Tag: African entertainers in America

Entertainment

South African series, Blood & Water, Lands Number 1 Spot On Netflix’s Top 10 In US

By Ebimo Amungo

Netflix has a new hit and it is from Africa. Blood and Water has taken the world by storm since it made its worldwide debut on the streaming platform on May 20. In only a few days the series now holds the number 1 spot among the Top 10 most streamed shows on Netflix in the United States.

Blood and Water is also the most watched series in France, Libya, Nigeria and a number of countries across the world.

Continue reading “South African series, Blood & Water, Lands Number 1 Spot On Netflix’s Top 10 In US” →
Entertainment, Music

Meet Kenyan entertainer, MC Rayan The DJ, uniting Africans in US with Afro-themed concerts

by  Douglas Mwarua | Tuke.co.ke

MC Rayan The DJ is an entertainer who was born in Kiambu, Kenya. He has hosted Kenya’s biggest musicians and entertainers such as Nonini, Vera Sidika, Arrow Bwoy and celebrities from other countries in sold out shows in Kansas City and Dallas.

Continue reading “Meet Kenyan entertainer, MC Rayan The DJ, uniting Africans in US with Afro-themed concerts” →
Entertainment

Meet The ‘Mrs. America’ Cast that includes Nigerian-American, Uzo Aduba

By Jennifer Nied | Women’s health

A star-studded cast of leading ladies is bringing this powerful story, written by Mad Men’s Davhi Waller, to Hulu. Among them is Nigerian-American, Uzo Aduba, Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth Banks, Rose Byrne and Ari Graynor

Continue reading “Meet The ‘Mrs. America’ Cast that includes Nigerian-American, Uzo Aduba” →
Uncategorized

British-Nigerian Comedian Gina Yashere is Changing the World One Comedic Exercise at a Time

By Saybin Roberson | LOS ANGELES SENTINEL

British-Nigerian comedian Gina Yashere is telling it like it is. A self-made star, Yashere is enlightening the world and informing the culture one joke at a time. Born and raised in London to Nigerian parents, Yashere began her journey into adulthood studying engineering. However, one day while working on elevators, she decided to make a switch. A naturally funny and charismatic young lady, Yashere took to stand up comedy and the rest was history.

Read from source The African Immigrant

Uncategorized

It’s Angélique Kidjo’s Birthday, and Her Country’s Too

She is probably Africa’s most widely respected international vocalist, and one of its hungriest synthesizers of culture and ideas.

By Giovanni Russonello|The New York Times

The Beninese vocalist Angélique Kidjo was born into one of the most hopeful moments of the 20th century. Just two weeks after her birth in 1960 — in Ouidah, Dahomey — her country finally gained independence from France. It was one of 17 African nations to declare independence that year.

Continue reading “It’s Angélique Kidjo’s Birthday, and Her Country’s Too” →
Television

Inside Queen Sono, Netflix’s First African Original Series

When we think of the spy genre, the icons that come to mind first are often the white, male masters of espionage, the James Bonds and Jason Bournes. But the new Netflix series Queen Sono offers its own take on the genre in the platform’s first fully produced African original series.

By TIME MAGAZINE

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People

Edi Gathegi: Meet X-Men Star You Didn’t Know Was Kenyan

By MARVIN CHEGE | Kenyans.co.ke

Kenya is famous for numerous personalities who have flown the country’s flag high. From athletes like Eliud Kipchoge to football stars like Victor Wanyama to music personalities such as Sauti Sol who have set the entire continent alight with their music. Little is, however, known of international actors who have made it on the international stage and were born in the country. Lupita Nyong’o the obvious name that comes to mind. The next should be X-Men star Edi Gathegi.

Continue reading “Edi Gathegi: Meet X-Men Star You Didn’t Know Was Kenyan” →
Video

Nigerian gospel singer Sinach performs at Lakewood Church

Nigerian gospel singer Sinach performs at Lakewood church

Uncategorized

5 Things You Should Know About Sherrie Silver, the Rwanda-born Choreographer Behind ‘This Is America

By Jane Claire Hervey

Do you remember Childish Gambino’s “This Is America.” The song’s music video went viral across social media news-feeds, newspapers and TVs worldwide

It  also introduced the world to a new creative visionary, the music video’s choreographer, Sherrie Silver. Silver is a creative director, dancer and actress originally from Rwanda, East Africa, on ”a mission to educate the world about African cultures through the art of dance.”

