
Kendrick Lamar and SZA are expanding their tour to Europe
Fresh off their Super Bowl halftime spectacle, Kendrick Lamar and SZA are expanding their upcoming tour to make stops in Europe.
The additional stops announced Monday include a July 4 show in Frankfurt, Germany.
Lamar and SZA are set to kick off their Grand National Tour in Minneapolis on April 19 and wrap the North American leg in Washington on June 18.
They'll start a 13-stop European tour on July 2 in Cologne, Germany, and conclude it on Aug. 9 in Stockholm.
Lamar's groundbreaking halftime show — he was the first solo hip-hop performer to headline the coveted halftime slot — was awash in patriotic imagery with dancers in red, white and blue. Samuel L. Jackson, playing Uncle Sam, guided Lamar and viewers through the performance. SZA joined Lamar onstage for part of his performance.
Jackson's interjections — labeling parts of the performance 'too loud, too reckless, too ghetto' and at one point reminding Lamar to 'play the game' — were in line with Lamar's stated intent to infuse storytelling into his halftime show and also in line with the Pulitzer Prize winner's history of layering of messages throughout his music.
Other European cities that Lamar and SZA plan to visit include Amsterdam, Paris, London, Rome and Barcelona.
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MTV Lebanon
27-05-2025
- MTV Lebanon
Billie Eilish wins big at American Music Awards 2025
Pop singer Billie Eilish claimed the artist prize over Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Morgan Wallen and other nominees of the American Music Awards. She won all seven categories in which she was nominated, including album of the year and favourite touring artist. 'This is so crazy. I feel speechless,' Eilish said in a video message from Europe, where she is on tour. 'I wish I could be there tonight.' Eilish, 23, released her third studio album, 'Hit Me Hard and Soft', in May 2024. 'That's So True' singer Gracie Abrams, winner of the new artist of the year, also sent a recording to accept her honour. She thanked her fans, whom she said, 'I have been lucky enough to learn from.' 'They have reminded me of the light that exists out there,' Abrams said. SZA took home AMA accolades for female R&B artist and for R&B song for 'Saturn'. Becky G was named the favourite female Latin artist. Many big names on the nominees' list did not attend the show, which was broadcast live on CBS from the Fontainebleau Las Vegas hotel. One absentee was Beyonce, who claimed favourite female country artist and favourite country album for 'Cowboy Carter', her first AMA wins in country categories. Post Malone was named the favourite male country artist. Other no-shows included Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar. Lamar went into the ceremony with a leading 10 nominations. He earned one award, favorite hip-hop song, for 'Not Like Us'. The festivities opened with host Jennifer Lopez singing and dancing to a six-minute medley of 23 hits by the nominees. The songs included Eilish's 'Birds of a Feather', Sabrina Carpenter's 'Espresso' and Beyonce's 'Texas Hold 'Em'. Janet Jackson was honoured with the Icon award, a tribute to artists with global influence. 'I don't consider myself an icon,' Jackson said on stage. 'The one thing that I hope for is that I'm an inspiration for others to follow their dreams and succeed.' Eighty-year-old Rod Stewart received a lifetime achievement honour and danced and sang to his pop hit 'Forever Young', which was released in 1984. Stewart said that when he started his career, 'I had this burning ambition to sing.' 'That's all I wanted to do. I didn't want to be rich or famous,' he said.


