Latest news with #Rema
The Citizen
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
American Music Awards box Tyla as she wins Afrobeats Artist of the Year despite call for diversity
Tyla won the Afrobeats Artist of the Year award despite being nominated alongside notable Afrobeats artists, including Rema and Wizkid. Tyla won Afrobeats Artist of the year at the American Music Awards. Picture: tyla/Instagram In typical American style, the American Music Awards (AMA) didn't heed Tyla's call to not box all Africans in one group at international music awards. South Africa's Tyla won the Afrobeats Artist of the Year at the recent AMAs. Tyla won despite being nominated alongside Afrobeats artists like Rema, Wizkid and Asake. R&B singer Tems was the other nominee; however, at least Tems' music has influences of Afrobeats. Of all the nominated artists, Tyla is the one artist whose music isn't Afrobeats or has strong influences of the Nigerian genre. The 51st Annual American Music Awards were held at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas in Las Vegas on Monday. Jennifer Lopez hosted the show for the second time, following the 2015 ceremony. ALSO READ: Tyla calls out international awards after winning Afrobeats gong at MTV VMAs [VIDEO] Tyla speaking out In September of last year, Tyla won an Afrobeats award at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) and spoke about how bittersweet it was for her. 'This is just so special but also bittersweet because I know there's a tendency to group all Africans under Afrobeats,' Tyla said in her acceptance speech. 'Even though Afrobeats has run things and has opened so many doors for us, African music is so diverse… more than just Afrobeats.' A HUGE moment for Africa and African Music 🌍 @Tyllaaaaaaa takes home the Best Afrobeats award for 'Water' 🏆 #VMAs September 12, 2024 Afrobeats is a Nigerian genre that blends influences from other Nigerian styles, including Fuji—a Yorùbá traditional music rooted in percussion and choral call-and-response. Afrobeats is also a cocktail of juju, jazz, highlife, funk and soul. The South African singer, whose real name is Tyla Laura Seethal, used the opportunity at the VMAs to educate its international audience on the disparities of African music. 'I come from South Africa, I represent Amapiano, I represent my culture… I just want to shout-out all the Afrobeats artists in this category with me,' said Tyla, paying homage to some of the Nigerian artists she was nominated alongside. 'This is such a big moment for Africa, African music. Like, guys, the global impact that Water has had on the world just proves that African music can be pop music too,' said Tyla. ALSO READ: Tyla thrilled to host Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2025 American Music Awards Kendrick Lamar was the most nominated artist at this year's AMAs with 10 nods, but only took home the award for favourite hip-hop song, Not Like Us. Lamar was also nominated in other big categories, including Artist of the Year and Song of the Year, which ultimately went to Billie Eilish. Eilish won a total of seven awards on the night. NOW READ: Trevor Noah questioned over silence on Trump's claim of 'white genocide' in SA
News24
27-05-2025
- Business
- News24
Tyla strikes gold again: SA star wins American Music Award for Favourite Afrobeats Artist
South African superstar Tyla won Favourite Afrobeats Artist at the 2025 American Music Awards, which were held at Las Vegas' Fontainebleau. The star-studded ceremony hosted by Jennifer Lopez saw Billie Eilish dominate with seven awards, including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for Hit Me Hard and Soft. Tyla's victory represents a significant milestone for African music on the global stage. South African superstar Tyla has added another prestigious accolade to her growing collection, taking home the Favourite Afrobeats Artist award at the 2025 American Music Awards held at the glamorous Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Monday night. The pop star was nominated alongside and won against Nigerian giants Wizkid, Rema, Tems and Asake. The 23-year-old singer, who rose to international fame with her breakout hit Water, shone brightly among the industry's biggest names at one of music's most celebrated award ceremonies. Her victory marks a significant milestone for her burgeoning career and represents an exciting moment for African music on the global stage, particularly as the Afrobeats genre continues to gain mainstream recognition. The star-studded event, hosted by Jennifer Lopez, was a spectacular showcase of musical talent. American artist Billie Eilish emerged as the night's biggest winner. Eilish dominated the ceremony with seven awards, including the coveted Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for Hit Me Hard and Soft. Tyla's AMA win adds to an already remarkable rise for the Johannesburg-born artist. In February 2024, she made history as the first recipient of the Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance, and her self-titled debut album has achieved platinum status in several countries. The performer has been praised for successfully blending South African amapiano elements with global pop sounds, creating a distinctive musical identity that has resonated with audiences worldwide. The US media company Billboard recently honoured the pop star in March with the Impact Award at the Women in Music ceremony. 'When my career took off, I realised that God has his own plans,' Tyla said during her acceptance speech. 'I just feel very lucky for my fans who have given me such an exciting life, allowing me to grow in front of the world into all the different versions of myself as an artist and as a woman,' she said. 'I appreciate the way music has been able to impact us through time and how I'm just a manifestation of that,' she continued.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
