Sony joins We7 to make music free

We7, a free, advertising-supported online music service backed by Peter Gabriel, has become the first to claim the support of a major label, after Sony BMG, home to Mark Ronson, Bruce Springsteen and the Hoosiers, pledged to license its catalogue of more than 250,000 tracks to the company's new online music streaming service. (...)

Gabriel, who has consistently been in the vanguard of the digital music business and previously had a hand in launching early download business OD2, said: "The digital revolution has produced exciting and extraordinary opportunities in the music business, even though it has been largely written off by many. We7 is a model that will supply free music to the consumer and still provide a stream of revenue to musicians and content owners." (...)

Sinead O'Connor

It is one of the fates of singers with high media profiles that their careers are often reduced to a couple of memorable moments. They, too, have their Andy Warhol 15 minutes.

In the case of Sinead O'Connor she will always be remembered as that elfin, angel-like girl with the amazing voice who sent Prince's Nothing Compares 2 U to the top of the charts around the world in 1990. Yep - 18 years ago. And, two years later, she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II while singing an a capella version of Bob Marley's War on Saturday Night Live.

Now that she is 41 and a mother of four, how does she look back on her wild, rebellious youth?

"I don't really remember it," she admits from her home in the south Dublin suburb of Bray.

"I have a 10-year period when I don't really remember anything. I ran out of disc space somewhere along the way. I feel disconnected from that time in my life - except musically. Musically, I can remember everything and connect with who I was at that point. When I hear about it, it is like a movie of someone else."

This, of course, isn't quite correct. Asked about the famous night at the Bob Dylan 30th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden when, two weeks after tearing up the photo of the Pope, she was booed by an angry audience, she remembers it with great clarity.

"Half the audience were cheering; half were booing," she says. "My main memory of that night was that it was the most incredible noise I had ever heard. I had never heard a sound like it before or since. It was a great clash of the two halves of the audience. It made me want to throw up, which is kind of interesting.

"Before the show Willie Nelson had asked me if I would meet him the following day and record Peter Gabriel's Don't Give Up. I had agreed. Then there was all the booing and as I exited the stage Willie, who was as cool as a cucumber, said, 'I hope this doesn't mean you're not coming in tomorrow.' The next day was great because I went to record with him."

Also at that concert Kris Kristofferson told her, "Don't let the bastards get you down," and comforted her. When this is mentioned, she says wryly: "Yeah. I think he probably wanted to get in my pants."

Today, sadly, when most people think about O'Connor, they recall those uncharacteristic moments in her career. It is hugely unfair because during the past 18 years O'Connor has established herself as one of the founders of the "girl power" movement, which was spearheaded by the likes of Madonna and Cyndi Lauper and eventually included performers as diverse as the Spice Girls, Alanis Morissette, Amy Winehouse, PJ Harvey, Britney Spears and Courtney Love.

O'Connor questions this assessment of her importance.

"I would disagree that I was charting a new path. I think I was on a path but I hadn't been the one to start it. There were other women like Patti Smith or even women like Barbra Streisand who I admired because of the way they asserted themselves artistically. I wouldn't say that I chartered a path. There was a path there.
"I suppose the only thing I chartered a path for was women shaving their heads. It saves you a lot of money on hair products."

The irony of O'Connor's career is that after a wonderfully rebellious few years in which she spoke frankly, sang with deep wellsprings of passion and opened up new worlds of possibility for female singers, her rebellion took her into places where her voice and her importance were greatly diminished.

Recently she has spent years embracing reggae and Rastafarianism: she toured with the great Sly and Robbie and recorded an entire album of reggae, Throw Down Your Arms. She has recorded a double album called Theology in which most of the songs were the words of the Bible put to music. She has released a single from Jesus Christ Superstar called I Don't Know How To Love Him.

In 2002, just to show she was in touch with her Irish roots, she recorded Sean-Nos Nua, a collection of traditional folk songs that she explains as "that's something that's in the DNA".

Also interesting has been her decision to pursue the independent path of the likes of Ani DiFranco and the John Butler Trio. Her latest album, Theology, was released on her own label, the eccentrically named That's Why There's Chocolate And Vanilla. The label name is an expression her manager used to use to explain why some people loved O'Connor's music while others were indifferent to it. She likes the freedom independence gives, saying with understated humour: "If I want to make a record of dog noises, I can."

The biggest change in her life, however, occurred 3 1/2 years ago when she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

"The main way it manifested in my life was that I was very suicidal. I was acting suicidally in life, getting myself into situations that were self-destructive, acting in a manner that was symbolically suicidal. That kicked in when I was about 22. It just snowballed and got worse.

"It became almost a compulsion. It was a bit like those old vampire movies where the woman sleepwalks towards a graveyard. You can't resist the suicide. My children never knew that I was feeling suicidal. I would never have acted on it. I also had this guilt because of the kids. I felt guilty for even feeling suicidal. It was a relief to get diagnosed."

Now she has returned to touring. It has not been easy. She says that when she returned to the live stage last year she "hadn't played live for about 10 years. I wanted to look after my [four] children and spend some time with them."

This is not O'Connor's maiden trip to Australia but she has not done shows here before. "I've never actually played in Australia. I can't wait.
"I am bringing a guitarist, bass, drums, keyboards and violin. Five people. The material I will be playing goes back to the beginning of my career. We're going back to my first album, The Lion And The Cobra. It's an hour-and-a-half of songs from all of my albums but not the cover albums [which means no reggae covers from Throw Down Your Arms and no folk from Sean-Nos Nua].

"It is all Sinead O'Connor songs. We do only three songs from Theology. It is all the hits and misses. I am joking."

