Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Beyonce will lead an all-star line-up that includes Ed Sheeran, Jay-Z and Usher in Johannesburg on Sunday when she performs at a concert to honour the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. The concert is the climax of a year of events celebrating the centennial …
Read More »Egyptian actress to face trial for wearing racy dress
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | An Egyptian actress is set to face trial in January for wearing a see-through dress at the Cairo film festival this week that showed her legs, a judicial source said Saturday. Rania Youssef appeared at the closing session Thursday of the Cairo International Film Festival …
Read More »Reggae, music ‘of love and humanity’, secures UN culture listing
Port Louis, Mauritius | AFP | Jamaican reggae, the music of the oppressed which Bob Marley catapulted onto the global stage, won a coveted spot on the United Nations’ list of global cultural treasures Thursday. UNESCO, the world body’s cultural and scientific agency, added reggae to its collection of “intangible …
Read More »Nigeria’s Davido AFRIMA artist of the year, Bebe Cool best in East Africa
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria’s Davido took home the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) trophy for artist of the year, leading a strong showing for the West African powerhouse famous for its roster of Afrobeats stars. Musicians from across the continent came to the Accra International Conference Centre in …
Read More »China’s youth embrace street dance amid hip-hop crackdown
Beijing, China | AFP | In China, where children are often saddled with a packed schedule of extracurricular activities before they even enter grade school, some parents are making room for a surprising pursuit: hip-hop dance classes. Inside a dance studio in central Beijing, a group of kids bopped up …
Read More »East African records hosts Mungo’s Hi Fi featuring Eva Lazarus concert
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | East African Records (EAR), a fresh recording and music distribution label operating across East Africa and based in Uganda, hosted UK reggae and dancehall unit Mungo’s Hi Fi and their lead artist Eva Lazarus, who are on an East African tour to Uganda and later …
Read More »PICTORIAL: Bobi Wine Kyarenga concert
Bobi Wine performs concert in Uganda as police watch on Kampala, Uganda | AFP | Ugandan pop star turned opposition MP Bobi Wine appeared on stage on the outskirts of the capital Kampala on Saturday, in a concert attended by several members of the opposition and watched on by a …
Read More »Viva Forever! Spice Girls reveal 2019 UK reunion tour
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Say You’ll Be There: Best-selling 90s girl band the Spice Girls promise to give fans what they really, really want on a UK reunion tour next year. The band — minus pop star-turned-fashion designer Victoria Beckham — released details of a comeback tour, which …
Read More »Spotify earnings hit sour note on Wall Street
New York, United States | AFP | Spotify shares took a hit Thursday after a disappointing growth outlook offset the first-ever quarterly profit posted by the streaming music sector leader. Shares in the Swedish-based music group slid 5.7 percent to close at $141.16 after the company’s third quarter earnings report. …
Read More »Kanye West says his eyes are now open, no more politics
New York, United States | AFP | Rapper Kanye West, who has been outspoken in his support for President Donald Trump, now says he’s going to focus on his music and fashion after being “used” in the world of politics. In a series of tweets, the 41-year-old West lashed out …
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