20
Carlton Street, Suite 1032, Toronto, ON
M5B 2H5
(416)
677-5883
langfieldent@rogers.com
www.langfieldentertainment.com
November 22, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving to our friends in
America! And it's time for Grey Cup Sunday
here! Root for your fav team!
The Gospel Christmas Project is a must-see show and a must-have CD. See
details under HOT EVENTS.
Once again, there is plenty to read below so have a scroll and a
read.
::HOT EVENTS::
Two Shows, One CD - The Gospel Christmas Project – December 21
(Ottawa) and December 22, 2007 (Toronto)
Source: Andrew Craig
You’re invited to the Christmas musical events of 2007: the Gospel Christmas Project, live at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre and Toronto’s Massey Hall! Audiences
are calling this show “fabulous”, “amazing”, “thrilling beyond expectation”,
“music to God's ears” and “a wonderfully joyful spiritual evening”.
“The Gospel Christmas Project - LIVE!” is two hours of the world’s greatest
Christmas carols, in all-stunning new arrangements made by musician, producer
and broadcaster Andrew Craig. The
songs are rendered by some of our country’s greatest voices:
Jackie Richardson, Canada’s Queen of Jazz
and
Blues,
Alana Bridgewater, “Killer Queen” in the
Mirvish production of “We Will Rock You”
Kellylee Evans, 2007 Canadian Smooth Jazz
Female Vocalist of the Year
Chris Lowe, a tremendous new voice
recently-emerged from the Gospel community
and the Juno-award-winning Sharon Riley and Faith
Chorale
“The Gospel Christmas Project” is already a wildly-popular radio
show, a Gemini-nominated TV special, and a
brand-new CD, called “The Gospel Christmas Project”, available in all major
retail outlets right now, and on ITunes as of December 4.
“The Gospel Christmas Project” was originally performed in Ottawa in December 2006. It
returns to Ottawa this Christmas, joined by the National
Arts Centre Orchestra on December
21.
And the next night (December 22) The Gospel Christmas Project makes its Toronto debut at the legendary Massey
Hall!
Visit the website: www.gospelxmasproject.com
Purchase CD at CBC Records, HERE!
::TOP STORIES::
Adrian Eccleston On Music
Source: Mesa/Boogie
If you’ve not seen Adrian (Eccleston) live, perhaps
(good) live music is not your thing. Choose any venue that rocks on a regular
basis and chances are, Adrian has had something to do with it. From performing
live on tours and in global music festivals to jamming in small crowded bars,
playing live is an integral part of Adrian’s success. His stage presence,
creative vibe and agile ability to learn new music quickly, has made him one of
the most sought after live guitarists for local and international artists.
In the past seven years he’s toured with talents such as Nelly Furtado, Divine
Brown, Jacksoul, Jarvis Church and Snow, and has performed for the likes of
Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Pele, and former Canadian Prime Minister Jean
Chretien.
Check out this informative interview video
at Mesa/Boogie HERE.
FACTOR Launches New Emerging Artists
Program!
Source: FACTOR**
**Want to apply but find the paperwork
unmanageable. Would prefer to pay someone to fill it out accurately and
better your chances of approval? Contact Aisha at Ngoma Productions - aisha@ngomaproductions.com
Please click here to download the
application (Note: This program's application
is not currently available as an online application or through our
normal "Programs" drop-down menu. This will be corrected
shortly. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause).
For information on the Marketing and Promotion component, please download the Marketing and Promotion for Factor Funded Sound Recordings application.
PRESS RELEASE - [November 9, 2007] - On Tuesday November 6, 2007, FACTOR
launched the Emerging Artist Program. This program has been developed to
support grassroots artists whose careers have started to emerge at both the
national and/or international level.
This program is to be funded through Canadian Content Development (CCD) dollars
paid to FACTOR from Canada’s private radio broadcasters.
This program has been developed as a result of the recent decision by the CRTC
and the messaging from Canada’s private radio broadcasters on the importance of
providing support to emerging Canadian talent. The program also responds
to cultural diversity because it is open to all musical genres.
Funds will be provided through the production component where FACTOR will
provide up to 50% of the eligible budget to a maximum of $35,000 and the
marketing and promotion component will provide up to $50,000 in funding to
support the sound recording.
While criteria has been established to determine eligibility as to who can
apply to the program, the criteria is not intended to be used for regulatory
purposes.
“I am confident this new program will compliment FACTOR’s current programs and
will help to further enhance the careers of Canadian artists;” stated Heather
Ostertag, President and CEO of FACTOR.
Additional information, as well as the application forms can be found on the
FACTOR website at www.factor.ca.
About FACTOR
As a private non-profit organization, FACTOR is dedicated to providing
assistance toward the growth and development of the Canadian independent
recording industry. The foundation administers contributions from Canada’s
Private Radio Broadcasters as well the Government of Canada through the
Department of Canadian Heritage’s Canada Music Fund.
For further information contact
Krista Culp, Communications Manager, krista.culp@factor.ca; 416-696-2215 x 215
Kanye West Resumes European Tour
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 19, 2007) *With his mother, Dr. Donda West's death just a week ago, Kanye West returned to Europe to fulfill his concert obligations
beginning with Paris Saturday night.
However, when the rapper tried to perform "Hey Mama," he broke down
in tears and couldn't finish.
"This song is for my mother..." is how West started to introduce the
song to a sold-out crowd at Le Zénith in Paris, but couldn't go on.
"He said the word, 'Mother' and just couldn't go any
further," Le Parisien journalist Meddy Magloire told People. "A
back-up singer, the DJ and a guitar player came over to console him. (At one
point,) it looked like he might collapse. He just couldn't continue. He
just stood there in a spotlight, crying while the band continued playing."
Magloire says that after a few moments of stunned silence, the audience of
5,000 reacted by offering calls of encouragement, which grew into applause.
The band restarted the song, but West left the stage, but he came back after
10-15 minutes to finish the concert with a rousing performance of
"Stronger."
At this point except for Monday's show in Amsterdam, West's European tour is
still on which is somewhat surprising. He cancelled a Victoria's Secrets
performance on Thursday and was not at the memorial for her in Chicago on
Friday. There was speculation that he would remain reclusive until after his
mother's funeral tomorrow in Oklahoma.
Now the word is that after the funeral he will resume the tour – including his
planned Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22, performance at the O2 arena in London. The
European tour dates, which are listed on his website, end on December 4.
Meanwhile, the grieving artist is also tapped to work on upcoming albums from
Mos Def and John Legend.
Legend, who is preparing a follow up to last year's "Once Again,"
says his thoughts are with West following the sudden death of his mother.
"She loved him and supported him unconditionally," Legend notes.
"She was really there for him a lot and was ... really a great example for
him. You could tell how close they were, and I just can't imagine how devastated
he is right now."
Legend dedicated a performance of his hit "So High" to Dr. West at a
Get Together show Wednesday in Detroit and said afterwards that he plans to
attend her funeral tomorrow in Oklahoma.
Prince And Stevie Rock 'Superstition' In
NYC
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 20, 2007) *The audience came to New York's
Madison Square Garden for a Stevie
Wonder concert but got much more Saturday night
when Prince showed up and took the stage for a surprise
performance.
According to Fox411 columnist Roger Freidman, Prince "played a wicked
guitar solo" during Wonder's performance of "Superstition."
The Purple One had previously appeared on Wonder's 2005 album, "A Time 2
Love," playing guitar on the track "So What the Fusss."
Celebs among the sold out crowd included Chris Tucker, Ashford & Simpson,
actor Anthony Mackie, attorney Londell McMillan and Spike Lee’s wife Tonya.
The two-and-a-half hour show began with Wonder asking for a moment of silence
for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He went on to explain how
this current tour was inspired by the passing of his mother.