And when it comes to all that rebellion and those images of her ripping up the photo of the Pope, her answer is simple.

"It irritates me that anything comes between me and the music. It has always irritated me that the focus would not be on the music. I have to bear some of the responsibility for that, obviously."

Bruce Elder March 6, 2008

Gwyneth Herbert

Clattering noisily about the wooden floors of the recording studio where she is making her new album, Gwyneth Herbert sounds a happy woman.

Six months ago, she was in the midst of a turbulent period of change. After three years of being marketed as the latest "nu-jazz" diva to put a modern spin on old standards, she had left label Universal and was bravely going it alone on third album Between Me And The Wardrobe, a collection of songs written solely by her.

Understated, poignant and witty, it caught the attention of legendary jazz label Blue Note, which, on the basis of a shared understanding of each other, made the 25-year-old its first signing in 30 years.

The new-found freedom, paired with the critical acclaim heaped on her last effort, has changed Herbert. Her new work is distinctly more upbeat, "a bit less reflective and more ballsy".

"I think I'm probably feeling a lot happier in myself at the moment, so I'm having more fun in my writing.Before, it was more of a need to express myself'," she says, vocalising the speech marks self-deprecatingly. "But now I'm finding my voice."

She hadn't intended to record another album but had been invited to do a few tracks at the studio Peter Gabriel's Real World, in Wiltshire and had somehow fallen into it, thus avoiding the anxiety that follow-ups usually prompt.

It was completed in two days, beating her previous personal best by a day.

"By the next one, we'll have it done in 24 hours," she laughs It is, she says, another album of "story-songs", this time about everything from a Russian prostitute (Natalia) to her "very camp" boyfriend (Narrow Man).
"There are definitely dark bits to it, but the dark bits are really stormy and loud, with more belly and oomph," she says. "It's more hooky and singalong-y. You couldn't have called the last album singalong-y."

After being left jaded by her experiences with Universal - "The marketing always came first and the music second" - Herbert was apprehensive about signing to another record label.

But she realised it would have been "madness" to turn down Blue Note.
"It was a bit ridiculous, quite scary and an amazing privilege," she says, of the signing, "They have this musical history and lineage of amazing jazz players - it was also a bit bizarre because I didn't think Between Me And The Wardrobe was a jazz album. But they're amazing. It's a breath of fresh air."

It has now been four years since Herbert's first album, for much of which she has been hailed as the next big thing. "If Gwyneth Herbert is not a star before long, I'll eat my CD player," wrote a Sunday Times reviewer.

Does she hope this will be the year she finally gets that widespread recognition?
"There have been so many times when people have said, Oh, she's going to be a huge star,' but it's never been my aim," Herbert says nonchalantly.

"I'm signed to a label I love and playing my own stuff. I feel like this is my year already."

By Nione Meakin /the Argus

This gadget rocks! The world's newest musical instrument

Peter Gabriel has one in his studio. Bjork takes hers on tour. But what exactly is it? Tim gets to grips with the radical new instrument that's part digital sampler, part light-show – and part toy

Blip. Blip. Blip. Blip-donk-blip. Blip. Blip. Blip-donk-blip-tshk-blip. Blip. Wraaa- AAAOOoow. Blip. This is the noise of a novice trying to make something resembling music from the world's newest musical instrument, the Tenori-On. And, by the way, it sounds a whole lot better than it reads. Designed by Japanese media artist Toshio Iwai and built by Yamaha, the Tenori-On is a remarkable piece of kit that has already made its way into the excited, sweaty palms of musical pioneers such as Peter Gabriel and Bjork. (...)

Peter Gabriel has supposedly added the Tenori-On to the array of instruments at his Real World Studios in Wiltshire. Fairbanks released his Tenori-On album, 7 Days Microsleep, as a free audio download, but also released some of the tracks as Tenori-On native data, which means that fellow Tenori-On players can deconstruct (and reconstruct) his tracks, becoming amateur remixers at the drop of a hat. Those who want to can happily store albums'-worth of material on the memory card. (...)

Aye: An Affirmation of Martyn Bennett

Tuning up for tribute

Maverick Scottish musician set to be celebrated as part of Arts Council-sponsored tour

Martyn Bennett changed the face of Scottish music, marrying the high octane waves of the 90s dance scene with jazz beats, classical strings and his native Gaelic traditions. Now, the life and work of the performer and composer are set to be celebrated in suitably gallus style during this year’s Scottish Arts Council-sponsored Tune-Up tour, three years after his death at the age of 33. The maverick musician will be recognised in performances from Mr McFall’s Chamber, Tom Bancroft, Frasier Fifield and James Mackintosh, all of whom will perform pieces inspired by Bennett’s work.

Born in Canada but raised in the Highlands, Bennett famously picked up his first set of bagpipes at the age of ten. Lessons in composition, violin and piano followed. A promising stint at the RSAMD eventually led to backing from a small independent label and the foundations of a career that not only made Bennett famous but also helped change the perception of Scottish music around the world.

Mr McFall’s Chamber will perform a showcase of the late Bennett’s interpretation of Scottish folk music. The Chamber troupe will be joined by Scottish composer and multi-instrumentalist Fraser Fifield and percussionists Tom Bancroft and James Mackintosh. Leading jazz and soul artist Eska Mtungwazi will perform seven shows with her five-piece band.

Ian Smith, Head of Music at the Scottish Arts Council, said of the tour: ‘Martyn Bennett, while dying at a tragically young age, has left us with such an incredible legacy of great work, brilliantly encapsulated in his last album, Grit, for Peter Gabriel’s Real World label. This tour, featuring McFall’s Chamber, not only celebrates Martyn’s life and creative genius but also takes that music to so many of Scotland’s communities, all of whom will identify with emotive and moving music performed by such fantastic musicians.’

