Canada

'Send Help' debuts atop N.America box office

  • "Melania," Amazon MGM's documentary about the first lady, opened in third place with a better-than-expected $7 million in ticket sales.
  • Horror flick "Send Help" debuted atop the North American box office at $20 million, industry estimates showed Sunday, as Melania Trump's new documentary bested expectations. 20th Century's "Send Help" stars Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien as a woman and her boss trying to survive on a deserted island after their plane crashes.
  • "Melania," Amazon MGM's documentary about the first lady, opened in third place with a better-than-expected $7 million in ticket sales.
Horror flick "Send Help" debuted atop the North American box office at $20 million, industry estimates showed Sunday, as Melania Trump's new documentary bested expectations.
20th Century's "Send Help" stars Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien as a woman and her boss trying to survive on a deserted island after their plane crashes.
It marks a return to the genre for director Sam Raimi, who first made his name in the 1980s with the "Evil Dead" films.
"This is an excellent opening for an original horror film," said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. "This is terrific, broad-appeal entertainment."
Debuting in second place was sci-fi thriller "Iron Lung" at $18 million, Exhibitor Relations reported.
The video game adaptation written, directed and financed by YouTube star Mark Fischbach, known by his pseudonym Markiplier, is a post-apocalyptic adventure.
"Melania," Amazon MGM's documentary about the first lady, opened in third place with a better-than-expected $7 million in ticket sales.
"As good as this opening is for a documentary, for any other film, with $75 million in costs and limited foreign potential, it would be a problem," Gross said.
"But this is a political investment, not a for-profit movie venture," he added. "$75 million is insignificant to Amazon."
Disney's Oscar-nominated animated film "Zootopia 2" kept chugging, finishing in fourth place at $5.8 million in the United States and Canada.
Opening in fifth place was action thriller "Shelter" starring Jason Statham with a disappointing $5.5 million.
Rounding out the top 10 are:
"Mercy" ($4.7 million)
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" ($3.5 million)
"The Housemaid" ($3.5 million)
"Marty Supreme" ($2.9 million)
"28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" ($1.6 million)
bur-sst/md

music

Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga face off at Grammys

BY PAULA RAMON

  • A win on Sunday would give Bad Bunny another mention in the history books.
  • Music's A-listers are set for Sunday's Grammy Awards, the industry's biggest night, with superstars Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga hoping to make history in Los Angeles.
  • A win on Sunday would give Bad Bunny another mention in the history books.
Music's A-listers are set for Sunday's Grammy Awards, the industry's biggest night, with superstars Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga hoping to make history in Los Angeles.
All three are angling to add to their trophy cabinets by taking home the gala's most coveted award, Album of the Year, for the first time.
Lamar, the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper, has nine nominations this time around for his album "GNX" -- the most of any artist.
The 38-year-old California native, who won five gramophones last year thanks to his smash diss track "Not Like Us," is also up for Record and Song of the Year for "Luther" featuring R&B artist SZA.
Pop chameleon Lady Gaga and Puerto Rico's Bad Bunny also are competing in all three top categories.
Also nominated for Album of the Year are: pop princess Sabrina Carpenter; R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas; Tyler, the Creator; hip-hop duo Clipse (Pusha T and Malice); and pop superstar Justin Bieber -- with his first studio effort in four years.
Lady Gaga, Bieber, Carpenter and Bruno Mars are set to lead a starry list of performers that also includes Lauryn Hill and a tribute to late rocker Ozzy Osbourne featuring Post Malone.

Bad Bunny's hot streak

Standing in Lamar's way for Album of the Year is Bad Bunny, who is on a world tour in support of his album "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos" (I Should Have Taken More Photos) after a hugely successful residency in San Juan.
"It was a very exciting album," musicologist Lauron Kehrer told AFP.
"It touched on so much in terms of thematic material and musical material," Kehrer said, pointing to the allusions to decolonization and use of traditional Puerto Rican rhythms.
The 31-year-old Latin megastar, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, will headline the Super Bowl halftime show a week after the Grammys, where he is up for six awards.
His "Un verano sin ti" (2022) was the first Spanish-language album nominated for Album of the Year honors. A win on Sunday would give Bad Bunny another mention in the history books.
Lady Gaga, 39, made a splashy comeback to touring with "Mayhem," her collection of pop bangers with a dark edge that embraces her dramatic side. She has seven nominations.
A win for Album of the Year would complete her hat trick of top awards. 
She took Record and Song of the Year honors seven years ago for the soundtrack hit "Shallow," from "A Star is Born" -- which also earned her an Oscar.
This time around, Song of the Year -- which honors songwriting -- is a crowded category that includes Carpenter's "Manchild" and "Golden" from the Netflix animated smash hit "KPop Demon Hunters."
Many pundits believe the energetic K-pop hit will triumph -- which would make it the first bilingual tune to win for songwriting.
Up for best new artist are Alex Warren, girl group Katseye, Britain's Olivia Dean, TikTok dancer-turned-singer Addison Rae, The Marias, sombr, Lola Young and Thomas.

'Reactionary'

For musicologist Kehrer, the infusion of rap, reggaeton and K-pop in the top Grammy categories reflects changes in the composition of the Recording Academy's voting group.
More than 3,800 new members have been admitted. Half of those new members are age 39 or younger, and 58 percent of them are people of color, the academy says.
Invitations were also offered to all members of the Latin Recording Academy.
"The Grammys are more reactionary than anything else," said Kehrer.
"These artists winning those major awards is more of an indication of climate, rather than trying to move or change the climate."
The Grammy Awards will once again be hosted by comedian Trevor Noah. 
The main broadcast begins at 5:00 pm (0100 GMT Monday), but many of the 95 awards will be handed out at a pre-gala event.
pr/sst/bgs

cartoon

'Immortal' Indian comics keep up with changing times

BY AISHWARYA KUMAR

  • "The largest number of readers for Amar Chitra Katha are between 25 and 45," executive editor Reena I. Puri told AFP.  "They are the ones who've been brought up with Amar Chitra Katha... and give it to their children to read."
  • When India's comic book series Amar Chitra Katha was launched in 1967, its mission was simple: introduce children to the country's vast universe of Hindu gods, legends and history.
  • "The largest number of readers for Amar Chitra Katha are between 25 and 45," executive editor Reena I. Puri told AFP.  "They are the ones who've been brought up with Amar Chitra Katha... and give it to their children to read."
When India's comic book series Amar Chitra Katha was launched in 1967, its mission was simple: introduce children to the country's vast universe of Hindu gods, legends and history.
Nearly six decades later, the comic, known simply as ACK and meaning "immortal illustrated stories", is still holding its ground in an era ruled by smartphones and streaming television.
Founded by storyteller Anant Pai after he noticed children on a quiz show knew more about Greek gods than their own mythological heroes, ACK quickly became a cultural touchstone.
Its titles, from tales of Hindu deities to biographies of freedom fighters, sold in the millions and were translated into multiple regional languages.
The journey has faced turbulence.
The arrival of the Cartoon Network in India and a blockbuster television adaptation of the Hindu epic "Mahabharata" dented sales.
Last year, a fire at their Mumbai warehouse destroyed part of the company's precious archive.
Still, the publisher marches on -- powered not just by nostalgic adults, but by their children too.
"The largest number of readers for Amar Chitra Katha are between 25 and 45," executive editor Reena I. Puri told AFP. 
"They are the ones who've been brought up with Amar Chitra Katha... and give it to their children to read."
ACK fan Aarav Vedhanayagam said his favourite was about an air force pilot who won India's highest military medal.
"I love how they narrate the stories, and also the drawings," the 13-year-old said.
"From the smallest child to the oldest grandfather -- it is suitable for all ages."

