Her eccentric Highness

Kenny Chee, Asia One, Tue, Oct 14, 2008

Chinese artiste Sa Ding Ding is poised to crack the Western market

By her own admission, Mongolian-born Chinese singer Sa Ding Ding can come across as a tad eccentric. "Even I think I'm a bit strange," the singer, who was born in Mongolia, told my paper. "That's because I tend to be very focused when I'm doing something and I'm apt to forget what's happening around me." To that end, she has shown up at recording sessions dressed in winter clothes in summer, oblivious to the fact until someone pointed it out.

Sa - who was in town recently to perform at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre as part of the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix's entertainment programme - has been billed by some as Asia's answer to Icelandic singer Bjork. Sa fuses electronica with Chinese folk music, and this melange is topped by her warbly vocals.

She is also inspired by ancient Chinese texts such as the Materia Medica, a Ming Dynasty encyclopaedia of Chinese herbs written by naturalist Li Shizhen. She sings in Mandarin, Tibetan and Sanskrit, as well as a self-created language. Born to a Mongolian doctor mother and a Chinese government- official father, Sa was raised by her grandmother in the grasslands of northern China.

Her upbringing influenced her ear for ethnic music, and Sa later moved to Beijing to study philosophy and music at the Central Conservatory of Music. She released a debut album in 2001, followed by her sophomore release, Alive, last year. It caught the ears of the Western media, winning the British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 3 World Music Award for the Asia-Pacific region in April.

That win led to Sa performing at London's Royal Albert Hall and the World of Music, Arts and Dance (Womad) festival, where she enjoyed four encores. After her performance, she was approached backstage by many who told her that she "completed (their) music experiences", she said.

"I was incredibly moved; I treasure that much more than fame or fortune," she added. And what did she think of the world's first night race, which she was here to support? "I've watched F1 races on television, but this is the first time I've seen it so up-close and it's very exciting," she enthused. "I sometimes ask why the cars need to be so fast. But maybe I ask that because I'm a girl."

Foreign cinema spotlight: I Bring What I Love

By: Madeleine Wall, Posted: 10/16/08

Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love chronicles the life of Senegal's greatest musical export, Youssou Ndour. Documenting his early life and then focusing on the controversy that surrounded his Grammy- winning Egypt album, the film shows Ndour for what he is: a man combining his heritage and tradition in a way that has rarely been done before.

The film begins with Ndour's early life, growing up in Senegal a Sufi Muslim, but learning about the traditions of the Griot, the African singer-storyteller. Ndour combined his Griot heritage with his music, and soon became a household name in Senegal. It was a duet with Peter Gabriel and a performance at the Live 8 concert, a long with the song "7 Seconds," Senegal's first platinum record, which made him known around the world. With his success he soon turned to social activism, a powerful African voice raising awareness and funds to various issues in Africa. But the film's focus is on the early 2000s when Ndour decided to make his Egypt album.

Ndour attempted to show the world what Islam meant to him through this album, chronicling the story of the great Muslim leaders of Senegal. The film explores the various influences of Ndour such as Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum, the pacifist Muslim leader Cheikh Amadou Bamba and Senegal's holy city of Touba, each of which have an important impact on the album, Ndour, and the life of a Senegalese Sufi Muslim. The album was initially met with disdain from with Senegalese, who believed it was blasphemy and refused to buy it. The film focuses on Ndour overcoming controversy and disdain from his Senegalese counterparts and shooting into international fame with the album.

The films highlights are Ndour's performances. A captivating singer and performer, he is a joy to watch and listen to. It is he that moves the film forward, telling his own story and mixing it with his religious beliefs and African tradition. The Egypt album attempted to show a different side of Islam, Ndour's Islam, hoping to change the world's perspective. What the album accomplishes is what the film accomplishes as well, showing a side of Islam that most Western audiences have not seen before. Though music is not a key part in the Islamic faith, Ndour manages to make it a part of his faith, celebrating Islam and African heritage through song.

Sounds of Soweto, and history

by Kevin Ransom, Special To The Ann Arbor News, Thursday October 16, 2008

When the Soweto Gospel Choir first formed in 2002, the group members could not have envisioned how much of a world-music phenomenon they would become.

Since then, the group has won two Grammy Awards, seen two of its albums reach the No. 1 position on the Billboard World Music Chart, collaborated with big names like Bono, Robert Plant, Peter Gabriel and Celine Dion, and performed five times for Nelson Mandela, including a star-studded London concert to celebrate his 90th birthday. They have also raised more $1 million to provide care for those whose families have been victimized by AIDS.

In September, they simultaneously released their "Live at the Nelson Mandela Theatre" CD and DVD - a release timed to coincide with their current tour of North America, which comes to Hill Auditorium on Friday for a show sponsored by the University Musical Society.

Stylistically, the Soweto Gospel Choir's music owes more to traditional African music than it does to American gospel - even though they do deliver the Christian message in some of their songs. The Christian faith has been practiced in South Africa since the 19th century, when missionary schools were established there.

But many of the songs are about South African pride, which is fitting for a country where, for more than 40 years, until 1990, the native black majority was oppressed and even brutalized by the white minority under the rule of apartheid, the legal practice of institutionalized racism, racial segregation and the stripping of the rights of the black native majority.