L'Orient-Le Jour
02-05-2025
- L'Orient-Le Jour
European Film Festival starts today in Beirut: Discover our selection
From April 30 to May 11, the 29th edition of the European Film Festival will light up the screens of Metropolis Cinema in Mar Mikhael with more than 35 films, special guests, concerts, tributes and a steadfast passion for the seventh art. The festival is organized by the European Union delegation in Lebanon, in partnership with the Metropolis Cinema Association and EU member state embassies. Opening with a Cannes favorite The festival will open with Flow by Gints Zilbalodis, a Latvian sensation unveiled at Cannes in 2024. The silent animated feature — which won the 2025 Oscar for Best Animated Feature and more than 50 international awards — follows a cat navigating a dreamlike, submerged world. The film promises to set the tone for a festival focused on innovation and emotion. The opening night is by invitation only, ahead of the film's national release on May 8. This year's lineup includes 21 feature films from across Europe, offering Lebanese audiences a bold and varied look at contemporary European cinema. Among them are several festival prizewinners, including two animated films for younger viewers. Special "movie-snack" screenings will be held for children from underserved communities. Alongside the European selections, 12 short films by emerging Lebanese filmmakers will compete for awards. Two winners will be selected to attend a European film festival, in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut and the French Institute of Lebanon. Cinema as a living experience Among the festival's standout events is Voyage to the Land of Fairies, a hybrid of concert and screening. The duo Catherine Vincent will reinterpret four enchanting short films by Georges Méliès and Lotte Reiniger in a musical, humorous, and poetic cine-concert, blending shadow theater and melodic storytelling. The festival also includes two special screenings with a focus on memory. Spanish classic Jamón Jamón by Bigas Luna will be shown in its restored version, with actor Jordi Mollà in attendance. The closing night on May 11 will feature the digitized version of Youssef Maalouf's Abou Salim, the Messenger of Love, a tribute to the beloved TV icon, who will attend the screening. A poster that speaks Beirut This year's festival poster, designed by Natasha Simonian, captures Beirut's raw energy: stray cats, tangled wires, and a city suspended between daily poetry and chaos. The design was chosen through an online competition, reflecting the festival's spirit of community and openness. Screenings will also reach audiences beyond Beirut, with events planned in Saida, Tripoli and Jounieh. Four must-see feature films The Story of Souleymane – Boris Lojkine (France) Monday, May 5 at 6 p.m. & Thursday, May 8 at 7 p.m. In the streets of Paris, Souleymane rehearses his story in preparation for an asylum interview. This poignant portrait of a suspended migrant, awarded at Cannes, stands out for its intensity and emotional depth. The Poet's Fiancée – Yolande Moreau (Belgium) Wednesday, May 7 at 9 p.m. In her inherited family home, Mireille hosts three eccentric tenants who disturb her solitude and stir romantic memories. A delicately offbeat comedy, true to Moreau's style. The End – Joshua Oppenheimer (Denmark) Friday, May 9 at 6 p.m. In a post-apocalyptic world, a family lives sealed in a bunker. The arrival of a stranger disrupts their balance. With Tilda Swinton, this philosophical chamber piece is haunting and provocative. Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush – Andreas Dresen (Germany) Thursday, May 1 at 8:30 p.m. & Saturday, May 10 at 4 p.m. A Turkish-German mother fights to free her son from Guantanamo. A moving and satirical courtroom drama, awarded the Silver Bear in Berlin. The Past Is Calling – Perla Geagea In a deserted Beirut home, an exiled voice returns to haunt the walls in a poetic audiovisual elegy. A silent meditation on what's left when everything is lost — haunting and understated. Bitter Greens, Tangled Roots – Abdallah Dannaoui A phone call between an exiled brother and sister rekindles memories of a vanished Lebanon. Sensitive Strings – Amal Ghamlooch A musician takes the stage one final time in a heartfelt, unadorned farewell. Awards will be announced during the closing ceremony on Sunday, May 11 at 8:30 p.m., followed by Abou Salim, the Messenger of Love. For Young Audiences: A Galactic Adventure Diplodocus – Wojtek Wawszczyk (Poland) Saturday, May 10 at 12 p.m. A small dinosaur capable of interplanetary travel sets out to find his parents. Packed with quirky characters and kinetic animation, this interstellar journey is perfect for children aged 8 and up. Festival Information Location: Metropolis Cinema, Mar Mikhael Dates: April 30 – May 11, 2025 Tickets: 400,000 Lebanese liras, available at or at the cinema Opening night: By invitation only


Nahar Net
04-04-2025
- Nahar Net
Rihanna's expanding Clara Lionel Foundation: A model for celebrity philanthropy
by Naharnet Newsdesk 04 April 2025, 15:54 Rihanna is accustomed to defying convention. The nine-time Grammy winner has turned her wide-ranging string of hits, including "Umbrella" and "Work," into a business empire worth an estimated $1.4 billion, placing her high on last year's Forbes list of the richest "self-made" American women. The Barbados native stunned entertainment's biggest stage with a pregnancy reveal during her solo 2023 Super Bowl halftime show. And her successful Fenty Beauty cosmetics brand revolutionized the makeup industry with its inclusive shades. But it is not the megastar-turned-mogul's long-awaited follow-up to 2016's "Anti" album set to make waves this year. It's her philanthropy. 