Other folks in the audience included BET’s Steven Hill and Essence magazine’s
Susan Taylor.
The set list featured classics "Too High," "Visions,"
"Living for the City," "Golden Lady" and "Ribbon in
the Sky." According to Friedman, the evening wound down with "Don't
You Worry 'Bout a Thing," "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," "My
Cherie Amour," "Boogie On, Reggae Woman," "Sir Duke,"
"I Wish," "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" and "As."
Tony Bennett, the night's other surprise guest, joined Wonder on "For Once
in My Life," which they recorded for Bennett's 2006 album, "Duets: An
American Classic." That version won a Grammy for best pop collaboration
with vocals.
Wonder's tour resumes Nov. 28 in Charlotte, N.C., and runs through Dec. 9 in
Glendale, Ariz. He will also hold his annual House Full of Toys benefit Dec. 15
at Los Angeles' Nokia Live!
::MUSIC NEWS::
Artists Reap Honours For Radio Airplay
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Greg Quill, Entertainment Columnist
(November 20, 2007) More than a dozen of Canada's top
pop, rock, country, folk and dance music composers and lyricists were honoured
at last night's 18th annual SOCAN
Awards gala at the Carlu in
Toronto.
Awards for pop songs that achieved the greatest number of plays on Canadian
radio during 2006 were handed out to:
Tomi Swick for "A Night Like This"
Chantal Kreviazuk for her part in Kelly Clarkson's "Walk Away"
Jesse Dryfhout and Christopher Moerman, co-writers of Stabilo's "Flawed
Design"
In the country music category:
Gordie Sampson was honoured for co-writing Carrie Underwood's hit "Jesus,
Take The Wheel."
Daryl Burgess, Mitch Merrett and Aaron Pritchett scored for Pritchett's
"Big Wheel"
Clayton Bellamy, Christopher Byrne and Jason McCoy for The Roadhammers'
"Nashville Bound."
Rock songwriting awards recipients were:
Nickelback's Chad Kroeger, Daniel Adair, Michael Kroeger and Ryan Peake for
"Savin' Me"
Nelly Furtado was honoured for her part in composing
the hit "Promiscuous."
Presented by the Society of Composers Authors and Music Publishers of Canada,
which collects, administers and distributes airplay and other royalties on
behalf of its Canadian songwriter members, the awards gala was hosted by
singers and songwriters Damhnait Doyle and Kim Stockwood, who also performed
two songs as the pop duo Shaye.
Other SOCAN award winners were:
Corb Lund in the roots/folk category for his song "Hair in My Eyes Like a
Highland Steer"
Maxime Morin for Champion's dance hit "No Heaven."
A special achievement award was presented to rock legend Ronnie Hawkins for his
contribution to Canada's music industry and musical heritage during his career.
Internationally renowned polka king Walter Ostanek received the SOCAN Lifetime
Achievement Award, and Nickelback received the International Achievement Award
for bringing worldwide recognition to Canada.
Canadian folk music legend, the lat Stan Rogers, was honoured with SOCAN's
National Achievement Award for outstanding success in the Canadian music
industry.
And the other SOCAN winners were ...
Among songs that received SOCAN classic awards last night for achieving 100,000
plays on Canadian radio are:
“Try Walkin’ Away,” Murray McLauchlan
“Dark Horse” and “Trust Me (This Is Love),” Amanda Marshall
“The Mummers’ Dance,” Loreena McKennitt
“Some Kinda Wonderful” and “Love Song,” Sky
“Cuts Like A Knife,” “I’m Ready,” “It’s Only Love” and “This Time,” Bryan Adams
“Turn Me Loose,” “Working For The Weekend” and “Heaven In Your Eyes,” Loverboy
A complete list of winners is available online at socan.ca
Wyclef Jean Still Exploring Sounds
Without Borders
Source: By Gail Mitchell, Reuters
LOS ANGELES, USA (Reuters): "Eclectic" is a word critics
have used to describe Wyclef
Jean's music. But the musician /rapper /songwriter /producer says his vision was just ahead
of its time.
"Sampling Enya with the Fugees, doing combinations with Kenny Rogers ... I
was doing that 13-14 years ago," Jean said during an interview at
Billboard. "I was called eclectic because of a certain box I was supposed
to stay in. Now I hear everybody with everybody. Music is at a fresh space
right now; there's a fusion going on. If I grow up knowing Johnny Cash,
Run-D.M.C. and Jimi Hendrix, why can't I just play all the music?"
Jean does just that on his latest solo album, "The Carnival II: Memoirs of
an Immigrant" (December 4, Columbia). Following the pattern of his
previous albums, the artist marshals the creative forces of a diverse guest
line-up, including Paul Simon, T.I., Mary J. Blige, Norah Jones, Akon, System
of a Down's Serj Tankian, Lil Wayne and Shakira. Jean's longtime collaborator,
cousin Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis, executive-produced the album with the
artist.
"Carnival II" marks the Fugees frontman's return to Columbia/Sony and
the 10-year anniversary of his solo debut, "Wyclef Jean Presents the
Carnival Featuring Refugee Allstars." Acknowledging that "Carnival
II" is similar to its predecessor, he attributes its release 10 years
later as happenstance. "I didn't plan it like that," he insisted.
"I was just inspired by Haiti and the fusion of culture around the
world."
It was Jean's explosive pairing with Shakira on the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit
"Hips Don't Lie" that signalled what Jean terms his second wind of
inspiration. He had spent the greater part of the last three years doing
charity work in his native Haiti. During that period, he lost a key inspiration
and gained another.
The loss occurred with the unexpected death of his evangelist father. "The
way I learned music was through traveling," Jean recalled. "I would
hear different forms of it on the streets being with my father."
His inspirational boost came with the birth of his daughter two years ago.
"A child does something else to you. She thinks I'm cool," he said in
his lyrical Haitian lilt.
Then the call came from Shakira. "All he needed was to know that people
were still into real music," Columbia VP of marketing Stephanie Gayle
said. "And 'Hips' did that for him."
As did an invitation from T.I. to collaborate on the Atlanta rapper's single,
"You Know What It Is." And the wind started to shift.
"I heard taking some time off can be dangerous in the music
industry," Jean said with a laugh. "But I always have my pulse on
music, even in Haiti. The vibe was so strong that when I got back to America,
it made me see things differently. It was like, 'You can still do this. You can
freak with this young kid generation because they're checking for you' -- the
ones in this generation who are merging sounds like T-Pain, T.I. and Lil Wayne."
Jean gets an assist from some of hip-hop's most valuable players on lead single
"Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)," featuring Akon and Lil Wayne. He then
goes on to cater to another generation with Paul Simon on "Fast Car,"
which integrates a dark hip-hop beat with guitar.
In addition to reuniting with Shakira ("King and Queen"), Jean
reteams with "911" partner Blige on the vulnerable "What About
the Baby," which addresses children caught in the middle of separated
parents. Jean is most excited about "Selena," his tribute to the
Mexican songstress of the same name, which includes a sample of her famous
"Bidi Bidi Bom Bom," approved by her father.
"Haitians and Mexicans share a similar story about pride and
struggle," Jean said. "It was important that I reach out to my
Mexican brothers and sisters and let them know that we are with them."
A
Love-In For Past American Idols At AMAs
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Sandy Cohen, The Associated Press
(November 19, 2007) LOS ANGELES–Chris Daughtry may
not have won American Idol, but his band Daughtry earned high enough
honours at the American Music Awards last night to share the spotlight with Carrie Underwood and
Justin Timberlake.
Daughtry made good on its three nominations, winning Favourite Pop/Rock Album
for Daughtry, as well as Breakthrough Artist and Adult Contemporary
Artist.
