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Rufaro Samanga
Nov. 09, 2020 05:52AM EST
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Kenya's Elsa Majimbo Brings Home the 2020 E! People's Choice Award.

Kenya's Elsa Majimbo Bags 2020 E! People’s Choice Award

Internet sensation and comedian, Elsa Majimbo, has been awarded this year's People's Choice Award by E! in the African Social Star category.

Kenyan internet sensation and comedian Elsa Majimbohas been recently awarded this year's People's Choice Award by E! in the African Social Star category. The award comes after the 18-year-old took social media by storm after sharing a hilarious video of how the COVID-19 lockdown had actually given her an opportunity to avoid seeing people. OkayAfrica's Zinhle Ngema writes, "In the video, now viewed over 200 000 times, Majimbo goes on about how she doesn't actually miss anyone since being forced to stay in doors." Of course, in Majimbo's own unabashed words she says: "Why am I missing you? There is no reason for me to miss you... do I pay your rent? Do I provide food for you? Why are you missing me?".

READ: Interview: South African Comedian Tyson Ngubeni's Skits Shine Amid Lockdown

Majimbo recently took to social media to excitedly express her gratitude for having received the award. She beat out the likes of reigning Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi, South African actress Thuso Mbedu, South African rapper Sho Madjozi and several others who were also nominated for the award.

While the continued COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns and restrictions have seen us all trying to adjust to a new norm, content creators such as Majimbo have admittedly provided much-needed humour and a major reprieve from the present reality.

The young comedian, a bag of chips in one hand and her sunglasses in the other, has since bagged a number of interviews with both local and international media platforms. Additionally, she's secured several bags having collaborated with MAC Cosmetics and Rihanna's FENTY as well as scored an appearance in a recent advertisement celebrating creative talent by South Africa's Chicken Licken franchise. It's certainly upwards and onwards for this budding star.

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The Best Afrobeats Songs Right Now

Featuring tracks from Joeboy, Amaarae, Odumodublvck, Wande Coal, Wizkid, Ckay, and more.

Afrobeats is one of the biggest cultural movements in the world. Influencing everything from fashion to sports, the music acts as the adhesive, catching on to listeners of all demographics and shaping the scene in Africa with great potential. With the growing number of new Afrobeats releases every month, it becomes necessary to round up the best of the bunch. From singles to new music videos, the continent’s vast expanse will be covered in our "Best Afrobeats Songs Out Right Now" column. Get started below.

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Events
Photo by Mohau Mannathoko for Unsplash

Fun Places in Accra, Ghana to Visit This Weekend

From Karaoke at The Woods to Outmosphere Festival, Accra is packed with places to have fun.

Gather your squad for some midweek karaoke, go Kizomba dancing at Afrikiko, or drive down to Prampram for Outmosphere Festival.

Whatever your choice of fun is, here is a list of places to visit this weekend in Accra, Ghana.

Karaoke at The Woods

The Woods is a bar and lounge located at Osu that features a cozy and charming space for events perfect for an intimate night out with your partner or a hangout with friends. On Thursday, The Woods will be hosting their Karaoke Night, and it’s the perfect excuse to sing covers of your favorite hits, while enjoying good food and drinks from The Woods’ delectable menu.

Date: Thursday, 1st June, 9pm

Venue: The Woods, Osu

Cost: Free

Kizomba Night at Afrikiko

Afrikiko is one of those must-visit places while in Accra. It’s a restaurant and bar well known for their midweek events—the most notable being their popular Kizomba dancing event hosted by Kizomba Ghana. Participate, learn, or just watch others dance the night away, led by an experienced Kizoma dance tutor.

Date: Thursday, 1st June, 7pm

Venue: Afrikiko

Cost: Free

Movies at Silverbird Cinemas

Silverbird Cinemas is West Africa's biggest cinema chain, with two locations in the premier malls of Accra. You can catch your favorite actors from Hollywood, Nollywood, and even Bollywood on the big screen, or watch local Ghanaian productions from top movie houses in the country. Box office hits like Fast X,Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and The Little Mermaid are currently screening as well, so if you haven’t seen them yet Silverbird is the place.

Date: Friday 2nd June - Sunday 4th June, 10am – 9pm

Venue: Accra Mall, West Hills Mall

Cost: Tickets starting from GHS50

Grand Opening of Mad Club

If you’re looking for a club event to go to this weekend, Mad Club Accra will be having its grand opening this Friday. On the bill to provide sounds is renowned Nigerian disk jockey and afrobeats hitmaker DJ Neptune, among others. Accra is a city that takes its nightlife seriously, so you can trust that Mad Club’s event will be an epic affair.

Date: Friday 2nd June, 12am

Venue: Mad Club, East Legon

Rooftop Sip & Paint

Sip & Paint Ghana will be hosting an event this Saturday, 3rd June. Participate in a fun painting class while enjoying complimentary wine, finger foods, and art supplies.

Date: Saturday, 3rd June, 8pm

Venue: Arrital Ghana, Airport Residential

Cost: GHS200

Pickup Soccer at Lizzy’s Sports Complex

Lizzy Sports Complex is an all-in-one sports facility comprising four top quality grass and astro turf soccer pitches, and other facilities including a swimming pool, a spacious lounge, a sports bar and grill. It was founded by renowned Ghanaian born French soccer player Marcel Desailly, and it’s the go-to location for friends who are looking to play a few quick games of five-aside pick up soccer.

Date: Saturday, 3rd June - Sunday 4th June, 9am-9pm

Venue: Lizzy Sports Complex, East Legon

Cost: Call to book

Wine Tasting at Vinakoper Wine Festival

For the wine lover, Vinakoper will be hosting the Vinakoper Wine Festival this weekend. Try out 15 different wines from Slovenia and participate in a wine tasting and pairing workshop, for an affordable flat rate.