"Yes, it is important for us to sing about our love for our country, and our pride in our heritage," says choir member Thembisa Khuzwayo. "It's our way of letting the rest of the world know about South African history and culture, and how much pride there is here among our people, and how much we love our culture and our country."

As in American gospel music, the Soweto choir constructs a rich, call-and-response vocal interplay. All the choir members are dressed in traditional, brightly colored African robes, while African dancing is a show-stopping element.

The group's repertoire include songs sung in three different languages - Zulu, Sotho and English, which are only three of South Africa's 11 official languages.

"Culture is always evolving, and popular music is part of that evolution," observed Khuzwayo, who was born in Johannesburg but grew up in Ladysmith in the KwaZulu-Natal province. "We know it's important for us to preserve and convey traditional music, but it's also important for us to connect with various audiences, and to do that, we use the many different musical styles we know and love."

Randy Newman Brings Harps and Angels to Santa Barbara

By Brett Leigh Dicks, Thursday, October 16, 2008

No Shortage of Wit

Not many people can boast a career as successful as Randy Newman’s. He has gathered more Academy Award nominations than Meryl Streep, written a song (“Short People”) that inspired the State of Maryland to legislate a radio ban against it, taken home four Grammy Awards, and even played a singing tree in The Three Amigos—a film that he also cowrote.

Having concentrated much of his recent musical energy in the realm of film soundtracks (which have garnered him 16 Oscar nominations and wins in four different musical categories), Newman released his first solo album in nine years just last month. The recording, titled Harps and Angels, finds the native Californian at his satirical best. And while you might not hear the songs from Harps playing over the speakers at your best bud’s party any time soon, conversely, it won’t be James Taylor telling jokes at the intimate Lobero Theatre this Sunday night. (...)

What about songs you have written for others?

One of the best tunes I ever wrote was for Peter Gabriel for that second Babe movie. “That’ll Do” is the name of the song. But it’s not a song I can sing—I don’t think so. “Feels Like Home” is just about at the limit of a tune I can get by with. (...)

'Iconoclasts' returns, bright-eyed if a bit pat

By Ted Cox | Daily Herald Columnist, Published: 10/16/2008

Two people can bring out the worst in each other, as anyone who's seen the presidential debates can attest. But a unified couple can also have the opposite effect - on themselves and those around them.

"Iconoclasts," the wonderfully whimsical celebrity-on-celebrity interview program, returns at 9 p.m. today on the Sundance Channel, and its fourth season premiere is testimony to that beneficial impact we sometimes have on one another.

In a series based upon unlikely pairings, the season debut offers one of the unlikeliest: South Africa's Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu and British entrepreneur, adventurer and billionaire Sir Richard Branson. What could they possibly have in common? Well, a remarkable fondness for each other, to start, but also a bright-eyed optimism about the state and fate of the world, no matter how dire the current situation.

I have to say, in some ways the Branson-Tutu pairing is "Iconoclasts" at its best, but it also reveals some pitfalls to the show's premise. When the subjects are so big, as these two world figures are, they aren't likely to be pushed to any new insights by the producer-director and crew. Although Tutu and Branson express a clear and mutual affection for each other and a remarkable buoyancy, they don't really get to interact all that much, unless you count Branson trying to give Tutu a short-lived swimming lesson in the ocean-view pool he has on his private island.

There is none of the fascinating conversational back-and-forth that can make "Iconoclasts" so captivating, as was the case between Quentin Tarantino and Fiona Apple in the second season. Instead, there is a lot of historical background on both as individuals, mixed with a few heartwarming scenes of them together.

Yet they are genuinely heartwarming. These are two huge souls, and it's a kick to see them together, even when tossed in with a self-important, idealistic mission organizing a group called the Elders.

That too is a problem, however. Branson and Tutu hope to make the Elders a force for world peace, using well-respected leaders like former Irish President Mary Robinson and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to mediate conflicts in global hot spots. Yet what does it have to do with Branson and Tutu when fellow Elders organizer Peter Gabriel sits down at the piano to do a singalong on his anthem "Biko" with Roslyn and Jimmy Carter?

The setting is kind of off-putting, too, for anyone not to the manor born. Yes, it's easy to dream of world peace when you're sitting on your own private island, taking discussion breaks with catamaran races and ending the day with your own personal fireworks display.

Yet Tutu, for one, cuts right through the opulence. It's not as if he hasn't seen the other side of life in South Africa under apartheid.

"People are dying in wars," he acknowledges, "but there's goodness and laughter." In effect, he engages a one-man attack on cynicism, and that battle is joined by Branson. "I was just thinking how easy it is to pooh-pooh attempts to change the world," Tutu says. "Because what can a few individuals do in the face of all the ghastliness?" That makes the fight to turn the world into "a slightly more compassionate place" all the more noble.

"You can't be human all by yourself," Tutu says. "We are all connected. - When you are successful, it spreads out."

Branson couldn't have a more eloquent friend and ally, and he projects his own jolly mission to make the world a better place - whether through world peace or simply a better airline.

In the end, "Iconoclasts" wipes away most if not all of the preconceptions and suspicions a viewer might bring to it, to revel in unlikely yet enduring connections between human beings. "There is an extraordinary alchemy that happens between two people," Tutu says, and that expresses the wonder of "Iconoclasts" in its essence.

