World News
What we know about Amanda Gorman, Joe Biden’s inauguration poet
Amanda Gorman “screamed and danced her head off” when she found out she had been chosen to read one of her poems at Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony.
At the age of 22, the Los Angeles-born writer and performer is the youngest poet to perform at a presidential inauguration.
She told the BBC’s World Service she felt “excitement, joy, honour and humility” when she was asked to take part in the ceremony, “and also at the same time terror”.
Her poem, The Hill We Climb, is a new composition she said she hoped would “speak to the moment” and “do this time justice”.
“I really wanted to use my words to be a point of unity and collaboration and togetherness,” she told the World Service’s Newshour programme before the ceremony.
“I think it’s about a new chapter in the United States, about the future, and doing that through the elegance and beauty of words.”
Gorman completed her poem on 6 January, the day the Capitol in Washington DC was stormed by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
The poet wore a mask as she arrived at Wednesday’s ceremony. Her poem speaks of “a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it” and “destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy”.
It continues: “This effort very nearly succeeded/But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated.”
She told the New York Times: “Now more than ever, the United States needs an inaugural poem. We have to confront these realities if we’re going to move forward.”
Born in LA in 1998, Gorman had a speech impediment as a child – an affliction she shares with America’s new president.
“It’s made me the performer that I am and the storyteller that I strive to be,” she said in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times.Gorman became LA’s youth poet laureate at 16. Three years later, while studying sociology at Harvard, she became the first national youth poet laureate.
She published her first book, The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough, in 2015 and will publish a picture book, Change Sings, later this year. She follows in the footsteps of Maya Angelou, Richard Blanco and Robert Frost, who are among the five poets to have performed at previous presidential inaugurations.
When Amanda Gorman was asked to write a poem for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, she didn’t know where to begin. The nation has just been through a bitter election. Americans are as divided as ever. And the pandemic continues to rage.
“It was really daunting to begin the poem because you don’t even really know the entry point in which to step into the murk,” she said in an interview Monday with NPR’s Steve Inskeep.
Gorman started by doing the same thing she always does — doing her research. She steeped herself in the literature of past inaugural poets. She looked to orators from throughout history who have spoken not just about a divided America, but also a united America. She read Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, even Winston Churchill.
World News
DaBaby says he went from getting $300K for a feature to $150K after recent controversy
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Napoléon by Abel Gance (1st period) opening Cannes Classics at the 77th Festival de Cannes
A legend known to cinephiles the world over, a major work of the silent era, one of the most monumental restorations in the history of filmmaking will be unveiled on May 14 as a world premiere: Napoléon by Abel Gance (1st period), in a version resulting from a colossal, passionate effort by the Cinémathèque française, with the support of the CNC.
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Buzz
Davido Inks Partnership with UnitedMasters For His Nine+ Records Venture
Making yet another major power move, three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated Nigerian global superstar and Afrobeats pioneer Davido has inked a deal with UnitedMasters for his recently launched label Nine+ Records.
In this groundbreaking collaboration, Davido will spearhead artist development, A&R, and behind-the-scenes curation, nurturing a pioneering lineup of artists across the continent under Nine+ Records. United by a shared vision, the teams will work together to introduce and foster talent, amplifying Davido’s influence and extending his reach even further. This partnership marks a pivotal moment in shaping the future of African and world music.
Together, the teams will collaborate closely in order to not only introduce, but cultivate career talent. It only expands Davido’s influence and reach.
Read Also: Davido gifts fan $50k to payoff student loans
Of today’s announcement Davido said, “I couldn’t be more proud to partner with Steve and the team at United Masters, this announcement represents an exciting new chapter for developing and established artists around the world.”
Steve Stoute, Founder and CEO of UnitedMasters states, “Over the last 2 years, we’ve proven our commitment to Africa investing in artists, education, and technology. Today, we are doubling down. With this new venture with Davido & the launch of Nine Plus Records, we reinforce our mission in becoming a bridge for artists on the continent. Together we’ll identify & develop new artists while supporting them with brand and synch opportunities.”
Nine+ Records will be announcing more artists and partners in the future.
Last night, Davido just sold out one of the most iconic venues in the world, headlining Madison Square Garden in New York City. He ignited the stage with what will be remembered as a historic set, bringing Afrobeats to the Big Apple in the biggest way possible. In advance of the show, he extensively spoke to Billboard who praised how “Performing in New York has also become a special ritual” for him.
This news also arrives on the heels of various major company announcements for UnitedMasters. The company locked down a high-profile alliance with SymphonyOS and Groover. Plus, it hosted its annual “A Celebration of Independence” GRAMMY® Concert at the Palladium in Hollywood, CA. The show boasted an all-star lineup, including headliner Davido, Uncle Waffles, Tokischa, Donavan’s Yard, and NLE Choppa. Of the latter, The Source wrote, “This marked the first time UnitedMasters featured international acts, solidifying its impact and representation within the global independent artist movement.”
Stay tuned for a whole lot more soon
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Record Rainfall in UAE: Dubai in Chaos as Streets Flood
Chaos swept through the United Arab Emirates as it faced the most intense rainfall in 75 years, with certain regions recording over 250 mm (approximately 10 inches) of rain within a mere 24-hour period, as per the state’s media office statement released on Wednesday, April 17. (more…)
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Ashanti & Nelly Are Engaged, Expecting First Child Together
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Baloji and Emmanuelle Béart will co-preside over the Caméra d’or Jury of the 77th Festival de Cannes
The 77th Festival de Cannes will feature an unprecedented yet self-evident pairing at the head of the Caméra d’or Jury. As rich dialogue and inspiring gaze arise from encounters, the Festival de Cannes is eager to bring together Emmanuelle Béart and Baloji to co-preside over the Jury that will honor one of the first films presented in the Festival’s Official Selection or its parallel sections.
An unprecedented pairing since French actress Emmanuelle Béart and director and songwriter Baloji, who evolves in Belgium and the Democratic Republic of Congo, have never met. She has worked with some of the world’s greatest filmmakers, dazzling both screen and stage with her incandescent performance. He is a bold, visionary creator, who made two short films before receiving the New Voice Prize at Un Certain Regard in 2023 for his acclaimed debut feature Omen.
An obvious pairing as both are free spirits with no limits, who rely on their art to achieve creative freedom. Through her impressive filmography and her humanitarian commitment, Emmanuelle Béart is forever supporting a filmmaking to be shared, to emancipate, transcend borders and help us live together. Baloji, in his first feature film with impressive aesthetic mastery, delivers a chronicle that transcends otherness through the prism of magical realism.
Delighted to be paired at the head of the Caméra d’or Jury, Baloji and Emmanuelle Béart will combine their voices to welcome the first features of filmmakers who look at the world with inspiration, tell us about it with emotion and invite us to discuss it with the conviction of beginnings. “Being a self-taught filmmaker and a filmmaker from the Congolese diaspora,” confides Baloji, “it’s a great honour to be able to witness the vitality of first-time directors, to discover their strong singularities and their inaugural work, which will have a lasting impact on the identity of their filmography.” Emmanuelle Béart declares: “A first film is about the impossibility of doing anything other than delving into the depths of one’s being to find out what we can’t keep quiet about. A deeply moving and terribly free birth: no one is waiting for you yet. We will honor our duty with wonder and respect.”
The Caméra d’or Jury has been co-chaired three times before: by actress Françoise Fabian and director Daniel Schmid in 1996, by Marthe Keller and Géraldine Chaplin in 2002, and by brothers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne in 2006.
In 2023, the Caméra d’Or was awarded to Pham Thien An for Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell by the Jury presided over by French actress Anaïs Demoustier
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