Entertainment News

The countdown to the 25th Annual St. Kitts Music Festival intensifies with 19 electrifying new musical acts revealed today. The St. Kitts Music Festival, 22-24 June at Warner Park Stadium, showcasing a mix of Soul, Soca, Jazz, R&B, Reggae, and more. The festival’s musical versatility unites A-list musicians, island visitors, and locals for a memorable celebration of culture and entertainment. The latest performers named to the Festival schedule include:

Disney’s much loved 1992 musical comedy, The Muppet Christmas Carol, is to be presented live in concert this winter across the UK, featuring its music score performed live to the film. 

Kicking off in Glasgow just ahead of Christmas, the tour is to include stops in Edinburgh, Liverpool, Birmingham, Cardiff, London and more, before finishing off in Manchester on the 20th of December. With an immensely popular debut tour last year, including multiple sell outs, the beloved Christmas movie will be brought to life by a hand-picked ensemble of star performers.

Born Clive Campbell, on April 17, 1955, in Kingston, Jamaica, DJ Kool Herc moved to the Bronx when he was 12 years old and took on his new moniker (Kool Herc) when he became a member of the ‘Ex-Vandals’ graffiti crew.

The name is short for ‘Hercules’ because of his 6′ 4″ stature. And he soon began DJing parties that he and his sister Cindy threw in their building, which was on 1520 Sedgewick Avenue (Sedgewick & Cedar) in the South Bronx.

Born Clive Campbell, on April 17, 1955, in Kingston, Jamaica, DJ Kool Herc moved to the Bronx when he was 12 years old and took on his new moniker (Kool Herc) when he became a member of the ‘Ex-Vandals’ graffiti crew.

The name is short for ‘Hercules’ because of his 6′ 4″ stature. And he soon began DJing parties that he and his sister Cindy threw in their building, which was on 1520 Sedgewick Avenue (Sedgewick & Cedar) in the South Bronx.

Previously praised by leading talents such as Sir Elton John and Sting, Jake Isaac’s recent tracks ‘Start Again’, ‘Still Have You’ and ‘When It Hurts’ featuring Jack Savoretti have seen the South Londoner take his soulful expression and sumptuous songcraft to a new level which has received support from BBC Radio 2. Jake Isaac now shares his new album ‘For When It Hurts’ and the new single ‘Broken Pieces’ featuring Joss Stone. 

The countdown to the 25th Annual St. Kitts Music Festival intensifies with 19 electrifying new musical acts revealed.

The St. Kitts Music Festival, 22-24 June at Warner Park Stadium, showcasing a mix of Soul, Soca, Jazz, R&B, Reggae, and more. The festival’s musical versatility unites A-list musicians, island visitors, and locals for a memorable celebration of culture and entertainment.

South Asian music fans are flocking to Coachella this year as it offers blockbuster attractions from the community.

The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, among the most profitable music events in the world, takes place over two consecutive weekends every April in Indio, California. This year, Indian singer and actor Diljit Singh Dosanjh and Pakistani singer and composer Ali Sethi are among South Asian acts debuting at the festival as they perform alongside international acts like BLACKPINK, Kid Laroi, Charli XCX, Labrinth, Jai Wolf, Joy Crookes, Jai Paul, Frank Ocean and Underworld.

Jon Batiste is a genre-bending jazz musician, singer and composer. Born into a family of professional musicians in Louisiana, Batiste plays the melodica (shown in the image) and several other instruments, including the piano, organ and upright bass.

He performed at the 2022 White House state dinner that fêted French President Emmanuel Macron and Macron’s wife, Brigitte.

Influenced by Brockhampton, Jay-Z, Billie Eilish and Pharrell Williams, the 23-year-old Northern Irish hip-hop newcomer USNA has shown his world class potential within his first few releases. His debut track ‘Boo’ (featuring Santino Browne) was named as BBC Introducing’s Track of the Week, earned Radio 1 airplay from Gemma Bradley and Jack Saunders, and featured in the Netflix drama ‘One Of Us Is Lying’.

SZA, the R&B sensation, has just added a fourth date to 'The S.O.S. Tour' due to overwhelming demand from her UK fans. SZA will now perform for not two, not three, but four nights at The O2 in London on Monday 26th of June 2023.

This is a huge milestone for SZA as it’s her biggest UK headline show run yet! This tour promises to showcase her powerful vocals and incredible stage presence. From Amsterdam to Paris, and Berlin to London, SZA will be taking Europe by storm, so make sure you secure your tickets.

Birmingham Hippodrome has announced B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival will return to the city for seven days of extraordinary dance, performances, competitions and events this June. Celebrating 50 years since the birth of hip hop, the free annual festival will take place from 8 – 14 June and will bring together the best artists and acts from all four elements of the genre: breakin’, graffiti, DJ’ing and MC’ing.

To kickstart the citywide festival, Birmingham Hippodrome’s Young Advocates will be curating a takeover event for young people (age 14+) at the Hippodrome on Thursday 8 June.

Carnival in Jamaica is back and invites visitors and locals alike to experience the incredible atmosphere across the island. The weeklong celebrations taking place from April 12-18 will witness a sea of colourful, show-stopping costumes, intoxicating music, and sizzling street food stalls during the cultural event.

Following a 3-year hiatus, revellers can once again enjoy the ultimate Carnival experience and dance the day (and night away) at the annual Carnival in Jamaica taking place across Ocho Rios and Kingston. The main event, the Road March, will take place on the streets of Kingston on Sunday, April 16.

Birmingham Hippodrome has announced B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival will return to the city for seven days of extraordinary dance, performances, competitions and events this June. Celebrating 50 years since the birth of hip hop, the free annual festival will take place from 8 – 14 June and will bring together the best artists and acts from all four elements of the genre: breakin’, graffiti, DJ’ing and MC’ing.

The four-piece will be taking their honest and deep-diving brand of Hip-Hop to venues across the UK in June, with shows in Exeter, Brighton and Southampton. 

Formed in 2011, the group have deftly crafted an honest bond of brotherhood that spills out into the music. With a signature sound that is Hip-Hop in its realest form, the group are a feathered troop of Strigiformes unlike anything the world has seen before. 

Sean Paul and Wayne Wonder have made Billboard magazine’s 100 Greatest Songs of 2003 list.

Three songs featuring Diwali (Sean Paul’s debut single, ‘Get Busy,’ Wayne Wonder’s ‘No Letting Go’) along with Lumidee’s ‘Never Leave You (Uh Ooh, Uh Ooh),’ hit the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 during a three-month span in mid-2003, undeniably making it the defining beat of the year. Thanks to patience, perseverance and an affinity for doing things his way, Lenky’s place in dancehall music history is indelible. 

It was announced that dub and reggae pioneer Jah Shaka has died, following confirmation by his family. The singer, producer and label owner, who also known as Zulu Warrior, was seen by many as the greatest soundman of all time. The cause of his death was not disclosed. Dubbed as the ‘king of sound systems,’ he also released some of the most seminal records after spearheading the influential Jah Shaka Sound System, which he set up in the 1970s. He continued to perform and tour his system up to his death.