Tambourine Man

He used to earn pennies singing in Kolkata’s trains. Today Paris-based Baul singer Paban Das is cutting albums for Peter Gabriel’s label.

Trains running between Kolkata and north Bengal, after sauntering out of the metropolis, pick up speed around what can be broadly outlined as Baul territory: Bolpur, Santiniketan, Sainthia, Burdwan and Rampurhat. It is from around this region that Bauls—Bengal’s own hippies, its wandering minstrels—embark on the trains, sing their songs that philosophize about life and death and earn alms from passengers.

Forty four-year-old Paban Das Baul was among the luckier and more gifted singers. He could be heard above the rattle of the rails and his voice evoked enough admiration and sympathy from passengers to help him earn anything from a rupee to Rs 200, as a foreign lady once gave him in Santiniketan. ‘‘It was a big sum in those days. But such sums came along only once in a while, otherwise what I got barely helped me subsist,’’ recalls Das, who started singing for alms with his father after their family had to sell off their land and property.

These days, a simple Google search collates the distance the man has travelled with his music. From Morocco, Switzerland, England, Belgium, Mexico and France, to a fusion of jazz, rock, gospel, ambient electronica and club.

Notwithstanding the background soundscape, the only time Das felt he was not allowed to come into his own with his singing is on the collaborative album Tana Tani, which he released with UK-based State of Bengal member Sam Zaman. ‘‘They kept the vocal levels low and deliberately played up the background score. They wanted to create club music at the cost of Baul,’’ says the Paris-based musician who was in Kolkata recently.

In all this, there is an anomaly that has kept the singer-songwriter worried. The music of Bauls—riding the repute earned by Purna Das Baul in the West during the ’60s—has had high-profile endorsers like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. Das, a protégé‚ of Purna Das, has found recommendations from writers like Ruchir Joshi, who included him in his acclaimed documentary 11 Miles, and William Dalrymple.

In an article he wrote for The Guardian in the UK, Dalrymple is clearly besotted by ‘‘the celebrated Baul’’. His voice, Dalrymple wrote, was ‘‘deep and smoky, alternately urgent and sensuous’’.

Even musically, Das has collaborated with the likes of avant-garde musician and musicologist Sam Mills, which resulted in the critically approved album Real Sugar, and with French jazz prodigy Cheick Tidiane.

His long-running relationship with musician Peter Gabriel, whose label Real World has resulted in a number of albums; Das also performs at Gabriel’s music festival WOMAD.

None among his 11 albums, Das regrets, has been recorded in India or his home state, West Bengal. The couple of times Kolkata-based record companies have approached him, Das says, the terms set by them were so stiff that he had to walk away from the offer.

‘‘Recently one of the companies wanted to record my singing, but on the day of the recording I had a sore throat. When I told them that, they said that I’d have to pay for the entire recording cost and also for the accompanying musicians. There was no way I could pay that amount,’’ he rues.

There have been exceptions. The pioneer of the Asian Underground sound in the UK, tabla player Talvin Singh, when he teamed up with Das at the recent Jaipur Festival, mentions being floored by the intensity of the music. ‘‘We had one helluva concert that night,’’ says Singh, hours before a recent concert in Kolkata. ‘‘We also had a few Rajasthani folk musicians joining me and Paban Das and the whole atmosphere was electrifying.’’

It was a 1979 French documentary film on the Bauls of Bengal called Le Chant Des Fou (Songs of the Madmen), that led to Das getting invited to the country in 1980 by Radio France. His relationship with Paris has evolved since then. ‘‘Sometimes when I don’t have any concerts in France, I can earn my living by performing at public places,’’ he says.

By Shamik Bag

GABRIEL JUNIOR KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS

Rocker PETER GABRIEL only sings songs his three-year-old son ISAAC likes - or the toddler complains.

The former GENESIS frontman is convinced his son's musical taste is already finely developed, as he communicates his preferences all the time.

He says : "(I sing) anything rhythmic because that amuses Isaac".

"He's very opinionated about his music... 'I don't like this song! Play this one again!'"

Thanks...Here's a Ball

Balls like this are consolation prizes for the performers; model Heidi Klum is notBalls like this are consolation prizes for the performers;

More than 12,000 volunteer performers signed up for the opening gala of the soccer World Cup and practiced for months. When the event was cancelled, authorities made sure to thank them for their troubles...with a ball.

It was supposed to be a mega event to open one of the globe's biggest sporting events, featuring stars like Peter Gabriel and Jesseye Norman. But then FIFA, world soccer's governing body, suddenly pulled the plug in January. The official reason, according to FIFA, was that the lavish opening ceremony to be held in Berlin's Olympic Stadium would damage the grass on the field before the first game on June 13 between Brazil and Croatia.

That left thousands of dancers and other performers who had answered calls to volunteer for the glitzy production planned by Austrian artist André Heller, out in the cold. They weren't out of a pay check, since they'd been volunteers anyway, but they'd wasted hours and hours of painstaking practice. FIFA promised recompense in some form or another.

A month and a half later, it's been decided. FIFA will mail out about 12,000 soccer balls to the spurned performers. It's claimed that grass is the reason the big show was nixed Now these aren't just any soccer balls; these are the official Adidas soccer balls of the World Cup, on which will be printed "vielen Dank!" ("Thanks a lot!").

According to the Tagesspiegel newspaper, there was much debate within FIFA as to what the redress would look like. Many preferred something cultural, such as special showings of the circus show "Afrika, Afrika," also produced by Heller.

"That solution seemed to us to be too complicated," Markus Siegler, a FIFA spokesman, told the paper. But he insists FIFA didn't get off on the cheap, although it might seem a soccer ball is pretty paltry payback for months of rehearsing for a show that never was to be. "Of course we negotiated a reduced price," he said. "But the gift still cost FIFA 200,000 euros."

BAND IS A HIT AT PETER GABRIEL'S STUDIOS

Education Reporter A SCHOOL band is celebrating the release of its third CD with the help of world famous musician Peter Gabriel.

Monkton Combe School Big Band has completed the disc, called Moving On, at Gabriel's Real World recording studio in Box.

More professional know-how came in the shape of producer and arranger Cy Payne, who is well known in the big band world.

The CD contains 15 tracks performed by the school's musicians, creating a classy and sophisticated sound.

Director of Music at the school Bernard Newman said: "I am thrilled with this third album - the sound is fantastic and I know that they all enjoyed the experience of working in a state of the art studio like Real World.

"We have sent complimentary copies to BBC Bristol so we are hoping that they may add some of the tracks to their play list."

As well as having a strong following here at home, the band but has recently toured both Canada and America.

Copies of the CD are available by calling the school on 01225 721129.

Global Dignity

Young Global Leaders Launch ''Global Dignity'' Public Awareness Campaign; Three International Leaders Initiate Five Dignity Principles Aimed at Encouraging People Worldwide to Lead an Empowered and Dignified Life

(...)

The principles were introduced during the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2006 where more than over 150 participants quickly signed on to the project including former President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari, actor Michael Douglas, musician Peter Gabriel, author of best selling novel 'A Purpose Driven Life' Reverend Rick Warren, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and leading economic advisor Joseph Stiglitz, and Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter. (...)

Tech conference attracts luminaries in Monterey

Stars will converge on Monterey event starting today

More than 900 corporate, scientific and artistic leaders will converge in Monterey this week for an invitation-only event whose very title -- Technology, Entertainment, Design -- reflects the agenda and fantasies of Silicon Valley.

Attendees will pay $4,400 to attend the event, which opens today and runs through Saturday. TED's place in tech history was established the first time it was held, in 1984, when Apple Computer showed off its new Macintosh.

In the ensuing years the conference, like Silicon Valley, has had its ups and downs and changes in leadership. But the seaside event has managed to keep its reputation for looking over the horizon.