"Wow. I can't believe we're in the category with Justin Timberlake and
Linkin Park. It's pretty awesome," the band's front man said.
Underwood, who did win her season of Idol, matched her three wins at the
Country Music Association Awards this month with three trophies last night:
Favourite Female Country Artist, Favourite Country Album for Some Hearts,
and the T-Mobile Text-In Award.
"Thank you fans for going out and buying this album. You guys are
amazing," she said. "This is one heck of a night."
Timberlake was a double winner, earning Male Pop/Rock Artist honours and the
Soul/R&B Album award for his FutureSex/LoveSounds. Timberlake
accepted by video from Australia.
Usher presented Beyoncé with the International Artist Award, which has been
given to just a handful of artists, including Michael Jackson, Rod Stewart and
Aerosmith.
"I'm so blessed to wake up every morning and do what I love. I don't take
it for granted," she said.
The night was punctuated with performances, including a mash-up between Beyoncé
and country duo Sugarland, who performed Beyoncé's hit
"Irreplaceable."
Céline Dion performed her new song "Taking Chances" and Avril Lavigne
performed "Hot."
Eighties rock band Duran Duran performed its new song "Falling Down,"
as well as the old hit "Hungry Like the Wolf."
After two weeks of writer-strike-imposed reruns of his late-night talk show,
Jimmy Kimmel returned to live TV as host of the three-hour ceremony, broadcast
live on ABC from downtown Los Angeles. The show's basic script was written
before the strike began last week, but there were no writers to provide Kimmel
with his trademark quips about current events.
One comedy bit came straight from September. Kid Rock spoofed his fistfight
with rocker Tommy Lee at MTV's Video Music Awards, telling Kimmel: "You're
in my seat," before pretending to punch the host in the face.
Kimmel said the Writers Guild of America strike prevented him from writing any
jokes for the show. "It may not look like it, but I'm striking right now
in my heart," he said, apologizing to the crowd for having to tolerate
"made-up crap."
Still, Kimmel managed a few zingers, including an introduction of Snoop Dogg as
"one of America's most beloved and arrested hip-hop stars."
For the first time in show history, winners were chosen by public votes cast
online.
List Of Winners At American Music Awards
LOS ANGELES — Following is a complete list of winners at the 35th
annual American Music Awards, which took place Sunday at the Nokia Theatre in
Los Angeles.
Noted Contemporary And International
Arts Presenter, Bill Bragin, Appointed Director, Public Programming, Lincoln
Center For The Performing Arts
Source: Lincoln Center
Bill Bragin has been named Director, Public Programming for
Lincoln Center, Inc., it was announced today. Bragin, currently Director of Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, will start at Lincoln Center in January,
2008.
In this newly created position, Bragin will be responsible for curating the
popular Midsummer Night Swing and Lincoln Center Out of
Doors festivals held on Lincoln Center’s public plazas each summer.
Additionally, he will work throughout the year on select public programming
including special upcoming 50th Anniversary events in 2009-2010, and
other selected projects.
In issuing the announcement, Jane Moss, Vice President,
Programming, commented, “We wish to unify the curatorial vision for our
outdoor programming festivals – Midsummer Night Swing and Lincoln
Center Out of Doors – especially in light of the current transformation of
Lincoln Center ’s public spaces. Bill’s encyclopedic knowledge of the
international music scene will ensure that the hundreds of thousands of people
who come to Lincoln Center each summer will have outstanding, diverse artistic
experiences in a new, welcoming outdoor environment.”
Throughout his career, Bragin has presented a who’s who of the music world,
from Brazilian, Latin, African and Asian artists to rock, jazz, hip-hop,
country, electronic and new music, as well as modern and ethnic dance and
spoken word events. He has served as Director of Joe’s Pub at The Public
Theater since 2001 where, during that time, he was dubbed by Time Out
in 2005 as “ New York ’s Finest Music Booker.” While at The Public
Theater, he presented more than 3,000 concerts, introduced the Joe’s Pub in the
Park concert series at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, developed ongoing
contemporary dance and family programming, and initiated the Public's acclaimed
new rock musical Passing Strange, which will transfer to Broadway
in February 2008. In 2004, he co-founded the annual globalFEST world music
festival/showcase, presented with World Music Institute and World Music/Crash
Arts, in order to expand the role of world music in the Performing Arts field
in North America .
In addition, Bragin programmed the multi-disciplinary Central Park SummerStage
performing arts festival for five seasons, including three as Artistic
Director, expanding its international offerings and developing a dance and live
music commissioning program. Bragin was music curator at Symphony Space
for two seasons, where projects included the acclaimed Wall-to-Wall Miles Davis
marathon. Previous experience includes working in a programming and
production capacity for various festivals at George Wein's Festival Productions
and managing the launch of Allen Toussaint and Joshua Feigenbaum's NYNO record
label. He began his career as director of the Alternative Concert Series
at Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges . Bragin has also consulted on a
variety of music and performing arts projects including Lincoln Center
Festival, the TED Conferences, the Abril Pro Rock Festival and worked with
choreographers Susan Marshall, Wally Cardona and Ben Munisteri. He also dj’s
internationally as part of the GlobeSonic Sound System, spinning hybridized
world/electronic music under the moniker Acidophilus.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. (LCPA), serves three
primary roles: presenter of superb artistic programming, national leader in
arts and education, and manager of the Lincoln Center campus. As a presenter of
more than 400 events annually, LCPA’s programs include American Songbook,
Great Performers, Lincoln Center Festival, Lincoln Center Out of
Doors, Midsummer Night Swing, the Mostly Mozart Festival,
and Live From Lincoln Center . In addition, LCPA is leading a
series of major capital projects on behalf of the resident organizations across
the campus.
Lil Rick's Music Videos
Source: Pyramid Newsletter
(Nov. 19, 2007) Regional collaboration in the entertainment
industry continues to yield fantastic results… and one need only look at the
most recently produced soca music videos to see how.
The glossy, high energy videos for Barbados' 2007 Party Monarch Lil' Rick are the result of a Barbados/Jamaica joint venture
which featured a glittering line-up of Jamaican talent. The videos for Crop
Over 2007 mega hits 'Caan Wait' and 'Girls Gone Wild' were directed by Jamaican
Director, Jay Will of Jay Will Films. His team included Producer, Carleene
Samuels, Director of Photography Richard Lannaman and Choreographer Kameica
Reid.
Jay Will counts among his clients Def Jam, N.O.R.E, Kanye West and Beenie Man
yet continues to prove his worth with another Barbadian soca/reggae superstar –
Biggie Irie. His 'Nah Goin' Home' video rose steadily to the top of MTV's Cross
Caribbean Countdown and maintained that spot for an impressive five weeks.
Matching raw talent with a sound academic grounding, Jay Will holds a Bachelors
of Science Degree in Broadcast Journalism and a double minor in Theatre and
Photography. No doubt this mix is a constant inspiration to his equally
talented team which includes Producer Carlene Samuels. Her client roster
includes Sean Paul, Kano, Skye and Mr. Vegas and her style is engraved on
countless reggae and dancehall videos for industry heavyweights; Shaggy, Beenie
Man and Morgan Heritage.
Director of Photography, Richard Lannaman who is known
for having a keen eye for detail, has worked on projects such as; 'Third World
Cop', Blue Waters Production 'Hit For Six' and more recently Biggie Irie's 'Nah
Goin' Home' music video.
Look out for Lil Rick's music videos, capturing the true essence of the soca
and dancehall cultures in his typical high energy format – thanks to noted
Jamaican choreographer Kameica Reid. The combination of location shoots in
Barbados, local talent and the Jamaican production team, the videos are sure to
follow on the heels of all the other 'Game Over' mega hits.
