Golden Globes 2009 : Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé et Peter Gabriel nominés

Baptiste Layec, musicspot.fr, publié le 12/12/2008

La cérémonie des Golden Globes 2009 aura lieu le 11 janvier 2009 à Los Angeles. Il s'agit de la 66ème édition. Elle distinguera les meilleurs acteurs, les meilleurs films et (ce qui nous intéresse particulièrement) les meilleures chansons composées pour des films.

Les nominés de l'année 2009 pour la meilleure chanson ont apporté leur contribution à des films sortis cette année. On notera en particulier la présence de Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce et de Peter Gabriel.

Jamie Cullum, Clint Eastwood, Kyle Eastwood et Michael Stevens pour Gran Torino (tirée de Gran Turino).
Bruce Springsteen pour The Wrestler (tirée de The Wrestler).
Miley Cyrus et Jeffrey Steele pour I Thought I Lost You (tirée de Volt, Star Malgré Lui).
Thomas Newman et Peter Gabriel pour Down To Earth (tirée de WALL-E).
Beyoncé Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott Mc Farnon, Ian Dench, James Dring, Jody Street pour Once In A Lifetime (tirée de Cadillac Records).

Par ailleurs, la comédie musicale Mamma Mia, basée sur l'oeuvre d'ABBA, est nominée dans la catégorie meilleure comédie ou comédie musicale.

Five prizes for £100 of music to give away with We7

Tell us your top ten Manchester tracks for £100 worth of sounds – and what do you think of our top 25 tunes?

Confidential loves something that is innovative but also has real substance.

We7 is like this.

Led by Steve Purdham, a Cheshire internet entrepreneur, and Peter Gabriel, famed music man, this is a gift that keeps on giving.

The idea is simple. People who log on to www.we7.com get free music consisting of full songs and albums (not snippets) - three million of the buggers. And it gets better, because every time you play a song or album you’re sharing the love as the artist gets paid too.

In other words, instead of stealing tracks from the artists, by being crafty with where you source your music, you’re making sure they get paid too.

This bit of magic is achieved courtesy of We7 placing an ad a couple of seconds long at the beginning of each track. Give it a go, it doesn’t get in the way of your enjoyment at all. If you like the song you can then download it for free onto iTunes or whatever you use.

There is no log on needed either.

But if you do choose to log on, then there’s the whole range of features you’d expect on a tuned in website. You can create profiles, playlists, browse music, read the online magazine, review the charts and unsigned artists and, of course, blog merrily away.

Steve Purdham said, “We launched three weeks ago. This was after building up the music licences over the last 15 months, making sure we can offer enough variety. With three million tunes, we’re ready to go. And we’re proud of what we’ve got. This is the digital equivalent of a good old fashioned record store: it’s all here - indie, drum’n’bass, world music, you name it. And whenever you listen, it’s all legal with the benefits spreading from you to the artists.”

Steve’s right. We love We7 already and will be using it to provide a musical accompaniment to our stories and the extra video content we’re planning from 2009.

We7 loves our independent mindset too: a site for Mancunians owned by Mancunians. To that end they created a Manchester playlist for Confidential. This is the office choice of 25 Manc songs covering four decades to give choice and variety. Click here to play the list.

Tell us what you think. At the same time, we’d like you to create a top ten playlist of Manchester songs and post it in the rant box below. An informal judging panel sitting in a pub on 23 December will choose five winners for £100 of music from We7. Then we'll give someone a nice Christmas present.

The Confidential playlist - click here to play

I’m Into Something Good - Herman’s Hermits
He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother - The Hollies
Sad Sweet Dreamer - Sweet Sensation
Saturday Night Fever - Bee Gees
Pearl’s a Singer - Elkie Brooks
Medicine Man - Barclay James Harvest
Ever Fallen in Love - Buzzcocks
Songs from Under the Floorboards - Magazine
Atmosphere - Joy Division
Nowhere Fast- The Smiths
Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order
Kinky Afro - Happy Mondays
Fools Gold - The Stone Roses
British People in Hot Weather - The Fall
Some Day - M-People
She’s Gotten Over You - Puressence
Last Broadcast - Doves
Sexiest Man in Jamaica - Mint Royale
Gorecki- Lamb
Never Forget - Take That
Hey Boy, Hey Girl - The Chemical Brothers
She’s Electric - Oasis
One Day Like This - Elbow
That’s Not My Name - The Tings Tings
What Took You So Long? - The Courteeners

‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’ Vampire Weekend

Songs of the Year 2008

‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’ Vampire Weekend

Long Island highlife evoking the spirit of Paul Simon’s Graceland, replete with baffling references to Peter Gabriel.

Thousands get Fired Up for human rights

10 December 2008

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Amnesty International is organizing a series of Fire Up! events around the world.

The organization is mobilising its 2.2 million members to recognize the historic moment when world leaders committed themselves to supporting and promoting human rights. From Bangladesh to Burkina Faso, Australia to Austria and Paraguay to the Philippines, thousands of people will light a candle, fire or flame as part of a mass demonstration in support of human rights.

There are confirmed Fire Up! events happening in 27 countries with over 100 cities and towns taking part. Candles will also be lit online by people taking part in Fire Up! on their websites and blogs.

Amnesty International supporters will also Sign Up! by adopting the Passport for Human Rights. People signing up for the passport demonstrate their commitment to stand up for universal, indivisible human rights - the belief that that everyone has rights, regardless of their race, colour, creed, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or age.

The 60th anniversary of the landmark declaration has also been marked by the Small Places Tour. Musicians, led by Peter Gabriel and U2's The Edge, have been raising their voices in song and action in hundreds of concerts held around the world. The tour started on 10th September and ends on 10th December, the date of the anniversary.

Take your own Fire Up photos

There are confirmed Fire Up events happening in 27 countries with over 100 cities and towns taking part: These countries are: Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, India, Mauritius, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Paraguay, Philippines, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Taiwan and the UK.

See your country's local Amnesty International website for more details.

Read More

Universal Declaration of Human Rights 60th anniversary

Interview: Kyte

Kyte released their critically acclaimed self-titled debut album at the beginning of 2008, drawing comparisons to Sigur Ros and Arcade Fire.

The Leicestershire five-piece have followed it up with the 'Two Sparks, Two Stars' EP this month, and we grabbed singer Nick Moon for a few words about their sound, their favourite shows of the year, and why they covered 'Solsbury Hill' for the EP. (...)

Your new EP covers Peter Gabriel - why did you choose Solsbury Hill, and are there any other covers itching to get out there?

We are all massive fans of Peter Gabriel, I think he's a genius. I think it was a spur of the moment Tom had. When he told me he'd been working on it I was really excited to hear how he'd approach a song like that. I think any cover has to ultimately be a tribute to the original, which is hopefully what we've achieved. Who knows if we'll do anymore covers anytime soon. (...)

Becky Reed

Peter Gabriel backs human rights website

Veteran rock star Peter Gabriel is backing a website which aims to tackle some of the worst cases of human rights abuses around the world.

