ENTERTAINMENT

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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. …

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 …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Former Olympic US athlete and transgender activist Caitlyn Jenner has penned an op-ed voicing regret for backing President Donald Trump, and saying “I was wrong” about Trump’s commitment to LGBTQ rights. “Trump was the first Republican presidential candidate to claim to support this …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | It is a conflict at once cultural, generational and political: rap music in DR Congo is staging a frontal assault on rumba, accusing its ageing stars of only singing of love and other banalities. DRC’s growing army of rappers say their urban lyrics reflect …

Sydney, Australia | AFP | British royals Harry and Meghan kicked off their shoes and donned tropical garlands Friday as they hit Sydney’s famed Bondi beach for the latest stop on their Australian tour. Expectant Meghan put on a summer dress and set aside her high heels, while Harry ditched …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | MTN Uganda starts their “20 years in Uganda” celebrations with a futuristic expo at Kololo on Friday. “Celebrating the past, inspiring the future”, is the theme of a six-month-long celebration campaign to mark the double decade milestone of MTN’s existence in Uganda. The expo …