Miranda Lambert Delivers Whole New Flair With Four The Record
(Published on Sat, 7 Jan 2012 17:20:30 GMT)
Miranda Lambert says her new album, Four The Record, pushes the limits and builds on her previous releases with a whole new flair.
The Country star kept a high profile throughout the past year by winning her first Grammy Award, taking home her second consecutive Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year Award, and marrying fellow Country star Blake Shelton. And, shes poised to have another stellar year in 2012.
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Mirandas new album, Four The Record, debuted at Number One. She becomes the only artist in the Country Album charts history to enter in the top spot with each of her first four releases. Last year, Miranda recorded a side project with singer-songwriter friends Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley as Pistol Annies. The trios Hell On Heels album also opened at Number One on the Country list.
Since the 2005 release of her major label debut album Kerosene, Miranda has charted her own musical course. Her fans have understood her personality from the beginning, but Mirandas feisty attitude stood in the way of radio success early in her career. She finally developed a relationship with Country radio with the release of her 2009 album, Revolution, which produced two Number One hits.
After spending some time at home for the holidays, Miranda is back at work to promote her new album. Four The Record features many guests, including Steve Winwood, Josh Kelley, Patty Loveless and Little Big Towns Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman. Miranda also invited her husband to duet with her on this track, called Better In The Long Run.
Miranda and Blake will both kick off their 2012 concerts on January 12. Chris Young and Jerrod Niemann will open shows on Mirandas On Fire tour
Miranda wrote the albums second single Over You with her husband. The poignant song pays tribute to Blakes late brother Richie, who died in an automobile accident in 1990.
Japanese Exhibit of Chinas Priceless Art Marks Anniversary of Relations
(Published on Mon, 9 Jan 2012 02:40:12 GMT)
An exhibition showing pricless cultural relics from China was unveiled Friday in Japans Tokyo National Museum.
The exhibition titled Two Hundred Selected Masterpieces from the Palace Museum, Beijing is marking the 40th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations. The exhibits are selected from almost two million pieces in Beijings Palace Museum and will be on show in Japan until February 19
Chinese ambassador to Japan, Cheng Yonghua, attended the ceremony Friday night. I think this activity is very significant in that it unveils the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations, he said.
Many of the valuable paintings and calligraphic works on show in Tokyo had never left China before. A centerpiece of the exhibition is Riverside Scene at the Qingming Festival by Zhang Zeduan, a painter from the Northern Song Dynasty that reigned between 960 and 1127
Visitors have to arrive early in the morning and stand in a long line to see the painting, and latecomers may have to leave the museum without getting to it
On display are also many articles of daily use belonging to the imperial family of the Qing Dynasty that ruled China between mid-17th and early 20th centuries.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
Hollywood Films Focus on Women Abused in Bosnian War
(Published on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:46:36 GMT)
Angelina Jolie makes her directing debut with a powerful drama set amid the ethnic cleansing of the Bosnian War. The drama, and another film on the atrocities in Bosnia, are drawn from true stories of brutality toward women in that 1990s conflict.
Who were you before the war asks Serbian commander Danijel of his captive, a Muslim woman named Ajila from Sarajevo. Their complicated relationship plays out during In The Land of Blood and Honey, written and directed by actress and human rights activist Angelina Jolie.
I just wanted to tell a story about human beings from all sides and how war affects them, explains Jolie.
Her visits to refugee camps and war zones as United Nations goodwill ambassador motivated Jolie to research and write the script about the systematic rapes and murders during the Bosnian conflict
Angelina Jolie talks about In The Land of Blood And Honey
When I started to look into it and I traveled to the region, I felt that I should have known more. This was in my generation and how do I not know enough And why did it take us so long Then at some point there was this script and it just sat on my desk for a while until Brad saw it one day and convinced me to show it to somebody and try, Jolie says.
Brad, of course, is her husband and fellow celebrity, Brad Pitt. Concerned that it might appear to be a Hollywood stars vanity project, Jolie kept her name off the script that was initially sent to cast members like Zana Marjanovic, who plays Ajila
I think, first of all, that its a very truthful representation of Bosnia. I am from a mixed marriage, notes Marjanovic. A lot of my friends are. And its about all these beautiful things that could have happened between these people and the war made it impossible. Thats actually my personal feeling toward the country where I was born and where I live now.
Serbian actors play the militia men who brutalize their Muslim women captives. Goran Kostic co-stars as Danijel, the troubled commander and Ajilas lover. He says his character does not represent all Serbians
The guilt is individual. We can not possibly blame a side and say all of the Serbs are the same or vice versa. I think everybody understands the nature of conflict, that no side is a clean side or the right side. But we as artists have a duty to criticize ourselves, and I would expect that other artists from different groups in different countries would have the same strength and courage to criticize themselves.
In The Land of Blood and Honey is not the only cinematic portrayal of brutality against women during the Bosnian War. As If I Am Not There is based on a novel by Croatian journalist Slavenka Drakulic. It was made into a film by Irish writer-director Juanita Wilson.
I think there are so many people living with the devastating consequences that it will take a long time for it to heal, Wilson says, but I firmly believe that telling stories is a really important part of healing and until people have that voice and can portray what has happened to them, that there never will be any understanding between any of us on this planet.
Like Wilson, Jolie hopes her film can help bring understanding.
I hope it brings dialogue in the region and around the world and that people remember this time, Jolie says. Many people who have seen the film said to me I feel ashamed and there are many people who should.
Angelina Jolies In The Land of Blood and Honey is currently at American theaters. Juanita Wilsons As If I Am Not There is Irelands submission for this years Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.
Beyonce, Jay-Z Welcome Baby Girl; Hollywood Tribute Honors Michael Jackson
(Published on Mon, 9 Jan 2012 16:07:53 GMT)
Beyonce, Jay-Z Welcome Baby Girl
Pop and R&B star Beyonce Knowles gave birth to a baby girl Sunday in New York. Blue Ivy Carter is the most beautiful girl in the world, the babys aunt, Solange Knowles told US Weekly magazine, Sunday. A Houston, Texas newspaper reported that the star, 30, gave birth after undergoing a Cesarean section. Hollywood Tribute Honors Michael Jackson
Reuters
Michael Jackson (file photo)
On January 26, Michael Jacksons children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, will attend a ceremony at Hollywoods Graumans Chinese Theatre to honor their fathers legacy. Theyll make hand and foot impressions in the cement with his sequined glove and shoes. The following day (January 27), the Los Angeles debut of Cirque de Soleils Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour will take place at the Staples Center.
Youssou NDour to run for President of Senegal
Senegalese singer Youssou NDour
Senegalese artist Youssou NDour has announced that hell run in his countrys presidential election on February 26. The Grammy-winner, 52, will face 85-year-old incumbent Abdoulaye Wade. NDour told the Associated Press, For a very long time, many Senegalese of different backgrounds have called for my candidacy for the presidency next February. Ive listened, Ive heard and I am responding favorably to their request. I am a candidate. Its a supreme patriotic duty, the best I can give of myself. I am the alternative to the current leadership in place in the country.
Adele Tops Billboard 200 Again
British pop singer Adele returns to Number One on this weeks Billboard 200 chart with 21. This marks her 14th non-consecutive week in the top spot. According to Billboard, industry prognosticators predict the album will sell an additional 100,000 to 140,000 this week to keep its place at Number One for a 15th week. Mariah Carey, Spike Lee among BET Honors Recipients
AP
Mariah Carey
On January 14, the 2012 BET Honors will be presented at the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C. This years recipients include singers Mariah Carey and Stevie Wonder, writer/poet Maya Angelou, filmmaker Spike Lee, Americas first black military pilots The Tuskegee Airmen, and inspirational coach Beverly Kearney. Actress Gabrielle Union will host the event, which recognizes lifetime contributions and exceptional service to African-American culture.
Billy Elliot Musical Moves from Broadway to Washington D.C.
On January 8, Billy Elliot: The Musical will close on Broadway. The show opened in late 2008, but tickets sales have slipped in recent months. The touring production will continue. It runs at Washington, D.C.s Kennedy Center through January 15. In 2009, Billy Elliot: The Musical won 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Parton, Latifah Team Up for New Movie
Dolly Partons Better Day CD
Dolly Parton and Queen Latifahs new film, Joyful Noise, opens in theaters nationwide on January 13. The movie tells the story of two choir directors (Parton and Latifah) in a small Georgia town who lead their gospel group through the National Joyful Noise Competition despite overwhelming odds
New Album Releases January 10:
Fallen Empires by Snow Patrol, Live from the Kitchen by Yo Gotti Come Sunday by Charlie Haden & Hank Jones For the Good Times by The Little Willies Original Broadway Cast Recording to Silence!
Star Birthdays:
On January 8, hip-hop singer, songwriter and producer R. Kelly celebrated his 45th birthday. A native of Chicago, Illinois, he arrived on the music scene in the early 1990s with a string of hits that included Shes Got That Vibe, Slow Dance (Hey Mr. DJ), and Bump and Grind. Following that success, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Toni Braxton and other established artists hired him to write and produce tracks for them. R. Kellys self-titled third collection was released in 1995 and became his first Number One album. Two years later, he recorded the smash hit I Believe I Can Fly for the Space Jam film soundtrack. The single won three Grammy Awards. R. Kellys next solo album, TP-2.com, was released in 2000. His 2003 album, Chocolate Factory, produced the Number 2 hit, Ignition. In 2004, Kelly earned a Grammy nomination for the title track to Happy People/U Saved Me. That same year, he collaborated with Jay-Z on the album Unfinished Business. Kellys 2007 album, Double Up, became his fifth to debut at Number One on the Billboard 200 chart. It included the track Rise Up, his tribute to the victims of the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings. Kelly was arrested in 2002 on child pornography charges. He was found not guilty at his trial, which took place in 2008. Kellys 2009 Untitled album topped Billboards R&B/Hip-Hop chart. In 2010, he released Love Letter, an album that was inspired by his soul music influences of the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Last year, Billboard named R. Kelly the Number One R&B artist of the past 25 years. In 2012, he plans to release his new album Black Panties and his memoir, Soulacoaster: The Diary of Me
January 8 marks the birth date of Elvis Presley (born 1935). The King of Rock and Roll landed his first Number One hit in 1956. He went on to become the biggest-selling recording artist in history. Presleys career accomplishments also included acting in more than 30 films, winning a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 1971, and his posthumous induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. Presley died in 1977 at his Graceland home in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 42. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) issued an Elvis Presley commemorative postage stamp in 1993. It was the first in the USPSs Legends of American Music Series. In October 1994, an early celebration was held in Memphis to mark the 60th anniversary of Presleys birth. Performances from the concert were released on the album, Its Now Or Never: The Tribute To Elvis. In 2003, RCA released Elvis 2nd To None, which included two bonus tracks - a remixed version of Rubberneckin and a previously unreleased song Elvis recorded in 1964, Im A Roustabout. In 2004, Sirius Satellite Radio launched a 24/7 all-Elvis channel. Broadcasts air from a specially designed studio at Graceland. In 2006, Sony/BMG Strategic Marketing celebrated the 50th anniversary of Presleys first RCA recording sessions with the release of the box set, Elvis #1 Singles. The label also reissued his Number One single Heartbreak Hotel. According to Forbes magazine, Presley was the top-earning deceased celebrity of 2008. He slipped to Number 4 on Forbes list in 2009, but advanced to Number 2 in 2010. He remained in second place in 2011. Last year, RCA Records/Legacy Recordings issued the 30-CD box set, The Complete Elvis Presley Masters. Included are all of his 711 original master recordings, plus more than 100 additional rare tracks. On January 3, Sony Music/Legacy released a deluxe double-CD package that pairs Presleys 1971 albums Elvis Country and Love Letters From Elvis. The collection is the first of several coming out this year to mark the 35th anniversary of his death
British rock singer David Bowie will celebrate his 65th birthday on January 8. Bowie began performing with various groups in the 1960s before establishing his solo recording career the following decade. In 1975, he recorded the Number One single Fame, which featured backing vocals by John Lennon. Bowie topped the charts again in 1983 with Lets Dance, a track from his Changes album. In 1988, he formed Tin Machine, a rock group that recorded two albums. In 1993, Black Tie White Noise marked Bowies first solo collection in six years. Bowies 26th and latest studio album, Reality, was released in 2003. In 2006, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Last year, Legacy Recordings issued a double-CD from Bowies 2003 Reality Tour
A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys will turn 34 on January 9. The pop group debuted on the charts in 1997 with their self-titled album, which produced the hits As Long As You Love Me, Quit Playing Games (With My Heart), All I Have To Give and Ill Never Break Your Heart. Their 1999 sophomore album, Millennium, sold more than 13 million copies and was followed by the 2000 release of Black & Blue. In mid-2001, the Backstreet Boys postponed their Black & Blue Tour for several months while A.J. got treatment for alcohol abuse, depression and anxiety. The group spent much of 2004 working on the album Never Gone. A.J. sang lead vocals on the CDs first single Incomplete, which peaked at Number Six on the Hot 100 chart and at Number Four on the Adult Contemporary list. The Backstreet Boys 2007 album, Unbreakable, featured the singles Inconsolable and Helpless When She Smiles. The group performed a world tour in 2010 to support its latest album, This Is Us. That was followed by a co-headlining North American tour in 2011 with New Kids on the Block. Their NKOTBSB tour continues this year in Europe. Also in 2012, the Backstreet Boys plan to record a new album. Last month, A.J. married model Rochelle DeAnna Karidis.
