Rapper Ikechukwu promises to return to rap scene

Singer Bella Shmurda sat down with The Guardian Life for rapid-fire questions. Enjoy!

One of America's largest events -- Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago -- is underway this weekend, to the delight of fans and to the despair of others. The four day music festival is expected to draw more than 100,000 people to downtown Chicago each day, at a moment when coronavirus cases are on the rise and vaccinations have plateaued. Lollapalooza has said their policy is for unvaccinated people to wear masks and show a recent negative Covid test.

Going back to live performances is very much on the mind of musicians these days, after months of introspective confinements and home recordings due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. Ben Shemie from Suuns tells us more about his band's new album "The Witness", whose instinctive new sound will soon be taken to the stage, first in their native Canada and then on tour in Europe.

Nigeria's foremost highlife musician, Sir Victor Uwaifo passed away a few days ago at the age of 80. GuardianTV takes a look at the life and time of the legendary singer and how he impacted the Nigerian music industry during his time.

Okhiogbe Omonblanks Omonhinmin, a creative, festival curator, producer, and programmer with 15-years of experience in music and film production, shares his view on education, Africa, and how he earned a two-year fellowship at the University of Art, Berlin without having the first degree.

Tucked away in an indoor market in Manchester, northwest England, lies the last shop in Britain dedicated to selling cassettes. Mars Tapes, founded in 2019 by a group of music lovers, is tapping into a nostalgic trend in cultural consumption accentuated by the coronavirus pandemic.

A first-ever 'Bald Fest' celebration hosted by rapper Kosha Dillz was held in New York City on Monday. The rapper, whose real name is Rami Matan Even-Esh, held the event at the Rubulad club in Brooklyn on 'National Bald is Beautiful Day'.

British electronic duo Jungle appeared out of nowhere in late 2013 as a mystery group, but their slick funk-pop singles quickly propelled them to fame. Their 2014 self-titled debut album was certified Gold in the UK and their follow up album "For Ever" confirmed their success around the world. This summer, they released their third studio album "Loving in Stereo", a collection of wall-to-wall bangers bursting with life. Josh Lloyd-Watson sat down with FRANCE 24's Florence Villeminot to talk about what inspired this 13-track bundle of love.

We start by looking at how the German papers are covering the upcoming coalition talks. We then focus on disgraced US singer R. Kelly’s conviction for sex trafficking. Variety wonders if his music should be banned from streaming sites. We also see how the fight for the right to an abortion continues in France. Finally, we take a look at the non-fairy tale coverage of Japan's upcoming royal wedding.

Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) has started hosting its five-day dance music festival after the Dutch government lifted restrictions on the entertainment sector, as well as clubs and bars. The event has been scaled down compared to previous years, while measures are in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19, including on-site testing.

Hailing from the Netherlands, artist Tessa Douwstra performs under the name Luwten, which means "a place without wind" in Dutch. Her music channels traditional indie songwriting through a kaleidoscope of modern pop and experimental R&B. She recently released her second LP entitled "Draft", which features 11 complex and well-crafted tracks. She tells FRANCE 24’s Florence Villeminot about wanting to writing about the transition from introspection to a more outward-focused life.