'Really develop'

Production depends on the same painstaking research, writing and colouring, although some images of deities have evolved.
"We used to have a very slender Ram, a very slender Shiva, drawn lovingly by artists who drew by hand," said Puri, 68, who has been with ACK for 34 years.
"Today the artists... give them six-pack abs and muscles."
Not all fans love the makeover, but Puri said times change.
"Children today are not used to that old kind of art," Puri said. "We have to adapt to what the children want." 
Storytelling has also shifted.
"If, earlier, we used to show the man sitting with a newspaper, and the woman sweeping the floor or cooking food, that's changed," she added.
"It could be the woman sitting and reading a book, and the man gets her a cup of tea."
The Covid-19 pandemic forced ACK to confront the digital age head-on, making its app free for a month, sparking a surge in readers.
More than a quarter stayed on, and today, digital earns nearly as much as print.
"We realised that here was something that we could really develop," said Puri.

'Art is to be respected'

But one frontier is firmly off‑limits: artificial intelligence.
"Art is to be respected, a writer's work is to be respected", Puri said.
Comic designer Srinath Malolan, 24, who grew up reading ACK in his school library, said the human-made process ensures content remains safe for children.
"The internet can create whatever it wants... we have meticulously looked at what we are giving the kids," Malolan said.
Puri is confident in ACK's future.
"The focus for us is our founder's vision... to tell the stories of India to the children of India," she said. "It's always going to be relevant."
ash/abh/pjm/fox

music

Key nominees for the Grammy Awards

  • Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads all nominees with nine, followed by Lady Gaga with seven, and a trio of artists tied at six -- Bad Bunny, pop princess Sabrina Carpenter and R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas.
  • Here is a list of nominees in the major categories for the 68th annual Grammy Awards, which will be handed out on Sunday in Los Angeles.
  • Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads all nominees with nine, followed by Lady Gaga with seven, and a trio of artists tied at six -- Bad Bunny, pop princess Sabrina Carpenter and R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas.
Here is a list of nominees in the major categories for the 68th annual Grammy Awards, which will be handed out on Sunday in Los Angeles.
Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads all nominees with nine, followed by Lady Gaga with seven, and a trio of artists tied at six -- Bad Bunny, pop princess Sabrina Carpenter and R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas.

Album of the Year

"Debi Tirar Mas Fotos" - Bad Bunny
"Swag" - Justin Bieber
"Man's Best Friend" - Sabrina Carpenter 
"Let God Sort Em Out" - Clipse (Pusha T & Malice)
"Mayhem" - Lady Gaga
"GNX" - Kendrick Lamar 
"Mutt" - Leon Thomas 
"Chromakopia" - Tyler, The Creator

Record of the Year, recognizing overall performance on a song

"DtMF" - Bad Bunny 
"Manchild" - Sabrina Carpenter
"Anxiety" - Doechii
"Wildflower" - Billie Eilish 
"Abracadabra" - Lady Gaga  
"luther" - Kendrick Lamar with SZA 
"The Subway" - Chappell Roan 
"APT." - Rose and Bruno Mars

Song of the Year, recognizing songwriting

"Abracadabra" - Lady Gaga, Henry Walter & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
"Anxiety" - Jaylah Hickmon, songwriter (Doechii) 
"APT." - Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Roget Chahayed, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Chae Young Park, Theron Thomas & Henry Walter, songwriters (Rose, Bruno Mars) 
"DtMF" - Marco Daniel Borrero, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Hugo Rene Sencion Sanabria, Tyler Thomas Spry & Roberto Jose Rosado Torres, songwriters (Bad Bunny) 
"Golden [From 'KPop Demon Hunters']" - EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI) 
"luther" - Jack Antonoff, Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Ink, Kendrick Lamar, Solana Rowe, Mark Anthony Spears & Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar with SZA)
"Manchild" - Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter, songwriters (Sabrina Carpenter) 
"Wildflower" – Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish) 

Best New Artist

Olivia Dean 
KATSEYE 
The Marias 
Addison Rae 
sombr 
Leon Thomas 
Alex Warren 
Lola Young

Best Pop Solo Performance

"Daisies" - Justin Bieber
"Manchild" - Sabrina Carpenter
"Disease" - Lady Gaga
"The Subway" - Chappell Roan
"Messy" - Lola Young

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

"Defying Gravity" - Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande  
"Golden [From 'KPop Demon Hunters']” - HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI
"Gabriela" - KATSEYE 
"APT." - Rose, Bruno Mars 
"30 For 30" - SZA with Kendrick Lamar

Best Pop Vocal Album

"Swag" - Justin Bieber
"Man's Best Friend" - Sabrina Carpenter
"Something Beautiful" - Miley Cyrus
"Mayhem" - Lady Gaga
"I've Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 2)" - Teddy Swims

Best Rap Album

"Let God Sort Em Out" - Clipse (Pusha T & Malice)
"Glorious" - GloRilla 
"God Does Like Ugly" - JID 
"GNX" - Kendrick Lamar 
"Chromakopia" - Tyler, The Creator

Best Rap Performance

"Outside" - Cardi B
"Chains & Whips" - Clipse (Pusha T & Malice), featuring Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams
"Anxiety" - Doechii
"tv off" - Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay
"Darling, I" - Tyler, The Creator Featuring Teezo Touchdown

Best Music Video

"Manchild" - Sabrina Carpenter
"So Be It" - Clipse
"Anxiety" - Doechii
"Love" - OK Go
"Young Lion" - Sade

Best Global Music Album

"Sounds Of Kumbha" - Siddhant Bhatia
"No Sign of Weakness" - Burna Boy
"Eclairer le monde - Light the World" - Youssou N'Dour
"Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live)" - Shakti
"Chapter III: We Return to Light" - Anoushka Shankar featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar
"Caetano e Bethania Ao Vivo" - Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethania

Artists with Most Nominations

Kendrick Lamar - 9
Lady Gaga - 7 
Bad Bunny - 6
Leon Thomas - 6
Sabrina Carpenter - 6
bur-sst/ksb

church

I'm no angel, Italy's PM says amid church fresco row

  • But, after several opposition politicians complained, Italy's culture minister, Alessandro Giuli, said he had ordered an inspection of the fresco on Saturday.
  • Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, joked on Saturday she does not look like an angel, after a row blew up in the media over a restored fresco in a Rome church.
  • But, after several opposition politicians complained, Italy's culture minister, Alessandro Giuli, said he had ordered an inspection of the fresco on Saturday.
Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, joked on Saturday she does not look like an angel, after a row blew up in the media over a restored fresco in a Rome church.
Some of Italy's press have been asking whether the premier served as inspiration for a cherub painted in a chapel in the San Lorenzo in Lucina basilica, located a few metres (yards) from the main building of the Italian government.
The newspaper La Repubblica noted that, following recent renovations, one of the painted angels bears a resemblance to the blonde, diminutive leader.
The winged figure is seen holding a parchment and standing next to a bust of Italy's last king, Umberto II, who reigned for just a month before being deposed in 1946.
The Italian restorer who worked on the cherubim, Bruno Ventinetti, denied to the press that he sought to immortalise Meloni, insisting that he only brought back the image of the original fresco.
Meloni herself appeared amused by the controversy, posting an image of the restored fresco on Instagram with the comment: "No, decidedly I do not resemble an angel."
But, after several opposition politicians complained, Italy's culture minister, Alessandro Giuli, said he had ordered an inspection of the fresco on Saturday.
The expert look-over will "determine the nature of the works carried out on the updated painting inside one of the chapels of San Lorenzo in Lucina and decide what further steps might be taken", he said in a statement.
jra/bfi/rmb/gv

fashion

Women in ties return as feminism faces pushback

BY ESTHER SÁNCHEZ

  • Models Bella Hadid and Loli Bahia have also sported them with boyish style, adopting a long-standing tradition of wearing the necktie as a subversive projection of women's equal rights.
  • Nicole Kidman, Demi Moore, Bella Hadid, Oprah Winfrey: women entertainers and models are reviving the necktie, a symbol of male power, at a time when feminism is under attack.
  • Models Bella Hadid and Loli Bahia have also sported them with boyish style, adopting a long-standing tradition of wearing the necktie as a subversive projection of women's equal rights.
Nicole Kidman, Demi Moore, Bella Hadid, Oprah Winfrey: women entertainers and models are reviving the necktie, a symbol of male power, at a time when feminism is under attack.
Whether paired with a trouser suit, like Nicole Kidman in February 2025 at the Critics Choice Awards ceremony, or with a black dress and a sheer shirt, like Demi Moore last November in Berlin, the tie has been making a comeback for several seasons.
Models Bella Hadid and Loli Bahia have also sported them with boyish style, adopting a long-standing tradition of wearing the necktie as a subversive projection of women's equal rights.
"We are seeing it not only on red carpets, but also at the heart of political and economic power spheres, where leading women are wearing an accessory that, until recently, remained almost exclusively masculine," fashion specialist Patrycia Centeno told AFP.
"It is a way of asserting women's place in a world and a system that remains deeply patriarchal," stressed Centeno, an expert in non-verbal communication.
Feminism in many Western countries, particularly the United States under Donald Trump, has been criticised as "woke", a pejorative term for activism in favour of greater sexual and racial equality. 
Other feminist gains, such as abortion or reproductive rights, are also being questioned or are in reverse in some countries.