Aye: An Affirmation of Martyn Bennett starts Tue 18 Mar at Perth Concert Hall and ends Sat 29 Mar in Findhorn. For full tour details of the complete Tune Up programme see www.tuneup.org.uk

• Source: The List (Issue 597)
• Date: 28 February 2008
• Written by: Anna Millar

Daby Touré, brasseur de sons

Le chanteur a accordé un entretien à Afrik.com au Festival mer et désert de Dakhla

Ce week-end, Daby Touré a conquis le public de Dakhla, ville du Sahara Occidental, au cours du Festival mer et désert organisé sous le haut patronage du roi du Maroc. Sa musique, généreuse et inventive, mêle harmonieusement sons d’Afrique et du monde. (...)

(...) En France, il profite de la diversité musicale que lui offre son pays d’accueil pour parfaire ses connaissances et écoute les nouveaux sons que lui propose la scène pop, fréquente le milieu du jazz-rock et collabore avec le groupe Sixun. En 2001, il réalise son premier album, Diam, seul, chez lui, dans un home studio improvisé. Quand il reçoit sa maquette, Real World, le label du musicien anglais Peter Gabriel le signe instantanément pour la réalisation de trois albums. Puis Peter Gabriel lui confie les premières parties de sa tournée européenne. Le deuxième album de Daby Touré, Stereo spirit, est paru En 2007. Invité par le Festival de Dakhla, en plein cœur du Sahara, il a enchanté le public par sa générosité et sa créativité lors du concert qu’il a donné samedi soir, ainsi qu’au cours des ateliers et des bœufs animés avec les musiciens présents pendant l’événement.

extrait de l'interview :

Afrik.com : Vous-même avez rencontré beaucoup d’obstacles pour sortir votre album Diam. Alors qu’au départ vous espériez être produit en France où vous vivez et créez, c’est un anglais, Peter Gabriel, qui vous a donné votre chance. Comment expliquez-vous ce paradoxe ?
Daby Touré : Ca a été très difficile pour moi. J’espérais beaucoup de mon pays d’accueil. J’ai vécu dix ans en France, j’ai commencé là en tant que professionnel, j’ai tout fait, les cafés, les bars… Et quand j’ai envoyé mon CD aux producteurs français, ils ne m’ont même pas répondu. J’ai été très déçu. Donc je l’ai envoyé à Realworld, le label de Peter Gabriel, et peu de temps après j’ai reçu un message qui disait : « Je suis Amanda Jones, on a reçu ton CD, on l’écoute toute la journée, Peter voudrait te rencontrer. » Tout le poids que j’avais accumulé s’est évanoui. J’ai été là-bas et tout a été très vite. Car mon album était très abouti, j’avais acheté du matos et je m’étais enfermé pour travailler parce que j’étais convaincu de mon projet. Quand je suis arrivé dans le bureau de Peter Gabriel, il m’a félicité. J’étais gêné, je ne savais pas où me mettre ! Et quand l’album est sorti, la même maison de disque, Virgin France, qui m’avait refusé, s’est retrouvée à le distribuer parce qu’elle a un accord avec Realword… Il faut dire clairement les choses : quand on ne chante pas en français, on ne peut pas exister en France. Je comprends la loi, le côté nationaliste du pays. Mais il y a des artistes qui chantent dans d’autres langues et qui méritent d’exister. Cette loi que les Français ont adopté pour privilégier les chanteurs francophones devait servir à combattre les Anglo-saxons. Mais ils sont imparables. Donc, ce sont les plus faibles qui en pâtissent. Alors j’espère qu’à l’avenir il n’y aura plus de barrières, que toutes les cultures vont se mélanger et que tout le monde écoutera les mêmes choses.

Afrik.com : Quels sont vos projets pour cette année 2008 ?
Daby Touré : Mon projet, c’est d’abord rester en bonne santé, et garder ma famille et mes amis. Tant que j’aurai ces gens-là à mes côtés, je pourrai continuer à faire mon métier. Et puis il y a les rencontres aussi, comme celle avec Peter Gabriel, j’y crois vraiment. J’ai des projets, nombreux. De disque, en particulier. J’ai déjà commencé à bosser sur le prochain album. Donc dans quelques mois, à la rentrée prochaine normalement, on va balancer un nouveau skud !

Pour écouter et avoir plus d’informations, consultez :

Le site officiel de Daby Touré
Le Myspace de Daby Touré
Commander en ligne l’album Stereo spirit, Realworld Virgin, 2007

Toulouse : Youssou N'Dour en concert au Bikini

Devenu star planétaire grâce au tube 7 Seconds en Duo avec Neneh Cherry, Youssou N'Dour revient avec un nouvel opus. Huitième disque du chanteur sénégalais à bénéficier d'une sortie internationale, Rokku Mi Rokka est sorti le 29 octobre dernier. Il vient en jouer des morceaux le 4 mars au Bikini.

Rokku Mi Rokka signifie "Donner et recevoir" en Pulaar. C'est une langue parlée dans plusieurs pays d'Afrique dont le Sénégal pays d'origine de Youssou N'Dour. Sur cet album, il continue de promouvoir la musique africaine et ses traditions en invitant de nombreux musiciens locaux et chantant la majorité des titres en dialectes wolof, langue la plus parlée au Sénégal.

Youssou N Dour qui a trouvé son inspiration au nord du Sénégal et dans la zone désertique qui s'étend entre le Mali et la Mauritanie, retrouve pour le premier single extrait de cet opus, Wake Up sa partenaire fétiche Neneh Cherry. Ils avaient connu un succès mondial en 1994 avec 7 Seconds, écoulé à plus de 2 millions d'exemplaires.

