20
Carlton Street, Suite 1032, Toronto, ON
M5B 2H5
(416)
677-5883
langfieldent@rogers.com
www.langfieldentertainment.com
September 27, 2007
And then there was FALL! Check out the Morley
pictures from her performances last week! What a great show
and compelling and meaningful artist!! And check out the scoop on two
friends of mine, Tomás Doncker (who
recently was in Toronto playing for Morley) and Christina
K. - both out of New York and details below.
It's all about television this week with all the new series starting and the
re-runs halted until next time.
And don't forget to check out Chaka Khan's latest
offering - Funk This! (details below)
::SONY/BMG SCOOP::
Chaka Khan To Release First New Studio Project In 10 Years
Source: Sony/BMG Music Canada
Celebrating over three decades of milestones, Chaka Khan will release her
first new studio album in over 10 years. Khan’s music and celebrity have
influenced generations of fans and contemporary recording artists setting
standards across every music genre: Pop, Rhythm & Blues, Rock, Disco, Soul,
Jazz, Hip Hop and even Classical. Chaka Khan is a musical Icon.
FUNK THIS produced by the Grammy Award winners Jimmy Jam & Terry
Lewis embodies the funky soul of her musical roots with Rufus and her signature
passionately-honest vocal styles that make Chaka Khan timeless. “The
album may remind people of my early Rufus albums because I’m in a similar ‘soul
space.’ I’ve been on a little journey in the last few years, finding
Yvette again.” (Referring to her birth name) “I went through a period of being
insecure. I’m walking a different path now. I’ve changed.
This album is different from any other album I’ve recorded because it reflects
what I’m about, who I am now. The album is called, ‘Funk This!’ because
it’s funky!” The thoughtful work ranges from original copyrights,
collaborations with superstar artists, to adding her signature stamp on
important contemporary classics.
The collection includes fresh renditions of Prince’s “Sign ‘O’ the Times”; a
duet
with Michael McDonald on “You Belong To Me,” a song he co-wrote with Carly
Simon, Joni Mitchell’s “Ladies Man,” Jimi Hendrix’s “Castle Made Of Sand,” the
soul classic “Foolish Fool” and Rufus medley of “Pack’d My Bags,” and
“You Got The Love.” FUNK THIS original’s include “Disrespectful,”
the tour-de-force duet with powerhouse Mary J. Blige, a poignant poetic ballad,
“Angel,” the acoustic “One For All Time” penned by Chaka and Terry Lewis, the
deeply beautiful and soulful “Will You Love Me?” and self affirming “Superlife”
among others. Eight-time Grammy Award winner singer, songwriter and
community advocate – Chaka Khan has been active in lending her support to the
community for many years. The Chaka Khan Foundation, founded in
1999, raised over $1.4 million through its funding raising efforts last year alone.
The Foundation assists women and children at risk and benefits Autism research,
awareness and therapy. For more information, please go to www.chakakhanfoundation.org.
Track List:
1) Back In The Day
2) Foolish Fool
3) One For All Time
4) Angel
5) Will You Love Me?
6) Castles Made Of Sand
7) Disrespectful (Featuring Mary J. Blige)
8) Sign ‘O’ The Times
9) Pack’d My Bags/You Got The Love (Featuring Tony Maiden)
10) Ladies Man
11) You Belong To Me (Featuring Michael McDonald)
12) Hail To The Wrong
13) Superlife
www.chakakhan.com
www.burgundyrecords.com
www.sonybmg.ca
::TOP STORIES::
Caribbean Week in Toronto – September 26 – 30
Source: Caribbean Tourism Organization
Caribbean Week in Toronto will be a
celebration of the
sights, sounds, colors, cultural and unique vacation attributes of the
Caribbean. Tourism Officials, the media, artists, performers, celebrity chefs,
sponsors and strategic partners will be converging on Toronto for a week of
Caribbean hospitality and vacation special offers. Arranged by the Caribbean
Tourism Organization, in conjunction with the Caribbean Hotel Association, the
Week combines sponsored events with fashion, food, entertainment and a
Caribbean wedding! The week culminates with the Governments of the
Caribbean Gala at the Liberty Grand.
On behalf of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) we cordially invite you
to take part in our First Ever Caribbean Week being held in Toronto, Canada –
September 26-30, 2007. The objectives of Caribbean Week in Toronto are to:
-
Provide high profile vehicles that showcase the Caribbean and provide
opportunities for all members to promote and sell their individual products and
services;
-
Create events which will attract significant positive media and consumer
attention by presenting the best of the Caribbean;
-
Provide a heightened awareness of the Caribbean region in Canada.
About CTO:
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), with headquarters in
Barbados and marketing operations in New York, London and Toronto, is the
Caribbean’s tourism development agency and comprises membership of more than 30
Dutch, English, French and Spanish governments and a myriad of private sector
entities. The CTO’s mission is to provide to and through its members, the
services and information needed for the development of sustainable tourism for
the economic and social benefit of the Caribbean people. The organization
provides specialized support and technical assistance to member countries in
the areas of marketing, human resource development, research and information
technology, and sustainable development.
Michael Bublé Wants To Take Over The World
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
Michael Posner
(September 22, 2007) ATLANTA — Hot, 94 degrees Fahrenheit hot. At 7
o'clock in the evening. Welcome to Atlanta in August, the Deep South in high
summer. Passing cars shimmer in the heat. Hotlanta, the natives call it.
Avec raison. A hot town, welcoming the hottest singer around. Mr. Cool, Michael Bublé. Outside the historic Fox
Theatre, the line begins to form an hour before show time. The bustling crowd
is mostly women, young or middle-aged, though there's a healthy sprinkling of
couples, white and black, even families with young children. They've paid $100
a person to be here, and many are eager to hand out another $20 for a souvenir
program. “I saw him last year, too, and he was wonderful,” gushes Amanda
Bullard, a young woman who works in the music industry. She's with her
boyfriend. “He has that charisma and personality that Frank Sinatra had. I have
all of Michael's albums, oh yes. He's absolutely beautiful – and that doesn't
hurt anything either.”
Indeed. The frenzy begins an hour later when Michael Steven Bublé, 32, the only
son of a Burnaby, B.C., salmon fisherman, and now a gold-plated show-business
commodity, finally takes the stage. He appears suddenly and dramatically,
framed in smoky, vectored spotlights. A feisty 14-piece band, mostly brass, is
behind him. He wears a snappy, dark grey suit, white shirt and loosened tie.
His hair is trim, but tussled, as if he might have just gotten out of bed. No
accident, there. Not even a bar into his opening ballad, Leonard Cohen's I'm
Your Man — “If you want a lover, I'll do anything you ask me to” – the
screaming starts. When he ventures briefly into the first few rows to let fans
take pictures, they rush the apron. One young woman, unsteady on her feet,
manages to make it to the stage and is quickly led away by security. Another
briefly grabs Bublé's butt. For almost two hours, in total command, the epitome
of cool, Bublé variously belts and serenades, kibitzes with the band, pretends
to play the trombone, impersonates Elvis – an uncanny imitation, to the tune of
That's All Right (Mama) – and breezes through 20 songs, many of them
from his new album, Call Me Irresponsible. Released in May, it debuted
at No. 1 on Billboard's charts and still ranks high on the Top 200. He finishes
with Sinatra's 40-year-old rouser, That's Life, backed by a powerful
all-black Atlanta gospel choir. At the end, everyone is on their feet,
clapping, whistling, whooping for more.
The Fox Theatre, a stop on his recent 19-city American tour, was a sell-out for
two nights, 4,600 seats. Then it was on to Los Angeles, where he sold out the
Greek Theatre, 5,800 seats, three consecutive nights. Burnaby boy makes good
doesn't quite cover it. He's no longer an act; he's a phenomenon – astonishing,
when you realize that less than seven years ago he was ready to chuck it all
and study journalism. “I told him, ‘Michael, go ahead,' ” recalls his former
manager, Bev Delich, who discovered him at 18 in a Vancouver talent contest.
“And in a few years, when you see some other singer creeping up, making it big
with the same songs you sing, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. And
wish you could slash your wrists.” And here we are, 14 million albums sold and
still counting. Seven Juno Awards. Two Grammy nominations. Enough gold and
platinum records to fill a library. Concert tours though 44 countries. A global
brand. Corporate deals with Starbucks, ESPN, Rolex, and more on the way, not to
mention the burgeoning Bublé product line (lithographs, teddy bears,
sweatshirts, anything warm and cuddly). Even Sinatra never had this.
And, lest we forget, there are the women. An inexhaustible parade. Legions of
Michael-mad maidens wherever he goes, some of whom may or may not have played a
part in the breakup of his relationship with Vancouver actress and singer
Debbie Timuss, his former fiancée. But mostly they are just ardent fans. Others
are ardent, but not necessarily fans, including the Virginia man who claimed
Bublé had stolen music from black people, and threatened to kill him. After
that incident, Bublé hired his high-school friend, Steve Hartley, as a personal
bodyguard. Next month, he's off on a European and South African concert
marathon – he's a much bigger deal overseas than in North America – playing
(among other venues) London's 12,300-seat Wembley Arena, the 11,000-seat
Palalottomatica in Rome, and the 18,000-seat Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg.
Then he returns home for a new cross-Canada tour, announced this week. I have
only this advice: Buy your tickets early. The boy is hot.
‘Michael does not have a filter'
After the Atlanta show, Bublé spent a few hours mingling and flirting in
the bar at the Ritz-Carlton in Buckhead, an upscale suburb north of Atlanta. A
long sleep, a few e-mails, some phone calls, including one to his girlfriend of
two years, Emily Blunt, the British actress (The Devil Wears Prada) with
whom he lives, and to his manager, Vancouver's Bruce Allen, to whom he talks
every day – “bitching,” he says, “about the Canucks.” And now here he is the
next afternoon, back in the bar, in a T-shirt, jeans, sneakers and a
military-fatigue cap. Fresh-faced. Wide-eyed. He looks like a teenager. Bublé
orders a cheeseburger, fries and bottled water. When it arrives, he carefully
removes the onion. He eats the fries first, dipping them into a miniature
bottle of Heinz ketchup, one at a time. And he talks. Openly, without
self-censorship, in a way few A-list celebrities are allowed to do. About his
family, Blunt, Allen, Paul Anka, who helped him choose songs for his
self-titled first album, his creative battles with David Foster, who has
produced Bublé's last three albums, and the double-edged sword of fame, one
part ecstasy, one part something else. He's famous for his talking, of course,
tending to err – in interviews or from the stage – a little too frequently on
the side of indiscretion. But that's Bublé, always authentic, for better or
worse. Asked once what the biggest mistake of his career was, he replied: “my
mouth.” “Michael does not have a filter,” concedes manager Allen. “I keep
reminding myself that he's 32, not a 50-year-old crooner. I could not put a
leash on him. He's honest and candid and says what he thinks. He's not kept in
a bubble. But he hasn't changed. The only difference is that instead of playing
to 300 people, he's playing to 5,000 or 10,000.” Still, the Bublé urge to play
is irrepressible. “Do you want to do more acting?” I ask him at one point. He's
already appeared briefly in three mainstream films, including The Snow
Walker and Duets. “No, not unless it's soft-core porn,” he says,
totally straight-faced. A pause. “Or hard-core,” he adds, laughing. “That would
be okay, too.”
‘He drew fame to himself like a magnet'
It's quite a story, the Bublé saga. Some of it is already legend. How as a
kid, hanging out with his Italian grandfather, plumber Demetrio (Mitch)
Santanga, he starts listening to old music. Old as in Sinatra, the Mills
Brothers, Mel Tormé, Vic Damone, Bobby Darin. While his schoolmates in Burnaby
groove on punk and heavy metal, Bublé's Walkman plays Stardust and Stormy
Weather. The whole family likes to sing. But when Michael's 15 they notice
– he was singing Irving Berlin's White Christmas at the time – something
different about his voice: The kid has a set of serious pipes. And he wants to
sing. Indeed, it's the only thing he wants to do. And what he wants to sing are
the old songs. Santanga, whose clients included area bandleaders, barters his
plumbing services in return for stage time for Michael, and pays for his
singing lessons. At 18, the kid enters a local talent contest, singing All
of Me. “How old are you?” asks the organizer, future manager Delich. “18.”
“I have some good news and bad news,” she says. “You won. But you're
disqualified. Underage.” Delich then enters him in the Canadian Youth Talent
Search. He wins. It's shortly after that that Bublé asks her to be his manager.
“I'll give you 15 per cent of everything.”
“Michael,” she says. “What's 15 per cent of nothing?” But she finally signs on,
and represents Bublé for the next seven not-so-fruitful years. According to his
friend, jazz musician and composer Gabriel Mark Hasselbach, “Bev was Michael's
ticket out of Burnaby. She took that boy by the collar and dragged him to
fame.” Well, almost. Dragged him to fame's threshold, perhaps. Delich
campaigned tirelessly for Bublé, convinced he will one day make it big. “Some
mornings I'd cry at the breakfast table, but I knew he had it.” The only person
who believes in him more is Bublé himself. He does every gig imaginable –
lounges, nightclubs, suburban malls, even a Santa Claus event for $80. He plays
Elvis in Red Rock Diner (where he meet Timuss), and he does Dean Regan's
musical revue, Forever Swing. Vancouver radio announcer Buzz Bishop,
whose station sponsored nights at Vancouver's Babalu, remembers that the club's
stage was cramped and the band small. “Yet Michael would put all his energy and
passion into it,” recalls Bishop, now a friend of Bublé. “He treated every show
as if he were headlining in Vegas.” But Bublé was impatient. Once, on a beach
in Florida during a road trip, he tells Hasselbach he's ready to give it all up
– return to Burnaby, find a job and start a family – if he doesn't become
famous in the next few months. “How ludicrous that sounded to a veteran like
me,” says Hasselbach. “It takes years of dues-paying to expect a payoff.
Michael, in his early 20s, expected it tomorrow. It just goes to show you the
power of intention. He drew fame to himself like a magnet.”
‘An unknown artist with an awkward name'
When they write the book on Michael Bublé, they'd better hold a special
place for former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney and his one-time
speechwriter Michael McSweeney. It's an improbable story, one that has already
acquired the patina of myth. The oft-told part is that McSweeney saw Bublé
perform at a corporate gig, and sent a CD to Mulroney, suggesting he might sing
at the marriage of Mulroney's daughter, Caroline, to Andrew, son of Lewis
Lapham, then editor of Harper's Magazine. That was in 2000. Mulroney, an
enthusiastic crooner himself, loved the material and promptly hired Bublé.
Among the wedding guests was an old Mulroney friend, record producer David
Foster, whose résumé includes a veritable Who's Who of pop musicians. Among
them: Celine Dion, Barbara Streisand, the Bee Gees, the Corrs, Kenny Rogers,
Dolly Parton. As the story goes, Foster was so knocked out by Bublé's nuptials
performance – he sang Mack the Knife and a few of his own compositions –
that he immediately signed him to a contract. Not quite. In fact, Foster
confesses, he was something of a reluctant convert. “Not to Michael's talent,”
he is quick to add, on the phone this week during a vacation in the south of France.
“His wedding performance was incredible. But I just didn't know how you'd
market that music.” Especially with an unknown artist with an awkward name.
(Later, Warner executives suggested he change it, but Bublé refused.) Bruce
Allen felt the same. Delich knew Allen had orchestrated the careers of Bryan
Adams, Anne Murray and Martina McBride. She appealed for help in getting Bublé
launched. “I don't know what I'd do with him,” Allen told her.
“Well, Bruce,” said Delich, “if you don't know, who does?” At the time,
crooners weren't exactly selling like iPods. The niche – and it wasn't much
more than that – was largely occupied by Harry Connick Jr. But the New Orleans
showman had begun to show more interest in his acting career, leaving a
possible vacuum. And Foster, who had persuaded his colleagues at Warner Music
that an unknown young man named Josh Groban could sell them a ton of records by
singing obscure Italian love ballads, had acquired a reputation for out-of-the
box thinking. Still, Foster was averse. “David told me flat out, ‘You'll never
be signed and I'll never produce you,' ”Bublé recalls. “ ‘I have no clue why or
how to sell this.' But I drove him crazy, and so did Mulroney. He leaned on
him. And let me tell you about David Foster. He didn't know me from Adam, and
Beverly and I moved down there for a while, sharing an apartment in Westwood.
We had nothing happening. Nothing. We were living on the dream. And David would
say, ‘Take this. I know you need it.' And he'd hand me a cheque for $5,000.” Finally,
Foster told Delich he'd do the record, but only if she raised the necessary
funds, about half a million dollars.
‘I can't tell you how much I wanted it'
Later, Foster had a better idea: his friend Paul Anka, another showbiz
legend. They all met one morning, at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, where Bublé
was opening for Jay Leno. A piano was rolled in and Bublé, still a little
hungover, sang My Way, which Anka had written for Sinatra. As Bublé
recalls, “after about two lines, he stops me and says to Foster, ‘How much do
you need, Fos?' And Foster says, ‘Squank' — that's David's nickname for Anka —
‘we need about X.' And he says, ‘Done.' ” But in the end, according to Delich,
Foster used his own money, and took the finished record to Warner Music, where
he had his own label, 143/Reprise. Even then, there remained a final, pivotal
meeting between Bublé and Warner music chairman Tom Whalley. He went alone. “I
waited outside, a wreck,” recalls Delich. “But Michael always told me the
truth, good or bad. So he comes out and I say, ‘How did it go?' He told me
Whalley asked him, ‘Why should we do this? People will compare you to Sinatra
and you're not Sinatra.' And Michael said: ‘I don't want to be Sinatra. I'm not
Sinatra. I've never wanted to be Sinatra. I want to be Michael Bublé.' ” Five
days later, Warner gave it the green light.