• Ted Cox writes Tuesday and Thursday in L&E and Friday in Sports and Time out!

Joseph Arthur and the Lonely Astronauts land at York's Strand

Posted by Michael Sedor/PennLive.com October 15, 2008

Flamboyantly artistic singer/songwriter Joseph Arthur brings his band The Lonely Astronauts to York's Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center Thursday. Tickets are $19, doors open at 8 p.m. Arthur's dreamy indie rock grasps onto the spiritual, latches onto the poetic abstract, embraces the romantic and dives into earnest indulgence with epic brooding.

So it's only natural that he was first signed by kindred spirit Peter Gabriel. Arthur is currently touring in support of his new album, Temporary People, the fifth! Lonely Astronauts release this year.

Arthur is also an accomplished painter whose abstract expressionist artwork is on display at his Brooklyn gallery The Museum of Modern Arthur.

The Lonely Astronauts music has recently been featured on ABC's Grey's Anatomy and HBO's True Blood and in 2006 was performed live on the David Letterman Show. That performance is below:

Blues sur Seine : Concert The Holmes Brothers

Concert The Holmes Brothers (USA), Espace Corot, jeudi 20 novembre à 20h30

Fils d’enseignants passionnés de musique, Sherman et Wendell Holmes ont grandi en Virginie. Aussi bien influencés par les chants traditionnels d’église que par les rythmes de B.B. King, les deux frères évoluent dans diverses formations avant de créer leur propre groupe avec Popsy Dixon.

Depuis près de trente ans, les Holmes Brothers laissent libre cours à leur amour inconditionnel pour le gospel et le blues. Connus pour leurs talents d’auteurs, ils n’ont toutefois pas leur pareil pour reprendre des titres de légende de Bob Marley et autres Beatles.

Multipliant les succès discographiques (album solo, enregistrement avec Peter Gabriel, Odetta…), ils sont aussi plébiscités pour leur énergie inépuisable sur scène. Leurs nombreuses récompenses, « groupe de l’année en 2005 » par la Memphis Blues Fondation, « meilleur album soul 2008 » des Blues Music Awards, font d’eux un groupe exceptionnel.

Le groupe est composé de Sherman Holmes (chant, basse), Wendell Holmes (chant, guitare, piano) et de Popsy Dixon (batterie).

Site internet : www.theholmesbrothers.com

Plein tarif : 15 €, tarif réduit : 12 €

À cette occasion sera également présentée la restitution des ateliers chants des écoles La Justice et Les Baronnes.

Renseignements : 01 30 92 35 38

Le programme complet sur www.blues-sur-seine.com

David Byrne, Greek Theatre, October 3, 2008

David Byrne has reconnected with fellow traveler Brian Eno to record a fine new album called Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. The album is available for free streaming now and will be available in several fixed format configurations soon. Leave it to Byrne and Eno to take another twist at the cycle of album releases. This is their first collaboration in three decades, and the results are sublime.

Byrne brought a fine band to the Greek to explore many of the new songs, as well as a healthy sampling of his prior solo and Talking Heads work. Many of the most complicated, challenging and satisfying Talking Heads songs involved Eno. Byrne has now convinced me to never miss one of his concerts. When he was last in town I went to the Hollywood Bowl with mild expectations, which he exploded. At the more intimate Greek he delivered an extremely clever and rewarding show.

The crack seven member band was attired in white, as were the trio of dancers who wove through many of the songs. Bassist Paul Frazier was tremendous, as was Mark Degli Antoni on keyboards who fleshed out many of the sonic colors. Notably, Byrne was the only guitarist (but for occasional acoustic guitar accompaniment).

The fourth song of the evening “I Zimbra” was intricate both sonically and visually. The performance brought down the house (which was still yet to burn), culminating in a standing ovation. Byrne looked impish in the adulation. The challenge of weaving dancers into modern music is also being explored by Elvis Costello and Twyla Tharp, their collaboration comes to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion later this month.

Byrne reached into the dusty corners of his trick bag and pulled out a great song from his Catherine Wheel collaboration with Tharp. He also reworked his most famous cover version, Al Green’s “Take Me to the River,” which is Byrne’s earliest recorded acknowledgement of his black influences.

“Burning Down the House” and “Life During Wartime” lost none of their urgency, and brought out all the karaoke singers in the audience. Same as it ever was, indeed.

Byrne’s voice remains supple with no seeming loss of range. A gorgeous version of “Heaven” featured jangly REMish guitars, and might have been the evening’s highlight.

David Byrne is the epitome of a cool nerd. His geeky gloss does not really hide the clever and inquisitive artist inside. Where is that left field hit single collaboration between Peter Gabriel and David Byrne? Brian Eno will invariably provide the intersection of that much-desired Venn Diagram.

MTV Channels to Show Peace Concert Highlights

By Sergio Ibarra, tvweek.com

MTV’s hi-def channel Palladia has acquired the U.S. TV rights to air highlights from the “Peace One Day Supported by Ben & Jerry’s” concert Oct. 18 at 9 p.m.

The concert, which took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sept. 21, commemorates the international Peace Day as inspired by Jeremy Gilley’s film “Peace One Day” and supported by 200 countries, including all 192 United Nations members.

