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LE NEWSLETTER
May 29, 2008
Is it really almost
June? Could it be that the warmer weather is actually here to stay?
Summer -
the absolute best as people's spirits soar and people's
dispositions seem ... sunny! Mark your calendars for (and what a great
Father's Day gift!) the Diary of Black Men at the Sony Centre on Friday, June 20th and Saturday, June
21st.
Lots of great Canadian news below mixed with lots of global
entertainment news!
Scroll down and find out what interests you - take your time and take a walk
into your weekly entertainment news!
::HOT EVENTS::
The Diary
Of Black Men: “How Do You Love A Black Woman?” Friday, June 20th and Saturday,
June 21st
Profile Entertainment presents Thomas Meloncon’s The Diary of Black Men on Friday, June
20th and Saturday June 21st at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts. The shows start at 8:00 p.m.
The Diary of
Black Men delivers a strong emotive message about the relationships
between black men and women. The play provides an opportunity for
both men and women to see the other’s side of the relationship issues.
Six male
actors portray the different characters: The Working Man, The Black Muslim, The
Player, The Black Revolutionary, the Professional and “Slick.” There is
one woman in the play who plays a representative role and does not have any
speaking lines.
Audiences
will experience side-splitting humour, anger and déjà as they relate to the
different vignettes played out on stage.
Billed as a
“must see” for the black community, the play has had successful box office
records and is considered a phenomenon by theatre audiences across the world.
Since 1983, the play has been touring and entertaining audiences in the United
States, United Kingdom, Australia and the Caribbean.
Not only is The
Diary of Black Men an entertaining theatrical performance but it is
informative, educational and worthy of the many accolades it has received over
the years,
Following
the highly successful run of Umoja, Profile Entertainment now brings Toronto
theatre audiences the longest touring play in African-American history, The
Diary of Black Men.
Makes a Great Fathers Day Gift!
FRIDAY, JUNE 20 AND SATURDAY, JUNE 21
THE DIARY
OF BLACK MEN
Sony Centre
for the Performing Arts
1 Front St.
E. (corner of Yonge & Front St.)
Prices are: $67.50, 57.50, $47.50 and $37.50.
Tickets: (416) 872-2262 or CLICK HERE
For
Group rates call 416.751.1717
::TOP STORIES::
Nelly Furtado’s Manager
Chris Smith Is A Man On A Mission
Source: www.eurweb.com -
(May 22, 2008) *Jamaican-born artiste manager
and producer Chris Smith is a man on a mission. Smith
currently manages international pop star Nelly Furtado as well as Canada-based
reggae/pop artiste Jarvis Church; rhythm and blues singer Tamia; Courtney John
formerly known as Yogie; and sister duo Brick and Lace.
Smith has taken the expertise from his business background into running a
full-fledged management firm and production entity Chris Smith Management. The
company is based in Canada. Smith has a lot of plans for Jamaican music
including a variety show which will be syndicated overseas. This column caught
up with Smith recently where he spoke about the future for Brick and Lace and
Courtney John, the television variety show, and the working with a major pop
star such as Nelly Furtado.
Kevin Jackson: What projects are you
currently working on?
Chris Smith: I'm getting set to launch Brick and Lace, Courtney John and
Jarvis Church. I am also in the midst of producing a music variety show. In all
my global travels, I see a void in the music. The world needs more Jamaican
music on a consistent basis. The variety show will be having auditions for
dancers. It will be filled with performances and dancing. It's going to be over
the top.
KJ: Speaking of the variety show, which
television station will it air in Jamaica?
CS: We haven't finalised that as yet, but it will be syndicated globally.
KJ: Fill us in on this charity venture
that you will be pursuing.
CS: I saw that there was a gap in music education, and I am establishing a
non profit organisation to gather funds for music education. This country's
natural resource is music. We need to develop and create more wicked musicians
like the next Sly and Robbie.
KJ: What are some of your plans where
Brick and Lace are concerned?
CS: There's two dimensions to them. It was important for the girls to
establish themselves in Jamaica. We didn't want to go too far on the pop end
without the Jamaican side being established. They have won most of the major
awards in Jamaica and their video for Love Is Wicked is averaging 4.7 million
hits on youtube. In April they will be touring the UK and Europe. A lot of people
aren't aware how popular Brick and Lace are globally. I don't want to cross
them over too quick and forget their roots.
KJ: How difficult or challenging has it
been to manage an international pop star like Nelly Furtado?
CS: It's a challenge to maintain her business structure. She is a diamond
seller and she has outsold a lot of artistes. She is really big globally and we
have a massive team of people who work with her. We have a dedicated stylist,
make-up person, security, road manager, tour manager and production manager.
She even has a favourite pilot for her private jet.
KJ: What do you think about the current
state of the music industry where records aren't really selling like once?
CS: The music industry is sort of reshuffling. I think it's exciting times.
When there is a shift in mediums the way consumers receive music, people get
nervous. I believe that once people understand what the digital era is about to
bring to us and how efficient it is, we'll settle down. People will always need
music. In Jamaica we need to train more. We have an abundance of talent here
and we need more business people to get involved.
KJ: Have you seen any new talent here in
Jamaica that you would want to work with?
CS: Attitude is the most important thing when working with an artiste.
Attitude is everything. I've seen a few videos since I have been here and we
plan to check out some of the artistes.
KJ: How did you get your start in the
industry?