Matthew Price reports from New York.

Elders Highlight Role of Media in Promoting Human Rights at Celebration Honoring Winners of the Internews 'Every Human Has Rights' Media Awards

PARIS, Dec 08, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- PARIS, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Former US President Jimmy Carter, former Irish President Mary Robinson, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other members of The Elders ( http://www.theelders.org) gathered in Paris at a celebration Dec. 6 to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to honor the 30 international winners of the Internews-sponsored 'Every Human Has Rights' Media Awards ( http://media-awards.everyhumanhasrights.org)

When it comes to human rights, Robinson told the gathering, "Journalists are an incredible way of carrying the message." Carter lauded the "heroes in the news media" for their role in promoting human rights.

Internews ( http://www.internews.org) organized the media awards to inspire coverage of human rights issues around the world. The awards were held in conjunction with the yearlong 'Every Human Has Rights' campaign, which was inspired by the Elders as a way of raising global awareness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Internews received over 500 entries, with stories focusing on 108 countries; national, regional, and international juries selected 30 stories to receive the Internews 'Every Human has Rights' Media Award. Winning journalists received an all-expenses paid trip to Paris to cover the 60th anniversary events.

Among these 30, seven special prizes were announced at the ceremony. These included the special "prize of the public" for "Border Stories" ( http://www.borderstories.org), a series of video portraits by a Boston-based film crew about the US-Mexico border, the longest boundary between the developed and developing world. The special "public prize" was determined through online voting worldwide.

At the event, the winning journalists had the rare opportunity to ask questions of Carter and Robinson. A South African reporter asked Carter about the situation in Zimbabwe, whose government recently refused entry to Carter and other Elders. Carter gave a strong comment calling for a workable government in Zimbabwe.

Also present at the ceremony were musician Peter Gabriel and businessman Richard Branson, who together conceived the idea of the Elders, and journalist and author Mariane Pearl, who served on the international jury for the media awards.

Internews ( http://www.internews.org) is an international media development organization that empowers local media worldwide to serve the information needs of their communities. The organization has worked in over 70 countries and trained over 70,000 media professionals.

Womad : The Line-Up’s Getting Better All The Time

Monday, 8 December 2008, 12:11 pm

Press Release: Womad

NEWS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MONDAY 8 DECEMBER 2008

The Weather’s Getting Hotter Womad’s Getting Closer And The Line-Up’s Getting Better All The Time
Hot on the heels of last week’s announcement that Malian Rokia Traore will join the WOMAD 2009 bill, comes the confirmation of Kiwi audience favourites Anika Moa & band, The Sami Sisters and Andrew White to the line-up.

Anika Moa’s honest and heart wrenching voice, her energy and cheeky wit bring together a live show that is a myriad of beautiful melodies and amazing musicianship. Moa has clearly become one of New Zealand’s best-loved troubadours and this is a not-to-be-missed experience to see her live in the unique WOMAD atmosphere.

The Sami Sisters are a singing, guitar-playing, gorgeous coffee-coloured trio of Irish and Indian descent, reigning from Auckland’s Onehunga. Madeleine, Anji and Priya Sami are each accomplished entertainers in music & film and were met with high expectations when they decided to merge their collective talents to form the Sami Sisters. Their shows are sell-out and they live up to what’s expected, and then some.

Andrew White was once busking the streets of Auckland. But fate had other plans for him and concert and festival audiences across Canada, Europe and the South Pacific have been amazed by his technically brilliant finger-style guitar playing and soulful songs. This year White has toured Canada and the UK coast to coast with the critically acclaimed production International Guitar Night and has just recorded his tenth album to date, ‘Traces of Silver.’

WOMAD THE FESTIVAL

WOMAD is an international festival created by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Brooman 24 years ago. Since then 21 countries have hosted the festival and entertained millions of festival-goers.

New Zealand’s pre-eminent celebration of music, arts & dance takes place at New Plymouth’s Brooklands Park and TSB Bowl 13-15th March 2009. The Festival also features a new Sustainable Village, which showcases sustainable practices and merchandise. This adds to the already hugely successful Global Village (international food, arts & craft) and Kidszone.

WOMAD Earlybird three-day passes have sold out. Standard tickets are now available from Ticketek - www.ticketek.co.nz.

3 day pass - $209

3 day pass & camping - $259

3 day pass & Marae-style accommodation - $279

1 day tickets are also available.

For more information on WOMAD09, check out www.womad.co.nz

--

THE ARTISTS

International

Arte Kanela (Australia / Spain) – the most dynamic force in Australian flamenco dance.

Bedouin Jerry Can Band (Egypt) – musicians, poets, storytellers and coffee grinders tell their tales from the Egyptian Sinai desert.

Dengue Fever (Cambodia / USA) – psychedelic Cambodian / LA pop.

Dona Rosa (Portugal) – blind world-travelled songstress discovered on the streets of Portugal.

Geoffrey Gurrumal Yunupingu (Australia) – formerly with band Yothu Yindi, the most revered voice in Aboriginal music.

The Gyuto Monks (Tibet / Australia) – The monks conduct tantric arts programmes around the world showcasing the intense colour, beauty & complexity of their endangered rituals & traditions.

Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara Trio (UK) - With an encyclopaedic knowledge of Blues & African music, Adams has been referred to as ‘the Ry Cooder of the UK’ and with the Trio play an electrifying set. Adams is also the Musical Director of the All Stars Gala for WOMAD 2009.

Lo Cor De La Plana (France) – six male voices combine harmonies with boisterous percussion.

Mikidache (Mayotte, near Madagasgar / Paris) – one of the hottest new singer/guitarist talents from this tiny country, Mikidache has made a name for himself in Paris by holding tight to his roots, believing “Madagascan music is complete in terms of its harmonies and rhythms.”

The Mobile Sewing Company (Netherlands) – travelling ‘ateliers,’ audience members take off their clothes & allow the ladies to customise, decorate and revolutionise them, each vintage machine powered by bicycles pedalled by the audience!

Natacha Atlas (Egypt / UK) – chanteuse bridging Egyptian & Western R&B & pop styles with her soaring voice.

People In Your Neighbourhood featuring Urban Soul (UK/NZ) - a British Council-led project, featuring a line up of musicians from diverse Kiwi communities and members of UK's acclaimed string collective Urban Soul Orchestra to create a dynamic collaboration of live electronic soul. Expect Korean rap, Maori taonga puoro, Fijian percussion, Niuean soul, Chinese strings and more.

Rachel Unthank & The Winterset (UK) – one of the Britain’s newest shining lights in the folk scene.

* NEW ADDITION - Rokia Traore (Mali) – Arguably Africa’s most experimental singer-songwriter, her latest album collecting searing hot media reviews; 5 Stars, The Guardian; 4 Stars The Observer, The Times & Mojo.

Russ Jones – the hackney globe trotter (UK) – DJ with a uniquely eclectic mash-up of cultural styles.

