Mandela concert attracts 50,000 people

Posted by on Monday Sam Banda Junior, AfricaNews reporter in Blantyre, Malawi

Former South African president Nelson Mandela received a massive audience of up to 50,000 people Friday during his concert in London's Hyde Park. Several music artists which included Amy Winehouse came together during the concert aimed at raising funds for the South Africa’s first black presidents HIV/Aids charity ahead of his birthday next month.

During his stay in Britain, Mandela has uttered just four words of criticism of Zimbabwe in a speech at a dinner -- "tragic failure of leadership" -- but they were enough to make headline news. Actor Will Smith kicked the show in style when with his wife Jada Pinkett Smith quoted singer Peter Gabriel saying if the world could only have one father, the man who would have been chosen would be Nelson Mandela.

Mandela who was very happy with the concert turns 90 on July 18. Speaking during the concert which was partly overshadowed by Zimbabwe’s disputed elections also on Friday, said the African continent needs to know that there was more work to be done to give freedom for all.

“Let us remind ourselves that our work is far from complete and our work is for freedom for all,” Mandela told the BBC. The former president further observed that where there is poverty and sickness including HIV/Aids and that where human beings are being oppressed there need for more work to be done.

A BBC report Friday said Mandela arrived on stage flanked by stars of the show, including Geri Halliwell and Leona Lewis. Mandela’s charity concert dubbed 46664 charity was named after his prison number which was given during the 27 years he spent behind bars for his stand against South African apartheid.

However the report said the concert finally reached the climax when with the coming in of a rendition of The Special AKA hit Free Nelson Mandela, written by Jerry Dammers, which became an anti-apartheid anthem in the 1980s.

Many African artists also flew in for the birthday gig, including Papa Wemba of DR Congo, and South African singers Loyiso and Kurt Darren. Mandela popularly known as Madiba among the country’s locals, officially retired from politics nine years ago, but he is still a moral authority admired the world over.

La culture africaine favorise le maintien de Mugabe, regrette le rappeur Jal

LONDRES (AFP) — La culture africaine, en insistant sur le respect dû aux anciens, empêche les élites du continent de dénoncer sans retenue le président zimbabwéen Robert Mugabe, déplore dans un entretien à l'AFP le jeune rappeur soudanais Emmanuel Jal.

Arrivé au pouvoir en 1980, Robert Mugabe, 84 ans, fait figure de patriarche pour les dirigeants africains, ainsi enclins à modérer leurs critiques, estime la star africaine du hip hop dans cette interview accordée à l'AFP après le concert de Hyde Park pour le 90e anniversaire de Nelson Mandela, vendredi soir à Londres.

"C'est difficile. Mugabe est considéré comme un héros", constate Jal. "Il a obtenu l'indépendance pour son pays, il l'a dirigé pendant plus de 20 ans et il a aidé la plupart de ces pays africains: aidé le mouvement anti-apartheid en Afrique du Sud, aidé l'Angola."

"Il a aidé tous ces dirigeants et il a gagné leur respect", insiste-t-il. "Le proverbe dit de ne pas témoigner d'ingratitude envers la personne qui vous a aidé. Alors maintenant, c'est difficile. Même s'il a tort, ces dirigeants n'ont aucun moyen de lui forcer la main".

Robert Mugabe est assuré d'être réélu à la tête du Zimbabwe, après le second tour de l'élection présidentielle vendredi, boycotté par l'opposition qui, tout comme l'Occident, a qualifié le scrutin de "farce".

Conscience de l'Afrique, Nelson Mandela, 89 ans, a dénoncé mercredi au cours d'un dîner de charité à Londres, après s'être abstenu de tout commentaire pendant des années, la "tragique défaillance de la direction" du Zimbabwe.

L'initiative de l'ancien président sud-africain est source d'espoir, pour Jal. "Parce qu'il est l'un des anciens, Mandela a le droit de parler, selon les critères de la culture africaine", explique-t-il. "Mugabe devra l'écouter. Si Mugabe aime réellement le peuple zimbabwéen, il devra faire quelque chose pour sauver le pays".

Les violences qui ont eu lieu au Zimbabwe entre les deux tours de l'élection présidentielle sont à ses yeux tragiques.

"C'est ainsi que les guerres éclatent", met-il en garde. "Elles commencent avec quelque chose sans trop d'importance comme ça, vous opprimez les gens. Si vous opprimez quelqu'un un jour, il tentera de réagir. C'est difficile d'opprimer quelqu'un continuellement sans qu'il réagisse".

Il y a quinze ans, enfant soldat dans un Soudan déchiré par la guerre civile, Jal envisageait le suicide. Recruté de force à huit ans par l'Armée de Libération du Peuple Soudanais (SPLA), il a passé quatre ans dans la savane soudanaise, fusil en mains.

Au concert vendredi, où Peter Gabriel l'a présenté en estimant qu'il avait "le potentiel d'un jeune Bob Marley", Jal a chanté "Emma", chanson de son dernier album "Warchild" (enfant soldat) dédiée à la travailleuse humanitaire britannique Emma McCune, qui l'avait libéré avec 150 autres enfants soldats. Elle est décédée peu après dans un accident d'autocar au Kenya en 1993.

Le destin zimbabwéen est ainsi profondément enraciné dans sa propre expérience.

"Ce que je crains, c'est que si Mugabe est isolé et acculé, et que si nous parlons de façon négative de lui, nous risquons d'en faire un monstre", dit-il. "Si nous faisons ça, il va commencer à tuer les gens, c'est un soldat. Cela fait peur. S'ils utilisent la force, alors le Zimbabwe perdra beaucoup."

Joseph Arthur : Crazy Reign

Popmatters :

Believe it or not, “complete creative control” can be a very bad thing.

When Joseph Arthur started out his career in the late-’90s, he was an alt-folk troubadour who wasn’t afraid to rock out on occasion. Of course, it certainly didn’t hurt that it was Peter Gabriel who stumbled upon his demo and helped in getting the young lad signed. But Arthur’s output since has been nothing but prolific: six full-length albums, 11 EPs, and that whole “Museum of Modern Arthur” thing.

After playing the label game for awhile, Arthur ultimately found happiness in starting up his own label (Lonely Astronaut), working on his paintings as well as recording dozens upon dozens of songs, most of which remain unreleased to this day. Having cultivated a loyal following, Arthur is now able to make his own music at his own rapid-fire pace, all with—that’s right—complete creative control. Unfortunately for him, such control does not equal focus.

Could We Survive and Crazy Rain are the first two EPs in a set of four that Arthur has released as a lead-up to his seventh full-length album, Temporary People, due later this year. He’s pulled off this multi-EP stunt before, with 2002’s Junkyard Hearts quadrilogy, but at the end of the day, 2008’s go-round is nothing to write home about. While Could We Survive is labeled as Arthur’s “traditional"-sounding EP and Crazy Rain serves as the wannabe dance disc, both remain remarkably hookless, thankless pop affairs.