CS: I used to be in the financial sector and I decided to transfer that
skill into the music industry. I went to college for marketing and when I felt
I was seasoned enough, I started dabbling on the music front. I played the
trumpet when I was in high school.
KJ: What's your Jamaican connection?
CS: I am originally from Annotto Bay in St. Mary. I moved to Canada many
years ago.
KJ: Tell us about this upcoming concert
you plan to have here in Jamaica with Nelly Furtado
CS: Nelly will be coming down for a concert to raise funds for music
education here in Jamaica. She's been wanting to come to perform in Jamaica for
sometime now. She 's also right in the mix because she has done her dub plates
for Swatch International, she has done reggae remixes of most of her hits, and
she has worked with Courtney John.
Madonna To Show
Film At Moore's Festival
Source: www.thestar.com - John Flesher, The Associated Press
(May 23, 2008) TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.–Madonna's new film on the impoverished nation of
Malawi has wowed another maker of documentaries: Michael Moore.
Moore announced Thursday that Madonna, like himself a Michigan native, will
appear for a screening of "I
Am Because We Are'' during the Traverse City Film Festival on
Aug. 2.
"She's sort of entered my realm," Moore said. "When I saw it, I
thought, 'Wow, it's like she's been making these films for years.'''
Madonna produced and narrated the documentary after traveling to Malawi, where
she met the toddler David Banda. She and husband Guy Ritchie are adopting the
child.
"I Am Because We Are" illustrates the poverty that children of the
southern African country face, how the AIDS crisis is claiming lives, and the
conditions that cause disease and other misery there. But the film urges people
to volunteer and tries to offer hope.
"She takes the viewer through a very personal journey and tries to connect
us, living here in the U.S., giving us a window into the way it is for other
people in the world," Moore said. "You're extremely moved when you
watch it. You understand very clearly why she's devoted so much of her life to
the people of Malawi.''
Moore said he was "outraged" by the criticism Madonna received for
her efforts to adopt David. Some children's rights groups said it would be
better to provide more resources so children could remain in their native
countries. Others accused her of using her celebrity status to circumvent
Malawian adoption laws, which she denied.
"As one who has seen what the yellow press can and does do, all of that
was just one more reminder to me of just how dishonest so much of the media is
in this country," Moore said.
An e-mail message seeking comment was sent to a publicist for Madonna.
Moore, who won the Academy Award in 2002 for "Bowling for Columbine,"
said he saw an early version of Madonna's film in London while shooting scenes
for his latest documentary, "Sicko.''
After watching the finished product about a month ago, he asked Madonna for
permission to screen it during the festival in Traverse City, his adopted
hometown about 250 miles northwest of Detroit. Moore established the festival
in 2005 with local author Doug Stanton and photographer John Robert Williams.
"She said she'd be thrilled to come here and be part of the film
festival," Moore said. "We were pleasantly surprised.''
Madonna, born in Bay City and raised to the south near Detroit, recently
released a new album, "Hard Candy," and is preparing for a worldwide
tour that begins in August. She'll take a one-day break from rehearsals to
visit Traverse City.
The film will be shown in a downtown theatre that seats 540. After the film is
shown, Madonna will take questions from the audience, Moore said.
Source: Sasha Stoltz
(May 20, 2008 - Toronto, Canada) – Director Bruce McDonald begins production on his first horror, the psychological thriller Pontypool. Hot off US release of "The Tracy Fragrements" starring Oscar Nominated Ellen Page and previous hits "Hard Core Logo," "Dance Me Outside," and "Highway 61," Genie award winner and winner of Berlin Film Festival's coveted Manfred Salzgeber Award, McDonald promises to deliver the unexpected with his new film Pontypool.
Pontypool's plot is being kept under wraps and begins filming today in a discreet location in Toronto's West end.
Sydney Pollack, 73:
Oscar-Winning Director
Source: Raquel
Maria Dillon, The Associated Press
(May
27, 2008) LOS
ANGELES—Sydney
Pollack was remembered by some of the elite actors he directed in
films such as Out
of Africa, Tootsie,
and Absence
of Malice, not only for his Academy Award-winning direction, but
also for his acting talents.
Pollack, diagnosed with cancer about nine months ago, died Monday afternoon,
surrounded by family, at his home in Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles, said his
publicist, Leslee Dart. He was 73.
Unlike many other top directors of his era, Pollack was also a film and
television actor himself, and he used this unique position to forge a
relationship with Hollywood’s elite stars and create some of the most
successful films of the 1970s and ’80s.
“I sort of straddle the line ... between personal movies and mainstream
Hollywood,” he told The Associated Press in 1993.
In 1970, They
Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, about Depression-era marathon dancers,
received nine Oscar nominations, including one for Pollack’s direction. He was
nominated again for best director for 1982’s Tootsie,
starring Dustin Hoffman as a cross-dressing actor and Pollack as his
exasperated agent.
As director and producer, he won Academy Awards for the 1986 romantic epic Out of Africa,
starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, which captured seven Oscars in all.
Last fall, Pollack played law firm boss Marty Bach opposite George Clooney in Michael Clayton,
which he also co-produced. It received seven Oscar nominations.
“Sydney made the world a little better, movies a little better and even dinner
a little better. A tip of the hat to a class act,’’ Clooney said in a
statement. “He’ll be missed terribly."