"This is definitely one of the must-attend events of the year,'' said Shel Israel, whose San Carlos consulting firm, Conferenza, follows and rates the tech industry's many gatherings.

Israel said TED has managed to hold its own against events such as the prestigious Web 2.0 conference because it raises thought-provoking themes and attracts provocative speakers.

"There is a reason why TED happens in Monterey: It's a one-hour drive to Silicon Valley ... and that gives it a unique well of potential attendees and speakers,'' said Bruno Giussani, a Swiss author and former executive with the Davos World Economic Forum who helped organize a European version of TED in Oxford, England, last year.

This week's conference, billed as "The Future We Will Create," will feature notables such as Stanford Professor Paul Berg, who earned a Nobel Prize for helping invent the gene-splicing tool that helped develop biotechnology, and Sun Microsystems co-founder Bill Joy, the '80s-era software guru who now worries that some technologies are slipping out of human control.

Other speakers include music industry innovator Peter Gabriel and former Vice President Al Gore, who has reinvented himself as one of the forces behind San Francisco's pioneering grassroots video startup, Current TV....

Manu Katché 100 % cash

Manu katché, André Manoukian, Marianne James et Dove Attia (de gauche à droite) reviennent torturer les candidats de la « Nouvelle Star ». photo plug tv.

Après avoir bossé avec les plus grands (Sting, Peter Gabriel), le batteur, Manu Katché privilégie aujourd'hui sa propre carrière. Ce soir, il reprend du service aux côtés de Dove Attia, André Manoukian et Marianne James dans «Nouvelle Star ».

Auriez-vous rempilé avec un jury différent ?

Non, c'était nous quatre ou rien. Il y a une vraie alchimie. Evidemment, on n'est pas toujours d'accord. Comme on passe des heures ensemble, ça finit toujours par péter. Marianne et moi, on aime bien les prises de bec ! On est sans doute les deux plus tenaces pour défendre tel ou tel candidat. André et Dove sont plus cool.

Les membres du jury sont-ils les vraies stars du programme ?

On n'est pas des stars, mais quatre personnes qui ont des choses à dire. Notre franchise plaît. Le but de « Nouvelle Star » est avant tout d'être un tremplin pour les candidats qui peuvent accéder à un label, sans forcément être une star. Le rêve de Steeve Estatof (gagnant de la saison 2) était de pouvoir vivre de la musique. Il y est.

Sans avoir gagné, Amel Bent réussit mieux que les trois gagnants réunis. Pourquoi ?

Amel n'entrait pas dans le stéréotype de la jeune fille blonde et mince. Ça prouve qu'il y a deux publics. Celui qui envoie les SMS et celui qui achète les disques. C'est aussi pour ça qu'on a demandé à la production de pouvoir repêcher un candidat lors du premier direct. Le public ne vote pas toujours sur des critères musicaux. Cette saison, nous aurons aussi un programmateur musical avec qui on se concertera pour que les chansons correspondent mieux aux candidats. On leur fait trop souvent chanter les mêmes chansons pour ménagères de moins de 50 ans.

Comment jugez-vous le cru 2006 ?

Ça se professionnalise. Le niveau s'est nettement amélioré. Avant, on avait beaucoup de belles voix, mais on n'a pas besoin de clones de Lara Fabian. Le renouveau de la chanson française a été bénéfique. Les candidats se sont inspirés de Bénabar ou Raphaël sans les copier. Il y a plus d'auteurs-compositeurs cette année.

Et toujours autant de casseroles pour le bêtisier ?

On est un peu lassé de voir ces gens qui font un numéro pour « passer dans le poste ». Ce qui est plus drôle, c'est ceux qui pensent bien chanter et qui sont catastrophiques... Quelqu'un qui massacre du Sinatra les mains dans les poches, on lui dit que c'est merdique et on lui rend service.

Momix show may be as quirky as its founder

Dancer-choreographer Moses Pendleton, who helped found the ground-breaking Pilobolus dance company before creating his own troupe, grew up on a cow farm in New England.

The world of modern dance may as well have been in Borneo as far as the young student Pendleton was concerned. He figured he'd go to college, follow his dad's wishes and major in large-animal veterinary medicine. That, or become a professional snow bum.

"I was a downhill racer," said a very upbeat and playful Pendleton, 56, from his home in Vermont. "That's all I wanted to do. Then I broke my leg (at age 18), and I took a dance class at Dartmouth as part of my therapy to recuperate. And that was how it all started. It was never planned. I owe it all to a broken leg. Life is just series of accidents."

Make that beautiful, eye-dazzling accidents in Pendleton's case.

On Monday night, Pendleton's Momix company will perform a dance concert called "Momix: Passion" as part of the Seven Days of Opening Nights arts festival. The "Passion" dances are set to the exotic, Middle East-inspired music Peter Gabriel wrote in 1989 as the soundtrack for the Martin Scorsese film "The Last Temptation of Christ."

"I just loved that score when I first heard it, and I could close my eyes and see the dance," Pendleton said. "(Gabriel) came to the premiere when we performed it in London. . . . He said the dance helped him re-hear the score. He heard it in a new way."

Then Pendleton steered the conversation back to one of his favorite topics - cows.

"You know Peter grew up on a dairy farm in England," Pendleton said. "We had a long talk about Herefords and Holsteins over lunch at his house in Bath. We had mutual dairy interests."

The name Momix, by the way, was taken from a feed supplement given to, what else, cows. He even jokingly refers to himself as a "cow-oeographer" because early films of his work show him running through a field of cows wearing a sheet.

These days, Momix shows are high-tech, multi-media affairs that are part Cirque de Soleil and part Twyla Tharp and part trippy light show. Dancers are suspended from ropes. Slide shows keep the images coming.

"Sit in the back of the auditorium when you go to the show," Pendleton said. "You can see more that way. The farther you get from Momix, the more you like it."

Momix is a global business. Pendleton keeps several shows out on the road in such locales as Las Vegas and Italy. He's always looking for new dancers.

"If you have any good dancers down there (in Florida) send them up to New York for our auditions in May," Pendleton said. "The only thing is that we don't say break a leg before shows."

Article published Feb 17, 2006 By Mark Hinson

Elbow "Leaders of the Free World" (V2)

Anyone who sings as much about rain, black skies and alienation as this quintet does is either painfully unlucky in love or English.

This group is both, conjuring a palpable sense of place, specifically London, in spots in its haunting third album. It's a record (in stores Tuesday) that channels — who else? — Coldplay as well as Snow Patrol and even Peter Gabriel in its romantic yearnings and feelings of existential isolation.

The raw production makes it sound like Coldplay's Chris Martin banging out demo tapes from his garage, but the rough sonics directly parallel the frayed emotions lyricist and singer Guy Garvey puts on display, mostly emanating from the all-consuming obsession that can accompany failed relationships.

He has a poet's knack for evoking a world of feeling in the space of a few well-chosen words. He sings, "You were there / Puncture repair" as healing begins in "Puncture Repair"; "Shop shutters rattle down" telegraphs the way emotional self-defense kicks in with hurt in "Forget Myself."

Garvey's voice, its lovely high register contrasting with a dusky lower range, conveys the multiplicity of responses to love's elusiveness — loneliness, self-pity, sadness, anger, confusion, hope — all of which blossom in "The Stops" into a shimmeringly gorgeous, Brian Wilson-esque pop chorus.

Peter Gabriel to receive the Frankfurt Music Prize 2006

Presentation on the occasion of the international Musikmesse

Almost everyone is familiar with his legendary hits, such as 'Sledgehammer', 'Biko' and 'Big Time', and his videos are considered to be milestones in the history of pop culture: Peter Gabriel, rock musician, songwriter and video artist, will be awarded the 2006 Frankfurt Music Prize during the international Musikmesse.