Female emancipation

The tie as an accessory is thought to date back to the 17th century when the French copied a neckscarf from Croatian mercenaries fighting on behalf of Louis XIV's army. 
The French word "cravate" was derived from "Hrvat", the Croatian word for a Croat.
It has been repeatedly worn since then by women as an act of defiance, including by French feminist writers George Sand and Colette from the 19th century, and women campaigners for the vote in early 20th-century Britain, known as the suffragettes.
German actress Marlene Dietrich and fashion designer Coco Chanel also embraced it. 
The accessory is brandished by some feminists as "a sign of the advancement of women's rights and then their visibility in the public space", said fashion historian Marine Chaleroux.
In the 1980s and 1990s, as women began to take on more professional responsibilities, the tie became a "visual symbol of this growing access to important leadership roles in major companies or to senior positions", Chaleroux added.
These cyclical returns of the tie to women's wardrobes often coincide "with periods of fragility when rights are being called into question", the historian observed.
Centeno agreed, saying that ties for women were back at a time of "testosterone-driven politics", adding that the slim accessory could also be interpreted as a "phallic symbol".
"Feminism often seeks to appropriate signs that, socially and culturally, were long reserved for men, in order to assert -- or even visually normalise -- the fact that a woman can wield power and lead," she explained.
The tie has also recently made a comeback on men's catwalks.
At men's Fashion Week in Paris last week, it was almost ubiquitous, from Louis Vuitton to Dries Van Noten to Issey Miyake.
But under the influence of a feminine use deemed "more creative", menswear is seeing the emergence of "ties that are almost streetwear, worn with very wide trousers, over T-shirts, hoodies, or even deliberately worn badly", noted Marc Beauge, editor of the biannual men's fashion magazine L'Etiquette in France.
That is also transforming the image of an accessory that is "completely useless, very traditional, very masculine, and which requires great precision in terms of collar, knot and length", he said.
es/adp/rlp

film

Montreal studio rises from dark basement office to 'Stranger Things'

BY DAPHNé LEMELIN

  • - 'A lot of love' -   For Julien Hery, a supervisor on projects including "Stranger Things," extraordinary visual effects "often draw inspiration from nature."
  • The visual effects studio that worked on the hit Netflix show "Stranger Things" was born 20 years ago in a dim basement in Old Montreal. 
  • - 'A lot of love' -   For Julien Hery, a supervisor on projects including "Stranger Things," extraordinary visual effects "often draw inspiration from nature."
The visual effects studio that worked on the hit Netflix show "Stranger Things" was born 20 years ago in a dim basement in Old Montreal. 
"Over time, it grew. We've seen really strong growth through the years," Ara Khanikian, who supervises visual effects at Rodeo FX, told AFP at the studio's current home, a modern office with elegant wood paneling.
But it all "really started in the basement of the building next door," he said with a grin.
Though still headquartered in the Canadian city far from the action in Hollywood, Rodeo FX now has offices in Los Angeles, Paris and Toronto -- establishing itself as a force in an industry dominated by studios tied to behemoths like Disney and Warner Bros.
The studio's list of past projects includes major hits, including titles from Tom Cruise's "Mission Impossible" franchise.
But "Stranger Things," the science fiction and horror series that has shattered streaming records since it debuted in 2016, is a highlight. 
Rodeo FX worked on seasons four and five of the Netflix show that follows a group of teenagers in small town America as they take on supernatural creatures and a parallel universe.
Philip Harris-Genois, a 3D modeler at Rodeo FX, worked tirelessly for a year to perfect Demogorgon, the monster whose petaled face opens to reveal rows of menacing teeth. 
Harris-Genois said part of his job was to make the beast "even more imposing." 
Demonstrating the work, he added a scar to its chest with a deft mouse click. 
Shaping Demogorgon, detail by detail, was like "making a clay sculpture," he said. 
Harris-Genois said he took inspiration from a lion when creating Demogorgon's threatening posture -- toes perched, ready to pounce. 
- 'A lot of love' -  
For Julien Hery, a supervisor on projects including "Stranger Things," extraordinary visual effects "often draw inspiration from nature."
For the first season of "Dune: Prophecy," the HBO Max series released in 2024, the imperial palace was inspired by the Mediterranean coastline. 
"We researched the vegetation. We looked for what kinds of trees grow along the Mediterranean coast, what kinds of rock," so viewers will be convinced by the visual effects, he said. 
Turning a concept into a finished product is time consuming work that involves animation, simulation, lighting and integrating the effects in a sequence filmed with live actors. 
The fight sequence between Demogorgon and Jim Hopper (played by David Harbour) in a Soviet prison in Season 4 of Stranger Things -- a scene of less than seven minutes -- took up to a year of work, from conceptualization to final cut, Hery said. 
"We obviously spend a lot of time on our projects," he said. 
"Season 4 was more than two years of work...It becomes very personal. We put a lot of love into it."

Critical acclaim

That process appears to be paying off. 
Among the studio's major achievements is its work on the 2014 Best Picture "Birdman," where visual effects created the impression of the film being shot in a single take. 
It also contributed to the dream-like world in "Dune: Part 2," which won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects last year. 
Rodeo FX has also earned four nominations at the VES Awards, which honor the visual effects industry in a ceremony set for February 25. 
And 2026 should include more high-profile work, said Hery. 
"There are plenty of projects we can't really reveal," he told AFP, but confirmed the studio will be working on the Marvel blockbuster "Avengers: Doomsday" and the second season of "Monarch."
daf-bs/sla/lga

US

Melania Trump's atypical, divisive doc opens in theatres

BY EMMA LACOSTE WITH JESUS OLARTE IN MIAMI

  • The 1 hour 44 minute film follows the normally guarded Melania during the 20 days leading up to the January 20, 2025 inauguration.
  • "Melania," the Amazon MGM-produced documentary following the typically guarded US first lady as she prepares for her husband Donald's second inauguration, opened in theatres Friday.
  • The 1 hour 44 minute film follows the normally guarded Melania during the 20 days leading up to the January 20, 2025 inauguration.
"Melania," the Amazon MGM-produced documentary following the typically guarded US first lady as she prepares for her husband Donald's second inauguration, opened in theatres Friday.
The wide release came a day after a lavish premiere at the Kennedy Center, recently redubbed the Trump-Kennedy Center, where the 55-year-old former model's outspoken husband called the film "glamorous, very glamorous."
At a showing in Washington, where a major winter storm has snarled transit, Savannah Harrison told AFP she had purchased her ticket because she "was just very intrigued to see the behind the scenes."
Unlike most reviewers in US media, she was delighted by the film.
"In contrast of what we see from President Trump everyday, it's just another aspect that it humanizes them a little bit more," she said, admitting that she went into the film with a positive view of the first lady.
In Los Angeles, where voters opted against Trump 2-to-1 in 2024, a billboard for the documentary was defaced to make it appear as if the first lady was defecating on an American flag.
The 1 hour 44 minute film follows the normally guarded Melania during the 20 days leading up to the January 20, 2025 inauguration. After its theatrical release it will be available for streaming on Prime Video.
From the presidential couple's Florida estate to Trump Tower in New York and the White House, the first lady goes from appointment to appointment, preparing her outfits for Inauguration Day and deciding on decor for their return to Washington.
There are no sensational revelations, though she does discuss the deep impact of her mother's death. She also says her favorite singer is Michael Jackson.
Surprise guests also make appearances, including French first lady Brigitte Macron, who holds a video call with her incoming American counterpart.