Other A-listers Pollack directed include Sally Field and Paul Newman in Absence of Malice,
Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn in The
Interpreter, Robert Mitchum in The
Yakuza, Tom Cruise in The
Firm, and Redford in seven films: This Property Is Condemned, Jeremiah Johnson,
Three Days of
the Condor, The
Way We Were with Barbra Streisand, The Electric Horseman, Out of Africa
and Havana.
In later years, Pollack, who stood over six feet tall and had a striking
presence on screen, devoted more time to acting, appearing in Woody Allen’s Husbands and Wives,
Robert Altman’s The
Player, Robert Zemeckis’ Death
Becomes Her and Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut.
On television, Pollack had an occasional recurring role on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace
playing Will’s (Eric McCormack) father, and appeared in the Sopranos, Frasier and
Mad About You.
His last screen appearance was in Made
of Honor, a romantic comedy currently in theatres, where he played
the oft-married father of star Patrick Dempsey’s character.
“Most of the great directors that I know of were not actors, so I can’t tell
you it’s a requirement,” Pollack said at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2005. “On
the other hand, it’s an enormous help.’’
Pollack first met Redford when they acted in 1962’s low-budget War Hunt,
and would go on to play a major role in making Redford a star. “It’s easy
working with Bob; I don’t have to be diplomatic with him,” Pollack once told
The Associated Press. “I know what he can and cannot do; I know all the colors
he has. I’ve always felt he was a character actor in the body of a leading
man."
Pollack produced many independent films with the late Anthony Minghella and the
production company Mirage Enterprises. His producing credits include The Talented Mr. Ripley;
Cold Mountain;
Sketches of
Frank Gehry, a documentary that was the final film directed by
Pollack; and the new HBO film Recount,
about the 2000 presidential election.
Sidney Irwin Pollack was born in Lafayette, Ind., to first-generation
Russian-Americans. In high school in South Bend, he fell in love with theatre a
passion that prompted him to forgo college, move to New York and enrol in the
Neighbourhood Playhouse School of the Theater.
Studying under the renowned Sanford Meisner, Pollack spent several years
cutting his teeth in various areas of theatre, eventually becoming Meisner’s
assistant.
“We started together in New York and he always excelled at everything he set
out to do, his friendships and his humanity as much as his talents,” Martin
Landau, a long-time close friend and associate in the Actors Studio, said in a
statement.
After appearing in a handful of Broadway productions in the 1950s, Pollack
turned to directing. He began on TV series such as Naked City and The Fugitive,
then moved to film. His first full-length feature was The Slender Thread,
about a suicide help line.
The film was scored by Quincy Jones. “Sydney Pollack’s immense talents as a
director were only surpassed by the compassion that he carried in his soul for
his fellow man,” Jones said Monday.
Pollack said in 2005 that for Tootsie,
Hoffman pushed him into playing the agent role, repeatedly sending him roses
with a note reading, “Please be my agent. Love, Dorothy.” At that point,
Pollack hadn’t acted in a movie in 20 years — since The War Hunt with Redford.
The love soon frayed as Pollack and Hoffman differed over whether the film
should lean toward comedy or drama, and the tension spilled into the public
arena. But the result was a hit at the box office and received 10 Oscar
nominations, with Jessica Lange winning for best supporting actress.
“Stars are like thoroughbreds,” Pollack once told The New York Times. “Yes, it’s
a little more dangerous with them. They are more temperamental. You have to be
careful because you can be thrown. But when they do what they do best —
whatever it is that’s made them a star — it’s really exciting."
Pollack is survived by his wife, Claire; two daughters, Rebecca and Rachel; his
brother Bernie; and six grandchildren.
Damon Allen Packs It In After 23 Seasons In CFL
Source: www.thestar.com
- Rick Matsumoto, Sports Reporter
(May 28, 2008) Damon Allen is finally ready
to hang up his helmet.
The 44-year-old Argonaut quarterback and future hall of famer is expected
to announce his much-anticipated retirement at a press conference today.
For weeks now pro football's all-time leading passer has been telling
anyone who cared to ask that he might suit up for a 24th CFL season to add to
the 72,381 yards he's already tossed the oval ball.
But always, as he said that, there was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes
and a sly smile on the corner of his mouth.
Even as recently as last Saturday, as he hosted his third annual
Quarterback Challenge in Hamilton which brought together most of the CFL's top
quarterbacks for a charity event, Allen was telling questioners that he might
be at training camp.
But today as the quarterbacks and rookies check in at the Argos'
Mississauga practice facilities, Allen will announce that he's done after an
outstanding career. He is expected to remain with the Argos but not likely as
part of the coaching staff.
Allen leaves having played for six CFL teams beginning in 1985 with the
Edmonton Eskimos. Then it was on to the Ottawa Rough Riders, the Hamilton
Tiger-Cats, back to Edmonton and then a year with the expansion Memphis Mad
Dogs before joining the B.C. Lions, where he had his longest tenure – seven
seasons.
In 2003, when Lions signed Dave Dickenson, Allen, who was approaching 40,
became expendable and the Argos wasted no time in signing him.
"He may be approaching 40 but physically he's a lot younger than
that," Argo general manager Adam Rita said at the time. "I think he's
still got a Grey Cup left in him."
Rita was right.
A year later, the Argos were crowned Grey Cup champions, with a 27-19
victory over the Lions in Ottawa's Frank Clair Stadium, and the 41-year-old
Allen was named the game's MVP.
While the Argos were unable to repeat as champions the following season,
when they stumbled in the East final against Montreal after finishing in first
place, Allen was named the CFL's most outstanding player for the first time in
his career.
