Charles Okpere — “Performance of the Year” nominee (Nigeria)

As I mentioned yesterday, the first round of voting for this year’s “Performance of the Year” begins tomorrow at The Public Blogger. It’s sort of like the blogging world’s version of The Oscars, with a little American Idle thrown in. If The Sopranos gets added to the mix, it could be over by next weekend. Otherwise, there are 11 nominees, and one of us will be voted out each week until Dec. 30.

Between now and tomorrow evening at 7 p.m., when voting begins, I’m going to feature each nominee so that you can get a chance to see their work. There are five genres represented — artists, bloggers, photographers and singers. Oh, and one humorist. Please take the opportunity to vote tomorrow.

Even if it’s not for me.

I’ll have details at the bottom of this post.

Along with a very endearing photo of myself that will linger in your mind come voting time.

In the meantime, meet Charles Okpere, a young man from Nigeria whose persepctives and outlook on living life with optimism in the face of oppression is both illuminating and inspiring…

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Still a complete African breed

By Charles Okpere

I am a complete African breed, a child of the eastern part of Nigeria, brought up in the western part of this same country …and I am always open to learning the wise ways of the “Westernized West”. My sincere wish is; may all the “personal junks” we get to share with each other on here; be a story that turns out to be an inspiring tune to the ones behind us and even the ones we call leaders.

As I celebrate a full year of exploring the world of writing and connecting with individuals of different race and colour, culture and ethnicity, I would state here that this little journey has being all about; staying true to my very own existence/experiences and life; as it plays out, and it’s for this reasons I would continue trying my best to staying modest and not bore this very wonderful community with constant dark thoughts of hard times and experiences I go through in my part of the world. The intention has always being to write from the innermost part of my being. Some individual have gone as far as painting an even more complicated picture of my very humble self, with no apologies, I would state again, that this is my space for expressions of reality. I don’t think any one should have a problem with the way I choose to tell the story of my life.

Read more HERE