“I can't tell you how much I wanted it,” Bublé says. It, in this context, is
some amalgam of fame and success. Not money. Money is almost incidental. Apart
from his Nintendo Wii and a little Vespa scooter he calls “the Harley,” Bublé
owns few toys. He doesn't own a car. In fact, when a Vancouver dealership
loaned him a BMW convertible to drive for a while, he soon gave it back. “Too
ostentatious. Not me. I can't tell you how many people gave me the finger. I
was pulled over twice.” But he and Blunt did recently buy a house in West
Vancouver. Vancouver journalist Kerry Gold, who has followed Bublé's career for
11 years, says, “I've never met anyone so hungry for success. His manager Beverly
would hound me to come see him perform. The young girls were transfixed. It's
hard not to like Michael, because he has this way of making you feel like
you're part of his inner circle, even when you're in the media. I think that's
part of the reason for his success. He charms people.” Bublé wanted success so
much that he refused to watch old videos of Sinatra or Bobby Darin onstage. “I
couldn't watch them. It hurt me too much because I wanted it so bad. It hurt
that that wasn't me, doing what I needed to do.” Bublé avoided videos for
another reason; he didn't want to be accused – though he often was – of
imitating other performers. “It took a long time before people started to see
that I had found my own voice.” One night, Tony Bennett came to see him
backstage at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles. “ ‘Kid,' he says to me, “I hear a
lot voices in you. I hear me. I hear Frank. I hear Dean [Martin]. I hear Mel
[Tormé]. Listen, kid. You steal from one, you're a thief. You steal from all of
us, that's research.” When Foster's demo was finished, Delich took it to Bruce
Allen. “What would you give it?” she asked. “I'd give it a nine.” “Not bad. Why
not a 10?” “Nothing's a 10.” At which point, Delich finally ceded managerial
reins to Allen, though she still receives a trailing royalty from his earnings,
a gesture of thanks from Bublé. Although he spends very little on himself, he's
generous to his family. Last Christmas, he gave his parents, Lewis and Amber, a
cool million dollars, and $50,000 to each of his two sisters. “Why not?” he
says. “They helped me out for years when I was struggling.”
‘I have a mission – to take over the world'
Even with Bruce Allen on board, however, Bublé kept pressing for more. “I
said to him, ‘Why am I only playing 500-seat theatres or 1,100 seats and only
500 are filled? How come people don't know me?' And Bruce said, ‘Be patient,
kid. You're the real deal. We will build this organically, one fan at a time,
and the stronger your foundation, the more secure your career will be.' And of
course, I'm thinking ‘bullshit.'” But Allen had a strategy. The first was to
position Bublé as star material, not an opening act. The second, strongly
endorsed by Bublé, was to broaden his appeal by leavening the American songbook
with more contemporary tunes, works by Cohen, Willie Nelson, James Taylor, the
Bee Gees and others. Although Bublé had co-written dozens of his own songs, and
has put a few on his albums ( Home, written for former girlfriend
Timuss; Everything, written for Blunt; and Lost), neither Allen
nor Foster wanted the records to become a platform of self-indulgence. Warner
Music expected the first album to sell 100,000 copies, tops. It sold millions.
“Michael's going to have a 30-year career,” predicts Foster. “Or longer. A lot
of other singers have turned to this material because their careers were in
trouble. But Michael has always been here. He's lived this music. For my taste,
he's the greatest singer alive, if you want that sound. But yes, we've had many
healthy debates.” “It's testy,” Bublé says of his relationship with Foster.
“But it's wonderful. I have the greatest producer in the world. We're both very
passionate. l know what I want a song to sound like, and he's the same, and
sometimes those visions clash. But I wouldn't be able to make these songs as
good without him.” He's equally in awe of Allen, “the only critic I listen to.
This kind of success – I don't think the Colonel [Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's
legendary manager] could have achieved it.” Bublé is acutely aware that many
music critics continue to regard him as “an analogy for what sucks.” But he
considers it an expression of artistic elitism. “I'd be a lot more popular with
the critics if I didn't sell.”
So what explains his success? Many things. Good fortune (meeting Michael
McSweeney at the right moment). Good timing (born in 1975, he's able to draw
upon the rich legacy of American music). Good genes, (not just the vocal cords,
but a riveting stage presence that can't be taught). A high-powered team
(Allen, Foster, and Warner producer Humberto Gattica). The precipitous decline
of the old record industry (when there are fewer buyers, an asset like Bublé
becomes all the more valuable and worth promoting). And a solid family
foundation. “His upbringing was pretty special,” says Hasselbach. “The
influences and support of his parents, and especially granddad, helped give him
grounding in life and music, and also the confidence and wings to fly. He's as
fresh a guy as you'll ever meet, and he mixes his inherent great voice, wit and
charm into an exciting concoction.” And then there's the music, the popular
appetite for which seems to grow stronger the more that contemporary music
descends into mere noise. “My success,” he says, “is ultimately a testament to
the music. It's timeless. I could be the coolest cat alive, but without that
music.…” One afternoon a year ago, sitting in Vancouver with Blunt, Bublé
watched Liza Minnelli on Inside t he Actors Studio. “And she sang this
song about being deaf, and I tell you man, she emoted and I cried there on the
couch. And I said to Emily, ‘That's what I'm missing.' Yes, I have confidence
and can goof around, but when it comes to a song that needs to be interpreted
seriously.… In the past, I was faking it. I'd sing a song and try to make it
pretty, and then make a joke. Not any more.” “The women love you,” I said.
“Yes!” he exclaims, pumping his first as though he'd just beaten Roger Federer
at Wimbledon. “They literally throw themselves at you.” “Just throw the light
ones, please…. Look, this is why I wanted to do this. For the power to
entertain. It's the only thing that's good about fame. I can go into a room and
not have to stand there like a lemon. But all those stories, the women that
said they made out with me in high school, they lied. They never would have
made out with Michael Bublé.” Similarly, he dismisses rumours of more recent
womanizing. His friend Hasselbach says, “Mikey was always a ladies' man to some
degree, but he loves richly and fully, and treats women well.” So far, Bublé
seems unspoiled by his riches. Can it last? He offers a story. As a kid, he
worked summers on his father's fishing boat. “Four a.m. to 11, 4 a.m. to 11,
every day. There was great camaraderie, but it was tough physically. And by 16,
I had worked my way up to something like first mate. One year, we had this guy
named Justin. He was 26. Big. Six-five. And one day I told him, ‘Hey, chop the
ice. Now. When I say jump, you say: How high?' It led to a confrontation. “He
headbutted me, and said, ‘I don't care whose son you are. Don't take away my
dignity.' Now I should have known that. My father never spoke to people that
way. But it taught me common respect. And I never, ever, talk down to people.”
Nor, he insists, will he be tempted by greener pastures. “It's very easy to
spread yourself too thin.” “Harry Connick, Jr.?” “I didn't say that … but the
grass is always greener. And I have a mission – to take over the world and be
the last man standing. That's what I want. To be the last man standing.”
FLOW 93.5 And Nando's Fight Hunger With
Fall Food Drive
Source: FLOW 93.5
TORONTO (September 26, 2007) –FLOW 93.5 has
partnered with Nando’s Flame-Grilled Chicken Restaurants and Daily Bread Food Bank to
help fight hunger in the GTA this Thanksgiving Season. On Saturday
September 29th, FLOW 93.5 is holding a Food Drive at
Nando’s Flame-Grilled Chicken Restaurant in Richmond Hill (9625 Yonge St) from
2pm to 5pm. Event organiser, FLOW 93.5 Promotions Director Venus Santos, says
“We’ll be firing up the grill and giving away the world famous, Nando’s
Flame-Grilled Peri-Peri Chicken to those who donate a minimum of $9.35 or 9
cans of non-perishable food items. Everyone is encouraged to join us and enjoy
a day of food, music and fun, all in the spirit of giving.”
In addition, everyone who donates will be entered into a raffle where we are
giving away $100 gift certificates for Nando’s Flame-Grilled Chicken
Restaurants in the GTA. FLOW 93.5 has contributed one-of-a-kind, autographed
items for silent auction. Auction items include signed paraphernalia from the
cast of MTV’s The Hills, Ciara, T.I, Maroon 5, and Akon. The silent auction
will be conducted at the event. Proceeds from the auction will go directly to
Daily Bread Food Bank. All items are available for viewing at www.flow935.com.
Daily Bread Food Bank’s “Fall Food Drive,” which launched on Friday September
21st and will run until October 21st, hopes to receive in
excess of 900,000 pounds of food donated by the public. Through a network of
190 food relief programs, 34% of Daily Bread's clients are children, and 27%
have jobs. Daily Bread Food Bank aims to feed the hungry and eliminate the need
for food banks in the GTA. Food donation drop offs can be made at any Loblaws
store or Fire Hall in the GTA during the Food Drive period. Subsequently,
monetary donations can be made by phoning Daily Bread Food Bank (416-203-0050)
or visiting www.dailybread.ca. Fight hunger with us!
With nineteen restaurants in BC, Alberta and Ontario - including four (and
counting) in the GTA - Nando's Canada delivers much more than tasty, healthy
food. The company - through its campaign Chicken for ALL Canadians! – is
focused on engaging all communities in Canada and is heavily involved with
numerous charitable organizations. “As a restaurant group, Nando's has
the opportunity to nourish people physically and - in this case - feed them
emotionally, as well. Serving lunch to those generous enough to support the
cause is a great way to make a difference," said Mark Majewski, National
Marketing Director, Nando's Canada. "I really hope we raise lots of money
and a ton of food for Daily Bread Food Bank on September 29 to help them meet
their Fall Food Drive fundraising goal."
For more information contact:
Venus Santos, Promotions Director, FLOW 93.5; 416-214-5000 x257; venus@flow935.com
Tomás Doncker - Groovy Sex Music
Source: Hana & Associates Media
Producer, singer and songwriter Tomás Doncker, otherwise known
as the pioneer of Groovy Sex Music made a come back with his new album
"Inside Out," on July 15th @ cdbaby.com and itunes.com.
The album - under construction for the past year - embodies an eclectic
blend of blues, soul and pop. Doncker is sexy, soulful and original; his
groovy sex music is for everybody, but sophisticated audiences appreciate
him most. Doncker cut his teeth hanging
out in New York's downtown, fertile punk-funk explosion of the 1980's but after
spending some time out of the loop and after seeing him perform, you'd have to
agree that he's back, bigger and better than before! Although Doncker and his band are independent artists,
they represent the echelon of New York's elite musicians, specializing in songs
about relationships among friends, family and lovers. Alongside Doncker are his vocalists, acoustic-soul and
pop-diva, "Morley" and the legendary New York City
songwriter, "Chocolate Genius." Steven Bernstein of Sex Mob
[nominated for a Grammy in February, 2007] plays the trumpet. Daniel Sedownick
handles percussion, and Booker King tames the bass.
The Hollins Steele Factory production team and Ethan Ryman of the Garden
of Ethan Studios of Brooklyn, NY produced the album along with Executive
Producer, Russell Cooper. Doncker, who wrote seven of the nine songs on his album [two being
re-makes of Sadé's "Somebody Already Broke My Heart" and Cat
Stephens' "Peace Train"] are reflective of his life: Track
number one kicks off the album with "Faith and Trust." The song
was born out of the deep depression Doncker experienced over the death of his
mother – a period in which he was homeless and unable to move forward.
He feels blessed to have graduated from this circumstance unscathed,
realizing that the friendships he cultivated were like family:
"People may not be your flesh and blood but they'll treat you like you're
'one' and provide that crutch." Although Doncker's temporary brush with depression transformed him, much
has still changed since his hay day in the '80's with such artists like
Madonna, Jean Michel Basquiat, Bootsy Collins and Yoko Ono for companions and
co-workers: "I have found that time and experience have shaped me into the
passionate artist I am today and although some experiences were difficult, I
wouldn't trade the lessons for the world."
The response to his music has been, "…overwhelmingly positive," he
says. "People are comparing me to Robin Thicke, who I think has the
best album of the year!" Doncker
is currently wrapping up production for his new album, "The Mercy
Suite" with Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Yesef Komunyaka. "The
album is about love, relationships and war and features guest appearances by
Chocolate Genius, Morley and Corey Glover," says Doncker. Currently residing in Brooklyn, New York, Doncker
records and performs with his band and is finishing his highly anticipated
acoustic/soul album. It will be co-produced by Ethan Ryman (Garden of
Ethan Studios) and the Hollins Steele production team once
again. Speaking of band
performances, Doncker and his band are incredible live performers, which means
a lot considering this technically-inspired music age we live in:
At the Voyage Restaurant and Lounge on September 18th, the
bass player guided the performance with such ease and rhythmic calm, that a
lock-jawed pit bull could relax. The percussionist contributed a Mediterranean
element to the performance and the lovely backup singer Morley, was a pleasant
reminder of the performance's vocal and physical beauty, which balanced the
over-all act. Last but not least, Doncker was the glue that held the
performance together with his soothing guitar playing and milky, silky voice;
he contributed the sexy element in which his groovy, sexy reputation is
based. His lyrics and the band's performance quality were so engaging that
any audience would be subdued. Tomás
Doncker on his music: "It's blues music about emotions; it's best to
create music about things you've seen." The artists he admires are,
"…people who are fearless in their commitment to their craft despite the industry
limitations." He gives
special thanks to his band and his guitar endorsers R.Roco Strings, Aslindane
and Blueride/Regal Guitars.
www.myspace.com/tomasdoncker
Christina K. Releases Her Boyfriend
Source: More Hits Entertainment, LLC and Caught
Magazine
New York's pop artist and producer, Christina K. is staged to be the
next big thing in music in 2008. Her new self-produced single "I Got a
Boyfriend" is currently spinning on Top 40 Stations throughout the US.
Christina K. brings something new and refreshing to music, as she not only
writes, but also produces her own material. Her style is unique, and seamlessly
blends the genres of both Pop and Hip-Hop music. Originally from Maryland,
Christina moved to New York and worked within the music industry for a
publicity and event-planning firm before venturing to fully pursue her career
as an artist.
Writing rhymes since the age of 5, Christina K, a Capitol Heights, Maryland
native expresses herself through hip-hop music. Inspired by Salt-N-Peppa this
track takes you back to that old school hip-hop, pop, rock sound.
Please check out Christina K.'s MySpace page for more information:
www.myspace.com/christinakmusic
Police To Monitor Songs For Anti-Gay Lyrics
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Nicholas Keung, Immigration/Diversity Reporter
(September 26, 2007) Toronto police will monitor this
Friday's concert by Jamaican dancehall artist O'Neil Bryan, also known as Elephant Man, after receiving complaints
that the performer incites anti-gay violence through his music. “Their lyrics,
in my opinion, do tend to step over the line in regards to hate propaganda and
advocating harm to one of the identified groups," said Det. Gary McQueen,
of the hate crimes unit. “These entertainers have had some issues in other
countries, in London, England, in particular," he added, referring to
another complaint against Miguel Orlando Collins, a.k.a. Sizzla, who is booked
at The Kool Haus Oct. 5. "We are looking at these situations to see if
they apply to our experience in Toronto and Canada.” Despite protests by the
Toronto-based Canadian Caribbean Human Rights Group, immigration officials have
issued visas to both Bryan and Collins. The latter was banned from the United
Kingdom in 2004. Bryan arrived in Canada last week and has performed in
Winnipeg and Victoria, where local police closely monitored the concerts.
The artists' offensive lyrics use derogatory terms for gay men in Jamaican
patois. Yesterday, a spokeman for Bryan's Toronto host, The Kool Haus on Queens
Quay, also condemned the singers' anti-gay lyrics but said its hands were tied
because of contractual agreements with both performers. Last week, a St.
Catharines union pulled the plug at a CAW hall for Bryan's stop there. “I am a
million per cent against lyrics that promote hatred against gays and lesbians,
women, religions and races," Kool Haus CEO Charles Khabouth said via phone
from Las Vegas. "Had I been aware of the nature of the lyrics, I wouldn't
have allowed the booking." Khabouth said contracts were signed
months ago and he had not been aware of the lyrics. Ticket sales for Elephant
Man's show have been poor, with only one-third of the 2,180 seats sold.
Sizzla's concert is expected to draw 1,500.That's little comfort to the
organizers of the Stop Murder Music campaign, made up of 20 advocacy groups
that believe music by homophobic dancehall performers has contributed to mob
attacks against gays in Jamaica and the Caribbean. Police could charge the
artists if they perform anti-gay numbers. The artists' Toronto promoters,
Ultimate Entertainment and Chris Hines Ent., say the performers don't have the
power to "invoke violence and murder" against gays and lesbians.
::MUSIC NEWS::
Shaye
No Longer A Trio, Except On TV
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com
- Entertainment Columnist
(September 23, 2007) Only Canadians would
work so hard to make
compelling television of the story of a one-hit band that dissolved after its
second album failed to light a fire, and then dare to air it six whole months
after the trio – singers Kim Stockwood, Damhnait (pronounced
"Davnet") Doyle and Tara MacLean – lost their big-time record deal
and the entire five-year enterprise collapsed. That's essentially the honest
but less-than-uplifting narrative that unfolds in Shaye, which premiered a couple of weeks ago, and picks up
with the second show tonight at 10 on E!. The final two parts of the series air
Sept. 30 and Oct. 4. Americans would have done this differently, of course. The
TV series would have been in the record company's control and used as a
powerful promotional tool prior to the launch of the album, by which time the
three lead characters would have become overnight celebrities, household names,
and their record's success assured. The irony isn't lost on Stockwood and
Doyle, who shrugged their shoulders over a lunch a few days ago. MacLean was
absent, preparing for the birth of her second child and the start of sessions
for her third solo CD. "Who knows? The TV show might boost record sales
(of their current album, Lake of Fire) and we might get back together
again," said Stockwood, a mother of two young sons and the wife of Alan
Reid, the powerful head of the A&R division of Universal Music
Canada. Veteran songwriters and performers, they don't seem at all
shattered by the well-chronicled rise and fall of their joint effort, the pop
band Shaye, named after MacLean's late sister, a cancer victim.
"We should have gone out and played live more often, but getting us
together is like mobilizing an army," Stockwood explained. "And the
expenses are enormous, because we have to fly everywhere with babies and
nannies. "I'm 41, and my most important job right now is raising
children and making a home. When we went to our first meeting at EMI, before we
were signed, we handed them a list of things we weren't willing to do."
That list included heading off together in a van for parts unknown, and playing
in bars for a handful of locals, she said. "They saw us perform and saw
something they liked, so they went ahead and signed us." Two albums, a
bona fide radio hit ("Happy Baby," from the first CD, The Bridge),
a couple of expensive videos and a label executive shuffle later, Shaye is, in
effect, a ghost band whose entertaining experiences, dramatically set up in the
series made by Breakthrough Films over the past 15 months, amount to little
more than personal scrapbook fodder. It's hard to root for a band that has
thrown in the towel – and that's the series' major flaw. "I had no
expectations when we started this band," Doyle said. "We're lucky to
have had a hit record, and for the experience we've gained as individuals. I
think the TV series is an honest glimpse at what goes on in the music business,
but it's not The Osbournes. "There are no rules in the music
industry any more. You just throw spaghetti at walls and hope some of it
sticks."
Will
There Ever Be Another Glenn Gould?
