New York, United States | AFP | Pop star Justin Bieber, known more for headline-grabbing scandals than activism, on Friday took an unexpected political turn as he hailed the Black Lives Matter movement. The 23-year-old, who abruptly cut short a tour in July, took to Instagram to show support for …
Read More »Bobi Wine set for ‘Your Music, Your Voice’
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Music and politics will come together in Kampala on October 3rd and 4th at the “Your Music, Your Voice” event. “Your Music, Your Voice” will create a platform for Pan-African dialogue between socially active artistes to discuss their role in using music and fame to …
Read More »Lady Gaga hospitalized, pulls out of Brazil’s Rock in Rio
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | AFP | Lady Gaga said Thursday she had been hospitalized in “severe pain” and was pulling out of Brazil’s Rock in Rio festival, which she was due to headline this weekend. The US superstar, who revealed Tuesday that she suffers from the chronic disease fibromyalgia, had …
Read More »New dimension to Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ and story behind it
Venice, Italy | AFP | Director John Landis says his new 3D version of “Thriller” gives Michael Jackson fans chance to see the groundbreaking video how the late king of pop would have wanted them to. “Michael and I always intended it to be seen in a cinema,” Landis told reporters …
Read More »Year after album, Frank Ocean drops mellow new track
New York, United States | AFP | Frank Ocean, the introspective singer who has thumbed his nose at music industry conventions, has unexpectedly released a new song, a reflection on relationships set to a mellow R&B vibe. Ocean put out the new track, “Provider,” on his irregularly scheduled Apple Music radio …
Read More »Senegal singer released after ‘fake news’ arrest
Dakar, Senegal | AFP | A Senegalese singer was granted provisional release Monday after 10 days of detention for “offending the head of state and spreading fake news”, her lawyer said. Amy Colle Dieng, a well-known singer of Senegal’s popular mbalakh form of dance music, had been arrested on August 3 …
Read More »Country music legend Glen Campbell dead at 81
Washington, United States | AFP | Country music legend Glen Campbell, the mellow-voiced “Rhinestone Cowboy” who sold millions of albums over a career that spanned decades, has died at the age of 81. Campbell, who left his mark on the music, television and movie worlds, died in Nashville, Tennessee, after a …
Read More »Macron courts the stars; meets Rihanna on education
Paris, France | AFP | France’s Emmanuel Macron continued to reach for the stars Wednesday, hosting R&B icon Rihanna for what she called “incredible” talks at the presidential palace in Paris two days after Irish rocker Bono. Barbados-born Rihanna is an ambassador for the Global Partnership for Education, which is …
Read More »Justin Bieber abruptly ends tour
New York, United States | AFP | Justin Bieber abruptly canceled the remainder of a world tour Monday, citing “unforeseen circumstances.” The 23-year-old Canadian superstar — who in recent years has been as known for off-stage antics as for his music — had been due to resume his “Purpose” tour …
Read More »Rapper Akon to buy 50% of African music download service
Dakar, Senegal | AFP | Senegalese-American rapper Akon announced Saturday he would purchase 50 percent of African music download service Musik Bi, as the platform struggles to gain a foothold after its launch 18 months ago. Africa’s first home-grown platform for legal music downloads, Musik Bi launched in Senegal in February …
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