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Rema achieves another milestone as hit single, ‘Calm Down’ reaches 1 billion streams on Spotify

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Nigeria’s Afrobeats star, Rema, has hit another milestone after his hit single, “Calm Down” reached the one billion mark on global online streaming platform, Spotify.

The platform, which made the announcement on its website on Sunday morning in a statement issued by its Artiste and Label Partnerships Manager for West Africa, Victor Okpala, disclosed that the remarkable feat by the fast-rising sensation was a clear testament to his artistry and global appeal.

According to Okpala, data shared as part of Spotify’s afrobeats, “Journey to a Billion Streams” project shows that Rema ranks among the top 10 most streamed Afrobeats artistes on the platform.

“Rema has achieved a remarkable milestone with his hit single, Calm Down, featuring Selena Gomez, reaching one billion streams on Spotify. This is the first African artist-led track to join the Billions Club on Spotify,” Okpala said.

“The achievement not only highlights Rema’s growing influence in the music industry but also stresses the power of cross-cultural musical fusion in today’s interconnected world.

“This milestone is absolutely remarkable for Rema, marking a pivotal moment for this talented artiste and the entire afrobeats community,” he added.

Okpala stated that the meteoric rise of “Calm Down” to become a worldwide favourite is as a result of its “catchy mix of Afrobeats rhythms, blended with afro-fusion melodies, Rema’s unique and soulful singing.”

“The song’s production was made with a combination of modern and traditional elements, showing how African music is changing and growing.

“Rema’s unique sound has propelled him to the forefront of the global music stage, with the song having its highest streams from USA, India, Mexico, Brazil and the United Kingdom,” Okpala enthused.

“The song’s infectious chorus and relatable lyrics have made it a go-to track for both dancefloors and personal playlists, with data showing that Calm Down has been added to over a million Spotify playlists”, he added.

While reacting to the news, Rema took to his social media platforms to write:

“It is a blessing. It is not just a big win for me, my team and family, it is also a big one for the culture.

“I feel really happy and I’m really proud of the fans as well for going back to the song and putting people on the song. Shout out to the DJs and everyone who made this possible.”

Culture

Tyla set to drop new single ‘Tears’ on November 20

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South African “Ampiona” crooner, Tyla, is set to thrill her fans to her new single titled, “Tears’, which is set to drop on November 20.

According to a statement by her management team, Tyla’s fans should expect something different from the “Water” singer as she is set to release a brand-new single in collaboration with Coke Studio.

“This exciting partnership follows her announcement as part of the Coke Studio 2024 line-up alongside R&B star Usher Raymond in September,” the statement said.

Tyla who is fondly called the “Pretty girl from Joburg,” also took to her Instagram page to share the news with her fans.

Posting a snippet of the video on her Instagram story with the caption, “‘Tears’ coming November 20th! A song in partnership with @CocaCola”, confirming the November release date, she urged her fans to look forward to something different from what they are used to.

The brand has also shared on its social media platforms that Tyla will be performing this highly-anticipated single when she returns to Johannesburg, South Africa, at a special Coke Studio live event.

In an interview with Coke Studio, the 22-year-old singer shared how she breaks away from her original sound with “Tears”.

“I feel like in a lot of my songs, I’m dancing a lot. I really wanted a song where I could just sing, be more raw with people, and showcase my voice this time,” she said.

Snippets from the new single has showcases Tyla’s enchanting vocals, revealing a more vulnerable side that is different from her previous work.

“Breaking away from the amapiano and pop sound she’s best known for, Tyla embarks on an exciting new journey with this project,” one of the reviews said.

“Through “Tears”, she wants to connect with listeners in a raw, captivating way as she partners with Coke Studio to bring this new sound to life.’

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Culture

Moroccan court jails journalist 18 months over remarks about politician

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A Moroccan court on Monday sentenced a journalist, Hamid Mahdaoui, to 18 months in prison after he was found guilty of accusing a prominent politician of fraud, a verdict that has sparked international condemnation from press freedom advocates.

Mahdaoui’s case has garnered international criticism because he is being prosecuted under Morocco’s penal code rather than the press code governing journalistic conduct.

His attorney Mohamed Hedach, told journalists after the judgement that Mahdaoui who is the editor in chief of Badil.info, will serve a 1.5-year sentence and be fined an equivalent of $150,000 after being found guilty of defamation.

Mahdaoui was prosecuted after a complaint from Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi following a video posted on his website accusing Ouahbi of corruption and fraud, both of which the justice minister denied.

The accusations, according to media reports, came after the royalist Party of Authenticity and Modernity, which Ouahbi headed, became enmeshed in controversy last year when an imprisoned Malian drug dealer implicated party members in a sprawling drug trafficking case that shook the North African kingdom.

Reporters Without Borders’ North Africa representative Khaled Drareni had in October, called the prosection of the journalist a “misuse of the justice system to intimidate and silence the press.”

Mahdaoui was imprisoned in 2017 after publicly throwing his support behind activists who led protests over social and economic inequities. He was also sentenced to three years for not reporting to authorities that a Dutch Moroccan man had told him arms were being sent to the protesters. He later said he didn’t report it because he didn’t take the information seriously.

Morocco has in recent years been criticized for imprisoning journalists and activists known for criticizing the government. King Mohammed VI pardoned and released the country’s three most prominent imprisoned journalists — Omar Radi, Taoufik Bouachrine and Soulaimane Raissouni — in July.

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