Sa Dingding (China) – the first Chinese artist to sing in Sanscrit, boldly combining traditional Chinese folk with Western electronica.

Seckou Keita SKQ (Senegal) – hailed as ‘the Hendrix of kora,’ the rocking repertoire of southern Senegal, its members bring their roots to the mix from Senegal, Italy, Egypt and The Gambia.

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 (Nigeria) – Fiery & frenetic Nigerian Seun Kuti and his family has stood opposed to the murderous and corruptive regimes in Africa for generations and brings his uniquely resolute, defiant and historic music to the stage. Together with Egypt 80, the legendary big-band of his late father Fela, Kuti brings an explosive brew of Afrobeat for the 21st century to WOMAD 2009. Fans include Barack Obama, who notoriously helped the band gain visas to play in the US. http://www.myspace.com/seunkuti

Ska Cubano (Cuba / UK) – an irresistible, fanciful combination of Jamaican ska & Cuban mambo.

Speed Caravan (Algeria / France) – amping up the ancient fretless lute, making traditional Arabic music rock.

U Shrinivas & U Rajesh (India) – using the electric mandolin to offer a dazzling blending of Western jazz and sophisticated classical Indian music.

New Zealand

Fat Freddy’s Drop – Fat Freddy’s have won an obscene number of Tuis (NZ Music Awards), awarded the People’s Choice award 2 years in a row. Debut album ‘Based On A True Story’ was #1 for 11 weeks (a record for a NZ album) & NZ’s highest selling album of 2006, now 8 x Platinum. Their highly anticipated second album is due for release late 2008. Live, Fat Freddy’s present a hybrid of dub/reggae, soul, funk, hip-hop and techno, marinated in jazz and served on Island Time.

Brendan Power – acknowledged as one of the most creative & skilled harmonica players in the world, lending his talents to the recordings of Sting, Van Morrison, Paul Young & many more, WOMAD welcomes this outstanding Kiwi to the lineup.

Shona Laing – her songs have become part of the fabric of New Zealand’s growing up, an essential part of our sense of place. Her piercingly insightful music will be right at home on the WOMAD stage.

Hinemoa Baker – published & celebrated poet, fiction writer, playwright and performer of song & spoken word, with a voice some have compared to Joan Baez and Cleo Laine. Those who love language - in particular Te Reo - and the impactful, no-waste language of poetry will love her performance. Winner APRA Silver Scroll Award (Maioha category, 2005) & NZ Music Awards finalist (2004).

Mihirangi – the sheer strength of her a capella vocal performance “absolutely blew us away” (Beat Magazine, 2006). Mihirangi takes soulful world roots to a new level, layering & looping her voice with ska chops, sensuous jazzy riffs & strong bass beat.

Moana & the Tribe – ancient yet timely messages, fusing taonga puoro, haka, chants with soul, reggae and classical, respectfully and gracefully blending the traditional with the contemporary. Moana draws on her identity as a Maori woman, with a background in traditional performing arts, to write songs that resonate with global audiences.

Little Bushman - four jazz school grads, influenced by Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix and The Who, with some seriously bent psychadelic sonic sounds, a 5-Star review in the Dominion Post and a magnificent live show.

* NEW ADDITION – The Sami Sisters – with influences from country artists of yesteryear Dolly Parton and Patsy Cline to 50s girl bands, classic motown & 80s hit stars Kate Bush and The Smiths this Indian/Irish sibling trio from Onehunga come from a short yet illustrious history of sold-out shows and a hip young following.

* NEW ADDITION - Anika Moa & band – one of NZ’s most gifted and popular artists, Moa’s heartbreakingly honest and soulful songs make her live performances immensely popular.

* NEW ADDITION - Andrew White – now residing in Nova Scotia, White has been wowing audiences across Europe and Canada with his incredible finger- style guitar playing of technical brilliance.

1960s Cambodian rock alive and well in America

By VANESSA FRANKO, The Press-Enterprise, 12-3-08

Few American indie bands are playing 1960s-style Cambodian rock these days. And Dengue Fever is the only one to have a documentary made about it. You can check out both the band and the film tonight at Garrison Theater, Scripps College Performing Arts Center, in Claremont, when Dengue Fever performs and the documentary is screened. The film "Sleepwalking Through the Mekong" follows the band on a tour to Cambodia.

Dengue Fever has been climbing the buzzmeter with shows across the U.S. and a recent tour of Europe. The band was signed by Peter Gabriel's Real World Records to release its newest album, "Venus On Earth," outside the U.S. and Canada.

"I thought when the band was starting, I was optimistic locally -- like in Los Angeles and the music scene there. I knew it'd be a lot of fun to play this style at the local clubs where my brother and I live in Echo Park and Silver Lake. ... I knew it would go over well there," keyboardist Ethan Holtzman said. "I didn't know it was going to become our careers."

He and brother Zac Holtzman, who plays guitar, started the band in 2001 after discovering their mutual interest in Cambodian music from the 1960s.

Ethan traveled throughout Southeast Asia about 10 years ago and got into Cambodian pop music and bought cassettes. Around the same time, Zac was living in San Francisco, working at a record store where a colleague turned him onto the music. The brothers were staying together in Los Angeles and Ethan heard some of the music in Zac's collection.

"That's crazy -- I know that stuff," Ethan remembered thinking.

They decided it would be fun to play the music, which has psychedelic rock tones blended with traditional Cambodian music and sometimes lyrics, and formed the band. Saxophone player David Ralicke, drummer Paul Smith and bassist Senon Williams joined and they looked for a Cambodian singer, finding Chhom Nimol singing karaoke in Long Beach.

Nimol, who is from Cambodia, was known around the country and had performed for the king and queen.

Nimol's homecoming is documented in "Sleepwalking Through the Mekong," directed by John Pirozzi, which follows the band on their tour of Cambodia. It was filmed over 10 days in 2005. Tonight, Pirozzi will be on hand for a Q&A after the film.

"We'll remember it for the rest of our lives," Ethan said of the tour.

Some people knew the band before they toured Cambodia. Other recognized them from a television program and spoke to them as they traveled the country. Shows were packed, including one at a bar on a swamp. The owner was afraid would fall into the water.

"It went down in Cambodian history," Ethan said.

Kyte - Two Sparks, Two Stars EP (Kids)

by Sam Shepherd, www.musicomh.com

UK release date: 1 December 2008

Kyte - Two Sparks, Two Stars EP (Kids)

If there is any justice in this world, then by this time next year Kyte will be flying high, and will be the band that is on everyone's lips.

Having impressed greatly on the live circuit, not least with their stunning support sets with iLikeTrains earlier in the year, it's great to see that Kyte have returned with a simply stunning EP.

If their debut single on Sonic Cathedral promised much and their self titled mini album hinted at greatness, then this EP represents a further step towards becoming recognised as one of the UK's most exciting new bands.

