Peter Gabriel gets Amnesty ward for human rights work

September 4th, 2008 Posted by: Belinda Goldsmith, Reuters

Peter Gabriel has been named as the recipient of Amnesty International’s 2008 Ambassador of Conscience Award.

A long time campaigner for human rights around the world, Gabriel, 58 first worked with Amnesty during the Conspiracy of Hope Tour in 1986 and then on the Human Rights Now! Tour in 1988. Gabriel went on to found Witness, a video community campaigning for human rights and more recently, The Elders, a private alliance of senior global figures to launch diplomatic assaults on the globe’s most intractable problems.

The award, now in its sixth year, has been given previously to Nelson Mandela, musicians U2, Former U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson and dramatist Vaclav Havel, who was the last president of Czechoslovakia. It will be presented to Gabriel on Sept 10 in London by The Edge, the U2 guitarist, who credited the former Genesis singer for recruiting him to Amnesty International.

Ambassador of Conscience 2008

Art for Amnesty, on behalf of Amnesty International, are proud to announce that Peter Gabriel is the recipient of the Ambassador of Conscience Award 2008.

'For over 25 years Peter Gabriel has, through his involvement with the pioneering Amnesty International music tours 'of the 1980's, his establishment and promotion of "Witness", and his more recent inspiration which lead to the creation of "The Elders", been at the very vanguard of the struggle for human rights and justice around the world.' said Art for Amnesty's Bill Shipsey.

'Any one of the above would have justified his selection as an Amnesty International 'Ambassador of Conscience' continued Shipsey. 'To have pioneered all three is a remarkable achievement from an even more remarkable man.'

The Award will be presented to Peter Gabriel at a ceremony in London on September 10th 2008 which will also mark the launch of Amnesty International's global 'Small Places Tour 2008'.

The Ambassador of Conscience Award, now in its fifth year, recognises exceptional individual leadership and witness in the fight to protect and promote human rights.



Nelson Mandela
Johannesburg, 2006

U2 & Paul McGuinness
Santiago, 2005

Hilda Morales Trujillo &
Mary Robinson
Madrid, 2004

Václav Havel
Dublin, 2003

...
‘What is Peter Gabriel's secret? He has a heart—in our part of the world, we would give him our highest accolade and say, "He has ubuntu." It is that marvelous quality that speaks of compassion and generosity, about sharing, about hospitality. He has ubuntu, and he deserves this latest accolade richly’.

Desmond Tutu, Member of 'The Elders'

Preview: Spin: the art of cover design, Arts Gallery, London

Reviewed by Charlotte Cripps, Tuesday, 2 September 2008

The designers who struck up the brand

The designer Peter Saville, whose Factory Records artwork included Joy Division and New Order album covers, knows more about the art of record sleeve design than most. Along with Dylan Jones, the editor of British GQ, and Faris Rotter, the lead singer of The Horrors, who recently created album artwork for The Charlatans, Saville has chosen some of the best LP cover art of the past 40 years for this show of work by former students of University of the Arts London. (...)

(...) he says. "I have never been given a brief by a record company, except in 1986, when I was told to bring Peter Gabriel forward as a personality. He was the type to hide behind a tree for a photo shoot, as he didn't want to be a pop star" (...)

Ad-funded music downloads site We7 has signed up EMI music.

Around 400,000 tracks from EMI Music's repertoire of artists, including We7 founder investor Peter Gabriel, will be available on We7.com through both on-demand, ad-funded audio streaming and paid-for MP3 downloads.

The partnership means We7 users will be able to listen to full tracks and albums on an unlimited basis at no cost, create personal playlists, and share their favourites with their friends.

We7's advertising technology plays short, targeted audio adverts before each streamed track and ensures that music offered through the site is legal but rights owners get paid and valued.

We7 plans to start delivering EMI Music's content later this year, and is delighted to welcome We7 founder investor Peter Gabriel to its growing roster of available artists. Peter Gabriel, commented: "I am very happy my catalogue is finally available on We7".

Douglas Merrill, President, Digital Business, EMI Music, said: "We7 represents the new and innovative digital experiments underway in the market today, giving fans another way to experience their favourite music and providing artists with an avenue to reach new audiences. We are pleased to be a part of emerging digital initiatives, including We7."

