The band have invited musicians to enter the My Grammy Moment contest, and are looking for string, woodwind and brass players.
Musicians are being invited to submit up to 60 seconds of them performing the Foo Fighters song The Pretender. Grammy-appointed judges will then compile a shortlist of 45 quarter-finalists, before the public are invited to choose three winners.
The 61-year-old entertainer has been preparing for her next gig, according to her lawyer Allen Arrow.
Arrow said Minnelli is currently rehearsing, and will resume her touring schedule on Jan 12 in Providence, Rhode Island.
Minelli was performing on Dec 12 in Goteborg, Sweden, when she collapsed while walking offstage.
Williams is reportedly so envious of Take That's comeback success that he is planning a similar stunt.
"Robbie's watched Take That come back and be successful. Now's the time to show he is even better as a solo artist and has the success that they can only ever dream of," a source revealed.
Artist: Eddie Vedder
Genre: Rock
(J Records/SonyBMG)
A brief film synopsis is in order here: Into the Wild is based on Jon Krakauer’s best-selling non-fiction novel about the life and death of university honours student Christopher McCandless. The promising McCandless, upon graduation, immediately shunned the trappings of the material world in order to go native in the Alaskan bush, eventually dying of starvation.
Given Vedder’s long-standing bearing as one of the most recognisable and unflinching rock rebels of our time (considering his anti-corporate stance and his efforts in promoting the Vote for Change movement), Penn couldn’t have chosen a more suitable artist to score a cinematic project like Into the Wild.
Pearl Jam junkies looking for a quick hard-rock fix in the mould of standards like Alive and Jeremy will, however, have no such luck here. Instead, what you can look forward to is a set of tracks that fits almost exclusively within the acoustic-folk sub-genre, bar the occasional appearance by more strident rock and roll sensibilities.
The appropriately named Setting Forth kicks things off here, a jangle-rocker reminiscent of prime-era R.E.M., replete with plenty of layered acoustic guitars. From then on, the proceedings slow down to an unruffled, placid pace, with homespun, folk-inflected, self-descriptive pieces like No Ceiling, Far Behind and Long Nights making up the bulk of the soundtrack.
Detractors will view this as a minus point, pointing to the dearth of musical variety in the scheme of things, but perhaps that is exactly the effect that Vedder is trying to achieve here. Given the film’s persistent focus on an alternative, introspective notion of freedom, any unruly genre-hopping on the soundtrack might be perceived as highly incongruous with the movie’s overall creative ideals.
However, lest listeners doze off from all the seemingly reflective navel-gazing here, there are scattered moments of controlled raucousness and mild experimentalism on Into the Wild to liven things up.
One such example is the rollicking Hard Sun, with its closely miked drum work, ferocious electric guitars and Vedder’s own clamorous but measured vocals.
Vedder’s familiar grizzly-bear baritone is used to wonderful effect on the rather spooky The Wolf, a late-night, lost-in-the-woods wordless-vocal tune that features multiple layers of Vedder chanting. Elsewhere, the flanged guitar echoes on End of the Road also add some spice to the proceedings.
So, while loyal Pearl Jam disciples will not find any of the rabble-rousing barnstormers that once set stadiums everywhere on fire during the zenith of the grunge era of the early 90s, there are still enough justifiable instances on Into the Wild to merit more than a cursory run-through.
A decidedly different facet of Vedder’s artistry is presented here, a more organic, contemplative approach that perfectly befits the film’s existential human drama. An unexpected but welcome minor gem from one of modern rock’s key iconoclasts. File under “Meditative, thought-provoking folk-rock”.
Source : Star Online
BIARPUN meletakkan dirinya sebaris dengan artis baru yang sedang meningkat naik, namun nama Noryn Aziz atau Noryn, 31, begitu cepat dikenali malah muziknya juga semakin diterima ramai.
Terpilih sebagai salah seorang peserta pertandingan IKON Malaysia musim kedua yang akan disiarkan oleh Astro Ria pada pertengahan tahun ini, Noryn seharusnya berbangga kerana bukan semua artis baru sepertinya berpeluang untuk melayakkan diri ke pertandingan seperti itu.
Ini kerana bukan calang-calang artis yang boleh menggalas tanggungjawab sebagai ikon yang mewakili rakyat Malaysia dalam bidang nyanyian.