New York based, Barbadian Stylist Jewel Shannon, was the mastermind behind the
strong Barbadian colours that are reflected in the music video. Jewel's role
was critical in outfitting both the sexy girls in the music and Lil Rick which
complimented the various scenes and moods in the music videos.
Mannie Fresh Speaks Knowledge
Source: Beyond Radi www.hoticeonline.com; Fine Art: www.onemindstudio.com;
True Hip-Hop: www.myspace.com/mic_club
(November 16, 2007) Star producer Mannie Fresh headlined the
prestigious Behind the Boards Series earlier this month at the World Famous Mic
Club in Atlanta.
Presented by 4Kings Entertainment and BMI Atlanta and hosted by D.R.E.S. tha
Beatnik, alongside DJs Edward Scissorhands and Razah, this highly anticipated
edition of the series welcomed Fresh, the creative mind behind sounds
popularized by the Cash Money Millionaires and others.
Mannie Fresh did not disappoint, as he shared his thoughts on the music
industry, fellow artists and his life in music.
Underground rap impresarios Dead Prez brought their A-game as well, performing
to a packed crowd. All-star attendees included Ray Murray of Organized Noize,
Goodie Mob's Khujo, Bizarre of D-12 and Public Enemy's Professor Griff.
During the Q&A, Mannie Fresh projected an optimistic outlook. From his
musings on star T.I. , whom he called "a creative genius," to
reflections on Katrina, he imparted hard-earned wisdom on the audience filled
with fans and peers. Fresh also addressed the state of the music business,
celebrated the diversity of hip hop and defined his own sound.
He professed, "I'm a regular dude who likes to have fun, be with family
and collect sounds." He advised up and coming producers to "pray, for
real. This is a hard business that can take over your mind and your soul; just
pray and work."
The World Famous Mic Club's Behind the Boards Series is a recurring live event
that has also hosted hip-hop legend Diamond D and Grammy award- winning
producer 9th Wonder. "We are proud of what we are doing with the Behind
the Boards Series and are going to keep doing it until we educate and entertain
all who want it," said host Andre Lett aka DRES the Beatnik of 4Kings
Entertainment. "These type events are exactly what we need to see more of
if we are going to bring balance, artistic integrity & truth into an
industry where these very valuable commodities are in short supply."
Sponsors of the November 1 edition of The World Famous Mic Club's Behind the
Board Series included BMI Atlanta, Mogultunes.com, jGlass communications,
Mindzai Multimedia, Paperbag films and Scion.
For more information on The World Famous Mic Club's Behind the Boards Series,
please visit www.myspace.com/mic_club.
To view pictures from this event, log on to www.myspace.com/jglasscomm.
Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI) is an American performing right organization that
represents more than 350,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all
genres of music and more than 6.5 million works. BMI's recently announced
financial results, $839 million ( U.S. ) in royalty collections for its 2007
fiscal year, are the highest for any copyright organization in the world. BMI
has represented the most popular and beloved music from around the world for
over 65 years. The non-profit-making U.S. corporation collects license fees
from businesses that use music, which it then distributes as royalties to the
musical creators and copyright owners it represents.
Peabo Bryson's 'Missing You'
Excerpt
from www.eurweb.com
(November 16, 2007) "One important thing
for anybody aspiring to
accomplish anything – especially if it has anything to do with success – is to
never stop buying your own toilet paper. I need toilet paper. We all do,
everyday. If you get it yourself, you’re dealing with the basic fundamentals of
survival and humanness. It’s ok to believe in yourself and it’s ok to take
yourself seriously, just not too seriously. And buying your own toilet paper
keeps you from taking yourself too seriously."
*Soul singer Peabo Bryson has saturated the airwaves with his hit
ballads for more than three decades.
He's been the male half of phenomenal duets with a veritable powerhouse hall of
fame line-up of female singers including "Tonight, I Celebrate My
Love" with Roberta Flack, "A Whole New World" with Regina Belle,
and "Beauty and the Beast" with Celine Dion - the latter two garnered
him an Oscar and a Grammy each.
Of course the duets aren’t his only claim to fame. His greatest solo hits
include the late 70s smashes "Feel The Fire" and “I’m So Into You”;
the 1989 hit “Show and Tell,” and “Can You Stop the Rain” from 1991, among
others.
The reason behind his longevity, Bryson explained, is simply just being
himself. While that may sound like generic rhetoric, the singer told EUR’s Lee
Bailey that staying true really is the key. And that trueness remains on his
latest offering, “Missing You,” released early last month.
“I made an important decision very early in my career not to try to be
anything that I’m not. I ended up living my life and being myself and not
having to try to be someone I’m not or have to hold up to some perception that
someone else has of me or someone else’s image or idea of me,” he said. “I
think that that individuality has always been an intricate part of my music.
And I’d like to think that the music represents not being alone in your
thoughts or your feelings.”
Feelings are just what Bryson conveys in his music, and he’s become known as a
balladeer. But the singer adds that he is still connected to uptempo beats and
reminded that his very first hit was a disco anthem called “Do It With
Feeling.” Still, somewhere along the way, it was his smooth sound and sincere
lyrics that made him a star, but even so, he stayed grounded.
“After receiving critical success on my first album on a major label, we
were sitting around in a boardroom trying to figure out what my image should
be, and I just spoke up after listening to everybody for about 45 minutes and
said, ‘Why don’t I just be myself?’ And some idiot at the end of the table
said, ‘That’s a good idea. That would be different. When you’re sitting in
Hollywood, real is not the first thing that comes to mind.”
Bryson said that he makes it a point to keep it real and stay grounded. Though
he has major award statues and a musical resume that legends are made of, he
explained that he still buys his own toilet paper – a practice that reminds him
he is only human.
“One important thing for anybody aspiring to accomplish anything –
especially if it has anything to do with success – is to never stop buying your
own toilet paper. I need toilet paper. We all do, everyday. If you get it
yourself, you’re dealing with the basic fundamentals of survival and humanness.
It’s ok to believe in yourself and it’s ok to take yourself seriously, just not
too seriously. And buying your own toilet paper keeps you from taking yourself
too seriously.”
However, one thing Bryson does take seriously is his music. Hardly impressed
with contemporary music stars, Bryson spoke out about the loss of musical
history and the art of music itself.
“If we’re not careful – living in our disposable culture of disposable
attitudes and our innate desire to be in vogue – then we’re going to obliterate
our history as it’s being made. No one is fervent about preserving the history
of our culture. If you took a poll in a particular age demographic, I’ll bet
you couldn’t find 10 people who know who Sam Cooke is. And that’s history. In
the Top 10, when there used to only be one chart, he would have three songs.
Nobody’s done that since. That’s an extraordinary and tragic story that has not
been told. And who is a great singer now?” he challenged. “A great singer today
is really judged by the marketing plan.”
Bryson continued that there is a market for people who are actual musicians, branding
the current hitmakers simply as entertainers.
“It’s not that there’s no demographic audience for people who write real
songs and who are musicians who are not putting their name on songs that they
did not write. You can’t compose if you can’t play,” he reminded. “Now, people
will forgive bad notes even mediocre music. And if you’re a young and
up-and-coming artist and you write in a real song format, then you’re unique.”
The singer/songwriter’s familiar uniqueness is apparent on his new CD, his 20th
release. He describes it as a combination of the old and the new, but adds that
the album is full of more of what he is famous for, and what Bryson fans have
been missing during his eight year hiatus.
The title track is another poignant ballad about missing someone, whether it be
from the natural transition all humans make or a move in a new direction
without that other person.
“They lyrical content was very special and it was a great metaphor for
any of those circumstances where it was about anybody on any level,” Bryson
said of the track. “I lived with it for a while and then decided it was
something I needed to communicate. There’s not a lot of accompaniment with it
at all. It was an opportunity for me to have my voice to be heard in a unique
way. It was a great vehicle for my voice to shine in another way and an
opportunity to showcase that which God has given me.”