From Travis Scott to Pacers Star Pascal Siakam, Rising ‘Afro Pluto' Star Shallipopi is in Everybody's Orbit
In 2006, the International Astronomical Union stopped classifying Pluto as our solar system's ninth planet and demoted its status to 'dwarf planet.' But 17 years later, Nigerian singer Shallipopi tells Billboard he's 'claiming it now' as his own domain. He's intimately familiar with that level of sovereignty, as Shallipopi – born Crown Uzama in Benin City, Edo, Nigeria – descends from a line of kingmakers, the Uzamas, who are the highest-ranking chiefs in the Benin Kingdom who appoint the new Obas, or traditional Edo rulers. And even though the 1994 Taiwanese kung fu comedy film Shaolin Popey that he grew up watching at home inspired his stage name, his self-appointed nickname Pluto Presido speaks more to his prestige — and the rule he has over his fans, the Plutomanians. More from Billboard Davido, Rema & Tems Win at 2025 Headies Awards: Full List U2's Bono Calls for Hamas to 'Release the Hostages, Stop the War' During Ivor Novello Awards Speech Rob49 on Viral Stardom, 'Let Me Fly,' Collab Album With G Herbo & Making Music With Justin Bieber He's even labeled his musical style 'Afro Pluto,' a rousing fusion of Nigerian street-pop, Afropop, hip-hop and amapiano that's littered with local slang with an infinite number of meanings and guided by a cadence that's closer to talking than singing. And in just a few short years, it's helped Shallipopi grow into one of the most in-demand up-and-comers from the continent. He says South African DJ/producer Tyler ICU texted him to hop on the remix of 'Mnike,' the biggest amapiano record of 2023 that Rihanna claimed was one of her favorite songs that year. A week before the 'Mnike' remix's release, Shallipopi tag-teamed with Rema on their hometown hit 'Benin Boys,' the first single from the latter's Grammy-nominated album Heis. He's also linked up with a range of other emerging and established Afrobeats acts like ODUMODUBLVCK on the chant-worthy club banger 'Cast' and YBNL boss Olamide on 'Order.' And two years after his 2023 breakout hit 'Elon Musk' in honor of 'the richest man in the world,' he says, Shallipopi strives for that level of astronomical wealth on his biggest hit to date 'Laho,' which means please in the Edo language of Bini. While he name checks Italian footballer Mario Balotelli to prove the kind of prosperous company he keeps, 'Laho' has attracted plenty of ballers in real life. A month after the song's release, Indiana Pacers power forward Pascal Siakam explained how he adopted the viral 'Laho' dance, featuring pointed fingers and shuffling feet, to celebrate the team's three-point shots in an interview with ESPN. 'I just be playing it, and the guys, I think JJ [James Johnson] is the first one that saw me do it. And he was like, 'Nah, I like that for a three-point celebration,'' said the Cameroonian basketball player, who added that he and his teammates 'gon' pull it out for sure in the playoffs.' And while celebrating his team becoming Premier League champions again, Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott wrote 'Minister of Enjoyment,' a phrase from the hit's second verse — meaning someone whose main purpose is to find pleasure in life and enjoy it to the fullest — in his Instagram caption. Manchester City defender Rúben Dias posted the song on his Instagram post when his team qualified for their third FA Cup final (even though they eventually lost against Crystal Palace). 'Laho' has peaked at No. 5 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs and has registered 11.5 million official on-demand U.S. streams, according to Luminate. While major leaguers quickly gravitated to it, the African Giant Burna Boy added his international star power to the song's second version that Shallipopi doesn't refer to as the 'Laho' remix – because that's still on the way. Billboard spoke with May's African Rookie of the Month about 'Laho' becoming an international sports anthem, performing it on massive world stages alongside Burna Boy and Central Cee, and setting his sights on even bigger collaborations. When did you know music was your calling? Pretty young, like my early teenage years. We always played music at home growing up, a lot of reggae and Afrobeats, old Afrobeats. My parents played a lot of Fela [Kuti], Lucky Dube, Bob Marley. Your younger brothers Zerry DL and Famous Pluto also make music. How did you guys come to share that interest and pursue your own paths in this business? We all grew up in the same house by the same parents who listen to the same music. I feel like they're following in my footsteps because they feel like they can do it too. And they're doing it already. Who are your favorite artists whom you're currently listening to? I listen to a lot of Billie Eilish and Ken Carson. How did you actually start making music? I went to the studio [when I was 15] and said, 'Let me try something. Let me sing