He was singled out for the prize because, with his creative work, his appearances and his support for young talents, he laid a vital founda-tion stone for the future of rock and pop music. With this choice, the jury is honouring him as a leading musician on the European rock-music scene, for his musical achievements and his artistic and social activities. The prize will be presented by the Mayor of Frankfurt am Main, Petra Roth, at a ceremony in Frankfurt on the eve of the Musikmesse (28 March).

Peter Brian Gabriel was born in Great Britain in 1950, the son of an electrical engineer. In 1966, together with Tony Banks, Michael Rutherford and Anthony Phillips, he founded a band called 'The Garden Wall', which was soon renamed 'Genesis'. Later, they were joined by drummer Phil Collins. The band achieved a break through with its fourth album, and were known for their song-based progressive rock music and the theatrically staged live shows, which were primarily the work of Peter Gabriel and his fascination for visual interpretation.

In 1975, Gabriel announced that he was leaving the band and published his first solo album two years later. Gabriel was able to consolidate his career as a solo artist thanks to the successful single, 'Solsbury Hill'. Commercial success came with his third solo LP, which includes 'Biko', a political protest song that Gabriel dedicated to the South African anti-apartheid activist, Steve Biko.

With his 1986 album, he demonstrated that social commitment and social involvement by no means contradict his existence as an avant-garde, modern music artist. His singles, 'Big Time' and 'Sledgehammer', were hits. And he produced videos such as the world had never seen before.

After touring the world for Amnesty in 1988, Peter became a human rights activist and set up an organisation called 'Witness', giving cameras to Human Rights groups around the world. He was awarded a Grammy for the soundtrack of the controversial Martin Scorsese film, 'Last Temptation of Christ'. Subsequently, Gabriel focused his attention on setting up his Real World Studios in the English county of Wiltshire, with the aim of offering unfettered creative opportunities for musicians of all different types of music from all over world.

It was not until 1992 that Gabriel reappeared on the musical radar screen, when he published his 'Us' album, which once again set new standards in the video world. Another album followed in September 2002 after a gap of almost ten years: 'Up'.

Culture et glamour italiens à l'honneur pour l'ouverture des Jeux

photo : Odd Anderson/AFP/Getty Images

Une danseuse italienne lors de la cérémonie d’ouverture des Jeux olympiques d’hiver de Turin, en Italie.

Keyvan Naraghi/Agence France-Presse

(...)

Finale grandiose

Autre temps fort de la cérémonie, et mystère savamment entretenu par les organisateurs, le chanteur britannique Peter Gabriel a interprété le titre universel de John Lennon, Imagine, après la formation d'une colombe par des acrobates sur la partie nord du stade dans un tableau dédié à la paix.

Torino 2006: Day Of the Torch

(...) Olympic Games: the streets are crowded and there is a lot of expectations and curiosity surrounding the arrival of many VIPs in the city. Laura Bush, Anna of England, Serge of Yugoslavia, Alberto of Monaco, Emanuele Filiberto (torch carrier today), Sophia Loren, Susan Sarandon, Yoko Ono, Peter Gabriel and many others are expected for lunches, dinners and celebrations in a Turin which is preparing to be, as the head of state said in his message for the Games, "the capital of Italy once more".

Promotion des droits de l’enfant : Un méga concert et un match international de foot en mars à Dakar

Le 1er mars prochain, le Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor vibrera aux rythmes d’un méga concert. Il y aura aussi un match de football entre les équipes de football de Norvège et les Lions du Sénégal. La révélation a été faite , lors du point de presse organisé par Plan Norvège. La manifestation a pour objectif de mobiliser des fonds pour la mise en œuvre des projets pour l’amélioration des conditions de vie de l’enfant.

La musique et le football seront mis au service des projets visant à améliorer les conditions de vie des enfants. Plan Norvège est l’initiateur de ce grand événement, dont l’objectif principal reste la mobilisation de fonds pour mettre en œuvre les programmes de soutien en faveur de cette couche de la population. « Depuis trois ans, nous travaillons sur ce projet et nous avons rencontré les autorités sénégalaises, le ministre du sport. Nous voulons organiser un match de football avec l’équipe du Sénégal. Mais, il y aura aussi un volet culturel avec la participation de grandes vedettes de la scène musicale mondiale « , dit le directeur de Plan Norvège,

Sandro. L’entraîneur de l’équipe Nationale de la Norvège, Age Hareider, a confirmé la participation de tous les grands joueurs de son pays . Le Match amical avec les Lions du Sénégal débutera à partir de 18 heures. Il sera retransmis en direct par les télévisions norvégienne et sénégalaise. Au cours de cette rencontre, des plaidoyers seront faits pour la promotion des droits de l’enfant.

Après le match, les footballeurs céderont le terrain aux grandes stars de la musique. Alpha Blondy, Angélique Kidjo, entre autres artistes du continent, sont attendus. L’événement verra également la participation du célèbre groupe norvégien « A-Ha », qui a battu le record d’affluence lors de l’un de ses concerts à Rio de Janeiro avec 175.000 spectateurs.

Mais les organisateurs ont placé haut la barre. Leur défi, c’est de faire venir des artistes de renommée internationale comme Sting, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Tracy Chapman, Neneh Cherry pour ne citer que ceux-là. Les négociations vont bon train. Et les organisateurs gardent bon espoir, quant à leur participation. « Nous sommes en train de négocier avec des artistes de notoriété mondiale. Nous sommes entré en contact avec certains d’entre eux. Il y aura au moins une vingtaine d’artistes qui viendront des autres pays du monde « , souligne le producteur de cette manifestation, Odd Arvid. Youssou Ndour qui sera de la partie aidera les initiateurs à décrocher les grands artistes.

Mais les enfants aussi vont entrer dans la danse, car ils sont les premiers concernés par la manifestation. « Nous voulons que les enfants soient aussi les acteurs du développement. Ils vont interpréter une composition, avec l’encadrement de Didier Awadi « , souligne Aziz Dieng de Plan Sénégal. Le billet d’entrée est valable pour le concert et le match qui se dérouleront le 1er mars au Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor.

Peter Gabriel and WITNESS on Charlie Rose

Watch an interview with WITNESS on PBS's Charlie Rose show from the Jan 30, 2006 broadcast, archived on Google Video, $0.99 to download. The interview featured Peter Gabriel (co founder of WITNESS), Gillian Caldwell (Executive Director) and Van Jones (Executive Director for the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, a WITNESS partner organization). Clips from WITNESS partner videos including "Dual Injustice" and "System Failure" were shown throughout the interview.

Kate Bush: not interested in the dirt.

Kate Bush, February 6, 2006

A truly revealing book about Kate Bush is yet to be written.

There should be a law against fans trying to write biographies of the objects of their idolatry. Rob Jovanovic is a serious, adoring Kate Bush fan. Very sensibly, Bush decided not to talk to him.

This didn't stop Jovanovic. Nor did British DJ John Peel's observation that he "couldn't take her [Bush] seriously". Nothing was going to dissuade Jovanovic, so off he went to the archives and talkative friends.

He wasn't interested in the dirt. For years rumours swirled around exactly what happened when Peter Gabriel and Bush performed the intensely emotional and sexy video of Don't Give Up. It doesn't even get a mention. Nor does Bush's strange relationship with Hugh Cornwell from the Stranglers.

If you are happy with a distillation of Bush interviews and details of recordings, this is for you. The more revealing book exploring who Kate Bush really is is yet to be written.

Martin Scorcese et la musique

Gangs of New York se déroule dans les années 1860. Scorsese, en parfait contrebandier, n’hésite pas à employer des musiques parfois volontairement " anachroniques " avec le récit du film, en compagnie de musiciens aussi divers que Peter Gabriel (déjà compositeur sur The last temptation of Christ, Scorsese 1988), Afro Celt Sound System, Howard Shore (compositeur sur After Hours, Scorsese 1985), U2 ou Jocelyn Pook (à qui l’on doit quelques musiques mémorables dans Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick 1999). Ces musiques contemporaines offrent indéniablement une autre profondeur de champ émotionnelle à Gangs of New York.... (suit un long article fort interressant)

PG sollicité pour la cause Kurde ?

