Long live the King Kong of Afrobeat! Stanley Enow has once again proven his musical prowess with the release of his electrifying single, ‘Take Ova.’ The song is more than just a hit; it’s an anthem of hope, a battle cry of resilience, and a call to arms for Afro descendants worldwide to rise and conquer in the name of the continent’s glory.

Enow’s journey to global stardom reaches its zenith with ‘Take Ova,’ which has stormed its way into the hearts of fans across the globe. The track has taken the music world by storm, showcasing the artist’s signature blend of infectious beats and profound lyrics.

The Maestro’s melody has caught the attention of none other than Greek tycoon Alki David’s Swissx, catapulting ‘Take Ova’ to astronomical heights. With the weight of such a powerhouse backing him, Enow’s unstoppable rise is undeniable.

But that’s not all. The musical maestro has unveiled an eye-popping, jaw-dropping visual masterpiece on his official YouTube channel. Brace yourself for a visual journey that matches the intensity of the track itself.

Enow isn’t new to the winner’s circle. With previous smashes like ‘Parapariparo,’ ‘My Way,’ and ‘Cassanova,’ this multi-award-winning sensation is no stranger to the limelight. His star has shone brightly since bursting onto the scene over a decade ago, and his meteoric rise shows no signs of slowing down.

Beyond the mic, Enow’s talents have extended to becoming a beloved radio and television personality, as well as a captivating voice actor. His versatility knows no bounds, and he continues to amaze and inspire audiences across all mediums.

Whether you’re a die-hard Enow fan or new to the Afrobeat scene, ‘Take Ova’ is a must-listen that transcends borders and unites hearts. Join the movement, feel the rhythm, and embrace the anthem that’s igniting a new era of Pan-African pride!

Ready to be swept off your feet? Tune in to ‘Take Ova,’ which has already been streamed more than 300 million times on such platforms as Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music, and witness the magic for yourself.

Source: Shockya.com

The American film “Barbie” has been banned in Cameroon for its perversity and promotion of homosexuality, prohibited by the laws of the country.

According to Box Office Pro, an American motion picture industry magazine dedicated movie theatre business, the decision to ban the movie was orally taken by the Department of Cinematography and Audiovisual Productions of the Ministry of Arts and Culture (Minac) on Tuesday August 22, 2023 as it ordered that all cinema halls in the country to remove the movie from their programs.

“This decision comes after the procedure to obtain an exploitation visa for the broadcast of the film, witnessed no opposition. The movie was watched and its broadcast approved some days before its official outing” Declares Box Pro Office on its website.

The decision comes just a week after the movie was broadcast at Canal Olympia, in Douala and Yaoundé, on Wednesday August 16, 2023.

In banning this movie, Cameroon joins countries like Liban, Kuwait and Algeria in fighting homosexuality. In June 2023, Cameroon banned the arrival of French Ambassador for LGBT rights Jean-Marc Berthon who wanted to promote LGBT activities in Cameroon. Recently, the National Communication Council through its President, Joseph Chebongkeng Kalabubsu warned promoters of TV channels and image distributors against the broadcast of films promoting homosexuality.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Hollywood A-listers including Emmy winner Bryan Cranston and a group of Oscar winners on Tuesday led a large rally of striking actors and writers in New York’s Times Square, as the stalemate with studios and streamers dragged on.

Academy Award winners Brendan Fraser, Jessica Chastain and F. Murray Abraham were among the stars joining the mass of demonstrators.

Movie and television production has effectively shut down in the United States since thousands of members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) guild walked off the job on July 14, joining writers who have been on strike for weeks.

Both guilds are demanding better pay and job security, as well as safeguards against the threat posed by artificial intelligence as they pursue the first industry-wide walkout in 63 years.

“We will not be having our jobs taken away and given to robots,” “Breaking Bad” star Cranston told attendees, referring to fears about AI being used to recreate an actor’s likeness.

Surrounded by Times Square’s giant screens, which often advertise the latest movies and streaming series, Cranston delivered a message to Disney boss Bob Iger, the target of the actors’ ire.

“We will not have you take away our right to work and earn a decent living and, lastly and most importantly, we will not allow you to take our dignity,” he bellowed, wearing a SAG-AFTRA t-shirt and raising his fists.

Abraham, best known for winning an Academy Award for his starring role in the 1984 movie “Amadeus,” said unionism was “good for America.”

“We’re fighting for integrity, respect, and honor,” said the 83-year-old, who recently featured in television hit series “The White Lotus.”