on this beat. Let me test this thing finally and see if it goes.' But before that, I had voice memos on my phone, playing free beats off websites and vibing off it. I was just freestyling, not really recording original, mastered songs. What kind of sounds and styles does your music encompass? How would you describe your music in your own words? I would say groovy, energetic, fun. Club bangers. It's for having a good time and raising your mood from being unhappy to being happy. You earned a computer science degree from Auchi Polytechnic in 2023. How did you balance your schoolwork and your passion for music? That was not really difficult. I just take music as a hobby and I focused on my education until I was done. When I decided to study computer science, I didn't think music was really a way to sustain an income. You have to go study a real course to survive. You can't be studying music, we're in Africa. I decided to go with science because you have to chase the bag. [Laughs] It's dope to see you turn music from a hobby into a career. Is that something you expected? Honestly, I didn't expect it. I didn't expect it to come this soon. But it's God's blessing. I was thinking, 'Oh, it's going to take time.' Or the way everybody prays, 'Let my time come.' It's like, 'Oh, my time is here.' A common thread in your music is the local slang you use, from 'Evian' in 'Elon Musk' to 'Oscroh' in 'Oscroh (Pepperline).' Which are your favorite terms that you've used in your music? 'Evian,' just because it got so popular. It's my family name. Travis Scott is a What was it like to link up with him, especially when he started singing the song to you? He was feeling the energy of the song, I think he likes Pluto's songs. [The video was taken] backstage at his concert in London. 'Cast' recently won best rap single at The Headies this year, while Zerry DL took home the rookie of the year award. That must've been a proud family moment! It was lit. We celebrated together, I'm happy for him. We partied all night and chilled together as family. You announced that you ended your agreement with Dapper Music and Dvpper Digital because they mishandled your finances. Three months later, you released your biggest record to date with 'Laho.' What was going through your head during that in-between period? How were you feeling about the trajectory of your career? The career of a man is not really in the hands of anybody except him. Your career is in your hands at the end of the day. Your fans are waiting for you to do something, so it's really the only thing at the end of the day that matters. Nobody's going to really stop you. 'Laho' has been heavily embraced by the sports world. Did you expect it to become an anthem for athletes all around the world? Why do you think this demographic has gravitated to 'Laho' so much? No, I didn't expect that one. I'm still in shock. I watch and enjoy, it because they're not from the same sports. Some play football, some play basketball. I just really f—k with that s–t. When did Burna Boy get involved with the 'Laho' record? He that he was on the original version but he couldn't clear it at the time because it 'clashed with other releases that had to do with me.' So should 'Laho II' not be considered the remix? 'Laho II' is 'Laho II.' We were just in the studio [in Lagos], I was playing the album and he was like, 'Yeah, I f—k with that. Let's do this.' And he dropped a verse on it. Wait for the remix. Can we expect other big guests on the remix? Just wait and see. But expect fire. You two performed the song together at and at . What was it like to bring your song to life in front of tens of thousands of people? It was lit. I was feeling the energy of everyone singing it back to me. It was amazing. Central Cee also brought you out during his show at London's O2 Arena to How did the opportunity come about? He just told me to pull up and come perform 'Laho.' I told him, 'Cool, bro — I gotchu.' You started your own record label, Plutomania Records, in 2023. Why were Zerry DL and Tega Boi the best fit as the label's first signees? They're my family, I had to support them first before I bring in all the others. What is your hope for the future of Plutomania Records in the next five to 10 years? I want us to expand, to grow more business-wise. What's been the biggest 'pinch me' moment of your career so far? Performing at the stadiums. I was like, 'Oh my God! Ah!' Were you extra nervous? I'm never nervous, I'm just happy to be there. Who would you love to collaborate with this year? Maybe from the Latin side, like Bad Bunny. It has to be a very big artist or have a big fan base, like Drake. What's next for Shallipopi in 2025? What can fans expect? Concerts, so they can come see live, and more good music. 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
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pianist Girolamo Parisi Announces His Latest Musical Endeavors, Highlighting a Life of Passion and Perseverance
