivals and television variety shows when bossa nova rhythm came to light and Nara Leão recorded three of his songs.^[3] His eponymous debut album exemplified his future work, with catchy sambas characterized by inventive wordplay and an undercurrent of nostalgic tragedy. Buarque had his first hit with "A Banda" in 1966, written about a marching band, and soon released several more singles.^[2] Although playing bossa nova, during his career, samba and Música Popular Brasileira would also be widely explored. Despite that, Buarque was criticized by two of the leading musicians at the time, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil as they believed his musical style was overly conservative.^[3] However, an existentially themed play that Buarque wrote and composed in 1968, Roda Viva ("Live Cycle"), was frowned upon by the military government and Buarque served a short prison sentence because of it.^[3] He left Brazil for Italy for 18 months in 1970, returning to write his first novel in 1972, which was not targeted by censors.^[1]

Chico Buarque performs in 2007.

At this time his thinly-veiled protest single "Apesar de Você" ("In spite of You" - in reference to the military dictatorship) was also produced.^[4] ("In spite of you") was overlooked by the military censors, becoming an important anthem in the democratic movement. After selling over 100,000 copies, the single was eventually censored and removed from the market. At one point in 1974, the censors banned any song authored by Chico Buarque. Then, he created a pseudonym, naming himself "Julinho da Adelaide", complete with life history and interviews to newspapers. "Julinho da Adelaide"^[5] authored songs such as "Jorge Maravilha" and "Acorda amor" before he was outed in Jornal do Brasil news story.^[6] Buarque also wrote a play named Calabar, about the Dutch invasion of Brazil in the seventeenth century, drawing parallels with the military regime.^[7] Despite the censorship, songs such as "Samba de Orly" (1970), "Acorda amor" (1974, as "Julinho da Adelaide") manifested Buarque's continuing opposition to the military regime.

During the 1970s and 1980s, he collaborated with filmmakers, playwrights, and musicians in further protest works against the dictatorship. Buarque approached the 1983 Concert for Peace in Nicaragua as a valid forum to vocalize his strong political views. Throughout the decade, he crafted many of his songs as vehicles to describe the re-democratization of Brazil. The Concert for Peace in Nicaragua was one in a concert series known as the "Central American Peace Concerts." These concerts featured various Latin American artists. The political turmoil that plagued this era were expressed in many of Buarque's songs.^[8][9] He later wrote Budapeste, a novel that achieved critical national acclaim and won the Prêmio Jabuti,^[10] a Brazilian literary award comparable to the Man Booker Prize.

"Cálice"[link]

During the Brazilian military coup of 1964, Buarque wrote about the events which transpired and avoided censorship by using cryptic analogies and wordplay. For example, in the song "Cálice" ("Chalice", or Jesus' Last Supper "Cup"), a duet written with Gilberto Gil and performed with Milton Nascimento,^[11] he takes advantage of the homophony between the Portuguese imperative "shut your mouth" --cale-se-- and "chalice" --cálice-- to protest censorship against freedom of speech by the dictatorship, disguised as the Gospel narrative of Jesus' Gethsemani prayer to the Father to pass from Him the chalice of bloody death probation. The line "I wanna sniff diesel fume" is a reference to the death of political prisoner Stuart Angel, who had his mouth glued to a jeep's exhaust pipe during a torture session.^[12] Buarque was a friend of his mother Zuzu.

Discography[link]

Other works[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chico Buarque

• Official website (Portuguese)
• Vai passar
• O que será
• Oliveria, Luiz Roberto; Buarque, Chico; Lombardi, Jerry (2000-04-30). "My Greatest Maestro". Clube do Tom. http://www.jobim.com.br/chico/e.chico1.html. 
• annotated Chico Buarque discography on Slipcue.com

P-Square are a Nigerian R&B duo composed of identical twin brothers Peter and Paul Okoye.^[1]

History[link]

This section includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (November 2011)

The story of P-Square began in St. Murumba secondary school, a small Catholic school in Jos, Nigeria. Identical twins Peter and Paul joined their school music and drama club where they began singing, dancing, and miming songs by MC Hammer, Bobby Brown and Michael Jackson.

