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Search and rescue diver Susan Mtakai shatters stereotypes and barriers at sea

Search and rescue diver Susan Mtakai shatters stereotypes and barriers at sea

AS the water closes in over Susan Mtakai's head, she can't help thinking about how the depths she's about to descend to are so very alien to the life she was once used to. Born in the highlands of Taita, a county inland from the coast, her early experiences were of a landscape of hills and verdant forest. Growing up far from the sea was hardly what one would expect of someone who was to become a professional diver. Yet, in the deep waters of the Indian Ocean, Susan Mtakai is a calm and considerate team leader. Donning a well-worn…
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Comedian Kevin Hart honoured with Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for humour

Comedian Kevin Hart honoured with Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for humour

THE Kennedy Center honoured comedian Kevin Hart with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor with an evening that featured routines from fellow comics Dave Chappelle, Chelsea Handler and Jerry Seinfeld in tribute to Hart's career. In a recorded show that will air on May 11 on Netflix, Hart's peers celebrated him with a mix of humour, profanity and emotion. "You remind me ... why I love comedy so much," Chappelle, a previous winner of the award, told Hart from the Kennedy Center stage, quipping that he had given up a trip to Jamaica to attend. "I am honoured to…
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Investing in art is often considered an activity only for the wealthy. Karabo Morule would disagree

Investing in art is often considered an activity only for the wealthy. Karabo Morule would disagree

FOR anyone unsure of what art to buy or which artist to follow, Karabo Morule is a godsend. At the Investec Cape Town Art Fair in mid-February, while walking a group of patrons - all wearing eye-catching headphones - through the exhibits, she explained the exhibits and at the same time advised her group on which art they should potentially be investing in. “Buying art should be seen as a long-term progression but more importantly, one has to buy what they love and as you buy you will start to get a feel of what you like,” the entrepreneur and…
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Tyla releases debut album after Grammy win

Tyla releases debut album after Grammy win

SOUTH African singer-songwriter Tyla releases her self-titled debut album, fresh off her win at the Grammy Awards last month. The 22-year-old found success last year, reaching the top 10 on the U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart and top 5 in Britain with amapiano hit "Water", a genre fusing house, jazz and log drums that emerged in South Africa. She describes the 15-track "TYLA", which features collaborations with the likes of U.S. rapper Travis Scott and Nigerian singer Tems, as "a melting pot of all the influences" she had growing up. "Pop, R&B and then obviously amapiano and Afrobeats because that's…
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‘The Color Purple’ cast tops NAACP Image Awards

‘The Color Purple’ cast tops NAACP Image Awards

WHILE "The Color Purple" actor Danielle Brooks didn't take home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars last weekend, she and cast members took home the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Motion Picture. On the red carpet, Brooks told Reuters that out of all her accolades, she's most grateful to the NAACP Awards for acknowledging "The Color Purple" team with several nominations. "If nobody gonna see us, I'm glad that our people see us," she said, referencing the film's lack of nominations throughout the 2024 awards season. While Hollywood has made progress on diversifying talent and storytelling since the 2015 outcry…
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Sandboarding makes a post-COVID comeback in Namibia desert town

Sandboarding makes a post-COVID comeback in Namibia desert town

SET against miles of mesmerizing sand dunes, Namibia's seaside resort town of Swakopmund is seeing a boom in sandboarding, buoyed by a near-doubling of the numbers of cruise liners docking at nearby Walvis Bay last year. Lying between the 80,000 square km (31,000 square miles) Namib desert and the sea, Swakopmund is drawing tourists back, three years after lockdown brought Namibia's visitor numbers - previously around a million a year - to a standstill. Many of them are tempted by the thrill of this extreme sport, which involves sliding down sand dunes standing up or lying down on a board…
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Beyoncé makes her mark on country music, shining light on genre’s Black roots

Beyoncé makes her mark on country music, shining light on genre’s Black roots

TEXAS native and singer-songwriter Denitia was deeply moved when she heard the first notes of Beyoncé's hit country song, "Texas Hold ‘Em." But it was more than the exhilarating, catchy thrum of the banjo at the start of the song that caught Denitia’s attention: It was an overdue acknowledgement of the rich history of Black country music artists and their legacies. "Beyoncé's success in country music is shining a light on a history of Black folks in country music, in our creation, our contribution to the genre, in our being listeners and avid audience members of country music," said Denitia,…
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The Continent Live debuts ‘First Class Vol.1’: A New Era in African Music

The Continent Live debuts ‘First Class Vol.1’: A New Era in African Music

THE Continent Live, an innovative incubator for emerging musical talent, proudly announces the inaugural release of the year, “First Class Vol.1". In March 2023, the company orchestrated a two-week music songwriting camp, uniting fifty artists, twelve producers, and five songwriters. in a groundbreaking collaborative venture. The result: over seventy complete songs that celebrate the diverse and rich talent flourishing across Africa. STREAM/LISTEN HERE A selection of these tracks, handpicked for their quality and originality, will be released sequentially over the year. “The Continent Live: First Class Vol. One,” the initial offering of this series, marks the start of an exciting…
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Abdullah Ibrahim: South Africa’s master pianist is going on a world tour at 90

Abdullah Ibrahim: South Africa’s master pianist is going on a world tour at 90

ABDULLAH Ibrahim, South Africa’s most distinguished pianist, was born on 9 October 1934 in Cape Town. This year marks not only his 90th birthday but also the start of a world tour. Christine Lucia has studied Ibrahim’s work and published research articles about him. We asked her why he is so important. CHRISTINE LUCIA, Extraordinary Professor, Stellenbosch University Who is Abdullah Ibrahim and what shaped him? Abdullah Ibrahim is the finest jazz pianist-composer that South Africa has ever produced – even in such a jazz-rich country. He is the country’s equivalent of the US jazz star Duke Ellington, because his…
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Oscars 2024: panned by Trump, host Kimmel quips, ‘Isn’t it past your jail time?’

Oscars 2024: panned by Trump, host Kimmel quips, ‘Isn’t it past your jail time?’

HOLLYWOOD'S biggest stars gathered to celebrate the year's best accomplishments in film at the annual Academy Awards. Here are some takeaways from the 96th Oscars ceremony. TRUMP REVIEWS KIMMEL Late in the show, Jimmy Kimmel read aloud from a scathing online review of his performance as Oscars host, revealing at the end that it was written by former U.S. President Donald Trump. "Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars," Trump posted on his Truth Social social media platform, also criticizing the show as "Disjointed, boring, and very unfair." Talk show host Kimmel, who's long feuded…
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