In 2006, despite missing four weeks with a broken finger, he became pro
football's all-time leading passer when he surpassed CFL/NFL great Warren
Moon's yardage total.
The end of his career came into sight last year when he lost the Argos'
starting quarterback job to Michael Bishop. Then, after replacing the injured
Bishop, he suffered a season-ending toe injury.
The anticipation grew this off-season when the Argos obtained Kerry
Joseph, last year's winner of the CFL's outstanding player award and the Grey
Cup game MVP, from the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Joseph and Bishop are expected to battle for the No. 1 job at training
camp, which begins this Sunday. Argos also have two highly regarded young quarterbacks
in Cody Pickett and Reggie McNeal.
Developing Bigger Cojonas – Getting Ahead in the Music Business
by Daylle Deanna Schwartz
Often when I ask musicians why they haven't put together a tour
yet or pushed to get their music out, or why they turned down a last minute
opportunity, the response is, "I'm scared." It's okay to be scared.
But getting past your fears by getting up the nerve to ask for what you want,
or say yes to opportunities, works better if you want to get further than you
are. You MUST take risks if you want to be happier. You MUST take risks if you
want to be really successful. You MUST take risks if you want to live to the
fullest extent of life. You MUST take risks if you want to build confidence in
yourself. And you MUST take risks if you want to have the career you say you
want. Saying and doing are two very different things. People say what they
want, and what they hope for, and what they dream of. That's the easy part!
"I want a national tour" but he never plays out of his hometown.
"I want to license my music" but she never sends it to anyone.
Actually becoming pro-active about making it happen takes BALLS! Guts!
Brazenness! Cojones!
People say I'm lucky to have done so much and had so much success. Hello!
You make your own luck by not running from opportunities and taking risks. My
rule in the last many years is if a good opportunity is offered, say YES and
then figure out how to make it work. Even if it scares you a lot. Do you think
I wasn't terrified to go on the Howard Stern show? But I did it, and it helped
sell a lot of books.
You must say YES to any opportunity that's offered that can help your careers,
no matter how scared you are or how many excuses you come up with. Then do
what's necessary to work out the logistics. If someone offers you the
opportunity to open for a large name act at the last minute, there's only one
answer. It doesn't matter if you haven't rehearsed in a while or your guitar
player is sick or you're flat out scared. Say YES! Then hustle to make it work.
I advocate developing a bigger set of BALLS in order to say YES to taking more
risks. That means developing a personal level of courage. Here are some things
that might help you:
* Become more spontaneous. Accept more things on a spur of the moment basis and
occasionally make plans at the last minute. Often being a bit too rigid keeps
us in the habit of turning down everything if there isn't lots of time to plan
for it. Take a deep breath and just do it! Initiate something you've never done
before. Call a venue you've never tried to get booked in. Do things fast,
without time to second-guess.
* Squash the excuses. It's easy to find reasons for not saying YES. List your
excuses for avoiding what you're afraid of failing at. Put an X next to any you
can catch yourself and don't use it-each time. Applaud yourself each time. When
you have 10 X's by an excuse, cross it out and give yourself a thumb's up!
* Ask yourself what you're really scared of and what's the worst that can
happen. What specifically scares you? Looking silly? Most people don't notice
the things that make you feel silly. Asking for a higher percentage of the door
from a venue? The promoter saying "no" won't kill you. Performing in
front of a larger than usual group? The worst that could happen is you get a
note wrong or go a little off key. Laugh and the moment. It will pass.
* Practice acting confident. You don't have to be confident to act it.
Take deep breaths, put on a smile, and assure yourself that you'll be okay.
Hold your head high, speak slowly, and think self-assured. That helps create confidence.
* Become pro-active in situations where you lack confidence. Try
something new, even if it doesn't work, instead of complaining, indulging in
self-pity, or convincing yourself you can't. No matter what their facade,
intimidating people are human. No one is better than you are, unless you make
them so. And most situations can be conquered!
* Talk to yourself in the mirror. Tell yourself you can do it and that
you plan to do what's necessary to achieve your goals. Over and over and over
until it starts to sink in.
* Applaud ever effort you make, even if you don't get the results you
hoped for. There is still success in having tried. You made the call, even if
you were turned down. You sent the music files, even if they weren't chosen. So
be proud of every baby step you take and each little fear you conquer, even for
the moment. It does get easier.
* Tap into your spiritual support. You have support getting the gig or
any other opportunity and you'll have support on the other end too-when opportunities
materialize. When you get nervous or have self-defeating thoughts, keep saying
"thank you" for what you want, even if you haven't received yet. If
you're saying thanks, you can't think the negatives at the same time. Let the
Law of Attraction manifest the positives!
Ask yourself, "Would I prefer to feel safe or be happy?" Safe isn't
happy. I was very safe before I got my career going. Miserably safe! I thought
security was more important than happiness. But happiness and getting your
career going feels great, while striving for safety by avoiding risks is just
passing time. Plus, avoiding risks doesn't really create security. It just
keeps you stuck. If I hadn't said YES to the dare from my students who said a
white woman couldn't rap, I'd still be a bored, unhappy teacher. CHOOSE to take
more risks and see what happens. You can make your own miracles when you begin
to say YES to things that scare you. That to me is also saying YES to life!
