In a week where award-winning Nigerian singer Burna Boy debuted on the internationally coveted Grammy awards nominations, Emtee urged women to secure their own bags instead of depending on men, and Sani Makhalima shreds a political line with “Vatiregerera”, it’s been another hectic week in the world of entertainment and arts.
Because some of you had so much going on in your fascinating lives (mine isn’t so rosy, but it’s ok), it was easy to miss some of the entertainment and arts stories. So, Enthuse being #Enthuse hereby gives you a round-up of some of the wins and shenanigans that made news this week.
Big International Nod For Burna Boy!
2019 has been a standout year for breakaway Nigerian music star Burna Boy, real name Damini Ogulu, who has won a string of awards and sold-out venues across the globe. With collaborations with artists like Angelique Kidjo, Damian Marley and Lily Allen, he has risen in prominence as the Afrobeats sound has also gained global recognition.
It appears the powers that be in the world music industry have also been watching his footprints closely. On Wednesday the afro-fusion artist earned his first-ever Grammy award nomination in the ‘Best World Music’ category for his celebrated 19 track album “African Giant“. The album was nominated alongside music heavyweights including three-time Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo for her album Celia, which pays homage to the late Afro-Cuban legend Celia Cruz. He follows in the footsteps of Femi and Seun Kuti (Fela Kuti’s sons), King Sunny Ade and other African music stars.
While the Grammy’s are often criticized for nominating the same African artists (and lumping them into one eye roll-worthy category known as the Best World Music) the inclusion of African Giant and other works from African does reflect an acknowledgement of the cultural influence of contemporary African pop music.
South African Comedian Trevor Noah, who recently became the first African artist to sell-out Madison Square Garden, also earned a nomination in the Best Comedy Album category for “Sticks and Stones.”
Emtee’s Word Of Advice To Women
If he was not in the biz of “Rolling Up” or falling off the stage due to intoxication, hip-hop rapper Emtee would be somewhere in Eastern Cape operating a life-coaching institution that specialises in ladies issue. The Pearl Thusi hitmaker set Twitter on fire on Tuesday with a word of advice to ladies.
Responding to a tweet about financial literacy and women thinking you are rich when you drive a fancy car, Emtee sarcastically asked, “where the e-wallet h*es at”?
He then went in hard, telling women to secure their own coins instead of depending on men.
Ladies, pocket watching us as men is not cute. Earn your shit
— BigHustle (@emteethehustla_) November 19, 2019
Although some called him out for generalising, he stood by his comments. Quite consistent in the niche, he has spoken before about gold diggers and slammed suggestions that his dame was in for his coins.
In September he told Slikour;
“There was stuff that was said about my wife being a gold digger and I asked myself, which gold? Because I am not rich. She was with me when I didn’t even have a R1, when I didn’t have a home. She used to sneak me in her crib. So now suddenly she has turned into a gold digger?”
Well, Sani Makhalima Is All Of A Sudden Politically Woke
Celebrity advocacy is not new and now more than ever, activism and fame seem to be connected. While skeptics might argue that the growing involvement of celebrities in social and political activism is nothing more than an elitist form of self-celebration, their impact is undeniably visible. Doyen crooner and Urban Groover Sani Makhalima revisited his mojo this week and dropped a politically conscious single “Vatiregerera” that speaks on the plight of ordinary citizens in Zimbabwe.
Although I would never buy in the idea that Sani is the most political, self-aware and culturally sensitive songwriters out there right now, Vatiregerera is a direct, political think-piece cleverly placed within the easily accessible format of a YouTube-shared pop song. The emotionally and politically-charged lyrics candidly and visually expose the most disturbing issues Zimbabwe has been going through, including police brutality, political leadership that has led to political intolerance and worsening poverty levels.
From lamenting the dire economic situation, unrestrained corruption by government officials, the fettering of government critics through violent means, to capturing civil servants’ calls for better wages in recent times, the song conveys the bleak message that Zimbabwe has drastically devolved.