Critiques

While the film grants rare access into her life, "Melania" has also given an insight into the way US business titans have lined up to pay tribute to the Trump administration in the past year.
Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos has grown notably closer to Trump, securing a prime seat at the inauguration and telling the Washington Post newspaper he owns to favor pro-business editorials.
US media say that of Amazon's $40 million licensing deal for the film, Melania, who served as executive producer, will receive 70 percent. The next highest bid, from Disney, was reportedly only $14 million.
At a viewing in Florida, Jannet Iglesias was enthusiastic about the film, calling it "incredible."
"I think that everyone has to come and see it. I'm going to come for the second time," she said.
US media has been less enthusiastic in its reviews, with The Atlantic calling the documentary a "disgrace" and the Variety trade magazine describing it as a "shameless infomercial."
Expected viewership for the film has also been much discussed online, with many anticipating weak sales.
In South Africa, the film was withdrawn from major theaters just before its release, with the distributor citing "the current climate."
South Africa's government has had very tense relations with Trump, notably over his unfounded allegations of there being a "genocide" against White people in the country.
The film has also been roundly critiqued for its director: Brett Ratner.
The director behind the "Rush Hour" franchise was in 2017 accused of sexual assault by actresses Natasha Henstridge and Olivia Munn, as well as four other women, in the midst of the #MeToo movement. He has denied any wrongdoing.
eml/des/sla

music

Bad Bunny set for historic one-two punch at Grammys, Super Bowl

BY MAGGY DONALDSON

  • Bad Bunny is in the running for six prizes at the Grammy Awards, including the night's most prestigious Album of the Year gramophone.
  • Only 10 years ago, Bad Bunny worked bagging groceries -- a shocking contrast with the cosmic fame the artist now commands.
  • Bad Bunny is in the running for six prizes at the Grammy Awards, including the night's most prestigious Album of the Year gramophone.
Only 10 years ago, Bad Bunny worked bagging groceries -- a shocking contrast with the cosmic fame the artist now commands.
But his bestselling albums, last year's monumental concert residency in Puerto Rico and an endless string of smashed records are somehow just the beginning.
On Sunday, the artist born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio could make Grammys history. Then a week later, he will take the world's most visible stage as the Super Bowl's halftime performer.
Bad Bunny is in the running for six prizes at the Grammy Awards, including the night's most prestigious Album of the Year gramophone.
His acclaimed "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos" is just the second Spanish-language record ever nominated for the most coveted Grammy -- the first was also his, when "Un Verano Sin Ti" was tipped in 2022.
A win would be historic. 
But the nominations -- it's the first time work in Spanish has been simultaneously recognized for best album, best record and best song -- are meaningful all the same, said Petra Rivera-Rideau, an American studies professor at Wellesley College whose research focuses on Latin music and racial politics.
Bad Bunny's success is particularly poignant as President Donald Trump's administration carries out a hardline immigration crackdown that in part targets Latinos.
"We have ICE raids, we're watching videos every day of people being profiled for speaking Spanish, whether or not they're US citizens," Rivera-Rideau, co-author of "P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance," told AFP.
"The current political moment just kind of ups the ante of what is already a profoundly significant thing."

Inherently political

Bad Bunny, 31, grew up near Puerto Rico's capital San Juan, honing his vocal skills in a church children's choir before developing into a pre-teen who loved creating beats on his computer.
He went viral on the DIY platform SoundCloud -- and thus began his rapid ascent to the top of global music.
But even as his star rose, Bad Bunny remained firmly rooted in his heritage.
Both at the Grammys and the Super Bowl, his mere presence is "deeply political," said Jorell Melendez-Badillo, a University of Wisconsin-Madison historian who collaborated with Bad Bunny on visual elements of the latest album.
The artist is a US citizen: Puerto Rico is a Caribbean territory under US control since 1898.
But, Melendez-Badillo says, he's also a colonial subject -- a reality explored on "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos," which features an ingenious melange of traditional sounds including salsa, bomba and plena, with infusions of reggaeton.
Bad Bunny's commitment to singing in Spanish in a music industry that has historically marginalized Latino voices makes his mammoth success even more emblematic.
For Melendez-Badillo, language has become "coded for the broader sort of racialized understandings of immigrants and immigration... this sort of nationalist idea of who gets to belong in the United States."

Multi-generational appeal

Since 2000, the Latin Recording Academy has celebrated Spanish- and Portuguese-language music at the Latin Grammys.
The Grammys also honor Latin music in specific categories.
Both are important for ensuring representation, but they have also enabled Recording Academy voters to ignore Latin music's mainstream popularity.
This year, Latin Recording Academy voters are eligible to vote for the main Grammy winners as well, a bid to create a more globally representative pool.
That could make a significant difference for the likes of Bad Bunny -- but even then, Rivera-Rideau said, it's complicated. 
Much like Grammy voters long overlooked hip-hop, Latin Grammy voters have long sidelined the influence of reggaeton and Latin trap -- hugely popular genres Bad Bunny came up in.
But his latest album has found multi-generational appeal, and that could improve its chance, as it is "more digestible" to Grammy voters, Rivera-Rideau said.

Super Bowl-bound

One week after the Grammys, Bad Bunny will reach yet another milestone as the headliner of the National Football League's Super Bowl halftime show -- a booking that prompted hand-wringing especially from conservatives over the "woke" choice.
But the Super Bowl is among the world's top broadcasts and its halftime presentation is for massive stars.
Clearly, Bad Bunny fits that bill.
"The NFL wants to go global," Melendez-Badillo said, citing games held in Europe and Brazil. "Benito sells tickets. Benito draws crowds."
And of course, Bad Bunny is hugely popular across the United States, which has among the largest Spanish-speaking populations globally -- so why wouldn't he take part in one of the country's cultural touchstones?
"In that context, it's just incredibly meaningful," Rivera-Rideau said.
mdo/sst

music

Five things to watch for on Grammys night Sunday

BY PAULA RAMON WITH SUSAN STUMME IN WASHINGTON

  • - Perhaps the most coveted Grammy is the Album of the Year, and this year's winner could make history in several ways.
  • Grammys night is sure to deliver top-notch performances, in-your-face fashion, a few poignant moments -- and maybe even some music history.
  • - Perhaps the most coveted Grammy is the Album of the Year, and this year's winner could make history in several ways.
Grammys night is sure to deliver top-notch performances, in-your-face fashion, a few poignant moments -- and maybe even some music history.
Here are five things to watch out for on Sunday in Los Angeles:

New Album of the Year winner?

Perhaps the most coveted Grammy is the Album of the Year, and this year's winner could make history in several ways.
None of the eight nominees -- Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, R&B singer Leon Thomas, Tyler the Creator, hip-hop duo Clipse (Pusha T and Malice) and pop superstar Justin Bieber -- has ever won in the category before. 
If Lamar's "GNX" takes the title, he will be the first male solo rapper to triumph in the category. Only rappers Lauryn Hill and duo OutKast have come before him.
If Bad Bunny takes the prize for "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos," it will be the first time a Spanish-language album receives the top honor.

Song of the Year: multilingual battle

Three of the eight nominees for Song of the Year, another main award, are not entirely in English -- a major shift.
"Golden," the wildly popular hit song from Netflix animated film "KPop Demon Hunters," and "APT" from Blackpink singer Rose and Bruno Mars, have taken the music world by storm with their lyrics in English and Korean.
A Grammy for either one would mark the first bilingual song to take the award for songwriting.
If Bad Bunny wins for his Caribbean-infused "DTMF," it would be a first for a Spanish-language song.

For host Noah, sixth time is a charm

South African comedian Trevor Noah will be back to host the Grammys for a sixth time -- and organizers say it will be his last.
The 41-year-old Noah made his hosting debut on music's biggest night in 2021, at a scaled-down gala in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.
The biracial funnyman has offered a mix of political satire and light-hearted showbiz banter, and has generally earned decent reviews for his efforts.
"His impact on the show has been truly spectacular, and we can't wait to do it together one last time," the show's executive producer Ben Winston told The Hollywood Reporter.