As soon as the single was released, it became an instant hit on the overseas
military airwaves and was quickly embraced by those serving in Iraq and their
families, becoming somewhat of an anthem for soldiers.
“I’d like to think that it’s a representation of the entire CD project.
The CD project is not as good as it could have been or it could be and that
means that I still have miles to go, but it is an exceptionally good project. I
think it’s the right step,” he said.
This new project comes eight years since his last album. The obvious questions
is why'd it take so long?
“It takes eight years to find someplace that is the right place. It’s got
to be the right thing at the right time. And it’s only going to get better.”
For more on Peabo Bryson’s new disc, “Missing You,” go to www.Peak-Records.com.
Spice Girls share Victoria's Secret
Excerpt
from www.globeandmail.com - Alexandria Sage, Reuters
(November 16, 2007) LOS ANGELES — While
difficult to upstage
nearly nude supermodels strutting down a catwalk, the Spice Girls stole a share of the spotlight on Thursday as they
kicked off a reunion tour with a warm-up at the Victoria's Secret
fashion show.
In a sneak peak of their eagerly anticipated world tour that begins Dec. 2 in
Vancouver, the members of the British girl group, whose monikers became
household names in the 1990s, gave models like Heidi Klum a run for their money
as they belted out their hit “Stop” and new single “Headlines.”
Lest anyone forget who they were, the group's five women, dressed in Second
World War-era khaki and jaunty military caps, emerged onstage at the Hollywood
show to perform their first number in front of huge glittering lights spelling
out “Spice.” The band has sold more than 55 million albums, with 10 No. 1
singles.
The group's latest CD, “Spice Girls: Greatest Hits,” is being sold only at the
lingerie chain, owned by Limited Brands. The fashion show will be broadcast
Dec. 4 on CBS.
Victoria Beckham, a.k.a. Posh Spice, the most visible member of the group in
recent years since her marriage to soccer player David Beckham, was back to her
brunette hair colour from blond and wore an olive-drab cigarette skirt, with
black gloves, wide belt and a plunging neckline.
“I'm in love with Victoria Beckham, which is probably an issue for David,”
“American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest said after the show. “They could have stood
there and done nothing and I'd have been happy,” he said of the group.
Besides the spectacle of the reunited Spice Girls, there was plenty to ogle
onstage at the Kodak Theatre, home of the Academy Awards, even with celebrities
such as Eva Longoria and Slash from the 1980s' rocker band Guns N' Roses in the
crowd.
The Victoria's Secret models, who received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
on Wednesday, sported a series of animal-inspired lingerie looks, as barely
there bras and panties were accessorized with plumage, skins and antlers seen
usually only in the Serengeti.
In a respite from the overload of skin onstage, singer Seal, outfitted head to
toe in glittering silver, crooned, “You're my angel, you're my girl,” in a duet
with wife Klum that culminated in a lingering kiss at the base of the catwalk.
The Black Eyed Peas' William Adams, also known as will.i.am, started the show
with the fitting rap hook: “Baby, where you get your body from?” Adams was a
last-minute stand-in for hip-hop star Kanye West whose mother died earlier in
the week.
Although Sporty Spice, a.k.a. Melanie Chisholm, has described the upcoming
Spice Girls tour as a “final bow” for the group, there was nothing morose about
its performance.
For its number “Headlines,” the group appeared in 1930s' long gowns in a
stylized boudoir. Geri Halliwell, a.k.a. Ginger Spice, wore a fuchsia satin
gown, while Chisholm, dressed in black, lounged on a divan.
WHO ARE THE SPICE GIRLS?
Rather that marking a new chapter, the band members have signalled that the
tour starting in Vancouver on Dec. 2 is more of a final bow to celebrate a
career that saw the group sell more than 55 million albums and rack up 10. No.
1 singles.
WHO WERE THE SPICE GIRLS?
- The Spice Girls' sex appeal, catchy tunes and “girl power” philosophy made
them a pop music phenomenon in the mid-1990s.
-The British band was created in 1994 by two would-be managers who advertised
for women to form an all-female group. The five winning applicants each took
nicknames: * Sporty Spice - Melanie Chisholm, also known as Mel C, born January
1974.
* Posh Spice - Victoria Adams (married surname Beckham), born April 1974.
* Ginger Spice - Geri Halliwell, born August 1972.
* Baby Spice - Emma Bunton, born January 1976.
* Scary Spice - Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B, born May 1975.
THEIR SUCCESS:
- Their 1996 album “Spice” included the hit singles “Wannabe” and “Say You'll
Be There” and launched them to international fame.
- They hit the peak of their fame in 1997 with the release of a second album,
“Spiceworld,” plus a feature film of the same name.
THE SPLIT:
- Halliwell left the group in 1998 and the other four went their separate ways
after releasing the album “Forever” in 2000.
- This year, a DNA test confirmed actor-comedian Eddie Murphy was the father of
Brown's newborn daughter. Brown gave birth to her second daughter on April 3 in
a California hospital, naming the girl Angel Iris Murphy Brown after the
Hollywood star. Brown and Murphy split up last December.
- Halliwell is back on the girl power trail — this time penning children's
books about a feisty 9-year-old. Halliwell, following in the literary footsteps
of fellow singers Madonna and Kylie Minogue, announced in April she would
publish a series of six books she started writing when she was pregnant.
- Melanie C, who got her nickname because she always wore sports gear with the
Spice Girls, launched her own singing career and has released four albums, the
most recent this year.
- Victoria Beckham, formerly Posh Spice, signed up this year with television
network NBC for an hour-long TV special, “Victoria Beckham: Coming to America,”
about her move to Los Angeles with her husband, English soccer player David
Beckham.
- Bunton gave birth to a baby boy on Aug. 10.
Sparks Will Fly
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Preston Jones, Special To The Star
(November 20, 2007) Reigning American Idol champ
Jordin Sparks' self-titled debut hits stores today. We
caught up with the 17-year-old to assess her mood.
Q: So how're you feeling about your album? Nervous? Excited? Scared?
A: I'm ecstatic – just the fact that I'm saying that I have one day
until my album comes out is tripping me out.
Q: I take it you're happy with the final product?
A: I'm actually very, very, very happy ... with the whole album. I don't
know how many people can say that.
Q: Did you set out to make the album with any specific sound in mind?
A: My plan was to incorporate a little bit of everything on the album
and I think it's a pretty good mix.
Q: What, ultimately, are you hoping people get out of your music?
A: I just hope that they like it and they're proud, because I worked really
hard.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
High Hopes: Putting Motivational
Principles in Hip Hop Form
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
-
(November 20, 2007) *There are some people whose
eyes shine so bright you see they are a remarkable person. John-Leslie Brown, a.k.a. High Hopes, has enough hope in his eyes to light up
the world. You tend to believe him when he tells you he is planning on changing
the world by teaching people how to soar to their highest goal. A goal he knows
they can achieve once they learn the tools of how to believe in
themselves. Since age 15, High Hopes has been building the foundation
that has led him to his life’s mission. The son of famed motivational
speaker and author Les Brown, High Hopes, himself, is an inspiration.
He’s a youth, who at 23 years old, has already set out on the road to his
destiny, via motivating people throughout the world through his speeches,
songs, workshops, and seminars.
“HIGH HOPES is an acronym which stands for Hip hop Intellectual Going
Higher Helping Other People Everywhere Soar, “stated the young motivator.