(...)In this matter they could ask for assistance from outside organizations like United Nations and other international organizations like IDEA and Kurdish organizations like KNC. Have Kurdish intellectuals and non-Kurdish intellectuals that are friends of the Kurds (i.e. Peter Gabriel) partake in the negotiations(...)

(...) En cette matière ils pourraient demander l'aide des organismes extérieurs comme les Nations Unies et d'autres organismes internationaux comme IDEA et des organismes Kurdes comme le KNC. Obtenir que les intellectuels Kurdes et les intellectuels non-Kurdes qui sont des amis des Kurdes (c.-à-d. Peter Gabriel) participent aux négociations.(...)

Real World Studios install custom-built SSL XL 9000 K Series

Real World Studios made good use of the Christmas break by installing a new custom-built Solid State Logic XL 9000 K Series console in its main studio, The Big Room.

The residential facility, which is owned by internationally acclaimed artist Peter Gabriel, hasn’t had a face-lift of this magnitude since it opened in 1988.

Nearly a year ago Real World Studios started negotiating the purchase of a new console for the Big Room with the intention of equipping it for 5.1 and high resolution audio so that it could handle more complex productions. As the order was placed, SSL revealed that the company was being put up for sale. Rather than cancelling the order as some clients would, Peter Gabriel decided to buy the company.

Alongside the installation of the new console, The Big Room has also had its monitoring and acoustics upgraded for 5.1 surround sound. The new desk may be large but thanks to the dimensions of The Big Room, there is still plenty of space. Its shape copies the U-configuration of the studio’s previous SSL G Series console and it is positioned so that it works well ergonomically, with everything in easy reach of the operator.

Solid State Logic’s XL 9000 K Series is the first analogue console to provide the dual benefits of a full 5.1 surround architecture and the increased bandwidth and resolution needed for DVD-Audio and SACD. These were important considerations for Peter Gabriel who creates the majority of his music in surround, with stereo handled as a separate interpretation. Currently working on music for this year’s World Cup as well as a number of movie scores, Gabriel says it is the sonic quality of SSL consoles that inspires him and makes him such a huge fan of the company’s desks.

Real World’s studio manager, Owen Leech, says the choice of console for The Big Room reflects the studio’s determination to stay ahead in the UK residential studio market.

“This is a very exciting development for Real World and one that we have been eagerly anticipating for a long time,” he says. “We have always been known as a musician’s studio and this is undoubtedly the best sounding console on the market. Being able to offer full 5.1 surround mixing and sound to picture facilities is vitally important because it allows us to maintain our reputation as the UK’s premier residential recording facility.” (CD)

Peter Gabriel's Asia Earthquake Appeal

Download two fantastic tracks and help a great cause!

An appeal from Peter Gabriel:

This is a request for help. We've had ties with Pakistan from many years, particularly with Qawwali music and the extraordinary voice of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. His family have generously agreed to allow us to make available two tracks - one a collaboration with Massive Attack , 'Mustt Mustt' and one with myself 'Taboo', as a download to raise money. So basically you are getting two extraordinary pieces of music for the price of one!

We need a lot of downloads and we need you to do a bit of marketing for us. So, if you could persuade say 10 of your friends to do the same download we can get real money to real people really fast. Please help us to help them!"

A Digital Download of the two MP3 format tracks (256kbs) to raise money for the South East Asia Earthquake Appeal is now available. We don't keep any of your £1. You get two great pieces of music, and all of the your money (except transaction charges) goes to charities working to support victims of the South East Asia Earthquake.

http://www.womadshop.com/appeal/

Michael Stipe Covers Arthur Song For Katrina Relief

Joseph Arthur

February 02, 2006, 11:00 AM ET

Digital EP Also Features Coldplay's Chris Martin
Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe has recorded singer/songwriter Joseph Arthur's "In the Sun" for a digital EP, proceeds from which will benefit Mercy Corps' efforts to rebuild New Orleans neighborhoods devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Six different versions of the track will be available via the iTunes Music Store on Monday (Feb. 6); Stipe's duet with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin will premiere the previous evening on the ABC drama "Grey's Anatomy." The EP also features two versions of the song with Stipe and Arthur, a remix by Justin Timberlake and will.i.am's JAW Breakers partnership, a take with just Stipe and a live recording with Coldplay from the PBS series "Austin City Limits."

Other artists that contributed to the sessions were Fountains Of Wayne/Ivy principal Adam Schlesinger and former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, who assisted Stipe at their own Stratosphere Sound studio in New York.

"In the Sun" was previously covered by Peter Gabriel for the 1997 tribute album "Diana, Princess of Wales." "I guess it's a song made for charity," Arthur tells Billboard.com of the track, which originally appeared on his 2000 album "Come to Where I'm From." "It must have a charitable heart in it."

Growing up as a hardcore R.E.M. fan in Akron, Ohio, Arthur realized a dream by opening a host of shows for the veteran rock act in 2004. When Stipe called him a few months ago to discuss the "In the Sun" EP concept, Arthur jumped at the chance to contribute.

"The whole thing is such an incredible honor," he says. "When we did the version where we sing together, he'd sing the first couple of lines, but we were doing it at the same time in the same vocal booth. I'm listening to him do the lines and thinking that I want him to just keep singing it!"

That the project is benefiting Katrina charities is of particular importance for Arthur, who recorded portions of his 2004 album "Our Shadows Will Remain" in the Crescent City. "My little area is somewhat undaunted, right in the French Quarter," he says. "It's still in decent shape. But if you go a couple minutes away, it looks like Nagasaki or something. There's a lot to be done."

This spring, a short film also titled "In the Sun" will air on Sundance Channel. Directed by Danny Clinch, it will feature interviews with the musicians as well as hurricane survivors.

Here is the track list for "In the Sun":

"In the Sun” (Gulf Coast Relief), Michael Stipe featuring Chris Martin
"In the Sun" (JAW Breakers remix), Michael Stipe featuring Chris Martin
"In the Sun,” Michael Stipe featuring Joseph Arthur
"In the Sun,” Michael Stipe
"In the Sun" (Michael Stipe live with Coldplay on "Austin City Limits")
"In the Sun" (Free Acoustic Couch Rehearsal), Michael Stipe featuring Joseph Arthur

Capturing Human Rights Abuse

Witness, activist and musician Peter Gabriel's human rights organization, wants to build a Web site that documents offenses on video

Musician Peter Gabriel may be best known for hits such as Solsbury Hill and Sledgehammer, but his songs have often had a political edge, as well. His 1980 track Biko, for example, was an homage to South African anti-apartheid activist Stephen Biko, who died in prison in 1977. Gabriel continues to make music -- he'll sing at the Turin Winter Olympics this month -- but he has been devoting an increasing amount of his time to social causes.

One such cause is Witness (www.witnessmediaarchive.org), an organization based in Brooklyn, N.Y., that trains human-rights advocates to use video cameras to document abuses. Gabriel helped found the group in 1992 and is now chairman of its board of directors.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January, Gabriel and Gillian Caldwell, a documentary filmmaker who's executive director of Witness, tried to round up corporate support for a new project: a Web site that would act as a portal for images of human rights violations that may be captured by the proliferating number of video cameras and mobile phones in the hands of people around the world. BusinessWeek European Regional Editor Jack Ewing spoke to Gabriel and Caldwell about the project. Gabriel, who was an investor in digital music venture On Demand Distribution -- he sold his stake in 2004 at a profit -- also spoke about the current state of the music industry and its battle to come to terms with digital distribution. Edited excerpts of their conversation follow:

Tell us about Witness. What is it, and how did it get started?

Gabriel: In 1988 there was an Amnesty International Human Rights Now Tour to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Human Rights Declaration.... We went around the world and doubled Amnesty's membership. The experience of meeting people who had been tortured, who had watched their families being killed -- suddenly it became real for me and not something I was just reading about.

