Rocpadz Drum Sets.

Catalina Club Rock

The Nigerian Craze for Mexican Telenovelas

1. Nigerian Soap operas/drama productions, rocked our TV screens back in the days (especially in the 80’s), which transcended into the 90’s from "Cock Crow at Dawn, Village Headmaster, Mirror in the Sun, Behind the Clouds, Ripples, Mind Bending, to Supple Blues , Checkmate, Fortunes, amongst others. Foreign comedies as well dominantly from the USA and Britain gave Nigerians a worth while fun time viewing experience, such as "Jeffersons, Good Times, Sanford and Sons, Different Strokes, Mixed Blessings, Mind your language, Doctor in the House, Rising Dam, Some Mothers do have them, Rent A Ghost," amongst others. Unfortunately, they stopped the broadcast of these programmes and Nigerians had to be content with the stream of   local productions that were flung in our faces.

However, “The Rich Also Cry” back in the late 80’s set the precedent for a plethora of Latin American telenovelas (dominantly from Mexico) and in some cases Venezuela, to flood our screens. It was the first Telenovela that ruled the Nigerian airwaves back in the days. Following the viewership hit recorded, “Secrets of the Sand”, “No One But You”, “Lady of the Rose”, “Maria de los Angeles”, took successive turns in entertaining Nigerians with the latin American flavoured stories. Unfortunately, somewhere along the 90’s, the broadcast of the Telenovelas came to an abrupt halt, closing the book of the Latin American epoch of thrilling, exciting, cliff hanger moments, and intricate plots. Nigerians especially those living in Lagos state (The Hub of the Entertainment Industry) had to make do with other foreign genres other than drama, broadcast straight into our living rooms especially from God’s own country.

However, the revival of telenovelas  on our screens returned with a big bang in 2005 with “Cuando Seas Mia(when you are mine)” with 238 episodes starring Paloma/Elena Olivares( Silvia Navarro), Diego Sanchez Serrano (Sergio Basanez), broadcast on African Independent television (AIT) at 9pm and MITV at 7pm from Monday to Friday. To say the least, at such times especially at 9pm, women, teens, children and surprisingly a good number of the men folk tuned to AIT’s frequency to watch fresh episodes of the programme. Great was the response to the telenovela that even with the epileptic power supply in the country at that time(which hasn’t changed) families were seen  eagerly powering on the  generators  to watch, while those who didn’t have one could be spotted at open bars, clubs, local restaurants, shops, neighbours/ friends apartments gladly watching same.

The cliff hanger moments were always heart stopping and at the end of each episode splinter groups would emerge, giving their views about what transpired in various scenes in the episode, what could and couldn’t have been done by a particular character, who they suspected was the guilty party, and a prediction of what would happen in the next episode. To miss an episode was to miss out big time! and those who did miss it where seen the next day eagerly asking to be filled in on the details by their friends at schools, offices etc. All the actors and actresses played their roles well and none was found wanting. Shouts of Paloma, Diego, The three witches (Barbara, Berenice, Angela), Mariano, Fabian and other characters never failed to come up during discussions. It was a great story which kept Nigerians glued to their TV sets at the fixed times. Thumbs up to the script writer, casting director, director, and the entire crew who made our viewing pleasure a memorable one.

“Catalina n Sebastian”, “The Gardener’s Daughter”, “Second Chance” also recorded good viewership. Second chance having been concluded an American soap took over in its stead, unfortunately Nigerians were not that receptive to  it and I think the sponsors realized that they ought not to have changed the winning brand, and have come up with another telenovela  “Until my last breath” shown only on AIT at 10pm. Other TV stations such as Galaxy, MBI (now defunct), NTA 10, STV, TVC have also leveraged on the popularity of the Latin American telenovelas and have / still airing them such as  “Lorenzo’s Wife”, “la Usurpadora”, “Esmeralda”, “Camila”, “Rebeca”, “Rubi”, “La Revancha, “Storm Over Paradise”.