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com
- Classical Music Critic
(September 23, 2007) More has been said and
written about Glenn
Gould than about any other classical musician
of the 20th century. The late pianist and broadcaster is classical music's
Elvis, growing larger in death than he was in an already public life. Only
instead of Elvis's kitsch factor, he had a peculiar geek factor. Instead of
helping popularize a new kind of music, like Elvis with rock 'n' roll, Gould
made an old kind of music sound new again. As we approach what would have been
his 75th birthday on Tuesday – and the 25th anniversary of his death on Oct. 4
– we have to wonder if any place in the world will ever again produce a concert
phenomenon like this lifelong Torontonian. Popular culture in 2007 is much
different from that of 60 years ago, when Gould made his Massey Hall debut with
the Toronto Symphony. One of the keys to understanding the phenomena of
pianist Vladimir Horowitz, conductor Arturo Toscanini or Glenn Gould lies in
North American middle-class musical culture of the 1930s, '40s and '50s,
according to Gould biographer Kevin Bazzana. "Nearly half of middle-class
adults had a relationship with classical music at that time," says
Bazzana, whose book Wondrous Strange: The Life and Art of Glenn Gould
is considered to be the definitive biography so far. Because of this connection
between popular culture and classical music, it was easier for Gould to become
a household name, for people to rush to the record store to buy his latest
long-playing record.
I remember once visiting grandparents as a little boy, probably in the early
'70s. Their open door created an endless riot of family and friends indoors.
Yet, that afternoon, everything came to a halt because Gould was going to be on
TV. Adults and kids were silenced as the black-and-white TV set flickered to
life. For the next half hour, we were transfixed by the image of a strange man
humming, gesticulating, practically crouched at his keyboard, weaving magical
piano music. With so much of Gould's output preserved on DVD, many of us
continue to stop the roistering of the world to commune with this man's
eccentric, yet magnetically compelling, musical vision. Bazzana says that Gould
came along in the record business at the perfect time: "Columbia (his
label) was run by people who played musical instruments – imagine!" The
CBC had money to spend on daily live radio concerts and documentaries, spurring
Gould to develop his lifelong "love affair with the microphone," as
he once said in an interview. Gould was featured in the CBC's first
English-language television broadcast, and remained a frequent presence
thereafter. The pianist, who hated the stress of performing live, quit the
concert stage after a decade of sometimes intense touring that included the
first visit of a Canadian artist to the U.S.S.R. There, just like everywhere
else he went, he left audiences staggered by his musicianship. The power of his
art was so strong that no one cared how strangely he behaved on stage.
But after 1964, he sequestered himself behind studio walls and, contrary to
commercial wisdom that still applies today, managed to sell even more records
than when he was appearing live. "There was always a venue for him,"
says Bazzana. "But it's hard to imagine today." In 2007, despite
healthy ticket and disc sales, classical music is largely considered to be on
the fringes of mainstream culture. "We have made of classical music something
so serious, something almost religious, that many people don't feel comfortable
approaching it anymore," says internationally applauded Canadian pianist
Alain Lefevre. "There are two or three generations of people who no longer
feel comfortable inside a concert hall." At the same time, music schools
and universities churn out thousands of new graduates every year. "There
was a time when there were too many pianists. Now there are as many violinists
as there are clarinettists, and everything else," says Lefevre. "The
environment is so different today," says Toronto pianist Patricia Parr,
70, who made her Toronto Symphony debut at age 9, and appeared at New York's
Carnegie Hall a year later, in 1947. Since 1974, she has taught piano
performance at the University of Toronto and at the Royal Conservatory of
Music. "There are so many great young pianists out there," says Parr.
"You have to win a competition to get noticed." Yet aside from
participating in Toronto's first Kiwanis festival in his early teens, Gould
stayed away from competitions. "What really made Glenn famous was the
release of (J.S. Bach's) Goldberg Variations," in 1955, says
Parr. "That would never happen today. You have to establish yourself
before a record company will even look at you." Yet as we chat, Parr eventually
concedes Gould "was so good at it that he would find a way to succeed at
it today." It is a view echoed by Toronto artist managers Richard Paul and
Andrew Kwan.
Gould's own agent, former Toronto Symphony general manager Walter Homburger,
agrees: "A Glenn Gould will always come out at the top. He was a genius
and he played unique piano. You might not agree necessarily with how he played,
but he was unique." Paul thinks an eccentric personality is an asset
in an age where too many people are clamouring for our attention in all forms
of media: "There is lots of room and almost a necessity today for
individuals such as Glenn Gould." We also know that someone like him does
not show up on stage or disc every day. Parr, who knew Gould and heard him
perform live, says that, in 35 years of teaching, she has only had one student
– a 17-year-old she currently teaches privately – "knock her socks
off." Yes there will be pianists who dazzle us. Will they have the luck to
be born at the right time and place, and with the special ingredient that will
take them beyond the now-less-mainstream world of classical music? Liss
Jeffrey, director of the McLuhan global research network at the University of
Toronto, thinks it could happen: "The power of Internet-assisted digital
media will make it even more possible for stellar artists who are – and whose
work is – eccentric, original, and even marginal to find their enthusiastic
audiences, and for those enthusiasts to share their discovery with a wider and
wider popular consciousness." We can't forget that, among his many
talents, Gould was a prophet of the 21st century – regarding recording
technology, creating personalized playlists and wanting music all around him
all day long (something he called "electronic wallpaper"). He knew a
performer had to be unique in a media-saturated age. In a 1966 BBC interview,
Gould left a lesson to ponder at a time of "super-recording technique and
super artists and super engineers:" "I think that all the basic
statements have been made for posterity. Now, what I think we must do is find
our way around, try to find a raison d'être that is somehow different and yet
is somehow right ... "The key to it is to turn performance into
composition." In other words, someone will have to reinvent how we listen
to music all over again.
Joni Mitchell: Past Outshines Present
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
Robert Everett-Green
SHINE
Joni Mitchell
Hear Music/Starbucks
**
(September 25, 2007) Anger makes some people articulate and
active, while others lapse into blocked silence. Joni Mitchell has known both sides in her reactions to what we're
doing to the Earth. Her first album of new songs after almost a decade of
silence finds words for the problem, and some of them are powerful. But Shine
is a jeremiad that blunts its own message, with music that's too mellow to
express the frustration seething in the lyrics. The disc's targets are many,
from those who poison the land to jerks who pass on the right. It's Big
Yellow Taxi expanded and annotated to album length, without that song's
careening energy or concision. The best new song is This Place, a Taxi-like
reflection on industrial development around her idyllic home in British
Columbia. But its melodic contour, rhythmic style and instrumentation sound
more like Daniel Lanois than Joni Mitchell. If I Had a Heart is another
track worth hearing, in spite of a deadly dull beat. But songs like Bad
Dreams sink into a pastoral mode that conveys as much tension as a tequila
sunrise on the beach. The inertia that blights Mitchell's music these days is
only partly masked by jumpy rhythms in songs such as Hana.
Her writing is melodic but often not very tuneful. I doubt that even her
biggest fans will hum along to Strong and Wrong. Mitchell knows a lot
more about orchestration than she did in her days on the Top 10, but some of
what she has learned hasn't helped her music. The orchestral synthesizer she
uses in most tunes sounds both lavish and cheap, and I tired very quickly of
Rob Sheppard's squeaky saxophones. She probably writes too much at the keyboard,
depending on her fingers to do the walking to some new place that they, with
their habits of movement, seldom find. The opening instrumental minuet gets
some of its character from Mitchell's staccato style of release. After several
more songs, however, the effect starts to sound like a tic. She doesn't touch
the guitar much, which is too bad. Her guitar style and especially her
resonance on the instrument (a result of custom tunings) are not like anybody
else's, and the guitar's demand for real kinetic involvement might have given
the disc some energy. A new take on Big Yellow Taxi soups up the
original without improving on it. It's sad to hear, in the midst of a disc
whose balked musical environment may be all too apt for a once-remarkable
musician who sees no way ahead for us and our wounded Earth.
Akon
Makes His Presence Felt
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com
- Pop Music Critic
(September 24, 2007) Akon's already on top of the world, so it's pretty
big of the man to cede the headlining spot on his Konvicted tour to R&B
debutante Rihanna. And, actually, if production and minute-for-minute volume of
ass-whuppin' tunes is the gauge, the Barbados-born sweetie ruled the day during
Saturday night's joint touchdown of Akon's tour and Rihanna's Good Girl Gone
Bad road show at the Molson Amphitheatre. The estrogen-charged mob of 8,000 or
9,000 was clearly there in large part just to see Akon doff his shirt. It was a
cool night by the lake, so it took a good half hour for that Senegalese-raised
torso to come out ("Don't worry, by the end of the show I'll be butt
naked," he threatened). Not that Akon is strictly chiselled eye candy for
the ladies. The guy is a total presence onstage, one who admittedly
spends as much time hyping the crowd – with frequent assistance from his
sidekick and DJ – as he does singing. But he's also one who can persuade a
throng of adoring females to laugh off a protracted, late-night Marvin Gaye
come-on speech that concludes in a joke about sending the chick "to the
kitchen to be your bartender for the night." Word.
"Taking Over" took over, "Smack That" went down like the
mega-single it is and "Ghetto" made clear that however one might feel
about Akon's omnipresence or his contentious penchant for alternately
dry-humping or jettisoning teen girls and boys into the crowd, he's got an
affinity for heart-wrenching melody to rival any of the hip-hop "hook
girls" he's supplanted on the Billboard singles chart. Further points to
the man for announcing onstage that Toronto MC Kardinal Offishall is the newest
signing to his Konvicted production posse. (Please, someone, let that guy break
in the States 'coz he's about the best we've got.) But also for letting Rihanna
strut her unconvincing stuff with all the bells and whistles normally accorded
a Beyoncé. Decked out like a dominatrix to fit the Good Girl Gone Bad theme,
the 19-year-old belter came on with the strutting surefootedness of a star
who'd already proven herself bigger than the limited vocal and musical range
allowed by her catalogue. "Umbrella" was the moment everyone was
waiting for, but the undeniable, crowd-juicing strength of climactic set-list
entries "Don't Stop the Music" and "Shut Up and Drive"
rendered it almost unnecessary. They lit the place up. The fact that the songs
mimicked Nelly Furtado's "Maneater" and a good chunk of the recent
Avril Lavigne catalogue also laid plain the fact that Rihanna, despite her
talents, remains at the mercy of the music industry to be Rihanna.
Soulful,
Funky 'Lifeline' Reinvents Ben Harper
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com
- Entertainment Columnist
(September 22, 2007) You could be forgiven
for wondering just who
that sartorially polished dude is on the cover of Ben Harper's new album, Lifeline. No hippie surfer
couture here, no shy smile shining up from beneath ragged dreadlocks, no
suggestion of a jam-band cult hero who made his name slinging an appealing
mixture of improvised acoustic folk-blues and wildly inventive slide licks on
his trademark Weissenborn resonator guitar. The newly minted, finely tailored
Ben Harper who stands, arms folded imperiously across his chest, front and
centre on Lifeline – surrounded by members of what appears now to be
his permanent band, The Innocent Criminals – is clearly staking out new turf on
his first collaborative effort, a true band album that evokes in style and
content some of the best gospel pop, soul and R&B of the 1970s. Just don't
call it a "project," as I did during a recent conference phone
conversation with Harper, who's performing at Massey Hall next Friday and
Saturday. "One brief recommendation," he said, interrupting my first
question. "In conversing with musicians who might have a big enough ego to
consider themselves artists, the word `project' is an awkward term." Point
taken. "Project" is record company jargon, and Harper, despite the
earnest support of a major label (Virgin/EMI), is defiantly independent, an
unclassifiable, organic, free-range industry outsider. 'Til now.
Lifeline, with its funky grooves, well-articulated chord changes,
tight musicianship, catchy retro melodies and bright, radio-friendly vocal
tags, sounds polished, deliberate, ambitious. It's not exactly classic Harper,
whose reputation is built on his almost mythical ability to bend traditional
forms into a seamless and distinctive hybrid. This album sounds at times like
Al Green, or Sam Cooke, or Squeeze mixing it up with the Staples. Very
purposeful, very organized, very warm and intimate. Very vintage. That's
because all 11 tracks were recorded live, off the floor, in just one week on
analog equipment – no computer hardware or software, just microphones and
magnetic tape – in a studio in Paris at the end of the band's tour last year.
"In the world of modern audiophilia ... the '70s are clearly acknowledged
as the height, the top shelf of sonic accomplishment, when it comes to
multi-track recording," Harper explained. "And I wanted to have a
piece of that. This was no accident. Every step was analog, right up to the
mastering (stage), where it was printed on the CD." The idea for the
project – sorry, the recording – was the result of extended jam
sessions during sound checks on the Both Sides Of The Gun tour. Harper learned
the benefits of handing off his material to members of his band, who gradually
worked his songs, as well as their joint efforts, into a new shape –and a new
sound. They decided to record in Paris, he said, "because you've got to
get it on in Paris at least once in your life." A novice collaborator,
Harper added that the process set him free, helping him get out of his own way.
"The band pushed me in different directions musically than I would have
gone myself. And I'm really excited to go there. I feel Lifeline is a
musical arrival for me. Having gotten out of my own way, I was able to trust
(the band) and their ideas. I'm excited by the potential future of more (of
this) music.
"And it wasn't an easy process. I kind of went kicking and screaming at
times. But, at a certain point, I realized once these songs were becoming
complete pieces of music, the band was actually making them better, better than
I could have made it on my own." Ostensibly the happy husband of movie
star Laura Dern and father to their two children, the California-born-and-raised
musician sounds oddly melancholy on Lifeline. Many of the best songs
are filled with resentment and regret over failed relationships. Not his own,
Harper was quick to point out. "Bitterness, confusion ... yeah, I hear
that. But you infer that I'm writing about myself, which I'm not. If I wrote
about myself you'd be hearing about a hotel room in Pittsburgh, which is where
I am right now. If you're going to write a half-decent song, you've got to go
outside yourself. People always say you have to live it to write it, but that's
bull----. You've got to feel it to write it. If you feel other
people's experiences, you can just as soon write their
biographies." After some nine studio albums in his 15-year career, and a
bunch of production credits, Harper has no doubt music has the power to change
the world. "Music can make people real nervous," he said. "But
just because you know you have a loud microphone doesn't mean you need to
scream down it." Once the poster boy for young black artists trying to
work in the mainstream pop music business, Harper said racial politics no
longer concern him as an artist. "You know, at a certain point, you just
let everyone else have at the colour thing. If you need to play that and that's
going to influence the way you approach me or relate with me ... It's like
people who compare me to Richie Havens. I love Richie Havens; I don't sound
anything like him. If I was white, would you compare me to Richie Havens? Of
course you wouldn't, even if I was making the same sound. "People
often hear with their eyes, and see with their ears. And it's an odd existence.
Culture has never made any sense. It's important to know where you're from, but
it's more important to know where you're going. Of course, it's a cliché, but it's
the bottom-line truth. "As far as dealing with people on a racial
basis, I kind of had to throw that out the window a long, long, time ago.
"I'd like to see more of every race at my shows, not just black people –
that's absurd. Why would I want to see more black people? I want to see more
black people, white people, Asian people, Latin-American people ...
"I want to see all kinds of more people at my shows."
Tebey Ottoh Brings His Songwriting
Talent to ole
Source: ole
(Sept. 21, 2007) He could have had a rewarding career professionally
tossing a football, but for the newest ole signing Tebey Ottoh, music is the only game in town. “We’re excited
to welcome Tebey to the roster," states ole's Managing
Partner Robert Ott. "It’s rare to see such developed and
versatile song writing talent in someone so young and Tebey is just getting
started.” “His drive and artist background add to this talent
immeasurably and we’re looking forward to a great deal of success
together.” Ottoh counts fellow ole writers Gilles Godard
and Willie Mack as some of his favourite writing partners, as well as Shawn
Desman and Tim Nichols ("Live Like You Were Dying") and looks forward
to getting in the trenches with ole. "I think we're
both willing to work really hard to get songs placed and songs on the charts,
you know?" says Ottoh.
"It's exciting to be over at ole because they really
believe in what I'm doing. It's nice to work with a company that has passion for
your songs, because that's half the battle. "I'm looking
forward to sharing future successes with ole."
"I'm putting everything I got into this music thing," says Ottoh.
"If you want to be the best, you have to work at it every day and hone
your craft. I just work on the music." Ottoh, a songwriter and
recording artist who recently landed the cut "Radio" on the
500,000-copy-selling Big & Rich album Between Raising Hell and Amazing
Grace and has a pair of SOCAN No. 1 songs to his credit (Rex Goudie's
"Run" and Shawn Desman's "Let's Go"), got an early
start. He was only 16 when a number of exciting career prospects
presented themselves. "I was a high-school all-Canadian in football
as a wide receiver," Ottoh recalls. "I was lucky enough to be
recruited by a bunch of schools, like UCLA and University of
Nebraska." In fact, Ottoh was juggling several scholarship offers
when RCA Nashville called. "When I was getting ready to make
the decision between accepting a scholarship to play ball in the States, RCA
Nashville caught wind of what I was doing and offered me a record deal,"
Ottoh explains.
"It was a case of choosing what you love more, and for me, I chose
music." Signing with Warner Chappell, Ottoh wrote with such
established Music Row veterans as Bob DiPiero, Annie Roboff, Naoise Sheridan,
Rory Bourke and Jim Collins. He enlisted Bob Rock as producer and recorded his
first album; was briefly managed by Bruce Allen and enjoyed Top 50 Billboard
success with his single "We Shook Hands (Man To Man)."
But as often happens, for whatever reason, things don't work out.
After spending four years in Nashville, Ottoh lost his record deal, regrouped
and moved back to Toronto, where he began expanding his horizons beyond country
and began exploring the pop music world. One of the folks he met during
his early Nashville years was John Rich, a former member of Lonestar who was
experiencing his own frustrations with a solo record deal. "We ended
up hooking up and becoming friends," Ottoh recalls. "The next thing
you know, he's part of Big & Rich and pretty much the best songwriter in
Nashville." "I've known both John and Kenny (Alphin) for seven
or eight years. I've gone out on the road with them a couple of times, just
hanging out and writing songs," says Ottoh. In fact, Tebey
(pronounced Tay-bay) Ottoh concedes, "Radio" -- the track he co-wrote
with Rich and Alphin that's on their Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace
-- was initially written five years ago "for my first
record." It's an association he hopes to maintain and expand
with his new ole deal, especially since he's just moved back
to Nashville.
