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Five years ago, the idea of showcasing the 53
counties, who are members of the African Union (AU),
in one studio came to life. It captivated audiences
from across Africa, capturing the continent's appeal
and celebrating its talent, landscape and energy.
"It's still STUDIO 53 but with a fresh new dimension
and some innovative new changes," said Biola
Adekanbi, director of M-Net Africa. "By making the
series longer, we want to meet the growing demand
for lifestyle programming."
The Sunday time-slot taps into the dynamics of a
weekend family gathering. It is TV with style,
contemporary African style, and that is what the
Director hopes audiences will connect with.
Still focused on positively profiling the events,
people and places of Africa, the series will move
out of its former studio, and each week, one of
Africa's most breathtaking and glamorous locations
will serve as the backdrop to the week's stories.
First stop is the exotic island of Lamu, in Kenya,
from where series presenter Gaetano Kagwa will
introduce an eight story line-up. It will include an
insert from New York Fashion Week, where
African designers hit the runway for the first time
ever as the likes of Oluchi, Grace Jones, Alek Wek
and Face of Africa 2008 winner, Kate Menson, head
onto the catwalk.
In addition, Episode One will see STUDIO 53 get VIP
access to the latest album launch from hit-making
Nigerian musician Ikechukwu who invites the team
home with him as he demonstrates his lesser-known
but quite delicious culinary skills.
Audiences can tune in for an interview with
international superstar Eddy Grant, whose hits
Baby Come Back, I Don't Wanna Dance and
Electric Avenue have made him a global music
icon.
After that, STUDIO 53 will showcase the unique
sounds of a Kenyan classic-fusion concert where two
very different schools of music are merging to
create an entirely new rhythm.
A great new travel competition will add an
interactive element to STUDIO 53, courtesy of the
African Sun group, and fans will also be able to
contribute to a monthly Studio 53 Diary that will
keep track of the continent's hippest, hottest
events.
The new series aims to offer a more inviting, more
enhanced experience for fans by providing
'never-been-seen' clips from the website (www.mnetafrica.com).
Launched in 2004, to date STUDIO 53 (named in honour
of the 53 member countries in the African Union),
has visited many countries, stretching from the Cape
Town's southern tip of Africa to Cairo in the North.
Along the way, the series has stopped at
destinations as varied as the ancient cities of
Ethiopia and Tunisia, the stunning dunes and deserts
of Namibia and Mali, the bustling heart of Nigeria's
Nollywood, the splendour of the Indian Ocean Islands
and the magnificent Kenyan coastline.
STUDIO 53 has visited the palace of Emperor Menelik
II in Menagesha and St. George Church Gallery in
Addis Abeba. It has also captured the occasion of
the Ethiopian Millennium celebration by the end of
2007.
Now, STUDIO 53 has embarked on a new journey and
goes in search of new sights, sounds and scenes,
hoping its viewers will, once again, get a
first-class ticket to travel through the continent,
without leaving their homes, to discover hidden
worlds and exciting happenings, to celebrate the
continent.
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