Steve Buscemi and Christian Slater were also among the protesters.

SAG-AFTRA represents actors from mega-stars to day-players who take small roles on television series. It represents about 160,000 people, including stuntmen and dancers.

The industrial action not only prohibits actors from filming but also from promoting their productions in person or on social media.

Source: AFP

At least five people died early Friday in a road accident in Cameroon’s Littoral Region, according to the police.

The accident occurred at 3:00 a.m. local time in the Bare locality of the region when a passenger bus collided head-on with another vehicle, local police said.

Among the deceased was Blaise Kalaba, a renowned Cameroonian comedian, who was killed alongside four other persons who were traveling in his vehicle that collided with the passenger bus.

At least five other people injured in the tragedy were rushed to a local hospital for treatment.

Such accidents in Cameroon are often linked to the poor state of roads and drivers’ ignorance.

The Ministry of Transport estimates that 1,500 people die in road accidents each year in the Central African nation.

Source: Xinhuanet

Madonna is recovering after falling ill with a “serious bacterial infection” that landed her in an intensive care unit for several days, her manager Guy Oseary said in a statement Wednesday.

“Her health is improving, however she is still under medical care,” he said. “A full recovery is expected.”

Oseary said the 64-year-old pop icon’s “Celebrations” tour, due to start July 15 in Vancouver, Canada, was postponed until further notice.

The New York Post’s Page Six website said the pop star was taken to a hospital in the city after becoming unwell.

Her global, nearly sold-out tour was billed as paying homage to Madonna’s more than four-decade long career, and according to her website boasted 84 concert dates.

Stops in the United States were to include Detroit, Chicago, Miami and New York, the city where her storied rise to superstardom began.

She was then slated to continue in Europe, with dates in London, Barcelona and Paris, as well as four dates in Mexico City.

The Grammy-winning megastar behind classics including “Like a Virgin” has asserted incalculable influence over her stellar career as one of music’s top stars.

In his statement on social media, her manager vowed to provide more information when available, including a new start date for the tour and for rescheduled shows.

In 2020 Madonna underwent hip replacement surgery following an injury sustained on her “Madame X” tour.

‘Material Girl’

Born in 1958, the Catholic-educated artist headed to New York in the late 1970s with just 35 dollars in her pocket.

She scraped a living through everything from nude modeling to selling donuts.

Her first big single was “Everybody” in 1982, followed by a string of hits including “Lucky Star,” “Borderline,” and “Holiday.”

The 1984 release of “Like A Virgin” propelled Madonna onto the international stage.

She followed up in 1985 with another disco anthem, “Material Girl.”

Madonna hospitalized for several days, tour postponedThe early 1990s saw her don infamous pointy cone-shaped bras on her “Blond Ambition” Tour in 1990.

She also released a racy book called “Sex,” filled with photographs of sexual acts that was released to accompany her 1992 album “Erotica.”

In the late 1990s her music took off in a new direction, thumping to a new dance-flavored beat on her multi award-winning 1998 album “Ray of Light.”

In 2003 she grabbed the showbiz world’s attention by clinching pop princess Britney Spears in a lingering kiss on stage at that year’s MTV Music Video Awards.

And she still displays the provocative streak for which she is both beloved and notorious.

In January, news dropped of her forthcoming tour in a video nodding to her 1991 documentary “Truth or Dare.”

In the clip, the Queen of Pop plays the classic sleepover game with fellow celebrities, all with risque undertones.

“I am excited to explore as many songs as possible in hopes to give my fans the show they have been waiting for,” she said when announcing the tour.

Source: AFP

Last Tuesday, Cameroonian parliamentarians and META experts met to proffer ways to protect children from cyberbullying. This was spurred by several cases of minors in the country being exposed to harm on social media.

The most recent case involves the posting of a video recording of two young girls saying they were raped by a police officer in Beau, in the southwestern region of the country.

The girls said the man raped them in a taxi and threatened to harm them if they told anyone. 

It is not clear who recorded the video, but when it was being shared online, attempts were not made to blur or hide the faces of the girls in any way to protect their identities even though they are minors. This has subjected them to even more attacks on social media. Many social media users have been evaluating the victims’ facial expressions, and the grievous nature of the crime committed against them is not getting as much attention.

The young girls have received more insults and attacks online than sympathy and support.

As the case is being followed by civil society actors at the police station in Buea, others took turns on social media to condemn this act, blaming those who filmed the video for deliberately exposing the victims to public scrutiny.