There are of course different kinds of exciting, and if it's jumping about in a mosh pit you're after then stop reading now. If on the other hand you enjoy having your heartstrings plucked by vast soundscapes, gentle vocals and soaring melodies, then Kyte have a treat in store for you.

There's no getting away from the fact that they sound a little bit like Sigur Ros here and there, particularly on the opening track Eyes Lose Their Fire. A slow build of guitar noise builds into a chiming epic, given a warm edge by the vocals of Nick Moon. If your eyes lose their fire by the end of the track it's because they're welling with tears.

Bridges in The Sky is a more electronic take on Kyte's sound, which is far from surprising given the banks of keyboards they hunch over in a live setting. It does set them apart from that particular Icelandic benchmark though hinting more at a Krautrock approach.

Ordinarily cover versions are a bad idea, but with their take on Peter Gabriel's Solsbury Hill Kyte pull off something quite spectacular. Tender, heartbreaking, and utterly compelling from first bar to last, Gabriel's tale of his departure from Genesis finds a safe place to call home in Kyte's re-interpretation.

They wrap things up with the suitable indulgent, but equally fabulous Lights Outside Here which blends their post-rock approach with looped drum beats and showcases both sides of Kyte's raison d'être perfectly.

For a band to suddenly break all it takes is a spark, Kyte have two, and they should be on the way to the stars.

Yeasayer's music bridges cultural gaps

Andrew Leahey, washingtontimes.com, Friday, November 28, 2008

RIFFS: Globe-trotting pop

Yeasayer's music bridges cultural gaps

In the 1980s, songwriting veterans like Peter Gabriel and David Byrne began augmenting their craft with elements of world music. Sounds were borrowed from indigenous cultures and molded into something palatable to Western pop audiences, eventually giving rise to a genre known as "worldbeat." Championed by everyone from Paul Simon to Mickey Hart, worldbeat promoted a multicultural perspective while fueling some of the decade's biggest hits.

The worldbeat label is rarely applied to emerging bands these days, and the four members of Yeasayer do not list Mr. Gabriel as a chief influence. Nevertheless, Yeasayer's genre-bending music is similarly global in scope, from its use of Middle Eastern scales to the prevalence of tribal percussion. What differentiates Yeasayer from its worldbeat ancestors, however, is the band's use of contemporary tools, including computer gadgetry and looped keyboard patterns. Blended with organic instrumentation and pop-oriented songwriting, the band makes a delightful racket that owes as much to Cape Town as to metropolitan New York.

"People think we're 'freak folk' or something like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, which is totally not what we are," says frontman Chris Keating. "It's funny to see the varying degrees in which people interpret your music. I welcome it."

Yeasayer's roots date to Mr. Keating's childhood, when he performed in theater productions and school choirs with classmate Anand Wilder. After internalizing the importance of vocal harmony, the two launched an indie-rock band in high school. Attending different colleges split them apart for several years, but an eventual reunion in New York City found the musicians crafting a new style of music.

With bassist Ira Wolf Tuton and percussionist Luke Fasano rounding out the lineup, Yeasayer began melding barbershop harmonies with pop melodies and experimental sounds. Sitars found their way into the mix. Hand-claps and bongos augmented the standard drum kit. Synthesizers situated the songs in a modern context, while chants and clannish vocals conveyed a neo-tribal aura.

"Brooklyn almost feels like Seattle in 1992," says Mr. Keating of his band's current home. "It's like all the pathetic dredges from the major labels are wanting to sign bands that are coming out of Brooklyn."

Yeasayer did get signed, but not to a major label's roster. Rather, the musicians joined forces with Jason Foster, co-founder of Baltimore-based Monitor Records. Impressed with Yeasayer's homemade recordings, the label executive formed a new company to handle his newest clients.

"We had absolutely no money to do our debut album, but I was fine with that," Mr. Keating remembers. "Jason had a very good take on the industry and decided to start his own label over the course of the year. He's remarkable in the way he handles things."

"All Hour Cymbals," Yeasayer's debut album of globetrotting pop/rock, was issued in late 2007. Songs like "2080" and "Sunrise" had already enjoyed a healthy Internet buzz before the album's release, and Mr. Foster promoted the album in unique ways, eschewing traditional advertising in favor of a grass-roots approach.

Audio Clip

"Sunrise," Yeasayer

"After you witness this collapse of the major label system, it opens up more opportunities for the small businessman," says Mr. Keating. "It enables you to finagle more deals. We were able to get to Europe seven times this year; previously, all of that would've been impossible on such a tiny label."

It's been a long 12 months for Yeasayer, whose upcoming shows will mark the band's final tour for several months. After that, it'll be time to work on a new record.
"We're going to rent a house in upstate New York or Connecticut, and we're going to build a temporary recording studio there," Mr. Keating says excitedly.

Not too late to help Amnesty

By KAREN BLISS -- For JAM! Music, November 27, 2008

Amnesty International Canada's Small Places campaign has seen dozens of Canadian musicians banding around the cause since its September 10 launch, and it's not too late to participate.

The global campaign ends December 10, which marks International Human Rights Day and the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"The ask at this time is to hold a Small Places designated concert between now and December 10 in support of Amnesty," says Ottawa-based Tatiana Nemchin, Amnesty's musician liaison. "We're trying to have as many events between now and then and to raise much needed funds. Amnesty is funded entirely by donations and membership. We receive no government funding and so this campaign is a crucial time for raising awareness and funds, and for recruiting and engaging more human rights activists. It's sort of a passing of the torch from Peter Gabriel and the Edge to a younger generation of musician activists and to increase membership and involvement."

Amnesty is a worldwide movement of close to 2 million people who help protect individuals and communities around the world whose human rights have been violated. Small Places is named after a passage in Eleanor Roosevelt's 1958 speech in which she spoke about human rights as beginning in "small places close to home." Amnesty International invited all musicians to raise their voices for human rights and stage benefit and awareness concerts around the world.

On the international front, Nemchin says REM, Michael Franti, Joan Baez, and many more have participated in Small Places. Here in Canada, she rattles of a huge list of artists from every genre, who designated a tour or a show to the cause, have chosen a particular Amnesty case to champion, auctioned tickets, started blogs, and other creative things.

Broken Social Scene donated the song "Major Label Debut" for the soundtrack to Small Places PSAs. Jason Collett had tabling at his shows and is drawing awareness to the case of Toronto's Omar Khadr imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay; Alanis Morissette had tabling at her shows; Six Shooter Records donated tickets for shows by Martin Tielli with Jenn Grant, Christine Fellows, Shout Out Out Out Out with Stereo Image, and Hawksley Workman; and Wintersleep gathered petition signatures for WOZA & Kimy Pernia.

David Usher had tabling on his six-week tour and chose to get behind the case of U Gambira. Stars will be tabling at several upcoming shows including Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. Holy F*ck tabled and provided petitions in support of Kimy Pernia, U Gambira, Hu Jia, and Omar Khadr. Wide Mouth Mason has links and a blog on its web site; Eve Goldberg is playing in support of U Gambira and is donating proceeds from her song "Streets of Burma" and Kim Barlow performed an awareness concert.