Perhaps, the beauty of these televovelas lies not only in its foreign origin but its content which brings to bear the realities of life encapsulated in betrayal, deceit, love, hatred, thirst for power and fortune, heart breaks, class distinction standing as a hurdle to marriage, weakness of man, seeming insurmountable mountainous challenges which man irrespective of race, nationality, tribe, gender, religion, confronts on a daily basis. The suspense/cliff hanger moments, intrigues, makes one want to watch the next episode. Love, quest for true love and happiness is greatly projected in the telenovelas and tends to revolve around the plot of the story. Serenade (which is alien to this part of the world) is respectively seen in scenes where love is being professed and re-assured. They no doubt have a great love culture.

The English voiceovers for the characters with certitude achieved through a high level of professionalism helps non- Spanish speaking people follow the unfolding drama in the story easily. Imagine if it had been subtitled, not everyone would have been able to keep up with the on going dialogue. Another thing they have going for them happens to be the theme songs. The theme song for “When you are mine” became a ‘soap opera anthem’ on the lips of Nigerians (even though we couldn’t understand the lyrics of the song) but the beats, chorus, and the voice of the lead vocalist made the song a memorable one. La Usurpadora, Rebeca, Until my last breath also have good theme songs.  Nigerians can clearly reel out certain phrases reflected in the dialogue process by the actors and actresses such as “My Love, Love of my life, I swear to you, forgive me, On the contrary, Salu,”.

However, certain  negative re-curring decimals such as unforgiveness, paving the way for revenge, the propounding of the love theory as a justifiable reason for adultery and sought after happiness, divorce, separation, single parenting, lustful desires, cleavage revealing tops relegates Christian doctrines to the background in a country where the Christian faith is presumably practised. This has the tendency to send the wrong signals to people from other Nations.

Despite the short comings, the Telenovelas have overtime proven to be worth being sponsored and watched by the Nigerian populace. It is my utmost belief that more of these exciting soaps will continue to hit our screens. Nigerians, are however waiting patiently for the Latin American telenovela that would surpass the overwhelming effect “The Rich Also Cry” and “Cuando Seas  Mia” had on them.

Cheerio…auggiepo@yahoo.com

About the Author

Augusta Okon is a lawyer, novelist and runs 'wise Insight', an information hunting/writing services outfit in Lagos, Nigeria.Wise Insight helps Nigerians and foreigners to have access to credible, authentic information in topics,issues,areas, where they have little or no knowledge about within the Nigerian jurisdiction.

Gretsch Drums Catalina Club Rock 4-Piece Shell Pack Red Oyster Satin $799 Gretsch Drums Catalina Club Rock 4-Piece Shell Pack Red Oyster Satin

Used Gretsch Catalina Club Snare $119.99 In Store Used USED GRETSCH CATALINA CLUB SNARE

Gretsch Drums Catalina Club Rock 4-piece Shell Pack Ebony Gloss $799.5 Gretsch Catalina Club Rock drum shells give you classic Gretsch power for classic rock music. Using a "one up, two down" configuration, this 4-piece drum shell pack comes with a 24" x 18" bass drum, 14" x 6-/2" snare drum, and a 13" x 9" rack tom with a 16" x 16" floor tom for thunderous low-frequency impact. Mahogany drum shells with naturally finished interiors project tone that's big, round and warm. Other features of the Gretsch drum shell pack include Evans Coated G1 heads on snare and all toms, Mini GTS suspension system for the rack tom and thick 12.7mm floor tom legs for sturdy support. The 24" diameter bass drum has wood hoops with matching lacquer finish and telescoping spurs for support. Full, deep lows resonate from these 9-ply mahogany drum shells that are finished with natural interior and 30-degree bearing edges for classic warm tone. Mini GTS suspension system allows rack tom to fully resonate. Evans G1 coated batter heads are fitted onto snare and all toms. Floor toms include leg brackets and sturdy 12.7mm legs.Hardware and cymbals sold separately.