Dave Matthews Bands Everyday CD
On January 9, Dave Matthews celebrates his 45th birthday. The leader of the Dave Matthews Band was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 1986, he moved to Charlottesville, Virginia where he immersed himself in the local music scene. He formed the Dave Matthews Band in 1991. The groups hits include Stay, The Space Between and Crush. Since 2000, Matthews has been on the Farm Aid board of directors with Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp. In 2009, Pollstar named the Dave Matthews Band the Top Touring Act of the Decade. The band had the third highest-grossing trek of 2010. After 20 years of constant touring, they took most of 2011 off to spend time with their families
January 10 marks the birth date of the late singer-songwriter Jim Croce (born 1943). During his brief career, Croce recorded several hits, including You Dont Mess Around With Jim, I Got A Name and the Number One singles Bad, Bad Leroy Brown and Time In A Bottle. In 1973, Croce died in a plane crash while traveling to a concert in Sherman, Texas. He was 30 years old
On January 10, singer Pat Benatar will celebrate her 59th birthday. One of rock musics most popular female singers of the 1980s, Benatar is best known for the Top 10 songs, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Love Is A Battlefield and We Belong. After taking two years off from music to devote time to her family, she returned in 1991 with the blues-flavored album, True Love. In 1993, Benatar recorded the rock collection, Gravitys Rainbow, which was followed by her 1997 album, Innamorata. In 1999, Capitol Records issued Benatars three-CD retrospective, Synchronistic Wanderings: Recorded Anthology 1979-1999. Her latest studio album, Go, was released in 2003. That same year, she and her husband, guitarist Neil Giraldo, moved to Maui. Neil runs an all-natural nutritional supplement company called On the Rocks Nutrition. In 2010, Harper Collins published Benatars biography, Between a Heart and a Rock Place.
Rod Stewarts Great American Songbook Volume V CD
British rock singer Rod Stewart will turn 67 on January 10. Stewart made his way into music by singing and playing harmonica while traveling throughout Europe. During that time, he was discovered by blues legend Long John Baldry, who invited him to join his band. Stewart later performed with the Jeff Beck Group and Small Faces (later renamed Faces), which he left in 1975 to concentrate on his already-established solo career. Stewarts biggest solo hits include Maggie May, Tonights The Night (Gonna Be Alright), Da Ya Think Im Sexy and Rhythm Of My Heart. His 1993 collection, Unplugged...and Seated, contains acoustic versions of many of those hits. 1998 marked the release of When We Were the Boys, his final album for Warner Brothers Records. He was briefly signed to Atlantic Records, which issued his 2001 album, Human. In 2002, Clive Davis signed Stewart to his J Records label. Rods debut album for J was the standards collection, It Had To Be YouThe Great American Songbook. Since then, he has recorded the sequels As Time Goes ByThe Great American Songbook, Vol. 2, StardustThe Great American Songbook, Vol. 3, Thanks For The MemoryThe Great American Songbook, Vol. 4 and Still the SameGreat Rock Classics of Our Time. Rods latest album, Soulbook, is a collection of 13 soul classics. Last year, J Records issued The Best ofthe Great American Songbook, a compilation of tracks from the five-album series. Also in 2011, Rods wife, Penny Lancaster, gave birth to their second child together. Rod is a 2012 inductee into the Rock and Hall of Fame with The Faces. He entered the Hall for the first time in 1994 as a solo artist.
On January 11, R&B singer Mary J. Blige celebrates her 41st birthday. The nine-time Grammy winner signed her first recording deal in 1989. Her many hits include Real Love, Not Gon Cry, Family Affair, Be Without You, Just Fine and I Am. In 2007, Geffen Records released Growing Pains, which climbed to Number One on the Billboard 200 and won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. In 2010, Blige released Stronger With Each Tear on her own label, Matriarch Records. She collaborated with Swiss Beatz, Ne-Yo, Jay-Z and others on her new collection, My Life IIThe Journey Continues
Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters will celebrate his 43rd birthday on January 14. Grohl was born in Ohio and grew up in Springfield, Virginia, where he performed in various local bands during the 1980s. From 1990 to 1994, Grohl was the drummer of the Seattle-based grunge band Nirvana. In 1995, he formed the Foo Fighters, which signed with Capitol Records for the release of their self-titled debut album. The groups second album, The Colour and the Shape, was released in 1997. In 2006, the Foo Fighters first live album was released. Skin and Bones contains performances from the bands 2006 acoustic tour. That was followed by the 2007 studio set, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. In 2008, Grohl announced to BBC Radio One that the Foo Fighters were going on hiatus. He said, Weve never really taken a long break, I think its time. After doing Wembley we shouldnt come back for ten years because weve played to everybody. The band included two new songs and several previously unreleased tracks on its 2009 Greatest Hits compilation. Last year, the Foo Fighters released the album Wasting Light, which was recorded in Dave Grohls garage. The set debuted at Number One on the Billboard 200 chart
Awards Presentations/Winners:
The 2012 Peoples Choice Awards, honoring fan favorites in film, television and music, will be presented on January 11 in Los Angeles. Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Katy Perry lead the contenders in the music categories with five nominations each. Following close behind are Adele with four nods and Taylor Swift with three. The event will air live on CBS-TV. (Complete list of nominees available at www.peopleschoice.com.)
Look Whos Going on Tour!
Brad Paisleys American Saturday Night album
Brad Paisley will kick off his Virtual Realty World Tour 2012 on January 12 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Opening the shows are American Idol winner Scotty McCreery and the Country Music Associations reigning New Artist of the Year, The Band Perry. The first leg of the trek will take them to 20 U.S. cities before wrapping up on March 3 in Lexington, Kentucky.
On January 12, Country trio Rascal Flatts, special guest Sara Evans and opening act Hunter Hayes will begin their Thaw Out 2012 tour in Charleston, West Virginia. Dates run through February 18. Rascal Flatts eighth album is scheduled to drop on April 3.
Kelly Clarkson kicks off her 32-city North American Stronger Tour 2012 on January 13. Her itinerary begins in Mashantucket, Connecticut and wraps up on April 10 in San Diego, California. The outing will also feature special guest Matt Nathanson. In other news, its just been announced that Kelly will be a mentor on the upcoming second season of The Voice, which premieres on February 5. Shell join Miranda Lambert on Blake Sheltons Team Blake.
Rock Musician Struggles to Find Boundaries in Burma
(Published on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:27:15 GMT)
As Burmas long time military dictatorship gradually opens, it is loosening censorship controls over media and the arts. Musicians in Rangoon are excited by their newfound freedom, but remain unsure of the new limits. The local punk music band Side Effect is dealing with the changes.
The musician who calls himself Darko C has been the leader of a struggling Rangoon rock band for seven years. He says he is unsure about the new standards of Burmas censorship board, which vets all music albums before they are published.
Its going to take some time to really change, said Darko. So now they have reduced the rules a bit, but there are some lame rules about censorship still.
Burmas ministry of information checks lyrics to see if they reflect what authorities call traditional values. In the past, censors have banned songs about politics, alcohol or kissing. Darko says on his last album, censors cut an entire song that referred obliquely to prostitution. He says the process can be unpredictable.
To be honest I think it depends on their moods, noted Darko. They have their personalities, right Different people doing this job so it depends on the person who is censoring your lyrics. We pray, pray to the Buddha, oh please dont let them ruin my lyrics.
Darko and his wife, Emily, who is a performance artist, own a small tailor shop where they work during the week to pay their bills. But Darko hopes to become a full-time musician soon.
If I already do this, take measurements of people, then I can do this, like this, play guitar, he added
Darkos band, Side Effect, plays live shows in front of crowds of young local fans at the popular open-air concert space in Kandawgyi Park. Darko says the band does not have a political agenda, but still wants to challenge its audiences.
Pushing the limits is good, not only to push the government or authority, but to push the peoples beliefs and thoughts as well, Darko noted. So we need to push that limit.
As local artists, musicians and writers test their new creative limits, Darko says that it is a strange time in his country, but he enjoys it.
This time of change, yeah it does affect me. Were not sure if we are really free really. I mean freedom to express. Were still not sure. Yea, we are kind of happy though. I dont know. Its really weird, this weird season. So yeah, lets see, said Darko.
Like many other artists in Burma, the members of Side Effect hope that as the country opens up, they can reach a wider audience. The band already has a presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and looks forward to the day it can bring its brand of Burmese rock to foreign fans.
Work by Chinese Artist Ai Weiwei Coming to Washington
(Published on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:58:22 GMT)
A work by provocative Chinese sculptor Ai Weiwei will go on display at a museum in Washington.
The Smithsonians Sackler Gallery said on Tuesday that it will display Ais installation piece ``Fragments, a huge work in ironwood with pieces from the dismantled temples of the Qing Dynasty. The piece has never been shown in the United States before and will be exhibited for about a year.
Ai was detained for three months last year in China for speaking against the government.
Under terms of his bail, the artist is prohibited from leaving Beijing until June, so he is unlikely to see the Washington exhibit in person
The Smithsonians Hirshhorn Museum also plans to open a companion exhibit later this year.
The Sackler Gallery said both exhibitions will be accompanied by a full schedule of public programs with details coming up soon.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
Woman Masquerades as 19th Century Dublin Man in Albert Nobbs
(Published on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:30:04 GMT)
Glenn Close could earn an Oscar nomination - the sixth of her career - for portraying a woman passing for a man in 19th century Dublin. The actress also co-wrote Albert Nobbs.
COOK: Good morning Dr. Halloran. DOCTOR: Good morning, Maria. COOK: Good morning Mr. Nobbs.
Its the morning routine in the kitchen of Morrisons Hotel, a fine Dublin establishment where slender, ruddy-faced Albert Nobbs has worked for almost two decades.
But that kind little man has a secret: he is a she, masquerading as a man in order to find work in the tough Irish economy of the 1800s. Glenn Close first played Albert Nobbs in the 1982 stage adaptation of a short story by Irish author George Moore.
Its the morning routine in the kitchen of Morrisons Hotel, a fine Dublin establishment where slender, ruddy-faced Albert Nobbs has worked for almost two decades.
But that kind little man has a secret: he is a she, masquerading as a man in order to find work in the tough Irish economy of the 1800s. Glenn Close first played Albert Nobbs in the 1982 stage adaptation of a short story by Irish author George Moore.
Glenn Close as Albert Nobbs (Photo - Patrick Redmond)
It was, first of all, a very affecting character to play - very difficult, very challenging, very satisfying, confides Close. Also, I was amazed at how powerful the story was and how it affected the audience.
Close won an Obie Award for that off-Broadway performance and then spent almost 30 years trying to get backing for a film version
I didnt go into their offices looking like Albert Nobbs, so its very hard for people, especially Hollywood people, to think of me in that character, notes Close. Also, you can say that theres humor, but its hard for them to get it. A lot of the humor is totally in attitude and performance. It was a very tricky, different kind of story. Anything that far out of the box makes people nervous because its away from any sort of formula.
Albert took on her disguise totally as a survival tactic, she adds, because she was abused and had no name, no money, no job. Then, having gone through that deeply traumatic experience, she chooses to be invisible in a profession where youre supposed to be invisible.
Aaron Johnson and Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs (Photo - Patrick Redmond)
Alberts life changes when she meets another woman in the same predicament: a house painter named Hubert, played by Janet McTeer:
HUBERT: Youre a woman. ALBERT: You wont tell on me. HUBERT: Whats your name ALBERT: Albert. HUBERT: Your real name. ALBERT: Albert.
Albert Nobbs is directed by Rodrigo Garcia. The Colombian-born filmmaker, whose father is the author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, believes the film, while true to its period, explores themes that are relevant today.