Continue reading “5 Things You Should Know About Sherrie Silver, the Rwanda-born Choreographer Behind ‘This Is America” →
Entertainment

Uganda’s Kemiyondo is “The Baker” in Apple TV+’s “Little America”

By JOSEPH TUMWESIGYE | NTV

There is a little gem of a series hidden in the fast growing motion picture live-streaming industry called “Little America’’. It is an anthology of mixed emotions stories about the lives of a few real immigrants in the United States of America featuring on Apple’s new streaming service, Apple TV+.

Continue reading “Uganda’s Kemiyondo is “The Baker” in Apple TV+’s “Little America”” →
Achievements

Angélique Kidjo Wins Best World Music Album For ‘Celia’ at 2020 GRAMMYs

Angélique Kidjo won Best World Music Album for Celia at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards. This marks her fourth win in the category and fourth GRAMMY win overall. 

During her acceptance speech, Kidjo celebrated a new generation of African artists coming up to represent the continent while thanking luminaries who came before her for their contriutions to world music, including Celia Cruz.

Continue reading “Angélique Kidjo Wins Best World Music Album For ‘Celia’ at 2020 GRAMMYs” →
Music

South African DJ Tira appears on Beats 1 Radio to push amapiano & gqom in America

BY MASEGO SEEMELA

DJ Tira is making major moves in the US, and it is all in the name of pushing SA music.

Makoya Bearings, as he refers to himself, made a guest appearance on Beats 1 Radio, hosted by Ebro Darden.

Continue reading “South African DJ Tira appears on Beats 1 Radio to push amapiano & gqom in America” →
Entertainment

Egyptian star Yousra honored by America Abroad Media

By Mira Maged

America Abroad Media (AAM) honored Egypt’s acclaimed star Yousra at its seventh edition during its annual dinner that took place in Washington, DC, celebrating the star’s artistic contributions that have presented Americans with remarkable representations of Egyptian history, according to the press release.

The statement applauded Yousra’s significant role in lifting taboos in Egyptian society and generating fruitful social dialogue. The award celebrates Yousra’s entire career.

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Opinion

An Oscars ban for a Nigerian film shows the Academy still doesn’t get it on race

By Afua Hirsch

The penny about the US’s worldview dropped for me when I recently interviewed a highly educated, accomplished, politically and racially literate American. I mentioned something about the British empire and he looked at me blankly. “What is that exactly?” he asked.#OscarsSoWhite: a 10-point plan for change by the hashtag’s creator

Excluding Lionheart for using English shows Africans are still expected to satisfy American ideas of authenticity.

Continue reading “An Oscars ban for a Nigerian film shows the Academy still doesn’t get it on race” →
Entertainment

Academy Disqualifies Nigeria’s Oscar Entry ‘Lionheart’

Nigeria’s first-ever submission in the Best International Feature Film category, is largely in English, which makes it ineligible to compete

By Steve Pond 

The Academy has disqualified Nigeria’s “Lionheart” from the Oscar race in the Best International Feature Film category, dropping the number of films competing for the award to 92 from what had been a record 93 entries.

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Uncategorized

The Genre-Defying Singer with Ethiopian heritage is inspired by Japanese Funk

Berhana, the Atlanta musician behind 2016’s “Janet,” talks about incorporating diverse geographic influences in his debut album, HAN.

By HANNAH GIORGIS

When Berhana, the 27-year-old singer born Amain Berhane, finished his film program at the New School, he did what a lot of young artistic people in New York City do: He started working at a restaurant. During his time as a chef and assistant manager at Robataya, a now-defunct Japanese spot in the East Village, the recent graduate undertook a new, informal curriculum in Japanese culture; he was even tasked with learning to speak the language.

Continue reading “The Genre-Defying Singer with Ethiopian heritage is inspired by Japanese Funk” →
Entertainment

Michael Blackson, Vivica A. Fox to Host 2019 Hollywood and African Prestigious Awards

Organizers of the Hollywood and African Prestigious Awards have announced the African king of comedy, Michael Blackson and Hollywood actress, Vivica A. Fox as hosts of its third edition.