Of the two, the shorter Could We Survive fares better. It remains firmly rooted in the glistening folk-pop of his past, and though it doesn’t reach the spectacular heights of, say, “Honey & the Moon”, it is by far the more effortless of the two. “Shadows of Lies”—despite its terrible title—is thoroughly enjoyable streamlined pop, with acoustic guitars fluttering around simple keyboard patterns and Arthur’s multi-tracked voice.

The mellow, sweet ballad “Morning Cup” remains the highlight, as it proves to be delicate without being too precious, rounded out by percolating piano lines and an off-kilter sense of (much-needed) whimsy. The rest of the disc, however, can be faulted for being too accessible. “King of the Pavement,” a track that would’ve been a passable song (or at least B-side) in any artist’s discography, is polished of all edge. Arthur’s disaffected crooning is lost amidst his addiction to vocal reverb. Though Arthur’s a good producer, he’s almost too good, often forgetting that just a twinge of grittiness at least shows that there’s a passionate soul at work, instead of well-oiled song machine…

… which, as Crazy Rain evidences, is almost exactly what he’s become. Despite this eight-track affair’s obsessions with drum machines and electronics, Rain is an absolute buffet of indulgence, with Arthur blindly convincing himself that he’s the master of any and all genres. “I Wanna Get You Alone” is perhaps the most glaring fault, as over a gritty bassline and throbbing beat, Arthur repeats the title for a seemingly-endless minute before launching into barely-decipherable falsetto crooning, all making for a remarkably grating experience. The spacey “Dream of the Eternal Life” is filled with generic mid-tempo harmonies and surprisingly pedestrian lyrics. “Nothin 2 Hide”, meanwhile, rolls along in a druggy haze, unsure of its melody or even its purpose, which ultimately describes the entirety of Crazy Rain. For all its attempted neon bravura, Crazy Rain feels drained of all color.

Of course, it’s hard to fault Arthur for contracting Robert Pollard Syndrome, as there are some genuine gems within the fray. In the end, though, it just might be best for Arthur to get his genre-hopping out of his system. Once he’s burned himself out, all he’ll have to return to are the simple joys that got him here in the first place.

• Multiple songs MySpace
  

Joseph Arthur—She Paints Me Gold

The source of the Blue Nile is in London

By Charlotte Cripps for Independent.co.uk

Preview: Summer Series, Somerset House, London

The source of the Blue Nile is in London

The Glaswegian singer- songwriter Paul Buchanan, of pop band The Blue Nile, has never been part of the musical rat-race. With only four albums in 25 years – A Walk Across the Rooftops (1982), Hats (1989), Peace at Last (1996) and High (2004) – his band has never been into overexposure.

"After all these years, my life is more akin to somebody trying to write novels," says Buchanan.

Now the six-piece is to join the line-up in a series of summer open-air concerts at Somerset House in London, along with acts of the moment including The Fratellis, Justice, UNKLE, Lupe Fiasco, We are Scientists, The Zutons, The Feeling, Duffy and Adele.

"I'm not even aware of who else is performing. I don't read the music press and I don't keep track of who is popular," says Buchanan. "We stayed out of the way of the limelight. We were working out of a tiny cold-water bedsit trying to create pure music. We knew that if it became about personality, we would destroy the impact of the music. Do you really know what Puccini looks like? Would it help if you knew everything about Puccini's private life? No it wouldn't. It makes you numb. We were all grown-up men when we made these decisions. We are just lucky, because for a band who was never really on Top of the Pops, we've survived."

The band's style of atmospheric, melodic pop music has led in the past to collaborations with Annie Lennox, Rickie Lee Jones, Texas and Peter Gabriel, but Buchanan still tries to shun the limelight. Instead, he says, "My overall sense is that I'm always trying to write the perfect sentence."

Nonetheless, Buchanan and bassist Robert Bell have come out of hiding long enough to play at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall, as part of the Manchester International Festival last year. And now Buchanan is writing a song for the National Theatre of Scotland's new play, 365, for the Edinburgh International Festival, before continuing to record the band's fifth album.

10 to 19 July (020-7845 4600; www.somersethouse.org.uk)

Values keeping Africa leaders silent on Mugabe: rapper Jal

LONDON (AFP) — Cultural values are stopping Africa's leaders from speaking out against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's regime, Sudanese rapper Emmanuel Jal says.

The soft-spoken hip-hop star and former child soldier said that because Mugabe, 84, is older and has been in power longer than most African leaders, his peers are reverential towards him.

"It's difficult. Mugabe is considered like a hero," Jal told AFP in London, where he appeared at Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday concert in Hyde Park on Friday in support of the former South African president's global AIDS campaign.

"He made his country get independence and he has been leading for more than twenty years and he helped most of those African countries; helped anti-apartheid in South Africa, helped Angola," he said.

"He has been helping all those other leaders and he earned respect. The saying is: 'don't bite the hand that feeds you'. So now it's difficult. Even if he wrong, those leaders won't have a chance to force him."

Mugabe was set to remain in power after a presidential run-off election Friday in which he was the only candidate on the ballot, after Morgan Tsvangirai of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change pulled out.

Mandela, 89, Africa's most respected elder statesman, has condemned the "tragic failure of leadership" in Zimbabwe, but held back from criticising Mugabe by name.

"Because he's one of the oldest, Mandela has the right according to African culture to speak," said the deep-thinking, dreadlocked singer, 28, who campaigns on a number of issues, including Darfur

"So with him doing that, Mugabe will have to listen. He's been given chances and he's not seeing them. I hope he's going to see. If Mugabe really loves the people of Zimbabwe then he has to come up with something to save the country."

Jal spent his childhood fighting in the Sudan People's Liberation Army in his native southern Sudan before going to Kenya in his early teens and embracing a career in music.

At the Mandela concert, Jal performed "Emma", a song from his latest album "Warchild", about late British aid worker Emma McCune -- the wife of an SPLA commander -- who freed him amongst 150 child soldiers and took him to Kenya.

Peter Gabriel introduced the rapper at the open-air gig, saying he had the "potential of a young Bob Marley".

Jal's other hits include "All We Need Is Jesus," and he has written a song, "50 Cent", taking the US rap star and others to task for sometimes glamourising crime in their lyrics.

He called the violence in Zimbabwe tragic and frustrating.

"That's how wars begin," he said.

"They begin with something small like that, you oppress the people. If you oppress somebody one day, they will start to try to react. It's hard to oppress somebody every day without them reacting back."

Jal called for neutral international negotiators to forge a solution as happened in Kenya following the disputed December 2007 election there.