“And, by soar, I mean soar over all restrictions by way of lectures, workshops,
seminars, and songs. Through these methods, I plan to help people expand
their vision of themselves and their capabilities,” explained High Hopes about
his desire to bridge the gap between the Hip Hop generation and the Civil
Rights generation. “When you have low hopes you get low results. If
money is the root and purpose of every motivation in life, it doesn’t lead to
very much. Youth need to be taught to strive toward a higher purpose that
improves themselves and their community,” said the young intellectual about the
type of higher thinking he wishes to awaken in America.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, High Hopes presently lives in California. It
seems easy to say that one wishes to help and to motivate, but one has to have
a strategy concerning how to go about it. “What I’ve done is focus on the
areas that need to be improved. I’ve noticed for example, the Black
Community needs to improve its communication skills,” commented the young
entrepreneur. “Thus, I started a Teen Speakers Bureau as a strategy to
teach and help young adults develop their communication skills. Also,
African Americans need to improve our sense of community and team work. A
lot of people don’t have a greater vision of themselves because they are not
working with other people who are of the same consciousness and/or mindset.
Also, we need to recognize the greatness within ourselves. We need to
know that there is more to who we are and to life than just maintaining a
job. There are options,” explained the young motivator.
America’s Pop driven culture often recognizes greatness via celebrities and
athletes. “Inner city folk and youth sometimes view celebrities and
athletes as exceptions to the rule, rather than an example of what is possible
for each of us. When you are in an environment where no examples are
shown but just warnings given, it’s hard to identify one’s own unique gift,”
stated the youthful sage about his goal to renew people’s passions and
confidence in themselves.
If the churches, media, schools, or political arenas are not reaching people,
isn’t it time to look toward more positive methods of programming to enlighten
people? “Positive programming and new images are needed in place of the
present programming which instructs people to fail and lose faith in their
abilities. Media/Internet must be utilized to provide our nation with
positive reinforcement that people can hear all day long on a daily
basis. That is why I started putting motivational principles in hip hop
form for youth especially. There is a lot of controversy in hip hop
because of its language, content or lack thereof, thus I intend to turn that
around and substitute positive messages so that youth can stop hearing about
killing one another and start hearing songs about developing their communities,
improving themselves and loving each other,” said High Hopes. “My plan is
working. I have implemented a foundation of motivational principles to
shift consciousness and raise awareness. I say ask for help not because you’re
weak but because you’re strong,” says the talent. Via individuals having
asked for help, High Hopes was able to organize buses to Jenna, LA. Also,
he encourages youth to listen and learn from other people’s experiences in
order to reinvent self and avoid the tragic experiences others have suffered.
High Hopes instructs people not to get caught up in their negative internal
conversations and/or the situations around them, but instead to say … anything
is possible…it’s possible. “We have to stop looking at our past as
something that determines our future because it’s possible to reinvent ourselves,”
remarked the prose artist. “It’s possible to create a new community
despite all of the terrible things that are happening today and it’s possible
to attract something positive into your life.”
High Hopes has lectured to schools, entrepreneurs, universities, church groups
and spoken before the NAACP, The Boys and Girls Club and Bishop T.D. Jakes’ Man
Power Conference as well as done leadership seminars for UCLA.
High Hopes has worked with the organization Activities for Retarded Children
specializing in expanding minds through beats and rhymes and authored 4
motivational CDs entitled “Get Up: Up Thoughts for Down Times,” “High
Hopes,” “A Message to the Elders,” and “The For Real Hip Hop All Stars.” He
knows the formula is to entertain through informative messages via musical
prose. “One of my songs is called “New Stereotypes.” It gives a
message stating this generation can formulate new stereotypes to help shift the
tide.” states Hopes. “Also my song “Give Up A Way,” says never give
up. It says:
…If you were going to give up…you shoulda done it a long time ago…
Look for imagination and a good mind to go…When you got high hopes, they try to
keep you low, but when you know your soul… they can’t defeat you though…
Interested parties can view http://www.mrhighhopes.com for further
information.
MUSIC TIDBITS
The Release of 'Shane'
Source: Pyramid Newsletter
(Nov. 19, 2007) Dynamic guitarist and R & B vocalist
Shane Forrester has released his first solo album simply
entitled 'Shane'. The twelve track album is a blend of R&B, Latin, hip –hop
and gospel influenced songs. No stranger to the stage, Shane has
performed with the band then called IV Play (now 4D People) and shared the
stage with international artistes like Boys II Men, James Ingram and Beres
Hammond. His smooth soulful vocals have also be great crowd pleasers at the
Barbados Jazz Festival, Barbados GospelFest and the Ottawa Blues Fest. For more
information on Shane and his new album, visit http://www.myspace.com/shaneforresterc
MTV Launches In Middle East
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- The Associated Press
(November 19, 2007) MTV is hoping to lure young Arabs away from the dozens of
Middle East music video channels that already dominate the market with MTV Arabia. It launched at midnight Saturday with a pre-taped
show featuring Ludacris, Akon, Lebanese rapper Karl Wolf and
hip-hop band Desert Heat. The channel will focus on hip-hop and R&B,
with 40 per cent Arabic music, and minimal bare skin and profanity.
Mos Def, John Legend Preparing New
Albums
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
-
(November 19, 2007) *R&B crooner John Legend and
rapper Mos Def have both announced they will return to the studio
soon to begin work on new albums, reports Billboard. "We're really
just starting," Legend tells Billboard, adding that he has " three
songs I love already" for the follow up to his current album, "Once
Again." "I'm usually pretty prolific and pretty quick with my
output, so I'm guessing I'll be done with it by the end of the spring and put
it out either late summer or early fall. That's what I'm headed towards,"
he said. Legend -- who will be releasing one more single, "Show
Me," from "Once Again" -- says it's too early to predict a
musical direction or theme for the new project. "The songs
I've done so far are different from each other," he says. He's already
worked with producers will.i.am and Rick Knowles and plans to hook up with the
Neptunes' Pharrell Williams, longtime friend and mentor Kanye West "and
we'll see who else." West, currently dealing with the death of his mother
Donda West, is also on deck to work with Mos Def on his forthcoming debut release
for indie label Downtown Recordings. According to label head Josh Deutsch,
Kanye will produce several tracks on the as-yet-untitled project. Also,
the label said it does not plan to re-release "Tru3 Magic," which was
issued on Geffen without fanfare late last year after being pushed back
numerous times. It has sold just 86,000 copies in the United States, according
to Nielsen SoundScan. Mos Def recently appeared on the track "Drunk and
Hot Girls" from West's new album, "Graduation."
Badu's 'Honey'
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 19, 2007) *Erykah Badu is back on the
scene with her new single, “Honey," produced by 9th Wonder for her
upcoming album due Feb. 26 – also her 37th birthday. A special, 12-inch pink
wax edition will be available only to DJ’s next month and will feature album
tracks, “The Healer” and “Real Thing.” Badu says of her as-yet-untitled disc:
“The music is the star. I just laid down my vocals and let the music breathe
while the melodies tell the stories.” The new album will be Badu’s first full
length outing in seven years.
Solange Leaves Columbia For Geffen
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 20, 2007) *Solange
was a presenter at
Sunday night's "American Music Awards" and watched as her sister,
Beyonce, stole the spotlight with a bluegrass performance of her hit
"Irreplaceable" and picked up an International Artist Award of
Excellence. Bey's younger sister is hoping to finally carve out a slice of
superstardom for herself with two big announcements: a move from her native
Houston to Los Angeles and a new recording contract with Geffen records.
Solange, 21, had been signed to Columbia Records, also the label of her older
sister. There, she released her 2003 debut album, "Solo Star."
Under a new joint venture relationship between Geffen and her father's
Mathew Knowles' Music World Music shingle, the single mother of 3-year-old
Daniel Julez Smith will soon release a follow-up project. At Geffen, the artist
joins label mates Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole and Macy Gray.
