Not only did the sun finally come out and the weather remained friendly after an early drizzle on Friday morning. There was something else to brighten up the weekend for most Ugandans.

AMERICAN artist Andy Warhol asked : "Why do people think artists are special? It's just another job." Clearly, given his reputation, the Prince of Pop was being sarcastic -- or perhaps he simply never met anyone like Barbara Jackson.

The Carnival of the Animals is an ideal treat for the younger kids on holiday. Presented by the Kampala Ballet and Modern Dance School, the dance production promises the same excitement that made last year's The Nutcracker a theatrical box office hit.

Beatrice Lamwaka is the author of Anena's Victory, one of the Fountain Junior Living Youth Series. Her short stories appear in various anthologies and she has founded a book club that will meet once a month to discuss books. She is currently working on a novel.

It was nasty the way the trio of Blessing, Regina and Eunice pulled out their talons and tore our girl Nancy Kalembe out of The Apprentice Africa show.

Tomorrow marks exactly 27 years since Bob Marley passed on the morning of May 11, 1981. Indisputably, the charismatic virtuoso appears to have defied the test of time.

Casa Rosa e Produções, in Lobito city, south-western Benguela province, organises next Sunday a social gathering dubbed "friendship in Kamutangre land", aiming at recovering Lobito's citizens customs, according to the director of the promoter, Domingos de Brito.

Incumbent Miss University, Khadijatu Sall is planning a dinner and fashion show to raise money for street children at the Old Skool Nite Club tomorrow.

The Angolan musician Dj Callas and the rap group "Zona Cinco" will perform Saturday, in Lubango, southern Huila Province, at the "Red Night" event, a youth party included in the peace tour promoted by Trixú productions.

The hearing and social concert provincial council of the southeastern Kuando Kubango Province presents this Friday the steering plan for Menongue City, during its first ordinary meeting to be chaired by the local governor, João Baptista Tchindandi.

Angolan painter Hildebrando de Melo "HM" is preparing to participate in the Contemporary Art Festival (Arte Lisboa/2008), happening on 19-24 November, in Portugal, where various artists of the world will be present.

INTERNATIONAL music star Akon finally flew into the country late last night for the long-awaited show at Lugogo Cricket Oval tonight.

As the trend of film watching intensifies, movie lovers all over Rwanda, crave for their favorites, ranging from action packed to thrillers, and African movies.

AFTER thrilling fans at the recent Chimanimani Arts Festival, the musical group Bongo Love will embark on a four-month tour of the USA starting on May 18.

THE 2008 edition of the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) proved to be a showcase of the spirit of determination among Zimbabweans in a harsh political and economic environment.

MOST visitors to the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) last week left home equipped with folding chairs and cooler boxes filled with snacks and drinks. Opera fans picnicked in style with cold beef, Dijon mustard and rocket sandwiches chased down with a bottle of red wine.

MultiChoice Namibia has rolled out its DStv education bouquet of eight premium channels to 100 under-resourced schools across the country, with plans to extend this service to 50 more schools every six months.

ARTISTS for Democracy in Zimbabwe Trust (ADZT), an organisation with interests in lobbying for and fighting for the rights of artists, is assisting artists who are affected by the ongoing political violence sweeping through the country.

Popularly known by the nickname 'Sampie', upcoming Namibian artist Werner Mouton is one of six budding Namibian artists selected to display their works at an exhibition taking place in the capital city this week.

The University of Namibia choir has come up with a musical play through which it will showcase Namibia's traditional culture at an international festival in Germany which starts on May 13.

IN a unique lap of elegance, she appeared on a dimly lit stage and threw a tentative greeting to an audience she was meeting for the first time in her fledging music career.

The Cell One Road to Fame knockout round has started and the regional finalists went straight to work on arrival in Windhoek last week on Monday, it was announced in a press release.

A self-published Namibian writer is quietly making online-inroads into the international literature scene with this first novel, The Art of Stealing.

The 6 th edition of the international colloquium on the history of Tunisian steppes will be jointly organized by the Agency for the promotion of heritage and the regional committee for the preservation of heritage of the Kasserine governorate. The event will take place in the town of Sbeitla , formerly known during the Byzantine empire, as Sufetula.

This year's Dar es Salaam Charity Goat Races will be held at the Leaders Club on August 23, British Airways manager to Tanzania Saada Juma has confirmed.