There is also great support for Alberta's Lubicon Cree, whose rights have been violated by the Canadian government (article 27 from the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights) according to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Lynn Miles, The Surgents, Kinnie Starr, and Chin Injeti are all raising awareness for the Lubicon Cree through fundraising, petitions, PSA and other awareness strategies.

"And some exciting news," Nemchin adds. "Friends of the Lubicon has been asked by Neil Young's management whether they could organize tabling at his upcoming concerts in Canada. Friends of the Lubicon has asked, in turn, if Amnesty could arrange this and of course we are. This is a very crucial time for the Lubicon and having Neil Young's support will no doubt raise awareness of the human rights violations taking place and hopefully garner hundreds, maybe thousands of petition signatures to help this campaign."

Go to www.smallplaces.ca for more information on the campaign, the causes, how to sign up or get involved.

The new wave of cross-culture

Written by Jody Prewett, Sevenglobal,Thursday, 27 November

Not so long ago, the very utterance of the term “world music” to the proverbial indie kid or NME reader would be greeted with an onslaught of chortling and sneering. Rather like the new age genre, we’ve come to associate it with saccharine compilation albums called Sacred Spirit or the earthy ethnic hymns of Enya. The genre itself is something of a misnomer; all music should fall under the banner of world music. I’d like to think that music is a universal language that transcends cultural boundaries; surely it is a language that speaks to everyone alike?

However, it has been some time since modern pop really embraced the music of multiple cultures. Not since Peter Gabriel’s flirtations with African percussion or Paul Simon’s epochal Graceland have we been exposed to a true mingling of musical cultures. Recently, though, the tide seems to be turning with a clutch of new guitar bands being directly influenced by the music of Africa.

In recent times, indie has remained stationary and landlocked inside its own hemisphere. In the last year, there has been a new wave of bands far more at ease with the idea of world music, looking towards the primal rhythms of Africa for inspiration. This latest incarnation of guitar music has as much in common with Fela Kuti as it does with The Beatles; there is a sense of cultural crossover in pop that hasn’t been heard since The Clash collided head on with reggae.

For those unfamiliar with the genre, Afrobeat is a style that became popular in Africa during the Seventies and was spearheaded by Kuti. The music is a celebratory melting pot of African folk, funk and jazz with political undercurrents; Kuti, in particular, was compelled to react to the unsteady political climate of most African countries during the Sixties through his music. For Kuti, music is an impetus for social change, both a celebration of African folk traditions and a desire for human unity. The rich combination of primitive folk with modern electric sounds certainly seems to reflect this.

Two of the hottest new bands currently coming from the States are Brooklyn’s Yeasayer and Vampire Weekend. Both can be loosely referred to as guitar bands, but something sets them apart: they have a desire to go beyond simply being referred to as alternative rock. The debut album from Yeasayer, All Hour Symbols, is characterised by an emphasis on percussiveness combined with a sense of struggle and protest in the lyrics that echoes the great Kuti. On “2080” they sing, “I can’t sleep when I think about the future I’ve been born into” over a wash of guitar scales reminiscent of Thomas Mapfumo. This sounds unusually spiritual for a white guitar band, the kind of statement you would normally associate with the struggle against injustice of Africans during the Sixties. Perhaps this desire for universality and multi-culture in the music is symptomatic of the times we are in and represents a yearning for change in a separatist America and divided international community.

It is important to note that, on the surface, Vampire Weekend is a guitar band in the mould of Arctic Monkeys. But listen closer and there is something decidedly African in the spangling sun-soaked guitars and danceable rhythms. Both of these bands are injecting a sense of colour into the traditionally white indie alternative arena, seduced by the exoticism and splendour of the music of Africa.

Also from New York is Antibalas, an Afrobeat orchestra whose brass section forms an integral part of Foals’ Antidotes. As an album, it bypasses traditional song craft in favour of a reliance on infectious polyrhythms and repetition. The guitars, in particular, are peculiarly alien to ears trained to the established conventions of alternative music. Their two guitarists play cyclic staccato riffs, recalling the playing style of many Senegalese guitarists. In their music, you can hear the same carnivalesque sense of energy and repetition that is prevalent in African music. The Oxford-based band is regarded as one of the most progressive bands of the moment and is a front-runner in British music right now. Yet they hardly fit the stereotype of British guitar bands we’ve grown accustomed to. While the likes of The Enemy and Kaiser Chiefs are synonymous with the North of England, Foals sound like a truly international group.

It seems as though our audiences are becoming more open and accepting of more unfamiliar sounds. This wouldn’t seem so relevant if it were some underground phenomenon, but this bringing together of styles is taking place well within the radar of the mainstream press. It promises the kind of step forward that has previously been stunted by the regressive Britpop boom and the consciously retro “New Rock Revolution”.

In the 1980s, Talking Heads were heavily influenced by Afrobeat and very reactionary to the grit and grime of punk rock. Their sound was built on a funk groove that celebrated the concept of a large group of musicians singing and dancing in a kind of musical celebration of unity. In many ways, Talking Heads embody the idea of diversity and seem driven to distance themselves from the mono-culture of hard rock and punk of the 1970s. At the same time in Britain, The Clash played a politicised amalgamation of punk and reggae while The Specials were at the front of the ska movement. The current resurgence seems to mirror what happened during the Eighties in the borrowing of sounds from beyond the realms of recognised pop culture.

In dance music, Afrobeat is also thriving, with DJs Giles Peterson and Laurent Garnier regularly mixing Kuti or Ethiopia’s Mulata Astatke into their sets. Certainly, African music lends itself more directly to the dance floor, yet it is hugely symbolic that audiences are embracing Afrobeat to such an extent that it is beginning to influence our own popular music. It doesn’t seem to be a conscious source of influence either, more a subconscious gradual change in how people are approaching music-making.

Looking back to the 1990s and the turn of the millennium, pop culture seems to have its own distinct regional identity. From Britpop to grunge through to nu-metal and nu-rave, the mainstream has had a traditionally Anglo-American soundtrack and pop music hasn’t really made any great leaps across cultural boundaries. The renewed sense of openness displayed by the likes of Vampire Weekend and Yeasayer is an indication that universal divisions in the music world are narrowing once more. Perhaps today’s bands are tiring of the same reference points or are simply fed up with being conveniently categorized and thrown into a whirlpool of multiple genres and sub-genres. The timing is almost perfect. In the wake of Barack Obama’s vote of confidence from America, could this be the opening to a new dawn of truly multicultural music?

Peter Gabriel on download project We7: "Throw it at the wall and see what sticks"

Photograph: Felix Clay

John Plunket, guardian.co.uk, Tuesday November 25 2008

Peter Gabriel: 'Twenty years ago, the thought of encouraging advertising with music would be like offering your daughter to the devil.'