I was interested in it because of those things that you do to fit in. It doesnt have to be 19th century, you dont have to be a woman. Sometimes we choose a version of us that will take us further and be more acceptable or popular, explains Garcia.
Albert Nobbs was shot on location in Ireland. The cast includes stage and screen veterans Brenda Fricker and Brendan Gleeson along with rising young star Mia Wasikowska.
Duplicitous Boss Turns on Female Secret Agent in Haywire
(Published on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:10:25 GMT)
Mixed martial arts star Gina Carano makes her film acting debut as a secret agent on the run in a new action-thriller from director Steven Soderbergh. Heres a look at her film, Haywire.
MALLORY: This is your pitch You want me to be eye candy MI-6 wants me to be eye candy I dont even know how to play that. I dont wear the dress.
When Mallory Kane does wear a dress it is likely to get ripped up as she rips into her opponents.
A former Marine trained in all sorts of weapons and hand-to-hand combat, Kane now works as a top secret special ops agent. She knows she has to watch her back; but she doesnt suspect that her boss will turn her into the target.
Six years ago, Gina Carano became one of the first women to compete in the Mixed Martial Arts or MMA arena. She says it was the combination of femininity and fists that convinced Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh to put her in a starring film role.
I think my physicality is the whole reason why I got the job in the first place, she notes. I think it is probably because I do a lot of things like guys. I fight like a guy a little bit and I run like a guy.
KANE: You can tell me right now why you sold me out or you can tell me in 10 minutes when I have my hands around your throat. Surrender now if you want to live. KENNETH: Im sorry, Mallory, thats not possible. KANE: All right, Kenneth, well do it your way.
Claudette Barlus
Gina Carano stars in Haywire
I fight for a living and I think every fighter probably watches action films and they think about what they would have done and what is realistic, Carano says. What Im bringing to it is just whatever I can to give these fights my own flavor and my own personality.
Channing Tatum plays a fellow secret operative and says he had to battle his own upbringing to do the visceral fight scenes with Carano
I grew up in the South and you dont hit women. You dont curse at them, yell at them or anything, he explains, [and] I had to smash a ketchup bottle on her face. It was so alarming to see a beautiful girl sitting across from me and I just couldnt physically do it. She had to make fun of me and challenge my manhood to be able to do it. Then I finally did and realized I made a huge mistake because I did it too hard and her face came back like that and I was, like, uh-oh.
But Ewan McGregor, who co-stars as her characters duplicitous boss, says the men quickly realized Caranos skill would make fight scenes appear realistic to the film audience without actually harming her opponents that is, her fellow actors.
Claudette Barlus
Ewan McGregor and Gina Carano in Haywire
We were in very safe hands with Gina because she is so precise, McGregor explains. I didnt feel that it was ever an issue to be worried or hurt. The only time I did get hurt is when I accidentally punched Gina in the head and she came straight up to me and said are you okay I was trying to be very [tough] and said Im fine, but my hand was [hurting]. She didnt feel a thing.
Gina Carano says she hopes to find more film roles as she moves on from her fighting career. Haywire also features Michael Fassbender, Michael Douglas and Antonio Banderas.
One of the youngest pan-Africa publications is celebrating its one-year anniversary. A French-language spinoff of popular Internet magazine Slate.com, Slate Afrique aims to bring quality news to African and foreign readers. Our reporter visited the publications Paris-based headquarters
Pierre Cherruau is on the phone, speaking to a foreign journalist about the future of French-Rwandan relations. Cherruaus analysis about Africa is in big demand these days. The 42-year-old journalist is editor of Slate Afrique, an online magazine that covers news about the continent and the African diaspora
So do other media. But Cherruau says Slate Afrique is different
You have hard news, but you dont really have analysis and explanation about what is happening in Africa, said Cherruau.
A sampling of this weeks articles includes a look at how Nigerias religious clashes are scaring its neighbors, a feature on a Moroccan rapper and analysis on Tunisia a year after its revolution
Cherruau estimates Slate Afriques readership at about a million a month - a number he believes will grow as Africa becomes more wired into the World Wide Web
Thats one of the reasons why we decided to start Slate Afrique, he said. Its because we believe its time for African people to have access to quality news, quality information. And to have access to this quality information for free.
Slate Afrique is part of Slate.fr - the French spinoff of popular U.S. Internet magazine Slate.com. Cherruau has a Paris staff of half a dozen young journalists, most of them African. But he counts many more correspondents in the field, ranging from Tunisian blogger Taoufik Ben Brik to seasoned Ivorian journalist and writer, Venance Konan
We believe, for example, that when we talk about Nigeria, its good to have the point of view of a writer like Wole Soyinka, said Cherruau. It could be somebody coming from journalism, but also coming from the university, a writer. Someone with a deep knowledge about the country - not just someone who has been in the country for just two days and has to write an article straight away.
One of Slate Afriques newest journalists is 30-year-old blogger Alimou Sow, from Guinea
Sow is interning at Slate Afrique. He hopes to share his experience here with counterparts back home
Cherruau is no stranger to Africa. He lived in Nigeria for two years, writing books and articles for French newspapers. Back in France, he spent 12 years as Africa editor of the weekly publication Courrier International.
While Slate Afrique is currently based in Paris, Cherruau hopes to eventually move its headquarters to Africa. There are also plans for an English version.
Cherruau and his staff will be celebrating Slate Afriques year anniversary with a birthday cake. But hes mostly looking ahead
We believe its just the beginning, he said. Because the development of Slate Afrique is really linked to the development of Africa.
And Cherruau believes this will be Africas century - marking its emergence as a key world player.
A Separation Explores Life in Modern Tehran
(Published on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:35:27 GMT)
A Separation by Iranian director Asghar Farhadi pulls the curtain back on life in modern Tehran. The story is about an unhappy marriage, the lack of support in caring for the elderly and a cumbersome bureaucracy wedged between religious custom and legal parameters. The film won the Golden Globe for best foreign language film and could even nab an Oscar. VOAs Penelope Poulou has more
The film opens in divorce court with Nader, a bank employee, and his estranged wife Simin, a doctor, appearing before a judge.
Simin is filing for divorce because she wants to leave the country. Simin feels if they left, life would improve for them and their daughter Termeh. But Nader refuses to go. He says he needs to tend to his father who suffers from Alzheimers. We watch the couples strained faces as they argue their case. We dont see the judge. In a sense, we are the judge.
Although the court refuses to grant the divorce, Nader and Simin agree on an informal separation. In Simins absence, Nader hires a working class woman to help look after his father. The woman is negligent, and Naders dad has a near fatal accident. Nader gets into an argument with the caretaker.
The argument escalates, and Nader pushes the woman out of the house. The caretaker files a complaint against Nader. She tells the court she was pregnant and claims she lost the baby because of Nader shoved her. Nader says he had no idea the woman was pregnant
The cast of characters is caught in a web of deception and despair. Peyman Moaadi plays Nader, a decent but stubborn man who sees his world crumbling around him
Termeh, 11, played by the directors daughter, Sarina Farhadi, offers a heartbreaking performance as the innocent girl who lies to keep her family together. Sareh Bayat interprets the caretaker, a deeply pious working-class woman who distorts the truth for money.
Asghar Farhadis drama offers up a society where lying is a sin, but its people are forced to bend the truth to overcome dubious court rulings, religious codes of ethics and day-to-day misery.
The Artist Tops Golden Globe Awards
(Published on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:25:10 GMT)
A silent, black-and-white film from France was the big winner Sunday at the 69th annual Golden Globe awards. The honorees are chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
From Spielberg to Martin Scorcese, George Clooney to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the A list of film celebrities turned out for the gala event in Beverly Hills as the 90 international entertainment reporters in the HFPA spread their awards among a handful of films.
They gave three Golden Globes to the French-made audience favorite The Artist. A silent, black-and-white story of old Hollywood, it won best comedy film as well as awards for lead actor Jean DuJardin and musical score composer Ludovic Bourse.
The Descendants, a bittersweet story of a family in Hawaii, won best dramatic film and best lead actor in a drama for star George Clooney, who accepted the award with thanks to its writer-director.
Reuters
George Clooney poses with his award for best actor in a motion picture - drama for The Descendants, backstage at the 69th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, January 15, 2012.
Especially, thank you very much to Alexander Payne who makes wonderful films and is a great friend, Clooney said. I thank you very much for this.
Meryl Streep took home best actress in a dramatic film for playing former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. Best actress in a comedy film went to Michelle Williams for her portrayal of a screen legend in My Week With Marilyn.
Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for putting in my hands the same award that Marilyn Monroe herself won over 50 years ago. I am honored, Williams said.
Woody Allens Midnight In Paris took best screenplay. Scorcese got best director for his ambitious Hugo. And Spielberg accepted best animated feature for The Adventures of Tin Tin.
Wow, thank you very much Hollywood Foreign Press. This is fantastic, said director Steven Spielberg as he accepted his award.
The Golden Globe for best foreign language film went to the Iranian drama A Separation, directed by Asghar Farhadi.
Its an award that was chosen by critics and critics are not easy people to please, he noted. This will most likely cause more audiences to be found for this movie in the world.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association also gives out awards for television programs and performances, but the film categories get the most attention as one of the first salvos in the barrage of award shows leading up to Hollywoods top annual honors, the Oscars, presented in February
Photo Gallery: Golden Globe Awards
Jay-Zs New Single Features Baby Blue; MusiCares Honors McCartney
(Published on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:43:30 GMT)
New Single Features Beyonce And Jay-Zs Baby
Jay-Z and Beyonces newborn daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, has already set a Billboard chart record. Jay-Zs new single Glory, which is officially billed as featuring B.I.C., includes the cries of Blue. The track debuts on this weeks Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs list at Number 74. At less than one week old, Blue becomes the youngest person ever to appear on a Billboard chart.
MusiCares to Honor McCartney
AP
Paul McCartney
The MusiCares Foundation has announced Paul McCartney as its 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year. The 14-time Grammy winner will be honored at a gala on February 10. The 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year special event features a cocktail reception and silent auction, followed by the gala dinner and all-star tribute concert. Previous MusiCares Person of the Year honorees include Tony Bennett, Bono, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Quincy Jones, Barbra Streisand and Stevie Wonder, among others.
Adele Edges Toward Breaking Billboard Record
Adele holds the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart for a 15th week with 21. Its the longest-running Number One album since 1998, when the soundtrack to Titanic held the summit for 16 weeks. According to Nielsen SoundScan, sales of 21 now total 5.9 million copies. Recent reports say Adele will make her return to performing at the February 21 Brit Awards. Shes nominated in three Brit Award categories, including Best Female Solo Artist and Album of the Year. Adele underwent vocal cord surgery in November 2011, which forced her to cancel her tour. Adele is also nominated for six Grammy Awards. RadarOnline.com reports that shell attend the Grammy ceremony in Los Angeles on February 12, but its still unknown if doctors will give her permission to perform.
Van Halen Gifts LA Schools with Guitars
AP
Eddie Van Halen
Guitarist Eddie Van Halen recently donated 75 guitars to Los Angeles public schools. According to the Hollywood Reporter, he teamed with Mr. Hollands Opus Foundation to provide the instruments to schools that lack sufficient funding for their music education programs. In a statement, Eddie said, Music education and families are dealing with the economic times, and I wanted to help them. If I can help a kid discover a liking, or even a passion for music in their life, then thats a wonderful thing. Music has provided a good life for me and hopefully it can help make life better for others with this donation.
On January 21, Country singer Emmylou Harris will celebrate her 20th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry with a concert at Nashvilles historic Ryman Auditorium. Harris was inducted into the Opry on January 25, 1992. Her anniversary show will also feature appearances by Vince Gill, Shawn Colvin and Rodney Crowell, who is currently working with Harris on a duets album. Grand Ole Opry vice president and general manager Pete Fisher said, Emmylou is treasured not just by all of us at the Grand Ole Opry, but also by fans around the world. Shes shared so many great musical moments with us over the past 20 years, singing with and introducing us to some of her favorite musical collaborators. Were excited to celebrate her Opry anniversary at the Ryman, a stage on which shes displayed such incredible artistry through the years.
Musical Events/Festivals/Benefits:
On January 15, the Smooth Jazz Cruise 2012 will begin its sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Nassau, St. Thomas, St. Barths and Half Moon Cay. Performers on the week-long cruise include David Sanborn, Kirk Whalum, Boney James, Rick Braun, Gerald Albright, and many other jazz stars. In addition to nightly concerts, the cruise gives passengers the opportunity to interact with their favorite artists. Daytime activities on the ship include cocktail parties hosted by the musicians, autograph and question-and-answer sessions, sporting events and contests.