Bieber takes the stage

Among the stars already confirmed to perform at Crypto.com Arena is Justin Bieber, who is up for four awards including Album of the Year for "Swag," his first studio album in four years, which he dropped in a surprise move last July.
The 31-year-old pop superstar has been battling Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare neurological condition that partially paralyzed his face, which forced him to cancel the final leg of a world tour last year.
Bieber -- who first shot to stardom as a teenager in 2009 -- is scheduled to headline this year's Coachella festival in the California desert in April.
Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter and Clipse are also scheduled to perform, organizers say.

New categories

The Recording Academy awards dozens of prizes each year. This year, they have added two more -- and subtracted one -- for a whopping total of 95.
A new award for best traditional country album has been added, after some in Nashville felt that the more modern pop-country sound was drowning out artists with a more pure country sound.
The former best country album is now called best contemporary country album.
The other new category is best album cover. 
"These additions further the Recording Academy's commitment to recognizing a broader spectrum of artistic craft and honoring the evolving ways music is created and experienced," the academy says.
Two existing categories -- best recording package and best boxed or special limited edition package – have been consolidated into one category, best recording package.
bur-sst/des

Canada

'Schitt's Creek' star Catherine O'Hara dead at 71

BY HUW GRIFFITH

  • The role brought her an Emmy for best lead actress in 2020.
  • Emmy-winning actress Catherine O'Hara, who starred in "Schitt's Creek" and "Home Alone," has died at the age of 71, her management agency said Friday.
  • The role brought her an Emmy for best lead actress in 2020.
Emmy-winning actress Catherine O'Hara, who starred in "Schitt's Creek" and "Home Alone," has died at the age of 71, her management agency said Friday.
The Canadian-born performer starred in "Beetlejuice" and recently Apple TV's Hollywood satire show "The Studio."
Her manager Marc Gurvitz's office confirmed the actress's death to AFP, without any further details.
Page Six, citing a fire department spokesman, reported that O'Hara was rushed to hospital before dawn from her home in the swanky Brentwood area of Los Angeles.
AFP was not immediately able to confirm that.
O'Hara was born in Toronto in 1954, where she joined the legendary comedy theater Second City, alongside Eugene Levy, with whom she would collaborate throughout her career, including on the smash TV series "Schitt's Creek."
Her break into movies came in 1980 with "Double Negative" -- also alongside Levy, and John Candy.
In 1988, she played Winona Ryder's stepmother in Tim Burton's "Beetlejuice." She would later marry the film's production designer Bo Welch. The couple had two sons, Matthew and Luke.
But it was in 1990 that she became widely known to a global audience, as the mother of Macaulay Culkin's Kevin in "Home Alone."
"It's a perfect movie, isn't it?" she told People in 2024.
"You want to be part of something good, and that's how you go," she said.
She would reprise the role in the film's sequel -- "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," which featured a cameo from Donald Trump, decades before he would become US president.
In 1993 she collaborated again with Burton on "The Nightmare before Christmas." 
The versatile comedienne also appeared in British filmmaker Christopher Guest's mockumentaries that revel in silly spectacles of Americana, like zany dog handlers in "Best in Show," vain folk singers in "A Mighty Wind," and award-hungry actors in "For Your Consideration."
"I am devastated. We have lost one of the comic giants of our age," Guest wrote in a statement.
But she is perhaps best known by modern audiences for her role in "Schitt's Creek," created by Eugene Levy's son, Dan Levy.
"I used to mostly get people named Kevin who'd come up to me and ask me to yell 'Kevin!' in their faces," O'Hara told People, in reference to her famous line in "Home Alone."
"Now it's mostly about (her character) Moira and 'Schitt's Creek.' I've never gotten this kind of attention in my life. It's crazy." 
The role brought her an Emmy for best lead actress in 2020. She was also awarded a Golden Globe and a SAG Award.
As news of her death spread on Friday, fellow performers and other luminaries were quick to react.
"Mama. I thought we had time," Culkin wrote on Instagram, alongside a picture of the pair of them in "Home Alone."
"I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you but I had so much more to say. I love you."
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said he and other Canadians were mourning O'Hara's death.
"Over 5 decades of work, Catherine earned her place in the canon of Canadian comedy," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"Canada has lost a legend. My thoughts are with her family, friends, and all those who loved her work on screen. She will be dearly missed."
hg/sla

music

Fela Kuti: first African to get Grammys Lifetime Achievement Award

BY SUSAN NJANJI

  • Two years ago the Grammys introduced the category of Best African Performance in 2024 and it has been dominated by Afrobeats artists, especially from Nigeria.
  • Nigeria's Afrobeat king Fela Kuti will this weekend be posthumously recognised by the Grammys with a Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first African artist to receive the distinction.
  • Two years ago the Grammys introduced the category of Best African Performance in 2024 and it has been dominated by Afrobeats artists, especially from Nigeria.
Nigeria's Afrobeat king Fela Kuti will this weekend be posthumously recognised by the Grammys with a Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first African artist to receive the distinction.
After a lifetime of clashes with successive powers in Nigeria, the recognition comes nearly three decades after Fela's death and long after his influence reshaped global music.
He is one of several artists getting the award at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday, the eve of the main Grammys gala. 
Others are Cher, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon and Chaka Khan.
In the 1970s, Fela the multi-instrumentalist and full-of-life performer invented Afrobeat: a mixture of jazz, funk and African rhythms. 
That laid the groundwork for Afrobeats -- a later genre that has attracted a global audience by blending traditional African rhythms with contemporary pop sounds, with its roots in Nigeria.
Two years ago the Grammys introduced the category of Best African Performance in 2024 and it has been dominated by Afrobeats artists, especially from Nigeria.
Of the five nominees for the Best African performance this year, three are Nigerian Afrobeats singers, after another Nigerian, Tems, won last year.
"Fela's influence spans generations, inspiring artists such as Beyonce, Paul McCartney and Thom Yorke, and shaping modern Nigerian Afrobeats," said a citation on the Grammys list of this year's honorees.
Known also as the "Black President", the activist and legendary musician, died in 1997 at the age of 58.
His legacy lives on through his sons, Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti, and grandson Made.
"This acknowledgment coming at this time when all three of us are present. It feels wonderful," Grammy-nominated Made Kuti told AFP.
"It feels wonderful that all of us are still practicing Afrobeat, still taking the legacy as far as we can take it."

'Better later than never'

Yemisi Ransome-Kuti, Fela's first cousin and head of the family, told AFP on Friday the award was "a celebration for the African people and they should take (it).. as their award. Another African is being celebrated. 
"But we also want to send a message to those who are giving these acknowledgements, please ...not wait till people are dead," she said.
As to what would have been Fela's reaction, Ransome-Kuti said: "I'm sure he would have said better late than never" although "in his lifetime he was not particularly interested in being recognised in the external world particularly the western world".
Fela was arrested frequently by military governments during his career, sometimes for political activism and sometimes also on allegations of theft, which he denied.
His first brush with the law dated back to 1974 when he released his famous album "Zombie", generally considered by the military authorities in power as a diatribe levelled at them.
His songs were long, defiant and explicitly anti-governments in power and anti-corruption.
His manager, Rikki Stein, speaking on the phone from Los Angeles where he will join the Kuti family at the ceremony, was confident the award would "significantly uplift Fela's music".
"Fifty albums out there. I'm sure it's going to continue onward and upward."
"An increasing number of people what weren't even born when Fela died are expressing interest in listening to Fela's music and hopefully Fela's message," he told AFP.
sn/gv/gil