MTV will air highlights from the concert, which included performances from Bryan Adams, Peter Gabriel, Lenny Kravitz, John Legend and Annie Lennox.

MTV will also broadcast the show on mtvU, the channel’s college network, and through various VH1 Radio Network affiliates in major markets.

Lobbyists to raise funds to build peace centre

Yazeed Kamaldien, The Times.co.za, Published:Oct 13, 2008

Plans to develop the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre in Cape Town are on track, with lobbyists trying to drum up the R150-million it will cost from international philanthropists and even ordinary South Africans.

The centre, which will be the first of its kind to offer peace brokers from international conflict zones a neutral space to strike deals, will be up and running by 2011 if all goes to plan, said centre chief executive Nomfundo Walaza.

It is being driven by its namesake, the retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1984 who has been viewed as an international moral compass.

“[For example] if the South African government is brokering peace for the Democratic Republic of Congo, instead of meeting in the parliament buildings, they can meet at a neutral space at the centre ,” said Walaza .

Tutu’s emissaries and fundraisers are now approaching his friends, such as maverick British businessman Richard Branson and lobbyist Peter Gabriel, to donate cash for the development.

“Branson has indicated he would be of assistance ... but ordinary South Africans can also give R100 or R500 towards the bricks. We don’t want this to be funded only by people from overseas ,” said Walaza.

The centre will be built on a piece of prime real estate close to the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The land was donated by the City of Cape Town in 2004.

Daniel Lanois in New York with U2

By DENIS ARMSTRONG - Sun Media, October 10, 2008

It's hard to pin down Daniel Lanois.

I assume the legendary producer and recording artist is playing a gig in New York when he lets it slip that he's in the Big Apple to produce the new U2 record, due in 2009.

As if that isn't news enough, he's simultaneously promoting his latest CD and documentary film Here Is What Is, which is available at redfloorrecords.com, and getting ready to launch an eastern Canada tour next week that includes a stop at Centrepointe Theatre on Oct. 24. The tour marks the 20th anniversary of his first solo record Acadie.

It's a scary, breakneck schedule, which the apparently laid-back 57-year-old takes in stride.

"I enjoy the duality of my laboratory work and studio experiments I'm doing with U2 with my own musical career. It's great to work with people like Bono and Bob Dylan, but there's no better feeling than the chill of bravado I get from playing in front of a live audience. I've always thought of myself as a musician first," he says, reminiscing about the early days in Gatineau and Hamilton when he and his older brother Bob began playing with a tape recorder.

"I was fascinated with sounds. I remember when I was 12, I was recording my friends or the poems I'd make up while delivering papers. Bob and I played together long before we opened Grant Avenue Studios."

Hamilton might have initially seemed an unlikely place for pop royalty to make hit records, but then Brian Eno, a sonic engineer, musician and Lanois' mentor, recorded six "ambient" records there.

"That was a pivotal point in my career," Lanois recalls.

The pair went on to produce some of the most important recordings of the past 20 years, beginning with U2's The Unforgettable Fire. Lanois went on to work with artists like Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson and The Neville Brothers.

"Creativity and knowledge comes from passion, and I am passionate about music. Every time an artist walks into my studio, I want to get my hands dirty, I want to pull each song apart and find out how it works."

On the new tour, Lanois hopes to play tunes he's remastered from Acadie for the 20th anniversary edition, as well as instrumentals on slide guitar, and show video from Here Is What Is.

"We'll be playing my brand of Canadian folk songs. We'll raise the roof."

Musiciens et soufis : Youssou n'Dour et Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Mondomix, 13/10/2008

Dans le cadre des rencontres et débats des Jeudis de l'IMA, Etienne Bours animera, jeudi 16 octobre à 18 h 30, un débat sur le thème "Musiciens et soufis. Youssou n'Dour et Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan". Avec Gérald Arnaud et Pierre alain Baud, le débat portera su la nouvelle manière d’être musicien et soufi sera examinée à travers l’expérience de deux grands interprètes, Youssou N’Dour et Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. L'événement est organisé par les éditions Demi-Lune.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1948-1997) est issu d’une famille de chanteurs traditionnels soufis (qawwâlî) du Pakistan dont il prolongera la tradition avant de la faire évoluer grâce à sa rencontre avec la musique occidentale et des musiciens tels Peter Gabriel.

Youssou N’Dour (né en 1959 à Dakar, Sénégal), lui, puise dans la tradition musicale des griots d’Afrique mais aussi dans les arrangements afro-cubains. Auteur, interprète et compositeur, il est considéré comme le plus grand chanteur qu’ait connu l’Afrique.

De courts extraits inédits des performances de Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan seront projetés.

Les participants :

Gérald Arnaud : auteur de nombreux films documentaires archéologiques et musicaux, ancien rédacteur en chef de la revue Jazz Hot, journaliste indépendant, il se passionne pour les expressions musicales de l’Afrique. Son dernier livre est Youssou n’Dour, le griot planétaire, (Demi Lune, Paris, 2008).

Pierre Alain Baud : conseiller artistique et journaliste, il s’intéresse à la diffusion des expressions artistiques de l’Orient soufi dans notre monde contemporain, il est l’auteur de plusieurs ouvrages sur le Pakistan. Son dernier livre est Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, le messager du Qawwali, (Demi Lune, Paris, 2008).