Steve Purdham, Founder Investor and CEO, We7, said: "We7 is making phenomenal progress ahead of our full launch later in the year, there's real momentum in the industry right now and ad-funded streaming is becoming more widely accepted as a legal alternative to piracy. We're really excited to be offering great music from EMI Music's world-class repertoire of artists on We7.com, enabling fans to listen to tracks for free when they want and then buy the music they love."

Sicilian mayor offers houses for 1 euro

By Nick Pisa in Rome, telegraph.co.uk, 03 Sep 2008

Vittorio Sgarbi, the controversial mayor of Salemi. The Sicilian is offering houses for 1 euro Photo: EPA

An eccentric Sicilian mayor has trumped Alistair Darling's efforts to reinvigorate the housing market - by offering properties for 1 Euro.

Vittorio Sgarbi, the controversial new first citizen of Salemi, came up with the idea as a way of revitalising the historic centre of the town. The drawback is many of the properties are barely standing and in dire need of renovation after being virtually destroyed by an earthquake in 1968. Among those said to have expressed an interest is former Genesis star Peter Gabriel and Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti - whose sister Milly used to be Sgarbi's colleague until he was sacked as councillor in Milan.

Sgarbi, an art critic and former Culture Minister in Silvio Berlusocni's government, is a regular on late night TV panels and is often at the centre of controversy because of his outspoken views. Debates he participates in regularly descend into chaos.

He told Corriere della Sera of his plan for Salemi and said:''We're thinking of people who have the sensibility and economic resources to embark on this adventure. In exchange for a token payment of one euro we will offer them one of these houses and ask that they undertake to restore them within two years while respecting their original characteristics. We have had alot of interest people are already booking up to come down here - my aim is to make Salemi the next Pantelleria.''

The tiny volcanic island of Pantelleria, off the coast of Sicily, is a popular celebrity haunt where previous visitors include Madonna and Naomi Campbell. However Corriere pointed out that ''a lot of the project has still to be sorted out, especially the bureaucracy.''

The idea was the brainchild of controversial photographer Olivero Toscani, whose campaigns using stick thin models have sparked outrage and who is Salemi's councillor for Creativity.

He said:''These houses abandoned for 40 years are like a heart pierced by a thorn - they are dangerous but they also represent a patrimony that is slowly dissolving away. We want to try and attract people back to the town or at least make some form of donation to try and help save an architectural environment that we are rapidly losing.''

Sgarbi was elected mayor of Salemi - population 11,436 in June - and the town is in eastern Sicily, close to Trapani and around 50 miles from Palermo, deep in Mafia country.

It is historically known for having been the place where Giuseppe Garibaldi announced the annexation of Sicily in May 1860 as part of the expedition of the Thousand, briefly making the town his headquarters and Italian capital - for one day - after his landing at Marsala. The town has been ruled by the Romans, Vandals and Goths and then the Arabs which gave it its current name of Salem (Peace).

EMI signs up to We7

By Ben Cardew, musicweek, Tuesday September 2, 2008

EMI has become the third major to sign with ad-supported music service We7, in a deal that means material from the company’s founder Peter Gabriel will be available from the site.

The partnership, which follows similar deals with Sony BMG and Warner, means We7 users will be able to listen to full tracks and albums on an unlimited basis at no cost, as well as buy MP3 downloads.

We7’s advertising technology plays short, targeted audio adverts before each streamed track and ensures rights owners get paid.

EMI Music president of digital business Douglas Merrill says, “We7 represents the new and innovative digital experiments underway in the market today, giving fans another way to experience their favourite music and providing artists with an avenue to reach new audiences. We are pleased to be a part of emerging digital initiatives, including We7.”

Peter Gabriel Real World Biographie

par Jean-Philippe Door, sur medium4you.be, le mercredi 3 septembre 2008

Tout petit déjà , Franck Buioni ne se sentait pas comme ses autres camarades ... le foot , les bagnoles et la frime à deux balles ... ce n’était point sa cup of tea ! Une existence un peu tumultueuse allait démarrer en trombe pour le jeune garçon épris de liberté et d’anticonformisme . Une rage envers les moutons suiveurs et autres zélés consommateurs allait le poursuivre mais ce n’est pas tout ... un art étrange allait bientôt grimper à ses oreilles pour ne plus le quitter : la musique !

