Angélique Kidjo, one of the queens of world music, could be coming to the capital early next year. Speaking to The National from the Mawazine Festival in Morocco, the Grammy-winning Beninese singer says talks are under way for an Abu Dhabi show around January. "My team is currently studying the proposal and it's something that I am interested in," says Kidjo. The 53-year-old recently released a new album Eve (a celebration of African women) and the memoir Spirit Rising: My Life, My Music. Kidjo is no stranger to the Gulf, having performed in Bahrain two years ago. "There is no difference with the fans anywhere in the world," she says. "I come to make people dance and as long as they have a heartbeat then they all can and hopefully will." – The National staff
New Ed Sheeran documentary on MTV soon
MTV has announced the debut of its inaugural music-documentary franchise Nine Days and Nights of Ed Sheeran, about the chart-topping British singer and songwriter. The documentary will premiere on June 10 and will also be broadcast around the world. It will portray the 23-year-old singer's journey recording his second album, titled x (pronounced "multiply") and is due out on June 23. Taylor Swift and Pharrell Williams will reportedly make appearances in the 60-minute episode, which offers an insight into the man who has built his career on his own terms, back in his hometown of Framlingham, Suffolk, in England. Sheeran will also be performing his new music publicly for the first time. – The National staff
Brad Pitt recalls attack at Maleficent premiere
Brad Pitt has released a statement about a red-carpet attack that put the Hollywood prankster Vitalii Sediuk behind bars. The 50-year-old actor told People magazine what really happened at the Maleficent premiere in Hollywood on May 28. "I was at the end of the line signing autographs, when out the corner of my eye I saw someone stage-diving over the barrier at me," says Pitt. "I took a step back; this guy had latched onto my lapels. I looked down and ... cracked him twice in the back of the head – not too hard – but enough to get his attention, because he did let go. I think he was then just grabbing for a handhold because the guys were on him and he reached up and caught my glasses." Sediuk, a former Ukrainian television reporter, was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to stay away from Pitt. Sediuk was arrested at the Cannes International Film Festival last month when he jumped on the red carpet and stuck his head under the actress America Ferrera's dress – The National staff
Comedian David Spade has book due in 2015
There is more to David Spade than the catchphrase "Buh-Bye". Dey Street Books announced on Monday that the actor and comedian is working on a memoir scheduled to come out in autumn 2015. According to Dey Street, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, Spade will write about everything from his childhood in Arizona to his friendship with the late comedian Chris Farley, who he co-starred with in Saturday Night Live as well as the movies Tommy Boy (1995) and Black Sheep (1996). – AP
Monty Python swansong in July
Next month, the surviving Monty Python members will reunite at London's O2 Arena for the first time in almost 35 years – and, they say, for the last time. Troupe member Eric Idle assures fans they will get the old favourites – but they are also in for surprises. "I've got one or two up my sleeve that will absolutely freak people out," said Idle, who has taken the lead on assembling the 10 performances at O2 Arena. The Monty Python Live (Mostly) shows will take place between July 1 and July 20, with the final performance beamed live in cinemas worldwide – including hundreds in the United States. More screenings are planned on July 23, 24 and August 6. – AP