It is emblematic of the challenges facing the music industry today that Peter Gabriel earned more money from a compilation CD given away free with the Mail on Sunday than he did from the sales of his last record, the million-selling Up.

"It was given away to charity," said Gabriel of the proceeds from last year's Mail on Sunday giveaway. His pained expression suggests he is not a regular reader of Peter Wright's paper. "No, I won't make a comment about the newspaper involved."

It was also the Mail on Sunday that infuriated the beleaguered record industry - but wowed marketers - by giving away nearly 3m copies of the latest Prince album, Planet Earth. Did it worry Gabriel? "No, I think everyone should try all sorts of stuff. Throw it against the wall and see what sticks."

The former Genesis singer has thrown a portion of his own fortune into a new online venture that will also give content away for free.

We7, which launched earlier this month, positions itself as an "easier and better alternative to piracy", is an advertising-funded service that allows users to download songs for free. The catch is that each song has an advert tagged to the front of it.

Ads are both the bane of commercial radio and its lifeline, with listeners preferring the clutter free BBC. So how will users cope with the prospect of ads interrupting their iPod?

"It's a big hurdle," admitted Gabriel. "Twenty years ago, the thought of encouraging advertising with music would be like offering your daughter to the devil, but I think the reality is that people have got used to free music, and this is one of the few ways that musicians can still earn in a free music environment."

Technology has moved on in the 22 years since novelty "cyberpunk" band Sigue Sigue Sputnik put ads for L'Oreal and i-D magazine in the gaps between tracks on their album, Flaunt It!.

We7 will offer targeted ads based on information volunteered by its users, with an average of two minutes of ads per hour of music.

Around half of We7's 2 million songs are available for free download. The other half - the ones licensed by the four major record labels - have to be paid for. But users can stream all the songs for free - again, with ads attached. "People hate ads but they love free better," said the We7 chief executive, Steve Purdham.

Gabriel has long pioneered new digital music technology, from the Eve and Xplora interactive CD-roms in the 1990s - hilariously clunky-looking today but ground-breaking at the time - to OD2, one of the first online music download services which he co-founded with Charles Grimsdale, who is also a backer of We7.

However, his enthusiasm for all things digital - not to mention the Womad music festival, his Real World studio and record label and the Elders, the group of 12 statesmen and women that Gabriel convened to help deal with global problems - means there is little time left for his own recording career.

Gabriel's next record has been funded by Patrick McKenna, the chairman of the Ingenious Media Group and Gabriel's former financial adviser. But he may have to wait a while to see a return. Next year, perhaps? "Hopefully there's something," smiles Gabriel. "But who knows?"

He is an investor, not an inventor, he pointed out, unlike his father. "My dad was an inventor, an electrical engineer, so I'm attracted to it and I am fortunate enough to work with some very smart people," said Gabriel.
"I watched my dad trying to sell something called dial-a-programme for about 10 years, a cable-based, entertainment on-demand electronic democracy home shopping [service]. But it was 1971 and he got nowhere. He was stuck with one English company who didn't think people would ever pay for television." How times change.

The Big Question: Who are the Elders, and can they do anything to resolve world crises?

Elders Kofi Annan, Jimmy Carter and Graca Michel discuss their ban from Zimbabwe at a press conference on Saturday

By Archie Bland, the Independent, Tuesday, 25 November 2008

Why are we asking this now?

The political and humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe has dropped off the news agenda in recent months, as events there have stagnated and reverted to the deeply depressing status quo. In an attempt to change that, a group of influential world leaders who have now left their public offices arranged a visit.

The group – known as the Global Elders – had intended to draw attention to food shortages and a cholera outbreak. But on Saturday, just when the visit was supposed to begin, the delegation issued a statement saying that it had been barred from Zimbabwe by the Mugabe regime, which refused to issue them visas. That snub has led to questions about the nature of their influence in world affairs – and what good, if any, they can do.

Who are the Elders?

The Elders are a kind of political dream team, a dozen of the most widely respected world leaders alive today, whose glittering CVs and unimpeachable commitment to human rights are supposed to open doors that would remain closed to less feted figures. Their figurehead is secular saint Nelson Mandela; the group also includes Jimmy Carter, Kofi Annan, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former Irish president and UN Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, and, in absentia, Burmese democracy activist Aung Sun Suu Kyi. The group may well have the highest concentration of Nobel prize-winners in the world, with five of its 12 members recipients of the honour.

What are they for?

The idea is that they can exert influence and bring attention to humanitarian crises that might otherwise go unnoticed or unsolved. Between the 12 of them, they command access to an unrivalled network of leaders that, in theory, means that they can make a difference in contexts where other means like governmental interventions might have failed.

The whole group meets twice a year, and smaller delegations travel to crisis-ridden areas in the hope of finding solutions. Jimmy Carter argues that the group can "fill an existing void in the world community." "Almost impervious to the consequences of outside criticism," he says, they have "opportunities for unrestrained analysis of important and complex issues, the evolution of suggestions, and for sharing our ideas with the general public and with others who might take action to resolve problems."

How did the Elders come together?

By the good offices of supreme entrepreneur Richard Branson and music pioneer Peter Gabriel. In 1999, the two men had a conversation about the potential benefit of an organisation that followed the "village elders" model of influence, whereby the wisdom of the most senior members of a community carries great weight.

Branson, who had got to know Mandela, broached the idea to him in 2001; and the group formally launched in April last year, with $18m in initial funding that Branson and Gabriel helped to raise. Since then they have worked in Cyprus, Sudan, Kenya, and the Middle East.

Can the model work?

The jury is still out: the group, unlike its members, is very young. It is hard to draw firm conclusions when the Elders' work is always bound to be most effective in the margins, in ways that may not always be obvious to the external observer. "I think their influence could be limited," says Josephine Osikena, Democracy and Development programme manager at the Foreign Policy Centre. "But because they're international elder statespeople, there is some kind of effect. Perhaps they can intervene and discuss in ways that the UK government, for example, can't, because it would be seen as antagonistic."

What evidence of their effectiveness is there?

The relative success of the group's mission to Kenya might be seen as an example of how they can function effectively. The arrival of Kofi Annan et al in January this year was by no means a panacea after violent clashes followed the last election there, and the group could not offer any incentives beyond the weight of their names and experience to the negotiating parties. But, says Sally Healy, Associate Fellow of the Africa Programme at Chatham House, their sheer presence had a calming effect. "They helped to 'freeze' the situation," she says, "and they created a sense that stuff was happening, and so you didn't have to go and fight today."

Their influence, adds Healy, can be particularly powerful in Africa, where government is much more reliant on personal relationships than the kind of systematic approach more prevalent in the West, and where the village elders model is culturally significant. "Someone we might regard as an old has-been might be seen in a different context in Kenya or Zimbabwe," she says. "It's partly to do with tradition, and it's partly weak institutions."

And can they have a negative impact?