One of the things that was most shocking was that people who had experienced these things then had their stories completely denied, buried, and forgotten. Whenever there were good pictures or video material, it was a great deal harder to [deny]. In a way Witness grew out of the technical innovation of the video age. Suddenly there was a small [video] camera that was affordable.

Now we have yet another technical innovation. The telephone with video is becoming cheap and commonplace. So that's a wonderful opportunity. The dream is -- what we're trying to hustle here -- is to create a portal like Google (GOOG ) Earth where you could fly over the world and find human-rights stories wherever they were occurring. People would have the capacity to upload material of a certain length unfiltered.

Are you here trying to get corporate support or just raise awareness?

Gabriel: All of those things. Actually we've had some wonderful conversations. It seems to be an idea which is gaining acceptance. There are other projects beginning to understand the social, transformative power of the digital revolution. So I think we're here at the right time.

Caldwell: There has been a lot of conversation about how the media business model is changing. Some of the press are really thinking in creative ways of how they can capitalize on citizen journalism. We've had interest from the BBC, Reuters, Yahoo! (YHOO ), CNN (TWX ). We are in a good position to provide powerful and extremely authentic content. Because of the financial conditions that media faces these days, they don't have as much capacity to do reporting around the world. Organizations at a local level have trust and connections that the media can't get parachuting in.

So traditional media could take content off your site and use it in news reports?

Gabriel: Right. We've already started building quite a large archive. Our aim is to try to provide that video archive for the human rights movement.

What has been the corporate response?

Gabriel: Really encouraging. If we had had one good conversation, it would have made the trip worthwhile. I think we had about six or seven. What actually materializes will be another question, but so far we are extremely encouraged.

Are there any corporations already supporting you?

Gabriel: Marc Benioff, [founder of the San Francisco-based provider of customer relationship management software] Salesforce.com, has been allowing us to use some of his facilities [including a contact database].

Caldwell: [Law firm] Baker & Hostetler does all of our legal support pro bono. We had an encouraging conversation with Paul Sagan, [president and CEO of] Akamai, [a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based provider of Internet services for business], about the possibility of providing pro bono hosting of the content.

Gabriel: We can have CEO meetings here in a way we couldn't anywhere else. People conducting business don't want to be hassled all the time by the likes of us. But there's a culture here of encouraging people to think a little more generously.

The debate comes up every year at Davos about celebrities using their fame for social good. What's your take on that?

Gabriel: Well, it makes our lives a lot more interesting.... Celebrities shouldn't take on causes in a trivial way. They should find things that mean something to them and do their homework, so that they can speak as articulately as they are able, and then hand over to the people doing the real work.

Back to Witness. What kind of content do you have already?

Caldwell: We worked in Senegal with an organization trying to raise awareness of the fact that there were thousands of land-mine victims every year who weren't getting any medical support or psychological assistance that they are entitled to. We developed a film that was screened before several [officials]. This is what we call tactical media. While we're interested in broader media, the most influential use of the video that we're producing is actually targeted screenings before those key decision makers.

As a direct result, Senegalese land-mine victims now have two significant grants related to micro-enterprise development and a new wing on a hospital to build prosthetic limbs. The point is to also identify the solutions. This isn't just a name-and-shame game. People want to make it right if you give them the opportunity.

Are people already sending tapes or images from mobile phones?

Gabriel: We haven't had the structure to do that. That's the next challenge.

Caldwell: Implementation will be in the next 12 months. That's what we're shooting for, although we need financial support.

How will you keep control of the content?

Gabriel: We hope there will be some sort of self-regulating system. People, in order to get content uploaded, would have to rate three or four other pieces of material [on the site]. My country [England] is the most observed country in the world. I think the average person gets filmed eight times a day. The aim here is to turn the cameras back.

You were previously an investor in a digital music venture. From a musician's point of view, is the industry coming to terms with digital downloads, or is it still a huge problem?

Gabriel: If you make it easy for people to get what they want, and it's well filtered, people will pay. Maybe not as much as record companies and some artists would like, but probably enough. [I see] two models for the music business in the future: the old-fashioned model where record companies own the artists and their work; the other where the artists are in control and they use the record companies as a service.

Peter Gabriel, Davos 27/01/06

British musician Peter Gabriel arrives for the Celebrity Inspired Actionpanel session of the World Economic Forum WEF in Davos, Switzerland, Friday,Jan. 27, 2006. (AP Photo/Keystone, Laurent Gillieron)

Death Cab For Cutie Shoot Their Own 'Sledgehammer'

Earlier this month, Death Cab for Cutie were forced to make a difficult decision. It was time to shoot a video for "Crooked Teeth," the second single from their Plans album, and their label, Atlantic Records, was looking for something "a little less artsy" and a bit more "high impact" than their previous efforts. Which, of course, meant working with a big-name director. Which, of course, Death Cab were vehemently opposed to.

So they went with an unknown twentysomething named Ace Norton, a director with a penchant for claymation who had never made a big-budget clip before. Oh yeah, and they ended up submitting a video based on Peter Gabriel's 1986 stop-motion fest "Sledgehammer." Cue ticked-off label, right?

"I guess [Atlantic's] happy with it, because I haven't heard anything about it," Norton laughed. "I think everyone knew it was my first big video, and they didn't want to put a lot of pressure on me, but I knew there was a lot riding on it. And it was pretty crazy, especially with the way we had the whole shoot scheduled."

That schedule included just one on-set day for the guys in Death Cab, which meant that Norton would have to rip through the painstaking (and time-consuming) process of stop-motion photography at a breakneck pace. And amazingly, he pulled it off, shooting all sorts of stop-motion scenes (faces are painted, heads are wrapped and unwrapped, sweaters are removed) in just 13 hours.

"It was crazy. We had the band there and we had like five animation stations there just doing the same thing. And stop-motion takes forever to shoot. The wrapping and unwrapping sequence took like two hours for each guy in Death Cab," Norton said. "They were awesome about the whole thing; definitely the easiest band I've ever worked with. We literally did one take with each bandmember, and that's all it took."

If the guys in Death Cab were pros, it's because they have plenty of experience working with up-and-coming directors. The video for the first single from Plans, "Soul Meets Body," was directed by newcomer Jon Watts (see "Death Cab For Cutie Admit Magical Forest Video Is 'A Little Weird' "), and earlier this month, they unveiled the first clip from their "Directions"
video anthology — which will showcase the work of 12 below-the-radar directors (see "Death Cab For Cutie Taking A Page From 50 Cent's Playbook") — on www.deathcabforcutie.com.

But rarely, if ever, had they worked with a director whose motivation was so clear. Basically, Norton was looking to remake the award-winning "Sledgehammer," and though he's not sure if his "Crooked Teeth" video accomplished his goal, he's thrilled just to have it mentioned in the same sentence as Gabriel's classic clip.

"I grew up animating little movies with action figures, so 'Sledgehammer' is obviously a big inspiration to me," Norton said. "So I wanted 'Crooked Teeth' to be a tip of the hat to 'Sledgehammer,' because it's the greatest music video ever made. And the fact that people are even comparing them is amazing."

Peter play with Monica

Gillian Caldwell, Davos Diary : 28 JANUARY 2006

We met Monica Seles and the CEO of the Women's Tennis Association early this morning and played some tennis. I felt pretty good about it until Peter Gabriel said it was like a cat playing with three mice. I guess she was taking it easy on us.

Then we rushed to a Reuters-sponsored skiing venture and managed to stagger our way down a few slopes and through a giant slalom course - I took a spectacular spill at high speeds. Then rushed again for press which we are just wrapping up - CNN and Business Week.

As I said to Peter, every day is gruelling in its own way here! I feel like I am about to faint. But it's been terrific and I think I am now a fully addicted blogger. Need to rush again... to the train for Zurich. Thanks for sticking with me!

