While some activists in Zimbabwe are in detention and others are in hiding following last week’s protests, a 25-year-old singer concerned about his pregnant wife condemned security forces.

Obey Makamure, better known as Tocky Vibes by his legion of followers is singing his latest offering condemning last week’s brutality of protesters by Zimbabwe’s security forces. The protests were triggered by a more than 150 percent fuel hike announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Makamure says he thought up the latest song after his pregnant wife, Donet, called him, saying she could not breathe because of tear gas released by security forces to control protestors.

“We have been together for a long time [five years],” he said. “She has been having problems of miscarriages. So I was hoping this fourth one I will be able to hold my child. Then I heard she is now in tear gas. So I realized whether I like it or not I am involved, we do not have to be ignorant about other people’s lives. I can not be that person. My music is about people. It is not about me, if my life is for my own security then it is not worth it.”

He says since he released the song earlier this week, friends and relatives have been calling, fearing for his safety. He maintains he sings about social life — not politics, even in his latest song.

“I am not into politics, I am for the people you know. The army, it is our security, the police is our security. So anytime we feel like they are abusing our rights, we should be able to say no! Even if we die to say no, it is better than just being like a slave,” he said.

On Tuesday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised to “roll” heads in the security forces because of its brutality during the three-day protests last week over a 150 percent fuel hike.

The government-appointed Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission says at least eight people died from excessive force by the army and police that used live ammunition during the protests.

Commission member Sheila Matindike says security forces also instigated torture.

“It is acknowledged that property, including a police station, police vehicles and shops, were destroyed and vandalized or looted. That, however, did not justify torture of citizens by the security forces as the right to freedom from torture is one right that cannot be derogated from under any circumstances,” she said.

While Zimbabweans wait for the government to deal with those lost rights, musician Toky Vibes has a few words for the Zimbabwean army.

“We need peace, love and unity,” he said.  “Make sure that all those who are suffering, they are safe.  Because those who are rich, they can protect themselves, but we, the poor, the disadvantaged ones, we need your help.  Protect us.”

 
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While some activists in Zimbabwe are in detention and others are in hiding following last week’s protests, a 25-year-old singer concerned about his pregnant wife condemned security forces.

Obey Makamure, better known as Tocky Vibes by his legion of followers is singing his latest offering condemning last week’s brutality of protesters by Zimbabwe’s security forces. The protests were triggered by a more than 150 percent fuel hike announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Makamure says he thought up the latest song after his pregnant wife, Donet, called him, saying she could not breathe because of tear gas released by security forces to control protestors.

“We have been together for a long time [five years],” he said. “She has been having problems of miscarriages. So I was hoping this fourth one I will be able to hold my child. Then I heard she is now in tear gas. So I realized whether I like it or not I am involved, we do not have to be ignorant about other people’s lives. I can not be that person. My music is about people. It is not about me, if my life is for my own security then it is not worth it.”

He says since he released the song earlier this week, friends and relatives have been calling, fearing for his safety. He maintains he sings about social life — not politics, even in his latest song.

“I am not into politics, I am for the people you know. The army, it is our security, the police is our security. So anytime we feel like they are abusing our rights, we should be able to say no! Even if we die to say no, it is better than just being like a slave,” he said.

On Tuesday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised to “roll” heads in the security forces because of its brutality during the three-day protests last week over a 150 percent fuel hike.

The government-appointed Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission says at least eight people died from excessive force by the army and police that used live ammunition during the protests.

Commission member Sheila Matindike says security forces also instigated torture.

“It is acknowledged that property, including a police station, police vehicles and shops, were destroyed and vandalized or looted. That, however, did not justify torture of citizens by the security forces as the right to freedom from torture is one right that cannot be derogated from under any circumstances,” she said.

While Zimbabweans wait for the government to deal with those lost rights, musician Toky Vibes has a few words for the Zimbabwean army.

“We need peace, love and unity,” he said.  “Make sure that all those who are suffering, they are safe.  Because those who are rich, they can protect themselves, but we, the poor, the disadvantaged ones, we need your help.  Protect us.”

 
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In Zimbabwe, a popular singer has released a song condemning the country’s security forces for their brutality in putting down last week’s protests over a fuel price hike announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The 25-year-old artist wrote the song after his pregnant wife was tear gassed and couldn’t breathe properly, scaring the couple that she would suffer a miscarriage. As Columbus Mavhunga reports from Harare, the song’s release has raised fears over the singer’s safety.
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In Zimbabwe, a popular singer has released a song condemning the country’s security forces for their brutality in putting down last week’s protests over a fuel price hike announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The 25-year-old artist wrote the song after his pregnant wife was tear gassed and couldn’t breathe properly, scaring the couple that she would suffer a miscarriage. As Columbus Mavhunga reports from Harare, the song’s release has raised fears over the singer’s safety.
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Cardi B will have her first Last Vegas residency this spring.

Palms Casino Resort announced Wednesday the 26-year-old singer’s appearance as part of its debut of KAOS, a dayclub and nightclub amphitheater-style complex that is set to open in April.

Above and Beyond, G-EAZY, Kaskade and Skrillex are among the other artists who will have exclusive residencies at the complex.