Apatah lagi, juaranya nanti bakal berentap dengan juara-juara IKON dari beberapa negara Asia yang bertanding bagi merebut gelaran juara Ikon ASEAN.
Justeru, Noryn menganggap pertandingan tersebut sebagai satu titik permulaan baginya untuk mempersembahkan kepada khalayak tentang bakat yang dimilikinya.
Noryn yang ditemui di kediaman pengurusnya di Kondominium Kyoto Garden, Bukit Antarabangsa, baru-baru ini berkata, “Sebelum ini Noryn kurang ditonjolkan di kaca TV. Jadi, dengan menyertai IKON Malaysia, Noryn harap dapat kongsi bakat yang Noryn ada dengan peminat.
“Noryn anggap ini sebagai satu platform yang baik bagi Noryn untuk mengetengahkan genre muzik yang Noryn bawa.
“Tidak semua artis baru macam Noryn berpeluang tunjukkan kepada masyarakat tentang bakat yang dimiliki.
“Memang rasa berdebar sangat, tambahan pula juaranya nanti berpeluang untuk bersaing dengan wakil dari negara-negara Asia yang bertanding,” kata Noryn.
Antara artis lain yang turut bertanding dalam IKON Malaysia musim kedua ialah Liza Hanim, Mila AF5 dan Farah Wahida.
Ditanya tidakkah dia khuatir sekiranya gagal mendapat tempat di hati peminat, kata Noryn; “Manusia memang selalunya berbeza pendapat. Jadi apa yang penting, Noryn akan jadi diri Noryn sendiri dan tidak berpura-pura.
“Kalau gagal tak apa, sebab ini merupakan ruang untuk Noryn menimba pengalaman. Bagi Noryn, muzik yang cuba Noryn bawa adalah untuk dikongsi. Biarpun tak dapat puaskan hati semua pihak, tapi Noryn akan cuba lakukan yang terbaik,” katanya.
Pernah gagal dalam nyanyian menerusi kumpulan Sister-Sister sekitar 1990-an, Noryn melangkah pula ke alam perkahwinan lewat usianya 22 tahun sekitar 1998.
Sejak itu, hampir 10 tahun Noryn menyepikan diri. Tapi November tahun lalu Noryn mengorak semula langkahnya sebagai anak seni melalui album solo pertamanya berjudul Alam Maya.
Pengalaman lalu menjadikannya melangkah lebih yakin untuk tampil secara solo dalam bidang nyanyian. Biarpun sukar, namun wanita jelita bermata cantik ini tidak mudah mengalah malah berusaha keras membina kerjayanya.
Yang bulat tak akan datang bergolek. Menurut Noryn, apa yang dimilikinya kini tidaklah semudah yang disangka. Katanya, dia perlu berusaha lebih keras untuk mencapai matlamatnya dalam bidang nyanyian.
“Noryn jenis yang perlu berusaha jika nak dapatkan sesuatu. Noryn yakin boleh berjaya asalkan Noryn berusaha,” katanya.
Menurut Noryn, sebelum ini dia pernah berputus asa dalam bidang nyanyian. Tapi katanya, sejak gagal dalam rumah tangga dia mula membina keyakinan diri dengan mendalami ilmu muzik di International Collage Of Music (ICOM), Kuala Lumpur.
Kata Noryn, dia banyak menimba pengalaman ketika menyanyi di kelab-kelab, majlis perkahwinan, majlis-majlis rasmi dan apa juga penglibatan muzik yang boleh menghasilkan pendapatan.
Baginya, dengan cara itu sahajalah dia boleh menunjukkan bakat dan minatnya yang mendalam dalam bidang muzik.
Walaupun agak sukses dalam nyanyian, namun penampilan Noryn yang agak seksi sedikit sebanyak menimbulkan rasa kurang senang di kalangan peminatnya.
Katanya; “Bagi Noryn apa yang Noryn pakai disesuaikan dengan figura dan jenis muzik yang Noryn bawa.
“Noryn memang suka berpakaian dan suka pada fesyen. Sebab tu Noryn tak kisah dalam bab pemakaian.
“Bagaimanapun, pada tahun ini Noryn berazam untuk cuba kurangkan imej seksi tu,” katanya.