"I'm back there not just because of the country connection, but just the
fact that I can write every day," Ottoh explains. "That's
the main thing -- being able to work with great writers on an every day on a
day-to-day basis. There are more writers in Nashville." But just
because he's based in Nashville doesn't mean that Ottoh is restricted to
collaborating in Music City. He's been traveling frequently to Sweden, Los
Angeles and Toronto to exercise his writing muscles, and says that will
continue for the foreseeable future. "I love traveling to
write," says Ottoh. "That's the way that you can reach the best
writers, by running around the world and work with as many people as possible.
Even though my home base is in Nashville now, I'm traveling between Los
Angeles, Toronto and Sweden a lot. I just want to continue to write great
records and have some more hits." He's also expanded his horizons
over the past few years to encompass pop and R&B, contributing tracks to
albums by Canadian Idol winner Melissa O'Neil and singer Cory Lee's
new Sinful Innocence. Earlier this year, Ottoh also finished
first in the Pop/Top 40 category of the International Songwriting Competition
for "Reckless," co-written by Marc Costanzo and Chin Injeti, and
impressing a panel of judges that included Tom Waits, Brian Wilson, Sean Paul
and The Cure's Robert Smith. He participated in ole's
first Urban Songcamp held in Toronto in late July/early August and just
returned from his fourth trip to Sweden. "One of the biggest writers
I'm working with there right now is a guy named Jörgen Elofsson," says
Ottoh. "He's just massive: He writes hits for Britney Spears and Kelly
Clarkson and he's awesome. "But I've just been networking with
a whole bunch of people. It just so happens there's a few people in Sweden who
seem to like what I'm doing."
He's currently working on a new album set for a 2008 release. "I'm
still figuring out where my artist side is going to land," Ottoh
admits. "The whole thing is about trying to be unique. Half the
battle is being different from everything else out there. "I
would personally love to combine the two genres -- pop music and country --
sort of what Big & Rich and Rascal Flatts do. The battle right now is
figuring out how to stand out and not sound the same as everybody
else." ole is certainly willing to help him find
his numerous songwriting voices.
A Bad Rap For Hip-Hop
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
Jim Abrams, Associated Press
(September 25, 2007) Washington — Two rappers, sitting side-by-side
in an ornate House hearing room, went in different directions Monday on the
need for hip hop artists to expunge their work of sexist and violent language.
One, Master P, apologized to women for past songs that demeaned
them, while another was defiant. Former gangsta rapper Master P, whose real
name is Percy Miller, told a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing
that he is now committed to producing clean lyrics. The angry music of his
past, he said, came from seeing relatives and friends shot and killed. But he
said now that he doesn't want his own children to listen to his music, “so if I
can do anything to change this, I'm going to take a stand and do that.” “I want
to apologize to all the women out there,” he said. “I was honestly wrong.” But
rapper and record producer Levell Crump, known as David Banner, was defiant as lawmakers pressed him on his use of
offensive language. “I'm like Stephen King: horror music is what I do,” he said
in testimony laced with swear words. “Change the situation in my neighbourhood
and maybe I'll get better,” he told one member of Congress.
The two rappers were joined by music industry executives and scholars. They
disagreed over who was to blame for sexist and degrading language in hip-hop
music but were united in opposing government censorship as a solution. “If by
some stroke of the pen hip-hop was silenced, the issues would still be present
in our communities,” Mr. Crump said. “Drugs, violence, sexism and the criminal
element were around long before hip-hop existed.” At the hearing, music videos
showing scantily clad women were played; music executives in dark suits
testified on the uses of the “B,” “H,” and “N” words, and black civil rights
leaders talked of corporate exploitation. “We have allowed greedy corporate
executives — especially those in the entertainment industry — to lead many of
our young people to believe that it is OK to entertain themselves by destroying
the culture of our people,” E. Faye Williams, chair of the National Congress of
Black Women, said. “From Imus to Industry: The business of stereotypes and
degrading images” was the title of the hearing, referring to former radio host
Don Imus, who lost his job after making derogatory comments about the Rutgers
women's basketball team. The Imus incident has sparked debate within the music
industry about black artists using offensive, misogynist and violent language.
“This hearing is not anti-hip-hop. I am a fan of hip-hop,” said subcommittee
chairman Bobby Rush, D-Ill., who gained national prominence in the 1960s as the
founder of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers. But he said there was a
need “to address the issue of violence, hate and degradation that has reduced
too many of our youngsters to automatons.” Record company executives defended
the parental guidance labels and edited versions they said keep the more
controversial material away from children and stressed that uniform standards
or censorship won't work. In the '50s people were deeply offended by Elvis
Presley, and a decade later many were scandalized by The Beatles and The
Rolling Stones, said Edgar Bronfman Jr., chairman and CEO of Warner Music
Group. “We have a responsibility to speak authentically to our viewers,” said
Philippe Dauman, president & CEO of Viacom Inc., which owns such cable
networks as MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and BET. He said his company takes
an active role in editing obscenities out of music videos and excising gang
symbols or portrayals of violence, but “we also believe that it is not our role
to censor the creative expression of artists.”
Alfred Liggins III, chief executive officer of Radio One, Inc., one of the
largest media companies that primarily serves African-Americans, said the
company reviews the contents of songs before broadcasting them and takes care
to comply with Federal Communications Commission guidelines. But “Radio One is
also not in charge of creating content, or in the business of censorship or
determining what is in good or bad taste.” The hearing was reminiscent of,
although tamer than, a similar event in 1985. At the earlier hearing, lawmakers
where exposed to Van Halen's Hot for Teacher and Twisted Sister's We're Not
Going to Take It, and the late rocker Frank Zappa hurled insults at Tipper
Gore, wife of then-Sen. Al Gore, and Susan Baker, wife of then Treasury
Secretary James Baker, who were urging the recording industry to voluntarily
police itself on song lyrics.
Salanyde Spreading The Reggae Message In
Grand Cayman
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com -
(September 20, 2007) Dancehall artiste Sean Gordon who goes by
the name Salanyde has been creating some impact in Grand Cayman with
his brand of dancehall music. This rising entertainer, who originally
resided in Palmer's Cross, Clarendon, says his love and dedication for music
along with his unique style and sound definitely places him in a position, to
become a force to reckon with in the not too distant future. Salanyde started
out performing for classmates and later on, would engage in lyrical clashes
with other aspiring talents after school. After graduating from the Garvey Maceo
high school in 2003, he worked for a year as a mechanic and dabbled with music
in his spear time. The following year he migrated to West Bay in Grand Cayman.
Having relocated to Cayman he decided to pursue a career in the music business,
which for him was hobby, while he resided in Jamaica. He would later on make
the link with two other Cayman based artists Bishmeezy and Phynezz and recorded
a single titled "In Your Arms" (Bezzle Bezzle Entertainment).
A video was also shot for the song. This opened up the doors for
Salanyde, as he gained recognition from the recording, which led to a demand
for him to perform on major stage shows in Grand Cayman. He would later share
the stage with top acts from Jamaica including Beenie Man, Morgan Heritage,
Busy Signal among others. Having made a name for himself in Grand Cayman,
Salanyde plans to return to Jamaica within the next few weeks to commence
working with some of the island’s top record producers. He hopes to make
inroads similar to what he has garnered in Grand Cayman. His catchy
phrase "Its off a di meeta" has won him a lot of fans in Cayman. When
asked what it meant he said ‘It bad, it sort out, it wicked, all of these
slangs put together means off a di meeta’.
Rahsaan Patterson - 'Wines &
Spirits'
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com -
(September 21, 2007) Few voices in contemporary soul
music are as
revered as Rahsaan Patterson's, so it comes as no surprise the
anticipation with which fans await each release from the über
singer/songwriter. Rahsaan's latest CD, "Wines & Spirits,"
is likely to both please and surprise listeners with its progressive and
genre-crossing leanings. Easily his most eclectic and diverse album to
date, only a pioneering talent like Rahsaan could pull off a CD that's all over
the map both musically and vocally. "Wines & Spirits" begins with
"Cloud 9," a super funky tune with uncharacteristically minimal
vocals, and ends with a brilliant, masterful cover of the Janis Ian classic
"Stars." In between, there are a couple futuristic dance tracks
("Delirium (Comes and Goes)" and "Deliver Me"), a
Prince-esque, ultramodern rock cut called "Pitch Black," a hip-hop
track complete with emcee, the retro-gospel song "Oh Lord (Take Me
Back)," and a few "vintage Rahsaan" midtempo grooves
("Feels Good," "Higher Love," "Stop Breakin' My
Heart," and "No Danger") included for good measure.
Those who are looking for an album filled with now-classic Rahsaan tunes like
those found on his first two albums may be taken aback at the collection of
songs on "Wines and Spirits," which, similar to his third album
"After Hours," really has to be listened to and marinated on in order
to be fully appreciated. Never one to stick to a formula for crafting songs,
Rahsaan's approach to music is clearly all about freedom and innovation, so a
repeat of past, albeit popular song offerings, is not an option. However,
if you regard "soul" as invention and authenticity in music, rather
than merely a style of music, then Rahsaan Patterson is soul and "Wines
& Spirits" is what true artistry sounds like. -Deb Hinds / www.PlanetSoul.com
Artist/Album: Rahsaan Patterson - "Wines & Spirits"
Label: Artistry Music Group
Street Date: September 25, 2007
Rahsaan
Patterson on MySpace
Kravitz Lets Love Rule On Forthcoming
New Album, And In Life
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Nekesa Mumbi Moody , Associated Press
(September 26, 2007) NEW YORK–Lenny
Kravitz's
upcoming album is titled, It Is Time for a Love Revolution, with songs including
"Love Love Love" and "Will You Marry Me." But anyone
expecting a confessional on his romantic life may be disappointed. While saying
his songs are "always personal," Kravitz said the album focuses on
many aspects of love, and not just romantic love. “There are spiritual love
songs, and social love songs, political, sad, happy and everything in between –
it's about a lot of things," the 43-year-old rocker said of the album, due
out in February. “I really do believe in the power in love, and I believe in
God's power, and I believe in our ability to learn to deal with each other. And
those are the things that I think about." Kravitz has had plenty of time
for contemplation recently. He's been relaxing in Brazil since performing at
Live Earth in July. “I’m not in Rio – I'm in the mountains with parrots and
monkeys and waterfalls. It's really about looking inward. You become very
introspective here. You have the atmosphere in which to hear yourself," he
said in a phone interview. "I think that as I've grown, I've become more
comfortable with myself ... What I have to do is be myself, and grow,"
Kravitz said that kind of growth is necessary to improve the state of the
world, which he called "very sad. It begins with ourselves, in our homes,
in our own environments, if we can start with that, we can carry it
outward."
While Kravitz may be focused on the world, tabloids have been zeroing in on his
love life. Earlier this month, former girlfriend Nicole Kidman told Vanity
Fair that she was engaged briefly before marrying Keith Urban, but refused
to name her fiancé. When asked whether he was the mystery man, Kravitz replied:
"I keep that to myself. I feel like that is private and it's between the
two of us, so I just leave it there. "However, Kravitz was willing to
discuss another woman in his life – 18-year-old daughter Zoe: "Watching my
daughter grow up is the highlight of everything.” The budding actress has
appeared in two movies this year, including Jodie Foster's The Brave One.
But he isn't concerned about how his daughter will adapt to the spotlight. “I
don't rule her life. I was put here to teach her what I know, and that's what
parents should do, and I feel like she has good knowledge to make good
choices," he said. "You don't have to be in the spotlight to have
problems ... it's really about how you handle it."
MUSIC TIDBITS
Kanye Tops Singles Chart
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(September 21, 2007) *Kanye West continues to dominate in his rap
rivalry with 50 Cent. On the heels of his “Graduation” album winning the first
week sales race in both the U.S. and the U.K., the rapper’s single “Stronger”
reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart; and he beat out 50 Cent again –
winning at Britain’s “Music of Black Origin” Awards in the category of Best Hip
Hop Act. On Tuesday, West was officially crowned champion in their heated sales
battle – with "Graduation" selling 957,000 copies in its first week
while 50's "Curtis" album moved 691,000 to land in second
place. West’s tune "Stronger" rose one place on the
Billboard Hot 100 yesterday, trading places with last week's champ, teen rapper
Soulja Boy's "Crank That (Soulja Boy)." In addition, “Graduation’s”
latest single - "Good Life" featuring T-Pain – was the chart's top
debut at No. 14. Last week, West’s album debuted at No. 1 in the U.K.,
where the Mobos took place at London’s 02 Arena Wednesday night. 50 was
supposed to attend, but cancelled his European appearances this
week. Other winners at the Mobo Awards
included Amy Winehouse, who was named Best U.K. Female; Ne-Yo, who collected
both the Best R&B title and Best Song for "Because Of You"; and
Barbados-born Rihanna, who won Best International Act.
Prince Performs At London Fashion Show
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(September 20, 2007) *Prince
drew lots of quiet stares when he
planted himself in the front row of Matthew Williamson's fashion show in London
yesterday. But when the lights dimmed and the first notes of his
music began to pound through the sound system, His Royal Badness had the crowd
screaming and scrambling to take cell phone photos as jumped onstage for a
surprise performance. "He really wanted to do this, and you don't say 'No'
to Prince," Williamson told Reuters TV following the show. The singer,
currently in London performing a string of dates at the 02 Arena, took his
front row seat at Williamson’s spring-summer 2008 collection and appeared to be
there to just watch the show. But when one of his songs began to play, a pair
of identical twins appeared on the catwalk and started to dance. Prince,
wearing a black suit and hat, then began singing into a microphone from his
seat before jumping up and performing from the start of the runway flanked by
his band, reports Reuters. Audience members, including Sting’s wife Trudie
Styler, rose to their feet and began cheering. He closed the show with his 1986
hit, “Kiss.” Don’t expect to find any of this footage on YouTube. Those
days are over, as Prince has gotten his lawyers to crack down on the use of
unauthorized footage under threat of a lawsuit.
Henton Wins Award For 'Konvicted'
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com -
(September 20, 2007) *Jamaican music producer Paul Henton, more popularly known as Computer Paul, recently
picked up a double platinum record for his work on the track Mama Africa. The
track is featured on Akon’s double platinum selling album Konvicted. Henton
played the keyboards on the track, which was produced by another Jamaican
producer, Robert ‘Bobby Digital’ Dixon. Henton who has worked with a long list
of Jamaican and international artistes over the years, was in high spirits when
this column caught up with him earlier this week. 'I am happy to have
been recognized for the work that I have done’, commented Henton. Henton
already has four gold records for his work on gold selling albums and singles
for reggae artistes including Shabba Ranks, Inner Circle and Jimmy Cliff.
Henton currently manages Jamaican dancehall/pop girl group MBC. The group
recently released an album with a Japanese imprint.
Amazon
Launches iTunes Rival
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com
- Reuters
(September 25, 2007) NEW YORK – Amazon.com Inc launched an early version of its highly
anticipated digital music download store, which is seen as a potential rival to
Apple Inc's dominant iTunes system. Amazon's store, named "Amazon
MP3," allows users to buy music without copy protection technology, so
that the songs can play on a variety of devices including Apple's iPod. Most
songs are priced from 89 cents to 99 cents (U.S.), with more than half of the 2
million songs priced at 89 cents, the online retailer said in a statement. Many
Web start-ups have proposed business models to take on iTunes, which has a 70
per cent market share of digital music sales. Many have also failed as they get
caught up in negotiations with the music companies. For weeks Amazon had been
expected to launch its iTunes rival after signing deals with Universal Music
Group, which is owned by French media giant Vivendi, and EMI. U.S. music
companies, concerned about piracy enabled by file-sharing Web site, are mulling
new business models with a goal of increasing digital revenue as CD sales drop
more sharply than anticipated. They also hope to create alternatives to iTunes
to boost their negotiating power against Apple when licensing contracts are
renewed.
::FILM NEWS::
Men On A Mission: Keep Rwanda Alive
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com
- Guy Dixon
(September 26, 2007) In a back room just off an old chapel on the
military campus in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., actor Roy Dupuis and Senator Roméo Dallaire relived the horrors of Rwanda. They spoke
for five or six hours and shared a meal of takeout chicken, as Dallaire spoke
of witnessing the 1994 genocide and being able to do next to nothing as head of
the United Nations' Rwanda peacekeeping forces. Dupuis didn't need to ask many
questions. The retired lieutenant-general poured out everything he remembered.
“I left pretty filled up. There was a lot of information, emotionally and
intellectually,” Dupuis said, speaking slowly about that day, as if trying to
find the words to convey the effect it had on him. Their conversation took
place the day before Dupuis left for Rwanda to play Dallaire on location in Shake
Hands with the Devil, the new film version of Dallaire's book.
For Dupuis, the film, opening across Canada on Friday, was unlike any other
movie he has made. “It really quickly became a mission,” he said as he and
Dallaire sat together for an interview in Toronto. “It was the first time I've
done a movie where the goal was so clear: that this story doesn't die, to
inform people of the mechanics behind the UN, and how the big powers in this
world manipulate the UN in a certain way for their own interests,” the actor
said. “I’m very impressed that Roy sensed that it was a mission, a sense of
duty, a responsibility,” Dallaire added. This is the third retelling of
Dallaire's story, from his book in 2003, to a documentary in 2004 that won an Emmy
award on Monday night, which recorded the lieutenant-general's return to Rwanda
10 years after his doomed mission, and now to the dramatic feature-film
version.
Dallaire isn't worried about repetition. The more times this story is told, the
better, he said. In fact, the feature film takes the story into “another
league” altogether. “This is a culmination of years trying to get it to that
level,” Dallaire said. But each new interpretation presents a risk. For
instance, he has been critical of the composite UN peacekeeping character
played by Nick Nolte, loosely meant to represent Dallaire, in Hotel Rwanda. Dallaire
is much more optimistic about the new film. “I gave myself a mission when I
left Rwanda that I would never let the genocide die. They don't have the
funding, the structure to [keep the memory of the genocide alive] like the
Holocaust, for example. And so there is no way that we can let that genocide
die or let revisionists fiddle with it,” Dallaire said. “As we are showing this
movie, we've got Darfur still stagnating. It's not as if it's an isolated
event. This thing is still right in your face,” he said as he and Dupuis sit
hunched forward. One of the film's producers warned that the two together might
be a little imposing. Not entirely. Dupuis always seems a little remote in
person, as if looking for a quick exit. Dallaire was more forthcoming and quick
to explain what drives him, even if said with a soldier's formality. What is
most apparent is the obvious bond between them.