Star Birthdays
AP
Nigerian pop singer Sade turns 52 on January 16. Sade arrived on the music scene in 1985 with the album Diamond Life, which won her that years Best New Artist Grammy Award. After two more successful collections, she took four years off from recording. Sade returned to the studio in 1992 to record Love Deluxe, an album that produced the pop and rhythm-and-blues hit No Ordinary Love. She performed a year-long tour in support of Love Deluxe, then once again disappeared from the music scene. Sade had a child with Jamaican record producer Bob Morgan, but the couple later divorced. When things settled in her personal life, she recorded Lovers Rock, which was released in late 2000. In 2002, she earned the Best Pop Vocal Album Grammy for the collection. Her long-awaited comeback album, Soldier Of Love, was released in 2010. The album has sold more than two million copies worldwide. Its title track won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
January 16 marks the birth date of the late rhythm-and-blues singer Aaliyah (born 1979). The Brooklyn-born artist made her professional debut at age 11. She attended the Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts. In 1994, Aaliyah recorded her debut album, Age Aint Nothing But A Number, which sold more than one million copies in the U.S. Two multi-million-selling albums followed - One In A Million in 1996 and her 2001 self-titled CD. Aaliyahs first posthumous album, I Care 4 U, was released in December of 2002. It contained six new tracks she was working on at the time of her death (8/25/01) and some previously released hits. Aaliyah and six others died when her private plane crashed after taking off from the Bahamas, where they were filming a music video. Investigators found that the plane was severely overloaded
Kid Rock
On January 17, rap-rock star Kid Rock (real name Robert James Ritchie) will celebrate his 41st birthday. Kid Rock recorded his first album in 1990. Eight years later, he achieved his big break with the album, Devil Without A Cause. His next two collections were The History of Rock and Cocky, which included his duet with Sheryl Crow, Picture. In 2004, Kid Rock recorded a self-titled album that produced the autobiographical hit, Single Father. In 2006, he released his first live album, Live Trucker. Kid Rock married actress Pamela Anderson in July 2006. The couple divorced five months later citing irreconcilable differences. His 2007 album, Rock N Roll Jesus, was the first Number One debut of his career. The album sold three million copies in the U.S. and was the fourth biggest-selling album of 2008. Its hit All Summer Long earned him a 2009 Peoples Choice Award for Favorite Rock Song. Kid Rocks 2010 album, Born Free, includes collaborations with Martina McBride and T.I., Sheryl Crow and Bob Seger, and Zac Brown
Pop singer Susanna Hoffs will turn 55 on January 17. From 1981-1989, she performed in the female pop-rock quartet the Bangles. The group debuted on the charts in 1986 with the Number 2 hit Manic Monday and later scored two Number One singles, Walk Like An Egyptian and Eternal Flame. Hoffs recorded her first solo album, When Youre A Boy in 1991. Five years later, her self-titled collection was released. In 1997, Hoffs recorded a new version of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David composition The Look of Love for the motion picture soundtrack to Austin Powers. The Bangles reunited in 1999 and released the album Doll Revolution in 2003. Three years later, Susanna collaborated with Matthew Sweet on the album Under the Covers, Volume 1. The collection includes their versions of songs by the Beatles, Neil Young, the Beach Boys, the Who, the Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan, and others. In 2009, Hoffs and Sweet recorded the sequel, Under the Covers, Volume 2, which features their rendition of songs from the 1970s. Last year, the Bangles toured to support their latest album, Sweetheart of the Sun.
Dolly Partons Better Day CD
On January 19, singer Dolly Parton will celebrate her 66th birthday. Partons success is not limited to the Country field. Her crossover hits include Here You Come Again, 9 To 5 and her 1983 duet with Kenny Rogers, Islands In The Stream. In 1993, Dolly collaborated with Country legends Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn on the album Honky Tonk Angels. Six years later, Dolly recorded the bluegrass album, The Grass Is Blue. Her second bluegrass collection, Little Sparrow, was released in 2001. Its title track brought Dolly a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. The third in her series of acoustic bluegrass albums, titled Halos & Horns, was released in 2002. The following year, Shania Twain, Norah Jones, Melissa Etheridge, Alison Krauss, and others recorded tracks many of Dollys classic songs for the tribute album, Just Because Im A Woman. Also in 2003, Dolly recorded For God & Country, a collection of patriotic and inspirational songs. On her 2005 release, Those Were the Days, Dolly covered some of her favorite pop and folk songs from the 1960s and 70s. In 2006, she was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor for her contributions to the arts. Dolly co-starred with Jane Fonda in the 1980 movie 9 To 5 and took its title song to Number One on both the Country and pop charts. She formed Dolly Records in 2009 for the release of her album, Backwoods Barbie. Also in 2009, Dolly was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. In April 2009, her production of 9 To 5: The Musical opened on Broadway. The show received a record-setting 15 Drama Desk Award nominations and four Tony Award nominations, but closed in September due to poor ticket sales. Dollys latest album, Better Day, came out in 2011. Also last year, she received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award. Dolly can now be seen in the film Joyful Noise, which also stars Queen Latifah
Singer Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers will turn 73 on January 19. Some of the duos biggest hits include Wake Up Little Susie, All I Have To Do Is Dream and Cathys Clown. The Everly Brothers broke up in 1973, but reunited 10 years later. In 1986, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2001, the duo entered the Country Music Hall of Fame. The Everly Brothers 1958 recording of All I Have To Do Is Dream was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2005, Varese Sarabande Records released two Everly Brothers compilations, Too Good To Be True and Give Me A Future
January 21 marks the birth date of several singers: Mac Davis, best known for his 1972 Number One single Baby Dont Get Hooked On Me, will turn 69; Woodstock veteran Richie Havens, who recorded the 1971 Top 20 single Here Comes The Sun, turns 71; opera tenor Placido Domingo will also celebrate his 71st birthday; and Billy Ocean, whose popularity peaked in 1984 with the hit singles Caribbean Queen, Loverboy and Suddenly, turns 62
Awards Presentations/Winners:
Katy Perry
Pop singer Katy Perry was the big winner at the 2012 Peoples Choice Awards, which were presented on January 11. Perry was named Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Tour Headliner. She also received the Favorite Song honor for E.T., Favorite Music Video for Last Friday Night and one non-music award, Favorite TV Guest Star for her appearance in an episode of the comedy series How I Met Your Mother. Other winners in the music categories included Demi Lovato, named Favorite Pop Artist; Bruno Mars, Favorite Male Artist; Rihanna, Favorite R&B Artist; Lady Gaga, Favorite Album for Born This Way; Eminem, Favorite Hip-Hop Artist; Taylor Swift, Favorite Country Artist; and Maroon 5, Favorite Band.
The 69th annual Golden Globe Awards were handed out on January 15 in Los Angeles. Nominated for Best Original Score were Ludovic Bource for The Artist, Abel Korzeniowski for W.E., Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Howard Shore for Hugo and John Williams for War Horse. (Bource won the award). Best Original Song nominees included Elton John and Bernie Taupin for Hello Hello from Gnomeo & Juliet, Chris Cornell for The Keeper from Machine Gun Preacher, Brian Byrne and Glenn Close for Lay Your Head Down from Albert Nobbs, Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason, Jr. and Damon Thomas for The Living Proof from The Help, and Madonna, Julie Frost and Jimmy Harry for Masterpiece from W.E. (Madonna won the award) (See the complete list of winners here) Look Whos Going on Tour!
On January 20, Country singer Jason Aldean will begin his My Kinda Party tour in Greenville, South Carolina. The outing will feature special guest Luke Bryan and opening act Lauren Alaina, who placed second on last years American Idol. Also on Aldeans itinerary are appearances at many festivals, including RodeoHouston, Country Thunder USA and Californias Stagecoach.
Make Chai, Not War Showcase Brings Stand-Up Comedy to India
(Published on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:49:41 GMT)
In the United States, a stand-up comedy routine about Indians in America is never complete without a joke about a miserly shopkeeper with a heavy accent, chasing away riffraff with a broom. But that stereotypical humor doesnt make much sense in India. At least thats what three Indian-American comedians have found on their unique tour of the South Asian nation.
The Make Chai, Not War showcase features comedians Rajiv Satyal, Azhar Usman and Hari Kondabolu. They use stand-up comedy to talk about religious tolerance, breaking down prejudices and their experiences growing up Indian-American in the United States.
While the tour sponsored by the U.S. State Department has lofty ambitions, Rajiv Satyal said, Our goal is to make people laugh. I know that sounds simple, but it seems that can get lost sometimes in the grander scheme of things.
Satyal added that he wanted to make them laugh in the room and, make them think on the way home.
If you can change some minds through some of the things youre saying, and get people to talk, then hopefully, were promoting religious and racial harmony without being preachy, he said on the phone from Patna, the tours fourth stop.
The idea for the tour came from a State Department cultural attach who saw Azhar Usman perform in London several years ago, according to State Department spokesperson Emily Horne. The officer brought Usman over for a tour in India, and he was so well received that the State Department decided to invite the full group this time.
While the focus of the two-week tour, which ends January 17, is stand-up comedy, the performers are also holding discussions with audiences, facilitating workshops and giving interviews to the media, said Horne. The group is making appearances in Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Calcutta, Durgapur, Bombay and Patna.
The comedy routines have been well received, according to Satyal, playing to as many as 1,200 people in sold out shows. Satyal said he does the same act no matter where hes performing, but he did say there have been occasions on the tour where hes slowed down the pace to be more easily understood.
Not all of his jokes work as well in India as they do back home in the U.S. Satyal said he has stopped trying to get laughs using the stereotype in the U.S. that all convenience stores are owned by Indians. On the flipside, he said he can do jokes about the Indian stereotype that Gujaratis are very frugal, which would not be understood in the U.S.
Satyal also noted that his comedic style is often new to his Indian audiences.
Traditional Indian comedy has more mimicry of politicians and Bollywood stars, Satyal said, adding that stand-up is a very American form.
To get up and talk about, Heres who I am and heres my point of view, heres what I think, its very American, he said. [To say] Here are my foibles, here are my flaws and my faults, is very new to Indians.
Satyal got his start in comedy in 2002, when his brother spotted a newspaper ad for a contest for the funniest person in Cincinnati, Ohio, Satyals hometown in the Midwestern U.S. He made it to the semifinals the first time and won it the next year, he said.
Comedy is not a common path for Indian-Americans, many of whom are pushed by their parents into more traditional fields like medicine, academia, law and business.
Entertainment is kind of the last area someone would go into, Satyal said, adding that for his parents generation, many dont quite understand making fun of Indian-Americans in a self-deprecating way. But he said that his own parents, who came to the U.S. in the 1970s, have always been supportive of his decision to become a comedian.
Additionally, he thinks comedy can be a positive force for the Indian-American community.
Only when a community is doing well can comedians really emerge and make fun of it, he said. Its actually a compliment that were making fun of ourselves.
Sundance Film Short Explores Homosexuality in the Korean-American Community
(Published on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:12:42 GMT)
The story behind the new short-film Dol (First Birthday) is packed with enough drama to be turned into a movie of its own.
Dol was Korean-American filmmaker Andrew Ahns way of coming out to his parents. He wanted acceptance from his family. He got that and, in the process, had the movie accepted for screening at the Sundance Film Festival, one of the most prestigious cinema showcases in the world.
The movie, which will be shown at the Utah film festival on January 20, follows Nick, a gay Korean-American man living in Koreatown, Los Angeles with his partner Brian. When Nick attends his nephews dol, a traditional Korean first birthday party, he finds himself yearning for a life just out of reach.
In an interesting plot twist to the making of Dol, Ahn got his parents to act in the semi-autobiographical film, although he didnt tell them what it was about. Instead, he told them it was the story of a Korean-American male who was having an existential crisis.
They were totally game, Ahn said of his parents willingness to act in the film. The fact that they were so game almost made it more heartbreaking for me because I was completely fooling them.
Ahn said he was super nervous before showing his parents the finished reel.
I got so tense, I almost couldnt press play, he said. They said, Just hit play. Were going to love it. Were your parents.
When the credits started rolling, my dad said, Oh is that it I knew at that moment they didnt get it. It was so upsetting to me because this was the whole reason I made this film. I didnt want to have to verbalize it. I didnt want to say Im gay.
Ahn said he broke down in tears and finally told his parents.
If Id just taken the DVD back to my room, they would have been in total denial, he said.
Ahn said his relationship with his parents is not easier now that hes come out of the closet, but he said its healthier.
