37 h. ago Usher moved by iconic Dublin statue: ‘I had no idea black artists were celebrated like this'

The Confessions singer opens up to The Standard about his trip to the Emerald Isle, where a bronze statue of an Irish rock legend had a profound impact on him

Culture

66 h. ago Basquiat to Delaney: inside the exhibition honouring 50 years of art in Black Paris

The vast show at the Pompidou highlights how the French capital became a haven for creatives from across the diasporaHello and welcome to The Long Wave. I was in France at the weekend to check out the Paris Noir exhibition at the Pompidou Centre, an odyssey through the generations of Black artists from across the world who found a complicated sanctuary in the city. This was supplemented with a walking tour on the life of the artist Beauford Delaney, guided by the company Entrée to Black Paris, and finished off with a mind-blowingly delicious Senegalese dinner. Yes, I’m trying to make you jealous. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Maya Jama showcases her best dance moves as she twerks in front of stunned crowds during Usher's sold

Maya Jama showcases her best dance moves as she twerks in front of stunned crowds during Usher's sold-out Lond  Daily Mail

Culture

6 d. ago The first ever Black Welsh Music Awards announced with support of international artists

For the first time ever Wales has an awards to celebrate black music

Events

6 d. ago Maybe I’m Amazed by John Harris review – a father and his autistic son bond through music

An honest and intensely moving book about the struggle of parenthood and the power of connectionOne of my favourite books growing up was my dad’s copy of The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics. I spent hours flicking through images of an eyeless, trombone-mouthed golden man swallowing naked bodies, and a full-page, black-and-white comic strip by legendary psychedelic artist Rick Griffin. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t yet listened to most of the songs – the surreal visual riffs felt like dispatches from an undiscovered country. Later, the Beatles became my favourite band. I chain-listened to the albums, read endless books, watched the movies and recited Beatles’ lore to anyone within earshot. “Oh dear,” said my mum one morning, as I reeled off an account of how a 40-piece orchestra improvised the rising crescendo in A Day in the Life, “you’ve become a Beatles bore.”Maybe I’m Amazed opens with John Harris’s 15-year-old son, James, ecstatically absorbed in a...

Politics

2 w. ago Indonesia passes controversial law allowing greater military role in government

Activists in world’s third-largest democracy warn the legal changes signal a return to military dominance in civilian affairs that characterised Suharto yearsIndonesia has ratified controversial changes to its military law allowing armed forces personnel to hold more civilian posts, a move that analysts fear could usher in a resurgence of the military in government affairs.Activists in the world’s third-largest democracy have criticised the revisions, warning they signal a return to Indonesia’s “New Order” era, when the country was led by former authoritarian ruler Suharto, who stepped down in 1998. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago ‘The colour of my skin didn’t matter’: exhibition shines light on black artists in postwar Paris

Pompidou Centre show featuring 150 artists of African heritage is the last before the gallery shuts for five yearsFor many black artists and intellectuals, postwar Paris was a cosmopolitan hub. While colonisation, racism and segregation cast a shadow over their countries of origin, the City of Light appeared then a more liberated place where they were free to mix, study, work and create.Now, a new exhibition – the last major event at Paris’s Pompidou Centre before it closes for a five-year renovation in September – explores the “unrecognised and fundamental” contribution these artists made to the French capital and how it influenced them. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago 150 artists of African descent celebrated in 'Black Paris' exhibition at Pompidou Center

An unprecedented exhibition at the Pompidou Center in Paris explores the presence and influence of Black artists in the city from the 1950s to 2000

Culture

4 w. ago Creators of Trump 'Gaza AI vid' claims it was 'satire' of 'megalomaniac idea'

Mr Avital was trying out AI tools when he decided to make a 'satire about this megalomaniac idea about putting statues' in the territory which was later shared by Trump on social media

Politics