He is a qualified engineer from Nigeria who has become a super star in China. His stage name, Hao Ge, could be translated into "good song." Discovered by virtue of a reality TV show in 2006, Hao Ge has since become a force to reckon with on the Chinese entertainment scene. - Tuesday 29 March 2011

Anyone attempting to prove the redemptive power of music needs to look no further than the Nigerian chanteuse, Ayọ. The 30-year-old soul singer defied all the odds that life stacked against her, successfully signing to Polydor Records in the mid-2000s and releasing Joyful (2006), Gravity at Last (2008) and this year’s Billie-Eve in the space of five years. - Monday 28 March 2011

Five years ago, the famed Pompidou Centre in central Paris hosted Africa Remix, a far-reaching exhibition of modern artists from all across the Motherland. Present-day Africa came to life in a different way more recently at the Bercy Stadium sports arena, when thousands of African Parisians converged to see Senegalese star Youssou N’Dour live. The stately 51-year-old, certainly his continent’s most famous living singer, turned out to be an unlikely sex symbol: 90 percent of the Bercy crowd were women, dressed to the nines for the occasion. High heels, buxom cleavage, boubou gowns, formfitting printed dresses and plentiful hair weaves were all on display in celebration of one man. For over four hours, N’Dour did not disappoint. - Saturday 19 March 2011

The prestigious Miss Tourism Zimbabwe beauty pageant was on Sunday morning (February 13) hijacked by the military and Zanu PF officials who scrambled to honour the winners. - Monday 14 February 2011