Etienne Bours : conseiller musiques du monde à la Médiathèque de Belgique, il est l’auteur du Dictionnaire thématique des Musiques du monde, (Fayard, Paris, 2002).

Entrée libre dans la limite des places disponibles
Institut du monde arabe, 1, rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard – Place Mohammed V -75236 Paris Cedex 05

Global Village's Elders To Visit Northern Cyprus

turkishpress.com, Published: 10/7/2008

LEFKOSA - A delegation of "the Elders" --a group of renown and trusted leaders aiming at addressing the global issues-- will visit Wednesday the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to encourage the unification of the island.

The Elders delegation consisting of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former Algerian Foreign Minister Lakhdar Brahimi will meet Wednesday political leaders of Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities in the island at the Ledra Palace hotel in the buffer zone.

The delegation will hold a press conference Thursday at Ledra Palace Hotel after meeting TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat. A press release issued by "the Elders" emphasized that the delegation would not be involved in the current negotiations which was launched on September 11th.

"We are here to say that the world wants this island to find peace ? we wish it with all our hearts. We encourage all Cypriots to look forward to the potential benefits that a peaceful resolution can bring. And we want to make sure that the current efforts of the Cypriot leaders to reach a lasting settlement are fully supported by the international community," said Elders Chairman Archbishop Tutu in the press release.

"The Elders" was founded in 2007 by Nelson Mandela upon the suggestion of musician Peter Gabriel and businessman Richard Branson.

Inspired by the traditional village elders, trusted by their people to resolve conflicts within their communities, Gabriel and Branson came up with the idea of a new gathering of world leaders who would guide and support the "global village".

With these intentions Nelson Mandela, Graça Machel and Desmond Tutu have convened a group of leaders to contribute their wisdom, independent leadership and integrity to tackling some of the world's toughest problems.

Procès de la bande à Alex

Viol, vol à main armée, association de malfaiteurs… : Ces faits graves qui pèsent sur Alex, Banda Dabo et cie

C’est hier mardi que les vingt-trois accusés du procès de la bande à Alex ont commencé à défiler devant la Cour d’assises spéciale pour dire le rôle de chacun dans les crimes qui leurs sont reprochés.

Le procès de la bande à Alex, Banda Dabo, et Alioune Abatlib Samb dit ‘Innoncent plus connu sous le dimunitif de Ino (aujourd’hui disparu) s’est ouvert hier devant la Cour d’assises spéciale, avec une sécurité renforcée au regard de la dangerosité de ces caïds qui ont eu à s’évader de manière spectaculaire en prison. Après l’appel nominatif des accusés, le greffier de séance a procédé à la lecture de l’arrêt de renvoi. Et dans cet arrêt, des chefs d’accusation extrêmement graves sont portés contre la bande à Alassane Sy ‘Alex’, Banda Dabo et autres. Il s’agit des chefs d’association de malfaiteurs, vols commis la nuit avec effraction, port et usage d’armes de violences, de menaces et de voie de fait contre Massamba Niang, Demba Ndiaye, Moussa Diouf, Ndiouma Ngom dit ‘Sérére’, Mamadou Mactar Sow, Ameth Bâ. A ces chefs d’accusation s’ajoutent pour Alex, Banda Dabo, et Fodé Cissé, Cheikh Bâ (qui passent en réalité pour être les cerveaux de ces caïds aux côtés de Alex et Ino), les viols collectifs sur deux Américaines lors du cambriolage du domicile du chanteur américain Peter Gabriel aux Almadies, et sur des Sénégalaises dont une religieuse à Guédiawaye, notamment au monastère de Keur Moussa entre 1996 et 1997. Les caïds ont également sévi dans les régions de Thiès, Saint-Louis, Kaolack et au niveau du département de Mbour. (...)

Mamadou SARR

Gardens to be eco friendly for Womad

By Felicity Rookes,Taranaki Daily News, Monday, 06 October 2008

Kunming Gardens will be transformed into an eco wonderland for Womad next year. The new Sustainable Village will take over Brooklands Park's Chinese garden during the March festival as extension of its Zero Waste Project. The area will house stalls focusing on environmentally sustainable products and services.

Taranaki Arts Festival Trust CEO Suzanne Porter says a lot of businesses would like to be a part of the village. "There was a lot of interest in the Zero Waste Project so we decided this year to move it forward," Ms Porter says.

One stall will be selling environmentally friendly coffins made with bamboo from Thailand and beads made with recycled paper by women in African villages. "The coffins are amazing and are like works of art," Ms Porter says. There will be displays featuring the women on their journey to develop these sustainable businesses in their village.

"We also imagine stalls featuring worm farms, solar power and organic products like creams and medicines filling the village," Taft global village manager Donna Hutton says. Another new feature, which will be part of the village, are the Chill Out Lounges.
"It will be like an actual lounge with couches and bean bags. It will be a place people can go and relax - just grab a glass of wine and and escape the bustle of Womad for a bit." Some features will still remain at the Kunming Gardens, such as Taste of the World and the charity stalls.

Taft came runner-up for Best Environmentally Sustainable Event at the 2008 New Zealand Association of Event Professionals Industry Awards for the Zero Waste Project at Womad 2008.