Andrew Ahn
Korean-American filmmaker Andrew Ahns second work, Dol (First Birthday), has been selected to the 2012 Sundance Film Festival
They think its a phase, but that theyre willing to talk about it, which is about as much as I can hope for at this moment, he said. It was as if they were getting to know their son again. I was so happy to see that the lines of communication were open. I had a bag packed thinking they were going to kick me out of the house.
Ahn said the Korean-American community is very conflicted about homosexuality.
The community is very Christian. Church is a very big part of Korean-American family life. Because of the church you have resistance to homosexuality. At the same time, he added, there are more Korean-Americans coming out earlier.
Ahn said its not only the church that makes homosexuality a difficult topic to address, but that the high value placed on traditional families in the Korean-American community can make coming out even more of a challenge.
I think its because our parents have such high hopes for us. They wanted the American dream. They wanted a family. They wanted to put down roots in America. If youre gay, its a little trickier to have a family, to have grandchildren for your parents.
Coming out, Anh said would be tricky and difficult for his parents to accept. In 2008, his mom encouraged him to vote for Californias Proposition 8, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman.
I was so afraid. I really needed something like this film to push me through to really motivate me to tell them, he said.
Ahn already had experience delivering surprising news to his parents. While at Brown University, he was studying biology like a good Korean boy on his way to medical school, but instead graduated with a degree in English. He later felt his calling was in filmmaking and enrolled in the California Institute of the Arts film directing school where he earned an MFA.
His first narrative short, Andy, has screened at numerous festivals and venues around the world, including Slamdance, Outfest, the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, REDCAT and MoliseCinema (Italy).
He said hes already planning two feature-length films, both set in Koreatown.
Six months after coming out to his parents, Ahn was informed that Dol was selected for Sundance. It is one of just 64 shorts selected from almost 8,000 submissions.
[My parents] were super happy for me, he said. They were kind of dumbfounded at first. [My mom] asked if I was going to meet Robert Redford, who shes had a crush on forever.
The true story of black American fighter pilots in World War II inspired the new action film Red Tails, produced by George Lucas of Star Wars fame
We have a right to fight for our country, the same as every other American.
Among the millions of Americans who joined up in World War II, black soldiers found themselves in a racially segregated Army, mostly restricted to menial jobs away from the front lines. Driven by a need for skilled pilots and political pressure from early civil rights activists, the Army launched an experiment in 1941 to build an all-black squadron.
Nicknamed the Tuskegee Airmen for their Alabama training base, they earned admiration for their success in Europe flying fighter planes painted with distinctive Red Tails to be sure the Nazi pilots knew they were being shot down by black men.
Bogeys [enemy aircraft] inbound, 12 oclock! Theyre coming in mighty fast. Go, Lightning, Im on one. Im behind you ha! Congratulations Captain, you are the first Negro to shoot down a Jerry (German).
Watch a Related Report by Kane Farabaugh:
The radio banter between the pilots may sound familiar to fans of the Star Wars movies. Producer George Lucas adapted World War II lingo and swagger to his famous space saga
Red Tails has long been a dream project of his, but after more than 20 years of trying to convince studios to make it, he spent $58 million of his own money on production and another $35 million to get it distributed to theaters. Lucas disagreed with the arguments from Hollywood executives that Red Tails would not find an audience.
Just like Star Wars, its a big action picture, lots of dogfights, lots of excitement. But its basically about a bunch of kids that went through an amazing journey and all came out heroes.
Co-star David Oyelowo explains that, while the characters are fictitious, they are all based on the real pilots and their accomplisments.
What they did was dramatic enough that we didnt have to change it that much, Oyelowo says.
Oyelowo admits that growing up in England he had never heard of the Tuskegee Airmen. On the other hand, American actor Terrence Howard, who plays the squadron commander, says he did know about their heroism under fire.
I had no idea that they were everyday people. You hear about the Tuskegee Airmen - the Red Tails - and they seemed like a very select, legendary group. But we meet them when they were human and flesh and blood before they became legendary, Howard says.
A handful of surviving Tuskegee Airmen were advisors on the film, including retired doctor Roscoe Brown.
Since weve been trying to do this for 65 years, were really gratified that at last it has happened, says Brown. And because of Red Tails people will know about us that didnt know before.
The Red Tails flew thousands of sorties in 1944 and 45 and became one of the most highly decorated units in American military history. The film, directed by Anthony Hemingway, is a dramatized version of their story, but the combat exploits it depicts are based on true events.
Comic Book Heroes Expand Their Reach
(Published on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:08:35 GMT)
Marvel Comics has entertained people for decades with characters like Spiderman, the Hulk and Captain America. But with the growing popularity of video games and Internet entertainment, comic book creators have had to expand the settings and themes of their stories. They are now bringing their characters and stories to various parts of the United States.
Fans from all over Houston and beyond came to the 8th Dimension Comic Book Store to meet the author and artist who created Marvel Comics new series Scarlet Spider, which is set right here.
On behalf of the city of Houston, thank yall for incorporating us, said a woman.
Scarlet Spider is the Houston-based character that was, er, spun off from Spiderman, and 18-year-old fan Stephanie Burgess recognizes some of the downtown settings.
Looking through this was pretty cool because I see some of the buildings, they look pretty familiar, said comic book fan Stephanie Burgess.
It was a good business day for store owner Jeremy Bulloch, who is also excited about having a comic book story set in his home town.
I own a comic shop, but first and foremost I am a comic book fan, so as a fan I am super-excited that this is going on, said Bulloch.
Bulloch says having a series like this also helps sales of older comics, which often sell well above their original cost as they become attractive to collectors.
The collector mentality is a big part of the comic book industry and what makes comic books fun, he said.
These books attract young and old readers.
My folks had a grocery store and we would stand in front of the comic books stand and go through all of them, said a woman.
Many fans say they enjoy the depictions of fantastic characters and the worlds they inhabit.
The author of the new Scarlet Spider series, Christopher Yost, tries to make those elements resonate with readers.
I think comic books are the new mythology and if you look at movies and video games, so many of the big summer blockbusters are based on comic books, said Yost.
Most of Marvel Comics super heroes are based in New York, but the company is now establishing new characters in other cities, like Houston, where Yost sees lots of possibilities for story lines.
Houston seemed like a good place because, A, it is a place the Marvel universe has not seen before and, B, with its proximity to Mexico and its proximity to the Gulf, it has a lot of new opportunities, he said.
Yost says a future episode will have scenes set on an oil rig in the nearby Gulf of Mexico.
Artist Ryan Stedman used online images for scenes in the first part of the series, but relatives who live here in Houston will be taking him around for a firsthand look.
We are going to look at all the stuff and I am going to take pictures and try and get a good feel for the city so that I can do more of those little details that I think are so important, said Stedman.
But, given concerns about U.S. education, shouldnt young people be reading real books Not according to fourth grade teacher and comic book fan Debbie Cook.
Reading is reading, whatever you can do to get them to be better at reading, understanding - I encourage them to read anything they can, said Debbie Cook.
So, there you have it, comic books can be good for you, although Jeremy Bulloch says fun is still paramount.
Totem Pole Art Preserves Native American Culture
(Published on Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:04:29 GMT)
In the mid to late 18th century, missionary schools were opened on Native American reservations in the U.S. The goal was to convert young people to Christianity and immerse them in Western culture. Native languages and culture were discouraged. Over decades, many grew up knowing little about their culture or languages. One Tsimshian tribesman has dedicated his life to keeping his native culture alive.
David Boxley is a Native American artist from the Tsimshian tribe in Alaska. Hes a dancer, songwriter, and wood carver. More importantly, hes an ambassador for Tsimshian culture and heritage.
We call it art now, but it was a way for people to say, This is who I am. This belongs to me. Or This is my clan, this is my crest, this is my family history, carved and painted in wood.
Boxley was raised by his grandparents. He said Christian missionary influence was strong while he was growing up. So he learned little about his native culture.
While working as a teacher after college, he began researching Tsimshian wood carving in ethnographic materials and museum collections. In 1986, he left teaching to devote his time to wood carving and reviving Tsimshian art and culture.
I guess I came along at the right time. Our people really needed a shot in the arm. Our culture wasnt very prominent after all that missionary influence, and years and years of not having anybody be in that kind of position to guide, said Boxley.
Almost 30 years later, hes putting the finishing touches on his 70th totem pole, which will stand in the permanent collection at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
We dont use sandpaper. We use the knives and the chisels to get it as smooth as possible. Get the lines clean, said Boxley.
Totem poles tell a story. This one is carved from a seven-meter-long piece of red cedar. Boxley began carving it several months ago at his home near Seattle in Washington state. It was shipped across country by truck
The title is Eagle and the Young Chief, said Boxley.
The pole tells the story of a young chief who rescued an eagle snared in a fishing net. Years later, when the Chiefs village was starving, the eagle repaid the chief for his kindness.
A live salmon fell out of the sky, and he looked up and he saw the eagle flying away. And every day for days and days, the eagle brought salmon to feed the village, said Boxley.
Boxley said the pole he carved in honor of his grandfather is closest to his heart. This one is a close second.
This one is going to be seen by millions over the next hundred years. And it is not just me and my son; it is all of my people that are proud my tribe, said Boxley.
On the day the pole was unveiled, Boxleys dance troupe of family and friends performed for a large audience.
Then, the unveiling.
Boxley has other wood carvings in the permanent collection of the museum. This one ensures Tsimshian culture will have pride of place in native American history.
Remembering Blues Legend Etta James
(Published on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:55:16 GMT)
Legendary blues singer Etta James, whose influence spread to generations of pop, rock and rhythm-and-blues performers, died Friday, Jan. 20, in California from complications from leukemia. She was 73 years old. The award-winning singer was best known for her moving rendition of the blues standard, At Last.
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When Etta James sang Mack Gordon and Harry Warrens At Last, the dozens of other versions by everyone from Nat King Cole to Beyonce seemed to pale in comparison. It was Ettas signature song that launched her acclaimed career that spanned more than 50 years.
Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, California. She began formal music lessons at age five and sang solos in a choir at her Baptist church. Following a stint as a gospel singer on a local radio broadcast, she formed an all-girl vocal trio called The Creolettes. She was only 16 when the group, under the direction of producer Johnny Otis, changed its name to The Peaches and signed with Modern Records. Their first hit was Ettas own composition, The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry).
The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry) was a Number One hit on the Rhythm and Blues charts in 1955. Soon after, Etta James and her group The Peaches parted ways, allowing her solo career to flourish.
Etta signed with Chess Records in 1960 and began recording for its subsidiary labels Argo and Cadet. Her debut album, At Last, yielded six Top 20 R&B singles, all of which crossed over onto the pop chart.
She continued her streak of hit singles and albums throughout the 1960s. By 1968, when she released her best-selling pop tune, Tell Mama, her repertoire grew to include soul, rock, jazz, duets and string orchestrations.
Ettas struggle with drug addiction began in the 1960s. She was in and out of a psychiatric hospital for years but remained committed to her singing career. She conquered her drug problem at age 50, after seeking treatment at a substance abuse center.
Etta James won multiple Grammy Awards, including Best Traditional Blues Album, Blues To The Bone in 2004. She earned a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement, and her hit songs At Last and The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry) were both inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. She was also the winner of more than 15 Blues Music Awards
Other accolades included her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Blues Foundations Hall of Fame, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Rolling Stone magazine named her one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
McGraw Touts New Album as Best Ever; Adele Still Tops Billboard Album Chart
(Published on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:43:16 GMT)
McGraw Touts New Album as Best Ever
On January 24, Tim McGraws final album for Curb Records will be released. Tim calls Emotional Traffic his best ever. A 2011 post on his website said, Its an album full of music of which I am very proud. Its extremely unfortunate that it wasnt released earlier this year in conjunction with the Emotional Traffic tour, but all I want to do now is focus on the positive and look to the future. A Nashville judge ruled against Curbs lawsuit, which claimed Tim breached their recording agreement. Tim filed a counter-suit, charging Curb of holding Emotional Traffic hostage in an attempt to add more time to his contract with the label.
Etta James Dies
AP
Etta James performs during the 2006 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans, Saturday, April 29, 2006.
Blues legend Etta James died of leukemia on January 20. The 73-year-old singer also suffered from kidney disease and dementia. Born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, she was discovered by musician, producer and bandleader Johnny Otis, who also died this week (January 17) at age 90. Etta James was a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, whose many R&B hits included The Wallflower, All I Could Do Was Cry and her signature tune At Last. Last month, Ettas personal physician announced that she was terminally ill. She would have celebrated her 74th birthday on January 25
Adele Holds On to Top Billboard 200
This week, British pop star Adele hangs onto the Number One position on the Billboard 200 chart for the 16th week with 21. She now ties a record held since 1998 by the Titanic soundtrack. According to Billboard, 21 becomes only the 20th album in the 56-year history of the Billboard 200 to spend at least 16 weeks in the top spot.