"What I'm afraid of is if Mugabe is going to be isolated and put in a corner and we all pronounce negative stuff, we're going to make him into a monster," he said.
"If we do that, he's going to start cutting people and killing people: he's a soldier. It's scary. If they use force, then Zimbabwe will lose a lot."

Peter Gabriel`s studio gives 007 a shake and stir

James Bond will be coming to Box this summer when the sound team visit Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios to put the finishing touches to the latest film - reports ThisIsWiltshire

Although the star of the film, Daniel Craig, will not make an appearance, Mr Gabriel said he will be hosting plenty of the film's technical crew.

The new Bond film, Quantum of Solace, is due to be released on November 7 and stars Olga Kurylenko as Bond girl Camille.

It is Mr Craig's second time in the role as the secret agent and, with most of the filming complete, it is now up to the technical masterminds to polish off the finished piece ready for the cinemas.

The sound will be put to the 22nd Bond film by production sound mixer Chris Munroe.

Along with Eddy Joseph, Mike Prestwood Smith, Martin Cantwell, and Mark Taylor, Mr Munro won the BAFTA award for Best Sound in the last Bond film, Casino Royale, at the 2007 awards event.

The studio, which has welcomed stars such as Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Oasis and Starsailor in the past, has decided to offer its state-of-the-art recording facilities to the film industry, to polish off sound effects for movies.

The recording studios in Mill Lane are thought to be favoured by such big names because of the tranquil and private surroundings of Box.

Mr Gabriel said: "We're doing some partnerships with the film industry and we've got equipment here to be able to mix their sound. The sound for the latest James Bond film will be done here so that's a great avenue to be able to branch out into. I doubt any of the actors will be around but we'll have plenty of crew here and the director might pop in but that's as high profile as it will get."

Recently the studio has had new band Hot Chip recording there and singer Sade.

Although staff at the studio were unable to give exact dates for the Bond crew's visit to Box they confirmed that it would be this summer, ready for the film's release on October 31.

Peter Gabriel - Down To Earth (W/ LYRICS) Wall-E Soundtrack

Did you think that your feet had been bound
By what gravity brings to the ground?
Did you feel you were tricked
By the future you picked?
Well come on down

All these rules don't apply
When you're high in the sky
So come on down
Come on down

We're coming down to the ground
There's no better place to go
We've got snow upon the mountains
We've got rivers down below
We're coming down to the ground
To hear the birds sing in the trees
And the land will be looked after
(Come) send the seeds out in (the deep?)

Did you think you'd escaped from routine
By changing the script and the scene?
Despite all you made of it
you're always afraid of the change

You've got a lot on your chest
Well you can come as my guest
So come on down
Come on down

We're coming down to the ground
There's no better place to go
We've got snow upon the mountains
We've got rivers down below
We're coming down to the ground
We'll hear the birds sing in the trees
And the land will be looked after
(Come?) send the seeds out in (the deep?)

Like the fish in the ocean
We felt at home in the sea
We learned to live off the good land
We learned to climb up a tree
then we got up on two legs
But we wanted to fly
When we messed up our homeland
and set sail for the sky

We're coming down to the ground
There's no better place to go
We've got snow upon the mountains
We got rivers down below
We're coming down to the ground
We'll hear the birds sing in the trees
And the land will be looked after
send the seeds out in th

We're coming down
Comin' down to earth
Like babies at birth
Comin' down to earth

Redefine your priorities
These are extraordinary qualities

We're coming down to the ground
There's no better place to go
We've got snow upon the mountains
We've got rivers down below
We're coming down to the ground
We'll hear the birds sing in the trees
And the land will be looked after
(Come) send the seeds out in (The deep?)

We're coming down to the ground
There's no better place to go
We've got snow upon the mountains
We've got rivers down below
We're coming down to the ground
We'll hear the birds sing in the trees
And the land will be looked after
(Come) send the seeds out in (the deep?)

Nelson Mandela concert rocks Hyde Park

By Adam Sweeting, Hyde Park, Telegraph.co.uk

Telegraph TV: Mandela joins stars for his 90th birthday

Before the show, the crooner Josh Groban gushed that "anybody who believes in peace and equality should come to this concert," and the sentiment was noisily endorsed by the hordes assembled to celebrate Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday.

Nelson Mandela waves to the crowd on stage during the concert honouring his 90th birthday in Hyde Park. Mandela urged everyone to keep supporting his 46664 campaign while there was still poverty and oppression in the world

Twenty years after massed superstars gathered at Wembley to demand his release from Robben Island jail, Mandela has made an extraordinary transition from anti-apartheid figurehead into a sort of quasi-Christ.

"He'll probably be remembered as the greatest historical figure of this era," according to a hyped-up Will Smith, one of the fleet of Hollywood icons (also including Oprah, Denzel Washington and Robert de Niro) freighted in for the occasion and one of the show's multiple comperes.

With sogginess engulfing Glastonbury and symptoms of festival-fatigue afflicting punters elsewhere, the mood in Hyde Park remained celebratory, despite scudding grey clouds and a chilly wind.

The event was a technical feat, equipped with a sharper-than-average sound system and enough giant screens to offer a superior view from any angle.

Still, not even Mandela could create an entirely classless society in the park, and the blingtastic legion of celebs had been allocated their own "VIP Golden Circle" area in front of the stage.

But the major achievement was to squeeze such a vast roll-call of artists into the same evening.

A well-drilled house band, assisted by the vividly-coloured Soweto Gospel Choir, provided backup to everyone from a cheesy but energetic Sugababes to the perfectly-pitched Leona Lewis and the statuesque Jamelia.

With each act restricted to only one or two songs the turnarounds had to be slick, but the pace rarely slackened.

Even Amy Winehouse, looking dazed and uncertain but evidently determined to keep her promise to perform, hit the stage bang on cue.

Some of the most memorable moments were the least expected. Peter Gabriel popped up to introduce Sudanese rapper and ex-boy soldier Emmanuel Jal, whose vivid and eloquent performance suggested the arrival of a star-in-waiting.

Annie Lennox delivered an impassioned speech about stepping up the war against Aids in Africa, and led a stirring singalong with the Agape Choir, which is made up of Aids orphans.

Formula One ace Lewis Hamilton used his brief compere slot to explain, rather touchingly, why Mandela mattered to him.

As the evening wore on, clanky old pomp-rock increasingly began to clog up the works.

Simple Minds could have squeezed in a whole extra song instead of getting the crowd to sing "la-la-la" ad infinitum during Don't You Forget About Me, while Queen really ought to be under glass in the V&A.

But the frail Mandela gave his flock some moments to savour when he made his way laboriously to the microphone, and urged everyone to keep supporting his 46664 campaign while there was still poverty and oppression in the world.