Le chanteur sénégalais que le magazine américain Time considère comme l’une des 100 personnalités les plus influentes au monde en 2007, a collaboré avec des artistes comme Sting, Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman, Paul Simon, Axelle Red, Wyclef Jean (ex-Fugees) ou encore Dido. Il a également écrit la musique du spectacle Kirikou et Karaba actuellement en tournée en France.

C'est d'ailleurs à cette occasion qu'il se produit au Bikini le 4 mars. Alors pensez à réserver vos places dès maintenant.

Thomas Fossati

D'après le film Kirikou et la sorcière

"J'ai inventé l'histoire d'un petit garçon, intense et fonce-dedans, et d'une sorcière - une sorcière diabolique et superbe, qui fait rêver les hommes et intrigue l'enfant, dans la splendeur de l'Afrique Noire. Un premier miracle a eu lieu. Un dessin animé "dont personne ne voulait", Kirikou et la Sorcière, est devenu un succès marquant et a touché beaucoup de monde, et en bien des endroits dans le monde.

Un deuxième miracle m'émerveille : mon petit conte et mes petits dessins prennent corps extraordinairement, grâce à Victor Bosch qui a produit Notre Dame de Paris sur scène, et à Wayne McGregor, un jeune chorégraphe et metteur en scène surdoué que les théâtre et opéras du monde s'arrachent, et une troupe irrésistible". "Michel Ocelot"
Réalisateur : Michel Ocelot.
Chanteur : Youssou N'Dour, Christophe Minck, Rokia Traoré.
Chorégraphe : Wayne Mcgregor (metteur en scène).

Rock - Vampire Weekend

« Imaginez le répertoire des Talking Heads de la fin interprété par les Talking Heads du début », écrivait un critique américain (enthousiaste) à propos du premier album des New-Yorkais de Vampire Week­end. Pas mieux, comme on dit au jeu. Mais on peut toujours affiner ce jugement fort pertinent. Ne serait-ce que parce que le groupe de funk-world-new wave du très cérébral David Byrne est devenu depuis quelque temps la réfé­rence incontournable et, du coup, passe-partout, pour décrire nombre de formations dans le vent (Franz Ferdinand, Clap Your Hands..., Yeasayer...) qui mettent du rythme exotique dans leur art rock d'étudiants. C'est sûr, les quatre acolytes de Vampire Weekend, tous sortis de l'université Columbia, chantent plus volontiers l'architecture baroque (Mansard Roof) que les filles faciles et paraissent plus épris des tambours du Burundi que du « one-two-three-four » des Ramones. Mais ça n'en fait pas un groupe poseur et barbant pour autant.

Car si les chansons de Vampire Weekend se promènent entre des ambiances empruntées au soukous ou à la juju music, il en émane une candeur et une sincérité qui rappellent l'Orange Juice d'Edwyn Collins lorsqu'il subissait l'influence de son batteur zimbabwéen Zeke Manyika. Plus encore, la fluidité du doux chant d'Ezra Koenig évoque celui d'un autre New-Yorkais grand aventurier des sons, Paul Simon. « Tout ceci paraît bien forcé, un peu comme Peter Gabriel », chante-t-il sur l'un des sommets de l'album, Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, et l'on ne peut que sourire. Comme jadis les Talking Heads (on y revient) dans leurs savoureux clips, Vampire Week­end manie à merveille l'autodérision. Si bien que, conquis par le naturel (car rien ici ne paraît surchargé ou, justement, forcé) de ces forts en thème, on se repasse en boucle l'irrésistible M79, ravi par son kitschissime arrangement de cordes dans la pure veine du Rondo Veneziano !

Hugo Cassavetti Telerama n° 3033 - 01 mars 2008

Interview d' Erik Truffaz pour Citizen Jazz

Erik Truffaz, trompettiste franco-suisse qui situe son jazz entre rock, drum’n bass et musiques ethniques, aime mélanger les genres en se souciant peu des étiquettes qu’on lui colle un peu vite. Pour Citizen Jazz, il fait le tour de ses récents projets.

extrait de l'interview:

Tous ces composants sont assez pop, est-ce parce que tu as toujours rêvé de jouer de la guitare dans un groupe de rock ?

Pas vraiment. Au départ, pour la trompette, je n’étais pas doué. Zéro. Alors j’ai creusé un truc et j’ai travaillé comme un fou sur un principe pour en tirer quelque chose qui me corresponde. Mais je n’y arrivais pas. Tu sais, la trompette, c’est comme le tir à l’arc, ou certains arts martiaux, si tu n’atteins pas l’endroit précis, c’est foutu. Donc, il faut apprendre la bonne façon de souffler. Et trouver son équilibre.

J’ai lu dans Jazzman que l’un de tes vœux serait de pouvoir composer comme Wayne Shorter.

Tu penses que j’ai dit une connerie ?

Non, pas du tout, je voulais savoir ce que tu entendais par là ?

Je pense que Wayne Shorter est un des plus grands compositeurs de ce siècle. Ce type amenait trois ou quatre thèmes à Miles par semaine. Il travaille avec une telle facilité, sans piano, sans rien… Ça c’est un vrai compositeur, comme Debussy ou Ravel. Ce n’est pas comme moi qui mets un mois ou plus pour écrire laborieusement une compo. Et avec un piano ! Je sais composer, mais je ne suis pas doué pour ça. Je suis peut-être plus doué pour écrire des mélodies. Des mélodies qu’on retient. Ce qui me plaît, c’est le rythme et les mélodies. Ça tombe bien, car j’ai une équipe de tueurs au point de vue rythmique, et moi j’apporte les mélodies.