Mel Young's Homeless World Cup

Gillian Caldwell, Davos Diary : 27 JANUARY 2006

Peter Gabriel signed up to be the musical director for Mel Young's Homeless World Cup which will being teams of homeless people together from more than 40 countries in South Africa in September (he won't be paid to do it, of course).

Peter Gabriel hits 'Big Time' in wrestling world

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Peter Gabriel's "Big Time" has become the official theme of World Wrestling Entertainment's upcoming "WrestleMania 22," nearly 20 years after the song hit the top 10 in the United States.

The tune is heard in TV and online spots for the annual live and pay-per-view extravaganza. The ads began airing earlier this month and will continue through April 2, when "WrestleMania 22" touches down at the Allstate Arena in Chicago.

WWE fans logging on to http://wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania are able to stream "Big Time" -- the song and its accompanying video. The site also spotlights Gabriel's best-of CD ("Hit") and DVD ("Play") collections.

By the way, "WrestleMania 22" is already sold out. Those without tickets will have to settle for the next best thing: pay-per-view.

Should celebrities decide what's a good cause?

Lucky the charity that has the patronage of a global superstar. Media attention is guaranteed, donors' wallets open and all is well. Or is it? Let's take a much celebrated example of Davos charity.

A year ago, Hollywood megastar Sharon Stone attended the World Economic Forum and heard the Tanzanian president explain that every year a million people were dying of malaria because they lacked basic precautions like bed netting to keep mosquitoes away. Ms Stone stood up, pledged $10,000 and challenged business people to match her donation. Within 10 minutes more than $1m was in the bag. Err ... not quite. Only a minority of the pledges was honoured; thankfully a UN body made up the shortfall.

But "should we rely on Ms Stone's instincts to determine a worthy cause" in the first place, asks Xavier Sala-i-Martin, economics professor at Columbia University. Every year diarrhoea is killing more people than Malaria, he says - so could the UN organisation have used the money for an even more urgent cause?

'Diana effect'

So what are the risks of "Celebrity Inspired Action"? It was the question put to a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, itself sporting two real-life celebrities actor Michael Douglas and singer Peter Gabriel - as well as a crown prince.

Of course some cynicism will be justified, acknowledged Mr Gabriel. There will be celebrities who fall for the wrong cause, and those who jump on a bandwagon trying to revive their flagging careers. But celebrities can do some good, and it was not just the celebrities who said so.

Hollywood stars broke the silence surrounding Aids, but it was the so-called "Princess Diana effect" - she held hands and hugged Aids patients - that persuaded millions to accept Aids patients. "That had more effect than any billboard could have had," said Peter Piot, director of the United Nations programme on HIV-Aids.

Reaching the unconverted

Also, when "Women for Women", a charity that helps women in war zones, tried to get media attention for its cause it took Queen Rania of Jordan to open Hollywood's doors and Oprah Winfrey to open America 's wallets. Without celebrities, that cause would have gone unheard; women raped by soldiers in Rwanda would have been left without help.

Hollywood actor Michael Douglas makes a simple equation: "If I write for the op-ed (editorial) pages I preach to the converted. "If I get the subject onto the entertainment pages, it allows me to share a subject matter with an audience that may not be aware of it."

Professor Sala-i-Martin agrees that celebrities can do some good. But he is still worried that as a result some aid flows are not based on rational decisions, but the whims of a superstar. A star, he says, that is not accountable to anybody.

Peter Gabriel agrees: "Maybe we need to use the internet as a celebrity judgement aid."

Michael Douglas says celebrity can help spread new ideas

Actor Michael Douglas. (AP '05/David J. Phillip)

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) - Michael Douglas knows that those who attend the World Economic Forum can move mountains and make mounds of money. But a little star power - be it Bono, Angelina Jolie or Peter Gabriel - never hurts.

"It's an impressive group, to say the least, that covers a broad spectrum," said the 61-year-old actor-producer, adding that the free-flow nature of the event promotes dialogue in a friendly environment. The annual meeting ends Sunday.

"People seem to let their hair down a little bit and loosen their ties. And there is a lot of give and share that's going on both in front on the panels and behind," Douglas said. "So it's a learning experience for me and, I guess my from end, I hope they will recognize as they have from Bono's efforts and others, that many of us on the entertainment side can talk about the issues," he said.

Douglas won a best-actor Oscar for his role in 1987's Wall Street. He also has starred in Fatal Attraction, Traffic and Wonder Boys, among other films. As for using celebrity to advance causes, Douglas said that can be a double-edged sword.

"We obviously help fundraising a whole lot, and as spokespersons you bring the issue on the table as a message of peace from the United Nations talking about disarmament, in particular areas (like) weapons of mass destruction, nuclear disarmament," he said. "People tend to get an audience from television when celebrities are involved. That helps. The danger is when you get in over your head and then you lose your credibility."

On the Net: www.weforum.org

Peter Gabriel is the bar !

When Rob Dickinson embarked on his solo career, the former frontman of British rock band Catherine Wheel set his standards high. "For me, Peter Gabriel is the bar," Dickinson said before the fall release of his debut album, "Fresh Wine for the Horses." "To leave a band of such stature and continue to flourish and prosper, that's the goal, isn't it?"

Davos diary 2006

So what is really happening at the World Economic Forum (WEF)? Several participants will send us regular Davos diaries, sharing their hopes, expectations and experiences.

Gillian Caldwell is the executive director of human rights group Witness.

25 JANUARY 2006

Day 1 at the World Economic Forum: I attended a session this morning on how we did as a global community in the last year in the areas identified as top priorities by Davos attendees last year: poverty, equitable globalization, climate change, education, global governance, and the Middle East.

People felt encouraged by the fact that commitments were made by governments to double aid to Africa from $60bn to $129bn by 2010 and that there was an agreement to cancel 100% of the multilateral debt for 18 countries.

They attributed the new commitments to strong leadership coming from the UK in the G8 and pressure from NGOs and global citizens, particularly in and around the Live 8 concerts.

One panellist noted that governments in Italy and Germany weren't responding to calls for increased aid until public opinion rallied them during the concerts. I found that encouraging. While people acknowledged the new commitments, everyone agreed that the challenge now is to make sure governments make good on their promises.

In the area of climate change, there was much less to be hopeful about although one panelist noted that at least we finally have some measure of agreement that we have a serious problem on our hands.

I also sent some e-mails via the internal email system here requesting meetings with the leadership at Cisco, Google and Akamai to talk with Peter Gabriel and I about partnering on Witness' planned web portal.

We're in the early stages of conceptualising this, but the idea is that we would build a web hub to which anyone from around the world could upload video content and photographs via their cell phone, handheld device or computer onto a site which would give them the tools and support they need to propose and self-organise campaigns on pressing human rights issues.

Technology has really caught up with Peter Gabriel's original founding vision for Witness and there is so much we can do to change the world using visual imagery and the internet. You can see a mock-up explaining some of the functionality we have in mind for the web portal here.

We'd love your ideas and since this blog is just going one way, you can reach me at gillian@witness.org.

"L'impératif créatif" au menu de Davos

Le forum a été placé sous le thème de "L'impératif créatif" (The Imperative Creative), qui englobera comme de coutume sujets économiques et géopolitiques.

La manifestation traitera en revanche pour la première fois cette année du rôle du sport dans la croissance économique mondiale et dans le renforcement des liens entre les pays. Participeront notamment aux débats les présidents de la Fédération internationale de football (FIFA) Sepp Blatter et du Comité international olympique (CIO) Jacques Rogge.

De nombreuses célébrités seront également présentes à Davos: Bono, le chanteur du groupe U2, qui viendra défendre l'annulation de la dette pour les pays pauvres, le musicien Peter Gabriel, l'écrivain brésilien Paulo Coelho et l'actrice Angelina Jolie, ambassadrice de bonne volonté pour le Haut Commissariat de l'ONU pour les réfugiés (HCR).

