Latest news with #BillboardAfrica
The Herald
12 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald
Billboard launches Billboard Africa, a game-changer for the continent's music industry
'We are thrilled to launch Billboard Africa, a pivotal step in recognisng Africa's profound contributions to global music culture,' said Josh Wilson, MD at Global Venture Partners. 'African music is a driving force that continues to reshape global music trends.' More than only recognition, the initiative is about building infrastructure. Brandon Martin, CEO of Global Venture Partners, emphasised the long-term vision: 'We're not only raising visibility for artists but laying the groundwork for an infrastructure that supports sustainable growth. Billboard Africa is about amplifying potential and encouraging investment in the continent's creative economy.' At the helm of the ambitious rollout is Nkosiyati Khumalo, editor-in-chief of Billboard Africa, who brings a deep understanding of African culture and storytelling. 'Bringing Billboard's thought leadership home to Africa, and sharing more African stories with the world, is an immense honor,' said Nkosiyati. 'This is about supporting the diverse artists and professionals who drive African music forward.' From curated events to awards shows, artist spotlights to industry insights, Billboard Africa is setting the stage for a cultural and economic renaissance. As the world tunes in, the continent's musicians are ready to turn up the volume.
TimesLIVE
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
Billboard launches Billboard Africa, a game-changer for the continent's music industry
In a landmark move that underscores the global rise of African music, Billboard announced the launch of Billboard Africa during its inaugural Global Power Players event in London. The new chapter signals a bold expansion by the iconic music authority, with a mission to spotlight, celebrate and elevate the African music scene on a global stage. In collaboration with Global Venture Partners, Billboard Africa promises to be more than a regional offshoot. It will serve as a powerhouse platform, delivering a robust lineup of editorial content, real-time music charts, exclusive videos and interviews, breaking news and bespoke events all centered around Africa's rich and diverse musical tapestry. 'African music has evolved into a dynamic force with a rich cultural heritage and an undeniable impact on the world,' said Mike Van, president of Billboard. 'The new platform enables us to create meaningful opportunities for African artists to connect with a global audience, elevating their talent to unprecedented levels.' From the rhythmic heartbeats of Afrobeats and amapiano to the soulful echoes of Afro-jazz and hip-hop, Billboard Africa is poised to be the ultimate stage for the continent's best and brightest. With a dedicated team and local collaborations, the platform aims to highlight chart-topping artists, emerging talent and the stories behind the sound. 'We are thrilled to launch Billboard Africa, a pivotal step in recognisng Africa's profound contributions to global music culture,' said Josh Wilson, MD at Global Venture Partners. 'African music is a driving force that continues to reshape global music trends.' More than only recognition, the initiative is about building infrastructure. Brandon Martin, CEO of Global Venture Partners, emphasised the long-term vision: 'We're not only raising visibility for artists but laying the groundwork for an infrastructure that supports sustainable growth. Billboard Africa is about amplifying potential and encouraging investment in the continent's creative economy.' At the helm of the ambitious rollout is Nkosiyati Khumalo, editor-in-chief of Billboard Africa, who brings a deep understanding of African culture and storytelling. 'Bringing Billboard's thought leadership home to Africa, and sharing more African stories with the world, is an immense honor,' said Nkosiyati. 'This is about supporting the diverse artists and professionals who drive African music forward.' From curated events to awards shows, artist spotlights to industry insights, Billboard Africa is setting the stage for a cultural and economic renaissance. As the world tunes in, the continent's musicians are ready to turn up the volume.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Liam Gallagher Has Joined the Oasis Rehearsals and Confirms That Reunited Band Sounds ‘F–king FILTHY'