KAOS is part of the Palms’ $690 million renovation that features state-of-the-art technology designed to enhance performances including a rotating 360-degree DJ booth.

Tickets for select dates are available.
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Cardi B will have her first Last Vegas residency this spring.

Palms Casino Resort announced Wednesday the 26-year-old singer’s appearance as part of its debut of KAOS, a dayclub and nightclub amphitheater-style complex that is set to open in April.

Above and Beyond, G-EAZY, Kaskade and Skrillex are among the other artists who will have exclusive residencies at the complex.

KAOS is part of the Palms’ $690 million renovation that features state-of-the-art technology designed to enhance performances including a rotating 360-degree DJ booth.

Tickets for select dates are available.
…

A stage musical about Michael Jackson will premiere in Chicago later this year before heading to Broadway in 2020.

Officials said Wednesday that “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” will begin pre-Broadway performances at Chicago’s Nederlander Theatre on Oct. 29 and run through Dec. 1.

The previously confirmed musical, inspired by Jackson’s life and music, is still under development. Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage is writing the book, using Jackson’s vast catalog of songs. Tony Award winner Christopher Wheeldon will direct and choreograph.

Jackson sold millions of records and was a 13-time Grammy winner. In 1983 he became an international icon with the release of “Thriller,” the best-selling album of all time with such hits as “Beat It” and “Billie Jean.” He died in 2009.

 
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A stage musical about Michael Jackson will premiere in Chicago later this year before heading to Broadway in 2020.

Officials said Wednesday that “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” will begin pre-Broadway performances at Chicago’s Nederlander Theatre on Oct. 29 and run through Dec. 1.

The previously confirmed musical, inspired by Jackson’s life and music, is still under development. Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage is writing the book, using Jackson’s vast catalog of songs. Tony Award winner Christopher Wheeldon will direct and choreograph.

Jackson sold millions of records and was a 13-time Grammy winner. In 1983 he became an international icon with the release of “Thriller,” the best-selling album of all time with such hits as “Beat It” and “Billie Jean.” He died in 2009.

 
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A coalition of big names in sports and entertainment is taking on criminal justice reform.

Rappers Meek Mill and Jay-Z and the owners of the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots came together in New York City on Wednesday to announce the launch of an organization that will lobby for changes to state probation and parole laws.

The Reform Alliance will be led by Van Jones, a CNN host, activist and former adviser to President Barack Obama.

Sixers co-owner Michael Rubin said the group is dedicating $50 million to the effort.

Mill became a symbol for criminal justice reform activists after a judge in Pennsylvania sentenced him to 2-4 years in prison for minor violations of his probation conditions in a decade-old gun and drug possession case. He spent months in prison before a court ordered him released.

The performer said the Reform initiative “is one of the most important things I’ve ever done in my life” and that he’s speaking “for people who don’t have a voice.”

About 2.2 million people in the U.S. are incarcerated, and about 4.5 million are on probation or parole, according to government statistics.

“If you thought my case was unfair, there are millions of others dealing with worse situations and caught up in the system without committing crimes,” said Mill, who will remain on probation until 2023. “With this alliance, we want to change outdated laws, give people hope and reform a system that’s stacked against us.”

Jones said the Reform Alliance is taking aim at the cycle of probation and parole violations that leads people back to prison.

“That is the revolving door that keeps people back in and back in and back in,” Jones said. “We’re going to dismantle that revolving door.”

Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the current system “is not good for America.”

“We can make America better if we really cure this problem,” he said.

 
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A coalition of big names in sports and entertainment is taking on criminal justice reform.

Rappers Meek Mill and Jay-Z and the owners of the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots came together in New York City on Wednesday to announce the launch of an organization that will lobby for changes to state probation and parole laws.

The Reform Alliance will be led by Van Jones, a CNN host, activist and former adviser to President Barack Obama.

Sixers co-owner Michael Rubin said the group is dedicating $50 million to the effort.

Mill became a symbol for criminal justice reform activists after a judge in Pennsylvania sentenced him to 2-4 years in prison for minor violations of his probation conditions in a decade-old gun and drug possession case. He spent months in prison before a court ordered him released.

The performer said the Reform initiative “is one of the most important things I’ve ever done in my life” and that he’s speaking “for people who don’t have a voice.”

About 2.2 million people in the U.S. are incarcerated, and about 4.5 million are on probation or parole, according to government statistics.

“If you thought my case was unfair, there are millions of others dealing with worse situations and caught up in the system without committing crimes,” said Mill, who will remain on probation until 2023. “With this alliance, we want to change outdated laws, give people hope and reform a system that’s stacked against us.”

Jones said the Reform Alliance is taking aim at the cycle of probation and parole violations that leads people back to prison.

“That is the revolving door that keeps people back in and back in and back in,” Jones said. “We’re going to dismantle that revolving door.”

Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the current system “is not good for America.”

“We can make America better if we really cure this problem,” he said.

 
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News of Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” being nominated for 10 Academy Awards Tuesday had residents of the director’s childhood Mexico City neighborhood joyfully mining their own memories and anticipating showing their children the film someday.