He understands better than anyone what a long haul that's going to be.

WALL•E- An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack Review

Despite the sub-title of this album (Original Score By Thomas Newman), the composer's lush score is book-ended by a couple of Michael Crawford performances culled from a Broadway production of Hello, Dolly!, as well as a new Peter Gabriel Tune. Also tucked away amongst the elements of score is a Louis Armstrong classic. (...)

The Peter Gabriel number, "Down To Earth", at first comes off like one of those Oscar ready film ditties that seem to pop up on Disney films with regularity (Think Elton John's contributions to The Lion King and Phil Collins' work on Tarzan). Basically a mid-tempo ballad, it is built around keyboards and languid basslines, over which Gabriel delivers his warmly gruff vocals. The chorus kicks things up a notch with reverb and ecstatic handclaps, gospel/world music vocals soon slip into the mix, creating a sense of jubilation and immersive. In the end, as is the case with much of Gabriel's work, the simplistic overtones reveal a richly textured progressive pop gem that will work its way under your skin with seductive catchiness and send ripples of happiness up and down your spine. (...)

Amnesty International Goes Local With Human Rights Tour

Jun 27, 2008, Story by: Tiffany Kilfeather, CMJ News

Peter Gabriel and Art For Amnesty founder Bill Shipsey are launching the Small Places Tour, an Amnesty International project that will highlight local bands around the world from September 10 to International Human Rights Day on December 10.

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and taking to heart Eleanor Roosevelt's call for "concerted citizen action" in "small places close to home," local bands from over 30 countries are encouraged to plan shows in their hometown to be included in the tour.

"Small Places is also an attempt to de-construct the charity concert model, moving away from the Live Aid/8/Earth stadium model towards something that is more decentralized and greener," Nick Terzo, co-producer of the tour, told CMJ. "It is open to bands large and small, famous and less famous and of all genres. There is an extensive menu of activities ranging from bands who are donating a portion of every ticket sold on their tour, to one-off benefit concerts, to auctions featuring premium tickets, life experiences and one of a kind items."

Bands can book a show with their local venues or 'join' the tour on their own schedule by announcing that they will play one or a number of concerts "for" Amnesty International. Artists can coordinate with the Small Places Tour team by contacting them through their MySpace page.

In addition to the home-grown aspect of the tour, Amnesty International is planning up to 10 high-profile concerts in Hong Kong, Montreal, Dublin, Prague, Capetown, New York City, San Francisco and Santiago. Names and venues will be released closer to the tour's launch.

While Terzo said Small Places is primarily about coming together to fight for human rights, proceeds that are raised will go to Amnesty programs like: campaigns to stop torture, to close Guantanamo, to end the killing in Darfur, to stop violence against women, to protest China's actions in Tibet, to work towards the release of Aung San Sui Kyi and other political prisoners in Burma, and other human rights issues being pursued by the organization.

"The Edge and Peter Gabriel want the Small Places Tour to signal a passing of the torch to the next generation of music activists. It's important to them that they entrust the work they started back in the '80s to musicians whom will care about Amnesty International and Human Rights not only for a few months this autumn but for many years to come," said Terzo. "It allows the superstars of yesterday, today and tomorrow to participate. Just about every community has musicians whose contributions can further Amnesty's goals locally and in the world. Combining those efforts with those by acts who are better known nationally and internationally aims to create an unstoppable force in support of human rights."

www.myspace.com/smallplacestour

Smith hosts Mandela concert

On Teletext : Nelson Mandela praised the celebration of his 90th birthday concert - but said it was time for "new hands to lift the burdens" of human suffering. Looking frail but smiling, Mandela was physically helped on to the stage and used a stick as he delivered his birthday speech at London's Hyde Park.

Earlier, Hollywood actor Will Smith kicked off the star-studded bash, saying: "The party begins now." When Mandela arrived on stage he was flanked by stars of the show, including Geri Halliwell and Leona Lewis.

He said: "Even as we celebrate, let us remind ourselves that our work is far from complete. Where there is poverty and sickness, including Aids, where human beings are being oppressed, there is more work to be done. Our work is for freedom for all."

Leona Lewis was one of the biggest hits of the gig, singing her ballad Bleeding Heart as well as Better In Time.

The X Factor winner said: "When I was younger I remember my aunty and grandmother used to tell me stories about this incredible, wonderful, great man, Nelson Mandela. We used to sing songs about him. It's incredible to sing here today at his 90th birthday celebration."

Annie Lennox, who performed with the Agape Choir, took to the stage wearing a T-shirt saying "HIV Positive". In a message to Mandela, talking about HIV and Aids, she said: "We must do something to prevent a virtual genocide upon your people."

Peter Gabriel then introduced rapper Emmanuel Jal, a former child soldier. Gabriel said the performer had the "potential of a young Bob Marley".

Amy Winehouse defied her detractors to take to the stage just days after coming out of hospital.

U2's Bono and The Edge recorded a version of Happy Birthday for Mandela. The concert was to benefit the former South Africa president's HIV Aids charity 46664.

Le mondomix de : Hadouk Trio

Sur Mondomix : Ce trio est à l’image de son nom : un collage d’univers et d’idées, créateur d’une ambiance doucement lunaire.

Le Hadouk, c’est le « Ha » de hajouj (basse africaine appelée aussi gumbri), et de le « douk » de doudouk (sorte de hautbois arménien). Loy Ehrlich joue le hajouj. Ce musicien au multiples talents a rôdé ses claviers auprès de Peter Gabriel ou de Jon Hassell tout en poursuivant de fructueuses aventures africaines avec Youssou N'Dour, Touré Kunda, Geoffrey Oryema ou encore Wasis Diop. Il est également l’un des programmateurs du festival de musiques Gnaoua d’Essaouira.

Didier Malherbe s’occupe quant à lui du Doudouk. Le saxophoniste de Gong n’a jamais arrêté d’avancer sur des chemins non balisés auprès d’artistes de caractère comme Steve Hillage, Higelin, Brigitte Fontaine, Robert Wyatt ou Pierre Bensusan.

Le dernier larron, Steve Shehan, percussionniste de haut vol, a travaillé avec Brian Eno, John Mc Laughlin, Vangelis ou Herbie Hancock. Ensemble, ils ont créé un univers où les influences gnaoua, les rythmes d’Afrique Noire et un certain feeling jazz fusionnent dans une douce atmosphère de création. Ils ont sorti en huit ans d’existence quatre albums : « Hadouk », « Shamanimal », « Now » et un concert à Radio France.

Video Filmé au Sunside (Paris).