Canada

'Schitt's Creek' star Catherine O'Hara dead at 71

  • O'Hara was born in Toronto in 1954, where she joined the legendary comedy theater Second City, alongside Eugene Levy, with whom she would collaborate throughout her career, including on the smash TV series "Schitt's Creek."
  • Emmy-winning actress Catherine O'Hara, who starred in "Schitt's Creek" and "Home Alone," has died at the age of 71, her management agency said Friday.
  • O'Hara was born in Toronto in 1954, where she joined the legendary comedy theater Second City, alongside Eugene Levy, with whom she would collaborate throughout her career, including on the smash TV series "Schitt's Creek."
Emmy-winning actress Catherine O'Hara, who starred in "Schitt's Creek" and "Home Alone," has died at the age of 71, her management agency said Friday.
The Canadian performer also starred in "Beetlejuice" and Apple TV's Hollywood satire show "The Studio."
A person who answered the phone at her manager Marc Gurvitz's office confirmed the actress's death to AFP, but did not give any further details.
O'Hara was born in Toronto in 1954, where she joined the legendary comedy theater Second City, alongside Eugene Levy, with whom she would collaborate throughout her career, including on the smash TV series "Schitt's Creek."
Her break into movies came in 1980 with "Double Negative" -- also alongside Levy, and John Candy.
In 1988, she played Winona Ryder's stepmother in Tim Burton's "Beetlejuice," but it was in 1990 that she became widely known to a global audience as the mother of Macaulay Culkin's Kevin in "Home Alone."
hg/sst

photography

Paris show by late Martin Parr views his photos through political lens

BY ADAM PLOWRIGHT

  • "He was very involved and really excited" about the exhibition, Louis Little from the Martin Parr Foundation told AFP. "Martin always said that the political was there in his work, disguised as entertainment, but it was up to the viewer to extract the meaning," he added.
  • The last major exhibition prepared by British photographer Martin Parr before his death last month opened to the public on Friday in Paris, exploring the often overlooked political message in his five-decade career. 
  • "He was very involved and really excited" about the exhibition, Louis Little from the Martin Parr Foundation told AFP. "Martin always said that the political was there in his work, disguised as entertainment, but it was up to the viewer to extract the meaning," he added.
The last major exhibition prepared by British photographer Martin Parr before his death last month opened to the public on Friday in Paris, exploring the often overlooked political message in his five-decade career. 
Parr died in early December aged 73, having spent his life documenting Britain and the world with an unflinching eye that often captured the absurdity and shallowness of modern existence.
He had been collaborating on "Global Warning" at the Jeu de Paume exhibition space in Paris, which will run until May 24, until his health deteriorated suddenly following a diagnosis for blood cancer.
Although not a full retrospective, it pulls extensively from Parr's vast archives of globe-spanning colour-saturated images that are often amusing and sometimes cruel.
"He was very involved and really excited" about the exhibition, Louis Little from the Martin Parr Foundation told AFP.
"Martin always said that the political was there in his work, disguised as entertainment, but it was up to the viewer to extract the meaning," he added.
"Global Warning", a play on words about global warming, is divided into five sections spanning Parr's interests in leisure, consumption, tourism, animals, and technology.  
Though his acidic sense of humour -- criticised as condescending by some -- is evident throughout, Parr's 180 photographs also amount to a portrait of human folly and environmental destruction.
"There was a very structured 50-year-long reflection on themes that may seem light, but are in fact about our Western world, about the dysfunctions of our Western world," curator Quentin Bajac told AFP.
"He was very keen not to come across as a whistleblower, or an activist photographer," he added. "But at the same time, he was pleased that we might adopt a more concerned, slightly more anxious reading of these images."
Parr, though aware of his own contribution to global carbon emissions through his travel, had been stressing in interviews for years that humans were "heading for disaster," Bajac added.
"We're all too rich. We're consuming all these things in the world," Parr told AFP in an interview shortly before his death. "And we can't. It's unsustainable."
- Fame and standing - 
Parr's death, announced on December 7, has further publicised the contribution of one of Britain's modern photographic giants who nevertheless sometimes struggled for public and professional recognition.
He only scraped into the prestigious Magnum Agency in the 1990s due to opposition from some of his contemporaries, and he often felt his work and photography in general was under-appreciated in Britain.
Bajac said he had been aware of Parr's ill-health for five or six years, but he kept working right to the end of his life.
The intense media coverage of his death and tributes "might have been a surprise for him," Bajac explained. 
"We might get more visitors because there's been an effect. With his death, people realised even more the extent of his fame and his standing," he added.
adp/st

technology

Artist chains up thrashing robot dog to expose AI fears

BY KATIE FORSTER

  • Like the metal leash, "we are protected by an unreliable, thin chain of ethics.
  • The agile robot dog springs up on all fours, takes a step forward and charges at the tense crowd at a Tokyo exhibit, held back by a simple yet strong metal chain.
  • Like the metal leash, "we are protected by an unreliable, thin chain of ethics.
The agile robot dog springs up on all fours, takes a step forward and charges at the tense crowd at a Tokyo exhibit, held back by a simple yet strong metal chain.
The silver mechanical creature then starts thrashing around violently, to gasps and exclamations from spectators at the installation, designed to probe humanity's relationship with increasingly realistic machines.
The Japanese media artist behind it told AFP he hoped the audience would consider the dangers posed by artificial intelligence but also feel "pity" for the struggling robot.
"Our future is going to be stressful, because people treat robots as objects, but we feel empathetic stress with these movements and reactions," said Takayuki Todo, 40.
Global tech giants are investing vast sums into humanoid and other lifelike robots, with grand plans for factory automation, home help and other futuristic "physical AI" services.
But so far actual use cases remain scarce and fully automated robots are still a rare sight, with most impressive displays -- including Todo's -- relying on remote operators to control the robot's movements.
For the artist, the point of the three-day installation at the Tokyo Prototype festival is to provoke thought.
Like the metal leash, "we are protected by an unreliable, thin chain of ethics. And if it's cut off, we will be killed by this technology," said Todo.

'Robot abuser'

For his installation, titled "Dynamics of a Dog on a Leash" and first shown last year, Todo purchased three robot canines made by Chinese startup Unitree, costing thousands of dollars each.
One is already broken and repairs are needed for another, as the dogs often get tangled in the chain and end up crashing onto the floor.
Todo, who said he had been attacked online "as a robot abuser", visited Unitree in China last year to excuse himself for the unconventional treatment of their device.
The short hourly display, on show through Saturday in a business district skyscraper, is drawing large crowds, with many spectators including children curious to see a robot of this kind for the first time.
"It gave me the chills," said 34-year-old student and food service worker Kimie Furuta.
"Imagining it actually attacking like that... it could be terrifying to face."
On the brighter side, robots and AI could one day help ease staff shortages, including in the catering sector, she said.
Anatol Ward, a Tokyo resident in his 50s, said the robot reminded him of a guard dog.
"In some sense it was scary. But also it was fascinating -- like, what the robot was capable of."
Todo said that "of course" he was afraid of military uses for such robots, but noted it is not just a future concern.
"Robots and drones are killing soldiers in Ukraine or Palestine," he said.
"We feel it's a distant place, but as an artist we have to imagine it's in front of us."
kaf/ami

music

French-Nigerian artists team up to craft future hits

BY KADIATOU SAKHO

  • Born in the 1970s through the influence of Fela Kuti, regarded as the father of Afrobeats, the genre continues to attract a global audience.
  • Will the next global hits from Nigeria have a French accent?
  • Born in the 1970s through the influence of Fela Kuti, regarded as the father of Afrobeats, the genre continues to attract a global audience.
Will the next global hits from Nigeria have a French accent? Perhaps. Nine French rap, pop and urban music composers recently joined forces with Afrobeats artists to produce 60 tracks for international audiences.
In under a week, French, English, Nigerian Pidgin and Creole blended in musical melodies for future hits at the premises of renowned Nigerian label Mavin Records in the economic and cultural hub, Lagos.
The label produces Afrobeats stars such as Rema, Ladipoe, Ayra Starr and Magixx.
"If one or two songs hit like Ayra Starr's 'Rush' or Rema's 'Calm Down' then we would have achieved it all," said Akotchaye Okio, the director of international artists' rights group Sacem, which organised the camp in collaboration with the French embassy and Mavin Records.
The Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers (Sacem) has hosted similar tie-ups outside Africa, showcasing different musical genres in the United States, France, South Korea and the Netherlands. 
Afrobeats, which blends traditional African rhythms with contemporary pop sounds, has become one of the most popular genres in the world, driven largely by the Nigerian diaspora.
Born in the 1970s through the influence of Fela Kuti, regarded as the father of Afrobeats, the genre continues to attract a global audience.
After the camp, Mavin Records' artists will "choose the beats they prefer and record over them", said Okio, in the waiting room at the record label's offices, a building decorated with posters and gold and diamond plaques from its heavyweights.
Nigerian and French artists were divided into groups according to themes. 
In one of the studios, French producer PSK, whose real name is Maxime Pasquier, and his Nigerian counterpart Dunnie Alexandra Lawal produced several tracks together. 
Like some of the other participants, the 21-year-old Frenchman, who had always yearned for an international collaboration, had never been to Africa. 
"What I found interesting and different from the way we work in France is how people let songs carry them away," said PSK, who has worked with major French artists such as Ninho, Jok'Air and Genezio.
"They explore their ideas much further" to compose songs that are both mellow and rhythmic, the beatmaker and pianist said.