Daylle Deanna Schwartz Biography
Daylle Deanna Schwartz is the best-selling author of 9 books,
including, I Don’t Need a Record Deal, published by Billboard. She also
presents music industry seminars, does phone coaching/consulting for musicians
and record labels, publishes a free e-zine, Daylle’s News & Resources
(music industry) and writes the self-empowerment blog, Lessons from a
Recovering DoorMat.
http://www.LessonsFromaRecoveringDoormat.com.
http://www.daylle.com
::TRAVEL NEWS::
Wii
Workout Is A Hit
Source: www.thestar.com - Heather Greenwood Davis, Special To
The Star
(May 24,
2008) NEW YORK–The words coming out of Dorothy Evan's mouth are meant to be
encouraging, but the look on her face suggests she expected more from me.
We are standing across from each other in what, on most days, is the squash
court of Gravity Fitness – the hip health club below Le Parker Meridien hotel.
But today, instead of me being led through typical personal training paces,
we're planning to play a video game.
Only at the Parker would this make sense. The swanky digs just off of Central
Park are known for their oxymoronic offerings.
The gut-busting breakfasts at Norma's restaurant are in stark contrast to the
svelte and sexy who's who of guests and international celebs who wander the
halls.
Or take the award-winning $7 burgers at its 1950s-style (and aptly named)
Burger Joint that sits behind a red velvet curtain, has walls coated in
celebrity-authored graffiti and causes a mix of tailored suits and cut-up jeans
to line up in the vaulted ceiling lobby every Friday for lunch.
And now they've adapted the couch potato's sport into an actual workout.
The new Wii
fitness program at Gravity is a one hour-personal training session
($120 U.S.) that may trick you out of your inactive lifestyle.
Sign up and you'll spend part of the session doing the appropriate fitness
drills for the sport of your choice (bowling, boxing, tennis and golf are among
the options) and during what would normally be down time, between reps, you'll
use the video game for active recovery.
The innovative Wii system allows you to reproduce the real skills you've just
learned (how to jab, cross, duck and punch) against an onscreen opponent.
I opted for boxing and Evans set to work teaching me how to wrap my hands in
bright yellow tape before slipping my lethal weapons into soft pink boxing
gloves.
But here we are less than 10 minutes later and both of us seem a bit surprised
by the outcome of my punches. Turns out I hit like a girl.
She tries to help: "Imagine that this is someone that makes you mad,"
she suggests.
Wop. Wop.
"I mean someone who has really ticked you off. See their face here. Get
MAD!" she says demonstrating by punching the target herself.
Suddenly someone pops to mind.
WHAP! WHAP!
The smile on her face suggests improvement.
"Time to drop the gloves," she says handing me two Nintendo Wii
controllers.
Suddenly a boxing ring, complete with computerized opponent and surround sound,
takes over the 20-foot wall in front of me.
As I assume the stance and begin to box, I find my inner Ali and begin punching
and jabbing as though my life were in jeopardy.
Dorothy estimates you can burn anywhere from 300 to 800 calories in a session.
So far (pardon the pun) it's a hit – and not just with the gaming crowd.
"We've had an equal number of men and women sign up," says Evans.
"The women really like it. It's fun and a little different than a standard
workout. You get all the benefits of the sport."
The number of women participants is expected to grow even further when the
hotel brings in Wii Fit – a balance board being launched later this month.
The board will measure your Body Mass Index (BMI) and have programs that
encourage you to do everything from yoga to hula-hoop practice.
The system at Gravity isn't an ordinary Wii.
The club worked with Nintendo to develop an industrial- strength version that
requires no cartridges or game discs and allows them to project the game onto
the wall without distortion.
And while you could get a Wii and use it on your own at home, by combining the
gaming system with a personal trainer you're ensured of getting a more fulsome
workout.
There's also the motivation factor.
While Dorothy has me ducking and punching, doing step-ups with a bench and
generally sweating the pounds away, the knowledge that I'll get another shot on
the video game in a few minutes keeps it interesting.
And when the time comes to take the controllers in hand, the hand-eye
co-ordination necessary to play the game means I'm not thinking about the
muscles that are working (and hurting!) or how many reps are left to be done.
As the session wears on I feel my arms turning to mush but Dorothy continues to
bark commands at me as I try to work my way football player-style through a
series of hoops placed on the floor.
Despite my reminders that I'm "just a writer" and there's no need to
do a "full workout," she insists.
I'm weary but no less enthusiastic when it's time to play the Wii again.
When I punch my onscreen trainer in the head a few times ... by accident.
Dorothy smiles.
"It's funny," she says. "You don't get any points but people do
seem to like hitting the trainer from time to time."
Can't imagine why.
Heather
Greenwood Davis is
a freelance columnist. Her visit was subsidized by the Parker Meridien Hotel.
::MUSIC NEWS::
Two
Divas Reflect On One Another
Source: www.thestar.com - Richard Ouzounian, Theatre Critic
(May 25, 2008) Louise Pitre and Jackie Richardson are two of Toronto's most beloved
talents. Pitre is known for her stint in Mamma Mia! as well as her
fabulous performance in Piaf, while Richardson became a superstar with Cookin'
at the Cookery and went on to even greater heights in Ain't Misbehavin'.
But they've never sung together ... until tonight, for one performance only, in
a show called Heart and Soul at the Diesel Playhouse, 56 Blue Jays Way.
416-971-5656.
We asked these dynamic divas what they thought of each other.
What's your favourite memory of hearing Jackie/Louise sing?