Source : Utusan Online
More than just the voice of the moment, Sean Ghazi is also an accomplished actor and dancer. This year, he captivated Malaysians as the all-round performer who brought a part of history to life.
AS the final curtain descends on 2007, one local entertainer can truly look back on a year of accomplishments.
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Performing at the 14th Anugerah Industri Muzik in Kuala Lumpur in April. – AZHAR MAHFOF / The Star |
But his portrayal of the legendary Malaysian actor-musician in the major stage production P. Ramlee the Musical ... The Life, The Loves & The Inspiration – played to packed houses in Kuala Lumpur between Oct 18 and Nov 3 – is not the only significant point in Sean’s career this year.
Another fact worth celebrating is of course his being bestowed the Best New Artiste award at the premier Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM) in April.
This followed the release of his debut solo album Semalam in November 2006. It also clinched another AIM award – Best Musical Arrangement in a Song for Semalam.
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Sean was in the spotlight with Datuk Siti Nurhaliza in the recent P. Ramlee the Musical. – Photo courtesy of Enfiniti Productions |
While he is yet to be the king of Malaysian entertainment (like P. Ramlee was in his heyday), the 38-year-old is one singer the Malaysian king will not forget.
This year, Sean has performed numerous times before Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and other members of royalty including Britain’s Prince Andrew, who was in the country for the 50th Merdeka celebrations in August.
At an interview with The Star about a week ago, Sean admits: “Yes, a lot of things happened this year. In fact, I performed so many times in front of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong this year that I’m sure the King must be thinking, ‘What, you again?’”
Nevertheless, it’s hard not to “think P. Ramlee, think Sean Ghazi” now.
His album Semalam features a collection of songs that ranges from P. Ramlee, Anneke Gronloh and Pink Martini to Sudirman, Jimmy Boyle, and Broadway.
“I’m very proud of the album. We had a plan and stuck with it despite the difficulties, and the response has been very thrilling,” Sean says.
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Semalam won two awards at the 14th Anugerah Industri Muzik, one of them the Best New Artiste award for Sean. |
The success of Semalam is a vindication of Sean’s vision.
“I’m a big fan of classic songs – there’s a purity and truth in the older songs – and I think we have done something important by preserving a bit of the past,” he says.
His love for timeless classics had in 2004 led him to put up a series of beguiling performances in I Have Dreamed – An Evening with Sean Ghazi. A critical and box-office success, the revue ran twice in Kuala Lumpur that year.
Sandy Monteiro, Universal Music Malaysia managing director as well as the group’s senior vice-president for the Asean region, labels Semalam a groundbreaking album.
“For the longest time, Malay recordings here have been for Malay listeners and didn’t really cater to non-Malays,” he explains.
“What Sean did with Semalam was to make an album that catered to all Malaysians.”
Monteiro also praises Sean’s boldness in working with a foreign orchestra and a non-Malaysian arranger to come up with an international interpretation of Malay music. (The album was recorded in Australia and Malaysia.)
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There are plans for a new album but Sean is reluctant to reveal more.
“We’re in pre-production now. It’ll be different – you’ve always got to be different – but not to the extent of alienating those who’ve enjoyed Semalam.”
The focus of P. Ramlee in Semalam dovetailed nicely for Sean when he took on the lead role in P. Ramlee the Musical. The project, staged by Enfiniti Productions, the team behind last year’s stunning Puteri Gunung Ledang: The Musical, notably featured pop queen Datuk Siti Nurhaliza in her theatre debut.
Sean acted opposite Siti in her special appearance as P. Ramlee’s first love Azizah. He also starred alongside Atilia, Melissa Saila and Liza Hanim who respectively played the legend’s three wives, Junaidah, Norizan and Saloma.
“Yes, it all worked out quite well but it was a challenging role,” Sean notes.
“P. Ramlee is such an icon that people have a very clear image of what he was like. My job was to live up to that expectation and, yet, put my own interpretation into the role.”
Sean took extra care for the part, including learning to play the violin, but he did so conscious of the fact that he was portraying one of his favourite performers.
“I listen to lots of different music and musicians but if I had to choose, I’d pick P. Ramlee and Frank Sinatra,” he reveals.
It is, perhaps, instructive that he would choose two artistes who were more than just musicians – both, for example, were just as successful on screen.