L’Allemagne remballe ses habits de gala

(...) Ce qui préoccupe le plus les Allemands en ce moment, c’est plutôt l’annulation par la FIFA du gala qui devait remplacer la traditionnelle cérémonie d’ouverture.

Motif officiel ? Le délai entre le gala (7 juin) et le premier match (Brésil-Croatie le 13 juin) serait trop court pour changer le gazon du Stade olympique de Berlin. Déjà, les rumeurs vont bon train : le budget initial de 25 millions d’euros ayant été largement dépassé, la FIFA ne pourrait plus financer l’événement.

Il faut dire qu’elle avait vu les choses en grand : plus de 7 000 bénévoles avaient été recrutés, l’organisation du spectacle confiée à l’Autrichien Andre Heller, la musique à Peter Gabriel et la chorégraphie au Français Philippe Decouflé, célèbre pour sa mise en scène de la cérémonie d’ouverture des JO d’Albertville.

Le maire de Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, n’en revient pas : « Après deux ans de réflexion, une annulation aussi subite, c’est incroyable ! Dans un autre pays, l’État se serait révolté. » Et d’annoncer une grande fête devant la porte de Brandebourg : « Nous faisons ça pour la République ! » Le maire de Berlin doit encore s’organiser avec la chancellerie et le ministère de l’Intérieur pour les questions de sécurité, mais les festivités devraient avoir lieu. FIFA ou pas.

World Cup gala head demands FIFA apology

The man who was to direct the multi-million World Cup gala, which was cancelled in acrimonious circumstances, demanded an apology from football world governing body FIFA on Saturday.

Andre Heller, the Austrian who was to direct the 90-minute show in Berlin's Olympic Stadium on June 7, two days before the start of the World Cup, said the decisio to call off the extravaganza had caused a public outcry.

"It is necessary to be noble vis-a-vis the artists who were to take part in the gala and FIFA should send them a letter," Heller told NDR radio. "I can't be the only one to do it and say sorry to those poor people for something for which I was not responsible."

FIFA said Friday they had cancelled the event, which was to feature a host of stars as well as 7,000 volunteers, because they were concerned about the effects on the pitch. But Saturday's Berliner Zeitung said the reason was purely financial. It claimed that FIFA had allocated a 25-million euro budget which had been exceeded. Others believe that FIFA and Heller had fallen out.

The gala was to feature music by Peter Gabriel and choreography by France's Philippe Découflé, who was responsible for the opening ceremony of the 1992 winter Olympics in Albertville. A total of 132 former World Cup stars were also to have been involved including Argentina's hero Diego Maradona and Brazil's three-time victor Pele.

Slow ticket sales, which were priced at between 100-750 euros, were also blamed for the cancellation of the event. Friday's developments came just three days after serious question marks were raised over stadium security. "I can understand a little why the gala was cancelled," added Heller on Saturday. "But I don't understand why the decision was taken now."

Savourna Stevenson

Well connected from the Middle East to Sex and the City

Savourna Stevenson boldly takes the clarsach where no clarsach has gone before. In her hands, the Celtic harp has voyaged into the territory of bluegrass banjos, sitar-style cascades, Indian ragas and African beats.

A concert at Celtic Connections will preview tracks from her forthcoming album, her ninth, which has a distinctly Middle Eastern flavour. But this is only one aspect of her work. "Scotland's most adventurously accomplished clarsach player", as she has been called, has many other strings to her harp, from writing orchestral work, to having her music featured on Sex and the City. (...)

(...) She was reminded of the musical potential of The Prophet in 2002 when she was asked to play at Peter Gabriel's wedding "on a beach in Sardinia", at which Gibran's passage on marriage was one of the readings. She has now set that, along with two other passages, to music. Gibran's On Joy and Sorrow has been translated into Gaelic by her brother-in-law, the poet Aonghas MacNeacail, and will be sung by Alyth McCormack (...)

Savourna is known as one of the leading figures in the renaissance of the Celtic harp in Scotland over the last 20 years, inspiring audiences and musicians alike with her fresh approach to traditional music. In her music she identifies strongly with her Scottish musical roots while breaking through stylistic barriers between classic, folk, world music and jazz.

An outstanding virtuoso and composer, she has pushed the boundaries of the harp almost beyond imaginable belief with thrilling results. Her free spirited creative approach to music has won her the admiration of many acclaimed colleagues and has resulted in several fruitful collaborations with distinguished musicians including the legendary bassist Danny Thompson, singer Eddi Reader and June Tabor, Aly Bain, Fairport Convention and Davy Spillane from the traditional world and more recently with Internationally renowned world music artists including The Bhundu Boys, Toumani Diabate and many more at Peter Gabriel’s Real World recording studios and internationally renowned World of Music Art and Dance festivals.

Savourna’s prolific output as a composer shows great versatility and a keenness for cross art collaboration, writing for theatre, for film, TV and dance and eight CD recordings.

La FIFA annule le Gala de la Coupe du Monde de la FIFA 2006, Berlin

La FIFA annule le Gala de la Coupe du Monde de la FIFA 2006

Suite à une nouvelle étude approfondie de la possibilité de poser un nouveau gazon après l’organisation du Gala de la Coupe du Monde de la FIFA, prévu le 7 juin 2006 à Berlin, à l’Olympiastadion, la FIFA vient de décider l’annulation dudit événement. Malgré la proposition fin 2005 de décaler les dates prévues initialement pour le gala et le premier match de groupes que doit accueillir l’Olympiastadion de Berlin (les 7 et 13 juin au lieu des 8 et 12 juin), les études ont montré que le démontage en temps utile des scènes complexes et des installations techniques prévues pour le gala, puis l’installation d’un nouveau gazon en parfait état pour accueillir dès le 12 juin les matches de la Coupe du Monde, comportaient de trop grands risques.

La FIFA et le Comité Organisateur Local Allemagne 2006 regrettent d’autant plus cette décision que les deux acteurs étaient ravis, et le sont d’ailleurs toujours tout autant, du spectacle concocté par le directeur artistique André Heller, en répétition déjà depuis des mois. L’idée de déplacer le gala dans une autre ville n’est plus d’actualité puisqu’il serait impossible de concevoir et faire démarrer à temps un tout nouveau spectacle avec des acteurs et des assistants bénévoles.

La FIFA n’a pas changé d’avis : elle juge très positive l’organisation d’une cérémonie d’inauguration séparée et proposera, en collaboration avec André Heller et son équipe, de nouvelles idées pour une éventuelle réalisation du gala dans le cadre de la Coupe du Monde de la FIFA 2010 en Afrique du Sud.

La FIFA remercie vivement la Ville de Berlin, tous les acteurs impliqués dans ce projet et tout particulièrement les 15 000 bénévoles pour leur enthousiasme et leur passion. De manière appropriée, la FIFA saura se montrer reconnaissante de leur engagement. Tous les billets déjà vendus pour le gala seront bien sûr entièrement remboursés.

« Pour ma part, l’organisation d’une grande cérémonie d’inauguration reste une excellente idée. Cette annulation tardive n’a pas été une décision facile pour la FIFA, mais il est certain qu’en notre qualité d’instance dirigeante du football mondial, nous devons faire passer les aspects sportifs en priorité. Je remercie André Heller et toutes les personnes impliquées pour leur grand engagement et espère qu’ils comprendront notre décision », a déclaré le Président de la FIFA, Joseph S. Blatter.

« C’est avec une profonde tristesse que j’abandonne ce travail aussi captivant que constituait l’organisation du Gala de la Coupe du Monde de la FIFA 2006 à Berlin mais je ne peux ignorer le fait que les matches de la Coupe du Monde, dont la finale, qu’accueillera l’Olympiastadion de Berlin, devront se dérouler dans de parfaites conditions. Les considérations artistiques, aussi remarquables soient-elles, doivent dans ce cas passer au second plan. Je vais à présent me consacrer pleinement à l’organisation de la cérémonie d’ouverture de Munich et à la cérémonie de clôture de Berlin », a déclaré André Heller.