New Peter Gabriel - "Down To Earth," Plans To Cover Vampire Weekend

Gabriel co-wrote "Down To Earth" with Thomas Newman. It's from Wall-E, the greatest robot movie ever made (98% at Rotten Tomatoes). Supposedly the song plays during the credits -- it's 6-minutes long, so that makes sense. You can purchase "Down To Earth" at the usual sites for purchasing tracks like Amazon. It's not bad. Maybe we're just glad it's not Randy Newman.

Also, Gabriel told BBC 6Music that he's a fan of/might cover Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa." As he put it, "I actually do like that song a lot and they've asked me to sing a version of it now which I may well do." Will he wear a white suit? If you're not keeping track of VW tracks, it's the song that mentions Gabriel by name. His thoughts:

"Well I haven't quite worked that out whether I should be doing that or substituting it with a name that might be appropriate to me -- I think playing with yourself makes you go blind after a while."

You can read the rest at Gigwise. While we're filling you in on Gabriel's whereabouts, you ought to know that he finished Big Blue Ball. As of three days ago. It only took 17 years. Also, if you need more PG, he has some online projects like The Filter (slogan: "Entertainment Filtered For You") as well as the We7 download site. Note: We7 has no Peter Gabriel on it.

by Brandon, Stereogum

Mandela's 90th birthday dinner

An array of stars from the sports, music and movie world hit London’s Hyde Park last night for a dinner to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday.

Robert DeNiro, Denzel Washington, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, Forest Whitaker and Uma Thurman were among the many A-listers making up the Hollywood contingent, while Annie Lennox, Peter Gabriel and the (brightly-coloured) Sugababes were famous music faces in attendance. Even Queen of the Sofa Oprah Winfrey flew over just for the occasion. (...)

Marie Claire News

Jozéfinn va jazzer en Belgique

par Marine Dusigne sur Clicanoo.com

Un peu de bleu dans le ciel d’intermittence de Jean-Pierre Joséphine. Il s’envolera le 4 août pour Bruxelles, où il représentera La Réunion au Gaume Jazz Festival. La magie du “world doc” Barbiot a opéré !

Il nous servait le café l’an dernier au Sakifo. Laurent Barbiot. Un médecin de Bruxelles, au départ, mais plutôt d’Afrique, du Québec et des Antilles, à l’arrivée. Sa vie de doc sans frontières, depuis des années a toujours été rythmée par les musiques du monde, dont il se fait le promoteur amateur en découvertes coups de cœur émaillant sa route de baroudeur au grand cœur. Sénégal, Congo, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Caraïbes et Réunion, riment pour lui, certes avec des missions de santé publique (il adore son métier) mais aussi avec des noms comme Youssou N’Dour ou Geoffrey Oryema. Le flash musical qui a changé le cours de sa vie a eu lieu en 90, ses études terminées, au contact du premier et de Peter Gabriel, leader de Real World, qui baptise aujourd’hui les musiques dites du monde.

PROMOTEUR DE LA MUSIQUE PAYS

Laurent a alors réussi à conjuguer son job et sa passion, partout où il est passé, entraînant par exemple dans son réseau perso une trentaine de musiciens hutus et tutsis dans le studio londonien de l’ancien leader de Genesis, juste après le génocide du Rwanda. Plus tard, c’est aux côtés de Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan qu’il a eu le coup de foudre pour le sarod, dont il assure aujourd’hui la promotion de l’instrumentiste Asad Qizilbash, de même qu’il s’évertue à faire connaître l’auteur du fameux Lot Boso martiniquais, Kolobast, infirmier et fier de l’être, simplement parce qu’il n’a pas de manager.

En pointillé de sa vie, il s’est mué en homme à tout faire sur le Sakifo, un an après avoir débarqué à La Réunion avec femme (neuropédiatre) et enfants (il en a un de plus aujourd’hui, donc trois). L’idée ? Avoir un pied dans le circuit, pour continuer à valoriser des échanges entre les musiciens de chez lui, d’ici et de partout où il défend, très humainement parlant, les talents.

C’est sur Jean-Pierre Jozéfinn qu’il a jeté son dévolu, lui trouvant toutes les qualités requises pour son entreprise. Contact pris avec les pros du cru, notamment Alain Courbis du Pôle régional des musiques actuelles, aller-retour entre notre petite France de l’océan Indien et son “Plat pays” où il est connu comme le loup blanc, et voilà le résultat d’un premier essai de coopération musicale visant à faire connaître La Réunion en Belgique : Jean-Pierre est l’invité en août du Gaume Jazz Festival au rayon partage et découvertes, statut partagé avec le fameux Steve Loubat : “Une première enthousiasmante”, estime le doc qui a bataillé ferme pour faire aboutir son projet et a mis toute son énergie en décembre à Bruxelles pour imposer son projet lors des “Plaisirs d’hiver” sur la Grand Place où la Réunion était invitée d’honneur. “J’ai eu l’accord de Jean-Pierre Bissot, le directeur du festival, qui est aussi le responsable des Jeunesses musicales en Belgique. Ça tombe bien puisque Joséphine a déjà des liens pédagogiques avec les JMF, où il fait la promotion des instruments de la Réunion. Gaume reste une magnifique ouverture sur les musiques du monde”, explique Laurent, radieux a l’idée de désenclaver un peu la musique pays pour la faire passer dans son “petit royaume”. Le début d’un canal nord-sud où il compte bien faire circuler d’autres musiciens du cru, de Belgique et d’ailleurs

Joseph Arthur : multimédia (entrevue)

Sur Matinternet par Julie Rhéaume

On connaît surtout Joseph Arthur en tant que musicien très prolifique. L'homme est également artiste, poète et blogueur. En juillet, il s'amènera au Québec pour y donner quelques concerts. Showbizz.net s'est entretenu avec le New-yorkais.

Rejoint au téléphone dans la Grosse Pomme, l'homme de 36 ans a la voix grave et rauque de celui qui roule sa bosse dans les cabarets enfumés - et où l'alcool coule à flots - depuis longtemps. Il est aussi loquace, lucide et sympa.

La musique

En carrière, depuis le milieu des années 90, Joseph Arthur a lancé six albums. Le septième, «Temporary People», enregistré avec son groupe The Lonely Astronauts, paraîtra en septembre.

En 2008, il aura également lancé quatre minis albums en une année. Trois sont déjà sur le marché. Le prochain, «Foreign Girls», sortira le 8 juillet. Il comptera alors onze mini albums à son actif.

Le musicien compte aussi dans ses tiroirs plusieurs chansons qui n'ont jamais été enregistrées. Comment fait-il pour être aussi productif? «J'aime tout simplement ce que je fais. Je ne le vois pas comme un travail. Je suis tout simplement mes inspirations. Tout se fait sans efforts», dit-il. Ses sources d'inspiration sont «sans limites». Pour lui, il y a toujours de nouveaux endroits et de nouvelles choses à découvrir.