Taryang Tabe, a women’s rights activist, said those who created the content possibly did not understand the implications of showing the faces to these young girls.

“When I saw it on Facebook, I knew it had gone out of control. We must now only use the anger in advocating for the perpetrator to face the law. This may reduce the trauma in both girls when justice is served,” he said.

Children’s agency, UNICEF, says more than a third of young people in 30 countries report being cyberbullied, with 1 in 5 skipping school because of it.

“Children may be victimized through the production, distribution and consumption of sexual abuse material, or they may be groomed for sexual exploitation, with abusers attempting to meet them in person or exhort them for explicit content,” it added.

Similar cases

Some Cameroonian TV stations last year exposed the faces of children who were caught up in a group sexual act in Yaoundé last year. Women’s rights activists condemned the media organisations as well.

Pictures of children who go through domestic violence have been shared often on social media platforms and media outlets as well.

The meeting

The meeting between parliamentarians and META experts on Tuesday was meant to build capacities on best practices of child safety online and seek proper legislation to protect children in Cameroon.

Zondol Hersesse, President of the Committee on Constitutional Law, Human Rights, and Freedoms at the National Assembly said there is a growing need to protect children on the internet.  Children, he said, are the most vulnerable on social media.

META experts present at the meeting said it has become very easy for children to be exploited online and are now trying to put measures in place to protect children from violence, exploitation and abuse on the internet.

Source: Humangle media

The American music industry’s Grammy Awards announced on Tuesday that they will be awarding a gramophone to the best African music performance at their next edition, a further sign of their quest for diversity and a consecration for the genre.

The new award covers a wide range of styles, from Afrobeat and Afro-fusion to Kwassa Kwassa and Ndombolo from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana drill, Afro-House and South African hip-hop, said the Recording Academy, which brings together music industry professionals, in a press release.

The category will reward “recordings that use the unique local expressions of the African continent”, the Grammys organisers added.

Long accused of not sufficiently reflecting the diversity and evolution of the music industry, the Grammy Awards have been seeking for years to broaden the range of styles and registers of awards. The category of best soundtrack for a video game was added in 2022.

Musicians from African countries, such as French-Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo (5 wins, 14 nominations) and Nigerian singer Burna Boy (one win, 6 nominations), regularly dominate the Grammy world music categories.

At the 65th edition on 5 February in Los Angeles, a trio led by South African DJ-producer Zakes Bantwini, a pillar of local house music, won thanks to a track in Zulu in the best world music performance category.

The 2024 edition will also honour two other new categories: best alternative jazz album and best dance pop recording. In 2023, 91 awards were presented in as many categories, including pop, rock, classical, hip-hop, gospel and country.

Source: Africa News

Pop icon Celine Dion on Friday cancelled all her remaining shows scheduled for 2023-2024, saying she was not strong enough to tour as she battles a rare neurological disorder.

Last year the 55-year-old Canadian singer revealed that she was suffering from the rare medical condition that was affecting her singing.

“I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again… and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything until I’m really ready to be back on stage,” the My Heart Will Go On songstress tweeted.

“I’m not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again!” she added.

A statement released by her tour said: “With a sense of tremendous disappointment, Celine Dion’s Courage World Tour today announced the cancellation of all remaining dates currently on sale for 2023 and 2024.”

“I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100%,” the statement quoted Dion as saying.

In December 2022, she posted a tearful video on Instagram to say she had recently been diagnosed with Stiff-Person Syndrome and would not be ready to start a European tour in February as planned.

She said the disorder was causing muscle spasms and was “not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to.”

The “Courage World Tour” began in 2019, and Dion completed 52 shows before the Covid-19 pandemic put the remainder on hold.

She later cancelled the North American section of the tour due to health problems.

The tour was to have been the Grammy-winning winner’s first global concert tour in a decade and the first without her husband-manager Rene Angelil, who died from cancer in 2016.

Source: AFP

Tina Turner, the American-born singer who left a hardscrabble farming community and abusive relationship to become one of the top recording artists of all time, died on Wednesday at the age of 83. 

She died peacefully after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland, her representative said.

Turner began her career in the 1950s during the early years of rock and roll and evolved into an MTV phenomenon.

In the video for her chart-topping song “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” in which she called love a “second-hand emotion,” Turner epitomized 1980s style as she strutted through New York City streets with her spiky blond hair, wearing a cropped jean jacket, mini skirt, and stiletto heels.