Gretsch Drums Catalina Club Rock 4-Piece Shell Pack Ebony Gloss $799.5 Gretsch Catalina Club Rock drum shells give you classic Gretsch power for classic rock music. Using a "one up, two down" configuration, this 4-piece drum shell pack comes with a 24" x 18" bass drum, 14" x 6-/2" snare drum, and a 13" x 9" rack tom with a 16" x 16" floor tom for thunderous low-frequency impact. Mahogany drum shells with naturally finished interiors project tone that's big, round and warm. Other features of the Gretsch drum shell pack include Evans Coated G1 heads on snare and all toms, Mini GTS suspension system for the rack tom and thick 12.7mm floor tom legs for sturdy support. The 24" diameter bass drum has wood hoops with matching lacquer finish and telescoping spurs for support. Full, deep lows resonate from these 9-ply mahogany drum shells that are finished with natural interior and 30-degree bearing edges for classic warm tone. Mini GTS suspension system allows rack tom to fully resonate. Evans G1 coated batter heads are fitted onto snare and all toms. Floor toms include leg brackets and sturdy 12.7mm legs.Hardware and cymbals sold separately.24" x 18" kick14" x 6-/2" snare13" x 9" tom16" x 16" floor tomCymbals and hardware sold separately

Catalina Hotel & Beach Club $33 Catalina Hotel & Beach Club bietet affortable Luxus und großen Wert in einem staylish und anspruchsvollen Umfeld

Used Gretsch Catalina Club 1964 Re Issue $599.99 In Store Used USED GRETSCH CATALINA CLUB 1964 RE ISSUE

Used Gretsch Catalina Club Drum Kit $399.99 In Store Used USED GRETSCH CATALINA CLUB DRUM KIT

Used Gretsch Catalina Club Snare Drum $99.99 In Store Used USED GRETSCH CATALINA CLUB SNARE DRUM

Used Gretsch Catalina Club 7X13 Sd $129.99 In Store Used USED GRETSCH CATALINA CLUB 7X13 SD

Used Gretsch Catalina Club 14X5.5 Snare Drum $114.99 In Store Used USED GRETSCH CATALINA CLUB 14X5.5 SNARE DRUM

Tuna Club, Avalon, Santa Catalina Island $49.99 Tuna Club, Avalon, Santa Catalina Island - Giclee Print

Catalina, California - Exterior View of the Tuna Club and Casino $19.99 Catalina, California - Exterior View of the Tuna Club and Casino - Premium Poster

A View of Cardons, Elephant Rock and Catalina Island $24.99 Jeff Foott A View of Cardons, Elephant Rock and Catalina Island - Photographic Print

Gretsch Drums Catalina Club Steel Snare Drum Chrome 5X14 $139 Gretsch Drums Catalina Club Steel Snare Drum Chrome 5X14

Gretsch Drums Catalina Club 4-piece Jazz Shell Pack Copper Sparkle $649 Gretsch Drums Catalina Club 4-piece Jazz Shell Pack Copper Sparkle

Gretsch Drums Catalina Club Mod Floor Tom Blue Alien 14x12 $239 Gretsch Drums Catalina Club Mod Floor Tom Blue Alien 14x12

Gretsch Drums Catalina Club Steel Snare Drum Chrome 6.5X14 $149.99 Gretsch Drums Catalina Club Steel Snare Drum Chrome 6.5X14

Used Catalina Club Drum Kit W/ Bag Set $449.99 In Store Used USED CATALINA CLUB DRUM KIT W/ BAG SET

Gretsch Drums Catalina Club 4-Piece Jazz Shell Pack Copper Sparkle $649 Gretsch Drums Catalina Club 4-piece Jazz Shell Pack Copper Sparkle

Used Gretsch 7X13 Catalina Club Sd Silv Sparkle $129.99 In Store Used USED GRETSCH 7X13 CATALINA CLUB SD SILV SPARKLE

Gretsch Drums Catalina Club Mod Floor Tom Blue Alien 14X12 $239 Gretsch Drums Catalina Club Mod Floor Tom Blue Alien 14x12

