Jolie - Pitts jol in Namibia

They're Hollywood royalty and have chosen to spend the holiday season under the warm Africa sun. Angelina Jolie, her beau Brad Pitt and their kids have spent Christmas in Namibia.

They arrived in the country on December 19 and used their time frolicking on the beach and roaming the Nakuluft Mountains.They were hosted by famous physician, Dr. Rudie van Vuuren.

While promoting her latest flick, The Tourist, Jolie told the press a bit about her festive plans: “We're going to travel with the kids and go to a random part of the world.We're going to...have an adventure because that's what we love to do.”

The couple also chose Namibia for the birth of their first daughter, Shiloh, four years ago.Seems they hold a special place for this little nook of the world. And rightly so!

Winnie's life: now on stage

Her troubled life has had more drama than an episode of Generations and now Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's story becomes an opera. The South African State Theatre has dished that this is their latest project.

The plot will focus on the time Madikizela-Mandela, former wife of Nelson Mandela, was called before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission when she was probed for a murder of one of her supporters. Madikizela-Mandela was acquitted of the murder Stompie Seipei but convicted of aiding in the kidnapping of the teenager. Her prison sentence was reduced to a fine on appeal.

Producers have said the show will open next year in Pretoria, and it will be in both English and Xhosa. Sjoe, sounds like exciting stuff!

Can't get enough of the Bieber fever

And the fever continue spreads, this time to R'nB singer Chris Brown. He has announced a new duet with Justin Bieber will be premiered early next year.

Brown tweeted this bit of info on Christmas Day saying: "ME and @justinbieber got a BANGER/SMASH record for all the fans out there at the top of the NEW YEAR!!! 2011 #BREEZYTAKEOVER"

Even though Camp Bieber has offered no confirmation on the collaboration, this could be Brown's attempt to get back into the music limelight after assaulting ex-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. Yes, that scandal left a huge scar on Brown's career.And deservedly so.

We wonder if this pairing will be a colossal hit or epic fail...

Oprah Winfrey and her new TV channel

Oprah Winfrey can do anything, right? We know this, the world knows it and now, so does she!

Speaking to Parade Magazine, the media tycoon has said she moved on from an 'oh my God, what am I going to do' attitude to a 'I can do anything' approach. She says having her own television channel has helped made more of her dreams come true, as well as helping other people make their dreams a reality. That lady, what a heart she has!

Despite all she has achieved with her talk show, magazine and even a girls academy right here in South Africa, she acknowledges failure can happen. "What will be a failure is if nobody comes and watches this network. What others will perceive as failure is if some shows don't succeed. I'm concerned about the bigger overall picture: my belief that people are basically good and want to see the good in them reflected through their experiences and the shows that they watch. This is a gamble I'm taking. I believe that the banal state of television, the kind of insipid space that we're in - that you can have as many channels as we have and not find anything that really interests you - means that to a great extent we've lost our way."

Here's wishing her the best of luck with her new venture. If anyone can made it an uber success, Oprah can!

Kylie and Kendall Jenner Kardashian talk fame, fashion and college

What are those crazy Kardashians up to now??

For once, it's not Kim, Khloe OR Kourtney in the spotlight - move over sisters, it's their time to shine! Kylie and Kendall Jenner, the youngest stars of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, are ready to spread their wings -and they have kicked it off by landing a spread in Teen Vogue's February issue!

Besides doing magazine interviews, they've also been getting their names onto modeling lists, gigs and hitting the red carpet...but are they ready for their own show? The girls say, despite these first steps to get them into the lime-light, it's college first - then Kendall wants to grow her modeling career and Kylie wants to get into acting, "but college comes first."

Way to keep your heads on straight (while you can), girls!

'Michael' not no.1 — Despite reports

Although he will never lose his place in musical history, some are either battling to face the facts that he is gone and his album is not no.1 or they are still trying to milk more money out of his death.

News from the Jackson camp, is that the album 'Michael' is the " no. 1 global album," but it isn't. The album was actually beaten by both Taylor Swift and Susan Boyle, who continued their 1-2 reign on the Billboard charts.

Team Jackson also reported that Sony Music/Epic Records shipped more than 3 million units of Michael worldwide in its first week, making it one of the biggest releases of 2010. Shipped. Not sold. The copies actually SOLD are placing him in third place - In effect, the Jackson release hasn't even gone gold yet

Although it did come in at no. 1 in some countries for sales, why the misleading press? None of the stats will change his place in history-or his great music.

Sean Kingston in SA next year!