Wyclef Confirms Relationship With Lauryn
Hill
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 20, 2007) * *Wyclef Jean confirmed his relationship with Lauryn Hill during a visit to Power 92 Chicago's the Chocolate
Jock Morning Jump-off show. According to co-host Kendra G, Wyclef said he
believes the eccentric behaviour of his former Fugees bandmate is due to a
bi-polar condition, and not drug use as rumours have suggested. Clef
also claimed Hill's Grammy-winning album "The Miseducation of Lauryn
Hill" was dedicated to him. As a response, Wyclef said he recorded
the track "Someone Please Call 911" with Mary J. Blige.
Wyclef stated, "So I would say that after our
relationship she went through whatever she had to go through but this is like
14years later…she gotta get it straight!"
::FILM NEWS::
Oh Come, All Ye Film Fans
Excerpt
from www.globeandmail.com - Stephen Cole
(November 16, 2007) The holidays are upon us,
as this week's
opening of the fantastical Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium attests. And
so it's for Hollywood to deck the malls not only with movies about magic toy
shops but also about pregnant teenage moms, war-ravaged friendships and
serial-killing barbers.
Why such diversified entertainment? Well, the happy/holy season is also the
prelude to Hollywood's own gift-giving binge – the Academy Awards. To be
eligible, films have to be out by Jan. 1, and so, over the years, Christmastime
has evolved into Hollywood's preferred release platform for meaty (occasionally
blood-rare), prestigious films.
Being a holiday, Christmas is also a time for blockbusters, the theory being
that a big-budget film requires wide-open vacation time to bust blocks
properly. Witness the summer-movie extravaganza.
To take stock of all the movies coming our way, here is our pre-sorted holiday film guide
Seasonal treats
This Christmas (Nov. 23)
Hollywood dreams of a black Christmas. Stomp the Yard stars Columbus
Short and Chris Brown are together again in the story of an African-American
Yuletide family reunion.
Alvin and the Chipmunks (Dec. 14)
They were washed up, everyone said. Five-time Grammy-winners, cartoon stars in
the sixties, sure. But the munks' last movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet
the Wolfman (2000), was direct-to-video. Then: Ratatouille. Suddenly
rodents are hot again.
Here comes Oscar
Margot at the Wedding (Nov. 23)
As a kid in Brooklyn, Noah Baumbach ( The Squid and the Whale) fell in
love with Jennifer Jason Leigh's lost character in Fast Times at Ridgemont
High. Eighteen years later, the filmmaker found and married the actor, who
now stars in his comedy-drama about rival sisters. With Nicole Kidman and Jack
Black.
The Savages (Nov. 30)
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney are distant siblings who reluctantly
interrupt their busy schedules to parcel dad (Philip Bosco) off to a nursing
home.
I'm Not There (Nov. 30)
Director Todd Haynes's ( Far From Heaven) speculative biopic offers
seven sketches of Bob Dylan, with as many different leads, including Heath
Ledger, Christian Bale and Richard Gere. Lavish soundtrack, with Dylan songs
interpreted by Jeff Tweedy, Sonic Youth, Cat Power and others.
The Kite Runner (Dec. 14)
An adaptation of the celebrated novel by Khaled Hosseini – the story of how a
rich Afghan boy is separated from a poor friend by foolish pride and the Soviet
army. Much of the dialogue is Dari (Afghan Persian) with subtitles.
Youth Without Youth (Dec. 21)
Francis Ford Coppola's comeback is the pre-Second World War story of a
professor (Tim Roth) on the run from Nazis.
Holiday romance
Atonement (Dec. 7)
From Ian McEwan's novel, starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy ( The
Last King of Scotland) as cursed wartime lovers. Directed by Joe Wright,
who did great things with Knightley in Pride & Prejudice.
P.S., I Love You (Dec. 21)
American girl's music-loving Irish husband dies, but refuses to leave her,
having knocked off a series of pep talks before closing his guitar case for
good. Each letter ends with the phrase “P.S., I Love You.” Hard hearts need not
apply for entry to this film, which stars Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler and Lisa
Kudrow.
Ho, ho, ho
My Dinner With Jimi (Dec. 7)
From screenwriter and former Turtle Howard Kaylan comes the story of the
sixties pop group's Happy Together tour of Europe. Recalls Kaylan, “We met the
Rolling Stones and the Beatles – who played us Sgt. Pepper's before it
was released – all the same night. I wound up eating dinner with Hendrix at 4
a.m. and puking all over his red velvet suit.” Toronto only.
Juno (Dec. 14)
Juno (Haligonian Ellen Page) is a pregnant, unwed teen who sets out to find
ideal adoptive parents for her baby. Michael Cera ( Superbad) is the
surprised father; Jennifer Garner and Jason Batemen, the prospective parents
who aren't as perfect as their J. Crew catalogue looks might suggest. Directed
by Jason Reitman.
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Dec. 21)
John C. Reilley ( Talladega Nights) is Dewey Cox, a guitar-humping
hillbilly cat who goes through four decades of musical costume changes. Written
by Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, Superbad).
The Bucket List (Dec. 25)
Whining, complaining and very ill, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman check out
of a hospital and scoot out on a road trip. Grumpy Wild Old Hogs anyone?
Blockbuster gifts
The Golden Compass (Dec. 7)
Hollywood's biggest 2007 Christmas present came unwrapped recently when
Christian groups protested the $200-million (U.S.) film version of Philip
Pullman's bestseller. The magic journey to a northern world populated by lords,
queens and polar-bear warriors, was, they said, anti-Christian. Starring Nicole
Kidman and Daniel Craig. Directed by Chris Weitz ( About a Boy).
I Am Legend (Dec. 14)
With a German shepherd his only company, Will Smith survives a virus that turns
New York into a postapocalyptic wasteland. The last living man on Earth has
company, however – the creepy, crawling undead. Sweeney Todd: The Demon
Barber of Fleet Street (Dec. 21)
Johnny Depp once wielded scissor hands for Tim Burton. Now he's using a
straight razor to trim unwary customers in his 19th-century London barber shop.
There's music, too – Depp and company belt out a score of songs by Stephen
Sondheim, who had casting approval. With Helena Bonham Carter and Sasha Baron
Cohen.
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (Dec. 21)
A father-and-son sleuth team, plus missing treasure, mysterious bad guys, no
swearing – the Hardy Boys, right? Close. It's the sequel to Nicolas Cage's
surprise 2004 hit, National Treasure. With Jon Voight and Helen Mirren.
Charlie Wilson's War (Dec. 25)
Mr. Wilson goes to Afghanistan. Tom Hanks is a Texas congressman who conspires
with a rogue CIA operative (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to launch a covert
operation against the Soviet military in Afghanistan. Julie Roberts is his
benefactress. Directed by Mike Nichols, script by Aaron Sorkin.
Family outings
Enchanted (Nov. 21)
An evil queen (Susan Sarandon) banishes a beautiful princess (Amy Adams) from
paradise, sending her to New York. Live action mixed with animation. Julie
Andrews narrates this spoonful of sugar from Disney.
August Rush (Nov. 21)
Freddie Highmore ( Charlie and the Chocolate Family) is a musical orphan
in search of musician parents (Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers) who never
intended to let him go.
Grace is Gone (Dec. 7)
John Cusack's wife, a career soldier, is killed in Iraq. Heartbroken but
resolute, he takes his young daughters on a trip to gently break the news.
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (Dec. 25)
A wee Scottish boy discovers a magic egg that grows into a sea serpent. When
the water horse grows to monstrous proportions, he reluctantly releases the
friendly beast into … Loch Ness!
The Great Debaters (Dec. 25)
Story of a black college debate team that beat Harvard in 1935. Starring Denzel
Washington and Forest Whitaker.