Devenu adulte , notre jeune héros des temps modernes au sourire jovial poursuivait son chemin professionnel sans vraiment y trouver de la saveur : s’improviser patron alors que l’on rêve d’être un affranchi ou un Marlon Brandon en puissance , voilà qui ne laisse pas trop de place à l’imaginaire et à la fantaisie rock ’ n’ roll !

Un soir , comme dans les contes de fée , notre lutin aux cheveux jaunes épris de musique se rendit à un concert du groupe Genesis et, au moment précis ou les lumières s’éteignirent il vit " on stage" un jeune homme beau et fringuant vêtu de classieux oripeaux et masqué tel un oiseau de bon augure ... une révélation ! Notre lutin s’enticha derechef de ce chanteur à la voix rocailleuse et habitée et , dès lors il ne le lâcherait plus d’une semelle !

La vie de notre héros suivit son cours avec des hauts et quelques bas ... l’aspect sombre qu’il dut endurer correspondait à l’univers que décrivait le troubadour nommé Peter Gabriel .

Un parcours quasi identique puisque en 1975 , l’homme de Bath quitta les Genesis refusant un statut de rock-star qui ne convenait pas du tout à son tempérament indépendant et novateur . Une nouvelle vie beaucoup plus saine allait débuter pour lui en 1977 et le monde entier l’en remercie aujourd’hui .

De son coté , notre joyeux drille commençait à regretter de vivre à coté de à quoi il semblait destiner . Cette vie programmée jusqu’aux loisirs ne lui plaisait guère , peu de gens autour de lui le comprenaient mais... peut importe la hauteur des difficultés : un jour il trouverait sans voie .

Bien des années plus tard , il décida de raconter la vie et l’oeuvre de son mentor Peter Gabriel, narrer les aléas de la vie de l’homme de Bath , ses choix artistiques , son aspect visionnaire et décrire au plus près les péripéties de ce siècle dans lequel il vivait . Écrire d’accord , mais nullement question pour Franck Buioni de le faire comme ses congénères qui peuplent les rayons des librairies !

C’est avec un grand plaisir que je vous convie chers Internautes et autres bloggers de tout poils à découvrir la très réussie biographie de Peter Gabriel écrite par mon ami Franck Buioni . Vous allez passer un moment d’exception en vous immisçant à travers l’oeuvre atypique de l’interprète de" Sledgehammer" . Revisiter avec l’auteur les grands points forts de l’après guerre à nos jours , faire corps avec l’univers tourmenté , prenant et irrésistible de Peter Gabriel .

Pour acheter en ligne "Real World , Peter Gabriel biographie" c’est ici :
http://petergabrielbiographie.blogspot.com/

Jean-Philippe
Le magicien Ox

FESTIVAL WILD CARDS : SOIREE COOPERATIVE MUSIC [Concert]

FESTIVAL WILD CARDS : Soirée COOPERATIVE MUSIC

vendredi 05 septembre 2008, Entrée Libre 20h >> Minuit

Pour sa rentrée la Flèche d’Or prépare un Festival !

Pendant l’été, des invitations ont été lancées pour programmer une des soirées de la rentrée. On y retrouvera des concerts, des dj sets, une 24 hours party et des découvertes musicales ! De quoi dynamiter une nouvelle fois l’ancienne gare de la rue de Bagnolet.

THE WEEK THAT WAS (Cooperative Music/Uk)

Chansons populaires mélodramatiques / Ambiance / Rock. Les plus pointus reconnaîtront à la première écoute de ce disque la patte de Peter Brewis, tiers de Field Music auquel The Week That Was emprunte ce style « math pop » incomparable tout en lui ajoutant une touche cinématographique d’un goût très sûr. Musicalement, l'album est autant un hommage à l'ambitieux Linn Drum qu'aux experimentations de Kate Bush ou de Peter Gabriel avec une perfection évidente dans les arrangements qui demontrent que The Week That Was ne se contente pas des conventions habituelles de la music indé.

http://www.myspace.com/theweekthatwas

(...)