It is a mere 30 days until Oasis take the stage at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales to kick off their first tour in more than 16 years. The anticipation for the long-awaited reunion of formerly battling brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher has been slowly building as images of band members arriving for rehearsals have leaked out over the past week. And on Tuesday morning (June 3), singer Liam weighed in and gave a very positive assessment of how things are going. 'We have LIFT OFF Rastas sounded f–king FILTHY,' he wrote on X. 'I'll tell thee that there for hardly anything.' When a fan asked if he was nervous to step to the mic, the singer brushed off the question, responding 'Dont be ridiculous.' More from Billboard Queens of the Stone Age Couldn't 'Over-Rehearse' for Paris Catacombs Concert Film: 'You Go Down There & All the Plans Are Off' Billboard & Global Venture Partners Launch Billboard Africa Here's What Fans Think of SiR Claiming Drake Had His 2024 Toronto Show Canceled When another commenter wondered 'did you sound amazing?,' the cheeky vocalist said, 'Cmon,' telling a different fan that rehearsing with the band again was 'SPIRITUAL' and that rehearsals so far were 'BIBLICAL.' Not one to get misty about much, Gallagher told an inquiring mind who wanted to know if it was 'emotional playing with everyone' for the first time in 16 years, 'no time to get emotional we have a lot of catching up to do.' By Wednesday morning (June 4), Gallagher was already seemingly getting a bit punchy, inexplicably posting 'MOISTIFICATION for the NATION,' and replying to a question about his 'greatest asset' with the blunt 'My arse.' A follow-up query about how many songs the band rehearsed the day before got the answer '69.' So far, the band is planning to spend most of July in the U.K. before jumping over to North America in August for shows in Toronto, Chicago, New Jersey, Pasadena and Mexico City, then hitting Asia and Australia in the fall and winding down with shows in Argentina, Chile and Brazil in November. For now, there are no festival dates or non-headlining shows, but a persistent fan asked Liam if it's possible that Oasis would make a triumphant return to the Knebworth Festival, where they played to more than 250,000 fans over two nights in 1996. 'Let's see how this tour goes if we still love each other after it,' Liam replied. And while there is some trepidation that the internal strife that split the family band up in 2009 might rear its ugly head again, when a fan wondered if Tuesday's rehearsal made it feel like the band had 'never split up,' Gallagher affirmed, 'Yeah like it never happened very spiritual.' Some things never change, though. 'How many hours do you rehearse every day,' one commenter wondered. 'I do the set once then I scarper,' Liam said. So far, longtime bassist Andy Bell has confirmed that he's back in the band for the tour and a March report suggested that the Gallaghers could be joined by former guitarist Gem Archer, as well as Oasis co-founder and rhythm guitarist Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs and drummer Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M.). Liam rubbished the report, writing, 'NME tell me who your source pots are that keep giving you info about OASIS and I'll give you an exclusive interview about up n coming OASIS tour. You can have it all but how much do you want it.' See Liam's comment below. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New Jersey Man Arrested For Allegedly Stealing Heart Instruments
A New Jersey man has been arrested for allegedly stealing a pair of instruments from Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Heart. Just days after the band offered a reward for the return of a custom guitar and mandolin they said were stolen from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on the night before they kicked off their An Evening With Heart summer tour on Saturday (May 31), the Associated Press reported on Thursday (June 5) that a Pleasantville, N.J. man has been taken into custody. Atlantic City police said surveillance video first led them to the 57-year-old suspect, who was allegedly seen on video walking through the city trying to sell the instruments. Authorities said that the man eventually succeeded in selling one, while the other is currently unaccounted for — at press time it was unclear which instrument was sold and which one was still missing. More from Billboard Heart Offering Reward After Two Custom Instruments Stolen Before Atlantic City Show: 'Their Value to Us Is Immeasurable' Queens of the Stone Age Couldn't 'Over-Rehearse' for Paris Catacombs Concert Film: 'You Go Down There & All the Plans Are Off' Billboard & Global Venture Partners Launch Billboard Africa According to NBC 10 Philadelphia, investigators obtained video footage of the theft, which they said took place around 2 a.m. on May 30. They identified the suspect as Garfield Bennett and charged him with theft and burglary on Wednesday (June 4). Officials reported that Bennett has a long criminal record and was previously arrested in April for a prior burglary. Prior to the arrest, Heart described the missing items as a 'custom-built, one-of-a-kind purple sparkle baritone Telecaster with a hand-painted headstock, crafted specifically for [guitarist] Nancy Wilson,' as well as a 'vintage 1966 Gibson EM-50 mandolin' that band member Paul Moak has played for over 25 years. In a statement, band co-founder Wilson, said, 'These instruments are more than just tools of our trade — they're extensions of our musical souls. The baritone Tele was made uniquely for me, and Paul's mandolin has been with him for decades. We're heartbroken, and we're asking for their safe return — no questions asked. Their value to us is immeasurable.' Police told NBC 10 that they are not sure where Bennett sold the instrument and are asking anyone in possession of the other one to alert Atlantic City Police to return it, warning anyone in possession of the stolen item that they will be arrested and charged with receiving stolen property if they don't hand it over. 