Festival promps new music academy

By Tina Robins, Thursday 2nd October 2008

A new Fame Academy has opened its doors in Malmesbury.

Triggered by a huge surge of interest in music and dance caused by the arrival of WOMAD last year, the Saturday morning sessions already have a waiting list of youngsters keen to make it in the music industry. Choirs, a dance group, a samba band and tuition in everything from drums and guitar to violin are on the programme for up to 100 children every Saturday morning at Malmesbury Primary School’s new building. There are even vocal coaching sessions for potential X-Factor 2018 contestants.

Founders, teacher Angelique Martin and music tutor Steph Kenny have won backing from the WOMAD Foundation and attracted a commercial sponsor for the project. Angelique explained: "We aim to inspire children to explore their creativity by providing musical opportunities that suit their specific wants and needs. Both Steph and I come from a musical background. Both of us attended music summer schools and the memories of musical groups we attended have stayed with us over the years.

The women both play in various groups and choirs. "The idea of the academy came from that and also as a result of the huge amount of enthusiasm and talent in the children – we could not fit any more music in the school week, so it has burst out on Saturdays." Much of the enthusiasm has come from participation in the last two WOMAD festivals at Charlton Park.

Annie Menter from the foundation said: "It was a fantastic sight to see 140 children from the north Wiltshire area on stage, opening the festival with Siyaya. We are delighted to have been able to strengthen our links with the local community and are already starting to plan our next project with the schools for 2009," she added. "And we hope very much to be able to assist in contributing to a global music programme throughout the year."

Malmesbury Music Academy is for children aged between seven and 13 who live in the town or surrounding villages.

WOMAD prompts new music academy

Saturday 27th September 2008, By Standard reporter

Youngsters can take their first steps to stardom when Malmesbury’s new music academy is showcased today. Inspired by participation in the last two WOMAD festivals, children have been so keen to take up music, signing and dance that demand for provision in the area has rocketed. As a result teachers have set up the academy, which meets on Saturdays at the new primary school building. Within two weeks of term starting courses are already over-subscribed and waiting lists have been formed.

Collaboration with every nation

Robin Denselow, The Guardian, Friday September 26 2008

Africa Express' cross-continental jams insist on spontaneity, so what will happen at their Fela Kuti tribute is anyone's guess, says Robin Denselow

Fela Kuti will be "dancing in his grave". That's what his son, Femi, says. The reason for the late Afrobeat pioneer's posthumous pleasure? An event that perfectly captures the spirit of the old Afrika Shrine, the celebrated nightclub that he ran in the Nigerian capital in the 70s. On October 18, as the climax of this year's Felabration festival in Lagos, there's to be a very special concert outside Femi's own Afrika Shrine. A crowd of 10,000 will be there for an all-night show that's just the start of the bravest, most high-profile venture yet by Africa Express, the ever-expanding group of African and British musicians who specialise in lengthy shows and bravely spontaneous collaborations.

So who will be taking part in this latest event? As ever, AE is making no announcements in advance. But Fela's sons Femi and Seun will certainly be present, with Femi "jumping on the stage and playing with anybody. It will be my duty to work with as many people as possible." His guests will include Baaba Maal, Amadou and Mariam, Damon Albarn and Tony Allen, the percussion genius who worked with Fela and recently collaborated with Albarn in the Good, the Bad and the Queen.

Jon McClure, formerly the leader of Reverend and the Makers, is "very much looking forward to it", and it's likely that the cast will also include Bassekou Kouyate and Rachid Taha. Ginger Baker, the former Cream drummer, who was also one of the first British rock musicians to work with his African counterparts (he played with Fela), has accepted an invitation, while Franz Ferdinand - who took part in the last AE event in Liverpool - are "hoping to go and pretty excited", according to Alex Kapranos, and the same goes for the Magic Numbers. According to Ian Ashbridge, one of AE's founders, "We won't know who will be there until the last minute - it's all voluntary and there are no contracts."

When the Lagos show is over, Femi Kuti will stay behind to wind up Felabration while the rest of the AE lineup heads for London and two more wildly experimental shows, with Souad Massi joining the troupe. On October 22, they will be at Koko in London for another set of impromptu collaborations that is scheduled to last until 4am. This will be the fourth AE show in the UK but will reach a far bigger audience and far more attention than their earlier, low-key outings because it will be broadcast on Radio 1 as part of the Electric Proms, which presents a rare opportunity for African stars who might normally expect to appear on Radio 3. It won't just be a passing snippet either: Radio 1 is to broadcast all five hours of the Koko show live, from 11pm until the show finishes at around four the following morning, and the show will also be on BBCTV, through the interactive red button.

The following night many of the African artists (but not the British stars) will head across town to the Barbican, for the Africa Now show. This event is somewhat more conventional, simply because the lineup - part of it, at least - has actually has been announced in advance. It will include Baaba Maal, Rachid Taha, Amadou and Mariam and Senegalese rappers Daara J.

What's extraordinary about Africa Express is that it defies all the normal rules of pop promotion. There's no product to plug, the artists aren't paid, and there's only a rudimentary running order for the shows, allowing as much spontaneity as possible. The aim is to present African and western musicians on an equal footing, encourage collaboration, and allow new audiences to discover African music. The man unwittingly responsible for all this was Bob Geldof, who infuriated African musicians (and African music fans) by assembling an almost exclusively non-African cast for the massive London Live 8 concert in July 2005. A second concert for African artists at the Eden Project in Cornwall enjoyed far less TV coverage, and led to mutterings about musical apartheid.