Date: Saturday, 3rd June - Sunday, 4th June, 10am-11pm

Venue: Accra Polo Court

Cost: Tickets for GHS50

Outmosphere Festival

Outmosphere is an eco-friendly festival designed to empower and connect a generation of hybrid thinkers, self-starters and innovators with shared culture and passion for community driven agenda and creativity. The event is held at a different location each time, and this time around it’s taking place at Prampram, a coastal town 45 minutes away from Accra, known for its beautiful beaches and rich cultural heritage.

Date: Saturday, 3rd June - Sunday 4th June, 1pm-3am

Venue: Prampram, exact venue TBA

Cost: Tickets for GHS100-250



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New Research Out of South Africa Brings Us Closer To Understanding Ancient Human Species

The remains left by “Homo Naledi” informs us of their use of burial grounds, tribal paintings, and more.

South African researchers continue their journey to discover the weird and wonderful ways human beings have developed over the last hundred thousand years. Their latest achievement is in the improved understanding of how the hominin “Homo Naledi” existed, thought, and behaved. Scientists have discovered that the ancient human species partook in burial practices, and created rock paintings and carvings -- acts previously believed to be above their level of intelligence.

“It’s a remarkable thing. My mind is blown,” said famed American-South African anthropologist Lee Berger and his team, who unearthed the artifacts and published the latest findings. Homo Naledi was first discovered in 2013, but our understanding of their behaviors has only scratched the surface. The new discoveries have shown evidence of behaviors humans only exhibited 100,000 years later, and the evidence left behind leads us to believe that they were incredibly intelligent - a major blimp to the idea that bigger brains make for smarter brains.

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Music
Photo by Burak Cingi/Redferns.

Three Takeaways From Burna Boy’s 'Love, Damini' Tour Wardrobe So Far

Wearing back-to-back Robert Wun from Paris La Dèfense to the London Stadium, the Afrofusion superstar has never looked this stylish.

The new leg of Burna Boy’s Love, Damini stadium tour is in full throttle. Done with arena spaces — he’s conquered New York’s Madison Square Garden, London’s O2 Arena, and Atlanta’s State Farm Arena with sold-out shows — the Nigerian heavyweight act is now scaling up tour venues to fit his image. Not surprising, then, to see some thoughtfulness in his outfit choices. Weeks after making his Met Gala debut wearing the new Burberry tartan, he thrilled fans in Paris in the first stop of his Love, Damini tour.

He sold out the 40-000 capacity Paris La Défense venue. Strikingly, he wore custom Robert Wun for a better part of his performance, a black, pleated matching set plucked from Wun’s SS23 “birding” collection. Over the weekend headlining at the London Stadium, home ground of Premier League club, West Ham United, Burna Boy turned to Robert Wun once more.

If he looked like a raven in Paris, he looked like a kingfisher in London. In crisp, autumnal orange, the bursting flare of pants and sleeves, and the glide of the top overlay as he moved about on stage, isn’t only hitting a sartorial tone with high fashion but might suggest a new metaphorical shift in how Burna Boy sees himself.

He’s become the first African to sell out London’s 80,000-capacity stadium, and with more stops in the Netherlands (June 17), Portugal (June 28), Denmark (June 29) and the US (July 8), here are three takeaways from his tour looks so far.

The Robert Wun-Afrobeats star relationship

Before Burna Boy donned his first Robert Wun ensemble in Paris, the London-based Hong Kong designer had Tems as a celebrity client, whom he had put in two custom creations. The first time at her 2022 London show at Koko, wearing a teal, halter neck set with billowing pleats. The second time was at the 2023 Met Gala, her showstopping feather couture in monochrome.

Both Burna Boy and Tems owe their stylists — Romani Ogulu and Dunsin Wright respectively — for tapping their celebrity into the world of designers like Wun. With the crossover of Afrobeats into global markets, its stars are now thrust into new worlds of fans, media, and public engagements. Wun is filling an opportunity gap where Afrobeats A-listers are making fashion statements on bigger stages. And we have a feeling this is a symbiotic relationship that will spring more surprises.

Breaking the Afrobeats male wardrobe ceiling

Due to gendered notions ingrained in music artistry, there are often low expectations for male artists regarding wardrobe and style choices when performing live. In Nigeria, where Afrobeats is situated as a nerve center, male artists arrive at their shows or concerts wearing streetwear or wardrobe basics. In some cases, they take off their tops in the throes of excitement or passion. This isn’t the case with female Afrobeat acts.

Asake has been of the male artists who have pushed the envelope, causing a stir online when he wore a black denim skirt repurposed as a top to one of his shows. While Burna Boy has performed topless (one time he stripped to his underwear in Nigeria), his Love, Damini tour outfits show male artists can straddle the line between stage performance and stylish wardrobe.

A new Burna Boy iconography

Robert Wun’s avian-inspired garments honor his late grandmother, who liked the swallow bird. But seen on Burna Boy, they take a different meaning. His crossover stardom was accompanied by a nonstop supply of confidence on his part. Some might argue that it’s cockiness, so much so that he earned his name as the “African Giant” after the 2019 Coachella fiasco.

As time went on, he likened himself to the fearlessness of a gorilla, meshing with his persona in a way that has produced an emoji, merchandise, and more. His ongoing tour staged in stadiums demonstrates that he’s in a gigantic world of his own. Robert Wun’s avian motif in his designs seemingly codes for Burna Boy’s appetite for more space to dominate, more records to be broken. Even if it means launching himself into the sky like a bird.

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Meet Andre Vibez, the Producer Behind Rema's 'Calm Down'

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Burna Boy is the First African Artist to Sell Out London Stadium

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