A bit of bah, humbug
The Mist (Nov. 23)
A Trojan mist envelops a Maine town, unleashing a slavering crew of deadly
creatures. Yes, another Stephen King story hits the big screen. With Thomas
Jane and Marcia Gay Harden.
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (Dec. 25)
Hey, monsters celebrate Christmas, too.
Dates may change, and may vary across the country.
Special to The Globe and Mail
Falling
Under The Spell Of Amy Adams
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com - Theatre Critic
(November 18, 2007) Let's start this fairy
tale with the ending: she lived
happily ever after.
Amy Adams is the princess in question – literally as well as
figuratively. She plays the starry-eyed, moonstruck Giselle who finds herself
magically transported from a cartoon Neverland to a real-life contemporary
Manhattan in the film Enchanted, opening this Wednesday.
If it once seemed like a risk to cast Adams, who's far from a household name,
then Disney's gamble looks to have a happy ending too. Considerable positive
buzz has sprung up surrounding the big-budget musical, due to overwhelmingly
enthusiastic response at test screenings as well as glowing advance reviews.
At the centre of it all is the glowing presence of Adams, whose openhearted yet
comedically astute work in Enchanted is the glue that binds the clever
mix of satire and sentiment together. She lets us laugh at Giselle while
falling in love with her – the kind of dual reaction she admits she has
received all of her life.
"I've always been way too perky for some people," laughs the
33-year-old beauty, over the phone early on a recent Sunday morning, at an hour
when most people were still in bed.
"I had two sisters and four brothers – and we were all really close
together in age. I used to irritate the heck out of them when I'd start singing
and dancing all over the place, but they knew what I was really like
inside."
And that, surprisingly enough, was "shy. It's hard being the middle one of
seven children. You can get lost in the crowd. I had to find a private time, a
place where I could be the special one."
The Oscar nominee for her performance as Ashley in 2005's Junebug says
she discovered her childhood hideaway in fairy tales, especially the animated
ones from Disney that nurtured her during those early years.
"I loved stories about romance, about dashing princes who would come and
take you away from the everyday world" – which at this point was Castle
Rock, Colo., where her father moved the family after leaving the military.
Adams's father became an entertainer, singing, playing the guitar and doing
Jerry Lee Lewis-like acrobatics on the piano. "I used to watch him,"
Adams giggles, "and wish I could be that cool one day."
Adams had another idol back then as well. "Julie Andrews was my princess
when I was growing up. I loved everything she did." In fact, the way Adams
plays the winsome Giselle could easily be taken as a homage to the early career
of Andrews, delivered with a twinkle in the eye. But where Adams' heart really
was taking her was dance. "I wanted to be a ballerina, oh, I wanted it so
much. I trained, I took lessons, I worked as an apprentice. I thought it would
be my life."
Still, when she graduated from high school, she realized that "I just
wasn't good enough, no matter how much I worked."
She spent a brief period of time at Hooters ("My sister worked there and
got me the job," she says, just a touch defensively), but then she found
her niche in musical theatre, hoofing away in shows both at home in Colorado
and in Atlanta, where her mother moved after her parents broke up in 1986.
Michael Brindisi, director of the huge Chanhassen Dinner Theatre complex just
outside of Minneapolis, told a local journalist back in 1999 how he felt the
first time Adams auditioned for him.
"She jumped right off the stage; she's just magnetic." She went on to
do four shows for him, including a production of Good News, where a
local critic called Adams "a winning flirt" and Brindisi still
remembers her as "a sweetheart."
But after six years of non-stop dancing in musicals, Adams decided to give her
body a rest, and found herself available to audition for the movie Drop
Dead Gorgeous, shot in Minneapolis. She got the role of a sexy cheerleader
and was encouraged to move to Los Angeles.
Once there, she worked fairly steadily, landing guest spots on most of the
period's popular TV shows (The West Wing, Buffy the Vampire Slayer,
Charmed, Smallville). She also appeared in Catch Me If
You Can as the nurse with a mouthful of braces who hit on Leonardo Di
Caprio. Adams was glad to be working, but she found the parts strangely
unfulfilling. "I never want to play at anything," she insists.
"I want to be it."
Then along came Junebug. After her sexy film and TV roles, director
Phil Morrison cast her way against type, seeing Adams as the sweet,
motor-mouthed, pregnant Ashley who tells her husband things like "God
loves you just the way you are, but too much to let you stay that way."
Adams loved playing the role, so much so that when shooting was over, she kept
the red hair of her character, instead of the light blonde tresses she had worn
for her first 30 years. She received a surprise Oscar nomination for Best
Supporting Actress, but insists she's glad now that she didn't win. "It
would have turned my whole life around and I just wasn't ready."
Hopefully she's ready now, because Enchanted, which pairs her
romantically with Patrick Dempsey ("McDreamy" from Grey's Anatomy)
will definitely put her in the spotlight. The film's producer, Barry Josephson,
who spent 10 years bringing the project to the screen, told the Star he
feels Adams is the secret ingredient that makes it all work.
"She had her own discipline and concept for the performance from the time
of her audition to the last day of shooting. She brought us Giselle everyday.
Amy's emotions are so genuine, you see her pain and her happiness, it's all
right there."
Adams herself feels her approach was quite simple. "I just took it
seriously," is her explanation.
Despite its witty spoofing of many elements from earlier Disney films, Enchanted
firmly endorses the ultimate power of romance and when it comes to that,
Adams is the best spokesperson you could ask for.
"I know it's difficult," she says, "but I believe love is
possible in the real world," whose boyfriend is actor Darren Le Gallo.
"If you just keep bringing out the best parts of who you are, then you
will attract somebody who supports that. And isn't that what all of us are
looking for?"
Love
In The Time Of Humidity
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com - Entertainment Reporter
(November 18, 2007) "Parrots! We had
terrible trouble with parrots.
The parrots there fly around in flocks of hundreds and they're incredibly noisy
birds. They lived in all those big trees where we were filming in the cemetery.
They sit and they talk to one another. We tried gunfire – we really were firing
guns at them – and it wouldn't move them. There was a lot of weird s--- in
Cartagena."
To hear director Mike Newell tell it, the story behind the shooting of Love in the Time of Cholera in and around Cartagena, Colombia, has
all the elements of a slightly surreal fiction by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who
wrote the novel on which it's based.
"The makeup is so key in this film – Javier (Bardem) and I said to one
another if you don't get the makeup right, you haven't got the movie,"
Newell recalls. The actors age more than 60 years and that meant using
prosthetics, "little pads of gelatin and plastic and that stuff."
The makeup materials don't react well to sweat and in jungle-surrounded
Cartagena, the humidity was so bad one needed a change of clothes by 7:30 in
the morning. Without a cold place to go between takes, says Newell, "the
makeup would simply slide off their faces. Which some days it did. They looked
like Vincent Price in House of Wax."
The low-budget solution – Newell calls Love in the Time of Cholera a
"little film" – was to convert steel cargo containers into
air-conditioned trailers by putting wheels on them.
"Then we wheeled them around city, which was great. But the first time we
had a distant location, which was a ranch about 40 miles into the country, all
the axels started to break because we'd used steel that was about a millimetre
too thin. Life was full of that kind of problem."
The difficulties included a total absence of any filmmaking infrastructure in a
city Newell describes as looking as if "it has been simply plunked down
from 16th-century Spain.
"There's this extraordinary sense of a world heritage site that has been
dropped into this marshy jungle, where everything is too hot, too humid to
breathe and where the mosquitoes are the size of B-29s."
Newell heard that the novel he'd always loved was being adapted by London
writer Ronald Harwood (an Oscar winner for his screenplay of Roman Polanski's The
Pianist) just after completing Harr
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