Possibly. Many are sceptical of what one newspaper editorial said might be referred to as a "makework scheme for ex-leaders who cannot let go". In Israel, some saw their role as a distraction: "This is not a conflict where people lack heroic leadership," said Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "These are not issues that tend to lend themselves to whatever these otherwise distinguished stastesmen can contribute."

Earlier this year the Israeli government turned down an offer to mediate a ceasefire with Hamas, with the country's UN ambassador Dan Gillerman saying that "nothing good could come out of this initiative". And, according to Sally Healy, "it would be very foolish to put your eggs in the old boys' mediating network basket without the hard-edged government diplomacy as well."

What happened in Zimbabwe?

Zanu-PF seems to have made a calculation that the negative PR that will result from denying the Elders' access will be less damaging to the regime than letting them in to observe and condemn the government's failure to help people who are starving to death. Mugabe has attempted to cast the group as Western stooges lacking the moral authority to cast judgement in Zimbabwe. (The Zimbabwean government also says that they are only postponing the trip, and that it will take place at a later date, though few believe it.) The Elders' argument that they are not coming to Zimbabwe with a political purpose but a humanitarian one has fallen on stony ground – particularly in the light of previous condemnation of the Mugabe regime by Desmond Tutu, among others.

So can the Elders still have an influence there?

Paradoxically, it may be that Mugabe's decision will actually increase their long-term influence. It confers a sense that the group are capable of meaningful action – why ban anyone whose words would have no consequences? – and raises the profile of the situation in Zimbabwe in a way that might otherwise have been impossible.

The Elders are continuing to work in neighbouring South Africa, and their statements in the aftermath of their ban have emphasised the non-partisan, humanitarian good that they seek to do." "We need no red-carpet treatment from the government of Zimbabwe," said Mr Annan. "We seek no permission other than permission to help the poor and the desperate."

Can the Elders succeed in changing things for the better?

Yes...

*Their connections are remarkable. They can probably get any politician in the world on the phone

*There's nothing like Nelson Mandela making his feelings known about an issue to turn the spotlight on it

*Their separation from governments allows them to pursue what they believe is right

No...

*Past ties to institutions like the UN means they can be dismissed as agents of Western influence

*The temporary blast of publicity they can bring doesn't necessarily lead to tangible results

*The levers available to national governments – like trade sanctions – are far more influential in the end

60ème anniversaire de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’Homme

Presidence de la République française, Publié le 05-12-08 à 18:26

A l’occasion du 60ème anniversaire de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’Homme, le Président de la République prononcera un discours lundi 8 décembre 2008 à 12h30 au Palais de l’Élysée.

Le Chef de l’Etat a souhaité associer à cette célébration le groupe des "Elders". Lancé par Nelson MANDELA lors de son 89ème anniversaire en 2007 à l’initiative de Richard BRANSON et Peter GABRIEL, le groupe des "Elders" réunit douze personnalités d’influence qui contribuent à la réflexion sur les grands défis mondiaux.

Avant de prononcer son discours, il s’entretiendra avec sept d’entre eux : Jimmy CARTER, Kofi ANNAN, Mary ROBINSON, Gro BRUNDTLAND, Fernando Henrique CARDOSO, Ela BHATT et Lakhdar BRAHIMI ainsi que ses fondateurs, Richard BRANSON et Peter GABRIEL.

Peter Gabriel et We7

Alain Brunet, Chroniqueur à La Presse, Le Mercredi 26 Novembre 2008

Selon The Guardian, Peter Gabriel a investi une grosse somme sur le site de téléchargement légal We7. Mis en ligne récemment, cette plate-forme se veut «une alternative au piratage».

On peut y télécharger gratuitement des chansons… auxquelles on a collé une pub. Cela compte pour la moitié du répertoire de We7, on doit quand même payer pour les chansons sans pub.

Pour plusieurs observateurs, la voie des revenus publicitaires serait le dernier retranchement de la vente directe de musique en ligne. Rien, jusqu’à maintenant, n’a démontré aux créateurs la viabilité du modèle fondé sur des revenus publicitaires. Si ça ne fonctionne pas à moyen terme (ce que je crois personnellement), on devra se tourner vers d’autres solutions pour rétribuer équitablement ceux qui composent, écrivent et chantent - et je ne parle surtout pas des plus gros, une infime minorité au sein de la communauté artistique.

« C’est un véritable obstacle», a concédé Gabriel au journaliste du Guardian qui s’interrogeait sur l’accueil des fans de chansons gratuites téléchargées avec de la pub imposée - comme à la FM commerciale.

«Il y a 20 ans, l’idée de soutenir la publicité avec de la musique originale revenait à offrir sa fille au diable », ajoute le fameux chanteur britannique.

Nous sommes en 2008, 20 ans plus tard… Et l’on n’arrive toujours pas à rétribuer la création musicale avec la vente en ligne. Ce modèle fondé sur la pub a-t-il un avenir ?

Essayez We7 et livrez vos commentaires.

LOREENA MCKENNITT Pour réchauffer l'hiver

Philippe Meilleur, Le Journal de Montréal, 23-11-2008

On connaissait déjà le Winter Garden, ce mini-album de cinq pièces hivernales lancé il y a une douzaine d’années par l’ambassadrice de la musique celtique Loreena McKennitt. Voici que la reine de la harpe en propose une version allongée, question de mettre un peu de chaleur dans la saison morte qui approche.

McKennitt se souvient très clairement de l’émerveillement qui l’a envahie quand elle s’est mise à la création de A Winter Garden: Five Songs for the Season, en 1995.

«Nous étions en studio, mes musiciens et moi, et nous voulions explorer différentes sonorités et instruments, nous raconte-t-elle au bout du fil. Je voulais identifier certaines chansons traditionnelles, celles que nous avons finalement enregistrées sur le disque. Au départ, il n’y en avait que deux ou trois, mais nous avons décidé de prolonger un peu notre travail pour faire de notre recherche un mini-album. Les pièces étaient si belles que ça en valait la peine.»

Les choses seraient restées ainsi n’eût été l’insistance des amateurs, qui, au fil des années, ont souvent demandé d’avoir une version allongée du mini-album. «Les gens en voulaient davantage», dit Loreena McKennitt.

CONNECTÉE À LA NATURE

Profitant d’un récent passage en Europe, où elle était en tournée avec ses musiciens habituels, l’artiste s’est replongée dans ses études pour enfin mener à terme ce projet amorcé plus d’une décennie plus tôt.

«C’était une décision plutôt pragmatique, j’en conviens. Je voulais maximiser ma présence et celle de mes musiciens en Europe. En plus, nous n’avions besoin que de quatre ou cinq jours pour compléter le travail et faire un nouvel album.»

La chanteuse s’est donc remise à la lecture de l’Oxford Book of Carols, une anthologie qui recense les cantiques traditionnels.

«Je voulais cerner le contexte d’écriture de ces cantiques pour m’inspirer, dit-elle. Étant créées pour le temps des fêtes, ces chansons sont naturellement liées à l’hiver ou à la fin de l’automne. Le lien avec Winter Garden est venu de lui-même.»