Italian pianist Girolamo Parisi shares his musical journey from Calabria to global digital platforms, where he leads the way with daily livestreams and award-winning performances on TikTok. CALABRIA, ITALY / / May 16, 2025 / Pianist and composer Girolamo Parisi announces his growing presence in the classical and contemporary music scene, sharing the story behind his artistic evolution and the launch of original compositions that are resonating with a global audience online. Parisi Girolamo Image Born in Calabria, Italy, a region in Southern Italy known for its rich cultural heritage, Parisi's musical inclination was evident from infancy. At just one year old, he received a small piano from his father, a symbolic gift that sparked a lifelong devotion to music. Tragically, Parisi lost his father in an accident before the age of two, an event that influenced his early life and deepened his emotional connection to music. By age six, Parisi began keyboard lessons and advanced to private piano studies by nine. At eleven, he was accepted into the prestigious Francesco Cilea Conservatory in Reggio Calabria, where he also began composing his first pieces. His formal training continued under esteemed instructor Cinzia Dato and culminated in a master's degree under the guidance of internationally acclaimed pianist Aldo Ciccolini. Throughout his academic journey, Parisi won multiple music competitions and participated in advanced seminars, experiences that shaped his refined technique and expressive style. His compositions blend classical tradition with modern sensibility, appealing to a wide and diverse audience. On July 25, 2022, Parisi released his debut album Ombre, featuring original works such as Rema and Hands Can Listen. These pieces have gained traction on streaming platforms like Spotify, while his presence on TikTok has become a defining part of his success. With over 700,000 followers, Parisi is recognized as one of the first pianists globally to livestream daily performances on TikTok, attracting more than 100,000 viewers per session. His innovative approach to live digital performance earned him honors at TikTok Live Fest in Miami (February 2024) and London (January 2025), where he was acknowledged for his artistic contributions and unique ability to connect with audiences in real time. His content not only showcases his live performances but also offers a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process, further strengthening his bond with fans worldwide. Parisi's growing digital footprint and expanding catalog reflect a career in motion. With a deep respect for classical roots and a forward-thinking approach to audience engagement, he is redefining how classical and contemporary music can thrive in the digital age. To explore Girolamo Parisi's music and learn more about his journey, visit or follow him on TikTok at @parisigirolamo. Media Contact:Parisi GirolamoParisipiano@ SOURCE: Parisi Girolamo View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Hans India
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
On 13th death anniversary, a ‘living' memorial comes up for TP Chandrasekharan in Kerala
On the eve of the 13th death anniversary of T.P. Chandrasekharan -- whom the top brass of the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala still refers to as a renegade -- a befitting memorial is set to be unveiled at the very spot where he was brutally murdered by a group of CPI(M) workers. Chandrasekharan was hacked 51 times in 2012 in a gruesome political killing that shocked Kerala. His widow, K.K. Rema, a firebrand leader once in the CPI(M) herself, has carried forward his ideology ever since his death. Now a first-time MLA, elected in 2021 with the support of the Congress-led UDF, Rema stood before the new memorial on Thursday and called it 'a dream come true.' 'We will formally open this state-of-the-art memorial in the coming days. This is a dream come true for all who hold Chandrasekharan dear,' she said. The memorial has been built on a three-cent plot of land -- the exact location where Chandrasekharan was murdered. 'We purchased this land to build the memorial. Earlier, we had put up a small structure here, but it was attacked nearly five times,' said Rema, adding that the site is now under police protection. The new memorial will house the motorcycle Chandrasekharan was riding when he was attacked. 'There will also be a 'live' museum, showcasing his speeches, personal belongings, and other details of his life, all curated using advanced AI technology,' she said. Chandrasekharan, then 51, was ambushed on May 4, 2012, by assailants in a car who first hurled crude bombs at him. When he fell off his motorcycle, they hacked him to death. His body lay in a pool of blood for over half an hour before police took him to a hospital. At the time, the Congress-led government under Oommen Chandy was in power. The police quickly identified and arrested the suspects. In July 2012, several key culprits were taken into custody, and in January 2014, a local Kozhikode court convicted 12 people -- including three prominent CPI(M) leaders from the area. The murder created a political storm in Kerala. The trigger, many believe, was Chandrasekharan's decision in 2008 to break away from the CPI(M) and form his own party, the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP). His popularity at his home turf of Onchiyam and the RMP's subsequent electoral gains there reportedly enraged the CPI(M), for whom Onchiyam holds deep historical and ideological significance. Chandrasekharan was widely admired for his powerful oratory and strong presence -- traits that made him a threat to the party he once served. Since his death, Rema has emerged as a fierce critic of the CPI(M), especially Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, whom she accuses of having knowledge of the conspiracy behind her husband's murder.