Africa Express was as an attempt to put that right. The initial aim was for two concerts, in London's Hyde Park and in Bamako, Mali, and according to Ashbridge "Albarn was keen on collaboration from the start." The first AE outing, in September 2006, took Albarn, Martha Wainwright, Norman Cook and beat-boxer Scratch to Mali to meet the likes of Salif Keita, Amadou and Mariam and Toumani Diabate, with the western musicians joining in the musical sessions. Back in London, they tried to repeat the experience at Jamm in Brixton, where the audience didn't know what to expect but were treated to an improvised show with no set list, involving Albarn, Souad Massi, Amadou and Mariam and others, with the Kaiser Chiefs in the audience.

Last year, the experiments continued at Glastonbury, with Billy Bragg, Toumani Diabate, Amadou and Mariam, Norman Cook, the Magic Numbers and others collaborating on a stage well away from the television cameras or the crowds who had clearly not heard of Africa Express and didn't know what an historic show they were missing. Albarn said he didn't want publicity in advance, "because I love that word of mouth thing". So it continued, with a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo last October followed by a another lengthy experimental show this March in the fading splendour of the Liverpool Olympia, where a remarkable line-up turned out to play in front of a small audience who clearly didn't expect Franz Ferdinand to be collaborating with Baaba Maal.

The experience of working with African musicians has had a startling effect on the British bands involved. Alex Kapranos says the Liverpool show was "the most exciting gig that Franz Ferdinand played this year. The best thing about it was that there was no planning at all, and that's what really turned me on. We had about five minutes to rehearse, and it was a complete contrast to the average indie gig you go to, where the band has been playing the same songs over and over for weeks. Safety is the enemy of any musician". Jon McClure agrees: "It's an amazing experience and sharpens your game as a musician. It's good to get out of your comfort zone".

The Africans also approved. Baaba Maal says he enjoyed performing with Rachid Taha and with Franz Ferdinand ("I want to push that one if I get the chance. I love Take Me Out and I love the fact that they come from a different environment"), while Amadou Bagayoko, of Amadou and Mariam, enthuses about the attraction of working with "hundreds of musicians, from Damon Albarn to K'Naan or Son of Dave". But he reckons playing with Romeo Stodart of the Magic Numbers was "the best collaboration so far because we have similar ways of playing the guitar". The on-stage collaborations are moving to the studio, with Albarn appearing on the forthcoming Amadou and Mariam album, and McClure inviting the Malian ngoni star Bassekou Kouyate to record with his new band Mongrel, including former Arctic Monkey Andy Nicholson.
There have been collaborations in earlier pop eras, of course - the Stranglers joined the Burundi Drummers at an early Womad festival, Peter Gabriel has worked with the likes of Papa Wemba, and Ginger Baker played with Fela Kuti back in the 70s. So the idea is not new, but as Ashbridge says: "We've gone backwards since those days, and we are trying to redress the balance and treat African and western artists the same way. It's not about sales, but kids who are into Franz Ferdinand will ask, 'Who is this Baaba Maal they are playing with?'" Stodart agrees: "If I read an interview with Johnny Marr saying he likes Bert Jansch, I go out and buy a Jansch album. So this could bring our followers to African music."

Africa Express may change British music, but the aim is to bring change to Africa too. The Lagos concert will be the first major event AE has staged on the continent, and Femi Kuti predicts "this event will make things happen. Sponsors will come who might want to build concert halls, so that bands can tour in Africa. We need more concerts in Africa and it will show solidarity to the African cause."

bipolar disorder

Posted on: Saturday, 4 October 2008, Source: Daily Post; Liverpool

Head Strong ; BANISHING THE MYTHS OF MENTAL ILLNESS Health

One in four of us will suffer mental ill health during our lifetime and one in 100 will fall victim to bipolar disorder, which can be devastating for patients, their families, friends and carers. It's an issue society can't afford to ignore, yet despite the disturbing figures few of us take steps to better understand mental health issues unless they directly impact on us. Ill-informed rumour, misinterpretation of facts, discrimination at work and public prejudice have all taken an extra toll on patients already carrying heavy emotional burdens.

That's a situation professionals and voluntary workers hope to change. Next Friday is World Mental Health Day, which aims to raise awareness of the facts and debunk some myths surrounding mental health problems. The challenge for mental health organisations is to ensure the true facts are in the public arena, easily accessible, concise and regularly updated, and people suffering mental health problems are not sidelined but diagnosed early and equipped with ongoing support.

Famous sufferers such as exprime minister Winston Churchill, singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel plus comedians Spike Milligan, Paul Merton, Alan Davies and Stephen Fry - who made BBC2 programmes highlighting the condition's pros and cons - have helped bring the issue to the fore over the years. Fry famously fled abroad from a West End production, leaving colleagues in the lurch, during one bout of depression.

Next week publicity campaigns, workshops and advice desks will be open throughout Wales. In Llandudno a pioneering residential self- help course will be hosted at George Hotel. Llandudno mum Gail Silver has been group development officer with Manic Depression Fellowship: the Bipolar Organisation Cymru, for three years.