Creative collaboration

Mavin Records' singer and songwriter Elestee, whose real name is Treasure Apiafi Banigo, fine-tuned the compositions. 
"This song with the piano puts you in a good mood while also making you thoughtful. I could listen to it at six in the morning while driving, with a smile on my face. The audience will love it," she said.
For Lawal, the collaborations can only be positive.
"Afrobeats might have originated in west Africa, but the future of Afrobeats is international," the Nigerian producer said. 
Kizito Ahams, a senior licensing and publishing manager at Mavin Records, said such collaborations met a growing demand for Afrobeats on the international scene, especially in France. 
Tie-ups between French and Nigerian artists have soared in recent years. 
Last year, Tiakola and Asake released the track "Badman Gangsta", while Joe Dwet File and Burna Boy enjoyed a huge success with their hit "4 Kampe II".
"In every release, when you look at the top of the charts, there is always a track influenced by Afro sounds, especially Afrobeats" in France, said 24-year-old French producer Nassim Diane, also known as Voluptyk.
He attributes the vibrancy of the Nigerian music scene to the talent of the artists and the important role music plays in everyday life in the country. 
"There's music everywhere. As soon as you arrive, it's on the buses, in the hotels. It is everywhere. It's truly a country of music," he said.
For Shannon, a singer-songwriter from Martinique, one of the most important parts of the camp was the bridging of different styles that are rarely mashed up, such as Afrobeats and Shatta, a Caribbean mix of dancehall, trap and electronic sounds -- to open up new creative paths. 
"It blends together beautifully," she said.
ks/tba/sn/kjm

Melania

Trump, first lady attend premier of multimillion-dollar 'Melania' documentary

BY EMMA LACOSTE

  • - 'MUST WATCH' - While it promises an "unprecedented" glimpse into her life, "Melania" has also given an insight into the way US business titans have lined up to pay tribute to the Trump administration in the past year.
  • US President Donald Trump, Melania Trump and top administration officials attended the premier Thursday night of the first lady's new movie promising a behind-the-scenes glimpse at her husband's return to power.
  • - 'MUST WATCH' - While it promises an "unprecedented" glimpse into her life, "Melania" has also given an insight into the way US business titans have lined up to pay tribute to the Trump administration in the past year.
US President Donald Trump, Melania Trump and top administration officials attended the premier Thursday night of the first lady's new movie promising a behind-the-scenes glimpse at her husband's return to power.
The documentary, titled "Melania" and funded by an extraordinary multimillion-dollar deal with Amazon, was given a red-carpet screening at the newly renamed Trump-Kennedy center in Washington.
"Glamorous, very glamorous," the president said of the film as he arrived at the event holding hands with his wife.
"We need some glamour."
Melania Trump's movie aims to document the 20 days leading up to Trump's second inauguration through the eyes of the Slovenian-born 55-year-old first lady.
But amid reports of soft ticket sales for the film, the huge fee paid by Amazon has raised questions about whether the US tech giant is merely trying to curry favor with the president.
Top administration officials like Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as House Speaker Mike Johnson, attended the screening.
Melania Trump has often been a mysterious figure since her husband's return to the White House in January 2025, preferring to spend her time with their son Barron in New York and Florida.
But she said the film, which goes on global release Friday and will later be shown exclusively on Amazon Prime, would give people a look behind the enigma.
"They will see how I work, who I am, how I communicate with people, and they will know me a little bit more," she told Fox and Friends on Wednesday.
A teaser for the documentary released in December showed the former model looking to the camera just before her husband's second swearing-in at the US Capitol and saying: "Here we go again."
The Trumps held a private screening at the White House on Saturday -- hours after immigration agents shot dead protester Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in an incident that has sparked national outrage.
In one of a series of promotional interviews this week for the film, Melania Trump called for "unity" after the Minneapolis killing.

'MUST WATCH'

While it promises an "unprecedented" glimpse into her life, "Melania" has also given an insight into the way US business titans have lined up to pay tribute to the Trump administration in the past year.
Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos has grown notably closer to Trump, securing a prime seat at the inauguration and telling the Washington Post newspaper he owns to favor pro-business editorials.
US media say that of Amazon's $40 million licensing deal for the film, Melania, who served as executive producer, will receive 70 percent. The next highest bid, from Disney, was reportedly only $14 million.
On top of that Amazon has reportedly paid for a stunning $35 million marketing campaign including television commercials, billboards and a simulcast in 25 theaters at the same time as Thursday's premiere.
"How can it not be equated with currying favor or an outright bribe?" Ted Hope, a former Amazon film executive, was quoted as saying by the New York Times. 
Billionaire Donald Trump has faced repeated criticism that his family members are profiting from deals made off the back of his presidency. The White House says Trump is already rich and makes no money from his position.
The president said on his Truth Social account that "Melania" was "A MUST WATCH."
But across the rest of social media the film and its PR campaign have drawn ridicule, with several internet users posting screenshots showing cinemas that have sold no seats for screenings.
South Africa's main cinema houses have pulled the documentary, with the distributor citing "the current climate," without elaborating, local media reported.
The South African government has strained ties with Trump's administration, which has repeated false accusations that Pretoria is behind a "white genocide" of the Afrikaans community.
The film has also drawn controversy over its choice of director. It is the first major project for Brett Ratner since multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct in 2017, allegations he denies.
"He was very talented," Melania Trump told Fox. "He was the best one, and he was great to work with."
eml/dk/sms/lga/mjw

music

Key nominees for the Grammy Awards

  • Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads all nominees with nine, followed by Lady Gaga with seven, and a trio of artists tied at six -- Bad Bunny, pop princess Sabrina Carpenter and R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas.
  • Here is a list of nominees in the major categories for the 68th annual Grammy Awards, which will be handed out on Sunday in Los Angeles.
  • Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads all nominees with nine, followed by Lady Gaga with seven, and a trio of artists tied at six -- Bad Bunny, pop princess Sabrina Carpenter and R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas.
Here is a list of nominees in the major categories for the 68th annual Grammy Awards, which will be handed out on Sunday in Los Angeles.
Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads all nominees with nine, followed by Lady Gaga with seven, and a trio of artists tied at six -- Bad Bunny, pop princess Sabrina Carpenter and R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas.

