Apple Music Launches ‘Africa Now’ Playlist Featuring Latest in African Hip-Hop, Gqom, Afrobeats & More
On Tuesday (Dec. 24), Apple Music announced the official launch of its new Africa Now playlist featuring music from the continent’s hottest contemporary artists. The inaugural playlist features cover star Burna Boy’s new single “Money Play” in the No. 1 spot. Listen to it here.
“Apple Music is a huge support system for ensuring African music reaches as many ears as possible all over the globe!” said Burna Boy in a statement. “As a 2019 Apple Music Up Next artist the impact of that honour is still bring felt today! So more grease to them! They’re family now, always love.”
The playlist will be updated every week and feature the latest in African hip-hop, Gqom, Afrobeats, amapiano, Afro-bongo, Alte, Kuduro and more.
These moves in the streaming space coincide with increasing investments in the African market by Western labels. Last month, Sony Music became the final major label in the U.S. to strike a licensing deal with streaming service Boomplay Music, which claims to reach 60 million users in Africa. Other recent investments include Warner Music’s partnership with Nigerian label Chocolate City this past March and Universal’s purchase of a majority stake in the Kenyan music label AI Records last year.
Fuse ODG presents TINA Festival 2020 to climax Year of Return
Afrobeats superstar, Fuse ODG and New African Nation Productions present the second edition of TINA (This Is New Africa) Festival, the culminating event for Ghana’s Year of Return initiative.
The three-day Festival will be held from the January 1 to 3, 2020 has a mission to become the home of Afrobeat music and lifestyle and to forge deeper connections between Ghanaians and the African diaspora through music and culture.
TINA Festival will feature a line-up of events that celebrate African excellence such as the Nation Building Day, New Africa Nation Conference and the Kente Party/Music Festival.
Leading up to TINA Festival, Fuse ODG will host the Power Brunch Club in partnership with Starbites at Starbites Airport City from the December 29 to 30, 2019 at 10 am to connect diasporans visiting Ghana with successful entrepreneurs who will share their experiences over a brunch buffet and music.
TINA Festival will kick off on the 1st of January with the Nation Building Day where Fuse ODG will travel with supporters to his Wood World Mission Charity School in Akosombo for a day of service, cleaning, painting and delivering school supplies and equipment including 100 computers donated by Absa Group Limited (formerly Barclays).
Supporters will also join celebrity guests for an exciting boat ride, tour and lunch enjoying the beautiful Akosombo landscape and make a contribution to the school.
Day 2 of TINA Festival will be the New Africa Nation Conference on the 2nd of January at the Accra International Conference for thought-provoking discussions on reshaping the narratives surrounding the African Diaspora.
This is to serve as a catalyst for growth and innovation which features Ghanaian and African diasporan panellists.
Read more here
National Museum of African American History & Culture Free to Enter from Dec 26-30
For those wishing to be engaged in a cultural activity during the holidays, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) has some good news.
The museum has decided to offer its visitors entry without a pass ahead of the New Year’s Eve, between December 26 and 30.
Visiting hours will also be extended from 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. to 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. during this period. Regular schedule will be back on December 31.
It is noted that groups of 10 people or more cannot benefit from the no-pass entry.
You have a wide range of exhibit options to see: A Century in the Making, an overview of the century-long journey to open the museum; A Changing America: 1968 and Beyond, which explores leading African American social movements and figures, including Martin Luther King, Jr. and former President Barack Obama; Musical Crossroads that “tells the story of African American music from the arrival of the first Africans to the present day” and many others.
Opened to the public three years ago, the NMAAHC is the country’s “only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture.”
The museum has collected almost 40,000 artifacts so far. Earlier this year, the museum’s administration announced that they would initiate a six-month hiatus on accepting new collections starting from August 1, saying that their collecting efforts had been tremendously successful and expressing gratitude to donors and supporters.
After updating its collections processing, the NMAAHC will relaunch its collecting efforts in February 2020.
Source: thedcpost.com
Idris Elba becomes Sierra Leone’s ‘son of the soil’ with citizenship
Actor Idris Elba has been granted honorary Sierra Leone citizenship during his first-time visit to his father’s native country.
Elba was born in London in 1972, but this year marks a new type of birth – that of becoming a citizen of Sierra Leone.