“[I was] playing a man who has gone through something almost unimaginable, and
I lived with him [inside myself] for almost two months. Always him. Not trying
to see him from outside, but trying to get him from the inside all the time.
Trying to understand him and be respectful. And not trying to clean him off,
either. Just trying to be respectful to everything he is. It was the most
intense and most demanding character I've ever had to play,” Dupuis said.
Shake Hands with the Devil is as much about Dallaire's desperation and
emotional tailspin as it is about the mass killings of Tutsis and moderate
Hutus that prompted his breakdown. “The impact of post-traumatic stress
disorder happens to us in those operations. At one point, I was becoming a
liability to the mission. [The film] was pretty damn close to how it happened,”
Dallaire said. There's also a glimpse of the night Dallaire was found
intoxicated under a park bench in Quebec in 2000.“The suicide attempts? It
certainly wouldn't be my preference to have them in the movie. Who wants that?
However, again, the movie is factual,” he said. This includes not shying away
from one particularly horrific experience. When visiting the camp of the rebel
army of Rwandan Patriotic Front, led by Paul Kagame, now the President of
Rwanda, the genocide had reached such heights that floating bodies filled
rivers and streams. In the film, Dupuis lifts up the wooden boards of a small
footbridge to reveal a logjam of dead bodies. In real life, it was a small
suspension bridge over top of a pile of corpses. Dallaire said he felt Dupuis
understood the emotions behind this during their long conversation together.
“It’s as if he joined the brothers of arms,” Dallaire remembered. “When we
left, we spontaneously hugged at the end of our day-long exercise. And I'm not
into that. But it gave me an enormous sense of serenity that he got it. That he
would be fair and responsible with it. And he was.”
Six Questions with Acting Legend Billy
D. Williams
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com - Robertson
Treatment (America’s Premiere Lifestyle Column) Volume 10, Issue 15
(September 25, 2007) *Billy Dee Williams was the Sexist Man Alive
long before Brad, George and Denzel. Best known as the paramour of Diana Ross
in both “Lady Sings the Blues,” and “Mahogany,” Williams (70) has enjoyed a
long and illustrious career as a leading man and character actor. The Harlem,
New York native (who is also an accomplished artist and author), recently made
the leap back in to television with a co-starring role on the new night-time
soap “General Hospital: Night Shift”. The Robertson Treatment caught up with
the acting legend to get the full scoop on what he’s been up to lately.
Robertson Treatment:
What was it about the character Toussaint that jumped out at you and made you
want to come back to television full time?
Billy Dee Williams: Well, first of all I was asked to do it
and they described the character that they wanted to create and they created
this person for me. He’s a very intriguing character and is real interesting
character with an interesting past.
The things that really interested me was the fact that I was going to sing. I
have been known to sing. I’ve done some musicals, but I don’t really think of
myself as a singer although I have done it on several different occasions. I
have already done that and I think I did a pretty good job.
RT: So we shouldn’t expect a Billy Dee Williams album at any point?
BDW: Who knows? I am having a lot of fun right now in this chapter of my life.
I have been thinking seriously for quite some time of doing some love songs and
record some love songs.
RT: Were you ever a fan of General Hospital and prior to being approached to
be on the show had you watched episodes of the show?
BDW: Well, I knew the lady who started it. Gloria Monty, she was a good friend
of mine. I remember years ago she tried to kinda get me involved, but I had a
lot of movies and stuff like that.
RT: Does it feel weird returning to television full time?
BDW: I have been doing television the whole time. I was doing television before
I did movies. This is different and it’s a whole different format, but I am
having a lot of fun with it. It’s much faster and it’s great practice for me
when you’re given lines. There are very good writers on the show by the way.
You really have to conjure up your improvisational skills because everything
moves so quickly. You don’t have time to really put in a lot of research.
RT: You were one of the most popular black actors in American film in the
‘70s and looking back at such an illustrious career do you have any regrets?
Anything you would have done differently?
BDW: It’s too late to think about stuff like that. The whole idea is to just
continue to move on and move forward. I don’t think about regrets. I am sure
there’s always one or two regrets but I don’t think one needs to dwell on that.
I think the whole idea is simply to keep moving.
RT: Many would say that at your great age of 70 you should be sunning
yourself on a beach somewhere with a cigar as you don’t need to work, so is
this more of a creative outlet for you being on the show?
BDW: Yeah, I am just having fun and I am enjoying myself. I am at that point in
my life where I am just laughing a lot and smiling a lot and involving myself.
I like to stay involved so if it’s not this, then it’s my painting. I’m a
very lucky man.
Taiwan Applauds Controversial Film By
Local Hero Lee
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com
- Doug Young, Reuters
(September 25, 2007) TAIPEI — Moviegoers in director Ang Lee's native Taiwan gave a thumbs-up to his prize-winning
“Lust, Caution,” appearing unfazed by the controversy surrounding it or the
steamy sex scenes. The film, the surprise winner of this year's Golden Lion
award at the Venice film festival, played to full houses on its Monday night premiere
at several Taipei cinemas, which have given it an adult rating and are showing
it uncut. “Lust, Caution,” a spy thriller set in Second World War Shanghai, got
generally negative reviews at Venice and was panned by critics who said it was
long and tedious. “Awesome,” one viewer described the 156-minute movie, which
is punctuated by explicit and sometimes violent sex. “There was a little
bit too much sex in a few points, but overall it was okay,” said another movie
goer, Shen Yun-hsi. “I'm still thinking about it. A lot happened.” The film
will open in China this week but only after Lee himself excised a lot of the
on-screen sex and other scenes Beijing deemed inappropriate. Lee, back home
after a global tour, was especially nervous about the premiere of his film in
Taiwan, due to the graphic sex, his brother told local media.
But the audience at one Taipei cinema, mostly in their 20s and 30s, gasped
louder at a scene featuring a large diamond than at any of the sex scenes. “I
feel good when I come back to Taiwan. When I make a Chinese movie, I can
examine my growth and have a new start again,” Lee told a media briefing on
Tuesday. “Every time when I come back, I review the past and it gives me the
feeling that I will have a brand new start and keep going forward,” he added.
“Lust, Caution” was being screened at 107 venues in Taiwan, a record for an
adult-rated film, according to one media report. The movie was expected to
gross $3.5-million Taiwanese ($106,000 U.S.) initially, and eventually break the
$50-million Taiwanese record for a Lee film pulled in by his gay cowboy drama
“Brokeback Mountain,” which won him an Oscar for best director. Lee made a
number of Chinese-language movies in his early career, but for the most part
has made English-language movies since gaining international acclaim. One
notable exception is his China-based martial arts movie “Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon”.
The Saint Turns Sinful
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com
- Gayle Macdonald
(September 26, 2007) Actor Jimmy
Smits has made a
career out of playing men with a strong moral compass, most notably as
Detective Bobby Simone on NYPD Blue and before that as the young,
pro-bono lawyer Victor Sifuentes on L.A. Law. But in two new roles the
52-year-old sheds his good-guy persona: He plays an adulterous husband in the
film The Jane Austen Book Club opening on Friday and a morally
conflicted businessman in the new TV series Cane. In the romantic
feature film, Smits's character callously dumps his wife of 20-some years
(another NYPD Blue alumnus, Amy Brenneman) for another woman. He tells
her that leaving the other woman is “non-negotiable.” In Toronto earlier this
month to promote the film, the handsome Latino explains that his character
isn't as hard-hearted as he first seems. “I don't think that character's love
for his wife and family ever diminished,” he muses. “He was always in love with
her, but there obviously was a kind of miscommunication between them to the
extent that he got the wandering, roving eye. “But you know sometimes you
have to go through valleys to get to nice peaks,” adds the gentle, 6-foot-4
giant, dressed impeccably in a dark blazer, black pants and gleaming black
shoes. In the family drama Cane, which premiered this week on CBS and
Global, Smits plays Alex Vega, the new head of his powerful Cuban-American
family's sugar and rum business in Florida who teeters on the brink of
corruption and compassion.
Smits says he was drawn to the character because of the “emotional ups and
downs he goes through. “I thought Alex would be someone interesting to inhabit
for a long period of time if I had the opportunity,” says the actor, who had
just hopped off the red-eye from Los Angeles after putting in a 14-hour day on
the Cane set. “The family is very affluent in South Florida. Alex is the
adopted son, who because of a health crisis the patriarch figure [Hector
Elizondo] is going through gets thrust into the forefront of this family. He is
a very good son in the sense he has a strong moral compass and a sense of
family and duty. But he gets himself into a lot of trouble too.” Smits, a
divorced father of two who has been living with actress Wanda de Jesus for more
than 20 years, is bleary-eyed but says he made the all-night flight because he
wanted to be on hand to support director Robin Swicord, an accomplished
screenwriter ( Memoirs of a Geisha, Matilda) who wrote The
Jane Austen Book Club screenplay and makes her directorial debut with the
film. “This movie reminded me of doing a really nice, ensemble theatre piece,”
says Smits, referring to the cast, which includes Maria Bello, Emily Blunt,
Kathy Baker, Brenneman, Maggie Grace, Marc Blucas, Hugh Dancy and Canadian
Kevin Zegers. “I came in very early on. For Robin to be able to use this
as her jumping-off point to get into this directorial thing is just a joy for
me to be part of,” he adds. “... Plus Robin's great to work with because she
loves actors.”
Born in New York to Cornelius Smits (a Surinamese immigrant from Dutch Guiana)
and Emilina (a Puerto Rican nurse), Smits is the only one in his family (he has
two younger sisters) to get into acting. A graduate of Brooklyn College and Cornell
University, where he earned his master's degree in fine arts, he got his first
break when he knocked on the door – fresh out of school – at the New York
Shakespeare Festival. “I grew up watching plays that Joe Papp [founder of the
New York Shakespeare Festival] produced and directed. And it just seemed when I
finished university that it was the natural place to go for a job,” chuckles
Smits. “I snuck in [to the theatre]. Little did I know that you don't really do
things like that. But I did wind up getting a series of general auditions. I
love Shakespeare, and I love the fact that his characters are just so
emotionally resonant on so many levels. “When he was a kid, Smits recalls, his
family moved all over. The forced changes of address, he figures, helped to
prepare him for role playing as an actor. “Growing up in New York, we lived all
around the city depending on our economic circumstance. I also lived in Puerto
Rico for a number of years. “I know – through a lot of therapy – that moving
around to a lot of different environments and me having to adapt has a lot to
do with me being involved in this profession, in a strange way,” says the
actor, who won a best supporting Emmy for his role as Sifuentes on L.A. Law
and a Golden Globe for his work on NYPD Blue. “You constantly have to
adapt to new environments and new sets of friends. You have to role-play to get
involved and you have to be comfortable with yourself when you don't have the
[social] interaction. I've been lucky because I've had wonderful teachers along
the way who have nurtured and pushed me to the next level.”
It's worth noting that Smits has now assumed a kind of mentor role as
co-founder of the 10-year-old National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts in
Washington, a scholarship program for students who have demonstrated a love for
the arts and have aspirations for graduate school. “It’s all about new talent
and forging partnerships with people who have a unique voice but haven't had an
opportunity to delve into new things. “To prepare for The Jane Austen Book
Club, Smits says, he read Emma and Persuasion. In his mind,
Austen is a master at dissecting the different classes of society. “The
emotional landscape that they all share is similar, even though they may be in
a different snack bracket.” A concept the Brooklyn-born actor gamely relates
to.
Starz At Home In Toronto
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Murray Whyte, Toronto Star
(September 26, 2007) David
Steinberg warns that his
articulation might be a little off. "This will make more and more sense as
I get further through my coffee," he says, chuckling. He can be forgiven a
little mental cloudiness. Over the course of the past year – and especially
during the past few months – Steinberg has been overseeing consolidation,
amalgamation, construction, recruitment, and – oh, right – actual production at
the newest of Toronto's big-league production facilities, the Canadian
animation studio for Starz. It's a subsidiary of Liberty Media, a
massive U.S. entertainment company with interests in virtually every kind of
film and TV production and distribution. Haven't heard of Starz? Fair enough.
Maybe you've heard of The Simpsons. Under its broad umbrella of
companies, Starz produced both the movie and the TV series. Or possibly VeggieTales,
a popular animated children's TV series that is spinning off into its own
feature, The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, this year. Or Everyone's
Hero, a feature produced and released for 20th Century Fox last year. Also
on the list: 9, a new feature produced by Tim Burton and directed by
Shane Acker, who won a student Academy Award for an animated short last year.
And all this, right here. Starting – officially – today.
With our dollar flirting with the parity mark against the U.S. greenback, no
less, and the Toronto film industry suffering because of it, Starz Animation is
happy to call the city home. "I spent the last 27 years in the L.A.
marketplace working with so much amazing Canadian talent, it essentially drew
me back to the source," said Steinberg, now happily caffeinated and
effusive. "The exchange rate, frankly, sucks," he laughs, "but
even with the economics not being as ideal as they once were, the talent base
and the smarts that are here far outweigh that. These guys know how to do what
no one else does, and that is getting a really high level of quality on the
screen for not as high a price point as the big studios." And the big
studios have come calling – Universal, for example, for The Pirates Who
Don't Do Anything, and its affiliate, Focus Features, for 9.
Steinberg says the studio, which started to form after Starz acquired IDT
Entertainment a little over a year ago, is the key beneficiary of a welter of
high-level Toronto-based animation programs, most notably at Sheridan and
Seneca Colleges. "They're going to employ a good chunk of our graduates,
and that's always great," says Michael Collins, dean of the animation
school at Sheridan. "But it's a competitive marketplace, and it's probably
a little too early to tell." People in the field remember the euphoria
that accompanied the arrival of a Disney digital animation studio here, set up
to produce direct-to-DVD features. It lasted only a few years before Disney
consolidated the unit and shut it down. Disney "took a lot of
employees" from places like Canadian-based children's programming giant
Nelvana, and then had to lay them off. "People went through a dislocation
for a while – some of them work here now," Collins said.
"But they found work again pretty quickly." In terms of competition,
Collins thinks Starz is filling a market niche different from local outfits
like Nelvana, or even Core Features, which produced Disney's animated
theatrical release The Wild. "They have to maintain their
contracts, but they seem to have a lot in the pipe and that's great," he
said. Both Sheridan and Seneca have been talent factories, feeding into the
Hollywood market for decades; Starz chose to come to them instead. Which suits
Kevin Adams, an art director at the studio and a Sheridan grad, just fine.
"I was in L.A. for a long time," says Adams, running through his various
digital palettes: landscapes, character design, sets. "I was finally able
to come back because there was something worth coming back for. "This is
really a chance to rival or challenge some of those really big studios."
Like, say, Pixar, which produced the two Toy Storys, or The
Incredibles? That's the goal. With 165 employees and the eventual goal of
300 by 2009, Starz Toronto won't match its L.A. mothership, which counts 550,
but it will be a significant production facility that rivals anything in Canada,
not to mention many in the U.S. Key, of course, is the talent. "Really,
the vast majority is local," Rubinstein says. "I'm the minority.” In
the modelling department, Dave Baas and Paul Kohut – both part of the Canadian
team for the 2005 Oscar-winning animated short Ryan, about National Film
Board animation legend Ryan Larkin – watch as Mike Dharney, their colleague,
demonstrates early motion and scene direction on The Pirates Who
Don't Do Anything. Onscreen, Robert the Pirate (who, it should be noted, is
actually a cucumber, and a bad-tempered one) jerkily draws his sword and glares
menacingly – or as menacingly as a vegetable can, in any case. Baas explains
that the scene construction gives the director a rough idea of where the shots
and angles available to him are – a sort of storyboard in 3D. "It's a
really useful tool," he says. Starz also adds a much-welcome presence in
the film production scene in general here. Full-length animated features aside,
the studio also does high-end CGI animation for live action features. It allows
international blockbusters – the likes of which having been sparse here in
recent years – a strong local facility to do everything locally. And hire
locally, too. "That was our theory," Steinberg says. "If we
build it, they will come – or come back."
FILM TIDBITS
Danny Glover Wraps Filming In Uruguay
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(September 21, 2007) *Danny Glover, Julianne Moore and Mark
Ruffalo have just completed work on location in Uruguay for the upcoming film “Blindness,” which tells the story of an unnamed city where
everyone suddenly loses their eyesight, and the drama that ensues. "When
you are blind you try to adopt another kind of sensitivity, so this role is
definitely a challenge from a physical point of view," Glover, 60, told AP
from the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo. "The story is powerful and it
addresses how we relate to each other as human beings," he said. The film
is based on a novel by Portuguese writer Jose Saramago and is directed by
Fernando Meirelles, best known for helming "City of God," which
depicts life in a Rio de Janeiro shantytown. “Blindness” continues
filming today in Brazil.
Otis Redding Film To Premiere In October
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(September 21, 2007) *A new documentary on the
life of Otis
Redding will have its world premiere in Hollywood
next month. “Dreams To Remember: The Legacy Of Otis Redding” features a
wealth of performances filmed throughout America and Europe, beginning with
Otis singing one of his earliest hits, “Pain In My Heart,” and progressing
through the artist’s Stax/Volt career. Included are complete performances
of “I Can’t Turn You Loose,” “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” “(I Can’t Get No)
Satisfaction” and a host of others; “Try A Little Tenderness” and “Respect”
were taped at a local Cleveland television show less than 24 hours before Otis’
death. The film also contains in-depth interviews with those who
helped Otis write and create his incredible music: Steve Cropper, who co-wrote
with Otis and played guitar on virtually every record he made at Stax; Wayne
Jackson, the trumpet player for the Mar-Keys/Memphis Horns who also played on
most of Otis’ recordings, and Jim Stewart, the founder of Stax Records, who
gave his first interview in 13 years for this film. And there are stirring
reminiscences from Otis’ wife Zelma and daughter Karla.
“Dreams To Remember: The Legacy Of Otis Redding” will screen at Grauman’s
Egyptian Theatre (6712 Hollywood Blvd.), on Monday, Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. A panel
discussion with Zelma Redding (Otis’ widow), Wayne Jackson of the Mar-Keys,
Grammy Award-winning Stax historian Rob Bowman and the documentary’s directors
David Peck and Phil Galloway will follow. Tickets are $10 for the
general public, $8 students and seniors, $7 American Cinematheque members and
are available through the festival Web site http://www.ModsAndRockers.com
or at the theatre box office in advance or at door.
Denzel Signs On For Hostage Drama
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(September 25, 2007) *Denzel Washington has been cast in
Columbia Pictures' remake of "The
Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3"
for director Tony Scott, marking the pair's fourth time teaming for a feature
film. Set in contemporary New York, the story gets going
when four hijackers hold up a subway train and demand ransom in exchange for
the passengers. Washington will star as Lt. Zachary “Z" Garber, a
character played in the 1974 original film by Walter Matthau.