C’est à nouveau cet esprit groupe rock ?

Oui, mais on fait du jazz. Shorter faisait ça avec Miles aussi. Sur Filles de Kilimanjaro, ce sont les mélodies, des thèmes qui tournent, qui se décalent. In A Silent Way est travaillé aussi dans le même esprit. J’adore ça. Mille fois plus qu’un disque de Wynton Marsalis. Et puis, c’est vrai, j’aime les chanteurs. Dans le groupe, on est tous un peu des chanteurs frustrés. J’adore Peter Gabriel, le chanteur de Coldplay, les Beatles, Led Zep… Ça c’est la musique avec laquelle j’ai grandi et que j’aime....

(...)

Jacques Prouvost

The Video: Saatchi & Saatchi Award for World Changing Ideas

LifeStraw(R), a revolutionary personal water-purification tool for use in the developing world, today has won the fifth Saatchi & Saatchi Award for World Changing Ideas. It was announced this evening by Her Royal Highness Princess Badiya of Jordan at a high profile presentation ceremony in New York. To view the Multimedia News Release, go to:

http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/saatchi/31984/

Peter Gabriel, commented, "LifeStraw(R) is a wonderful, simple and elegant solution to a problem that kills millions of people, especially kids, every year. I hope it gets out into the world in huge numbers very fast."

Tune Up’s tribute to late, great musician Martyn Bennett

The second Tune Up tour of 2008 will see the work of maverick Scottish musician and composer, the late and much-missed Martyn Bennett, celebrated in style, with performances from Mr McFall’s Chamber, Tom Bancroft, Frasier Fifield and James Mackintosh.

The eight-date Scottish tour ‘Aye: An Affirmation of Martyn Bennett’ opens in Perth Concert Hall on Tuesday, March 18, and will visit villages and venues across Scotland as part of the Scottish Arts Council’s Tune Up initiative.

Now in its fifth year, the initiative takes the highest quality music, from traditional to experimental, world music to cabaret, chamber music to pop and rock, to venues across Scotland, and has established itself as a significant international touring programme.
Bennett, who died in 2005 aged 33, was a piper, fiddle player and creative genius who combined classical and jazz elements with Scottish traditional music and the beats of the 90s rave and dance scenes, creating powerful and memorable compositions.

Upon hearing Bennett’s final masterpiece ‘Grit’, revered folklorist Hamish Henderson commented “what brave, new music…”, an observation shared by members of Mr McFall’s Chamber and reflected in their own, often experimental, repertoire.

An eclectic chamber ensemble, Mr McFall’s Chamber will perform a unique programme which highlights Martyn Bennett’s profound understanding and unique interpretation of Scottish folk music.

The band features a core string quartet from The Scottish Chamber Orchestra with piano, bass, drums and percussion. Formed in the mid-90s, the ensemble is well-known across Scotland, the UK and on the European festival circuit for their innovative mix of musical genres. They creatively programme the work of classical and contemporary composers alongside rock, tango, kletzmer, cartoon music and jazz.

A range of Martyn’s work including Cuillin Music (a composition for string quartet, percussion and small Scottish pipes) now features as part of the McFall’s varied body of live and recorded work, which in the past has included the likes of King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Ennio Morricone and contemporary composers such as Gavin Bryars and Dave Heath.

Mr McFall’s Chamber is joined by Scottish composer and multi-instrumentalist Fraser Fifield and percussionists Tom Bancroft and James Mackintosh. The set will include pieces by Fifield and composer Edward McGuire (both written exclusively for Mr McFall’s Chamber).

Commenting on the tour Ian Smith, head of music at the Scottish Arts Council, said: “Martyn Bennett, whilst dying at a tragically young age, has left us with such an incredible legacy of great work, brilliantly encapsulated in his last album “Grit” for Peter Gabriel’s Real World label. This tour, featuring McFall’s Chamber, not only celebrates Martyn’s life and creative genius, but also takes that music to so many of Scotland’s communities, all of whom will identify with emotive and moving music performed by such fantastic musicians.”

(...)

Alison Anderson

Candid Records Launch New Label Imprint Cake

London based label, Candid Records have launched a new imprint as a platform for new dynamic bands and artists at the forefront of the British jazz music world. Cake reflects a new A & R strategy and move towards instrumental jazz that is forward thinking with a contemporary edge and includes artists such as The Blessing and The Neil Cowley Trio.

The Blessing are four seasoned musicians who have played with bands such as Portishead, Goldfrapp and Peter Gabriel and now producing some of the edgiest and freshest jazz/rock around at the moment. They have stormed onto the UK jazz scene, taking riffs and rhythms from rock and dance music and artfully welding them onto fearsomely inventive improvisation. The Blessing's catchy, rocking tunes and snappy arrangements create a genre-bending blend of sounds that is all their own. The album 'All Is Yes' is now available on CAKE (audio sample now available on www.candidrecords.com) and this exciting band are currently on tour of the UK.

The Neil Cowley Trio is jazz act with a unique voice. Witty, dynamic and exciting, their themes feature catchy hooks, soulful moments and thrilling climaxes. After stints with artists such as Pasadenas, Gabrielle, Brand New Heavies, Zero 7 and his own band, Fragile State, Cowley formed a jazz trio and released his debut album 'Displaced' to huge critical acclaim (BBC Jazz album of the year 2007). With Richard Sadler on double bass and Evan Jenkins on drums, Cowley has assembled a master jazz trio. The NCT is set to release its debut for the Cake label 'Loud..Louder...Stop!' due for UK release on 31st March 2008.