En concert, Joseph Arthur reprend notamment des pièces des Rolling Stones, de Bob Dylan et de John Lennon. Il dit affectionner tout particulièrement ces artistes. Par contre, il apprécie également des musiciens plus funky comme Sly & The Family Stone et Prince. Il a aussi un faible pour le hip-hop et la musique électronique. Il refuse de se confiner à un seul genre.

Joseph Arthur est de plus un artiste en arts visuels. L'an dernier, il a même ouvert sa propre galerie d'art à Brooklyn : The Museum of Modern Arthur. Il y expose notamment ses oeuvres. S'il devait se consacrer exclusivement à une seule et unique forme d'expression artistique, laquelle choisirait-il ? «Ça dépend... Je ne sais pas... Je dirais que la musique est mon premier amour. Toutefois, il y a des moments lors desquels je n'aimerais que peindre... Mais heureusement, je n'ai pas à me limiter et à faire un tel choix», répond-il.

Peter Gabriel

Joseph Arthur chante sur une pièce de l'album «Big Blue Ball», un projet mené par Peter Gabriel et qui rassemble plusieurs artistes. On l'entend en compagnie de Gabriel et Karl Wallinger sur la chanson « Exit Through You».

«Big Blue Ball» n'est sorti aux États-Unis que depuis le 24 juin. Toutefois, l'album a pris une bonne quinzaine d'années avant d'atterir sur les tablettes des disquaires. «Peter Gabriel prend son temps», lance Joseph Arthur !

Lorsqu'il a rencontré Gabriel il y a douze ans, Joseph Arthur travaillait dans un magasin de guitares, raconte-t-il. Sa carrière n'était pas encore lancée.

L'artiste qualifie le travail effectué pour «Big Blue Ball» de «moment magique». «Nous avons eu bien du plaisir aux studios Real World (de Gabriel)», ajoute-t-il.

Les médias

Des médias prestigieux comme les magazines Rolling Stone et Billboard ont remarqué Joseph Arthur. David Fricke, un journaliste qui travaille pour le premier, l'a notamment encensé. Des publications grand public comme Entertainment Weekly ou USA Today ont aussi parlé de lui.

Comment compose-t-il avec cette attention médiatique? «Vous devez prendre le tout avec un grand de sel. Les médias parlent de moi mais on ne me voit pas. On ne reconnaît pas en public. Je reste assez terre à terre. Ma carrière s'est bâtie lentement. Elle reste underground. Parfois ça me fruste. Parfois, je suis content.»

On lui demande immédiatement quelle est la source de cette frustration. «Lorsque je me produis devant cinquante personnes en Alabama, c'est frustrant… Mais disons que ma carrière me rend plus heureux qu'elle ne me frustre», répond-il.

Spectacles

Le 4 juillet, Joseph Arthur se produira au Club Soda, à Montréal, dans le cadre du Festival de jazz. Le lendemain, il sera sur la scène de l'Impérial de Québec, un spectacle présenté par le Festival d'été. Le 6 juillet, on le verra à l'Auberge Île-du-Repos, à Péribonka.

L'artiste offrira des concerts solos. Seul sur les planches, il avait l'habitude d'avoir recours à des boucles et des gadgets électroniques. Il promet cette fois un spectacle minimaliste, avec «seulement moi, ma guitare et mon harmonica».

Il promet également de revenir au Canada après le lancement de l'album «Temporary People» pour y faire une tournée.

«J'aimerais bien éventuellement vivre (dans votre pays)», dit-il. En a-t-il marre de vivre aux États-Unis, de la politique ou de son président? Il hésite un moment, avant de répondre tout simplement qu'il «aime bien se promener».

Page MySpace de Joseph Arthur

Site Internet de l'artiste

Johnny Clegg : Asibonanga Mandela !

Sur Hit Muse Mag :

Queen, Leona Lewis, Annie Lennox, the Soweto Gospel Choir, Simple Minds, Razorlight, Eminem, U2, Amy Winehouse les Spice Girls, Johnny Clegg et un certain nombre d’invités surprises étaient Vendredi soir sur scène à Hyde Park, pour fêter, au cours d’un giga-concert, les 90 ans de Nelson Mandela. A cette occasion, retour en arrière violent de vingt ans jusqu’en 1988, lorsque Nelson était encore en prison et que les lois racistes de l’apartheid régissaient encore son pays. Rencontre dans l’Afrique du Sud d’alors avec les chants de la libération sur les traces du « zoulou blanc », Johnny Clegg.

C’est fou comme le temps passe, Nelson Mandela célèbre ses 90 printemps en homme libre et en ex-président de son pays l’Afrique du Sud. Ce Vendredi dans le cadre chargé de symbole d’Hyde Park à Londres, là où précisément les Stones avaient rendu leur hommage à Brian Jones l’été de sa mort en 69, une armada de musiciens va entonner « Happy Birthday Mandela ».

Et pourtant, 20 ans auparavant cet homme absolument hors du commun, ce Gandhi Africain était encore un bagnard exilé parmi ses camarades de l’ANC dans son pénitencier de Robben Island, au large de Cape Town. Et déjà des voix de musiciens s’étaient élevées pour réclamer sa libération comme la fin du régime honteux de l’apartheid. En Europe, bien sur avec Peter Gabriel ou les Specials.

Mais, plus original, un groupe multi-racial de l’intérieur, Savuka conduit par Johnny Clegg vocalisait aussi pour la liberté de Mandela. Et cet été 88, son chant « Asibonanga (Mandela) » était repris en France par des millions de Français, tandis que son 33 tours « Third World Child » culminait dans tous les hits avec UN MILLION d’unités vendues. 1 Français sur 50 avait acheté cet album apportant ainsi son soutien à la lutte contre le régime sud-africain qui avait encore assassiné : Dulcie September la représentante à Paris de l’ANC (African National Congress) avait payé de sa vie son engagement à la lutte contre l’apartheid..

Peter Gabriel's Human Rights NGO Appoints Digital Media Corporate Executive as Director

NEW YORK, June 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Board of Directors of WITNESS (www.witness.org), the international human rights organization co-founded by musician and activist Peter Gabriel, announced the appointment of Yvette J. Alberdingk Thijm as Executive Director.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080625/NYW021)

Alberdingk Thijm is an attorney with nearly two decades of experience in media and new technology. Most recently, she served as Executive Vice President of Content Strategy & Acquisition at Joost, the global online video platform formed by Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, the founders of Skype and Kazaa. Prior to joining Joost, Alberdingk Thijm was Executive Vice President of Business Affairs for MTV Networks International (MTVNI), where she oversaw business affairs for all of its branded businesses and channels worldwide (outside the United States), including digital media initiatives, audiovisual co-productions, new business development, strategic partnerships and joint ventures.