Thought house prices had crashed here? In Sicily they cost one euro

From The Times, Richard Owen in Rome, September 2, 2008

Mayor of Salemi is seeking buyers with ’the aesthetic sensitivity and the economic resources to take part in this adventure’

The villas are set in the Sicilian hills, with spectacular views over the Mediterranean. Your future neighbours could be celebrities such as Peter Gabriel, the Genesis singer, and Massimo Moratti, the owner of the Inter Milan football team.

And then there is the price: a tidy one euro apiece.

The catch is that you have just two years to restore the homes, which were abandoned after an earthquake 40 years ago.

Vittorio Sgarbi, the colourful Mayor of Salemi – just 72km from Palermo – hopes to attract buyers who had “both the aesthetic sensitivity and the economic resources to take part in this adventure”.

But prospective property owners who think the offer is too good to refuse should bear in mind that the restorations will have to meet standards laid down by the council and respect the original character of the buildings.

Salemi is best known for providing the headquarters of Guiseppe Garibaldi after his historic landing at Marsala with “The Thousand” in May 1860, the start of his armed struggle for the unification of Italy.

Sgarbi, an art critic and former deputy Culture Minister believes it is an ideal centre for religious dialogue and the arts.

Noted for his outspoken views, not to mention his distinctive wavy hair, the bespectacled Mr Sgarbi is also a television celebrity well known and man-about-town with a host of friends in the worlds of politics and showbusiness.

Oliviero Toscani, the photographer best known for his controversial Benetton adverts, who is Mr Sgarbi’s adviser on “creativity and human rights” at Salemi, said “thousands” of ancient houses in the steep, cobbled streets of Salemi had been derelict since the 1968 earthquake.

The buildings were not only in a perilous state, they also formed “part of an historical heritage which is being dissipated”.

Peter Glidewell, an art dealer and critic, who was born in Rome and is the Mayor’s adviser on the enivironment, said: “We know these houses are perfectly capable of being salvaged.

“They have to be adapted to the exigencies of the modern world while maintaining the colours, forms and appearances of their time.”

Among those who have already expressed an interest in Sgarbi’s once-in a-lifetime hilltop property offer are Peter Gabriel. The musician already has a home on the Costa Smeralda in Sardinia.

Mr Toscani said that although an influx of VIPs would help to revitalise the town, the scheme was not intended for celebrities alone.

Mr Sgarbi vowed to turn Salemi into “another Pantelleria”, the nearby island where celebrities such as Giorgio Armani, the fashion designer, Fabio Capello, the England football manager, and Gérard Depardieu, the French actor, have luxury seaside homes.

Terms and conditions

— Salemi does not yet have a website but Vittorio Sgarbi does, at www.vittoriosgarbi.it – e-mails can be sent by clicking on contatti. Inquiries can also be made to the council on (0039) 0924 991 111

— Buyers must use local builders, architects, decorators and plumbers since the aim ofthescheme is to help the local economy

— It would be wise to use a local English-speaking agent to help with the labyrinthine bureaucracy

— British Airways, Ryanair, easyJet and Air Malta all have direct flights to Sicily. Ryanair flies from Stansted to Palermo and less frequently from Luton and Birmingham to Trapani; easyJet from Gatwick to Palermo; and BA and Air Malta from Gatwick to Catania

Source: thinksicily.com

Peter Gabriel Considers Studio Show For Fans

Showbizspy.com, September 1 2008

PETER GABRIEL is considering turning an upcoming recording session at his Real World Studios into an intimate gig after THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND did just that to cover the costs of a recent album.

The group charged 120 fans $100 (GBP54) for the privilege of recording tracks at Real World in Box, England - and studio boss Gabriel was more than impressed.

He tells Filter magazine, "The Incredible String Band wrote to their fans on their website and sold admission to their recordings... and that gave them the budget to purchase the studio time.

"They created a mini-economy based on 120 people."

And now Gabriel is considering hosting a similar studio treat for his fans: "There are space constraints at Real World, but I'm sure we could figure something out."

"Viva la vida", la nouvelle étape de COLDPLAY

Christophe Combarieu, News musique, aufeminin.com, 02/09/2008

Le mystère entretenu

Avec un premier single "Violet Hill" extrait du 4e album de Coldplay offert en téléchargement gratuit sur leur site Internet pendant une semaine, les fans ont pu donc attendre sereinement la sortie du CD dans sa totalité. Alors, est-ce qu’il en vaut la peine? Triplement oui.