“I don’t believe in limiting myself to just doing one single thing,” Sean says. “I enjoy what I do – every day is different, exciting and dynamic.
“You need to have the right ego and courage to go in front of an audience, but it’s good to never feel entirely safe, and that is what keeps me growing as a performer.”
For Sean, the desire to perform was sparked when he was three years old. That moment of epiphany arrived with a single, simple gesture.
“I was in a kindergarten play, performing as Jack in Jack and Jill at the Petaling Jaya Civic Centre,” says the singer-actor-dancer. “I don’t remember exactly what I did – took off my hat or something like that – but it was something unexpected and what I recall most vividly was the audience’s reaction and I knew then that I wanted to perform.”
It was an ambition that he would stick to for the next 35 years, working and developing himself into the public performer he is today.
Looking through his list of accomplishments on stage, it is interesting to note the many fields Sean has dabbled in.
“I wouldn’t call it dabbling. As a performer, I think it’s important to have as many tricks up your sleeve as possible,” he explains.
“What I’m interested in is telling the truth, seeking the purity in what I have to share with the audience – that’s what drives me as an entertainer.”
“Truth” and “purity” constantly crop up in his conversation. They form his ethos in performance and inform the choices he makes as a stage persona.
“It’s what the audience expects – all performance is a two-way thing. You share something true and pure with the audience and the audience responds.”
For Sean, however, performance is more than just being on stage. While that experience is, undoubtedly, thrilling – “Nothing beats a live performance,” he declares – he is just as involved in the background aspects offstage.
A story that Deborah Michael, his business partner and executive producer of Baby Grand Productions (which produced Semalam), shares is telling.
“I met Sean a few years ago when he was doing some shows at No Black Tie (in KL). I found him arranging tables and hanging up the backdrop and this was just a couple of hours before he was going onstage to perform,” she remembers.
“So I said, ‘Sean, I’ll help you with all this. Just go home and get ready.’”
While he no longer has to worry about table arrangements and backdrops, Sean is still committed to the more mundane aspects of showbusiness.
“There are lots of things to work on – financing and sponsorship, for instance. Equally, I’m involved in pre-production work and the rehearsals, which are essential if you want to deliver a good show,” he says.
“I think that it’s ridiculous if I, as a performer, fly in my private jet, say hi to my fellow performers whose names I don’t even know, and just go on stage.
“People forget that when the audience pay for their tickets, this becomes a business transaction and you are duty-bound to give them what they expect.”
Born in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, in 1969, Sean – the eldest of three boys – went to school in Singapore (his mother is Singaporean) before leaving to study at Laine Theatre Arts in Britain in 1988. He received training in acting, singing and dancing.
In the later part of the 1990s, Sean was back in Malaysia and active in the local performing art scene, including a role in the local TV show Idaman in 1997, before taking up positions in foreign productions.
He returned to Malaysia in 2001 with an impressive CV that included his film debut in the 1999 Hollywood production Anna and the King starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat (Sean played the doomed lover of the concubine Tuptim portrayed by Bai Ling). He reprised that role in the London West End revival of the musical The King and I, which starred Elaine Paige and Jason Scott Lee, in 2000.
Sean’s other West End stints included Miss Saigon (1992-94) and Rent (1999). He reprised his roles, of Thuy and Angel, respectively, in Miss Saigon and Rent in productions staged in Germany, performing in German.
“It was a very interesting experience – we had strict vocal classes in the morning – and, by having to learn a different language, I learned something new about humanity,” Sean says.
“It (learning a different language) pushes you out of your comfort zone and makes you concentrate on the purity and truth of what you are going to deliver. I’d definitely do it again if I get the chance.”
Sean is keeping his options open for the coming year. Apart from working on the new album, there is the possibility of reviving P. Ramlee the Musical as well as staging it in Singapore.
“I think I’m really blessed to be a performer. Yes, showbusiness is a business at its core and you really have to work hard to maintain your integrity as a product.
“Yet, you never have to sit behind the same desk every day. If you keep pushing and developing yourself, you get to enjoy a bit of everything. And, if the audience appreciates what you’re doing, well, that just makes it so much more worthwhile.”
And fulfilling, like 2007 has been for him. Now Sean Ghazi has every reason to look forward to a new year that may continue to be different, exciting and dynamic.
Source : The Star