'Yvette is an exceptional individual, with extraordinary talent, vision and energy who will be a tremendous addition to WITNESS,' said co-founder Gabriel. 'The Board has known Yvette for a number of years and is thrilled that she will be formalizing her role with WITNESS in this way. Her expertise and experience will ensure that WITNESS remains at the forefront of harnessing the potential of visual media and online technologies to catalyze social change.'

Alberdingk Thijm first became involved with WITNESS' work in 2005, as a member of its Board of Directors. As a result, she played a key role in defining the strategic direction of WITNESS' most recent initiative, the Hub, an online video community focused on human rights, where you can upload, watch and share videos, and participate in actions to end abuses.

'I am delighted to join this incredible organization,' said Alberdingk Thijm. 'I look forward to working closely with WITNESS' staff, Board, and partners to fulfill our vision for a just and equitable world where all individuals and communities are able to defend and uphold human rights.'

Alberdingk Thijm will begin her new role at WITNESS on August 1, 2008.

Founded in 1992, WITNESS uses video and online technologies to open the eyes of the world to human rights violations. WITNESS empowers people to transform personal stories of abuse into powerful tools for justice, promoting public engagement and policy change. For more information, please visit http://www.witness.org.

SOURCE WITNESS

(Source: PR Newswire )

Peter Gabriel brings world together through music

Photo : Stephen Lovell-Davis

'Big Blue Ball,' which he began in 1991 and due today, features songs in English, Arabic, Congolese, Hungarian, Swahili and Madagascar languages.

By Randy Lewis, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer June 24, 2008

OK, so cut Peter Gabriel some slack for taking too long to finish an album: "Big Blue Ball," a long-simmering world music project he launched back in 1991, is finally surfacing today.

In the intervening 17 years, he's released four other collections of his music, launched an innovative U.K.-based music download website (www.We7 .com), continued nurturing WOMAD, the world music and dance festival he initiated in 1982 and started a lifestyle-driven site (thefilter.com).

He also assembled The Elders, a group of about a dozen veteran world leaders, including former South African President Nelson Mandela, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, with the aim of bringing their collective experience to bear on the planet's social and political problems.

Meanwhile, "Big Blue Ball" sat. And sat. And sat. But in truth only partly because of Gabriel's many other interests and commitments. In some respects, it's taken nearly two decades for Gabriel and his collaborators to get a lasso around this large-scale effort.

Over the course of four years, Gabriel threw open the doors of his Real World recording studios for a week at a time, 24 hours a day. That way, musicians he'd invited from around the world to participate in WOMAD would have a forum to collaborate during the course of that event on new sounds and new ideas, unencumbered by geographical, musical or budgetary limitations.

Creative, collaborative

"Big Blue Ball" features collaborations between Gabriel and U.S. roots-gospel group the Holmes Brothers (on the album's first single, "Burn You Up, Burn You Down"), Irish singer Iarla O Lionaird and Papa Wemba's Congolese band and Japanese percussionist Joji Hirota with Sinead O'Connor. About half the songs are sung in English, others are in Arabic, Congolese, Hungarian, Swahili and Madagascar languages.

It's eclectic, but there's a rhythmic pulse to most of the tracks that underscores the many-cultures, one-world idea behind the project.

"We knew we only had this collection of people for a limited time, some of them for just two or three days," Gabriel said from his Real World headquarters in Box Wiltshire in the countryside west of London. "So we decided to spend all time recording and performing and waste none of the time sorting it out. With the many, many tapes, which we were still using in those days, it was a bit of a nightmare."

Engineer Richard Chappell, who worked on virtually all the sessions, recalled that "in the first year, nobody quite knew what to do. In the second year, people started to get more excited about what was happening, and by the third time people had really figured it out. We'd have up to 20 different recording sessions going on in various places at the same time. If it wasn't raining, there'd be people set up outside with portable studios."

Gabriel gave the task of sorting through mountains of raw material to Stephen Hague, who has produced albums by Pet Shop Boys, Robbie Williams and others, Chappell and mixing engineer Tchad Blake.

"There were a lot of wonderful performances," Hague said in a separate interview, "but a lot of them were really unformed . . . My background is more in contemporary pop music, and I'm a real structuralist. My goal was to try to get these things to read from beginning to end, and in the end, I think the album reflects that."

Gabriel and his main "Big Blue Ball" partner, Karl Wallinger of World Party, were more interested in songs than an free-form international jam session.

"Jamming can be fantastic for those people who are participating in it, but it's not always great for the audience," Gabriel said. "So Karl and I mostly stayed in the upstairs room and tried to steer people more toward actual songwriting."

New facet

Recently he's said he thinks of "Big Blue Ball" as a fine wine, released only after it had been aged properly. Not only that, but it also represents something larger for a performer whose career has been defined by a commitment to exploding conventions, either through his epic prog-rock excursions as the original lead singer of Genesis, through his genre-bending solo albums of the '70s and '80s and through his groundbreaking music videos in the early days of MTV.

Whereas some musicians strive for hit singles, still others for philosophical or political statements in themed albums, Gabriel is ever on the lookout for ways to change the fundamental shape of what music can and should be.

"I always thought the digital revolution would actually change the content of music, the way same way the piano roll or the 45 rpm single did," he said. "But it's been very slow to come. I really feel there should be a cultural renaissance that digital technology could advance. So even though this project is 15 years old, I think it's still a precursor to a day when people all over the world can work together to generate new ideas."

"Now, not only can we make records very cheaply, but the costs of distribution have been virtually eliminated," Gabriel continued. "And I've always thought that should result in all sorts of things should and could happen, like collaborations left, right and center. We should begin to see more artists like Damon Albarn and Jack White, who can be part of two or three projects simultaneously rather than being locked into one identity."

And how did this forward-thinking musician choose to introduce this project to the world? The first version of "Big Blue Ball" was released in vinyl LP form two weeks ago, ahead of the CD and download editions available today.

"I actually like the fact that young kids today are getting heavily into vinyl again," Gabriel said. "It's always had a very warm sound, so even though I'm a huge digital fan, there's still something to be said for analog -- in the same way that there's still something to a bunch of musicians sitting around in the same room playing together, as opposed to recording alone in their bedrooms."

Neoteny

Posted By: Sheila Roberts /movieonline.ca

Andrew Stanton Interview, Wall-E

Extract :

" There’s actually a scientific term that Peter Gabriel told me about. It’s called neoteny where there’s this belief that nature kind of figures out that you don’t have to use these parts of yourself anymore to survive so why give it to you? Why let you grow any farther? And I thought that’s perfect. It was almost again sort of a metaphor for it’s time to get up and grow up a little bit at the end."