Album of the Year

"Debi Tirar Mas Fotos" - Bad Bunny
"Swag" - Justin Bieber
"Man's Best Friend" - Sabrina Carpenter 
"Let God Sort Em Out" - Clipse (Pusha T & Malice)
"Mayhem" - Lady Gaga
"GNX" - Kendrick Lamar 
"Mutt" - Leon Thomas 
"Chromakopia" - Tyler, The Creator

Record of the Year, recognizing overall performance on a song

"DtMF" - Bad Bunny 
"Manchild" - Sabrina Carpenter
"Anxiety" - Doechii
"Wildflower" - Billie Eilish 
"Abracadabra" - Lady Gaga  
"luther" - Kendrick Lamar with SZA 
"The Subway" - Chappell Roan 
"APT." - Rose and Bruno Mars

Song of the Year, recognizing songwriting

"Abracadabra" - Lady Gaga, Henry Walter & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
"Anxiety" - Jaylah Hickmon, songwriter (Doechii) 
"APT." - Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Roget Chahayed, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Chae Young Park, Theron Thomas & Henry Walter, songwriters (Rose, Bruno Mars) 
"DtMF" - Marco Daniel Borrero, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Hugo Rene Sencion Sanabria, Tyler Thomas Spry & Roberto Jose Rosado Torres, songwriters (Bad Bunny) 
"Golden [From 'KPop Demon Hunters']" - EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI) 
"luther" - Jack Antonoff, Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Ink, Kendrick Lamar, Solana Rowe, Mark Anthony Spears & Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar with SZA)
"Manchild" - Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter, songwriters (Sabrina Carpenter) 
"Wildflower" – Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish) 

Best New Artist

Olivia Dean 
KATSEYE 
The Marias 
Addison Rae 
sombr 
Leon Thomas 
Alex Warren 
Lola Young

Best Pop Solo Performance

"Daisies" - Justin Bieber
"Manchild" - Sabrina Carpenter
"Disease" - Lady Gaga
"The Subway" - Chappell Roan
"Messy" - Lola Young

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

"Defying Gravity" - Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande  
"Golden [From 'KPop Demon Hunters']” - HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI
"Gabriela" - KATSEYE 
"APT." - Rose, Bruno Mars 
"30 For 30" - SZA with Kendrick Lamar

Best Pop Vocal Album

"Swag" - Justin Bieber
"Man's Best Friend" - Sabrina Carpenter
"Something Beautiful" - Miley Cyrus
"Mayhem" - Lady Gaga
"I've Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 2)" - Teddy Swims

Best Rap Album

"Let God Sort Em Out" - Clipse (Pusha T & Malice)
"Glorious" - GloRilla 
"God Does Like Ugly" - JID 
"GNX" - Kendrick Lamar 
"Chromakopia" - Tyler, The Creator

Best Rap Performance

"Outside" - Cardi B
"Chains & Whips" - Clipse (Pusha T & Malice), featuring Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams
"Anxiety" - Doechii
"tv off" - Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay
"Darling, I" - Tyler, The Creator Featuring Teezo Touchdown

Best Music Video

"Manchild" - Sabrina Carpenter
"So Be It" - Clipse
"Anxiety" - Doechii
"Love" - OK Go
"Young Lion" - Sade

Best Global Music Album

"Sounds Of Kumbha" - Siddhant Bhatia
"No Sign of Weakness" - Burna Boy
"Eclairer le monde - Light the World" - Youssou N'Dour
"Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live)" - Shakti
"Chapter III: We Return to Light" - Anoushka Shankar featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar
"Caetano e Bethania Ao Vivo" - Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethania

Artists with Most Nominations

Kendrick Lamar - 9
Lady Gaga - 7 
Bad Bunny - 6
Leon Thomas - 6
Sabrina Carpenter - 6
bur-sst/ksb

music

Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga face off at Grammys

BY PAULA RAMON

  • A win on Sunday would give Bad Bunny another mention in the history books.
  • Superstars Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga are primed to make history on Sunday in Los Angeles at the 68th Grammy Awards, honoring the best in music.
  • A win on Sunday would give Bad Bunny another mention in the history books.
Superstars Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga are primed to make history on Sunday in Los Angeles at the 68th Grammy Awards, honoring the best in music.
All three are angling to add to their trophy cabinets by taking home the gala's most coveted award, Album of the Year, for the first time.
Lamar, the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper who won five gramophones last year, has nine nominations this time around -- the most of any artist -- including for Record and Song of the year.
Pop chameleon Lady Gaga and Puerto Rico's Bad Bunny also are competing in all three categories.
Also nominated for the top album prize are: pop princess Sabrina Carpenter; R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas; Tyler, the Creator; hip-hop duo Clipse (Pusha T and Malice); and pop superstar Justin Bieber -- with his first studio effort in four years.
Lamar is nominated this year for his album "GNX," which includes the single "Luther" featuring R&B artist SZA. The 38-year-old has won 22 Grammys during his career.
Lady Gaga, Bieber and Carpenter are set to perform, with more acts expected to be confirmed before Sunday.

Bad Bunny's hot streak

Standing in Lamar's way for Album of the Year is Bad Bunny, who is currently on a world tour in support of his album "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos" (I Should Have Taken More Photos).
"It was a very exciting album," musicologist Lauron Kehrer told AFP.
"It touched on so much in terms of thematic material and musical material," Kehrer said, pointing to the allusions to decolonization and use of traditional Puerto Rican rhythms.
The 31-year-old Latin megastar, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, will headline the Super Bowl halftime show a week after the Grammys, where he is up for six awards.
Last year, he completed a three-month residency in his native Puerto Rico and hosted the season opener of "Saturday Night Live."
His "Un verano sin ti" (2022) was the first Spanish-language album nominated for Album of the Year honors. A win on Sunday would give Bad Bunny another mention in the history books.
Lady Gaga, 39, made a splashy comeback to touring with "Mayhem," her collection of pop bangers with a dark edge that embraces her dramatic side. She has seven nominations.
She has 14 Grammys to her name, but a win for Album of the Year would complete her hat trick of top awards. 
She took Record and Song of the Year honors seven years ago for the soundtrack hit "Shallow," from "A Star is Born" -- which also earned her an Oscar.
This time around, Song of the Year -- which honors songwriting -- is a crowded category that includes Carpenter's "Manchild" and "Golden" from the Netflix animated smash hit "KPop Demon Hunters."
Many pundits believe the energetic K-pop hit will triumph.
Up for best new artist are Alex Warren, girl group Katseye, Britain's Olivia Dean, TikTok dancer-turned-singer Addison Rae, The Marias, sombr, Lola Young and Thomas -- who was already a Grammy winner two years ago for producing a song by SZA.

'Reactionary'

For musicologist Kehrer, the infusion of rap, reggaeton and K-pop in the top Grammy categories reflects changes in the composition of the Recording Academy's voting group.
More than 3,800 new members have been admitted. Half of those new members are age 39 or younger, and 58 percent of them are people of color, the academy says.
Invitations were also offered to all members of the Latin Recording Academy.
"The Grammys are more reactionary than anything else," said Kehrer.
"These artists winning those major awards is more of an indication of climate, rather than trying to move or change the climate."
The Grammy Awards will once again be hosted by comedian Trevor Noah. 
The main broadcast begins at 5:00 pm (0100 GMT Monday), but many of the 95 awards will be handed out at a pre-gala event.
pr/sst/ksb

immigration

'Batman' confronts city over ICE Super Bowl plan

  • "Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else."
  • A man dressed as Batman berated officials in the California city set to host the Super Bowl next month over claims they could let ICE officers patrol the NFL championship game.
  • "Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else."
A man dressed as Batman berated officials in the California city set to host the Super Bowl next month over claims they could let ICE officers patrol the NFL championship game.
The Caped Crusader took to the mic during the public comments section of Santa Clara city's council meeting on Tuesday.
He kicked things off with a "Ker-pow!" any superhero would be proud of, dropping an f-bomb as he slammed his fist into the lectern and demanded "what... are we doing here?"
"You have had months to prepare for this upcoming event," he said of the game that will see the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks battle it out for American football supremacy on February 8.
"People are dying on our streets every single day in this country because we allow this federal government to walk all over you."
The outburst came with tensions running high in the United States over the deaths this month of two protesters in Minneapolis, both shot dead by federal agents in operations run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol.
"You need to affirm that no city resources will go to ICE, that no cooperation will be given to them."
The man's real name was not known, but he was identifed as "Batman" on the clock counting down his speaking time.
Santa Clara City did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
The involvement of ICE in Super Bowl 60 emerged as an issue when Corey Lewandowski, an adviser at the Department of Homeland Security, criticized the choice of Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny -- a US citizen -- as the star of the halftime show.
"It's so shameful that they've decided to pick somebody who just seems to hate America so much," Lewandowski said in September.
"There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people in this country illegally," he added. "Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else."
Tickets for the gridiron finale start at around $6,000, making them out of reach for the vast majority of undocumented people, who tend to work in low-paying jobs.
hg/mlm