ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

COSON Plans Open House Get Together 

The dazzling premises of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) in Opebi, Lagos will be a scene of major activities on Friday, May 20 as the vastly active CMO celebrates the first anniversary of its approval as the nation’s sole collective management organization for musical works and sound recordings by the Federal Government of Nigeria. Expected at the midday big open house event are top artistes, music industry big wigs, senior journalists and friends of the copyright community. COSON will use the opportunity of the celebration to make significant announcements. Speaking on the anniversary, COSON Acting General Manager, Mr. Chinedu Chukwuji said, “This event is important to us because the last one year has been historic. I am sure that it is clear to everyone that COSON is working! While I expect eating and drinking, in line with COSON’s responsibility to keep its members, stakeholders and members of the public abreast with its activities, the event will also be very informative. Those familiar with COSON know that each of our events is very professionally organized. We promise all those invited to the event that it will be a great way to start a good weekend” It will be recalled that COSON was approved as the nation’s sole collective management organization for musical works and sound recordings on May 20, 2010. It has since bestraddled the nation with its famous slogan, “Let the music pay!”  Speaking on the anniversary, COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji said, “It has been one year of wall-to-wall success. Many will be surprised that COSON was approved less than one year ago. It is indeed incredible to think about the amount of activity that has been parked into less than 12 months with very modest resources. We thank the Almighty that there is nothing that COSON has promised during the period that it has not delivered. That should give everyone the confidence that COSON will ultimately deliver solid results to the Nigerian music industry” Chief Okoroji gave kudos to the Board and management for the tireless work that has been done to set up professional structures for the society to stand on. He observed that never in the history of the entertainment industry in Nigeria has such painstaking effort been made to set up an organization, staff it professionally, provide requisite training for the staff at home and abroad and also provide a conducive environment with the cutting edge technology required by the staff to deliver. Said Chief Okoroji, “I know of people who are concerned about our ability to continue to manage this success, considering the antecedents of our industry. We cannot discountenance that concern but I want to assure one and all that COSON will continue to work”.

Nollywood Actor, Ashley Nwosu is Dead!

Ashley Nwosu, actor and thespian who came to fame with the movie Day of Reckoning in the early days of Nollywood has died. He passed at the Military Hospital, Yaba Lagos on Thursday April 21 of complications arising from liver disease. He had fallen into a coma on Monday.

Nwosu once described music as his one true love and acting as his second but found fame in front of the camera playing domestic roles of husband, father and sugar daddy in most of his movies.

Nwosu, towards the end of his life, found comfort in religion as he told a reporter late in 2009: “Something new is happening in my life. Although, I have always been a Christian, the level, which I have gone now is higher. I have never in my life envisaged this.”

His passing is the third major death to have hit the Nigerian entertainment industry this year.

Abia-born Nwosu started his career like most actors of his generation at the government-run NTA and performed in TV soaps. He played a part in the break away success Glamour Girls 1 and 2 in 1992 among many others. He claimed to have lost count of the number of Nollywood flicks he had acted in.

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