"It's a bit of a mouthful, I know, and the name of our organisation will be changing soon, but the work we do will be as important as ever. Bipolar disorder is the condition the man in the street has more commonly heard of as manic depression. That's what it used to be officially called and it aptly describes how patients' moods change from the bleakly depressive to feelings of manic joy. We all get highs and lows, every one of us, but in bipolar sufferers the elation of the high periods and gloom of the lows is magnified in intensity a thousand times."

The disorder is brought on by a chemical imbalance in the brain but it can also be triggered by incidents in an individual's life, whether traumatic such as divorce, bereavement or job loss, or more subtle like dietary deficiencies or lack of sleep. Recognising these triggers and their potential impact can be key to helping a patient cope.

"That's why we're organising next weekend's residential workshop. From Friday to Sunday we'll be hosting a selfmanagement training course specially for bipolar disorder sufferers," said Gail. "We can help them detect early changes in routine which could signify the likely onset of a manic episode. We'll look at workplace issues, how to inform employees about the condition, diet tips, management of medication, the opportunity to gain a greater insight into themselves and mix with others in the same situation."

This course is already fully booked but Gail is delighted funding has been made available for another 30 courses in Wales over the next three years. Having worked in the field for 20 years she is passionate about removing the stigma still surrounding mental ill issues.

"There is a desperate need for the public to be more accurately informed, for help mechanisms to be put in place and for everything possible to stop the downward spiral so many patients endure. A condition like bipolar disorder does not just affect a person emotionally, the repercussions affect personal relationships, careers, financial decisions, every aspect of their lives."

For more details call Gail Silver on 01492 877699 or 07841994053, or e-mail gail@mdfwales.org.uk.

The North Wales office of MDF: Bipolar Organisation Cymru is in Madoc Street, Llandudno

Daniel Lanois ready to rock Metro

BY NICK MOORE TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF Published Saturday October 4th, 2008

Canadian musician has a cross of cultures in his musical offerings

The musical diversity and range that is Daniel Lanois demands a two-in-one kind of performance and that's what he plans to do when he performs at the Moncton Capitol Theatre Oct. 17: one part solo performance from the man himself, the next part a musical euphoria of instrumental sound and vocals.

"I'm going to do some of my Canadian story songs and I'll probably do those by myself," he said. "Hidden behind the curtain will be the full band." I was thinking of doing it half and half, doing some story songs and we go right to the band." Lanois has been performing with his band for several years and said their accompanying vocals would add another dimension to the performance. "They're rockers so we will try to raise the roof off that venue in Moncton."

Upon saying that, Lanois asked what kind a venue the Capitol Theatre was. After hearing it's an intimate, rustic yet modern entertainment location, Lanois said it sounded like his ideal place. "The place itself often defines the tone of the night." Going back to his part solo/part band show, Lanois said the mix will give a variety of musical stylings to suit all tastes.

"It's all a matter of a balanced diet," he said. "As long as the night allows for it there's something wonderful about hearing a lyric in clarity. I like doing songs that way, they go by quickly and you get a feeling out of it." Lanois doesn't want to underscore the importance of the musical instruments either. He for one can't get enough of his steel guitar. "I've gotten to a place with it where I feel like I've become one with this instrument and I feel like it's a proper extension of my soul."

The native of Hull, Quebec (now Gatineau, right across from the river from Ottawa) has a cross of cultures which is reflective in his folk offerings. "I have some bilingual songs which are quite representative of how I grew up with the two cultures," he said referencing the English and French upbringing. As of now, Lanois splits his time between three residences in Toronto, Los Angeles and Jamaica. "My little triangle, he said with a laugh. "And I work in Europe. I haven't been out east in a while so it's going to be a treat," he said on the phone from Los Angeles.

In addition to being a legendary performer, Lanois is a legendary producer -- partly why his stage show will only showcase part of Lanois' talent. He's worked with an eclectic gathering of artists and his work can be heard by simply popping some of this generation's most loved and influential albums into a record player.

He's won five Grammy Awards and a Juno for his work with U2 alone and is currently back in the studio with the band. "We've been working on a record that is almost done and that will be out next year," he said, giving a few vague hints on what the new album will be like. "It's going to be very imaginative and a sonic delight. Bono is singing like a bird."
Aside from U2, Lanois has produced works by Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris and Ron Sexsmith, just to name a few. While his business partners may be different musically, his way of working remains pretty much the same which is to say there's no one way.

"I don't really have a fixed formula," he said. "I do have pretty good arrangement skills so I usually let that part of myself judge a journey of a song," he said, adding how he sometimes plays the role as a musical editor. "Often, artists will not be entirely objective about that sort of thing because they invented the song."

His musical talent both in front and behind the microphone ensures an eclectic presentation next month in Moncton. Which leaves the question of whether a cover song cover could be order? Maybe, said Lanois, but likely not a song you'd expect. "An old teenage doo-wop hit from the 60s . . . maybe we'll pull out the 'Da Doo Ron Ron' for Moncton." If the cover is reflective of Lanois' previous work, you can be sure it will be a 'Da Doo Ron Ron' performed like you've never heard before.