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Secretary Of State Antony Blinken Performs Muddy Waters’ ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’ To Kick Off Global Music Diplomacy Initiative

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Secretary of State Tony Blinken kicked off a new state department global music diplomacy initiative by showing off his own skills as a singer-guitarist.

After delivering remarks at a State Department event, Blinken said that it would not be complete “without a little bit of blues,” before playing and singing the Muddy Waters classic “Hoochie Coochie Man.”

The State Department on the diplomacy initiative, which is designed to highlight music as a diplomatic tool in foreign policy, includes the Recording Academy as a partner. An American music mentorship program will bring international music industry professionals for mentorship and other opportunities. The first will be held in fall 2024.

Also announced was the Fulbright-Kennedy Center Visiting Scholar Award in Arts in Science, focusing on the intersection of arts and science. The competition will be announced in fall 2023, and the Kennedy Center will host the first scholar in 2024-25.

The State Department also will incorporate music into English-language learning overseas, and the diplomacy initiative will include oversees programming with arts envoys, including Herbie Hancock and the Dee Dee Bridgewater ensemble performing in Jordan in October. The tour then will go to Saudi Arabia for a first-of-its-kind program in that country. Ten American bands will travel to 30 countries starting in October, and the AMA Academy Cleveland will host young musicians from Ukraine in November.

Blinken and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. also announced a Peace Through Music Award, with Quincy Jones as the inaugural recipient.

Mason said that the initiative will “promote peace and cross-cultural understanding through music while continuing our mission to lift up music people around the globe.” Also part of the initiative is YouTube and Google. In a statement, its global head of music Lyor Cohen said that the initiative “creates a new avenue for us” to raise artists’ voices “and drive global music diplomacy forward; breaking down cultural barriers and fostering peace through music.”

BBC

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Breaking: Nollywood actor Alexx Ekubo dies at 40

Known for his versatility on screen and widely admired for his striking looks, Ekubo built a successful career in Nollywood, featuring in numerous hit films and television productions.

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•Alexx Ekubo

Popular Nollywood actor Alexx Ekubo has died at the age of 40 after a prolonged battle with cancer.

According to The Sun Nigeria, family sources said the actor passed away on Monday, May 11, 2026, following months of illness.

Alexx Ekubo’s absence from the public eye had raised concerns among fans and colleagues, as he had stayed away from social media for an extended period.

The actor’s last social media post was made in December 2024, shortly after news broke that his engagement had been called off.

Known for his versatility on screen and widely admired for his striking looks, Ekubo built a successful career in Nollywood, featuring in numerous hit films and television productions.

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Dress made from 500 loaves stuns African film awards

Some social media fans hailed the design describing it as “a true definition of carrying your business on the head”

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  • * Queen Mercy Atang in her dress made of bread: Credit BBC/ Gift Ufuoma

Here’s a look at some of the most talked-about appearances and moments from the 12th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) in Nigeria with dramatic trains, sculptural gowns, shimmering fabrics and heavily theatrical designs that once again transformed the event from an awards show into a spectacle of style held at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos.

The annual ceremony celebrates achievements in African film, television and digital storytelling, while also serving as one of the continent’s biggest cultural showcases where celebrities compete for being best-dressed, as much as they do for awards.

The red carpet turns into a bakery

Reality TV star Queen Mercy Atang arrived in one of the evening’s most attention-grabbing looks, a dress made from more than 500 loaves of bread, she said.

Surrounded by two maidens carrying trays of bread, several assistants helping carry the outfit across the carpet, Atang struggled to move freely.

Speaking to the BBC, she said that the outfit was designed to promote her bread-baking business and insisted the appearance was intentional marketing rather than shock value.

“What other place is better to advertise my business than the AMVCA?” she said.

The dress was designed by the iconic Toyin Lawan of Tiannah’s Empire, who commented on Instagram that she’s beginning a trend of “everyone wear your business”.

The look immediately became one of the night’s biggest social media talking points.

Some social media fans hailed the design describing it as “a true definition of carrying your business on the head”.

However, not all fans were impressed. Some said the display represented a waste of food, a suggestion the reality TV star rejected.

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Davido to be inducted into Black Music Walk of Fame

The 2026 Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to hold on June 1, 2026, in Atlanta, along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Northside Drive, outside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

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Davido arrives at the 2026 Grammy Awards red carpet in Los Angeles on Sunday February 1, 2026. Photo: OkayAfrica.

Afrobeats star David Adeleke ‘Davido’ is set to be honoured at the 2026 Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.

American rapper Ludacris is also expected to be honoured at the event.

The 2026 Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to hold on June 1, 2026, in Atlanta, along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Northside Drive, outside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The organisers said that Davido has helped bring African music to the forefront of the international stage.

” Known for his infectious hits, dynamic performances, and cross-cultural collaborations, he has built a sound that transcends borders while staying rooted in his heritage.

“Beyond music, his impact extends into philanthropy and entrepreneurship, inspiring a new generation of artists across the globe.”

Davido is one of Africa’s most commercially successful music stars, with several international collaborations and chart-topping projects to his name.

Since breaking into the mainstream with his 2011 hit song Dami Duro, the singer has gone on to release globally recognised tracks including Fall, If, Unavailable and Feel.

He has also collaborated with international music stars such as Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, Lil Baby and Summer Walker.

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