The story, based on a novel by John Godey, also spawned a 1998 TV
movie starring Edward James Olmos. Sony will begin
shooting the script from "Spider-Man 4" screenwriter David Koepp in
the first quarter of 2008. Scott, meanwhile, has
directed Washington in "Déjà Vu" (2006), “Man on Fire" (2004)
and "Crimson Tide" (1995). The actor's upcoming credits include
"American Gangster," helmed by Tony Scott's brother, Ridley.
The actor recently wrapped production on his latest directorial effort,
"The Great Debaters."
Samuel L. Jackson, Bernie Mac Have
'Soul'
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(September 25, 2007) *Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac will
play two former backup singers from a legendary soul group who reluctantly
agree to a reunion tour in the upcoming film, “Soul Men." In the
Dimension Films comedy, the characters haven't spoken to each other in 20 years
but agree to travel together for a tribute performance in honour of their
recently deceased bandleader. Both actors have vowed to do their
own dancing and singing for the film, and producers David Friendly and Steven
Greener are in negotiations to use the Stax Records catalogue. Jackson
will take on the role after he completes the Frank Miller-directed, "The
Spirit." Mac is coming off the Walt Becker-directed Disney comedy
"Old Dogs."
Gabriel Casseus Lands Disney Film
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(September 25, 2007) *Actor Gabriel Casseus has joined the cast of
Disney's "G-Force," a Jerry Bruckheimer-produced live-action/CGI
family feature about genetically-enhanced animal commandos trying to prevent an
evil billionaire from taking over the world. Casseus, whose
credits include "Get On the Bus," "Black Hawk Down" and
ABC's "Their Eyes Were Watching God," will star as an NSA agent
tracking a group of the commandos, reports Variety.
Meanwhile, the actor has also sold an action film titled "Bone Deep,"
which he wrote and will executive produce. Also, Mandalay Alliance
has optioned a horror comedy he wrote, "Boyz in the Wood," that would
also feature him as its director.
Alliance Nabs Overture's Movies
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com
- Guy Dixon
(September 26, 2007) Toronto-based Alliance
Films announced a three-year deal Tuesday to
handle Canadian distribution of upcoming feature films from the promising new
independent studio Overture Films. In a press release, Overture's chief
executive officer, Chris McGurk, and Alliance Film's executive chairman, Victor
Loewy, said the partnership will add eight to 12 films a year to Alliance's
slate, starting with Mad Money, due in theatres early next year and
starring Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes. Alliance Films –
formerly known as Motion Pictures Distribution (MPD) – is Canada's most
powerful distribution company, with coveted clients such as Miramax Films, New
Line, the Weinstein Co. and Focus Features. Earlier this year, Overture – the
one-year-old, wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. giant Liberty Media Corp. –
struck an international distribution deal with Paramount Vantage International.
The company is now in production on Traitor, a thriller starring Don
Cheadle and Guy Pearce. It also recently acquired North American rights to Tom
McCarthy's The Visitor during the Toronto International Film
Festival. Next month, Overture starts shooting Last Chance Harvey,
with Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson in London. MPD was relaunched
recently as Alliance Films by new owner Goldman Sachs & Co. after a rocky
year and a half, during which senior executives were fired or quit. Veteran
distributor Loewy re-emerged as executive chairman with the name change. Last
January, MPD was sold as part of the $2.3-billion takeover of Alliance Atlantis
Communications by Goldman Sachs and Canadian partner CanWest Global
Communications.
Liv Ullmann Returning To Film
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com
- Reuters
(September 25, 2007) OSLO — Norway's most famous
international actress, Liv
Ullmann, will play a grandmother in her first
Norwegian film in 38 years, Norwegian media reported on Tuesday. Ullmann, age
68, will make her "comeback" in In a Mirror, in a Riddle,
based on a novel by Norwegian author Jostein Gaarder and directed by Danish
filmmaker Jesper Nielsen. Gaarder burst to international fame in 1991 with Sophie's
World, a teenager's guide to philosophy. The film is the story of a
severely ill 13-year-old girl, and filming will start in Oslo in November.
Ullmann will play the girl's grandmother. "This is not only the first
(Norwegian) part I have taken on since An-Magritt, it is also the first
I have been offered," Ullmann told the daily Dagbladet from New York. Her
role in the 1969 An-Magritt by director Arne Skouens was her last
Norwegian leading film role. Ullmann said she did not plan to star in any more
movies, but when she read the manuscript, she wept – with happiness. "I am
very proud to be a part of this," she said. Ullmann, born in 1938, made her
breakthrough in the 1966 film Persona directed by Ingmar Bergman and
went on to play in eight other Bergman films including the powerful Scenes
from a Marriage (1973) and Face to Face (1976). The Swedish Bergman,
with whom Ullmann had a daughter, Linn Ullmann, died on July 31 at the age of
89. This week, Ullmann will travel to San Sebastian in Spain where she will
receive an honorary prize with American actor Richard Gere.
Canadian Sex Slaves Doc Wins Emmy Award
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com
- Michael Posner
(September 26, 2007) Toronto — Sex
Slaves, Toronto producer/director Ric Bienstock's
documentary about young, impoverished Eastern European women sold into sexual slavery,
has won an Emmy Award in the investigation category. The film, which aired on
PBS, previously won the Edward R. Murrow Award, the 2006 British Broadcast
Award for Best Documentary and a Royal Television Society Award in Britain.
Oddly, the only major awards show that seems to have overlooked it was Canada's
Geminis, for which it was not even nominated. The doc focuses principally on a
21-year-old pregnant Moldavian woman kidnapped and later sold for $1,000 as a
sex slave, and her husband's untiring — and ultimately successful — efforts to
get her back.
Morgan Freeman To Play Nelson Mandela
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(September 26, 2007) *If all goes well, Clint Eastwood
will direct Morgan Freeman for a third time in their storied
careers. Following "Unforgiven" and Oscar-winner "Million
Dollar Baby," Eastwood is in talks to helm "The Human Factor,"
about how the 1995 Rugby World Cup helped heal post-apartheid race relations in
South Africa. Freeman would play the role of Nelson Mandela. The film is set
immediately after the fall of apartheid, and after Mandela was released from a
long imprisonment and became South African president. Mandela recognized the
significance when South Africa was selected host of the 1995 Rugby World Cup
after the team had been barred from even competing since the 1980s because of
apartheid. Freeman, who stars with Jack Nicholson in the upcoming Rob
Reiner-directed WB film "The Bucket List," went to South Africa with
McCreary last spring to get Mandela's blessing on the project. Matt Damon
is in talks to play the captain of the Springboks team. Freeman and
Revelations partner Lori McCreary are co-producing, while Warner Bros is
currently negotiating to provide financing. "The Human Factor" is an
adaptation of the John Carlin book "The Human Factor: Nelson Mandela and
the Game that Changed the World."
::TV NEWS::
Little
Mosque Expands Global Reach
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com - The Canadian Press
(September 25, 2007) Little Mosque On The Prairie, the
CBC hit
comedy that begins its second season next week on CBC-TV, will soon air in
Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Dubai, Finland and Turkey. The first season of the
show, about the residents of a small Muslim community in the fictional Canadian
prairie town of Mercy, will begin airing Oct. 23 on Israel's paid satellite
channel, Stars 3. Little Mosque will air in English with Hebrew
subtitles. "It's so gratifying to know we'll be airing in Israel, and my
biggest hope is that people watch the show and just feel that they are
transported into a place of laughter and positive vibe," Mary Darling,
executive producer of Little Mosque, said in an interview Tuesday.
"If it can keep on keeping on and create dialogue, then it's serving the
purpose of why we wanted to do the show beyond just doing a funny show about
Muslims because we felt it hadn't been done yet." The show has also been
sold to one of Finland's largest television broadcasters, YLE Teema. The first
season of Little Mosque will begin airing next year in English with
subtitles. The Turkish channel Kanal 7 is also picking up the show's first
season and five episodes of Season 2 with an option for the remaining episodes.
Dubai's Pyramedia, a pay channel, has also bought the show, something Darling
says she's particularly excited about. Little Mosque will begin airing
there early next year.
"Dubai is a modern Arab country where you've got Abu Dhabi next door – one
is so concrete and old-fashioned, and one is all glass and has more cranes in
it than anywhere else in the world, and it's building up. I think it's going to
be really fascinating to see how very different Muslims greet the show."
"I hope the comedy travels well and people understand that we're not
making fun of the faith, we're making fun of the characters – it's something
we're very watchful of because we know how sensitive it can be." Darling
said in the eight months since Little Mosque debuted on CBC to huge
ratings, her company, Westwind Pictures, has been inundated with offers from
countries around the world interested in getting distribution rights to the
show. "Since this show aired it has been a year of receiving and
negotiating deals," she says with a laugh. "It's been busy, but it's
been great. We're so excited by all the interest it's received internationally."
In more Little Mosque news, Darling says a cross-country travelling
musical and comedy show is in the works entitled Little Mosque Presents
Islamapalooza. "We call it a blend of comedy and country and eastern
music, an opportunity to lift the veil, if you will, on the Little Mosque cast
and the show behind the scenes," she said. Five cast members – including
Sheila McCarthy and Neil Crone – have confirmed that they'll participate, with
more expected. The show will travel to Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Regina,
Calgary and possibly Ottawa. The second season of Little Mosque on the
Prairie premieres Oct. 3 on CBC.
A Dialogue with D.L. on Everything from Nappy-Headed Hos to His
HBO Special
Source: Kam Williams
Born on March 6, 1963, Darryl Lynn Hughley was the second of four
children raised in South Central, Los Angeles by his adoptive father, Charles,
a janitor, and his stay-at-home mom, Audrey. For about a half-dozen years, D.L.
was a member of the Bloods, but then the high school dropout decided to turn
his life around following the shooting of a cousin. He broke his ties with the
gang, earned a G.E.D., and got a job with the L.A. Times. There he met his
future wife, Ladonna, with whom he would have his three children, Ryan, Tyler
and Kyle. Ladonna was the one who convinced him he was funny enough to try his
hand at stand-up. And he went on to enjoy phenomenal success as a comedian,
perhaps peaking at that endeavour during The Original Kings of Comedy Tour,
alongside Bernie Mac, Cedric the Entertainer and Steve Harvey. D.L. has also
had quite a career as an actor on TV, not only with his own sitcom, The
Hughleys, but also appearing on such shows as The Fresh Prince, The Parkers, Sister,
Sister and Scrubs. Most recently, he co-starred on Studio 60 on the Sunset
Strip, a short-lived series which was cancelled by NBC after 22 episodes. He’s
made his mark on the big screen, too, with memorable performances in Scary
Movie 3, Soul Plane, Chasing Papi, The Brothers, and more. However, a few
months ago, Hughley created quite a controversy during an appearance on the
Tonight Show when he qualified Don Imus’ “nappy-headed hos” comment by
affirming, “They were some of the ugliest women I've seen in my whole
life." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIqD1GCvedw)
Here, Hughley discusses that remark, as well as his new comedy special, Unapologetic, which debuts on HBO on
Saturday, September 22nd at 10 PM (check local listings). On October
4th, he’ll be kickstarting a nationwide stand-up tour in Trenton, NJ
which will take him to over 25 cities by the end of the year.
DL: Hey, Kam, how are you?
KW: Fine, thanks so much for the time.
DL: What’s happening?
KW: I just checked out an early copy of your HBO special, Unapologetic,
which I found hilarious, but of course, before we get to that, first I have to
ask you about your controversial Tonight Show appearance. What type of feedback
have you been getting from it?
DL: I think there are people who get that it’s a joke, and there are people who
take it a little further than that. It kind of varies, but I think most people
understand that that’s kind of the way I see things, and that I don’t believe I
said anything that was untrue, and that it was just a joke.
KW: I’ve noticed this as a critic: a comic can get away with anything, as
long as it’s funny. But if it falls flat, then everybody will focus on the fact
that the material was also politically incorrect. If I walk out of a movie that
had me howling, I can’t give it a bad review, even if I’m embarrassed about
what I was laughing it.
DL: Exactly. I think that what I’ve come to realize is that we have a dual kind
of existence in our society now. One, where we are open and honest, and that’s
usually in our heads. And another, that we play out for everybody else. But if
you look at what I said, I still hold to the fact that I personally don’t know
a lot of attractive female basketball players. I just don’t. I was watching
ESPN recently and they were talking about why the WNBA isn’t doing well, and
ways to improve it. One of the ways was to make it sexier, because sex sells.
So, I don’t think I said anything that a lot of people couldn’t obviously see.
But because we live in a politically correct society, we have to almost filter
our thoughts. And if you do that, that’s almost kind of antithetical to being a
comedian. So, my purpose or intent is never to make people go, “Wow!” or shock
them, but it’s just to say the things I see. And that’s what I’ve always tried
to do.
KW: Well let me say for the record that I have a first cousin who played on
the U.S. Olympic Team who is very beautiful and feminine, and I met some of her
teammates who were also very attractive. But I understand how you feel. For the
audience watching you, there’s a dual reaction. They might initially laugh
impulsively at what you said, but then there’s a secondary reaction where they
can’t admit that they first found it funny, because Imus got fired for saying
something similar.
DL: Right, right, right. Imus got fired, ultimately, because he told a bad joke
on a slow news week. That’s the real reason why he got fired.
KW: So, I guess you don’t think it was an important issue for the black
community to organize around.
DL: I take exception to the fact that when in our community we’ve got people
dying in the streets, especially in your area, New Jersey and Philadelphia, one
of the most violent in the country, kids are dying left and right, and this is
the issue we’re wasting time on. It’s ironic, the things we think are important
as a society. The governor of your state almost got killed rushing to an
apology for a dumb joke. He literally almost lost his life. That’s the height
of irony. In the end, if he’d have died, would that have been worth it? Over an
apology for a stupid joke? Is that where we’ve come? That’s dumb.
KW: Do you have anything special planned for New Jersey when you kick off
your stand-up tour here in Trenton?
DL: Because it’s the first day of the Unapologetic tour, it’s something I’m
going to be really focused and concentrating on. But to me, wherever I go, I
want people to have a good time and to know that I came to be honest with
them.
KW: Are you going to conduct yourself differently due to the fallout from
you remarks?
DL: I’m going to tell you how I see it, and accept the fact that some people
are going to take umbrage.
KW: How do you write your material, then? How do you decide what jokes to
include in your act?
DL: You can’t write Imus, or Michael Vick, or O.J. I’m just blessed with a
perspective to be able to notice them. Almost everything I did in the HBO
Special was going on at that particular time.
KW: Yeah, I noticed that it’s all observational humour touching on a lot of
hot-button topics like Paris Hilton in jail, Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama
running for president, Hurricane Katrina, Alec Baldwin’s parenting issues, and
the female astronaut arrested in adult diapers.
DL: Yeah, even today, as I watch what’s going on with O.J., I’m thinking, if
you killed two people, maybe you should lay low. That’s kind of obvious to me.
I think stand-up is one of the last places left where people can expect to hear
a level of truth. Newspapers, TV shows and radio stations are all controlled by
corporations that are homogenizing everything so they can sell it. That how I
see it. That may not be everybody else’s perspective, but I think I kind of
have an obligation to have enough courage and conviction to say things as I see
them accurately.
KW: Were your comments on Jay Leno an orchestrated strategy to help you kick
off your upcoming tour?
DL: No. I’ll be on the Tonight Show again tomorrow, and you’ll see that my act
will be about what’s going on right now.
KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps
as a comedian?
DL: If you lack the courage of your convictions, sell shoes.
KW: Any plans for another Kings of Comedy tour?
DL: I don’t know. A lot of people have been asking me that lately. So, it’s
kind of percolating. I’m not going to say anything more, but it sure would be a
nice situation to get back into, because it was one of the best times I’ve had
professionally.
KW: What else is going on with you?
DL: We just finished Studio 60, and that took so much out of me, by the time I
finished with it I was drained. And it took me away from stand-up. I think we
wrapped the season on the 23rd of April, and then right after that I
only had about 30 days to prepare for this HBO Special. So, I was
exhausted.
KW: Why did you take that gig in the first place?
DL: To wash the taste of Soul Plane out of my mouth. I really needed that.
KW: And what was it like working with writer/producer Aaron Sorkin on that
show?
DL: He’s a genius. But like most geniuses, when they make them big, they make
them bigger than everybody else.
KW: Would you say that you’re happy?
DL: I think I’m as happy as a person like me can be. I’m not one of those cats
who thinks he’s happy as a constant state. I think every human being gets 20
great days in his life, and I’ve had 6 of them so far.
KW: The reason I asked is because I recently interviewed Columbus Short and…
DL: I love Columbus!
KW: Yeah, well I asked him, “What question are you never asked that you’d
like to be asked?” And he said, “Are you happy?” And I thought it was a good
enough question to ask everybody I interview for now on.
DL: The funny thing is, I’ve got a wife, so I’m asked that question often. I
think that happy might work for people in corporate America, but if you’re an
entertainer on the stage, I don’t think that you can be happy and comfortable
in your career. I just don’t.
KW: Doing stand-up has got to be one of the toughest things in the world.
It’s just you and a mike in front of a live crowd.
DL: You know why that is? It’s because all of your sensibilities, your most
natural inclination is to be liked and accepted. That’s a natural inclination.
And that’s antithetical to what you have to do as a comedian. Take Kathy
Griffin…
KW: Who made a crack about Christ during her Emmy acceptance speech the
other night.
DL: It’s so funny that the Catholic Church came out against her the same week
that the San Diego Archdiocese paid $600 million to settle a child molestation
suit. And they can’t take a joke? Come on now! You wouldn’t spend that much
money on hookers and cocaine. But you can’t take a joke? Come on!
KW: But I wonder whether she’d have made the same joke about Muhammad or
Islam, given the assassination of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh.
DL: This takes us back to Imus and Michael Richards. At least they were honest.
Everybody has the right to feel how they feel. The most dangerous thing about
corporations creating the appearance of a homogenized society is that it makes
us think that we’re further along than we are as a society, which is why we’re
always shocked when something happens.
KW: Yeah, like when we heard about that black woman who was just kidnapped
by racist rednecks and raped for a week.
DL: Right! The fact that we’re still shocked by stuff like that tells you that
we’re not depicting our society accurately. We’re shocked when violence occurs,
yet we’re the most violent country in the world. My gig is to observe all that
stuff and take it in without ever forgetting that I’m here to make people
laugh, not to preach. The payoff, hopefully, is that I’ve constructed the joke
well enough to get a laugh.