Cuaron’s personal film shot in black-and-white with dialogue in Spanish and Mixtec was an atypical hit. The film dedicated to a domestic worker in his childhood home was released on Netflix allowing an audience far beyond those likely to buy a ticket to an intimate art house-type film to catch a glimpse of the capital’s middle class Roma Sur, or South Roma, neighborhood.

Gloria Silvia Monreal lives across the street from Cuaron’s childhood home. On Tuesday, she promised to shower Cuaron with kisses if he wins.

“He lived there in front and my parents and his parents greeted each other like good neighbors,” Monreal said. “My brothers say they played ball here in the street.”

Cuaron recreated the original facade of his home on Monreal’s house to shoot some scenes. She has already seen the movie four times.

“It was something sensational, lovely,” she said. “For us it was an incredible experience.”

Roma Sur has been undergoing a steady transformation in recent years and becoming one of the city’s hipper neighborhoods. Original art deco-style homes now mix with six-story chic apartment buildings. Bare bones taco posts give way to cafes and craft beer bars.

Rocio Moreno, 58, has lived in the Roma for 40 years. She hopes the film’s attention will more generally help the image of Mexico and Latinos, “above all to boost the perception of this type of movie.”

The home featured in the film sits on a quiet narrow street. In “Roma” the home’s address is conveniently visible making it an easy pilgrimage site for fans visiting the city. The movie’s success has made the film home and Cuaron’s real childhood house across the street something of a tourist destination.

On Tuesday, Alex Kitterman, a 49-year-old fire man from England was snapping photos of the street. He saw “Roma” recently on Netflix and decided to stop by during his vacation.

“It makes a nice change to what is there in the cinema generally at the moment, all those Marvel Comics movies, a lot of violence,” he said. “This is a gentle movie so I think it’s a nice contrast to what is there at the moment.”

Eliana Olaizola, a native of Argentina, now lives with her family in Cuaron’s childhood home.

The 45-year-old doctor said it was wonderful that Mexican cinema was getting such international exposure.

“I like that (the film) is going to be something that I’ll be able to show my children when they’re older and they’re going to be able to see their childhood home,” she said. “I loved the movie.”

 
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News of Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” being nominated for 10 Academy Awards Tuesday had residents of the director’s childhood Mexico City neighborhood joyfully mining their own memories and anticipating showing their children the film someday.

Cuaron’s personal film shot in black-and-white with dialogue in Spanish and Mixtec was an atypical hit. The film dedicated to a domestic worker in his childhood home was released on Netflix allowing an audience far beyond those likely to buy a ticket to an intimate art house-type film to catch a glimpse of the capital’s middle class Roma Sur, or South Roma, neighborhood.

Gloria Silvia Monreal lives across the street from Cuaron’s childhood home. On Tuesday, she promised to shower Cuaron with kisses if he wins.

“He lived there in front and my parents and his parents greeted each other like good neighbors,” Monreal said. “My brothers say they played ball here in the street.”

Cuaron recreated the original facade of his home on Monreal’s house to shoot some scenes. She has already seen the movie four times.

“It was something sensational, lovely,” she said. “For us it was an incredible experience.”

Roma Sur has been undergoing a steady transformation in recent years and becoming one of the city’s hipper neighborhoods. Original art deco-style homes now mix with six-story chic apartment buildings. Bare bones taco posts give way to cafes and craft beer bars.

Rocio Moreno, 58, has lived in the Roma for 40 years. She hopes the film’s attention will more generally help the image of Mexico and Latinos, “above all to boost the perception of this type of movie.”

The home featured in the film sits on a quiet narrow street. In “Roma” the home’s address is conveniently visible making it an easy pilgrimage site for fans visiting the city. The movie’s success has made the film home and Cuaron’s real childhood house across the street something of a tourist destination.

On Tuesday, Alex Kitterman, a 49-year-old fire man from England was snapping photos of the street. He saw “Roma” recently on Netflix and decided to stop by during his vacation.

“It makes a nice change to what is there in the cinema generally at the moment, all those Marvel Comics movies, a lot of violence,” he said. “This is a gentle movie so I think it’s a nice contrast to what is there at the moment.”

Eliana Olaizola, a native of Argentina, now lives with her family in Cuaron’s childhood home.

The 45-year-old doctor said it was wonderful that Mexican cinema was getting such international exposure.

“I like that (the film) is going to be something that I’ll be able to show my children when they’re older and they’re going to be able to see their childhood home,” she said. “I loved the movie.”

 
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Alec Baldwin has pleaded guilty to harassing a man during a dispute over a parking spot last fall.

The 60-year-old actor appeared in a New York City courtroom Wednesday.

He agreed to complete a one-day anger management class to resolve the criminal case.

The charge is a violation, the lowest level of offense. If he completes the class, the case record will be sealed.

Baldwin was accused of trying to punch another driver during a Nov. 2 argument over a parking spot in front of his Manhattan apartment building.

The former “30 Rock” star’s lawyer had said Baldwin would be vindicated by video evidence.

Baldwin only spoke a few words during the court hearing, mostly answering short questions from the judge. He wouldn’t comment afterward.
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