Latest news with #AWonderfulWorld
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What song did Katy Perry sing on her Blue Origin space flight?
Flying into space already seems like a pretty cool thing, but imagine flying into space and getting a quasi-Katy Perry concert. Even if you're not a huge fan, that has to sound like a pretty wild experience. That's the experience that the Blue Origin flight crew got today on their brief voyage into space. Blue Origin, an aerospace company headed by billionaire Jeff Bezos, launched the first all-female space voyage in 60 years on Monday in the company's NS-31 rocket. The flight included journalist Gayle King, Bezos' fiance Lauren Sanchez, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics scientist Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn and, yes, pop star Katy Perry. How'd the voyage go? Well, we actually got a glimpse of it on video here. But that's not all. Perry serenaded the crew a bit while in space. Gayle King confirmed that the pop star sang "A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong while they were floating around. That's got to be a pretty cool experience. This article originally appeared on For The Win: What song did Katy Perry sing on her Blue Origin space flight?
USA Today
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
What song did Katy Perry sing on her Blue Origin space flight?
What song did Katy Perry sing on her Blue Origin space flight? Flying into space already seems like a pretty cool thing, but imagine flying into space and getting a quasi-Katy Perry concert. Even if you're not a huge fan, that has to sound like a pretty wild experience. That's the experience that the Blue Origin flight crew got today on their brief voyage into space. Blue Origin, an aerospace company headed by billionaire Jeff Bezos, launched the first all-female space voyage in 60 years on Monday in the company's NS-31 rocket. The flight included journalist Gayle King, Bezos' fiance Lauren Sanchez, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics scientist Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn and, yes, pop star Katy Perry. How'd the voyage go? Well, we actually got a glimpse of it on video here. But that's not all. Perry serenaded the crew a bit while in space. Gayle King confirmed that the pop star sang "A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong while they were floating around. That's got to be a pretty cool experience.
Arab News
08-03-2025
- General
- Arab News
Iraqi artist Afifa Aleiby unveils new painting of historical women from Islamic civilization
SHARJAH: What do Wallada Al-Mustakfi, Rufaida Al-Aslamia, Dayfa Khatun, and Aminatu have in common? They are all distinguished women in Islamic history that you more than likely have never heard of before. That is about to change thanks to a new painting by the acclaimed Iraqi artist Afifa Aleiby, whose colorful 'A Wonderful World,' pays tribute to 16 noteworthy Muslim women whose names have faded away over time. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ Commissioned by the Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah, the painting will be on public display at the House of Wisdom in Sharjah until the end of Ramadan and will later be transferred to the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization. Aleiby's work is a companion piece to a 1988 painting titled 'Islamic Scientists,' by the late Syrian artist Mahmoud Hammad and currently in the collection of Barjeel Art Foundation. In his composition, Hammad highlighted 16 influential male scholars and physicians, including Ibn Sina and Ibn Rushd. 'Exhibited together for the first time, these artworks stand as a powerful reminder of the transformative impact of these intellectuals, both men and women, on the history of Islamic civilization," reads a wall text. The recent unveiling event opened with a panel talk, where Aleiby and Hammad's daughter, Lubna Hammad, discussed the displayed artworks. Aleiby noted some of the difficulties in taking on this open-call commission, including a lack of resources, literary and visual. 'Some of these women have only two or three lines written about their history and role,' she said. In her detailed piece, dotted with symbolic elements (such as the proud peacock and a library of books) and set against a serene landscape, Aleiby depicted notable women of medicine, astronomy, poetry, science, education and military leadership who lived between the 7th and 17th centuries in Africa, Andalusia, India, and the Arab world. One of these figures is Razia Sultana, who was born in the 13th century and went on to become the first and only female ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in India. From the 11th century, there is also a depiction of Safiyya bint Abdullah Al-Riyy, who was a skilled calligrapher and poet in Andalusia. Another Andalusian woman of poetry is the rebellious and liberal Wallada Al-Mustakfi, who formed a literary salon that was a meeting point for male and female voices.