'If you've got the guitars, bring them back. Turn them in. No questions asked,' Atlantic City Director of Public Safety Sean Riggin told the channel. 'If we continue looking and we have to find them, there are absolutely going to be serious criminal charges.' Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Queens of the Stone Age Couldn't ‘Over-Rehearse' for Paris Catacombs Concert Film: ‘You Go Down There & All the Plans Are Off'
Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme has some sage advice for anyone who finds themselves in a difficult situation. 'If you're going through hell,' Homme says, 'keep going.' More from Billboard Queens of the Stone Age Announce 'Alive in the Catacombs' Concert Film, Album Billboard & Global Venture Partners Launch Billboard Africa Here's What Fans Think of SiR Claiming Drake Had His 2024 Toronto Show Canceled Easy for him to say: He's one of the few lucky souls who has left the Paris Catacombs, the subject of his band's new film and the final home to more than 6 million deceased Parisians following an 18th-century effort to fix Paris' overcrowded, dilapidated cemetery system. Homme has long been fascinated by the underground burial site, visited by more than a half-million people each year, and chose the dark and foreboding underground capsule as the central motif for Queens of the Stone Age's new project Alive in the Catacombs, a concert and concept film directed by Thomas Rames and produced by La Blogothèque. 'This place is like trying to run on a sheet of ice,' Hommes explains in the accompanying documentary Alive in Paris and Before, shot by the band's longtime visual collaborator Andreas Neumann. 'You have no idea how much time has passed up there, up above, and no time has passed below. It's the same time, all the time, every time.' It's easy to get lost in the maze-like film as it wanders through the subterranean tunnels and ossuaries buried deep beneath the City of Light. The film captures Homme at a low point in 2024, having to cancel a major European leg of the band's tour due to a cancer diagnosis from which he has since recovered. Performing in the Catacombs had been a lifelong dream of Homme's, and he pushes though the pain to delivery a carefully arranged performance of music from the band's back catalog, 'stripped down bare, without taking away what made each one wonderful,' band member Dean Fertita explains in the documentary. The band recruited violinist Christelle Lassort and viola player Arabella Bozig to repurpose tracks like 'Paper Machete,' 'Kalopsia' and 'Villains of Circumstance'; while each song was performed acoustically, Homme was adamant the project not simply feel like 'Queens of the Stone Age Unplugged.' 'When you go into the Catacombs, there are 6 million people in there, and I think about, 'What would you want to hear if you were one of those people?'' Homme said Wednesday night (June 4) during a Q&A in Los Angeles following a screening of the film. 'I'd want to hear about family and acceptance and things I care about. A lot of the songs we picked are about the moment you realize there's difficulty and the moment you realize you're past it, so a lot of the songs we picked were about letting the people down there know it's all right and that we care about them.' Homme said the challenges of the performance was that unlike a traditional concert where the band plays to the audience, 'We're in the belly of this thing. The ceiling is dripping and it's an organic thing that's really dominating.' The Paris Catacombs were built during a time of great upheaval in French society, as revolution completely reshaped civic life and laid siege to the political fabric of the French monarchy. There are no coffins or headstones in the Catacombs, with the bones of the princes and kings mixed with peasants and non-nobility. The band shot the entire film in one day, Homme said, securing permission from the historical group that oversees the Paris Catacombs to shoot on a day the space was closed to the public. 'We didn't over-rehearse; we just rehearsed twice,' Homme said. 'It's not supposed to be perfect. You try to make a plan, but you go down there and all the plans are off.' Fans can preorder the film in advance on Queens of the Stone Age's website; fans who order the video before Saturday will also receive the mini-documentary film. Watch the trailer below: Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