Elba’s father, Winston, was from Sierra Leone, and his mother, Eve, from Ghana. His parents got married in Sierra Leone and later moved to London.
After decades of living between the UK and US, and visiting numerous African countries, Elba went to his father’s homeland for the first time in December 2019.
While in the capital city of Freetown, he spoke to the BBC after receiving his citizenship.
Sierra Leone citizenship a ‘big honour’
In the interview, Elba told the BBC’s Umaru Fofana that the citizenship was a big honour.
“I’m no stranger to Africa: I’ve been in Africa, I’ve made films in Africa, I’ve championed Africa,” he said. “But Sierra Leone, it’s a very different feeling because it’s one of my parent’s home.”
Thrilled with the recognition from the country, Elba shared the significance of the moment.
“The son of the soil is coming back to fertilise the soil.”
He also confirmed that he sees much potential in the country. “There are a lot of bright kids here who are techno-heads, [they’re] really really smart. I feel like I could contribute to building a workforce that supports other nations in film and that’s part of my journey.”
Read more here
Source: theSouthAfrican.com
Burna Boy Delivers Shining New Single ‘Money Play’
Burna Boy Delivers Shining New Single ‘Money Play’
GRAMMY-nominated Burna Boy celebrates the holiday season with the release of “Money Play.” The single arrives on the heels of the African Giant’s well-deserved GRAMMY-nomination for Best World Music Album, which followed his latest late night performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Burna Boy also graces the playlist cover of Apple Music’s Africa Now, which highlights African music. “Money Play” is available for download and streaming on all DSPs. Listen below.
“This song is a flex, na scratch that. It’s a big flex!” notes Burna Boy of his latest single. “I’m highlighting the importance of moving with the ‘cheese’ at all times. ‘No dey carry money play’ is a word of advice/stern warning to never lose the hustle mentality.”
“Money Play” completes a wildly successful year for Burna Boy. He made his U.S. late night television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, along with an appearance on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and his most recent performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Watch Burna Boy discuss his international success on the Rap Radar Podcast exclusively on Tidal. The Nigerian star also recently performed on NPR’s Tiny Desk, performing four live songs including his global hit “Ye.” His album, African Giant, saw incredible critical acclaim at its release and now adorns a galore of ‘best of’ lists – including Pitchfork’s 50 Best Albums of 2019, NPR’s Best Albums of 2019, Billboard’s 50 Best Albums of 2019, Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Albums of 2019, Complex’s Best Albums of 2019, and many more.
The African Giant was named Apple Music’s Up Next Artist for the month of July, won Best International Artist at the BET Awards, and received an in-depth profile piece with the Wall Street Journal which explores how the Nigerian star is finding success on his own terms in the United States. He also had an extensive year of live performances, travelling across North America on his The African Giant Returns Tour with sold-out stops in Toronto, New York, and LA through September, spending an additional two months for its European leg from Paris through Leicester, and had two fiery live sets at both weekends of Coachella.
Source: Broadwayworld.com
Niniola, BOJ will be performing at the Sterling Bank x Eat Drink Lagos Festival
As the year winds down to a close, everyday is marked with an event from parties to plays and concerts. The vibe is contagious and everybody is looking for an escape from the constant stress that Lagos brings.
In the spirit of the turnup season, Sterling Bank in partnership with Eat Drink Lagos is bringing the ultimate turnup to you with the Eat Drink Festival 2019.
Set to hold;
Date: December 28th and 29th, 2019
Venue: Sterling Arena, Marina Road, Lagos Island.
The festival is the perfect blend of food, music and fun; the perfect recipe for anyone looking to unwind and celebrate an eventful year.
With Afro-house queen, Niniola set to headline the festival’s music stage alongside crowd favourites BOJ and Dami Oniru, you can expect the best music to serenade you as you indulge in the finest culinary delights that Lagos has to offer from street food staples to continental delights, creamy desserts, tasty pastries and flavoured drinks.
We absolutely cannot wait to taste the delicious meals, smooth drinks and enjoy lit performances from our favorite artistes.
To catch all the action ahead of the Eat Drink Festival, follow Sterling Bank on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Visit sterling.ng/choplaif to stand a chance to win free tickets.
Source: bellanaija.com