Springsteen Working on New Album
AP
Bruce Springsteen (file photo)
More details are emerging about the upcoming Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band album. Titled Wrecking Ball, the set will be released on Columbia Records on March 6. The group will support the collection with U.S. and European tours. Manager Jon Landau released a statement that says, Bruce has dug down as deep as he can to come up with this vision of modern life. The lyrics tell a story you cant hear anywhere else, and the music is his most innovative of recent years. The writing is some of the best of his career and both veteran fans and those who are new to Bruce will find much to love on Wrecking Ball.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Exhibit to Feature Grateful Dead
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio plans to open a Grateful Dead exhibit on April 12. Grateful Dead: The Long, Strange Trip will feature over 100 items, including five Jerry Garcia guitars and other instruments that belonged to the groups members, original lyric sheets and artwork. The display is scheduled to run through December 31.
New CD Honors Amnesty International
Bob Dylan
On January 24, Fontana Distribution will release the four-CD set Chimes of Freedom: Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International. Artists who donated songs to the 73-track collection include Adele, Maroon 5, Sting, Ziggy Marley, the Dave Matthews Band, Sugarland, Miley Cyrus, and many others. Seventy of the songs were recorded especially for the release. Producer Jeff Ayeroff said, This album is a powerful fusion of the music communitys respect for Amnestys life-affirming work and for Bob Dylans enduring brilliance. All of the artists, session musicians, arrangers, engineers, producers and recording studios worked pro-bono to support the human rights cause.
New Album Releases / January 24:
100 Proof by Kellie Pickler 2012 Grammy Nominees by various artists Believe by Celtic Woman Human Again by Ingrid Michaelson Bangarang (EP) by Skrillex WOW Gospel 2012 by various artists NOW Thats What I Call Country Ballads by various artists Soul 2 by Seal Comeblack by The Scorpions Hard Knocks by Joe Cocker Gaither Homecoming Celebration by Bill & Gloria Gaither
Star Birthdays:
Singer Steve Perry celebrated his 63rd birthday on January 22. From 1978 to 1987, he performed with the rock band Journey. Three years before leaving the group, Perry recorded his first solo album, Street Talk. Its four chart hits included the Top 5 single Oh Sherrie. After a long break from the music business, he returned in 1994 with his second solo collection, For the Love of Strange Medicine. In 1996, the members of Journey reunited to record Trial By Fire. The album produced the Number One Adult Contemporary hit, When You Love A Woman. In 1998, Perry announced that he was again leaving Journey to pursue solo projects. He recorded two tracks for the soundtrack to the motion picture Quest For Camelot. Also in 1998, Columbia Records issued Perrys anthology, Greatest Hits + Five Unreleased. In 2009, Sony Legacy released another greatest hits compilation, The Very Best of Steve Perry. In a 2010 interview with Classic Rock Presents AOR, Perry said he had written about 50 new songs. He added, I can definitely smell a solo project on the horizon. I will be recording some music
AP
Inductee Neil Diamond accepts his trophy at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony
On January 24, singer Neil Diamond will celebrate his 71st birthday. Neil began recording in 1961 and scored his first Top 10 single five years later with Cherry, Cherry. In 1980, Neil starred in and composed the music for the motion picture The Jazz Singer. In 1993, he paid tribute to legendary songwriters on the album, Up On the Roof - Songs From the Brill Building. In 1996, Neil recorded Tennessee Moon, his first full album of new songs in four years. It featured guest performances by violinist Mark OConnor, late Country legends Chet Atkins and Waylon Jennings, and others. In 2003, Columbia Records released Diamonds five-CD box set, Stages: Performances 1970-2002. 2005s 12 Songs became his first Top 10 debut on the Billboard 200 chart. In 2007, it was re-released as a double CD with a second disc of unreleased demo recordings and alternate takes, and two bonus tracks. In 2009, Neil was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year in recognition of his exceptional artistic achievements as well as his philanthropic work, which has included many generous charitable donations over the years. Last year, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was also the recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor
Alicia Keys
On January 25, singer and pianist Alicia Keys celebrates her 31st birthday. Born in New York, she began playing piano at age seven and wrote her first song at 14. That track, called Butterflyz, appeared on her 2001 debut album Songs In A Minor. The album brought her five Grammy Awards and sold more than six million copies in the U.S. Alicia was only 18 when she signed her first major label deal with Columbia Records. She left the label due to creative differences and Clive Davis signed her to Arista Records. Alicia was then signed to J Records, which Davis formed in 2000. In 2004, Alicia debuted at Number One on the Billboard 200 chart with The Diary of Alicia Keys. The album sold eight million copies worldwide. Her 2007 collection, As I Am, was produced the Number One hit No One and earned her two Grammy nominations. Also in 2007, she appeared in two motion pictures, Smokin Aces (with Ben Affleck) and The Nanny Diaries (with Scarlett Johansson). In 2008, Alicia starred in the film The Secret Life of Bees. Her 2009 duet with Jay-Z, Empire State of Mind, spent five weeks at Number One. In 2010, Alicia released her latest album, The Element of Freedom, which became her first to top the U.K. Albums chart. Alicia married record producer Swizz Beatz in July 2010 and gave birth to their son Egypt in October. After J Records closed its doors in 2011, it was announced that her future albums will be released by RCA Records
AP
Eddie Van Halen
Guitarist Eddie Van Halen will turn 57 on January 26. In 1974, he formed the California-based rock band Van Halen. The group rose to stardom in the 1980s with such hits as Why Cant This Be Love, When Its Love and the Number One single Jump. Van Halens 1998 album, Van Halen 3, featured a new lead singer, former Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone. Cherone was released from the band in 2000. In 2001, Eddie was diagnosed with mouth cancer from which he has recovered. Singer Sammy Hagar reunited with Van Halen in 2004 to perform a U.S. concert tour. Eddie and his wife of 25 years, actress Valerie Bertinelli, divorced in 2007. The couple has one son, 20-year-old Wolfgang Van Halen, who replaced Michael Anthony as Van Halens bass guitarist. Van Halen was inducted into the Rock and Hall of Fame in 2007. That same year, the band brought back David Lee Roth as its lead singer. Van Halens 2007-2008 reunion tour with Roth grossed 93-million-dollars, which set a record for the group. In June 2009, Eddie Van Halen married his publicist Janie Liszewski. Van Halens new album, A Different Kind of Truth, will be released on February 7. It marks their first album with David Lee Roth since 1984. The albums first single, Tattoo, debuts on Billboards rock chart this week at Number 16. Van Halen will kick off a North American tour on February 18
On January 27, Country singer Tracy Lawrence will celebrate his 44th birthday. In 1991, Tracy arrived in Nashville from his home state of Texas. Less than one year later, he was signed to Atlantic Records. The title track from his debut album, Sticks and Stones, went to Number One and was followed by several other chart hits. Tracys second album, Alibis, produced four chart-topping singles. In 1996, Atlantic Records issued Tracys first live set and the studio album, Time Marches On. In 2004, he was signed to DreamWorks Records, which released Strong. The albums hits included Its All How You Look At It, Sawdust On Her Halo and Paint Me A Birmingham. 2008s For the Love was the first release on Tracys own label, Rocky Comfort Records. For The Loves first hit was Find Out Who Your Friends Are. A second version of that song, featuring Country stars Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney, became Tracys first Number One single in 10 years. In 2009, he released his first Christian music album, The Rock
Pop singer Nick Carter turns 32 on January 28. Nick began acting in commercials when he was 10. Two years later, he landed a spot with the Backstreet Boys. The pop groups first album was released in 1997. Millennium and Black & Blue followed in 1999 and 2000, respectively. Carters 2002 debut solo album, Now Or Never, included five songs that he co-wrote. The Backstreet Boys returned in 2005 with the album, Never Gone. Their 2007 collection, Unbreakable, produced only two minor hits, Inconsolable and Helpless When She Smiles. In 2010, the Backstreet Boys toured to support their latest album, This Is Us. The group performed shows last year throughout Latin America and Vietnam, and also co-headlined a North American tour with New Kids On The Block. Nicks second solo album, Im Taking Off, was released in 2011. The Backstreet Boys are currently working on a new album, which is due out later this year
Singer and pianist Sarah McLachlan will celebrate her 44th birthday on January 28. Since arriving on the pop music scene in 1989, Sarah has sold more than 15 million albums in the United States. Her hits include Angel, Adia, I Will Remember You, and Building A Mystery. In 1997, she launched the first Lilith Fair festival tour, a successful showcase for female musicians. McLachlan was expected to record a new album in 2002, but those plans were delayed due to her mothers death and the birth of Sarahs first child. Her 2003 album, Afterglow, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album. In 2006, she recorded the holiday CD, Wintersong, which sold more than two million copies worldwide and brought her Grammy and Juno Award nominations. Sarah gave birth to her second daughter in 2007. In 2010, she organized the first Lilith Fair Tour since 1999. Colbie Caillat, Sheryl Crow, The Courtyard Hounds, Miranda Lambert and Mary J. Blige were among the many artists who joined Sarah on the tour. In 2002, she created the Sarah McLachlan Music Outreach program for at-risk youths in Vancouver. It operated out of a church basement until last year, when she opened the Sarah McLachlan School of Music. Also in 2011, she released her latest album, Laws of Illusion
Awards Presentations/Winners:
On January 24, actress Jennifer Lawrence and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Tom Sherak will announce nominations for the 84th Academy Awards. Nominees in 10 of the Academys 24 categories will be revealed during an early morning broadcast from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The 2012 Oscars will be presented on February 26 in Los Angeles.
Look Whos Going On Tour!
Rock singer Emilie Autumn will begin a North American tour on January 25 in Kansas City, Missouri. Her Fight Like A Girl trek will stop in 27 cities through February 26. Dates in the United Kingdom and Europe are scheduled to take place in March and April.
Lady Antebellums Own The Night CD
On January 27, Lady Antebellum will kick off the first half of its Own the Night 2012 World Tour in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Guests on the outing include Darius Rucker and husband-and-wife duo Thompson Square. Sixty-five North American concerts are scheduled through June 30. Lady As Charles Kelley said, This is the tour weve always dreamed of putting together. We got to help design the stage and really collaborate on new production ideas. I cant wait for the next nine months!
Country star George Strait begins an 11-city U.S. tour on January 27 in Lafayette, Louisiana. Joining him on the tour is Martina McBride. George will be supporting his 39th studio album, Here For A Good Time. Martinas latest collection, Eleven, features the hits Teenage Daughters and her current Top 10 ballad, Im Gonna Love You Through It. George said, I love Martina. Shes been on our tours before and shes great. Im really looking forward to the tour. Martina will definitely make it a special night.
Musicians Make New York Subways Their Concert Hall
(Published on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:48:55 GMT)
The New York subway system is one of the largest in the world, ferrying nearly eight and a half million people around the city every week. Riders find more than transportation below the streets; amid the dirt and the grime and the screech of the trains, there is also music. The subway system is like a free concert hall, offering almost every kind of music, from West African kora to American bluegrass to Vietnamese string instruments and Mexican mariachi bands.
You never know what you might encounter, depending on the day of the week and the particular station. At a subway platform below Pennsylvania Station one afternoon recently, Rawl Mitchell, an immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago, was playing the steel drums. He said hes been performing in the subway since the mid-1990s.
The people do appreciate the music, he said. They stand around listening, and if it pleases them, they applaud and put their money in the case or whatever. They usually clap and say, you know, its nice. They offer me some positive feedback
Singer-songwriter Rosateresa, who often sings on a station at 14th Street, has been at it almost as long. She moved from Puerto Rico to study classical voice several decades ago. My mission is to sing like the jilguero - the jilguero is a Puerto Rican bird - that wakes up the sun. My mission is to sing like a brook, without stopping, said Rosateresa.
Mitchell and Rosateresa both perform independently, outside the transit authoritys official Music Under New York program, which sponsors 150 performances each week, by more than 200 individuals and groups. Those in the official MTA program must audition yearly. Mitchell said hes usually visiting Trinidad and Tobago in the spring when auditions are held. For her part, Rosateresa says she is too much of a rebel to participate in the official program
Its a long story, she said, but my family did not support my singing - thats the shortest version - and when I discovered I could sing in the subway, I could be rebellious that way. You can either be rebellious or have a license, but you cannot have both, she said
Court cases have held that subway singers have a First Amendment right to perform and do not need MTA permission. Still, now and then police tell them to stop.