LOUISE: I saw Jackie do Cookin' at the Cookery a few years ago. I
had heard her before but never for an entire evening. I just wanted to hear it
again and again.
JACKIE: Louise and I were involved in a show that was supporting women's
causes quite some years ago. She came on and sang "La Vie En Rose" and
completely mesmerized us all. Not a dry eye in the house. I have never
forgotten that rapture.
What quality of Jackie's/Louise's singing touches you the most?
LOUISE: The immensely liquid quality of her singing and facial
expressions. The way her eyes tell you what her heart is thinking. It's a
personality coming through. That's what I look for in any performance –
honesty.
JACKIE: Her passion. She's for real. She connects to what she's saying
on a deep level and as a listener you respond and sometimes it's almost
physical.
Is there one particular aspect of Jackie's/Louise's style you wish you could
do yourself?
LOUISE: The low-down, bluesy style with a twinkle in her eye. She does
that better than anyone.
JACKIE: I wish I could sing in French and with her passion, so I could
do justice to Jacques Brel, Edith Piaf and Gilbert Bécaud.
What song that Jackie/Louise hasn't sung already would you like to hear her
perform?
LOUISE: "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables. I bet
she'd do a hell of a job of it.
JACKIE: I'd love to hear her sing my favourite Judy Garland song,
"The Man that Got Away." Maybe she has sung it, but I haven't heard
it and I'd love to.
If you had to describe the sound of Jackie's/Louise's voice, what would you
compare it to?
LOUISE: It's like a big bowl of bread pudding with a lot of hot rum
sauce all over it.
JACKIE: I love the sound of the wind, and Louise can do everything from
a gentle rustling of the leaves to a full typhoon roar.
The Regina Belle Interview: Baby Come To
Christ
Source: www.eurweb.com - By
Mona Austin / msmona@lachurchscene.com
(May 23, 2008) In the late eighties every "Quiet Storm"
DJ on the planet was playing "Baby Come to Me," the bellowing slow
jam by Regina Belle that seemingly
seduced the charts overnight.
Into the nineties, Belle manufactured numerous hit love songs -- "Is This
Love?," "Make It Like It Was," "Show Me the Way," and
"All I Want Is Forever" (with JT Taylor of Kool & The Gang) --
all well written and colored by her feminine tenor tones.
Whether in a duet or alone, Regina was the embodiment of soulful grown folks
music and one of the most recognizable and celebrated R&B vocalists of that
period.
She has four Grammys and an Oscar to her credit for "A Whole New
World" (with Peabo Bryson for the Alladin soundtrack), a song that
broadened her appeal to a pop audience.
With formal college training at the Manhattan School of Music and Rutgers in
Opera and Jazz, there are few genres she hasn't touched. Next stop:
gospel.
It has been the songstress' career-long wish to record a gospel album.
With the recent release of "Love Forever Shines" - her first gospel
recording - Belle, 44, has now joined the fray of mainstream artists who at
some point return to their musical beginning, the church.
In her case, she pulls from her days in the choir at Mt. Calvary Baptist church
in Englewood, New Jersey where she was raised and from her family's deep roots
in North and South Carolina.
Her contemporary and good friend Shirley Murdock who has walked a parallel path
personally and professionally (both were leading ladies in R&B and are now
first ladies in their husbands' churches), appears on the album in a duet
entitled "I Call on Jesus."
Backed by the rare partnership of two record labels, Pendulum Records and
Walker Davis Entertainment, Belle and Gospel are a winning combination. The
first single, "God is Good" charted as the number one Most Active
Record and the number one Most Added Record at Gospel Radio during its first
week of release. Her brother and only sibling, Bernard Belle arranged and
produced several songs on the 14-track album.
As Belle returns to her musical roots, love abides.
Mona Austin: You've had an opportunity to sing before various audiences
including The President. When you play to a church audience how different
is it from when you perform before your R&B fans?
Regina Belle: Actually when I did the thing at the White House it
was a tribute to Shirley Caesar so that was pretty much the same. But, in
terms of it being different than when I'm on the road, the thing that I try to
concentrate on mostly when I'm performing is that I do the very best I can so
they can forget about what's going on at home and I can take them some place
else and bring some peace into their lives. . .When I'm ministering that's totally
different because that's a responsibility and liability that God holds me
to. I think I have a bigger responsibility on my shoulders when I'm
singing gospel because now it's about letting people know God is available to
you. When you start talking like that you gotta go some other
places.. Sometimes you have to expose some things about yourself.
It's totally different.
MA:
I noticed you have Shirley Murdock on the project. Both of you were
prominent in R&B around the same time, now you're both in gospel.
What's it like having a friend on common ground?
RB: It's wonderful being able to talk to her about different
things. She's been there and understands when you say, 'I'm not sure.'
Things that we may question about this aspect of music. Shirley's real
easy to talk to. She's always willing to lend her ear and myself back to
her with anything she wants to talk about.
MA:
Not everyone understands when you have a calling to minister to both "the
world" and the Body (of Christ). Have you received any resistance
since you decided to do both R&B and gospel?
RB: No, not much actually. I think that's because when people listened to my
music there was standard of integrity that has always been upheld. My
grandmother is almost a hundred years old, she's 98. My mother and father
are still living and they are getting ready to celebrate 60 years in
marriage. I come from a long line of marriages in my family. So the
things that I sing about--love, people staying together-- I talk about
all these different things that hold families together. I think because
of that it's easier for people to "swallow" what I'm doing, as
opposed to maybe some other folks (not to be judgmental), but like R.