KW: Do you expect a change in your live audience demographic on tour due to
the Tonight Show?
DL: I couldn’t know. I don’t write jokes to gain or lose fans. Mt gig is just
to do my job the best I can. Some people will be angry, but I’m a big boy.
KW: Do you read your fan mail?
DL: I don’t read good or bad.
KW: I’m the same way. I hate reading letters to the editor because you want
to be liked, but you don’t want to be influenced in your opinions by what’s
popular.
DL: I think we’re in the same position. You’re actually taking a stand on
things that you haven’t taken a consensus on. And I don’t know how we can get
to a consensus about what’s funny. Who are these people who presume to be the
arbiters of what’s appropriate conversation? I’m a nightclub act. I tell jokes
where people go to drink and eat chicken wings. And they’re there for a
release.
KW: When I reflect on my childhood, I remember we could be pretty cruel. You
had to develop a thick skin early to survive. Everybody was teased, everybody
had a nickname. Mine was Joe Kraut, because it was right after World War II, I
guess, and I was the only kid on the block with red hair and freckles in an all
black neighbourhood.
DL: You remember when we grew up, our mothers taught us to say, “Sticks and
stones can break my bones…” because they knew that growing up in the ‘hood was
a cruel place. If you didn’t know how to defend yourself physically or
verbally, you couldn’t go outside. So, pardon me if I’m not as affected by
someone telling a joke that doesn’t go over that well. Pardon me if I don’t think
that’s signalling the downfall of civilization. Pardon me if I go, “Learn how
to take a joke.”
KW: Still, I wonder if there’s any special message you might have for
sisters who might have been offended by what you had to say about the Rutgers
basketball team?
DL: People who know me, know what I’m about. People who know me, know who I am.
And people that are fans, will be fans. People that aren’t, aren’t. I just
can’t truck in apologies for a perspective that is clearly all mine, and for
something that was clearly a joke. I like to think that I’m pretty good at what
I do, so I hope people will laugh, have a good time and enjoy themselves.
KW: Jimmy Bayan was wondering where in L.A. you live.
DL: In Calabasas.
KW: Calabasas? Where’s that?
DL: Actually, it’s a place called Woodland Hills.
KW: Is there a question you always wished someone would ask you, but no one
ever does?
DL: No, man, but thanks for taking the time to talk to me. I appreciate it.
KW: Same here, D.L. Good luck with the HBO special and with the tour.
DL: Thank you very much.
Filling
You In On The Facts Of Life
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com - Television
Critic
(September 22, 2007) LOS ANGELES–A horrific
triple homicide. An
innocent cop framed, charged and convicted. A dozen years of brutal,
dehumanizing incarceration. Eventual exoneration – and a substantial financial
settlement from the very institutions that had betrayed and abandoned him.
That's life. And that's Life, a remarkable new drama debuting Wednesday at 10 p.m. on NBC and
Global. In fact, Life is as much a comedy as it is a drama – again,
not unlike life itself – equal parts police procedural and gently jokey
character study, with an ongoing, somewhat serialized mystery to be solved and
the occasional out-of-nowhere stylistic departure into faux documentary. All of
it is anchored and brilliantly balanced by the nuanced lead performance of
British Band of Brothers break-out Damian Lewis, again playing
American as Charlie Crews, the wrongly locked-up cop now trying, in his wonky
way, to re-adjust to life on the outside. It's Monk meets House,
Burke's Law by way of The Count of Monte Cristo, coloured by
a Zen-driven aspiration to inner peace and an aggressive obsession with fresh
fruit. And, in the case of Crews's new no-nonsense partner (Sarah Shahi),
an excess of attitude, a history of drug addiction and a penchant for anonymous
sex. Not exactly a match made in heaven. But again, going in – or rather, in
this case, getting out – Crews is a mass of conflicts unto himself.
"There's a dichotomy in the character which is borne out of his experience
of being 12 years in a maximum-security prison," the actor explains,
lapsing back into his natural King's English. "Before he went to prison,
he was really a regular guy like you or me, looking for a career in the LAPD and
a pension. And something extraordinary happened to him that changed him.
"I think he comes to life with fresh eyes. In some ways, he's liberated by
his experience. As an element of cost, there's a little bit of pain, the yin
and the yang of his experience, if you'd like. And his ability or his quickness
to get in people's faces and resort to street mentality or the language of the
prison never leaves him. So if it seems eccentric ... it simply is a result of
his experiences to date, which have altered him greatly." Crews's ongoing
efforts to move on with his life, to "live in the now," to conquer
his demons and embrace his newfound freedom, are really only a part of the
story. "First, it's a character-based drama," explains Life
producer/writer Rand Ravich. "And like any character-based drama, there
are longer-running, character-based themes and stories. But there will also be
a closed-ended police story every week. "He was in prison for 12
years. He dreamt about a lot of things for those 12 years, but mostly he dreamt
about becoming a cop again. He wanted the suit. He wanted the badge. He wanted
the gun. He wants to be a really good cop. So every week there will be a good
cop story." And then there is ... all the other stuff. "There will be
a piece of his life every week," Ravich continues. "Sometimes it will
be the ... `conspiracy,' for lack of a better word. Sometimes it will be
dealing with his ex-wife. Sometimes it will be learning how to date again.
Sometimes it's as simple as dealing with his cell phone ... the whole world
that he's missed out on for the last 12 years will be a part of this show every
week."
CBC Names News Boss
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
Guy Dixon
(September 20, 2007) John Cruickshank, the veteran Canadian
journalist who rose to become publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times, is returning
to Toronto to head CBC News. Following Tony Burman's departure in July from the
position of editor-in-chief after a long career with the public broadcaster,
the top news job at the CBC was split into two. Cruickshank's official title is
publisher of CBC News. However, the expectation is that the CBC is still
looking to fill the other newly created position of executive editor for
English-language news and current-affairs programs. That job is seen as more
like a newspaper editor-in-chief, working closely with producers in choosing
the stories of the day. The position of publisher is seen as more of an
oversight role, organizing the structure of the news departments and directing
resources across the CBC's television, radio and online news services.
Cruickshank, a former managing editor of The Globe and Mail, is a career-long
newspaper man, not a broadcaster. Yet the CBC's managers were effusive
Wednesday in their praise.
“He has enjoyed a distinguished career as a journalist, first in Canada and
most recently in the U.S. He will be assuming leadership of the country's most
important news organization in an exciting time,” said CBC-TV executive
vice-president Richard Stursberg Wednesday in a release. The chief executive
officer of the Sun-Times Media Group, Cyrus Friedheim, said in a separate
release that Cruickshank “led this company through very difficult times” and
that “his presence will be sorely missed.” During Cruickshank's tenure, both
the Sun-Times and rival daily the Chicago Tribune have had to dramatically cut
costs and jobs. Last year, the Sun-Times let go of around 10 per cent of its
staff, while also beefing up its website with content from other Chicago-area
papers it owns. Cruickshank wasn't immediately available for comment Wednesday.
He is scheduled to begin at the CBC within three weeks. He began his career at
the Montreal Gazette and the Kingston Whig-Standard before working his way
through various beats and editing stints over a 14-year career at The Globe and
Mail. Starting in 1981, his beats included education and Queen's Park before he
became Vancouver bureau chief, editorial writer, associate editor and finally
managing editor in 1992. In 1995, he was appointed editor of The
Vancouver Sun, where he was credited with creating a more cohesive style for
the paper and bringing aboard a host of new section editors. In 2000, he moved
to the Chicago Sun-Times, where he was named vice-president of editorial and
co-editor. One mission was to wrest the paper from its brief down-market past
when it was controlled in the mid-1980s by Rupert Murdoch. By 2003, he
was named publisher, and he is also currently COO of the Sun-Times Media Group,
which includes suburban newspapers in the Chicago area.
TV TIDBITS
Anthony Anderson’s ‘K’ville’ Tops
Ratings
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(September 20, 2007) *Fox’s new drama series “K-Ville” debuted to
big numbers on Monday, drawing 9 million viewers to win the night’s coveted 18-49
demographic, according to early Nielsen data. The series, starring Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser as police detectives in
post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, also outperformed last year's debut of
"Vanished" in the same time slot by 5% in total viewers and 13% among
adults 18-49. The show’s 9 p.m., Monday competition included repeats on
ABC and CBS and an original "The Singing Bee" on NBC, which drew 7.8
million viewers. “Prison Break,” which began its third season at 8 p.m. Monday
with Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) in a Panamanian jail, averaged an
estimated 7.4 million viewers. Unfortunately, it was the series’ least watched
premiere – down nearly 2 million viewers from the opener last year. It was
beaten in the ratings by reruns of “How I Met Your Mother (10.9 million) and
“The New Adventures of Old Christine (12.4 million) on CBS. “K-Ville,” slang
for “Katrina-Ville,” expanded its “Prison Break” lead-in by 6% in adults 18-49
and 22% in total viewers. Next Monday, both shows will face serious competition
from the season premieres of NBC’s "Heroes," ABC’s "Dancing With
the Stars" and CBS’ "Two and a Half Men."
Whoopi's 'View' Tops 'Rosie's' In Ratings
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(September 25, 2007)
*After a slow start, ratings for "The
View" have
steadily increased since the addition of moderator Whoopi
Goldberg, and is currently soaring above the numbers averaged during
the controversy-riddled era of Rosie O'Donnell. According to
Daily Variety, the ABC morning talk show under Goldberg is averaging 3.5
million total viewers, a 7% increase from 3.3 million under O'Donnell last season.
Ratings weren't so “rosie" in the beginning for Goldberg. Her
first show drew 3.4 million viewers, 1 million fewer than O'Donnell did on her
first day in 2006. Pundits began to predict a permanent ratings drop-off from
Rosie's tenure. But after one week, the show under Whoopi
was neck-and-neck with the Rosie-led show of last year. The second week into
the season, "The View" was up 16% over last year, an unexpected turn
for ABC daytime president Brian Frons, who was among those who believed
Whoopi's numbers would never top Rosie's. The addition of co-host Sherri
Shepherd to the table also gave the show a ratings jolt. Since her Sept. 10
debut, “The View" has added 4% in total viewers.
::THEATRE NEWS::
Marcel Marceau Bows Out
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
Angela Doland, Associated Press
(September 23, 2007) PARIS — Marcel
Marceau, who revived the
art of mime and brought poetry to silence, has died, his former assistant said
Sunday. He was 84. Marceau died Saturday in Paris, French media reported.
Former assistant Emmanuel Vacca announced the death on France-Info radio, but
gave no details about the cause. Wearing white face paint, soft shoes and a
battered hat topped with a red flower, Marceau, notably through his famed
persona Bip, played the entire range of human emotions onstage for more than 50
years, never uttering a word. Offstage, however, he was famously chatty. “Never
get a mime talking. He won't stop,” he once said. A French Jew, Marceau
survived the Holocaust and also worked with the French Resistance to protect
Jewish children. His biggest inspiration was Charlie Chaplin. Marceau, in turn,
inspired countless young performers; Michael Jackson borrowed his famous
“moonwalk” from a Marceau sketch, “Walking Against the Wind.” Marceau performed
tirelessly around the world until late in life, never losing his agility, never
going out of style. In one of his most poignant and philosophical acts, “Youth,
Maturity, Old Age, Death,” he wordlessly showed the passing of an entire life
in just minutes.
“Do not the most moving moments of our lives find us without words?” he once
said. Prime Minister Francois Fillon praised Marceau as “the master,” saying he
had the rare gift of “being able to communicate with each and everyone beyond
the barriers of language.” Marceau was born Marcel Mangel on March 22, 1923, in
Strasbourg, France. His father Charles, a butcher who sang baritone, introduced
his son to the world of music and theatre at an early age. The boy adored the
silent film stars of the era: Chaplin, Buster Keaton and the Marx brothers.
When the Germans marched into eastern France, he and his family were given just
hours to pack their bags. He fled to southwest France and changed his last name
to Marceau to hide his Jewish origins. With his brother Alain, Marceau became
active in the French Resistance. Marceau altered children's identity cards,
changing their birth dates to trick the Germans into thinking they were too
young to be deported. Because he spoke English, he was recruited to be a liaison
officer with General George S. Patton's army. In 1944, Marceau's father was
sent to Auschwitz, where he died. Later, he reflected on his father's death:
“Yes, I cried for him.” But he also thought of all the others killed: “Among
those kids was maybe an Einstein, a Mozart, somebody who (would have) found a
cancer drug,” he told reporters in 2000. “That is why we have a great
responsibility. Let us love one another.” When Paris was liberated, Marcel's
life as a performer began. He enrolled in Charles Dullin's School of Dramatic
Art, studying with the renowned mime Etienne Decroux. On a tiny stage at the
Theatre de Poche, a smoke-filled Left Bank cabaret, he sought to perfect the
style of mime that would become his trademark.
Bip — Marceau's on-stage persona — was born. Marceau once said that Bip was his
creator's alter ego, a sad-faced double whose eyes lit up with child-like
wonder as he discovered the world. Bip was a direct descendant of the 19th
century harlequin, but his clownish gestures, Marceau said, were inspired by
Chaplin and Keaton. Marceau likened his character to a modern-day Don Quixote,
“alone in a fragile world filled with injustice and beauty.” Dressed in a white
sailor suit, a top hat — a red rose perched on top — Bip chased butterflies and
flirted at cocktail parties. He went to war and ran a matrimonial service. In
one famous sketch, “Public Garden,” Marceau played all the characters in a
park, from little boys playing ball to old women with knitting needles. In 1949
Marceau's newly formed mime troupe was the only one of its kind in Europe. But
it was only after a hugely successful tour across the United States in the
mid-1950s that Marceau received the acclaim that would make him an
international star. Single-handedly, Marceau revived the art of mime. “I have a
feeling that I did for mime what (Andres) Segovia did for the guitar, what
(Pablo) Casals did for the cello,” he once told The Associated Press in an
interview. In the past decades, he has taken Bip to from Mexico to China to Australia.
He's also made film appearances. The most famous was Mel Brooks' “Silent
Movie”: He had the only speaking line, “Non!” As he aged, Marceau kept on
performing at the same level, never losing the agility that made him famous. On
top of his Legion of Honour and his countless honorary degrees, he was invited
to be a United Nations goodwill ambassador for a 2002 conference on aging. “If
you stop at all when you are 70 or 80, you cannot go on,” he told The AP in an
interview in 2003. “You have to keep working.” Funeral arrangements were not
immediately known.
Mirvish
Alive With Sound Of Music
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com
- Theatre Critic
(September 25, 2007) "How do you solve a
problem like Maria?"
That's the question everyone will be asking today after it is announced that
Andrew Lloyd Webber is looking for a Canadian talent to play the lead in a
Toronto production of The
Sound of Music, to be
staged by Mirvish Productions. Wait, there's more. The contest to
find the right performer to play Rodgers and Hammerstein's Maria von Trapp, the
nun-turned-governess made famous by Julie Andrews in the 1965 movie co-starring
Christopher Plummer, will be made into a yet-as-unnamed television series that
will air on CBC. Both announcements are expected to be made this morning
at joint press conference held by Mirvish Productions and CBC Television at the
Princess of Wales Theatre "I believe in the people you have here in
Toronto," Lloyd Webber told the Star yesterday in an exclusive
interview, "and I'm certain they can offer me everything I need to get a
dazzling show on stage." The contest is by no means a brand-new concept.
Last year Webber went looking for a British Maria in the BBC TV series How
Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, the title of which is taken from the
musical's song "Maria." The BBC series, created by Lloyd
Webber, gave viewers the final pick after thousands of hopefuls were whittled
down to 10 finalists. In the end British viewers picked 23-year-old Connie
Fisher to play Maria. She has been appearing in the London Palladium production
of The Sound of Music since it debuted last November. The search
for the star of a Toronto-produced Sound of Music seems like a simple
idea. But the show sounds very much like another Canadian talent search that
will also air next month on CBC. Produced by Garth Drabinksy, the
three-part Triple Sensation premieres Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. on CBC,
continuing through Oct. 21. But on this show, instead of a dream role in a
Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, the winner will receive a scholarship to study
at one of the country's best theatrical institutions. The likes of Sergio
Trujillo, Cynthia Dale, Adrian Nobel and Marvin Hamlisch are helping
Drabinksy's kids along to the point where they have something to project. But
now, with the timing of today's announcement so close to Triple Sensation's
debut, it's been suddenly overshadowed by the arrival of Lloyd Webber and his
trademark right-for-one-role cohorts.
Lloyd Webber said he was looking for overall talents, but in the BBC
competition, the ones who fit his requirement seemed to do better. Meanwhile,
Drabinsky has all along insisted he is looking for individuality and pedigree
in the people he pursued for Triple Sensation. It's fascinating
how they seem to want different things from their artists. Lloyd Webber says he
needs specific physical traits to fill the vocal and gymnastic characteristics
of his lead characters, but Drabinsky has nothing in mind like that. While
Andrew Lloyd Webber goes looking for men and women who can fulfill the
particular needs that the requirements of his work demanded, the world of Garth
Drabinsky seeks out the particular demands of each individual and what he or
she could offer.
::OTHER NEWS::
Ken Danby: Surreal Death Of A Canadian Icon
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com - Visual Arts Columnist
(September 25, 2007) Ken Danby, the "Mr. Canada" of
Canadian art, died
Sunday during a canoe trip in Algonquin Park, aged 67. "He was a
great realist painter," said Walter Moos, Danby's mentor and dealer for
more than 40 years. "But his death seems surreal because of where it
was." Algonquin Park was the site of Canadian painter Tom Thomson's
canoe-related death 90 years ago, a subject of books and films. Danby was
canoeing with his wife and frequent model, Gillian Danby, and friends when he
collapsed. He was pronounced dead by two paramedics flown into the bush near
North Tea Lake by air ambulance. Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Danby filled
his canvases with the simple reality of Canadian life as well as many of its
most dramatic moments. Stampede (2006), his recent panoramic portrait
of the Calgary Stampede, is a flurry of flying hooves and painterly fury. But
he's best known for At the Crease, a 1972 painting of a masked goalie
hunched over expectantly. It's often believed to a portrait of the Canadiens'
Ken Dryden.
For years Danby denied any Dryden reference whatsoever. Later he relented a
bit. "It's really whoever one wants it to be," he admitted.
