Entertaining Posts

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Esperanza Spalding brings Grammy-winning jazz to Europe

CULLY, Switzerland | Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:46am EDT

CULLY, Switzerland (Reuters) - American jazz bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding showcased her Grammy-winning talent for enthusiastic Swiss jazz lovers at the start of a European tour that will also take her to Italy, France, Britain and Spain.

Spalding was the surprise winner of the best new artist Grammy in February, beating favored Canadian contenders Drake and teenage sensation Justin Bieber. She was the first jazz artist to clinch the coveted prize.

The 26-year-old and her Chamber Music Society band played a 90-minute set at the annual Cully jazz festival on Wednesday night, where a sold-out crowd was enraptured.

The Wayne Shorter Quartet and Gilberto Gil also performed at the 29th edition this week in the picturesque village that lies among terraced vineyards, along Lake Geneva near Lausanne.

Spalding highlighted tracks from her third and latest album Chamber Music Society (2010), including "Little Fly," the crowd-pleasing ballad "Apple Blossom," and "Really Very Small."

The Portland, Oregon native arrived on stage and sat in the dark to the side in a large armchair, sipping red wine, as her six musicians played an instrumental introduction.

She then took off her jacket and picked up her bass to play "Little Fly." The set was bathed in red light for "Knowledge of Good + Evil."

Spalding, a composer whose phrasing and lyrics are unusual, is part Hispanic, African-American, and Native American. She sang mainly in English, but also Spanish and Brazilian-flavored Portuguese ("Inutil Paisagem" or "Useless Landscape").

"We are the Chamber Music Society. Merci beaucoup," she cooed into the microphone at the end of the program.

As midnight struck -- and with Swiss precision -- she then returned for a solo encore of jazz standard "Midnight Sun," a composition by Lionel Hampton made famous by Ella Fitzgerald.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

French DJ David Guetta, Coke launch talent contest

By Bob Tourtellotte

LOS ANGELES | Thu Mar 31, 2011 8:31am EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - He launched his own dream career spinning records, and now David Guetta hopes to spin the dreams of aspiring DJs into their own reality through a contest he has cooked up with energy drink, burn.

The Grammy-winning music producer and DJ, who worked with the Black Eyed Peas on their smash hit "I Gotta Feeling," and the Coca-Cola Co, which makes burn, unveiled a promotional partnership on Thursday that includes both the competition and the making of a documentary movie about Guetta and his music.

"I've always wanted to, how can I say, give back the love a little bit to younger producers," the Parisian told Reuters. "I've been very, very blessed with success, and I want to help other people achieve this.

The documentary, which has yet to be titled, covers the 43-year-old's life from spinning records in French nightclubs in the 1980s and 1990s to producing records for top acts such as Akon and creating his own hit albums.

The film also will explore the recent history of the underground dance music scene, electronica, house tunes and the large festivals that are now a routine part of the industry.

"People from my generation and even younger know my history, but a lot of kids don't know the history of this music," he said.

Details of both the movie and the competition were scant at the time of the announcement. An official with Coca-Cola said a director will soon be hired, production will begin in April and the hope is to release the documentary in September.

Rules for the contest are expected to be posted in the near future on the energy drink's website, burn.com. The winner will get his or her big break spinning records at Guetta's dance parties on the tourist island Ibiza, off the coast of Spain.

Emmanuel Seuge, director of worldwide sports and entertainment marketing at Coca-Cola, called Guetta the perfect promotional match for burn, given his high-energy music, creativity and collaboration with other musicians.

"The way we talk about burn is that it is a brand which acts on its ambition, and that is the mode of David's life. That is what he has stood for," said Seuge.

Moreover, the energy drink is now sold in some 83 countries and Guetta has a global fan base.

In the past decade, as CD sales have tanked in the face of rising digital downloads of single records on the Web, musicians have turned to performing and promotional deals like the one between Guetta and burn to fill their bank accounts.

Guetta is not shy about saying that money -- for both he and burn -- is a big part of the collaboration, but he is quick to add it is not all about cash. And he points to the unusual nature of producing the film and the contest as being vastly different from simply creating a new song or jingle to burn.