CATALINA HOTEL AND BEACH CLUB $40 CATALINA HOTEL AND BEACH CLUB > MIA > 1756 Collins Ave > Miami Beach > FL > 33139> THIS HOTEL IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST A PLACE TO SLEEP ALTHOUGH GUEST ROOMS ARE EQUIPPED WITH TEMPUR PEDIC SWEDISHMATTRESSES 300 THREAD COUNT BELGIAN SHEETS GOOSE DOWNCOMFORTERS AND PILLOWS THE MAXINE HOTEL / BEACH CLUBINTERTWINES SCINTILLATING STYLE AND HARMONIOUSSOPHISTICATION.THE MAXINE HOTEL / BEACH CLUB HAS TWO FABULOUS POOLS THEBAMBOO POOL AND THE ROOFTOP POOL AS WELL AS A WONDERFULBEACH CLUB OFFERING THE BEST FUN IN THE SUN TO THEIR GUESTS.THE BAMBOO POOL AND ROOFTOP SUNDECK POOL COMES COMPLETE WITHA VARIETY OF LOUNGES INCLUDING CABANA BEDS FOR THOSENECESSARY LATE AFTERNOON POOLSIDE NAPS GUESTS CAN ALSOENJOY DRINKS AND LIGHT FARE MENU FOR REFRESHMENT ALL DAYLONGTHE DORSET KING B1K1 KING BED DESK WIFI INTERNET IPOD DOCK 42INTV MINIBAR SAFE WOOD FLOOR LARGE ROOM SLEEPSMAX OCC INCL CHILDREN 2.MAXINE DOUBLE A2D2 DOUBLE BEDS CD PLAYER STEREO 27IN TV IN ROOMSAFE MINIBAR WIFI INTERNET SLEEPS 4MAX OCC INCL CHILDREN 4.MAXINE STANDARD C2DKING OR QUEEN BED CD PLAYER STEREO 27IN TV INROOM SAFE MINIBAR WIFI INTERNET SLEEPS2MAX OCC INCL CHILDREN 2> EXIT AIRPORT GOING EAST TOWARDS BEACHED ON 836FOLLOW FOR FIVE EXITS TO MIAMI BEACH MERGING INTO 5TH STREETGOING EASTTURN LEFT GOING NORTH ON COLLINS AVENUEHOTEL IS 1 BLOCK ON YOUR RIGHT. LEAVING AIRPORT TAHE I 595 WEST TO I 95 SOUTH20 MILES TO BEACHES TURN EASTTAKE ARTHUR GODFREY ROAD/41ST STREET TO INDIAN CREEK ROADGO SOUTH TO 20TH STREET TURN RIGHTPROCEED ON 20TH STREET TO LIVERTY AVE...

Gretsch Drums Catalina Club Mod Tom 10X7 $169 This Club Mod tom features a mahogany shell to pump out deep tones while black hoops and black lugs compliment bold drum finishes. This add-on 10" x 7" tom is compatible with the Catalina Club Jazz series and Catalina Club Mod series drums.Evans G1 coated heads come standard with the Club Mod and sound excellent right out of the box.

Used Gretsch Catalina Club 5Pc Drum Kit 24In Kick @826 $599.99 In Store Used USED GRETSCH CATALINA CLUB 5PC DRUM KIT 24IN KICK @826

Used Gretsch 5X14 Catalina Club Snare @521 6.0 022012 $84.99 In Store Used USED GRETSCH 5X14 CATALINA CLUB SNARE @521 6.0 022012

Loaded - The Funky Rock Club Sides $8.99 Loaded - The Funky Rock Club Sides

Gretsch Drums Catalina Club Mod Tom White Marine Pearl 10x7 $169 This Club Mod tom features a mahogany shell to pump out deep tones while black hoops and black lugs compliment bold drum finishes. This add-on 10" x 7" tom is compatible with the Catalina Club Jazz series and Catalina Club Mod series drums.Evans G1 coated heads come standard with the Club Mod and sound excellent right out of the box.