Au bout du processus, huit nouvelles chansons se sont ajoutées aux cinq anciennes pour devenir A Midwinter Night’s Dream.

Toutes ont été enregistrées au studio Real World, qui appartient au rockeur Peter Gabriel. Situé dans un tout petit village du sud de l’Angleterre, l’endroit profite de la tranquillité et d’un lien privilégié avec la nature.

«Cela fait presque quinze ans que j’enregistre tout mon matériel là-bas, dit McKennitt. Il est hors de la ville, donc loin de toutes les distractions. Ça permet à mon équipe et à moi de nous concentrer uniquement sur la musique, d’autant plus qu’on y rencontre de nombreux autres artistes. Nous enregistrons dans une grande pièce dont la fenêtre donne sur un boisé. Vous ne pouvez pas savoir à quel point cela est inspirant et facile de travailler ainsi! Nous sommes connectés à l’énergie naturelle du moment, que l’on soit tôt le matin ou tard l’après-midi. C’est le genre de détail très important pour moi.»

Annan, Machel, Carter denied entry into Zimbabwe

allAfrica.com, Sat, 22 Nov 2008

President Robert Mugabe has barred the former United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, the former United States President, Jimmy Carter, and the advocate for the rights of women and children, Graça Machel, from entering Zimbabwe.

The three were due to arrive in Zimbabwe on Saturday to assess the country's growing humanitarian crisis. Millions of Zimbabweans are facing food shortages, the country's educational and health systems are grinding to a halt and there have been outbreaks of cholera.

But news agencies reported that the group had been denied travel visas. The organizers of the visit, the group of former leaders calling themselves "The Elders," said in a statement on Saturday that "the government of Zimbabwe has refused to cooperate in any way to make the visit possible."

Delegations of "Elders" from the group, including Carter and Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, have in the past visited other areas of conflict, including Darfur, with the co-operation of the governments concerned.

Annan said in Saturday's statement that he had prepared for the visit by speaking to "many regional leaders" in southern Africa, who welcomed the proposed visit.

"Millions of people are in need of help in Zimbabwe," Annan said in the statement. "We want to use our influence to increase the flow of assistance, immediately and in the longer term, to stop the terrible suffering. We are here to show solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe and to assure them that they are not alone."

Machel - also the wife of Nelson Mandela and the widow of former Mozambican president and Mugabe ally Samora Machel - said the Zimbabwean government's ban on the visit was "deeply regrettable."

"People are dying from hunger every day... and hospitals are unable to treat the sick. With schools struggling to stay open, children are missing out on an education. One in four children has lost one or both parents... We want to talk to the people and hear their stories directly"

The delegation is already in South Africa. Carter said the group would remain in the region to learn as much as it could about the situation in Zimbabwe. The Elders was formed in response to an initiative by British businessman Richard Branson and musician Peter Gabriel.

Legendary Drummers Kits And Grooves

Sonic Reality Announces the Release of Drum Masters Silver, Gold & Platinum Editions

19-Nov-08

Sonic Reality, the sound development company that co-created the Ocean Way Drums and Miroslav Philharmonik has announced the release of the Studio ProFiles "Drum Masters" Silver, Gold and Platinum Editions featuring legendary drummer's kits and grooves.

Here's all the details in their own words....

For the first time, multi-track drum kits and multi-track Rex 2 grooves are playable from one virtual instrument plug-in for creating the most realistic drum tracks ever. Bundled with Sonic Reality's new Infinite Player powered by Native Instruments Kontakt, the Drum Masters range of products offers the authentic sound of legendary session drummers recorded in some of the best studios in the world.
Drum Masters Silver Edition

Featuring legendary drummer's drum kits and grooves in 24 bit Stereo Rex 2 format mapped in beat mode across the keyboard and as playable kits in the supplied "Infinite Player" plug-in. It includes sample material from Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson), Steve Gadd (Paul Simon, Steely Dan), Danny Gottlieb (Pat Metheny Group), Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel), John Blackwell (Prince, Diddy), Nick D'Virgilio (Genesis, TFF, Spock's Beard), Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick) and Ed Greene (Barry White, Steely Dan).

Users will be able to continually expand their bundled Infinite Player with additional stereo and multi-track drum kits, and grooves.

Drum Masters Gold Edition

The Drum Masters Gold Editon includes everything from the Silver Edition plus a variety of multi-track drum kits and grooves.. From the powerful 3 snare Yamaha kit of Jerry Marotta with world pop rhythms in the style of Peter Gabriel to the R&B pop sound of John Blackwell to the classic funk rock sound of Ed Greene to progressive rock drumming with Nick D'Virgilio and modern jazz with master cymbalist Danny Gottlieb, the Gold Edition offers a wide variety of killer drum sounds for every need. With 150 multi-track grooves from each drummer and the associated drum kit from the session you can build a drum track with seamless transitions between the midi playable kit and the original audio grooves all while having full discrete mix control of the mic channels in both. Stick, brush, blastick/hot rods and mallet played kits are also included.

Drum Masters Platinum Edition

The Drum Masters Platinum Edition includes everything from the Silver and Gold Editions plus additional multi-track and stereo grooves and more stellar sounding studio drum kits with discrete control of the mics. Special additions include samples of a 6-tom Gretsch® kit in a large room modeled after the famous Town House studio in London as well as a vintage Premier kit with the addition of Roto Toms and Timbales as toms similar to those played by drummers Bill Bruford, Phil Collins, Nick Mason, Neil Peart and other great drummers. Includes extra drum sampling sessions done with the help of the "Drum Doctor" Ross Garfield and recorded at the esoteric Lawnmower Studio in Pasadena where Nick D'Virgiilio and Dave Kerzner of Sonic Reality used to record with Kevin Gilbert.

The Platinum Edition includes over 2,000 multi-track drum grooves plus additional midi grooves will be made available for all three versions.

Notes:

* *Stereo Kits : Multi velocity stereo drum kits sampled at the same session as the loops. These kits have been mixed in stereo for use with the matching grooves and have been mapped in both GM and IMAP formats.

* **Multitrack Kits : These multi velocity multi-track drum kits have entirely discrete mix control. They were recorded along side the grooves for seamless integration and can be played in both GM and IMAP formats.

* **Stereo Grooves : Artist grooves menu mapped in Kontakt for easy use. These grooves are Rex2 format and adjust to your host tempo. Use these grooves with the matching drum kit for the ultimate drum sequencing experience.

* **Multitrack Grooves : Multi-track drum grooves in Rex2 format. These grooves are menu mapped for easy use with your midi controller. They are the same grooves as the Stereo version but with fully discrete mix control between microphones. (HH, BD, SD,Toms, Percussion, etc...)

Pricing and Availability:
Availablilty: November 2008
Drum Masters Silver Edition MSRP $299.
Drum Masters Gold Edition MSRP $499. (or "Kits Only" for $399)
Drum Masters Platinum Edition MSRP $995.

More information:

• sonicreality.com