First U2, then Roxette, then Kings of Leon now it seems that our Jamaican-American brother Sean Kingston will be heading our way on February 25 and 26 to sing at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park. Wow. Get those wallets out!

With his blends of rap, reggae, dancehall and pop Kingston's style is distinctly different from most other hip-hop and dancehall artists - which is why we love him so much. Pretty new on the scene it was his famous single Beautiful Girls in 2007 that got him his name and launched his musical career. Just last year he released his second album, Tomorrow, that features the number one single, Fire Burning.

Tickets are already on sale on Computicket so go go go!

Hip-Hop hits Mother City!

It’s the first we’ve hear about it, but we LOVE getting this kind of news: Last week saw hundreds of kids from across the Cape Flats get together at the Joseph Stone Auditorium in Athlone for the annual African Battle Cry hip-hop competition!

It was a showdown between some amazingly talented local groups - slick moves and dance styles were the order of the day and who knew that this has been on for more than 10 years already? The hip-hop movement was organised by Heal the Hood Project and the winners this year were, Immortal Style with its leader, Ambrose Uren.

"Our hard work paid off," Uren said. "The victory was satisfying. We feel proud. Hip-hop dancing is our life." Uren has credited most of their success to being focused and knowing who they were as individuals and as a group.

Other events to look out for are the African Hip-Hop Indaba, Shut Up Just Dance and Cape Flats Uprising and the drive behind this amazing initiative? To fight xenophobia and racism locally and internationally, and create jobs through the arts for the youth.

SA's Top Model search over before it's begun!

All those hopefully models who thought they would have a shot at fame and fortune in the SA Top Model Search on SABC3 in 2011 have been dashed. The show has been cancelled before even hitting the air.

The SABC have said that the reason they pulled the plug is because of differences them and the producers of the show over a registration fee of the entrants-to-be. While this sounds like a bad excuse on SABC's part, they have come back saying that "as a television brand that prides itself in entertainment and integrity, the matter of the registration fee for entering this search compromised the channel's belief in free and universal access. SABC3 asked that the producers forfeit the fee as this is not in line with SABC policies." So there.

All entrants who have already paid the fees have been refunded and their hopes dashed.

Newlywed Nicole snubs Paris Hilton

Well, we can't say we are at all surprised but when asked why she didn't invite her former BFF Paris Hilton to her wedding, Nicole Richie said it was because because she only wanted to have guests "who care" about her at the wedding. Ouch!

Nicole and long-time man Joel Madden tied the knot on Saturday in an intimate wedding of 130 of her closest friends and family. The size of the wedding didn't stop Nicole from having the bash she's always dreamed of - in this case, it was in the form of Tai the elephant who greeted all the celebs as they arrived.

Basha Arts Festival to hit Free State

The Basha Arts Festival is an arts festival of young people in Free State organised by the Free State Youth Arts Council, the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, Thabo Mofutsanyana Municipality, Dihlabeng Municipality and the Department of The Premier.

The main music festivals of kwaito and hip-hop will be held on Friday (17 Dec) and Saturday while the The jazz and gospel festival will be on Saturday and Sunday!

The Basha Arts Festival is a development festival aimed at contributing to the development of arts and culture in the province through nurturing young artists and showcasing their talents - something that is always very special and a lot of fun to go too!

Mpumalanga: It's a Music Xplosion!

You wouldn't have thought it, but Mpumalanga is quickly becoming a province for top-class entertainment!

Recently there have been a string of great acts that have taken the province by storm, like the Sixties Music Festival two months ago, or the shining Metro FM Awards that was hosted at the Mbombela Stadium two weeks ago.

This Friday is just as exciting at the stadium which will be transformed into an entertainment village by SABC1's Mzansi Fo Sho in partnership with the Mbombela municipality. This is just a warm up though, because after this they are seeing the second Music Xplosion Weekend which promises the hottest celebrities, the most sizzling performers and the finest DJs in the industry!!

You all know where you're going in the next two weeks!

Willow and Black Eyed Peas fought for top spot

The Black Eyed Peas only just managed to beat 10-year-old Willow Smith on UK chart.

On Sunday, the the Black Eyed Peas climbed to the top of the British singles charts just stopping Willow from becoming one of the youngest artists ever to get to the top of the chart.

The Time (Dirty Bit) moved up 5 places giving the Peas their fifth British number one while Willow (Hollywood actor Will Smith's daughter) settled for second place with her debut single Whip My Hair. Not bad for a 10 year old - she even beat Rihanna who took 4th and 5th place with My Name and with Only Girl In The World.

This is definitely a girl to watch!