Division de la Communication de la FIFA
Zurich, le 13 janvier 2006

Ozark Henry

Ozark Henry. Un prête-nom pour Piet Goddaer, un fourre-tout musical, des influences plein le cabas et un quatrième album rentre-dedans qui fait de la Belgique la terre d'asile définitive des créations originales.

Un bout de terre rêvée où se croisent pêle-mêle Ghinzu, Girls in Hawaï, dEUS, Ann Pierle, Arno…Et Ozark Henry.

On l'avait simplement croisé au détour d'une page. Une page de bons plans pour les cadeaux de fin d'année, le regard fier sur sa pochette noire ; l'air mystérieux et la mèche rebelle empruntée à Jay Jay Johanson. Et puis on était sorti du métro, l'idée avait germée sur le trottoir : Il fallait revenir à The sailor not the sea, ce titre alambiqué, ces chansons dérivatives.

Ces chansons, dix chansons, autant de bonheur pour finir l'année. La finir tout simplement sur une note positive, portée par le chant lointain d'un pécheur de mélodies. Loin des rivages, La donna mobile plante le décor et empile les couches atmosphériques pour créer le nouveau courant. Du trip pop. Batteries low-tempos, basse discrète et voix haute perchée, La donna mobile permet de croire encore aux concepts albums, écoutables d'un trait, sans lassitude.
L'émotion de la voix de Piet Goddaer coupe le souffle et l'on cherche la ventoline sur Indian Summer, tout clavier dehors, belle comme un soleil qui se couche. Cette voix de crooner flamand, ces violons pincés, rythmique impec', la mélancolie… On compte les secondes qui s'égrènent, le spleen belge sans doute qui fait son effet.

Si Ozark Henry reste dur à définir, sorte d'ovni musical oscillant entre la world music et la pop raffinée, The sailor not the sea touche au cœur comme un patchwork variant les ambiances, les décors. Résolument rock aérien sur "Jocelyn it's crazy" (Ses guitares en reverb'…), ambiance cosy sur "Give yourself a chance with me", ritournelle à la manière de Coldplay sur "At sea"…

Si l'on reconnaît un album à la mémorisation facile de ses refrains, The Sailor not the sea s'installe dans le peloton de tête. Facile sans compromis, difficile sans obstacle, les émotions sans les larmes, ce quatrième album s'affirme comme une réussite. Structure hybride portée par un collectif hors pair, Ozark henry tente la Soul intimiste sur "Free Haven" ou l'instrumentale inspirée sur "The Sailor not the sea" (très Morcheeba dans le style).

A l'heure des featurings intempestifs, Piet préfère la collaboration, et pas la pire. En allant chercher Jaki Liebezeit, mythique batteur de Can (auteur du plus bel album Krautrock, Tago Mago), Ozark Henry frappe haut et fort, assurant un rythme endiablé et tribal à ses compositions. Un bien bel effort donc, pour un artiste, un vrai puisant ses influences autant du coté d'Eno que de Peter Gabriel.

De belles références pour un prêtre de cantiques modernes à découvrir très, mais alors très rapidement. Avant l'extinction des feux.

A lire aussi sur Froggy's Delight : L'interview d'Ozark Henry

Ozark Henry en concert à la Maroquinerie en décembre 2005

En savoir plus : Le site officel de Ozark Henry

Sardinia plans tax bill for its tourist glitterati

The Sunday Times January 08, 2006 / John Follain

The white sand, crystal waters and five-star hotels of Sardinia’s Emerald Coast have long been a haven for some of Europe’s wealthiest holidaymakers, from Princess Caroline of Monaco to Roman Abramovich, the billionaire owner of Chelsea football club.

From this summer, however, they may feel somewhat less welcome. The authorities on the Italian island want to impose stiff new taxes on the yachts, private aircraft and second homes of foreign visitors.

Despite the money the tourists already bring in, Renato Soru, centre-left president of the regional government, has drawn up a draft budget that includes what the local media have called a “tax on luxury” — which he hopes will raise as much as £550m this year.

“Let’s tax the rich,” said Soru, a former internet tycoon. “In most cases they are tourists who don’t spend even one euro in Sardinia and yet are heavy users of the services provided by the regional authority.”

Under the proposals, a mooring tax will be imposed on yachts according to their size. The owners of boats more than 98ft long will have to pay £13,700. From the beginning of June to the end of September, owners of private aircraft will have to pay an extra levy of £140-£690, depending on the number of passengers the craft can take, each time they take off or land on the island.

Owners of second homes who do not live permanently in Sardinia will also have to pay more.

Soru wants houses of up to 2,153sq ft within two miles of the shore to be taxed at £2,060 a year; each extra 11sq ft will add £100 to the annual charge. Those within 300 yards of the sea will pay 20% more. There will also be a 25% tax on properties sold.

“Those who live in our region for three months and elsewhere for nine must pay taxes in Sardinia for those three months at least,” Soru said. “Until now we’ve been taken for a ride, now basta (enough).”

Soru, who estimates that 150,000 villas will be affected by the new rules, intends to spend part of the money raised by the new taxes on preserving the environment.

Among those hardest-hit would be Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s billionaire centre-right prime minister, who owns seven villas on the Emerald Coast, including the 27- bedroom La Certosa outside Porto Rotondo. Sardinian newspapers have estimated that Berlusconi could face a £165,000 tax bill for La Certosa alone.

At least Berlusconi will not be subject to the yacht levy: he sold his million-pound craft, the Principessa Vai Via, to a business partner three years ago.

Abramovich who last summer anchored his 340ft vessel, Pelorus, off the resort of Porto Cervo, will be affected as will Princess Caroline of Monaco, who sails there on her 1930s yacht, Pacha III.

Other owners of luxury villas in the area include Sheikh Yamani, the Saudi former oil minister; Peter Gabriel, the musician; and Fiona Swarovski, the heiress. Recent visitors include Leonardo DiCaprio, Julia Roberts, Madonna and the supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

Berlusconi has refrained from commenting directly on the new taxes, but has sent Giuseppe Pisanu, Italy’s Sardinian-born interior minister, to spearhead opposition. On a visit to the island last week, Pisanu criticised the budget bill, saying it would discourage both investment and “high- quality tourism”.

“It’s an aberrant measure which risks inflicting a devastating blow to Sardinia’s tourism growth,” Pisanu said. The government is considering an appeal to Italy’s constitutional court to have the new taxes thrown out.

Didier Varrod: "Balavoine avait un charisme fondamental"

Didier Varrod: "Balavoine avait un charisme fondamental"

dimanche 8 janvier 2006

Daniel Balavoine (deuxième en partant de la gauche) en compagnie de ses amis à Agadez (Niger).

Photo de AFP/Getty Images

Le journaliste et homme de radio et de télévision Didier Varrod, auteur d'une biographie très complète de Daniel Balavoine, « Le roman de Daniel Balavoine » (Fayard/Chorus), souligne que le chanteur, qu'il a bien connu, « avait un charisme fondamental » et voulait « s'inscrire dans une démarche citoyenne ».

(...) - Q. : Le manque de considération de la la presse rock le gênait-il?

- R. : « Il en était blessé. Higelin, Lavilliers, Couture, puis Daho, les Rita Mitsouko, Axel Bauer, Lio: tous avaient des papiers dans la presse rock, et pas lui. Il disait: « S'il y a bien un enfant du rock, c'est moi. Mes fondamentaux ne sont pas Ferré, Brassens ou Brel, mais Yes, Genesis, Peter Gabriel ou Talking Heads ». Le portrait que lui a consacré l'émission Les Enfants du rock en 1984 a été déterminant, il l'a pris comme la fin de ses ennuis! » (...)