Occasionally a policeman will tell me to go. And I go. I dont argue with men with guns, thats my motto, said Rosateresa
Like Rosateresa and Mitchell, musicians who participate in Music Under New York, earn only whatever people choose to give. Opera singers Tom McNichols and Patricia Vital, part of a group called Opera Collective, said they love performing in the subways, though it isnt lucrative
Music in general is not about for the money, and music under New York is definitely more about making opera accessible than it is about making a living, McNichols said.
Folksinger Wendy Sayvetz has been a Music Under New York performer for 22 years, almost as long as the program has existed. She says shes as proud of her work in the subways and rail stations as she is for having once sung at the White House.
Most people dont really get what this is about, that we actually love this gig, she said. The features about us on the news tend to go for the clich, that were down and out. I actually had someone say to me once, Is something wrong with you Youre so good, what are you doing here
Sayvetz and a partner are developing a musical play about subway musicians in part to challenge that stereotype. Light in the Tunnel will feature 20 subway performers and groups, all playing themselves.Its not about,Oh, we dont have to play in the subway anymore, Sayvetz said. We want people to go, Oh, subway music is the best thing!
Yet many people already feel that subway music is the best thing. Even in the age of personal MP-3 players, busy New Yorkers sometimes stop in their tracks to listen. And now and again, a spontaneous dance party will break out - as when a group of New York teenagers taking the subway at 42nd Street found the jazz of Welf Dorrs Underground Horns impossible to resist.
New Documentary Illustrates Plague of Leftover Landmines
(Published on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:05:11 GMT)
Remnants of war, including unexploded ordnance and landmines, are still found in many countries around the world - even decades after conflicts have ended. Those dangers often devastate the lives of local inhabitants, who might not be aware they live in the middle of a minefield.
An international organization that helps clear and destroy weapons left behind in war zones recently screened a documentary called Surviving the Peace, which shows how remnants of a conflict affect peoples lives, even after their country has emerged from war.
In many regions of the globe, surviving a war is followed by surviving the peace. From Laos, where this new documentary was filmed, to Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Cambodia, and many other countries, local inhabitants live in daily fear of stepping on a landmine or unexploded ordnance left after a recent conflict.
Surviving the Peace, filmed in Laos in May 2011, reflects a situation found in many countries. It features a young father who is blinded when a bomb left over from the Vietnam War explodes in the fire he is making at his home
The guy had most of his face deformed and we were this close [to him]. They allowed us in and we were complete strangers. It felt like we were given a gift from these people to be allowed into their lives, said filmmaker and cinematographer Rick Gershon.
He said that he and his partner Nathan Golon received a warm welcome in Laos. Even though, as Golon pointed out, the subject they were covering was a sensitive issue.
We had sensitivities to the fact that here we are in these peoples homes as Americans and these were American bombs that injured people. We never felt the slightest bit of reproach from these people, Golon.
The documentary was the idea of Patricia Loria, marketing manager for an organization called Mines Advisory Group, or MAG.
The story is powerful not only for Laos, but hopefully it is powerful enough for everyone who really cares about justice, their children, or just helping others, said Loria.
The United Nations estimates more than 110 million active mines are still scattered in 70 countries around the world. This means one landmine for every 52 people. MAG currently has about 3,500 people working around the world to clear and destroy leftover weapons - most of them local residents. Jennifer Lachman, the executive director of MAG America, said the organization has one main goal.
helping people recover and get back on their feet safely and prosperously after conflicts, said Lachman.
MAG has worked in more than 35 countries since it began in 1987... Its work earned it the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize. It has most recently worked in the northern Iraqi region of Kurdistan - and in Libya
Libya is an example where we launched an emergency operation as soon as areas were safe enough for us to work there. We trained members of the National Transitional Council to work with us to destroy ammunitions and secure them, said Lachman.
This is not the first time MAG has taken the cinematic route to raise awareness about its cause. The group also has produced films about Bosnia and the Democratic Republic of Congo - and is working on two others - about Angola and Sudan.
Extremely Loud Hits Incredibly Close to Heart
(Published on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:58:32 GMT)
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, the Academy-award nominated drama by filmmaker Stephen Daldry, is based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer. The story, though rooted in the September 11 tragedy, does not focus on the event. It follows an 11-year-old boy who suffers from the loss of his father at the World Trade Center
Oskar Schell cannot comprehend why the person he loved most died on the morning of September 11
An intellectually-gifted child, Oskar also has symptoms of Aspergers syndrome and is fearful of the world. But he finds shelter in his fathers presence. Together they solve historical puzzles or go on imaginary expeditions
Thomas Schell, portrayed by Tom Hanks, spent endless hours helping Oskar ease into the outside world. When he dies, Oskar cannot let
To prolong the contact that he had with his father, who is now no longer living, he goes to his closet that hasnt been touched in a year and finds, oddly enough, a key inside a vase that is sitting up on the top shelf, says Hanks. And that key has the name Black attached to it. And he is convinced that Black is the name of somebody who had some connection with his father.
Oskar, played by newcomer Thomas Horn, visits hundreds of New Yorkers.
He goes to all the people named Black in New York City, Horn says, all the five boroughs, and tries to find out what the key means.
Oskar is accompanied by an old man who rents a room in his grandmothers apartment. The role is played by Max von Sydow, who is nominated for Best Supporting Actor
It is a story about 9/11 and its an important story about someone who chooses a therapy to come over all the shock without knowing that it is a therapy, he says
Director Stephen Daldry makes 9/11 personal through the pain of Oskar and the Schell family. Actress Sandra Bullock, who portrays Oskars mother, says the story is based on accounts of real people who lost loved ones in the attacks
We were able to have access to phone messages that those people that were left behind received from the people who were in the tower, Bullocks says. The thing I was most amazed by was that, at that moment when I think the person realized they were not going to make it, they left messages of hope and love and affection.
Though an American story, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a New York tale, about a community forever bound by a shared experience of historic proportions.
And its about accepting that people are not always in control, that events dont always make sense
Stephen Daldrys film meanders, but the stellar cast, starting with young Thomas Horn, as well as the weighty nuances, make this a must-see film.
Hollywood seems to agree. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is contending for an Oscar, the entertainment industrys highest honor. Its nominated for Best Picture.
Hugo Leads Oscar Race With 11 Nominations
(Published on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:13:18 GMT)
The Academy Award nominations were announced this morning in Hollywood.
Martin Scorseses 3D adventure movie Hugo,a fantasy tribute to French film pioneer George Melies, leads the list with 11 nominations, including one for Best Director, numerous technical categories and the most coveted of all, Best Picture of the Year.
Actress and previous Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence announced the top category.
The films selected as best picture nominees for 2011 are War Horse, The Artist, Moneyball, The Descendants, The Tree of Life, Midnight in Paris, The Help, Hugo and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.
Weinstein Co.
The silent film, The Artist, is nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including best picture, best actor and best supporting actress.
The Artist, a French-made black-and-white silent film about old-time Hollywood, has 10 nominations, including writing and directing for Michel Hazanavicius, Best Actor for its star Jean DuJardin and Best Supporting Actress for co-star Berenice Bejo, who expresses the sentiment heard most often.
Just being nominated is already an honor and already unbelievable, she said.
The nominees are chosen by peer groups within the 6,000-member Academy, comprised of men and women who work as actors, writers, directors, composers and various other filmmaking crafts.
While its politically correct to protest the competitive aspect of the awards, Best Actress nominee Viola Davis says its nice to be recognized.
Related slide show
You always want your work to be acknowledged, she said. I cant do it in the room or in front of the mirror in my bathroom. I do it for the appreciation and enjoyment of an audience, so it means a lot.
Davis performance in The Help, about black maids working for white families in the south in the 1960s, puts her in the running for Best Actress alongside Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady; Michelle Williams in My Week With Marilyn; Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs and Rooney Mara as The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
Best Actor nominees are DuJardin in The Artist; George Clooney for The Descendants; Brad Pitt for Moneyball; Gary Oldman for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Mexican actor Demian Bichir for A Better Life.
Films from Belgium, Canada, Poland, Israel and Iran are competing for Best Foreign Language Film
Veteran Hollywood executive Brian Grazer, who will produce this years Oscar telecast, sees no clear front-runner.
Im a little bit surprised and excited that a big Hollywood movie, Hugo, got 11 nominations; and I think that its a very unpredictable race thats going to happen right now, he said.
Winners of the 84th annual Academy Awards will be revealed in the global telecast from Hollywood on Feb. 26.
Ms. Magazine Celebrates 40th Anniversary
(Published on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:14:27 GMT)
Forty years ago, a new womens magazine appeared on American newsstands alongside the periodicals exclusively devoted to housework, motherhood, and catching a man. Ms.Magazine, founded by veteran journalist and feminist Gloria Steinem and backed by glossy New York Magazine, promised to be something more: a place where women could read about real women like themselves, and connect to the nascent womens movement - devoted to equality in the workplace and in all aspects of their lives
The right to legalized abortion and birth control was just one of many powerful issues embraced by the womens liberation movement of the early 1970s. Like the civil rights movement, equality, justice and community were key ideals for the feminists of that era
Letty Cottin Pogrebin, a founding editor, says Ms. was a product of that moment and also helped it to coalesce
I think it had a double purpose: to say this is whats happening and also youre not alone, and also here is what to do if you are already annoyed, angry, upset, or oppressed. You organize, explained Pogrebin. You start by having consciousness raising groups, that is, little groups of women who met once a week or a couple times a month to share their commonality, to say When were you ever denied your rights Have you ever done anything about it
Pogrebin says that in the offices of Ms. and on its pages, the conversation about feminism was often lively and probing
You say why was it foreordained that women will not be able to handle tools Why was it foreordained that theres something sissy about being able to take care of a baby Pogrebin explained
Suzanne Braun Levine edited the magazine from 1972 to 1988. She says members of Ms.s staff were discovering for themselves where they stood on various issues - from prostitution to the changing role of men and the meaning of equality itself
Although nobody really believes it, we really didnt have an agenda as such, noted Levine. The agenda was to illuminate womens experience, and to thereby reassure women that they werent alone and they werent crazy. Still, that was the political message. But the other aspect of the magazine was to tell the storiesof creative and adventuresome and interesting and funny women and what they were really doing.
Some radical feminists felt Ms. was watering down their ideas for mainstream readers. But the magazine did break new ground, says Pogrebin. One issue dealt with domestic violence. It had a woman with a black eye on its cover
The idea of putting that on a cover was just beyond imagining for that era, Pogrebin noted. You couldnt find acknowledgment that the greatest amount of violence that was committed against women was from people they knew and supposedly loved or who supposedly loved them
Ms. is credited with being among the first to bring the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace to widespread attention. Ms. pointed out what women already knew: that such behavior was more than a personal violation. It forced many women to choose between their dignity and their jobs
A secretary would say what her male boss did and a woman executive would say what her male boss did. So it crossed class because masculine power kind of trumped every other kind of class distinction, Pogrebin said.
Ms. was also critical in changing views on abortion, which was illegal in most U.S. states except to save a mothers life. The magazine published a statement signed by thousands of women, admitting they had had abortions
It was an exposure, It was dangerous and I thought therefore it was one of the most meaningful things we did, Pogrebin said.
In 2012, American women live in a vastly different world than the one that Gloria Steinem and her staff navigated in 1972
Suzanne Braun Levine says the fact that her 25-year-old daughter takes the possibilities and accomplishments of women for granted is bittersweet
I am so glad she doesnt know how it was, Levine said. She cant imagine getting anyones permission to get a credit card. She cant imagine needing a companion to go to a restaurant she likes. The downside is that as, for example, we lose the right to abortion, I am not sure she understands how important it is to fight to hold on to it.
Ms. Magazine is only quarterly now. Other causes and media are filling the niche it once monopolized
The magazine turns 40 this month.
Documentary Highlights Burmas Jailed Political Activists
(Published on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:47:45 GMT)
A documentary film about Burmas political prisoners and the underground movement to help them premiered this week in Asia, drawing attention to the plight of the countrys activists as the government releases hundreds of prisoners in an amnesty program.
Director Jeanne Hallacy said former political prisoner and activist Ko Bo Kyi inspired her to make Into the Current, which made its regional debut in Bangkok Thursday to a sold-out audience at the Foreign Correspondents Club.