"Of course there is the money for me. Of course, there is the money for Coca-Cola, but instead of doing just stupid publicity, we are trying to use some of the budget to do something positive and interesting," he said.

(Editing by Dean Goodman)

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Aniston, Moore to direct short films on breast cancer

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"Biebermania" spreads to Belgium

By Eva Dou

ANTWERP | Wed Mar 30, 2011 3:27pm EDT

ANTWERP (Reuters) - Fame has its "ups and downs," even for Canadian teenaged singing sensation Justin Bieber who is enjoying a lot of "ups" these days on his European tour that has now spread "Biebermania" to Belgium.

While the 17-year-old heartthrob appears to have the female pre-teen world at his feet, he faces challenges growing up in the media spotlight and with a grueling tour that causes him to lose track of where in the world his next plane is headed.

"There's ups and downs," he told reporters in Antwerp, Belgium, where he performs on Wednesday, referring to his life as one of the world's biggest pop stars.

"I'm not able to go out myself somewhere, but I'm able to travel, do so many cool things ... I'm blessed."

Bieber said he would not be seeing any of Belgium following his show in Antwerp, which sold out within 30 minutes of tickets being available.

"I leave tonight, actually, so I'm not gonna be here," he said. "I'll be somewhere else. I don't know where I'm going, but I won't be here."

Bieber, dressed head-to-toe in black, said he was gradually gaining his footing in the world of adulthood.

"I'm 17, so my mom is still my mom. She's still there, she still makes decisions, but she's letting go a little in letting me grow up and start to make my own decisions."

As for concerns over how growing up might affect his trademark velvety, high-pitched voice, he shrugged them off.

"All guys, their voices change. My voice is deeper than it was before, but it's gradually changing. It's not like one day my voice is up here and the next day it's down here."

"JUSTIN!, JUSTIN!"

Throngs of girls milled outside shrieking "Justin! Justin!," some weeping, continuing the wave of "Biebermania" that has accompanied the star on his European tour.

As a security guard shooed fans from the back entrance to the building where the press conference was held, girls thrust at reporters -- or anyone else heading inside -- handfuls of love notes addressed to Bieber.

"It's not a problem if I don't touch him or don't kiss him," sobbed Sarah Benouda, 15, through streaming tears. "But just to see him, oh my God!"

Benouda said she skipped class on Wednesday and lied to her mother to take a three-hour train ride from her home in Ottignies to glimpse her idol.

Rihanna says doesn't want to hurt Brown's career

NEW YORK | Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:48pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Singer Rihanna has told Rolling Stone magazine she agreed a judge could ease a stay away order against her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown over a violent altercation two years ago because she didn't want to hurt his career.

The 23-year-old told the music magazine it was "my decision" not to object to a Los Angeles judge's decision in February to downgrade a restraining order keeping Brown, 21, 50 yards away from Rihanna -- 10 yards at music industry events.

"It doesn't mean we're gonna make up or even talk again. It just means I didn't want to object to the judge," she told the magazine in an excerpt published Wednesday.

The singer added she had his music career in mind.

"We don't have to talk ever again in my life," she said. "I just didn't want to make it more difficult for him professionally. What he did was a personal thing -- it had nothing to do with his career. Saying he has to be a hundred feet away from me, he can't perform at awards shows -- that definitely made it difficult for him."

Rihanna's blunt admissions are a stark contrast to Brown, who last week threw an angry tantrum in his dressing from of a U.S. morning chat show after clamming up when an interviewer brought up the topic of his 2009 assault on Rihanna.

Brown, 21, was promoting his new album "F.A.M.E.," while Rihanna talked to Rolling Stone about one of her singles, "S&M," off her fifth studio album, "Loud," that spawned No. 1 hit singles including "Only Girl (In the World)".

Rihanna told Rolling Stone she put up a front in public after the assault.

"I put my guard up so hard. I didn't want people to see me cry. I didn't want people to feel bad for me. It was a very vulnerable time in my life, and I refused to let that be the image. I wanted them to see me as, 'I'm fine, I'm tough.' I put that up until it felt real."

About "S&M," she said that "being submissive in the bedroom is really fun. You get to be a little lady, to have somebody be macho and in charge...that's fun to me. I like to be spanked."

(editing by Bob Tourtellotte)