Latest news with #UrbanMusicAwards
The Citizen
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Langa Mavuso on holding the fort for R&B and being awarded for it
Mavuso was nominated for the Metro FM awards and the Urban Music Awards (UMAs) for Best R&B but only won the latter. Singer songwriter Langa Mavuso spoke to The Citizen about holding the flag high for the R&B genre. Picture: langamav/Instagram Being nominated at two different awards ceremonies for the same category is enough proof of an artist's relevance and place in the industry, especially in a genre considered dying in the country. 'It's always a good feeling when you are recognised and celebrated for your efforts. Music has been a great love of mine, and to be given the honour to say that I'm doing it well feels good,' R&B singer Langa Mavuso told The Citizen. Mavuso was nominated for the Metro FM awards and the Urban Music Awards (UMAs) but only won the latter. The UMAs, which celebrated South Africa's finest musical talents, were hosted at the Heartfelt Arena in Pretoria on Sunday evening. Some of the night's winners included Uncle Waffles, named the Best DJ, Dlala Thukzin, awarded the Best producer, and the spiritual ensemble Soweto Gospel Choir, named the Best Gospel Act. ALSO READ: K.O finally gets his Metro FM award in his home province Holding the fort for R&B Mavuso's name is among the first mentioned when South African R&B is discussed. 'It's been beautiful to watch the resurgence of the genre in South Africa,' said Mavuso. Mavuso's debut album Langa was released in 2020, and since then, he has grown in stature with every note he belts out. Before that, he released what could be described as a modern R&B classic in Sunday Blues in 2017. 'When I first came onto the scene about eight years ago, many questioned whether there was a market for R&B, and we've soldiered through the years,' he says. 'We've seen a beautiful newfound appreciation of this kind of music, and I'm grateful to be a part of it.' ALSO READ: South Africans make their presence felt at the Met Gala in New York Dabbling with Amapiano In the past few days, Mavuso has been teasing a collaboration with Amapiano producer and DJ Yumbs. The collaboration will see the crooner singing over Yumbs' Amapiano beats. 'Yumbs is an incredible producer and also an alum from my high school. So when he called for a collaboration, it peaked my interest a lot,' shares the Lost Love singer. Mavuso says he had fun creating the song Wena. Explaining the meaning of the song, Mavuso said it was about yearning. '[The] song expresses yearning and missing someone you love. We get to experience a live performance of that song released this Thursday on Yumbs' YouTube channel.' NOW READ: Katy Perry missed the Met Gala, but AI stole the spotlight!
The South African
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
Urban Music Awards celebrate musical excellence
Pretoria's Heartfelt Arena pulsed with energy as the Urban Music Awards (UMA) celebrated its 20th anniversary in true South African style. On 4 May 2025, the sold-out venue welcomed music lovers nationwide and beyond, with millions tuning in online. The night was a vibrant showcase of local talent, heartfelt tributes, and a bold promise to take South African music further onto the world stage. The ceremony opened with a stirring rendition of the National Anthem and a prayer, setting a respectful and uplifting tone. Hosts Jordan Kensington and Lucky kept the crowd buzzing as they introduced the UMA Icons segment. This year's icons all received thunderous applause, according to Music In Africa. 'It's an honour to be recognised at home, where it all began,' said Zonke, visibly moved by the tribute. The performances were nothing short of electrifying. Noluthando Ngema, DJ Buckz, and viral sensation S.N.E had the crowd on their feet. S.N.E's Tshwala Bami was a highlight, with fans singing along to every word. Spikiri, one of the night's icons, delivered a legendary set, reminding everyone why he's a pioneer of the scene. The awards themselves reflected the diversity and strength of South African music. Priddy Ugly took home Artist of the Year, while Kamo Mphela dominated with Best Female Act, Best Music Video, and Best Live Performance. 'This is for every young girl who dreams of making it big,' Kamo Mphela said, clutching her trophy. DJ Maphorisa was crowned Best Amapiano Act, and Black Coffee added Best House Music Act to his long list of accolades. Other big Urban Music Awards winners included 25K for Best Album, Mawelele as Best Newcomer, and Uncle Waffles as Best DJ. The international spotlight shone on Davido, who won International Artist of the Year (Africa). The South Africa-Nigeria collaboration Tshwala Bam (Remix) by TitoM, Yuppe, Burna Boy, and S.N.E. took Best International Collaboration. The event also featured red-carpet glamour, sponsor showcases, and live interviews, making it a true celebration of the industry's past, present, and future. 'We're not just celebrating history tonight,' said the Urban Music Awards's Cressida Oppenheimer. 'We're launching the next generation of legends.' With plans to expand into more African countries in 2026, the UMA is set to amplify South African music's global influence. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Sun
28-04-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Award-winning hip hop star fell to his death from third-storey window after ‘string of failings by bungling NHS staff'
