ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT - The African Mirror

Apr

08

2021

Banky W and Adesua Etomi heal from their twins’ loss

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

MPHO RANTAO BANKY W and actress Adesua Etomi have gone through a long journey of healing and faith as a family. The Nigerian couple opened up about Adesua Etomi’s miscarriage, in a featured episode of The Waterbrook Series. "So we got pregnant and we got pregnant with twins. And we had gone for the scans, we had seen the heartbeats. At this point very few people knew what happened," Etomi said. Adesua Etomi explained in the web series that during a routine visit to a doctor with her husband, the doctor had noticed the lack of heartbeats and knew immediately…

Apr

07

2021

By The African Mirror

My name is Thandiwe Newton

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

MPHO RANTAO BRITISH actress formerly known as Thandie Newton has announced that she now wishes to be (correctly) called Thandiwe Newton. Newton told British Vogue in an interview that her professional name had been misspelled in Hollywood after her name was incorrectly spelled in the 1991 film ‘Flirting’. Joining a growing list of other celebrities who have also told the public that their names were spelled or pronounced incorrectly, like Anne Hathaway and Saoirse Ronan, Newton said that she is now on a mission to reclaim the correct spelling of her name. "That’s my name. It’s always been my name.…

Apr

15

2021

By The African Mirror

Nigerian icon Fela is long overdue for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

SCROLLING through the comments made on YouTube on Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s music, one comes across remarks such as: “The greatest unknown musician who ever lived”, “Why isn’t Fela’s music more widely known?”, “His music beats everything I’ve ever heard before” and “Why am I so late to this?” SANYA OSHA, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Humanities in Africa, University of Cape Town The truth is that during Fela’s extraordinary lifetime, the Nigerian’s notoriety as an engaged citizen fighting for social justice was what usually attracted attention – and not his music. His public persona as a cultural renegade, an incorrigible iconoclast…

Jul

06

2021

By The African Mirror

DJ cop shows South Africa the other side of that blue uniform

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

JAMAINE KRIGE “I see them as twins and I love them both,” Constable Lucky Matome laughs as he describes juggling his two lives; one, a kwaito music artist, the other that of a policeman in the South African Police Service. “When you have twins you cannot say one is more beautiful than the other, because they are different but identical, and they are both your children. Like twins, I must treat them equally and give them equal attention, so that one does not suffer because of the other,” he said. His police work is important and it allows him to…

Apr

12

2021

By The African Mirror

See LeBron James in ‘Space Jam 2’

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER SPACE Jam is back twenty-five years later, this time with a new NBA superstar. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James shared the official trailer of the sequel on Twitter, which he is starring in as the main character. James will be joined by Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes gang in his first major starring role for ‘Space Jam 2: A New Legacy’. In the sequel, LeBron James plays a heightened version of himself who struggles to form a close bond with his son named Don, who dreams of being a videogame developer. Joining…

Apr

19

2021

By The African Mirror

Oscars show reinvented as a movie — with masks, longer speeches

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

JILL SERJEANT THE Oscars ceremony next week will have the look and feel of a movie, giving winners more time for speeches, while coronavirus masks will play a major role, producers of the show said on Saturday. The coronavirus pandemic and a trio of new producers have led to a reinvention of the traditional show where the world's highest movie honours are handed out before a seated theatre audience of more than 4,000 A-list stars and industry executives. Much of the April 25 ceremony will instead be held at the Art Deco Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, where a…

Jun

29

2021

By The African Mirror

Lil Nas X’s onstage kiss earns massive praise

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

MPHO RANTAO US rapper Lil Nas X made fans’ jaws drop with his onstage performance where he kissed a male dancer. In a Michael Jackson ‘Remember The Time’-inspired performance for his homoerotic hit “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” at the 2021 edition of the Black Entertainment Awards (BET), ending it by passionately kissing one of his male backup dancers. https://twitter.com/BET/status/1409337682392752132?s=20 Instead of the expected mass scorn on social media, Nas’ performance was met with major praise, with big names in the hip-hop industry like Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs expressing said support on Twitter. Combs tweeted: “Lil Nas X did that!!…

Jun

28

2021

By The African Mirror

Cardi B reveals pregnancy no.2

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER RAPPERS Cardi B and Offset are expecting again. Cardi B made the announcement during her featured performance with her husband and his group Migos’ on stage at the Black Entertainment Awards (BET). The rapper wore a black jeweled jumpsuit with the crystals designed to surround her swollen belly as the rapper performed. Cardi B at the 2020 BET Awards. Picture: Twitter The announcement during a live show makes it the second time that Cardi has announced her pregnancy to the world. While expecting the couple’s first child, Kulture, Cardi made the announcement while performing on US comedy…

Jun

24

2021

By The African Mirror

The woman redefining African dance

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

TATENDA KANENGONI CLASSICAL ballet instructor Soukaina Marie-Laure Edom is determined to give women space at the heart of African dance. Since 2014 she has run the only institute offering professional dance training in Zimbabwe, and her work is beginning to have a profound effect on dance right across the continent. AfriKera Dance Theatre Hub is situated in the very heart of Harare, a throbbing nexus of sound and energy. From soft classical ballet melodies to rhythmic African drums, sound pours out in a steady stream and there is seldom a moment when dance students are not utilising the space to…

May

11

2021

By The African Mirror

Lady Gaga, Glenn Close join Prince Harry and Oprah for mental health TV series

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

BRITAIN's Prince Harry and U.S. chat show queen Oprah Winfrey will premiere their television documentary series on mental health issues later this month, with singer Lady Gaga and actress Glenn Close among those contributing. "The Me You Can't See" series, co-created and produced by Harry and Winfrey, will feature stories from high-profile guests and others across the world about mental health and emotional well-being issues, Apple TV+, the streaming service which will air the programmes from May 21, said on Monday. Winfrey said the series aimed to spark a global conversation, and replace the shame surrounding mental health with wisdom…