The National
23-02-2025
- Science
- The National
Queens, warriors and thinkers – painting honours Islamic history's greatest women
The painting Islamic Scientists was one of the last that Syrian artist Mahmoud Hammad produced before his death in 1988. It is also perhaps his most ambitious. The work tackles a vast timeline, condensing centuries of Islamic history into a 120cm x 180cm canvas. Yet, the painting has a marked blind spot. The canvas is populated entirely by men – with no reference to the achievements of the female thinkers and intellectuals of the Islamic Golden Age. A new companion piece, A Wonderful World, by Iraqi artist Afifa Aleiby aims to address this oversight. Commissioned by the Barjeel Art Foundation, it will be officially unveiled during a ceremony at Sharjah's House of Wisdom on Sunday. A Wonderful World will be displayed beside Hammad's Islamic Scientists, which is also part of the foundation's collection and has been displayed at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation since 2014. Hammad's Islamic Scientists brings together 16 influential thinkers and scientists from the Islamic Golden Age, which is generally dated between the eighth and 13th centuries. Besides its artistic virtues, the painting is a formidable reference point for those wishing to learn more about the intellectual achievements of the medieval Islamic world. Ibn Rushd is in the centre of the canvas with a copy of his book The Incoherence of the Incoherence in hand. The Andalusian polymath is huddled beside Al Farabi and Ibn Sina, the latter who holds his influential work, The Book of Healing. Jabir, meanwhile, holds his The Secrets of Chemistry as he watches the group from afar, alongside the Persian polymath Razi. There is also, of course, Ibn Khaldun with his book Muqaddimah. Al Kindi, famously regarded as the Philosopher of the Arabs, holds a scroll as he looks towards the distance. Al Biruni beside him holds an astrolabe. In the upper left corner, meanwhile, Abbas Ibn Firnas takes to the sky with wings strapped to his shoulders. Besides being a poet, physician and inventor, the Berber-Andalusian polymath is regarded as the first person to have attempted flight. The painting also has other clues about the achievements of the time. A horoscope wheel touches on the astrological studies by medieval Arab scholars. In the upper right corner, the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, built in the early eighth century, reflects on architectural contributions. Suheyla Takesh, director of the Barjeel Art Foundation, says Islamic Scientists was evidently an ambitious undertaking by Hammad. 'There was quite a detailed and meticulous study period that led up to this large-scale piece,' she tells The National. Yet, Islamic Scientists represents only a part of the achievements of thinkers during the Islamic Golden Age, and the foundation wanted to highlight the prominent female thinkers of the time, launching an open call in 2023. 'The open call laid the framework for the painting,' Takesh says. 'It had to be the same size, and it had to have 16 figures. It was up to the artists to find who they would like to represent, research them and then come up with a piece.' The initiative was part of the foundation's ongoing efforts to expand its collection of works by women artists from the region. 'We also started reflecting on the fact that the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation receives a lot of school groups who come and look at Islamic Scientists,' Takesh says. 'Young women come and look at this painting, and we really wanted them to have a more comprehensive picture of our collective history. To have role models that were not only men but also learned women." Though the open call yielded several 'wonderful proposals', Takesh says: 'None fully aligned with our vision for the project at that time.' Finally, in March last year, the foundation reached out to Aleiby. 'We already had a few of her works in the collection,' Takesh says. 'She has an incredible technique and very unique painting style. She is an established artist and has already achieved maturity in her approach and style. She seemed like the perfect fit for this project.' However, Aleiby was initially hesitant to accept the proposal. 'I initially saw the open call on social media,' she tells The National. 'I thought it was a great idea and I hoped it would materialise, but I didn't see myself taking on the project. I don't usually take on commissions.' However, Aleiby couldn't ignore the gravity and necessity of a companion piece to Islamic Scientists and she, too, wanted to highlight the efforts of female intellectuals and figures in the medieval Islamic world. 'It was not an easy decision,' she says. 'The subject matter was difficult. Its proper execution was difficult.' Yet, within a few months after taking on the project, and after strenuous research aided by the foundation, Aleiby completed A Wonderful World. The sprawling painting, much like the work that inspired it, brings together a group who come from various parts of the world and with disparate intellectual interests and contributions. In the upper left portion of the canvas is Fatima Al Fihriya, the ninth-century Arab figure renowned for establishing Al Qarawiyyin Mosque in Fes, Morocco. The mosque eventually became a university, which has been regarded by Unesco as the world's oldest continuously operating educational institution. Al Fihriya's sister, Mariam, is depicted beside her. She is celebrated for founding Al Andalus Mosque, which was a centre of education and learning. Queen Amina is also portrayed in the painting. The Hausa warrior queen sits almost at the centre of the canvas, a shield is propped up beside her. Ruler of the city-state Zazzau in modern-day Nigeria, Queen Amina was renowned for her military