The event which is tagged Re-telling The African Story, will hold on November 3, 2019 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, California to showcase the best of cultural heritage.

Continue reading “Michael Blackson, Vivica A. Fox to Host 2019 Hollywood and African Prestigious Awards” →
Entertainment

CBS’s ‘Bob Hearts Abishola’ Rings True To These Nigerian Viewers

By ISABELLA GOMEZ SARMIENTO

“There’s a white man at the door.”

In the new CBS comedy Bob Hearts Abishola, those words cause a flurry of concern for an immigrant Nigerian family living in Detroit.

“Tell me, when has that ever been good?” demands Auntie Olu, played by Shola Adewusi.

The white man she’s referring to is Bob — a stocky, 50-year-old guy played by Mike & Molly actor Billy Gardell. He’s come to Olu’s house in search of her niece Abishola, portrayed by Nigerian actress Folake Olowofoyeku. At first, Olu and her husband assume something has gone terribly wrong. But their worries are soothed when they realize Bob is interested in asking Abishola out.

Continue reading “CBS’s ‘Bob Hearts Abishola’ Rings True To These Nigerian Viewers” →
Uncategorized

Meet Samba Schutte: Hollywood Actor, Comedian, Writer Who Grew Up in Ethiopia

By Ezega.com

Samba Schutte is an actor, comedian and writer who was born in Mauritania and grew up in Ethiopia until the age of 18. He is known for playing in NBC Sunnyside comedy TV series (2019), Netflix The Tiger Hunter (2016), and for writing acclaimed video game Battlefield V (2018). He also performed in award-winning games, namely Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019), Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2018) and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (2017). Samba speaks 4 languages: English, French, Dutch and Amharic.

Continue reading “Meet Samba Schutte: Hollywood Actor, Comedian, Writer Who Grew Up in Ethiopia” →
Entertainment

Video: ‘Come to Ghana’ – Sarkodie appeals after winning BET Hip Hop award

Rapper Sarkodie has urged African-Americans to come home as Ghana marks the Year of Return this year.

The rapper made the appeal after emerging the first winner of the Best International Flow at the 2019 BET Hip Hop Awards.

Continue reading “Video: ‘Come to Ghana’ – Sarkodie appeals after winning BET Hip Hop award” →
Entertainment

A Nigerian-American Family Tells Its Story in Runboyrun and In Old Age

New York Theatre Workshop mounts two new installments of Mfoniso Udofia’s Ufot Cycle.

By Zachary Stewart

Don’t leave after the first half! Audiences at New York Theatre Workshop might be tempted to bail after the first of two new installments of Mfoniso Udofia’s nine-part Ufot Cycle, chronicling four generations of a Nigerian-American family. And admittedly, runboyrun(so styled) is a slog of a family drama, but it builds essential foundation for the second show of the night, In Old Age, which proves to be one of the most spiritually satisfying plays I’ve ever witnessed.

Continue reading “A Nigerian-American Family Tells Its Story in Runboyrun and In Old Age” →
Entertainment

Comedy in Houston increasingly has a Nigerian accent

By Camilo Hannibal Smith

Chinedu Ogu, 33, has spent the past seven years making comedy videos imbued with his Nigerian roots and his Houston upbringing. At the urging of a comedy mentor, he began uploading videos to social media around 2012. Five years later, after posting nearly 1,000 scripted videos, Ogu scored a viral hit with his hilarious “I’m from Houston”.

Ogu, born in Houston to a Nigerian father and an African-American mother, says he’s hardly alone.

Continue reading “Comedy in Houston increasingly has a Nigerian accent” →
People

Folake Olowofoyeku hearts life in the television comedy lane

By LEANNE ITALIE

A funny thing happened to Folake Olowofoyeku on the way to a career in law: She became a theater major against her parents’ wishes and headed straight into the business after earning her undergraduate degree.
Her Nigerian parents were so hell-bent on launching her into the family profession of law that they named her after the first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, a title conferred on legal practitioners who have distinguished themselves.