FATAL PLUNGE Paramedics 'dismissive and flippant' of singer's state of mind , Digital Court Editor Published: 11:54, Updated: 11:56, A TRAGIC award-winning hip hop star fell to his death from a third-storey window after a string of failings by the NHS, a damning report found. Ebow Graham, 40, who founded the band Foreign Beggars, suffered a psychotic episode on April 17, 2020. 3 3 But when paramedics arrived at his flat in Clapton, East London, they were "dismissive and flippant", a probe found. Just hours later, Graham fell 40ft to his death from a bedroom window. An investigation into the circumstances leading up to the tragedy revealed "several missed opportunities" by the NHS to save him. The London Ambulance Service has now admitted they failed to follow protocol by not contacting the mental health team for advice. Graham's worried friends had called 999 at around 4.20pm as they were concerned over his erratic behaviour. His former partner Francesca Macri claimed paramedics ignored what his pals were saying about his condition. They concluded Graham, who performed under the name Metropolis, had "capacity over his care" and left without contacting the mental health crisis team. At 6.30pm his flatmate, who was a GP, called the mental health crisis team to warn them about his serious concerns for Graham's state of mind. But instead of arranging an urgent same-day assessment, the crisis team nurses only offered an appointment for the next day. His friends then drove him to a local hospital in desperation but left after the frontman became agitated and restless. Once home, they made two further emergency calls warning they were gravely concerned about Graham's condition. At 12.25am, Graham's friends made a third call after he fell from the window. The star was rushed to hospital but suffered a cardiac arrest and died shortly after the horror. Ms Macri said: "The paramedics that attended on that day were dismissive and flippant and ignored what Ebow's friends were telling them. 'They asked whether Ebow had smoked cannabis and this concerns me – were they asking this because Ebow was a black man with dreadlocks? Why did it even matter what had caused Ebow's psychosis and shouldn't the focus have been on helping him? "I cannot help but wonder whether racial profiling played any part in the way Ebow was treated.' Foreign Beggars had first formed London in 2002 and became one of the UK's most prominent underground hip-hop groups. They then went onto release EDM (electronic dance music) records including United Colours of Beggattron. The group won Best New Act at the 2004 UK Hip Hop awards and were voted best group at the Lyric Pad Hip Hop awards in 2005. They were nominated for best European Hip Hop Act at the 2010 Urban Music Awards, alongside Roots Manuva, Professor Green and Tinie Tempah. Daniel Elkeles, the chief executive of the London ambulance service, said: 'We would like to offer our sincere condolences to Mr Graham's loved ones and we are sorry for the shortcomings in the care we provided to him in the hours before his death. 'The inquest found we should have sought mental health specialist advice on whether Mr Graham had capacity to decline treatment. However there was no finding of racial profiling and these are claims we strongly refute. 'We carried out an investigation into the care of Mr Graham and there has been much learning and action for the trust in the five years since he died.' East London NHS foundation trust admitted failings in how the call to its crisis team was handled. The Sun Online has approached the trust for comment.
The Irish Sun
28-04-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Award-winning hip hop star fell to his death from third-storey window after ‘string of failings by bungling NHS staff'
A TRAGIC award-winning hip hop star fell to his death from a third-storey window after a string of failings by the NHS, a damning report found. 3 Ebow Graham fell to his death from a third-storey window Credit: Redferns 3 The singer was suffering from psychosis at the time Credit: SWNS But when paramedics arrived at his flat in Clapton, East London, they were "dismissive and flippant", a probe found. Just hours later, Graham fell 40ft to his death from a bedroom window. An investigation into the circumstances leading up to the tragedy revealed "several missed opportunities" by the NHS to save him. The London Ambulance Service has now admitted they failed to follow protocol by not contacting the mental health team for advice. Read more news Graham's worried friends had called 999 at around 4.20pm as they were concerned over his erratic behaviour. His former partner Francesca Macri claimed paramedics ignored what his pals were saying about his condition. They concluded Graham, who performed under the name Metropolis, had "capacity over his care" and left without contacting the mental health crisis team. At 6.30pm his flatmate, who was a GP , called the mental health crisis team to warn them about his serious concerns for Graham's state of mind. Most read in Showbiz But instead of arranging an urgent same-day assessment, the crisis team nurses only offered an appointment for the next day. His friends then drove him to a local hospital in desperation but left after the frontman became agitated and restless. Once home, they made two further emergency calls warning they were gravely concerned about Graham's condition. At 12.25am, Graham's friends made a third call after he fell from the window. The star was rushed to hospital but suffered a cardiac arrest and died shortly after the horror . Ms Macri said: "The paramedics that attended on that day were dismissive and flippant and ignored what Ebow's friends were telling them. 'They asked whether Ebow had smoked cannabis and this concerns me – were they asking this because Ebow was a black man with dreadlocks? Why did it even matter what had caused Ebow's psychosis and shouldn't the focus have been on helping him? "I cannot help but wonder whether racial profiling played any part in the way Ebow was treated.' Foreign Beggars had first formed London in 2002 and became one of the UK's most prominent underground hip-hop groups. They then went onto release EDM (electronic dance music) records including United Colours of Beggattron. The group won Best New Act at the 2004 UK Hip Hop awards and were voted best group at the Lyric Pad Hip Hop awards in 2005. They were nominated for best European Hip Hop Act at the 2010 Urban Music Awards, alongside Roots Manuva, Professor Green and Tinie Tempah. Daniel Elkeles, the chief executive of the London ambulance service, said: 'We would like to offer our sincere condolences to Mr Graham's loved ones and we are sorry for the shortcomings in the care we provided to him in the hours before his death. 'The inquest found we should have sought mental health specialist advice on whether Mr Graham had capacity to decline treatment. However there was no finding of racial profiling and these are claims we strongly refute. 'We carried out an investigation into the care of Mr Graham and there has been much learning and action for the trust in the five years since he died.' East London NHS foundation trust admitted failings in how the call to its crisis team was handled. The Sun Online has approached the trust for comment. 3 Graham was the frontman for Foreign Beggars Credit: Getty