Kelly. That might be difficult for them. God can do all things.
Just like he changed Paul who was a killer of Christians, he can work on R.
Kelly. He can work on whomever, but the point of the matter is that God
can use whomever and whenever he pleases. I hope that people understand
that when God does something he doesn't always do it in the conventional way.
MA:
You definitely have always projected a nice image, but I can't say that I've
thought of it as a family image. I know I'm not alone in recalling that
you were thought of as very sexy and sultry.
RB: (Laughter) Wow! Really?
MA:
Ms. Belle come on.
RB: I've known that people have been very pleased with my music and
that's what I've tried to concentrate on. Sexy and sultry? I don't
know. When they introduced me they used to say 'sultry', but I just thought
of that as a title.
MA: But there is a meaning behind that title. "Baby Come to
Me" -- that is one of the most sexual, sensual songs that I've ever heard.
And we are adults.
RB: But even with "Baby Come to Me" I'm talking about
monogamous love. I ain't talkin' about a spare and a pair.
MA:
A what?
RB: A spare and a pair. Girl, I heard that and I thought I would
lose my mind. I was like "a spare and a pair"?
MA:
What does that mean?
RB: In other words: one man ain't enough. I was actually at a Luther Vandross
and Anita Baker concert and I heard a woman say that years and years ago. I
thought to myself gosh, I have issues just trying to deal with my husband, I
can't imagine dealing with two or three men at one time. That would drive
me nuts. So even with "Baby Come to Me" and the songs that I
sing I've always tried to make sure that I've tried to maintain the integrity
behind the music. Even if I talk about love I've gotta be careful that
I'm talking about monogamous love or not talking about seeing someone else's
man because that's just not my thing.
MA:
Understood. Speaking of pure music, true love will never die, long after
love has lost its shine (a line from "Love Has Lost Its
Shine"). That is where your new album gets its title, "Love
Forever Shines." Talk about why you decided to extend that theme to
your gospel album's message.
RB: Actually "Love Has Lost Its Shine" was done by Gladys
Knight prior to me and it was called "Glitter." Basically the
song is saying after that first kiss or after your "representative"
wears off-because you know when a man first meets a woman he don't really let
out all of the bad stuff, she kinda gets eased into it-it takes some time to
know who you're dealing with so I always say when you first meet someone you
meet their representative. "After Love Has Lost Its Shine" is
saying that after that person wears off, I still love you and I'll still be in
love with you because the longer I know you the more in love I'm gonna be with
you. That song was dedicated to my grandparents because before my
grandfather passed away they had been married for 61 years. They didn't
just talk the talk. They was about real love.
"Love Forever Shines" is talking about love in a whole 'nother
aspect. It talks about that there is a place in God that despite the fact
all hell may be breaking loose in your life, when you build that relationship
with God there's a place of peace, despite what's going on. . .
MA:
Which of your songs encourages you when you're going through difficult times?
RB: "I'll Never Leave You Alone"
MA:
Why so?
RB: Because I wrote that song about 8 years ago when I was going through
something kinda heavy. I remember just beginning to pray and cryin' out
to the Lord and while I was praying I just heard a voice say 'I'll never leave
you alone.' I began to write that song down in the hotel. That song
inspires me and motivates me. That song inspires me and lifts me up
because even in my darkest times, God embraces me and lets me know I'm not
alone.
MA:
You got to sing with Melvin Williams. I know that had to have been a
whole lot of fun.
RB: It was a whole lot of fun. "It's Good to Be Loved" is the duet
that Melvin and I do together and that's a song that takes me back to North
Carolina to my grandparents' farm when I used to sit on the back porch on a
swing ... me and my brother and drink lemonade and watch the sun go down.
Everything was just fine. There was no worries about anything. That song
takes me back to that special place. Different songs have special meaning
for me so they're kinda all my favourite.
MA:
What overall message do you hope your fans will take away from the album?
RB: One-We serve a risen Saviour. He's not dead in a grave
somewhere. He got up and he's very much alive. . .There are some things
that make you wanna lose your mind, but the thing that stabilizes you and keeps
you is Jesus Christ. I try to look at it like insurance. If you
have an accident in your car and you pay for it, it was a waste of insurance.
Coverage is only good when you acknowledge it.
Regina Belle, her five children and husband of seventeen years, former
Cleveland Cavalier, Pastor John Battle reside in suburban Atlanta. She serves
as the praise and worship leader at her husband's church in Atlanta, New Shield
of Faith Ministries.
Al Green's Classics Revitalized When He's Backed Up By The Young
And Hip
Source: www.globeandmail.com
- J.D. Considine
LAY IT DOWN
AL GREEN
Blue Note
****
(May 27, 2008) Like garage rock and electric blues, soul music is a pop evergreen,
a sound players and listeners alike continually return to - albeit with varying
results. Retro is a tricky aesthetic, after all. Copy too closely, and your
music seems second-hand; stray too far from the formula and you risk sounding
like a pale imitation.
That conundrum is as true for aging originals as for those they have
influenced. When Al Green made his return
to soul singing with I Can't Stop, about 27 years after he had traded
the carnal allure of R&B for the sanctified safety of gospel music, he
reunited with many of the same Memphis musicians who played on his great
recordings of the seventies, including producer Willie Mitchell, guitarist
Teenie Hodges and bassist Leroy Hodges. The rock press raved, but it felt more
like a historical re-enactment than a classic soul album. The sound was
perfect, but everything else seemed second-hand.