Distinction internationale pour LifeStraw

LifeStraw : Distinction internationale pour l'inventeur suisse d'un dispositif de purification d'eau

Une entreprise helvétique s'est vu décerner le "Saatchi & Saatchi Award For World Changing Ideas" pour le développement du LifeStraw, un dispositif astucieux et économique permettant de purifier l'eau polluée.

Le LifeStraw est un dispositif révolutionnaire de purification d'eau que l'on peut porter en permanence sur soi et qui retient les bactéries et les virus. Sa mise au point a valu à l'entrepreneur lausannois Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen de recevoir le "Saatchi &Saatchi Award For World Changing Ideas" lors d'une cérémonie à New York.

Cette distinction mondiale, décernée tous les deux ans par Saatchi & Saatchi, récompense des idées susceptibles de changer le monde. Le gagnant reçoit la somme de 100 000 dollars, dont 50 000 en liquide et 50 000 sous forme de soutien marketing accordé par Saatchi & Saatchi.

Pour plus d'un milliard d'êtres humains n'ayant aucun accès à une eau propre, le LifeStraw est une invention révolutionnaire. Ce dispositif permettant de boire se présente sous la forme d'un tube de plastique mesurant 31 centimètres de long, trois centimètres de diamètre et pesant 40 grammes. Les tests montrent qu'il retient 99,9999 pour cent des bactéries et 99,99 des virus. Le LifeStraw contient des filtres textiles et des chambres de purification chimique. Sa durée de vie est d'une année et il peut purifier environ 700 litres d'eau.

L'inventeur du LifeStraw, Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, a déclaré: "Nous sommes extrêmement heureux d'avoir reçu cette importante récompense. Elle renforcera la notoriété du LifeStraw et facilitera sa diffusion auprès des plus pauvres de ce monde."

Et Bob Isherwood, Creative Director de Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide, d'ajouter: "Chacun des dix finalistes était exceptionnel et source d'une grande inspiration pour nous tous. L'idée qui a prévalu est absolument extraordinaire. Pour la première fois, le LifeStraw promet une eau potable propre à plus d'un milliard d'êtres humains, ce qui changera le monde."

Le jury se composait du médecin et auteur britannique Edward de Bono, du musicien et artiste de vidéo britannique Peter Gabriel, du prince jordanien El Hassan bin Talal, de l'artiste et créateur de mode britannique Malcolm McLaren, de l'astrologue américaine Carolyn Porco et du designer français Philippe Starck.

Pour toute information complémentaire sur le LifeStraw, connectez-vous sur: www.lifestraw.com

Tuva Begins the Year of Khoomei

In Tuva a gala-concert in the Muzdramteatr (Music-Drama Theater) officially opened February 13 the Year of Khoomei. Khoomei is a unique vocal phenomenon, whereby in the performer's throat sounds of different pitches are created simultaneously. In effect, the person becomes like an orchestra. Today khoomei became the worldwide calling card of Tuva. In the summer of 2007 the art of Tuvan throat singing enraptured Vladimir Putin and his guest Albert II, Prince of Monaco.

Tuvans were first acknowledged by outsiders back in the 1980s. In 1992, the first international symposium about throat singing in Kyzyl attracted not only scientists, but also performers from around the world--from France, Japan, Canada, the Netherlands, and Finland.

Today, Tuvan masters of khoomei (the name of two-voiced singing) have gained the ability to hang out at the houses of western mega-stars, the attention of Hollywood, and participation in the most distinguished talk shows in America. Legendary Frank Zappa persistently invited the musicians of group "Huun-Huur-Tu" to his home, gladly fitted himself with a Tuvan folk outfit and eagerly listened to throat singing. And Stevie Wonder, according to eyewitnesses, simply burst into tears when he heard a joint appearance by Tuvan throat singers and a Bulgarian women's chorus. Peter Gabriel was offended by the Tuvans of the group "Shu-de", who "worked too long and forgot about everything" in his studio and ignored the maestro's invitation to come to his daughter's birthday. With the help of khoomei, Kongar-ool Ondar associated with highest-paid showmen of America, David Letterman and Chevy Chase, on their high-rated talk shows.

Each of these Tuvan groups has its army of worshippers, who listen to all their discs, adjust their schedules according to the tour schedules of their idols and readily follow them around the world.
Every year, hundreds of worshippers of Tuvan throat singing travel to Tuva, wanting to study khoomei in its native land--in the center of Asia. Associations of throat singers appear and work in Japan and Finland. In these countries, champions in the performance of throat singing are determined at "domestic" tournaments. These national champions, in turn, are granted the honor of leaving for Tuva to compete with Tuvan throat singers.

On "khoomei" more than one dissertation has been defended. (See Mark van Tongeren of the Netherlands and Tran Quang Hai of France.) Musicologist Zoya Kyrgys dedicated 25 years of study to Tuvan throat singing. The result of this study became her doctoral thesis. In the opinion of the scientist, specifically in the technique of sound production lies a vital distinction of Tuvan khoomei from other types of throat singing. Tuvan performers do not limit themselves to using the oral cavity and the larynx, as often occurs from in two-voiced singing of other people, but rather they sing with support of the chest, with the chest acting as a sound resonator, asserts the author. This is one type of corporomusic, in which the body actually works as a musical instrument. To denote Tuvan throat singing, the Tuvan musicologist uses the new working term "khorekteer" ("to chest-sing" in Tuvan).

