News Brief

This Yoruba Meets Hip-Hop Ballet Set to Ibeyi is Everything

Watch footage from famed Italian choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti's new ballet set to the music of Ibeyi.

As if the music of Ibeyi could get any prettier, someone went and made an entire ballet inspired by the Yoruba sounds of the Diaz sisters. That someone is the famed Italian choreographer, Mauro Bigonzetti.


Bigonzetti returned to New York’s legendary Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater this June to create Deep, a piece that sets African and hip-hop dance to eight songs––“Eleggua (Intro),” “Oya,” “River,” “Think of You,” “Mama Says,” “Behind the Curtain,” “Ibeyi (Outro),” “Exhibit Diaz”––from Ibeyi’s self-titled debut album.

Deep comes from the body. The looking can be deep, the touch can be deep, the sense of the life can be deep, the roots can be deep,” Bigonzetti explained in a behind-the-scenes video.

Going off this recently-surfaced footage, the collaboration was one of the most exquisite mashups of contrasting music and dance forms since last year’s brilliant South African pantsula meets afrofuturistic jazz video.

“We are deeply honored and happy to be musically part of DEEP,” Ibeyi said in an Instagram post.

The 29-minute show debuted last month at Alvin Ailey. Watch highlights from DEEP in the video below.

News Brief
Actors Letitia Wright and John Boyega attend the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

John Boyega and Letitia Wright Left Their Upcoming Film Because It Wasn't Black Enough

The stars were originally attached to the sci-fi love story 'Hold Back the Stars,' but Boyega says they stepped down because they wanted to 'make the vibe more Black.'

Back in 2018, we reported that Star Wars actor John Boyega and Black Panther star Letitia Wright would be starring in the highly-anticipated sci-fi love story, 'Hold Back the Stars,' based on the 2017 book by Katie Khan.

As Shadow & Act now reports, the two stars are no longer attached to the project. Addressing their departure in a December interview with ABC Radio, Boyega stated that the film was heading in a direction that wasn't culturally relevant enough for its Black leads.

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"Ba Jo" cover art.

Listen to Joojo Addison & Amaarae's Infectious New Single 'Ba Jo'

The uplifting new single from the Ghanaian artists builds on a highlife-style guitar riff and afro-fusion beat work.

Joojo Addison and Amaarae comes through with a highly-addictive new track, "Ba Jo."

The new single from the Ghanaian artists is built on a highlife-style guitar riff and afro-fusion beat work. It sees Joojo Addison taking the lead with a solid verse and hook-filled chorus.

Amaarae comes in with her sultry vocals to bring the track home, as she interpolates Aqua's "Barbie Girl" in a clever way.

Joojo Addison mentions that "Ba Jo" is "a song brewed from the ambience of love and togetherness" The uplifting track was produced by MikeMillzOnEm.

Get into Joojo Addison and Amaarae's "Ba Jo" below.

For more Ghanaian music, follow our GHANA WAVE playlist on Spotify here and Apple Music here.


Music

Why South African Folk Artist Jeremy Loops Is Pushing For International Collaborations

Jeremy Loops discusses his strategic moves towards global domination.

South African folk musician Jeremy Loops is an international star. He packs venues and performs in major festivals in Europe and other parts of the world. His music has millions of streams on Spotify.

Jeremy Loops' domination started with the song "Down South" which he released in 2014 and appears on his debut album Trading Change, released in the same year. "Down South," which featured the Cape Town-based rapper Motheo Moleko, topped most of the country's radio stations in its prime.

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Ugandan Journalist in Police Custody After Filming Bobi Wine Documentary

A court in Kampala has charged journalist and documentary filmmaker Moses Bwayo with illegal assembly.

Journalist and documentary filmmaker Moses Bwayo is being remanded in police custody after a court in Kampala, Uganda, charged him and eight others with illegal assembly.

According to Daily Monitor, the trial magistrate declined to handle Bwayo's bail application allegedly due to time constraints and instead adjourned the matter for the following day. Bwayo is currently being held at Luzira Prison, a maximum-security prison in the capital city.

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