Bokang is the fairest of all SA

if you were watching TV last night, you would have watched as Bokang Montjane was crowned Miss South Africa 2010.

The 24-year-old Polokwane beauty has pin-pointed teenage pregnancy as one of the issue she would like to tackle in 2010 as Miss SA. Also named Miss Congeniality, her one question to the president would be to ask him if we can "concentrate the same energy and effort on improving our education" as we did for preparing for the World Cup.

The first and second princess' were Dhesha Jeram and and Bianca Coutinho respectively.

Michael Jackson's new single "Hold My Hand" released

This clip really pulls at the heart-strings, with children singing and images of happiness you can only be moved by the King of Pop's four-minute music video for "Hold My Hand" -a duet recorded with R&B singer and producer Akon in 2007.

It is also the first official single on the album "Michael" which will be launched on December 14. It was released as a teaser on on Jackson's official website, www.michaeljackson.com ahead of the album release to great effect. Despite some concerns in the Jackson family that the album isn't 'all Michael', early reviews have, on the whole, found "Michael" better than expected.

Oprah - lesbian ??

Oprah Winfrey is hurt from rumours that say that she has lesbian relationship with her best and long-time girlfriend Gayle King - "because it means that somebody must think I am lying".

After years of a steady partnership with Stedman Graham, it sounds like the paparazzi are grasping at straws with this one: In a TV interviews, tearful Oprah said of Gayle, her friend of 20 years: "She is the mother I never had. She is the sister everybody would want. She is the friend that everybody deserves. I don't know a better person".

Very rightly, Winfrey said that if she WAS a lesbian -why would she hide it? It's not the way she has ever run her life, or encourages people to run theirs.

Date with Charilze going for $20k!

Whoever bid the highest at the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project fundraiser in New York on Monday, would get the lovely Charlize for a date to a Los Angeles Lakers basketball game.

And what did our 35-year-old home-grown honey rake in? A cool $20 thousand dollars. According to one source, "All the men in the room were doubling the bids on the courtside Lakers tickets if Charlize attended the game with them. She agreed to attend for $20 000."

She started her charity - which aims to create safer and healthier lives for at-risk children and communities in South Africa, especially those affected by HIV and Aids - in 2007, and by the looks of things it's not doing to badly.

Celebs raise $1 mil for Aids

A perfect example of how celebs can really do some good in this world was when Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Seacrest, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian and Usher raised $1 million for an AIDS charity in just 1 week with their "digital death" campaign.

The campaign launched on World AIDS Day, December 1,and they wouldn't have made it if it weren't for a whopping $500,000 donation.

From when the campaign started, all the celebs went through a "digital death" - none of them were allowed to used any social networks/blogs/websites (anything digital) to communicate, until they reached their goal.

Alicia Keys was the driving force behind the "digital death" campaign and the million went to her Keep a Child Alive charity. The group said more than 3,600 people contributed.

Jolie wants to move to Africa?

Angelina Jolie reckons she is going to move her family "to Africa" when she decides to accept less acting work...

"The truth is I'd love to live in Africa at some point. I'd love to spend more time flying planes. And artistically, there will be other things to do," said Jolie. "It's not that I'd be retiring, there just might be fewer films at some point."

35-year-old Jolie and sugar-daddy Brad (a distinguished 46 years old) have also revealed that they don't see themselves acting in another film together any time soon - just because of the lack of joint offers. But "Africa" Ms. Jolie? This we would like to see!

Soweto Gospel Choir to the Grammy Awards -again!

The gospel globe trotters are at it again, nomination in the Best Traditional World Music Album category for the Grammies "the choir [was] absolutely thrilled" their executive producer and director Beverly Bryer said.

The choir won Grammies in 2007 and 2008 but Bryer says that "each time means as much to them as the previous time". This tops off a fantastic year in which the they toured the globe again and worked with R Kelly on the Fifa World Cup anthem, "Sign of Victory".

The winners will be announced on February 13 2011 so we'll hold thumbs for them!

Lindsay Lohan: paparazzi restraining order!

Currently sitting through court ordered rehab (for the millionth time) in Los Angeles, Lindsay Lohan has brought herself into the spotlight yet again- this time it is to get a restraining order against the paparazzi.

Shame, you do feel sorry for her, but it will be interesting too see if this goes through... Apparently all she wants, is to be able to drive and be safe - not a lot to ask for most of us. She has only just managed to get her drivers licence back (between the drunk driving charges and drugs it's no wonder it was taken away!), only to have her rehab center say that it's too risky for her to drive - because of the paparazzi attention she attracts. This is what has lead her to get her lawyers involved, it's time to fight for her freedom!