Zoya Kyrgys became one of the head promoters in advancement of khoomei. At the end of the 1980s, she together with notable throat singer Gennady Tumat initiated the creation of the first ensemble of throat singers--"Tuva". The core of the group's repertoire was archival writings (songs, tales, prayers), collected in the course of field expeditions by the scientists of TNIIYALI. Then "Tuva", in time, became a factory of "throat" personnel. Out of "Tuva" came Kaygal-ool Khovalyg, Kongar-ool Ondar, Stanislav Tanmaa, Boris Kherlii, Otkun Dostay, Ivan Saryglar, Evgeniy Oyun and many others. Many of them decided to make their own groups which further on became quite popular. "Tuva"'s repertoir made up of Zoya Kyrgys archive findings served as a basis for them. Thus unknown old songs became sung everywhere.

The resolution about the declaration of 2008 as Year of Khoomei was accepted at the end of 2007 by the Government of the Republic. "Khoomei is one of the main properties of our culture," states Vice-Premier Anatoli Damba-Khuurak, who heads the organizational committee for conducting the

Year of Khoomei in Tuva. "The Year of Khoomei is declared not only with the goal of advertising this unique cultural phenomenon, but also for dealing with practical questions. In particular, earlier retirement for performers of throat singing, and creating a digital audio-visual archive of throat singing. We also intend to attain inclusion of khoomei in the list of objects of nonmaterial cultural heritage of UNESCO."

Declarations of the Year of Khoomei will pass not only in Tuva, but also in cities in Russia and abroad. In the Republic of Tuva, where practically one out of three men performs khoomei, a gathering of throat singers will take place in the summer of 2008. There is even an idea to register a record in the Guinness Book for the greatest number of people simultaneously performing khoomei.

Rodney King's Children

Human rights activist Sam Gregory on fighting oppression with video cameras

Over the last few years, a brave group of Arab activists has circulated footage of Egyptian cops striking, lashing, and even raping detainees. The torture videos, which had been filmed by the policemen themselves, prompted protests both inside and outside the country. They also prompted censorship: YouTube temporarily shut down the dissident blogger Wael Abbas' digital video channel after the company received complaints about the violent clips.

The channel can now be viewed on YouTube again. Much of its footage can also be seen on a website called The Hub, which is what YouTube would look like if it had been designed by Mohandas Gandhi. The site first appeared in pilot form in 2006, and a beta version launched in December 2007; over 500 pieces of media—videos, audio clips, photo slideshows—have been uploaded to it since its debut. The offerings range from raw footage of a massacre in Guinea to a detailed documentary about forced labor in rural Brazil. Most are accompanied by further information on the issues examined and on ways to take action against the abuses.

The site was created by Witness, a Brooklyn-based group founded by the pop star Peter Gabriel in 1992. Conceived in the wake of the Rodney King beating, the group first focused on getting cameras into the hands of human rights groups around the world and then on training them in the most effective ways to use those tools—creating, in Gabriel's phrase, a network of "Little Brothers and Little Sisters" to keep an eye on Big Brother's agents. Now Witness wants to move that community of camera-wielding activists online.

Gabriel serves as the group's celebrity face and as chairman of the board, but he stays out of the organization's day-to-day operations. Those decisions are made by people like program manager Sam Gregory. A human rights activist since he first joined Amnesty International in his teens, the U.K.-born Gregory became a student filmmaker at college, where he "was always trying to find a way to combine" his two interests. In addition to his managerial work, Gregory, 33, has co-produced videos about human rights issues in Burma, the Philippines, Argentina, Indonesia, and the United States.

Managing Editor Jesse Walker met Gregory at the DIY Video Summit at the University of Southern California, where Gregory gave a presentation about The Hub; Walker interviewed him via phone in mid-February.

reason: How did Witness get started?

Sam Gregory: Peter Gabriel had been traveling the world with the Amnesty human rights tour in the late '80s. He repeatedly encountered activists who were saying, "We've experienced this abuse, we've heard these stories of abuses, and we have no ways of responding." He had been carrying a Hi-8 camera with him, and it struck him that if those activists had access to cameras they would be able to document what was happening around them and share it in a way that would be totally different from the typical text-based approach.

(....) read more here...

Jesse Walker | February 15, 2008

Polar Arts : Richard Evans Management

About Polar Arts

Polar Arts was founded in 2000 by Juliette Slater & Jane Kelly. The company offers a bespoke service for management, tours and events in the live industry.

Richard began working at Realworld Studios, not long after graduating from Guildhall School of Music. He was nurtured under the creative eye of Peter Gabriel, and many talented producers such as Daniel Lanois, Travor Horn, Stephen Hague, Bob Ezrin, John Leckie and Brian Eno. He has since gone on to work on many albums, films & multimedia projects. Recent work included co-producing and co-writing the Golden Globe nominated score for ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’. He has also performed around the world as multi-instrumentalist in Peter Gabriel’s touring band.

Richard has worked on records, commercials, documentaries, feature films and 2006 has found Richard working on a typically varied set of projects. He is always looking for new creative challenges. Please contact us for further details or to set up a meeting.

WALL-E Gets Some Tunes From Peter Gabriel

I’m terribly excited over WALL-E. Pixar has shown that they can do no wrong so far, and this year’s release doesn’t look to change that at all. Every glimpse we get of the little robot, from his newfound place in the Pixar logo to the Super Bowl commercial featuring Buzz Lightyear and Woody talking about WALL-E just excites me more and more.

Today’s cause for excitement: Andrew Stanton has apparently brought Peter Gabriel on board to help with the music for WALL-E. The scope of Gabriel’s involvement ins’t quite clear, but in his latest video blog, Gabriel discusses a little about the picture, revealing a few things we didn’t know before and drawing some comparisons between WALL-E and the classic 2001: A Space Odyssey.