His mandate was, as a former political prisoner, he was going to work every which way he could on the global stage, to ensure that all these prisoners could be released, she said.
Burmese authorities announced this month that they would be releasing 651 of the estimated 2,000 political activists behind bars in an effort to promote national reconciliation.
Ko Bo Kyi said those who remain in prison should not be forgotten.
Political prisoners do not receive timely medical treatment, so there is not enough medication, and there are not enough doctors for the prisoners, therefore the prisoners suffer a lot, he said, adding that even after their release, life is not easy.
He pointed to the case of Thet New, who died shortly after being freed under the government amnesty this month. The activist is believed to have died from the effects of torture suffered in prison.
Free, but not
Ko Bo Kyi said those who survive are still punished professionally and personally.
The Burmese government doesnt recognize the existence of political prisoners. Therefore, even after they were released, they are blacklisted. They do not receive passports. They do not get back their license, he said.
Another focus of the film, co-produced by the Democratic Voice of Burma, is Ko Bo Kyis lifelong friend, the writer and poet Min Ko Naing. He is considered Burmas most prominent opposition leader after Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, and was released earlier this month.
Associated Press
Min Ko Naing forms a human chain with the 88 Generation Student Group. Rangoon, May 27, 2007.
It was because of his unyielding stance, and the enormous risks that he took, over and over again, that put him in that position of being a leader of what was called the 88 Generation Group, said Hallacy.
Min Ko Naing spent 16 years in solitary confinement, and emerged from prison in 2007, only to lead another protest that returned him to jail later that year.
The human toll
The human toll exerted on the governments opponents is explored in Into the Current. Min Ko Naing speaks ruefully of his former girlfriend, who he says, now belongs to someone else, following his many years in prison. Ko Bo Kyi bid farewell to his parents when he fled Burma more than a decade ago. And Aung San Suu Kyi had to give up her family life with her late husband Michael Aris and her sons.
Despite all of that, what is their response Its informed by their Buddhist belief, Metta, loving kindness, said Hallacy.
In the film, Aung San Suu Kyi is asked if the National League for Democracy will show mercy to members of the former military government. We all need mercy, she said.
Aung San Suu Kyi spent 15 years under house arrest over the past two decades. She was released in 2010, just days after controversial elections that gave Burma its first nominally civilian government since 1962.
She will be among the candidates vying for a seat in parliamentary by-elections in April. It will be the first time that she has been allowed to seek political office.
Adele Continues to Top Charts With 21
(Published on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:00:53 GMT)
MUSIC NEWS:
British pop singer Adele continues to set records this week as her album 21 spends a 17th week atop the Billboard 200 chart. Billboard reports that she now has the longest run at Number One since the soundtrack to The Bodyguard, which ended its 20-week reign in May 1993.
Adele also reaches the top spot on this weeks Hot 100 chart. Her latest single, Set Fire to the Rain, is the third consecutive Number One hit from 21. According to Nielsen SoundScan tracking, the song sold 185,000 copies during the past week, which pushes its total downloads past the two-million mark.
An Oklahoma hospital will have to give back a $500,000 donation to Country singer Garth Brooks. During a week-long jury trial, Garth testified that he made the donation in 2005 with the understanding that Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital in Yukon, Oklahoma would build a womens center and name it after his late mother, Colleen Brooks. The jury ruled that the hospital must return the donation and also pay Brooks an additional $500,000 in punitive damages.
Singer Jason Derulo is recovering from a serious injury that happened a few weeks ago during his tour rehearsals. According to reports, Derulo was performing a dance move and landed on his head, which fractured a vertebrae. He told People magazine that his girlfriend, singer Jordin Sparks, is helping him mend. He said, Weve gotten closer because of my accident. Its awesome to have someone you can talk to and shes a wonderful person. Derulo added that hes using his recovery time to work on a new album.
The New York Times reports that Lady Gagas parents, Joseph and Cynthia Germanotta, have opened an Italian restaurant in New York City. Cynthia told the newspaper that Joanne Trattoria will not pander to fans of the singer. If theyre expecting to come in here and see Grammys and pictures and stuff like that, its not going to happen, she said
On January 31, Hip-O/Universal Music Enterprises will release former Beatle Ringo Starrs new album, Ringo 2012. The collection features collaborations with Charlie Haden, Kenny Wayne Shepard, the Eagles Joe Walsh, the Eurythmics Dave Stewart, Don Was and Edgar Winter, among others. Ringo is giving his fans the opportunity to make the video for the albums first single, Wings. Ringo will personally pick the winner, who receives a $3,000 prize.
On February 3, Country star Keith Urban will make his first concert appearance since having vocal cord surgery in November 2011. Hell perform on the Grand Ole Opry show at Nashvilles historic Ryman Auditorium. Also on the bill are Vince Gill, Craig Morgan, Emmylou Harris, Del McCoury, the Oak Ridge Boys, Josh Turner and Ricky Skaggs. Special guests include Shawn Colvin and Rodney Crowell. Keith has also rescheduled his All for the Hall concert for April 10. The show, which benefits Nashvilles Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, was among the events that were postponed due to Keiths surgery.
NEW ALBUM RELEASES:
New albums scheduled for release on January 31 include: Born To Die by Lana Del Rey, Old Ideas by Leonard Cohen, Beyond Magnetic by Metallica, God, Love & Romance by Fred Hammond, Galaxy by Jeff Lorber, Hello Cruel World by Gretchen Peters and Crazy by Candy Dulfer
AWARDS PRESENTATIONS/WINNERS:
Nominations for the 84th annual Academy Awards have been announced. Best Picture nominees include The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life and War Horse. Turning to the music categories, the Best Original Score nominees are John Williams for The Adventures of Tintin, Ludovic Bource for The Artist, Howard Shore for Hugo, Alberto Iglesias for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and John Williams for War Horse. Up for Best Original Song are Man or Muppet by Bret McKenzie from The Muppets and Real in Rio by Sergio Mendes from Rio. The Oscars will be handed out on February 26 in Los Angeles
Kenny Chesney leads the nominees for the 47th annual Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards. His nine nominations include Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for Hemingways Whiskey and Entertainer of the Year. He shares the Entertainer category with Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift. Jason Aldean collected six nods, followed by Lady Antebellum with five and Brad Paisley with four. The 2012 ACM Awards will be handed out on April 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
TOUR DATES AND INFORMATION:
On February 3, Irish female vocal quartet Celtic Woman will kick off a 60-city North American tour in Nashville, Tennessee. The group features new addition Susan McFadden, who was born in Dublin and is best known as a London West End musical stage star. Celtic Woman will be supporting its new album, Believe.
Annie Leibovitz Takes New Path in Pilgrimage
(Published on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:00:18 GMT)
A new exhibit of photos by the well-known portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz shows a different side of her. Leibovitz, known for her photos of celebrities, spent two years taking pictures without any people in them. Many are of places in the United States where famous people lived in the 19th and 20th centuries. Pilgrimage is on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.
There are homes and personal items that belonged to people who are no longer with us, including artists, scientists, photographers, and a U.S. president.
Leibovitz says she went on a journey from 2009 to 2011, taking photos of places that moved her, including landscapes. She says the collection represents a renewal of her spirit. Earlier, her lover, Susan Sontag, a famous author, died of cancer. And Leibovitz had financial troubles and almost lost control of her photo archives
Theres some searching going on, said Leibovitz. I discovered some things about myself which were really comforting.
Leibovitz was inspired by the 20th century American artist Georgia OKeefe and traveled to New Mexico to photograph her homes and a box of handmade pastels.
She also captured images of items that belonged to President Abraham Lincoln, including the hat and gloves he was carrying in 1865 when he was assassinated.
What shes really trying to do is evoke the presence of people, in a way, despite their absence, said Andy Grundberg who curated the exhibit.
Leibovitz has been a photographer for 40 years and is known for her shots of celebrities.
She told reporters she hadnt planned to focus on people from the past, but felt drawn to them.
What really drew me to them, I think that they stand out. I thrive on history. I love it, added Leibovitz.
Leibovitz was fascinated by sharpshooter Annie Oakley, a star in Buffalo Bills Wild West Show in the late 1800s. She photographed Oakleys boots and one of her shooting targets.
Leibovitz also found inspiration at Graceland, the mansion of rock and roll legend Elvis Presley, where she took a picture of his motorcycle
Grundberg says the exhibit is a portrait of Leibovitz.
This is a way of understanding how Annie Leibovitz thinks about the world through the pictures that shes taken of people and places that are important to her, noted Grundberg.
To honor landscape photographer Ansel Adams, Leibovitz took a picture of his darkroom. Adams, who died in 1984, was devoted to photographing the wilderness in the American west. He was also a leader of the conservation movement
Leibovitz did photos similar to Adams famous pictures of Yosemite Valley in California
The best homage you can make was photographing that valley that he saved, Leibovitz said.
The photos in the exhibit are also included in a book that Leibovitz hopes will inspire people. She says shell continue doing portraits, but also wants to take other kinds of photos.
Five Leading Men Vie for Best Actor Oscar
(Published on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:55:03 GMT)
The Academy Award nominations have confirmed the buzz about sure bets, but also added some surprises. In the category Best Actor in a Leading Role, some of the five nominees were expected to be in the mix. Others were upsets.
In The Descendants, a bittersweet family drama directed by Alexander Payne, George Clooney plays Matt Smith, a successful lawyer who finds himself at lifes crossroads
After a boating accident, his wife is in a coma and is to be taken off life support. Overnight, Matt becomes a single parent to his two daughters. As if that is not enough, he finds out that before the accident his wife was cheating on him.
In portraying Matt, Clooney loses his Hollywood persona. Matt is frumpy, and hes awkward with his kids and everyone else around him. He appears lost as he tries to make sense of what is happening to him
With six Oscar nominations and one Oscar award under his belt, Clooney represents the status quo in Hollywood, but in a good way. Hes as attractive as he is talented
However, his performance as Matt King is reminiscent of Ryan Bingham, the driven businessman dealing with loneliness and middle age that Clooney played in Jason Reitmans 2009 drama Up in The Air
Clooney received a nomination for that role but did not win the Oscar. So, the question is will he get an Oscar this time around for a similar performance.
Oscar nominee Jean Dujardin does something quite different. He offers a tour de force performance as George Valentin, a 1920s silent movie star who loses fame and fortune with the advent of the talkies.
In The Artist, by Michel Hazanavicius, Dujardin exudes star power. His elegance, expressiveness and infectious smile represent what was alluring in silent films. Dujardin could reap the Oscar unless voters opt for the more wholesome and down to earth character of Los Angeles gardener Carlos Calindo, played by Mexican actor Demian Bichir in the drama A Better Life
Carlos Calindo is an illegal alien and a devoted father. He wants a better life for his son
Bichir offers a multilayered performance tackling a subject that speaks to many
But, as the underdog among the contenders, an award for Bichir would be a surprise
The Academys voters could instead be swayed by the all-American character of Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland As baseball team, played by Brad Pitt in Moneyball
Pitt gives a solid performance as the man who employs unorthodox methods to build a baseball team headed for the play-offs
But the deck could be stacked against him. Theres also Gary Oldman, who towers over Pitt in a fine-tuned performance as super spy Smiley in the thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
But Gary Oldmans British reserve could alienate voters in the Academy, who might feel that his character is too arcane for the American palate
All bets are on George Clooneys name in that famous envelope or maybe Monsieur Dujardin. For sure, Oscar night will be interesting this time around.
The Help Wins Big at SAG Awards
(Published on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:22:39 GMT)
The Help, a movie about African American maids in the 1960s in (the U.S. state of) Mississippi was the big winner at Sundays 18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
The film won best ensemble, best actress for Viola Davis and best supporting actress for Octavia Spencer. In accepting her award Davis said the stain of racism and sexism is not just for people of color or women, but is all of our burden.
French actor Jean Dujardin was named best actor for the silent film The Artist, while 82-year-old Christopher Plummer took the supporting actor award for his role in Beginners, where he plays a man who comes to terms with his homosexuality late in life
The TV drama show winners were Jessica Lange as best actress for American Horror Story on FX and Steve Buscemi as best actor for HBOs Boardwalk Empire which also won the ensemble prize
For TV movie or miniseries, Kate Winslet won as best actress for HBOs Mildred Pierce, while Paul Giamatti was named best actor for HBOs Too Big to Fail
Mary Tyler Moore received SAGs lifetime achievement award. Dick Van Dyke, her co-star in the 1960s television comedy, The Dick Van Dyke Show, presented her the award
SAGs movie awards are generally seen as a prelude to the culmination of the Hollywood awards season, the Oscars, to be held next month.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.
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