WOMAD licence agreed

By Tina Robins / Wilts and Glouchesterhire Standard

A Permanent licence has been granted for WOMAD to be staged at Charlton Park following changes to traffic arrangements and a reduction in noise.

North Wiltshire District Council's licensing sub-committee voted not to have a hearing and to grant a permanent premises licence after hearing that World in the Park Ltd had agreed to ammendments suggested by Wiltshire Police and environmental health officers.

Last year the A429 was gridlocked as far as the M4 when campers started arriving to take part in the four-day festival.

Parking was also a major problem with many drivers opting to leave their cars in Milbourne rather than risk getting stuck in the mud on the site.

Environmental health pollution officers also sought a reduction in noise of five decibels at all monitoring points at this year's festival from July 25 to 27, as a result of the relocation of the stages.

Licensing enforcement officer Linda Holland said: "Environmental health, pollution team, police and the applicant all believe a hearing is not necessary. This licence gives the company exclusive use of the site for an annual festival. Maximum attendance will be 45,000, including staff, crew, acts and guests. It's not a one off licence but for the same every year."

The licence allows the sale of alcohol, the provision of regulated entertainment, entertainment facilities and late night refreshment in the area to the front of the Main House and reaching to the A429.

The news comes as festival organiser Thomas Brooman celebrates being made a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to music and charity.

Congratulating him, festival founder Peter Gabriel, who has a studio at Box near Bath said: "Music is a universal language, it draws people together and proves, as well as anything, the stupidity of racism."

Various Artists, "Big Blue Ball" (Real World) 3 stars

PLAYBACK By Kevin O'Hare /Mass live.com

Some albums take a little longer to see the light of day than others, and you can consider this one of those.

It's been in the works nearly 18 years.

In 1991, 1992 and 1995 Peter Gabriel opened his Real World studios to an array of international artists including such Western stars as World Party's Karl Wallinger and Irish singer Sinead O'Connor.

It has taken a long, long time for those tracks to see the light of day but they have now, with mixing finished in January of 2008. Not surprisingly the 11-track collection offers a sparkling international celebration of the arts, from Papa Wemba's amazing vocals against flamenco guitar in "Shadow," to Gabriel-led tracks like the innovative "Exit Through You," and "Burn You Up, Burn You Down," the latter which also features the Holmes Brothers.

"Whole Thing," the first single, offers a beautiful vocal by Gabriel and the often-underrated Wallinger takes front and center on the title track.

What's all the more amazing is that they left a ton of songs recorded for this album on the cutting room floor for the time being, including a version of Van Morrison and The Holmes Brothers singing Sam Cooke's "That's Where It's At."

This year's WOMAD will be the best yet

By Lois Avery / Gazette & Herald

WOMAD founder Peter Gabriel has promised music fans the best festival yet now it has settled into its new home at Charlton Park.

In its 26th year the international music, arts and dance festival used to be held in Reading. But last year they moved to the grounds of Charlton Park near Malmesbury in order to expand the festival. After problems with traffic management and torrential rain the festival faced criticism last year but Mr Gabriel says that this one will be the best yet. He is also pleased to be working close to his recording studio, Real World, in Box, near Corsham.

He said: "I think in a lot of ways it is a bit like coming home because it all started in the west country and it is great to be back. Also it's just a stones throw from Box where our studios are based so it makes sense. Charlton Park is a fantastic venue and it is pretty flat and in a beautiful location with the house and trees. And this year they have let us, very kindly, use more land and we have put measures in place to make sure last year's situation isn't repeated. It was more WOMUD. The weather is already looking better this year so it's encouraging. The line up is looking the best ever, and I don't always say that."

Booked to play are artists such as Boy George, Finlay Quaye, Eddy Grant, and Squeeze.

Mr Gabriel has tipped his favourites across the weekend. "On Friday I think Sharon Shannon and Shane McGowan and Sheikh will be great," he said. "Saturday we've got Martha Wainwright, who has a fantastic voice, and Roni Size and Reprazent. And of course Eddy Grant of Electric Avenue fame so it's looking great."

As well as bringing big names to the area the festival does a lot for local schools. Last year children from all of the primary schools in and around Malmesbury were given the chance to perform on the main stage and they will be doing the same in July.

Mr Gabriel said: "From the outset when we started in 1980 we really wanted to include kids so part of the aim of WOMAD was to introduce a lot of music. If we can teach them about some of the joys of the world then it is a wonderful thing. It's like with food. If you don't let them eat different things they won't like things that are strange or foreign. We also do have a world food area this year to tie in with that so it is a multi cultural experience."

Mr Gabriel also hopes that this years festival will bring more to the local economy now some of last years problems have been ironed out. He said: "We know the impact we had in Reading was really quite considerable. Especially on hotels, B&B's and cafes and garages. So hopefully if we can get traffic moving we can bring a lot into the area."

WOMAD festival will take place between July 25-27. For tickets and information visit www.womad.org

Peter Gabriel's 'Big Blue' Musical Mashup

NPR Music, Weekend Edition Sunday, June 22, 2008 -

In 1986, English musician Peter Gabriel opened the doors to his legendary Real World Studios in Wiltshire, England. Over the years, musicians from Bonnie Raitt and Deep Purple to Robert Plant and Nigel Kennedy have recorded at the former grain mill, surrounded by sheep farms 100 miles west of London.

But Real World has always been more than just a place for heavy hitters to lay down tracks and dash off rock mixes. Its mission has also been to provide a state-of-the-art space for musicians from around the world to meet and mingle, try out new sounds and bounce ideas off each other. The so-called "recording weeks" of the early '90s were examples of just that — some 75 artists from 20 countries came to play.

"I think we were trying to get a number of records done, as well," Gabriel says. "But I think the exciting thing for a lot of us was that there were musicians from all over the world — songwriters, poets, all thrown together — and all sorts of connections happened."

In those heady days of musical experimentation, artists recorded in all nooks and crannies of the complex, and so many tapes piled up that they started to run out of room to store them. Almost two decades later, the tapes from the recording weeks are finally sorted. On Tuesday, the album Big Blue Ball comes out on Real World Records.

Many points of the globe are represented on Big Blue Ball. There's Congolese singer Papa Wemba, Sinead O'Connor from Ireland, the Holmes Brothers' American gospel, string players from Egypt, percussion from Japan and flute playing from China. Peter Gabriel acted as curator and sings on several tracks. He and co-producers Stephen Hague and Karl Wallinger spoke with Liane Hansen about the project.

"It was just like a musical health farm, really," Wallinger says. "There wasn't any considerations other than the sounds you heard in the room, which were always pretty extraordinary and played by people who had been mastering their instrument in whatever way for however many years. I think the collective musical years that had gone down amongst everybody there would have been well into the thousands."