campaigns and for fortifying her cities with lofty walls, many of which survive today. Facing Queen Amina is Dayfa Khatun, a former princess of Aleppo. The Ayyubid royalty was the regent of Aleppo from 1236 to 1242. She is famous for having protected Aleppo's autonomy during a period of marked political and regional turmoil. She was also a patron of architecture, having commissioned several notable structures, including Al Firdaws Madrasa and the Khanqah Al Farafra. Zubaydah bint Jaʼfar Al Mansur has a starring role on the canvas, standing in the centre of the throng with her palms upwards. On her left, a mosque looms, symbolising Baghdad, whereas the Kaaba is depicted on her right palm. The Abbasid princess, who was the wife of Caliph Harun Al Rashid, was celebrated for her philanthropy as well as her intellectual pursuits. Among her most famous acts was commissioning a series of wells, reservoirs and pools along the pilgrimage route from Baghdad to Makkah and Madinah to provide water for pilgrims. Razia Sultana, meanwhile, is depicted in the upper left portion of the painting. She was the first and only female ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in India, having ascended to the throne following her father's death in 1236. The sultana's rule was marked by significant improvements to Delhi's infrastructure. She was also known for her efforts in promoting trade and education. Two figures in the painting even precede the Islamic Golden Age and lived in the time of the Prophet Mohammed. These include Rufaida Al Aslamia, the first female Muslim nurse and surgeon, and Al Shifaʼa bint Abdullah, who was a distinguished companion of the Prophet Mohammed and whose medical expertise earned her the title of "The Healer". While viewing the painting, it is clear the 16 figures hail from different parts of the world and different eras. Aleiby says she wanted to represent these nuances through their clothing. Andalusian figures, such as Lubna of Cordoba and Fatima de Madrid, are dressed in garbs that are European. Khatun's headdress and vest, meanwhile, bring to mind medieval Syrian styles and are notably distinct from Razia Sultana's. However, there were notable gaps in the research, meaning Aleiby had to take some liberties with her depictions, she says. Her figures of Rufaida Al Aslamia and Al Shifaʼa bint Abdullah, for instance, are based on documentaries she watched. A Wonderful World, Aleiby says, stands out from the rest of her oeuvre. It is not an expressive work, she says, but one that aims to document and communicate history. 'I want to show how these women played a role in our lives and in the creation and development of our culture,' she says. 'That they were not just staying at home, but that they were building infrastructure, going to wars and writing poetry.' A Wonderful World will be displayed at the House of Wisdom alongside Islamic Scientists until the end of Ramadan. The two will then hang next to one another at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation. "We would very much love for the pair to remain together," Takesh says.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kamala Harris mocked over 'word salad' speech to cast of ‘A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical'
Former Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a so-called nonsensical "word salad" during an attempt to deliver an inspirational message to the cast of Broadway's "A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical." Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were seen attending two Broadway productions over the weekend, the other being "Gypsy," the New York Post reported. Following a standing ovation for "A Wonderful World," Harris delivered her speech to the cast and crew. Liz Cheney Campaigns With Vice President Harris Ahead Of The Election "When we think about these moments where we see things that are being taken, but also let's see it, you know, nature abhors a vacuum," Harris tells the musical's cast in a clip shared on X. "Where there's a vacancy, let's fill it. Let us know that the reality is that the progress of our nation has been about the expansion of rights, not the restriction of rights," she added. "We're seeing a U-turn right now. For those rights to be maintained, which means we have to be vigilant. It's just the nature of it." Read On The Fox News App Harris was mocked online for her remarks, with some comparing her to someone under the influence of alcohol. "Kamala Harris hit Broadway and, of course, served up her signature word salad. A friendly reminder of what we dodged in the White House," one person wrote on X. She was similarly ridiculed after leaving office when she spoke to firefighters in California as they were battling wildfires in Los Angeles. Kamala Harris Mocked Online For Another 'Word Salad' About 'Community' During Fire Department Visit "As I said to these courageous and extraordinary firefighters, you know moments of crisis really do reveal the heroes among us," she said. "We went and visited World Central Kitchen. I mean, the volunteers who were there, some of them who lost their own homes, are there doing the work of taking care of perfect strangers, who, in the face of that stranger, they see a neighbor." As vice president, Harris once said: "I grew up understanding the children of the community are the children of the community." Since leaving the White House, Harris has dodged questions about her political future, amid rumors she may be considering a run to become governor of California. The state's current governor, Gavin Newsom, a political ally of Harris', is term-limited from seeking another term. California voters will elect a new governor in article source: Kamala Harris mocked over 'word salad' speech to cast of 'A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical'