Lay It Down takes a totally different tack, dumping the old guys and
teaming Green with a younger, hipper crowd: drummer/producer Amir (Questlove)
Thompson (the Roots), the Dap King horns (Amy Winehouse, Sharon Jones), and
singers John Legend, Anthony Hamilton and Corinne Bailey Rae. These are
performers who grew up on the music Green made, and whose own recordings have
worked to recontextualize classic soul within a contemporary market.
At almost any other record company, the temptation would have been to use those
young lions to remake Green's sound, something that would have undoubtedly
wound up as an expensive exercise in dressing mutton as lamb. Fortunately, the
suits at Blue Note decided to take things in a different direction, and let the
kids make a classic Al Green album, which, incredibly, is exactly what they
did.
It's easy to hear hallmarks of Green's seventies cannon throughout Lay It
Down, from the sweet, thin sound of a smallish string section to the raw,
throaty punch of the horns. However much they might evoke half-remembered hits,
the songs never come across as retreads. Instead, Green and company use that
old, familiar vocabulary to say something new.
You've Got the Love I Need is typical. It starts with a simple,
throbbing pulse, heavy on the bass and tom-toms, and deftly parlays that into a
dreamy, soulful verse, something that seems as much Philly soul as Memphis
groove as Green warbles, "I got to have you in my life." But the
chorus is dark and driving, with an immediacy that sweeps away any suggestion
of the good ol' days. Green is singing about the here and now and sounds like
it, bringing such passion to the music that when Hamilton joins in - it's the
younger man who ends up sounding like the old-time soul singer.
Historically, Green has never been much for duets, and before this project had
shared the mike only with Annie Lennox, for a one-off cover of Put a Little
Love in Your Heart (recorded for the otherwise-forgotten soundtrack to Scrooged).
Clearly, though, the old dog is more than happy to learn a few new tricks. His
singing with Hamilton is sparked by the uplifting interplay of great gospel
singing, while the slow, sweet Take Your Time, his duet with Rae,
recalls the pillow-talk intimacy of Tammi Terrell's work with Marvin Gaye. And
if Legend's falsetto cameo in Stay with Me (By the Sea) doesn't shine as
brightly as the others, it at least has the advantage of being on one of the
album's best songs.
In the end, perhaps the most miraculous thing about Lay It Down is that
it manages to give listeners today a sense of what it was like to hear Green's
classic albums when they were new. To make him sound any fresher would probably
take a time machine.
Silky Soulful Gina Green Is Someone You Should Know
About
Source: LaMarr Blackmon – CEO, B.E.
Advertising & Promotions, 818.766.6125 - ilblackk@adelphia.net
(May 27, 2008) *(Los Angeles) - Over the
years, many people have compared singer, songwriter Gina Green's silky, smooth & rich sounding voice
to the 1980's R&B / POP diva Stephanie Mills; however, she has a unique and
fresh sound for today's generation.
Going a step further as far as her voice is concerned, EURweb/RadioScope's Lee
Bailey is excited about Gina's voice too.
"Yes Gina's voice reminds me of Stephanie Mills, but I also hear a tinge
of some Jean Carne in her voice as well," said the media mogul. "A
combination like that is pure vocal dynamite as far as I'm concerned."
Combining truth & real life experiences, Gina Green has been able to write
songs that connect with people of all ages & ethnicities.
Her Debut CD" In His Time" shot up the European charts and topped out
at #2 in the summer of 1996. Sales exceeded 10,000 units worldwide. Later she went
on to record two more independently released neo gospel albums
"Changes" and "Tell Um" which were also a success.
On August 13, 2006, she performed at the LAS VEGAS SOUNDS OF SOUL MUSIC AWARDS
located inside the prestigious 'Cashman Theater" In Las Vegas, Nevada.
Gina was nominated by the "Black Music Academy Association of America
(BMA'S)" in a total of two categories: "Best Gospel Performer -
Female" and "Gospel Rising Star Award." And won "Best
Gospel Performer - Female".
The nominations were determined by a selection committee of music executives,
radio station programmers, music journalists, fellow musicians and
entertainers.
In 2007, Gina auditioned for the Hit TV show "Showtime at the Apollo"
and impressed the judges so much that she was invited twice to be a guest on
the show filmed in Harlem, New York.
Over the years, she has performed all over the United States and has shared the
stage and opened for many well established celebrities; such as The Lakers,
Jane Kennedy, The boys, Tonex, J Moss, TBN's Bill & Rene Morris, The Gospel
Gangsters, two-time dove award nominees The GOGZ, Brent Jones & The TP Mob
and many others.
Her latest CD "My Journey" produced by First Mile Productions, is a
combination of neo soul, spoken word, jazz, and R&B grooves with a very
tasteful & poetic presentation.
Gina's new project not only appeals to those who love inspirational music, but
has reached the neo soul R&B clubs and has a greatly impacted the Chicago
Steppin' community. Gina Green is destined for success and she has that long
awaited voice that your ears have been longing for.
Check out Gina's soulful rendition of 'True Love':
For more music from Gina Green, visit her Myspace page: www.myspace.com/ginagreenmusic
Kanye
Delivers Substance Along With Spectacle
Source: www.thestar.com - Ashante Infantry,