"He was looking to be one of the great Canadian painters and to that end
he aligned himself with great Canadian subjects," Matthew Teitelbaum, Art
Gallery of Ontario director, said yesterday. "He wanted to create a
body of work that spanned everything from the everyday in Canada to the most
heroic. ``I think he distinguished himself from his peers by the very breadth
of his subject matter. He had the ambition to do something important." In
the late '50s, after studies at the Ontario College of Art, Danby toyed with
using ideas and techniques of abstract expressionism, as did many artists of
his generation. Seeing an exhibition by American realistic painter Andrew Wyeth
in Buffalo gave Danby the confidence to go against the abstract grain.
"Ken showed me some of his new realistic work," said Moos.
"I said, `This could be interesting, if you can continue in this way.'
That was in 1963. He found a place to work on Manitoulin Island, which I staked
him to. He was a natural artist. He had his first solo show with me in 1964,
and it sold out." Eventually Wyeth himself became a fan, telling Danby
that At the Crease was "a terrifying and exciting
picture." Abstraction's cult of personality and exhibitionism seemed
to bother Danby. "The essence of art is not as concerned with personal
expression as much as it is with the exploration of all facets of visual
expression," he said. "The individual artist's unique approach simply
becomes a particular vehicle by which a more important avenue is explored, the
complete sphere of art." Danby, who served on the Canada Council and the
Board of Trustees at the National Gallery of Canada, never lost his love for
the rough and tumble of sports. He created a series of watercolours in the '80s
for the America's Cup and portraits of Canadian athletes for the 1984 Winter
Olympics in Sarajevo. Critics weren't always kind. "But you had to be a
bit of a rebel if you were a representation painter," Christopher Pratt,
his fellow realist painter, said yesterday from Newfoundland. "If you were
a realistic painter you were assumed to be a bit retrograde. In fact Ken Danby
was very much a Canadian painter." Danby looked up to Alex Colville,
the great Nova Scotia representational painter. Colville in turn followed
Danby's career at a distance. "I remember a self-portrait he did that was
foolishly called Magic Realism, something I have also been accused
of," Colville said yesterday from Nova Scotia. "It's ironic that to
the art world we're often seen as freaks and not belonging, while we're in the
mainstream with the general public."
Hardcore Gamers Get Fix A Little Early
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com - Entertainment Reporter
(September 25, 2007) Just outside the Best
Buy store at Bay and
Dundas Sts., eager fans got a chance to play Halo
3 before today's game launch at 12:01 a.m.
Eyes locked in concentration, fingers twiddling with controllers, gamers
enjoyed a series of eight-on-eight battles fragging each other, constantly
dying and respawning and then repeating the process. The highly anticipated
game definitely passed muster. "The great thing about the franchise is
that it's completely unpredictable," said Ell Hamilton, a 19-year-old
Ryerson student clad in black Halo shirt. "The graphics are
obviously better, but really, it's pretty much just an improvement on Halo
2, which is what I'm glad they did, because the game was always
great." Despite boasts that it will be the year's biggest launch – Halo
2 made $125 million (U.S.) in its first 24 hours, and analysts estimate Halo
3 will easily break $150 million in first-day sales (1.5 million units
have already been pre-ordered in North America) – it was surprisingly calm
outside Best Buy, where a line-up seemed slow to form. "Halo
fans are too cool to be seen lining up and waiting for a game," said one
of the sales supervisors. "It's an older demographic who have work or
school to go to. But they have been calling all day." He added that closer
to the midnight launch, there would surely be a line. While much of the
talk in the gaming world over the past year has had to do with the rise of the
importance of the casual gamer, Halo 3 is resounding proof that the
hardcore gamer is still the backbone of the industry. The makers hope is that
the final part of Master Chief's blockbuster trilogy will also provide a shot
in the arm for the Xbox 360 console, which is in a heated battle with the
resurgent Nintendo and its phenomenally successful Wii console.
"There would not be an Xbox 360 without all the support from the hardcore
gamers on the original Xbox, so this is absolutely for that audience,"
says Ryan Biden, a product manager for Xbox Canada. But the Halo
series has been a game changer for the industry and the hope is that the game
will drive console sales and get more players online – and after the short
demonstration it seemed to be working. "I have some other expenses
right now, but I really focused on getting a 360 because I really want to play
it," said George Stepanov, 19. "I've read all about Halo 3
... and now that I just played it, it totally rekindled the flame. The new game
looks awesome."
What’s So Bad About Being Single?
By Michael Kramer
“You know what your problem is?” Who doesn’t love a conversation
that starts like that? But if you’re over 35 and single, people somehow think
it’s an open invitation to diagnose why you’re still single. “You don’t
have room in your life for a woman.” “You’re too picky.” “You’re not picky enough.”
(Sadly, I’ve dated a few women who have elicited that response from my
friends.) The very term “singles” practically sounds like a disease (oh, wait,
that’s “shingles”), and for those diagnosing us, being single seems to be our
defining characteristic. As the last of my peer group to remain single,
I’ve noticed that friends, colleagues, family members, even shop owners,
are quick to diagnose me. I bought new eyeglasses recently and the salesman
asked my female friend whether we were a couple. “No, we’re just
friends,” she said.
“Good,” he said, “because based on how long it takes him to decide on a pair of
glasses, if you’re waiting for a proposal, you’re gonna wait forever.” As if
choosing eyewear were somehow related to choosing a spouse. Is
there something wrong with being single? But comments like these, repeated over
and over through the years, made me start to doubt myself. Maybe something was
wrong with me. Maybe I did have the dreaded singles disease. After all, people
never give flattering reasons for why you’re still single. The diagnosis is
never, “You’re too good-looking” or “If only you were less smart.” It’s
always something negative. “You don’t know what you want in a woman.” “You’re
looking for a woman who doesn’t exist.” If everybody’s saying these things,
after a while you start thinking maybe they’re right. It got to the
point where even I started to wonder why I was still single. So I decided to
put my fate in the hands of my happily married friends, Andy and Lisa. (Names
have been changed to protect the guilty.) I agreed to let them set me
up. Andy and Lisa wanted to double date, so the four of us went to
dinner. It turns out that the woman they set me up with had started a new job
that day, and she joked — three times, so I sensed it was more than a joke —
that she’s just not cut out for work, and she really just wants to marry a rich
guy. That’s a nice thing to hear on a first date, because that’s exactly what
guys are looking for in a woman. It’s the equivalent of a man telling a first
date that he’s considering quitting his job to devote more time to chewing
tobacco.
Then poker came up in conversation, and my date said she loves to gamble, but
she’s having a bad year. “How so?” I asked. She said she’s down $19,000.
Nineteen. Thousand. Dollars! I thought, Wow, so you don’t want to work AND
you’ve got a gambling problem? You’re quite the catch. After
the date, Andy pulled me aside and excitedly asked, “So… what do you think?”
Not wanting to be insulting, I said I thought she was nice, but not quite my
type. To which Andy replied, “You know what your problem is? You don’t want to
be happy.” Now, wait a minute! I may not know myself perfectly, but
I do know that an unambitious gambler is not my road to happiness. And that’s
when I came to my senses and realized that the so-called “experts” who were
diagnosing me didn’t know any more than I did. Being single isn’t a disease,
yet so many married people think they’re Jonas Salk with the miracle cure. But
with over 50 percent of marriages ending in divorce, maybe single people should
be diagnosing married people. What single people need to remember
the fact is, we all go through life on our own timetable. I know many people
who found their true love a little later in life. It wasn’t because they were
crazy or afraid to commit or told too many corny jokes on dates or any of that
stuff. It was because they found their true love a little later in life.
I have a well-meaning cousin who, upon hearing I wasn’t dating anyone, sighed
and said, “There’s gotta be somebody out there for you.” She used the
exact same tone that Dr. Frankenstein would have used if he were lamenting that
his monster was still single. I told her, “It’s not like I’ve never been
loved!” But then I realized that I didn’t need to get defensive. I mean, even
Frankenstein’s monster found his soul mate, and I’m not sure he even had a
soul. I have to believe I’m a better catch than he is. Just imagine what people
must have said about him before he found his lovely bride. But did he listen?
No. Ol’ Frankie’s monster just kept trudging along, with the bolts in his neck
and his flat head held high. And until the rest of us find our soul mate, so
should we.
Michael Kramer is an Emmy-nominated television writer living in Los Angeles.
He is single, looking and, he likes to think, “well-adjusted.”
::SPORTS NEWS::
Canada's
Women's Basketball Team Beats Jamaica 68-47 In Olympic Qualifying
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com - The Canadian Press
(September 26, 2007) VALDIVIA, Chile – Kim
Smith of Mission, B.C.,
had 17 points and 10 rebounds as the Canadian women's basketball team opened
the FIBA Americas Olympic qualifying tournament Wednesday with a
68-47 win over Jamaica. Amanda Brown of Montreal added 11 points and eight
boards for the 11th-ranked Canadians, while Isabelle Grenier of Ste-Foy, Que.,
finished with 10 points. Simone Ann-Marie Edwards topped Jamaica with 25 points
and seven rebounds. The Canadian women are gunning for their first Olympic
appearance since the 2000 Sydney Games, where they finished 10th, but they're
in tough in Chile as only the gold-medallist from the FIBA tournament earns an
automatic berth for the 2008 Beijing Games. Teams that finish second through
fourth will have another shot at a second-chance tournament in June.
The Canadians face No. 8-ranked Cuba on Thursday, and then wrap up round-robin
action against the top-ranked American squad – which has 10 WNBA players – on
Friday. Canada needs to finish top-two in its pool to advance to Saturday's
semi-finals, so a win against Cuba is crucial. Canada led from the opening
whistle Wednesday, racing out to an 18-3 lead to end the first quarter.
Jamaica managed to cut the lead to nine midway through the second, but
the Canadians took a 37-24 lead into the break, and had stretched it to 53-34 by
the end of the third. Canada shot a decent 56 from two-point range, but
struggled from long range, connecting on just four of 20 from beyond the arc.
Gretzky
Plugs Electric Hockey Skates
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com - Sports Reporter
(September 26, 2007) Wayne Gretzky heated up hockey during his
Hall of Fame NHL career. Now, he’s heating up the ice. Gretzky is
plugging a new, battery-warmed skate blade that melts ice to give its wearer —
so the endorsements contend — more speed with less work and overall, a better
hockey experience. Hey, is it too late for the Leafs to place an order? The
Thermablade inventor, Calgarian Tory Weber, says the steamy steel is not a
novelty item, like Cooperalls, nasal strips or pyramid power. The 43-year-old,
who spent more than $5 million over five years to bring his idea to market,
believes the “fairly simple physics” behind the electronic blade will
revolutionize hockey for competitive players. “I had a basic understanding that
if you put something hot on ice, it’s going to melt and be slippery,’’ said the
former steam engineer at the Banff Springs Hotel. “It’s not super
technical. We heat the blade and it creates a thin film of water between the
skate blade and the ice and gives the user substantial performance benefits.”
Weber contacted Gretzky and delivered a prototype to him at the 2004 NHL
all-star game in Minnesota. Number 99 tried them, was impressed and agreed to
endorse the product. Certainly, flush NHLers can afford high-end equipment like
brainy electronic blades that fit any make of boot. But what about the bulk of
the hockey market that is used to paying less than $50 for a set? Weber won’t
reveal pricing or target market (though pros clearly top the list) until the
blade is officially launched next month in Toronto, but it’s unlikely hockey
moms will pick up a pair for their house-league stars. And that extra
heat — what will it do to the ice? Company spokesperson Sam McCoubrey says
product testing shows the warming effect is “negligible.” However, with
so many complaints about NHL ice conditions, the Maple Leafs, for instance, are
fiercely protective of their frozen turf. In the off-season, a $3.8 million
dehumidification system was x installed at the Air Canada Centre to help
improve the ice quality — and unusual equipment like Thermablades will be
closely monitored.x “Conceptually, it sounds like a good thing for the players
but I’m just not sure what effect it’s going to have on the ice,” said Diego
Roccasalva, Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment’s vice-president of operations.
“We’re being very cautious and ensuring that everything we do is consistent
with producing the best ice that we can, and ultimately our goal is to have the
best ice in the NHL ..... . When you put that kind of tender loving care into
the ice, you want to make sure that whatever goes on it is consistent with
(maintaining quality).” The NHL is also being cautious, studying safety issues
— like a slapshot shattering the blade and scattering its electronic guts as
dangerous debris — as well as ice conditions. We understand the game is
ever changing and that we can’t be totally against progress,’’ said NHL director
of hockey operations Kris King. The former Leaf, with league ice expert
Dan Craig and NHLPA associate counsel Stu Grimson, have been reviewing
Thermablade testing results with the company over the summer. “It’s a neat
idea,” said King. “But from our standpoint we also want to make sure that
if we have 12 guys on the ice at one time with heated blades, we want to know
how that will affect our ice surface.” King said the NHL is “not in the
endorsement business” but all new products must be approved by the league for
use in games. And don’t expect the technology to show up any time soon in other
blade-running sports. It would not be allowed in international speed skating,
for instance. Speed Skating Canada boss Jean Dupré said there’s a specific
rule against the heating of skate blades that was passed after it was
discovered that teams experimented with heating blades before a race.
Heating the runners is also illegal in bobsleigh, but teams have tried it over
the years.
SPORTS TIDBITS
Canada
Basketball Unveils New Chief
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com - The Canadian Press
(September 26, 2007) Former Toronto Star
columnist Wayne
Parrish has been named the new head of Canada
Basketball. Parrish succeeds Fred Nykamp as the organization's executive
director. Nykamp left Canada Basketball on May 24 to become the first-ever CEO
of the Canadian Soccer Association. Nykamp didn't last long at the CSA. He says
he is suing the organization after the CSA's board of directors voted not to
ratify his contract. Parrish is a former sports columnist at the Toronto
Star and sports editor of the Toronto Sun. A two-time National Newspaper
Award winner, the Vancouver native was also general manager and executive
editor of Toronto Sun and vice-president of strategic operations for
Sun Media. He is also the editor of "Double Blue: An Illustrated History
of the Toronto Argonauts."
::FITNESS NEWS::
Super 20-Minute Home Workout!
By Raphael Calzadilla, BA, ACE, RTS1, eDiets Chief Fitness Pro
“If you have made mistakes... there is
always another chance for you... you may have a fresh start any moment you
choose, for this thing we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying
down.” -- Mary Pickford
If you’ve suddenly been hit with a busy schedule or just
need something quick, I have the workout for you. The workout is simple,
quick and absolutely effective. No hour-long sessions in the gym or long bouts
of cardio, and no dreading the thought of exercise. Just a realistic
alternative to all the noise in the world of fitness that makes us hate
exercising. No anatomy lessons today, simply something you can do in your
living room or office. The only weight you’ll need is your own body. This
series of movements will take about 20 minutes or less. Yep, you're reading
correctly -- just 20 minutes. You can do them 3-4 times per week. Your entire
body will be stimulated, and you’ll feel rejuvenated without all the added stress
of having to go to the gym.
I’ve designed this routine so that one exercise stimulates multiple muscle
groups. This way, you’ll get the best bang for your buck
in the least amount of time. Perform each exercise in succession. After
completing one movement, immediately continue to the next one. After you've
completed all the movements, perform them one more time. Attempt 20-25
repetitions of each movement. Don’t worry if you can’t perform all the reps --
it will come. If you’re a beginner, take your time and go at your own pace.
OK, let's go!
1. BENT KNEE PUSH UPS Start with your hands and knees on a mat. Your
hands should be shoulder width apart and your head, neck, hips and legs should
be in a straight line. Do not let your back arch and cave in. Maintain a slight
bend in the elbows. Lower your upper body by bending your elbows outward and
stopping before your chest touches the floor. Contracting the chest muscles,
slowly return to the starting position. Inhale while lowering your body. Exhale
while returning to the starting position. After mastering this exercise, you
may wish to try the full push-up.
2. LUNGE (with household cans) Stand straight with your feet together.
Hold a can in each hand and keep your arms down at your sides. Step forward
with the right leg and lower the left leg until the knee almost touches the
floor. Contracting the quadriceps muscles (front of the thigh), push off your
right foot slowly, returning to the starting position. Alternate the motion
with the left leg to complete the set. Inhale while stepping forward. Exhale
while returning to the starting position.
The step should be long enough that your left leg is nearly straight. Do not
let your knee touch the floor. Make sure your head is up and your back is
straight. Your chest should be lifted, and your front leg should form a
90-degree angle at the bottom of the movement. Your right knee should not pass
your right foot, and you should be able to see your toes at all times. If you
have one leg that is more dominant than the other, start out with the
less-dominant leg first. Discontinue this exercise if you feel any discomfort
in your knees.
3. ABDOMINAL BICYCLE MANOEUVRE Lie on a mat with your lower back in a
comfortable position. Put your hands on either side of your head by your ears.
Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle. Slowly go through a bicycle
pedaling motion, alternating your left elbow to your right knee, then your
right elbow to your left knee. This is a more advanced exercise, so don’t worry
if you can’t perform a lot of them. Do not perform this activity if it puts any
strain on your lower back. Also, don’t pull on your head and neck during this
exercise. The lower to the ground your legs bicycle, the harder your abs have
to work.
4. BENCH DIPS Using two benches or chairs, sit on one. Place palms on
the bench with fingers wrapped around the edge. Place both feet on the other
chair. Slide your upper body off the chair with your elbows nearly but not
completely locked. Lower your upper body slowly toward the floor until your
elbows are bent slightly more than 90 degrees. Contracting your triceps (back
of the arm), extend your elbows and return to the starting position (stopping
just short of the elbows fully extending). Inhale while lowering your body and
exhale while returning to the starting position. Beginners should start with
their feet on the floor and knees at a 90-degree angle. As you progress, move
your feet out further until your legs are straight with a slight bend in the
knees.
5. ABDOMINAL DOUBLE CRUNCH Lie on the floor face up. Bend your knees
until your legs are at a 45-degree angle with both feet on the floor. Your back
should be comfortably relaxed on the floor. Place both hands crossed on your
chest. Contracting your abdominals, raise your head and legs off the floor
toward one another. Slowly return to the starting position (stopping just short
of your shoulders and feet touching the floor). Exhale while rising up and
inhale while returning to the starting position. Keep your eyes on the ceiling
to avoid pulling with your neck. Your hands should not be used to lift the head
or assist in the movement.
There you have it! Five exercises performed for two cycles in just 20 minutes.
You'll begin to notice a tighter feel in your muscles in a few weeks, and you
will naturally perform more reps as time progresses -- all in 20 minutes or
less.
::MOTIVATION::
Motivational Note
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com — Seneca:
Philosopher, statesman, dramatist
"It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves
more, that is poor."
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