L'album du renouveau

En s'appuyant sur les producteurs Brian Eno et Markus Dravs, Coldplay s'assurait une certaine qualité. Le premier a travaillé avec entre autres David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon. Le second est le producteur d’Arcade Fire. "Viva La Vida" mélange de nombreuses influences, de Rammstein à Tinariwen, Jay-Z, et les incontournables Radiohead. Pour un résultat plus expérimental, mais toujours aussi rock.

Une réussite

Ils explorent un nouvel univers pour le plus grand plaisir de nos oreilles. L’album s’ouvre avec un magistral instrumental intitulé Life In Technicolor. Dès ces premières minutes, on ne peut qu’être impressionné par la nouvelle dimension que Chris Martin et ses acolytes abordent. "Violet Hill" est un trait d’union entre le style initial de Coldplay et le rock expérimental qu’ils proposent dans cet album. On pouvait craindre que Coldplay ne se recycle jamais. Qu’ils conservent leur recette gagnante. Et force est de constater qu’ils se sont essayés brillamment à un genre nouveau. Il est évident que l’audace et le résultat vont être payants !

Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love Screens at Telluride Film Festival

Written by Michael Bialas, Blogcritics Published August 31, 2008

Part of Show and Telluride

This is the second in a series of stories from the 2008 Telluride Film Festival that is held over the Labor Day weekend. Offerings will include "Sneak Reviews," a quick look at a film screened the previous night; "High on Telluride," highlights of some of the group discussions and celebrity appearances; and "Festival Buzzwords," focusing on what's getting the most attention — good or bad — throughout the weekend.

Film: Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love, a documentary that combines concert performances from Dublin to Paris to New York City’s Carnegie Hall, family photos, interviews, newsreel footage and picture-postcard views of Africa to paint a complex but highly entertaining and emotional portrait of one of Time’s “100 most influential people” in the world in 2007.

Director: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, who also is the writer and co-producer.

Running time: 102 minutes.

Star sightings: Youssou N'dour, a world-renowned singer, in the tradition of the musical storyteller in Africa called griots; Peter Gabriel, a close friend of N’dour’s since their “In Your Eyes” duet on Gabriel’s 1985 album So; Neneh Cherry, performing “7 Seconds” with N’dour at the Live 8 Concert; Bono (but blink and you’ll miss him).

Also appearing: Members of N'dour's family, including his brother, his parents, and in the film’s most touching scenes, his grandmother, who appears frail but wise beyond her years.

What’s it all about? What happens when N'dour, the pop superstar and social activist from the West African nation of Senegal, which is 94 percent Muslim, decides in 2004 to release the pan-African album Egypt, which praises prophets and saints and gives Islam a human and smiling face. Deeply spiritual and released during Ramadan (a religious no-no), “Egypt is more than a country,” says N’dour, “it’s a concept. ... a concept of coming together.”

Movie’s memorable line: “To this day, when I’m with my Dad, I feel like I’m 15 years old.” — N’dour


What you might not know: Egypt’s original release was postponed after the 9/11 attacks. At the age of 10, N’dour was inspired by Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum and the way she connected with her audiences. N’dour was initially rejected by his country for “crossing the line” by releasing Egypt during the holy month. The film was dedicated in memory of N'dour's grandmother, who was born in 1910 and died in 2006.

Telluride take: A film four years in the making, I Bring What I Love's August 29 screening was the world premiere and Vasarhelyi, right, said, “We’re honored and humbled” to present it at a free screening at the Abel Gance Open Air Cinema in Elks Park. It was the first of three showings during the weekend, and all three were followed by concerts by N’dour and a three-member band, below. At the premiere, they were greeted enthusiastically by a crowd that seemed transfixed by the movie and eager to dance by the third song of the concert. After the opening night doubleheader, a 30-something woman blurted out, “That was really trippy, man!”

Summing it up: This is more challenging than your average rocdoc in dealing with some complex religious issues. You thought the Dixie Chicks had problems in Shut Up & Sing, Barbara Kopple’s film detailing what the country gals went through on the road and in the music industry after maligning George W. Bush? But it’s easy to understand what makes N’dour such a compelling figure, dynamic personality, and the voice of Africa.

Go here to see more photos from the Telluride Film Festival by Matt Bialas.