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NDN Collective founder Nick Tilsen said CLF lets his Indigenous power-building nonprofit "do the work on our terms" — and that other funders should take notes. "They're not a foundation that's all up in your business, either," Tilsen said. "They support. They see the work. They allow us to do what we need to do." Clara Lionel Foundation's personal roots Rihanna started the foundation with a $516,000 contribution after her grandmother died of cancer complications in 2012. That year, the musician established an oncology center at Barbados' main hospital to expand cancer screening and treatment. And the young foundation focused on healthcare and Barbados for much of last decade. By 2019, though, CLF had begun prioritizing emergency preparedness. Grantmaking jumped to more than $33 million in 2020 as the nonprofit provided much-needed pandemic relief and backed racial justice efforts. Post-pandemic spending slowdowns coincided with its internal transition, according to tax filings. A revamped team and refined priorities now match its broader ambitions. A new director for women's entrepreneurship, based in South Carolina, will build out that pillar's programs. Black Feminist Fund co-founder Amina Doherty now oversees programs and impact. Rounding out its five new pillars are climate solutions, arts and culture, health access and equity, and future generations. The youth focus was commended by Ashley Lashley, a 25-year-old whose foundation has worked with CLF to address environmental challenges in her native Barbados. She often hears leaders say that 'youth are the future,' she said, but those statements rarely translate into actual support. "Rihanna's foundation is a prime example of how women in power can help contribute to work that is being done at the community level," Lashley said. Rihanna told The Associated Press she hopes CLF will continue to be a force for "global inclusion in philanthropy." She reflected on the foundation's 13-year transformation in a statement: "Today we have global reach, but that notion of love for community and for our roots runs deep in the DNA of the foundation." Finding partners — big and small The latest example of that evolution is a partnership with The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Barbados' "invaluable history" as "an essential chapter in the broader story of the African diaspora" is threatened by climate change, according to a Mellon press release. Together, the two foundations announced, they will fund "artist-led initiatives" to protect that culture "while inspiring new narratives and opportunities internationally." Schutt-Aine views the partnership with Mellon — the largest philanthropic supporter of the arts in the U.S. — as a milestone for CLF. Justin Garrett Moore, the director of the Mellon's Humanities in Place program, said the nonprofit's name arose when his team asked contacts to recommend partners. "We think there is an incredible platform that Clara Lionel Foundation has, with their founder, to bring this type of work into a legibility and visibility for the organizations that will be supported," Moore said. "Also, just generally in the society, to help amplify the power of the arts." Among those grantees is a developmental performance arts program that also provides free social services to students in the nation's capital of Bridgetown. Operation Triple Threat founder Janelle Headley said Clara Lionel Foundation helped the nonprofit afford a warehouse outfitted with acoustics panels, sound equipment and a dance floor. The relationship began with a microgrant for scholarships. Operation Triple Threat now receives general operating support — a "revolutionary" investment, Headley said, because charitable donations are usually earmarked for specific causes. That flexibility proved especially helpful during the pandemic when rapidly changing circumstances created new needs like iPads for remote learning. "It's uncommon, to be honest, to have someone give a sizable donation unrestricted and say, 'We trust you, your vision,'" Headley said. "That is very forward-thinking of them." A unique model for celebrity philanthropy The approach is unique, according to Mary Beth Collins, the executive director of the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She finds that celebrities typically engage in philanthropy only when necessary. But Collins said CLF appears to think long-term about its partners and deliberately in its bottom-up funding. The strategies align with her own recommendations to engage expert professionals, address root causes, select focus areas important to founders and lift up leaders living those issues. "We want to see funds and resources from the more endowed people in the world going to those leaders on the ground that really know the place and the experience and the issues best," Collins said. CLF used that model late last year when it provided additional funding to a clean energy nonprofit partner impacted by Hurricane Helene. Melanie Allen, co-director of The Hive Fund for Climate and Gender Justice, said they suddenly received around $60,000 to quickly distribute among vetted partners in devastated communities. The contribution came amid an increasingly hostile environment for nonprofits like hers supporting women of color, which has prompted some philanthropists to reduce giving. Allen said she is excited about CLF's "deep commitment to the South going forward." As others reduce resources, CLF wants to bring more philanthropic partners to the table. They're planning a summer convening for grantees to expand networks. The message, CLF's Doherty said, is "We will stick with you." "Some people might say times look bleak," Doherty said. "But this is a moment of possibility." The importance of remaining grounded in communities you serve is a lesson Schutt-Aine learned throughout a 25-year global health career. Most recently the Chief of Equity, Gender and Cultural Diversity at the Pan American Health Organization, Schutt-Aine has treated the world's deadliest infections of tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS. "If you're going to work on malaria," she said, "you need to have lived with the mosquito."