With her taste for musical experimentation and bluntly-worded ballads, Turner gelled perfectly with a 1980s pop landscape in which music fans valued electronically-produced sounds and scorned hippie-era idealism.

Sometimes nicknamed the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Turner won six of her eight Grammy Awards in the 1980s. The decade saw her land a dozen songs on the Top 40, including “Typical Male,” “The Best,” “Private Dancer” and “Better Be Good to Me.”

Her 1988 show in Rio de Janeiro drew 180,000 people, which remains one of the largest concert audiences for any single performer.

By then, Turner had been free from her marriage to guitarist Ike Turner for a decade. The superstar was forthcoming about the abuse she suffered from her former husband during their marital and musical partnership in the 1960s and 1970s.

She described bruised eyes, busted lips, a broken jaw and other injuries that repeatedly sent her to the emergency room.

“Tina’s story is not one of victimhood but one of incredible triumph,” singer Janet Jackson wrote about Turner, in a Rolling Stone issue that placed Turner at No. 63 on a list of the top 100 artists of all time.

“She’s transformed herself into an international sensation – an elegant powerhouse,” Jackson said.

In 1985, Turner gave a fictional turn to her reputation as a survivor. She played the ruthless leader of an outpost in a nuclear wasteland, acting opposite Mel Gibson in the third instalment in the Mad Max franchise, “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.”

Most of Turner’s hit songs were written by others, but she enlivened them with a voice that New York Times music critic Jon Pareles called “one of the more peculiar instruments in pop.”

“It’s three-tiered, with a nasal low register, a yowling, cutting middle range and a high register so startlingly clear it sounds like a falsetto,” Pareles wrote in a 1987 concert review.

‘One-horse town’

She was born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939, in the rural Tennessee community of Nutbush, which she described in her 1973 song “Nutbush City Limits” as a “quiet little old community, a one-horse town.”

Her father worked as an overseer on a farm and her mother left the family when the singer was 11 years old, according to the singer’s 2018 memoir “My Love Story.” As a teenager, she moved to St. Louis to rejoin her mom.

Ike Turner, whose 1951 song “Rocket 88” has often been called the first rock and roll record, discovered her at age 17 when she grabbed the mic to sing at his club show in St. Louis in 1957.

The band leader later recorded a hit song, “A Fool In Love,” with his protégé and gave her the stage name Tina Turner, before the two married in Tijuana, Mexico.

Tina employed her strong voice and strenuously rehearsed dance routines as lead vocalist in an ensemble called the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. She collaborated with members of rock royalty, including The Who and Phil Spector, in the 1960s and 1970s and appeared on the cover of issue two of Rolling Stone magazine in 1967.

Ike and Tina Turner bounced between record labels, owing much of their commercial success to a relentless touring schedule. Their biggest hit was a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary.”

Turner left her husband one night in 1976 on a tour stop in Dallas, after he pummelled her during a car ride and she struck back, according to her memoir. Their divorce was finalized in 1978.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted Ike and Tina Turner in 1991, calling them “one of the most formidable live acts in history.” Ike Turner died in 2007.

Europe bound

After leaving her husband, Turner spent years struggling to regain the limelight, releasing solo albums and singles that flopped and gigging at corporate conferences.

In 1980, she met new manager Roger Davies, an Australian music executive who went on to manage her for three decades.  That led to a solo no.1 – “What’s Love Got to Do With It” – and then in 1984 her album “Private Dancer” landed her at the top of the charts.

“Private Dancer” went on to become Turner’s biggest album, the capstone of a career that saw her sell more than 200 million records in total.

In 1985 Turner met German music executive Erwin Bach who became her long-term partner and in 1988 she moved to London, beginning a decades-long residency in Europe. She released two studio albums in the 1990s that sold well, especially in Europe, recorded the theme song for 1995 Bond movie “GoldenEye,” and staged a successful world tour in 2008 and 2009.

After that, she retired from show business. She married Bach, relinquishing her U.S. citizenship and becoming a citizen of Switzerland.

She battled a number of health problems after retiring and in 2018 she faced a family tragedy, when her oldest son, Craig, took his life at age 59 in Los Angeles. Her younger son Ronnie died in December 2022.

Her name continues to draw audiences years after her retirement. Musical stage show “TINA: The Tina Turner Musical,” with Adrienne Warren initially acting and singing the star’s life story, was a hit first in London’s West End in 2018, and later on Broadway, and is still running. And in 2021 HBO released a documentary about her life, “Tina.”

She is survived by Bach and two sons of Ike’s that she adopted.

Source: REUTERS