They later formed an a cappella quartet called "MMMPP" (M Clef a.k.a. Itemoh, Michael, Melvin, Peter and Paul). Drawing inspiration from their music idol Michael Jackson, they began break dancing, formed the group called "Smooth Criminals" in 1997. They droped M Clef from the group "MMMPP" which later was changed to "MMPP". Their artistic talent and precise dance routine soon made them household names in the city of Jos, where they performed at school functions and other occasions.

Later in 1999, Peter and Paul returned to music school to develop their skills on keyboard, drums, bass and rhythm guitar. Their work includes the soundtracks for a number of films like Tobi, Mama Sunday, Moment of Bitterness and Evas River.

Later in 1999, they applied to the University of Abuja to study Business Administration. The Smooth Criminals disbanded when its members left to various other universities. Subsequently Peter and Paul formed their own group, variously called "Double P", "P&P", and "Da Pees", until they eventually settled on "P Square". They are managed by Bayo Odusami aka Howie T, a seasoned concert promoter and the CEO of Adrot Nigeria Limited.

In 2001, "P-Square" won the "Grab Da Mic" competition, and hence Benson & Hedges sponsored their debut album, titled Last Nite, which was released under Timbuk2 music label. P-Square was also nominated as "Most Promising African Group" in the Kora Awards three months after the release of their debut album. They eventually won the 2003 Amen Award for "Best R&B Group".

In 2005, P Square released their second album, Get Squared under their own label, Square Records. This album was marketed nationwide by TJoe Enterprises, although they were still managed by Howie T of Adrot Nigeria Limited. The video for the second album held the #1 position on the MTV Base chart for four straight weeks.

They have an ever growing fan base across South Africa with a particular stronghold of die-hard fans in Cape Town.

The group has performed alongside the following international artists like Ginuwine, Sean Paul, Akon and Busola Keshiro. The members of P Square are now located in Lagos.

Late in 2007, they released their best selling album so far, Game Over. It has sold 8 million copies worldwide.

In 2009, P-Square released their fourth studio album, Danger. The album features collaborations with 2face Idibia, J Martins and Frenzy. The first single called "Danger" is a hip hop song with cutting synths and a frog bass baseline similar to an Eminem song. The video affirms this with the presence of clowns and staggered movements in front of the camera reminiscent of comical videos by Eminem. They are also known for the close resemblance which the twins have to American R&B Superstar, Usher Raymond.

On 4 April 2010, P-Square was named the Artist of the Year^[2] at the KORA All Africa Music Awards in Ouagadougou, Burkina-Faso while they were in London for a Concert at the Troxy, and they will receive a whopping sum of $1 Million Dollars as the Award Winners, in Ebebiyin City.

Controversies[link]

The duo are reported to handle most of their production/beat making in house. The band has been faced with many controversies for their habit of sampling western songs and popular hits in their records. They have addressed the issue many times in interviews as well as in the lyrics of their songs.^[3] Technically speaking, P Square does more in the line of reconstructing the drum patterns, chord progressions or lyrics of the sampled songs as against actually cutting parts of the song and directly sampling into their production. This accounts for the largely electronic feel of their sound.

Some of the songs which have been called up on this account include "Get Squared", "Game Over", "Danger" and others.

P-Square attracted headlines when they reportedly turned irate when they were notified in the middle of their at the Guinness Show performance by the organisers about some change in plans which would affect the length of their performance, and that of the next act, 2face.^[4]
As reported by a news site vanguardngr.com, the info apparently stirred up resentment as Peter immediately said "I don’t know why, anytime a foreign artiste comes to Nigeria, they (show organizers) wanna treat us like slaves in our country". Although initially they continued their performance but midway through, they threw their microphones to the ground and angrily stormed out of the stage saying, "We are leaving; they don’t want 2face to come on stage" They were said to have immediately left the premises of the show, but after intervention of the show organisers, they came on stage later with 2face for a performance, but later on were apologised to.

