Entertainment

Black History Month Launches In UK With ‘Proud To Be’ Campaign

Black History Month launches in UK with ‘proud to be’ campaign

Black History Month launches with hundreds of events across the country this October, amid a new campaign encouraging people of all ages to share what they are proud to be on social media.

Now in its 34th year, this Black History Month has a renewed focus on black British resistance to racism – inspired in part by last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests – and celebrates key figures who have made substantial contributions to the country.

Local authorities across the UK, including the London borough of Barking and Dagenham and West Northamptonshire council, will raise the pan-African flag to mark the start of Black History Month on Friday.

In Wales, the St Fagans National Museum of History, one of Europe’s largest open-air museums, will display the stories of Windrush families and their descendants, explaining how they contributed to Welsh communities and culture. The exhibition will feature the accounts of more than 40 people who describe their journey to Wales and the challenges they faced in building a new life in a foreign country, including how they found work and the attitudes of people towards them.

It follows the unveiling of a statue of Wales’s first black head teacher, Betty Campbell, in Cardiff. Next year, Wales is to become the first UK nation to make the teaching of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) histories and experiences mandatory in the school curriculum.

Other events this weekend include a concert on Friday in Brighton honouring Rock Against Racism, a British anti-fascist movement that emerged in the 1970s; the Afromanifesto exhibition at the Art at the Chapel gallery in Leicester launches on Saturday, showcasing the work of the artists Kat Anderson, Charlie Evaristo-Boyce, Isaac Ouro-Gnao and Patricia Vester; and Bernardine Evaristo, the first black British author to win the Booker prize, will appear at the Southbank Centre in London on Sunday to discuss her new book.

In Scotland, the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER), which has coordinated Scotland’s Black History Month programme since 2001, is hosting talks, workshops, exhibitions and concerts. Every weekend, CRER will lead a walking tour in Glasgow that examines the city’s connections with tobacco, slavery and the abolition movement.

On 20 October, the Imperial War Museum in London opens an exhibition featuring the “inspiring stories” of black men and women during second world war. Among them are 18-year-old Billy Strachan, who sold his bicycle and saxophone to pay for a voyage from Jamaica to Britain to join the RAF, and Seth Anthony, who in 1942 became the first black African-born soldier to become an officer in the British army.

The exhibition also features the stories of Thomas Andi, a seaman from Nigeria, and Lilian Bader, a Liverpudlian who became one of the first women to qualify as an RAF instrument repairer. Some of their possessions will be displayed for the first time.

Black History Month magazine has sent 500 resource packs to UK schools which include information about key moments in Black British History and a wide variety of lesson plans. The magazine has encouraged people to join its social media campaign.

Catherine Ross, the editor of Black History Month UK, said: “It’s been a challenging time for many Black and Brown people, with so much in the media about racism, inequality and injustice. We wanted the theme of Black History Month 2021 to focus on celebrating being Black or Brown, and to inspire and share the pride people have in their heritage and culture – in their own way, in their own words.”

Entertainment

Patoranking’s sister, her husband die in explosion

Famous Nigerian Afrobeats singer, Patoranking’s sister, Chioma, has reportedly died in an explosion which occurred in her home.

Chioma was said to have died on the spot while her husband, George passed away from his injuries on Wednesday, September 11, 2024.

Media personality, Cutie Juls made this known in an Instagram post on Thursday.

Sharing the video of the deceased house after the tragic incident, Cutie Juls disclosed that the explosion occurred shortly after their housewarming and child’s birthday celebration.

“Remember when I posted last week or so that his (Patoranking) sister passed away in a gas explosion incident in their home and the husband and child are battling for their lives in the hospital?

“The husband also couldn’t make it. He just passed away. Pathoranking tried so much. Buying tones of blood to help save his brother-in-law’s life so at least his nephew won’t be an orphan
“Remember he loves his sister so much. Abeg, his friends should help check on him.”

As of the time of filing this report, no comment has been made by Patoranking or his manager over the incident.

Entertainment

South African singer, Tyla says after winning Best Afrobeats Award at MTV VMAs 2024

Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Tyla Laura Seethal, popularly known as Tyla, has said she represents Amapiano and not Afrobeats.

The South African singer spoke out against the categorisation of all African music as afrobeats by the West, while accepting her award for Best Afrobeats Song at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday night.

Tyla beat Burna Boy, Davido, Lojay, Tems, Ayra Starr, and Pheelz were nominated under the same category.

Tyla was also nominated for two other categories ‘Best New Artiste’ and ‘Best RnB’ but lost in both.

In her reaction, Tyla, said Afrobeats has opened a lot of doors for African music but it was wrong to categorise every music from the continent under the genre.

She explained that she is from South Africa and represents the Amapiano genre.

She said: “The impact that ‘Water’ has had on the world proves that African music can be pop music, too. This is so special but also bittersweet. Because I know there’s a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeats.

“Even though Afrobeats has run things and has opened so many doors for us, African music is so diverse. It’s more than just Afrobeats.

“I come from South Africa, I represent Amapiano. I present my culture. And I just want to shout out all the Afrobeats artists in this category with me. Shout out to all the Afrobeats artistes Tems, Ayra Starr, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Rema and

Tyla released her highly anticipated self-titled debut album, “Tyla” on March 22, 2023.

The album is supported by singles: “Water”, “On and On”, “Truth or Dare” and “Art”, in addition to the promotional single “Butterflies”and the 2022 stand-alone single “To Last”.

Tyla’s global hit single “Water”, opened the floodgates for her career, leading to a viral dance challenge, almost 500 million streams on Spotify so far and a Grammy win.

Entertainment

Singer, Rema donates N105m to Christ embassy

Nigerian international musical celebrity, Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, has donated the sum of N105 million to Christ Embassy Church, Benin City, Edo State.

The Edo-born musician was in the state for the celebration of Edo@33 and performed the groundbreaking ceremony of the 6,000-capacity Edo Dome and a musical concert at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium at the invitation of the state government.

Rema, who donated to the Edo Regional Headquarters of the church, located at Erediauwa Street off Ekenwa Road, said it was in appreciation of the church’s support for his family during a difficult period in his childhood.

The international musical artist, who was at the church for a thanksgiving service, recounted the role the church played in his family’s life after the loss of his father when he was just eight years old.

According to him: “I am not here to give myself any form of accolades or glory but to give to God the glory.

“And, I felt it was important to give back to the church that has embraced me, prayed for me and kept me very consistent with my spirit.

“When I was eight years old when I lost my dad, we felt very lost and abandoned.

“All that we had were taken from us and we felt alone, and I remember at the time Pastor Joy and Pastor Thomas, the pastors of this church; they opened a shop for my mum, and that was what she managed to take care of and feed us.”

He said, in the spirit of giving in appreciation of what the church did for his family, he donated the sum of N150 million to the church.

“Firstly, I want to give a pledge of N40 million to the infrastructural development of the church, N20 million to the Rhapsody of Realities publication, and, being a fact that I came from the teen church, I also like to pledge N25 million to the church.

“And just to add to that, if there is any widow in church today, I am pledging N20 million to assist all the widows in attendance,” he added.