And Then Brickz’s Girlfriend Vows To Stay Faithful
Elsewhere, kwaito star and convicted rapist Brickz’s girlfriend, Cazo Cas said that the jail sentence that her boo is serving was not a dealbreaker to their romance – despite the fact that he’ll probably be locked up for a very long time. The “Sweety My Baby” singer was sentenced in 2017 to 15 years behind bars for the rape of a 16-year-old relative, but his partner pledged to stand by him through what she calls is “just a little phase”.
“I feel like all relationships have their ups and downs and we’re just going through a downhill right now. I can’t leave him because times are hard right now. We’ve had beautiful times together so why should I leave him because he’s going through a dark phase? There were times when he’d go away for work, so I’m just handling this as if he’s gone away,”
she told Drum magazine.
Cazo also maintains Bricks is not a monster but a good person, despite being convicted of rape. She even claimed that he was innocent of his crime. Could it be naivety or that she wants to save her face?
Wait, Did Plaxedes Wenyika Just Show Off Her New Beau?
Soulful crooner of yesteryear Plaxedes Wenyika, who by the way is reeling from a divorce with former husband Dr Mika Joka, left a lot a to be desired this week when she posted a picture of herself with a sexy, semi-naked hunk man, sparking speculation that the diva has moved on. The shirtless “lover”‘s name is Jimmy T Mhlanga.
The absence of a caption (except for the heart emojis), however, has led many to think that it could rather be a shoot for her next music video as she’s two upcoming singles before the end of the year.
Cancel Julius Malema?
Following the recent xenophobic attacks and increasing reports of gender-based violence in South Africa, Channel O put together an anti-xenophobia concert that aimed at rebuilding trust and respect by changing the current narrative of hate to that of unity and speaking out against femicide. Burna Boy, Jidenna and Kwesta were headliners of the two-day gig dubbed Africans Unite Concert.
Having found himself embroiled in the social media reactions against the xenophobic attacks (he made a bold statement about never setting foot in South African again until its government acts against xenophobia), and also threatening to assault AKA, warning him that he should beef up his security, South Africans were up in arms when it was announced that Burna Boy would headline the concert. Calls for him to be pulled out from the concert went as far as getting ministers involved.
Notorious for rubbing many people up the wrong way, Julius Malema found himself in the throes of Black South African Twitter when he told Burna Boy that he is welcome in South Africa and called those who opposed this ‘Bed wetting Boys’.
Looking forward to receiving and being entertained by my brother @burnaboy here at his home called South Africa. There’s no mascot that can stop him from performing, he’s one of our own and we will protect him. We must resolutely oppose regionalism led by political illiterates.
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) November 14, 2019
I won’t be intimidated or blackmailed by bed wetting boys, welcome home @burnaboy. South Africa is a home for all Africans, kill me for defending an African brother, bloody Cowards.
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) November 15, 2019
Fast forward to Thursday – when the Grammy nominations were revealed and hours after it was announced that Burna has withdrawn from performing at the concert – some Twitter folks took notice of how Malema did not only retweeted tweets congratulating Burna Boy on his nomination but was completely blind to the fact that Trevor Noah was also nominated.
Many saw how he ‘deliberately’ ignored Trevor’s nomination and only showed support to Burna; leaving users to believe that Malema still has some ‘personal vendetta’ against the comedian and The Daily Show host, a reason they wanted to cancel him.
Sho Madjozi Goes After Africans Unite Concert Organisers!
If she’s not fighting the politics of melanin, Sho is calling out folks for who they really are. In the middle of the anti-xenophobia concert furore, Sho Madjozi checked out the concert organisers and how they used the situation with Burna Boy to fuel their own interests.
The John Cena hitmaker took to Twitter to relay her views on the matter.
It was so clear that the issue of xenophobia in South Africa was being used more as a marketing ploy by the organizers of the “Africa Unite” concert than as a way to effect real change.
— #JohnCena (@ShoMadjozi) November 20, 2019