Signing with Konvict Muzik[link]

Record producer and singer Akon recently signed Nigerian artistes: Wizkid, Tuface and P-square as representatives of his record label Konvict Muzik in Africa. He revealed this in December 2011 in Lagos at the unveiling of Citron energy drink which took place in footballer Jay Jay Okocha's club Number 10. They join international artistes; Brick and Lace, T-Pain and Lady Gaga in the Konvict Muzik family.

Signing with Telecommunication Giants, Globacom[link]

The multiple award-winning twin brothers were officially unveiled as the new ambassadors of the Mike Adenuga owned telecommunications outfit in Lagosin 2011, but the mouth-watering amount was not revealed.

With the deal, P-Square has joined other Glo ambassadors which include, entertainers like Uche Jombo, Rita Dominic, Mike Ezuruonye, Desmond Elliot, Monalisa Chinda, Funke Akindele, Sammy Okposo, Nonso Diobi, Ramsey Nouah among others.

According to the Group Chief Operating Officer of Glo, Mr. Mohammed Jameel, the list of the company’s ambassadors could not be complete without P-Square, saying “that is why we are proud to present them as the new Glo ambassadors today.”

He said further that for some years now, Globacom has been watching with keen interest, the exploits of the Okoye brothers in the local and international music scene, and could not help, but include them on its list of ambassadors. The deal has further cemented the fact that P-Square is indeed the most successful Hip Hop group in Africa.

Just a few months ago, the group emerged the Best African Act at the coveted KORA All Africa Music Awards held in Burkina Faso. The award attracted the mouth-watering sum of $1million (N150million).

They recently returned from a very successful one and half months musical tour of the United States of America, which ended in New York City on 24 July 2010. The duo have been so successful that even the President of Burkina Faso, whose country hosted the last KORA Awards, ordered that they should be flown in his private jet. Apart from this, P-Square has invaded so many homes, hearts and phones with their hit songs, which have either become a national anthem of sort on the lips of so many people and ring tones on so many phones.

Discography[link]

• 2003: Last Nite
• 2005: Get Squared
• 2007: Game Over
• 2009: Danger
• 2011: The Invasion

Awards[link]

Won

• Hip Hop World Awards 2006
  • Best R&B Album (Get Squared)^[5]
  • Best Music Video (Get Squared)
  • Album of the Year (Get Squared)
  • Song of the Year ("Bizzy Body")
• City Mag 9th Awards Show (2006) - Best Hip Hop Group^[6]
• Nigerian Music Awards (NMA) 2006
  • Album of the year (Get Squared)^[7]
  • Music Video of the year (Get Squared)
• 2007 Channel O Music Video Awards - Best Duo or Group ^[8]
• 2008 Channel O Music Video Awards
  • Best Duo or Group ^[9]
  • Video of the Year ("Do Me") ^[9]
• MTV Africa Music Awards 2008 - Best Group^[10]
• MTV Africa Music Awards 2009 - Best Group ^[11]
• KORA Awards 2010 - Artiste of the Year
• LIL PERRY PRODUCTIONS 2010 - Producer of the Year

Nominated

• BET Awards 2010 - Best International Act
• KORA Awards 2003 - Most Promising African Group (Nominated)^[12]
• MOBO Awards 2006 - Best African Act^[13]
• MOBO Awards 2008 - Best African Act
• MTV Africa Music Awards 2008
  • Best Live Performer^[14]
  • Best Video^[14]
  • Artist of the Year^[14]
  • Best R&B^[14]
• MTV Africa Music Awards 2009 - Best Performer ^[15]

References[link]

15 http://www.zieplay.com/playart/play.php?artist=P-Square

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Peter Okoye on Twitter
• Paul Nonso Okoye on Twitter
• P-Square's channel on YouTube