A similar scenario is present for Olowofoyeku in “Bob Hearts Abishola,” her CBS comedy series.

Continue reading “Folake Olowofoyeku hearts life in the television comedy lane” →
Entertainment

They may not have won America’s Got Talent, but Ndlovu Youth Choir stirred our souls

By Aisha Salaudeen, CNN

Their incredible run on America’s Got Talent may have come to a halt in Wednesday night’s final but Ndlovu Youth Choir succeeded in winning hearts and minds around the world with their soul-stirring performances.

The South African youth choir’s powerful rendition of ‘Toto’s Africa’ on launched them into the finals, making them the first African act to do so.

Continue reading “They may not have won America’s Got Talent, but Ndlovu Youth Choir stirred our souls” →
Television

Lupita Nyong’o’s take on Chimamanda’s Americanah set for airing on HBO

By Ciku Kimeria

The long-awaited on-screen adaptation of Chimamanda’s bestseller, Americanah, is finally coming to life as a ten-episode HBO series starring Lupita Nyong’o and directed by Danai Gurira.

The duo of Nyong’o and Gurira have become a formidable force in Hollywood when it comes to their devotion to telling authentic African stories and especially the stories of women. These days, of course they’re both best known for their lead roles in 2018 blockbuster Black Panther set in the Marvel-created African country of Wakanda.

Continue reading “Lupita Nyong’o’s take on Chimamanda’s Americanah set for airing on HBO” →
Music

Wynton Marsalis and More Celebrate the Sounds of Post-Apartheid South African Jazz in New York

The story of South African jazz has been told in venues across New York City since the ’60s, when the likes of Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba came to the town as exiles from Johannesburg. The part of the story that came after the country found democracy hasn’t had as much stage time as fans of the genre would say it deserves. It’s this part of the story that Jazz at Lincoln Center’s new series of concerts, the South African Songbook, chose to spotlight to kick off its 2019-2020 season.

Continue reading “Wynton Marsalis and More Celebrate the Sounds of Post-Apartheid South African Jazz in New York” →
Entertainment

South Africa’s Youth Choir through to Finals of America’s Got Talent

By Amenna Dayo 

The Ndlovu Youth Choir from Limpopo, South Africa has made it to the finals of America’s Got Talent.

The group received a standing ovation from both judges and the audience after their performance.

Continue reading “South Africa’s Youth Choir through to Finals of America’s Got Talent” →
Entertainment

With African Music On The Rise, Afro-Themed Dance Parties Get To Win, Too

by Amira Rasool

When walking up to the venue for New York City day party Everyday Afrique, the music greets you before you can even reach the door. Depending on the day or the DJ, you might be welcomed with a remix of Afrobeats star Mr. Eazi’s 2013 hit song “Bankulize” or embraced by Niniola’s 2017 Afrohouse single “Maradona.”

Continue reading “With African Music On The Rise, Afro-Themed Dance Parties Get To Win, Too” →
Entertainment

Ndlovu Youth Choir once again outshines others in America’s Got Talent Read

South Africa’s Ndlovu Youth Choir has once again wowed audiences – this time with their gorgeous rendition of U2’s Beautiful Day in the America’s Got Talent’s quarter-finals. The choir is a huge hit with both American and Mzansi fans and they’ve come a lot further than people thought a choir would go in the competition.

Continue reading “Ndlovu Youth Choir once again outshines others in America’s Got Talent Read” →
Communities

2019 Miss Liberia USA Scholarship Pageant Contestants Call on Ambassador Kemayah: Encourage Young Liberians to Follow Their Dreams

By tlcafrica.com

(New York, August 13, 2019) Contestants of the just ended 2019 ‘Miss Liberia United States of America (USA) Scholarship Pageant’, are encouraging young Liberians to follow their dreams, exhibiting self-discipline and respect throughout their journey.

The contestants, representing the States of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Indianapolis, and Georgia; also stressed the importance of hard work and passion as drivers of success in the quest to achieve goals and dreams.

Continue reading “2019 Miss Liberia USA Scholarship Pageant Contestants Call on Ambassador Kemayah: Encourage Young Liberians to Follow Their Dreams” →