We know from the trailers that the movie centers around a small robot who was left behind on Earth to clean up garbage after mankind moved to the stars. The environmentally conscious musician says that Pixar consulted with NASA and, based on description of bone deterioration in space, humans are being made to look like “flat blobs in armchairs.” That sounds really cool to me.

Apparently Gabriel has been involved with the picture for some time (he says Stanton approached him in 2005) and he thinks the movie is going to continue the Pixar legacy of films that are appropriate for kids but also contain content for adults as well. I’m guessing that’s the environmental message Gabriel is talking about, but only those involved know for sure right now.

As for how much Gabriel is creating for the movie, the musician describes his contribution as creating one or two new things as well as putting some glue on things he’s done before. I’m not sure if that means he’s just creating a few songs for the movie or if he’ll be scoring it as well, like he has previously with films like The Last Temptation of Christ. Either way, I’m excited to hear some Gabriel tunes accompanying WALL-E.

I’ve hit the high points here, but if you want to hear Gabriel talking about his involvement himself, click over to his video blog entry. Be warned however: the musician talks about his broken leg (the result of a skiing accident) as well as engineering designs of a friend of his before he even begins to mention the Pixar project in what winds up being a thirteen minute long video.

preview

By Rafe Telsch: 2008-02-13

Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo launches headlining trek

Fresh off her first Grammy win, world music songstress Angelique Kidjo is getting ready to hit the road for headlining tours of North America and Europe.

The African-born singer will kick things off Feb. 21 in Seattle and play cities all over the US, as well as a couple of Canadian provinces, through April 9. She will immediately segue into her European jaunt, which runs into late May. North American dates are listed below and overseas shows can be found at Kidjo's website.

Last Sunday, the singer won the Best Contemporary World Album Grammy for her latest release, "Djin Djin." In her acceptance speech, she dedicated the award to the "women of Darfur, the women who are fighting every day to give their kids an education."

"Djin Djin," which surfaced in May, has Kidjo partnering with guest stars including Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, Carlos Santana, Joss Stone, Ziggy Marley, Branford Marsalis and Josh Groban, with whom she toured last year. The critically acclaimed set, produced by Tony Visconti (David Bowie, Morrissey), reached No. 58 on The Billboard 200 and nabbed the top spot on the magazine's World Albums chart.

The record follows 2004's "Oyaya!" and is billed as a return to Kidjo's Beninese roots, capturing the most traditional rhythms from her country. It comprises material sung in her native languages as well as in English and French. A couple of songs from the set are streaming at Kidjo's MySpace page.

In addition to her music career, Kidjo has devoted much of her adult life to global charity work, according to a press release. She is a spokesperson for UNICEF and Oxfam, and recently created her own charity, Batonga, which aims to create a culture that values and supports the secondary education of girls in Africa.

February 12, 2008 By Kym Kilgore LiveDaily Contributor

WOMAD February 2008 Update

By now, those New Year's resolutions will have been broken and the detox diet forgotten. So, you'll be ready to gorge on a feast of musical delights and flavours at WOMAD Charlton Park 2008.

The festival returns for a second time to Charlton Park and the confirmed dates are Friday 25th - Sunday 27th July 2008.

The WOMAD festival weekend aims to create a musical adventure, a journey with no particular destination. Your fellow travellers are the sixty-odd artists from 36 countries who bring their music, dance and expression to the festival.

We have a really great line-up in store for you at WOMAD Charlton Park this year plus we'll be offering more workshops, more participation and a re-designed and expanded festival site with improved access, car parking and camping facilities.

Some of the artists featured at WOMAD Charlton Park 2008 will be familiar to the festival audience, others entirely new. It's just up to you, to jump in and take a bite!

and more... http://www.realworld.co.uk/mailouts/womad_110208/wm_110208.html

Flautist to pipe in Chinese New Year

Internationally acclaimed flautist Guo Yue

As the Chinese New Year dawns today, there is a plethora of related cultural events taking place around Liverpool and the region. The internationally acclaimed flautist Guo Yue, whose music enhanced films like The Last Emperor and The Killing Fields, arrives with his charming bamboo flutes on Friday.

His is the first in a series of Chinese related concerts in the Philharmonic Hall’s Rodewald Suite as part of its After Eight programme. He is followed by cellist Semay Wu and singer Seaming To who appear with their amazing electronic effects in a couple of weeks, followed by The Silk String Quartet at the end of the month.

Guo was born in Beijing, but left China in 1982 to study at the Guildhall School of Music. With his brother Guo Yi, he has performed at international festivals and concerts, including The World of Music, Arts and Dance.

He first performed his bamboo flutes concerto My Peking Alley with the BBC Concert Orchestra at Womad almost 10 years ago, and also performed the soundtrack for the Channel Four television documentary Beyond the Clouds.

Guo commented: “In ancient Chinese philosophy, life is about four things: sadness, happiness, being apart and being together. Looking back on my childhood as the youngest son of a violinist, growing up in a large musical family in the alleys (hutongs) of Beijing, I would agree.”

The Rodewald concert is part of an exciting six-month programme of events promoted through the China Now banner to raise the profile of China in Britain in 2008. But the first Year of the Rat event is surely the launch of a major Chinese art exhibition at The Egg Cafe venue in Newington tonight. It features the works of five Chinese artists, and has been coordinated by well-known painter and calligrapher Xia Lu, who is based in Liverpool. Along with other artists from China, she is showing 57 different pieces.

* GUO YUE – Rodewald Box Office 0151 709 3789/Chinese Art Exhibition: www.eggspace.org

Feb 7 2008 by Lew Baxter, Liverpool Daily Post