Music News Australia: 11/15/11

Tuesday, 15 November 2011

Songs of protest at Melbourne Festival, by Eva Rinaldi - 15th November 2011

Joss Stone and Paul Dempsey perform “Throw Your Arms Around Me”

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crkRBkBJ_RY

STUDIO, as seen on Foxtel and Austar, is delighted to bring Australians the closing night concert of the Melbourne Festival 2011, notes from the hard road and beyond. The exclusive concert broadcast is part of the ‘Season Ticket’ program that has presented six world television premieres on the popular arts channel this year.

To catch it tune in to STVDIO at 8.30pm Friday November 25. Notes from the hard road and beyond is a night of protest songs from throughout the ages.

Soul singer Joss Stone (UK) headlines a concert of celebrated international performers including gospel legend Mavis Staples (US), Rickie Lee Jones (US), Something for Kate’s Paul Dempsey, John Schumann and hip hop artist Emmanuel Jal (SUD).

The stage is Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl, not far from where the Melbourne protests against greed have been going on for close to a month.

Some of the themes include abolition to the civil rights movement, women’s suffrage to the anti-war sentiments of the 1970s. The concert features music by Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Leonard Cohen, Pete Seeger and Green Day.

It's about celebrating freedom, but we suspect some will find other meaning also. Australia’s Black Arm Band also join the movement. We've been tipped off that it also celebrates the human spirit and the power of voice to change the world.

Media blurb from Studio - World Movies reads...

Mavis Staples (US) A member of gospel and soul legends The Staple Singers, Mavis Staples' personal and musical history is enmeshed with the US civil rights movement and the life of Dr Martin Luther King. She sings This Land Is Your Land and the Staples Singers’ hit Freedom Highway. View the clip online here.

Joss Stone (UK) Joss Stone is a soul singer-songwriter who at only 24, has sold more than 11 million albums and won two Grammys. She brings her soul vocal talents to I Am Woman, Feeling Good and I’ll Take You There alongside Mavis Staples.

Rickie Lee Jones (US) Rickie Lee Jones returns to Melbourne at the invitation of The Black Arm Band to sing a haunting rendition of Somewhere with Archie Roach.

International Stars Lead Protest Songs To Stir Viewers On STVDIO

2.11.2011

Paul Dempsey Founder of Something For Kate, Melburnian Paul Dempsey recently launched his solo album Everything Is True. He performs Green Day’s political hit American Idiot and an emotional duet of Throw Your Arms Around Me with Joss Stone.

Emmanuel Jal (SUD) Born into the life of a child soldier in Sudan, Emmanuel Jal survived unbelievable struggles to emerge as a world-acclaimed hip-hop artist, spreading a message of peace and understanding. He performs Emma, his dedication to the rescuer who smuggled him out of war-ridden Sudan.

The Black Arm Band This coalition of Australian musicians includes iconic elder statesman Archie Roach, senior songman Shane Howard, yidaki virtuoso Mark Atkins and songstress chorus including Lou Bennett, Emma Donovan and Shellie Morris. Archie Roach performs a heart-wrenching acoustic version of Nick Cave’s Into My Arms.

John Schumann Legendary singer-songwriter John Schumann’s 1980s protest song I Was Only Nineteen captured the horror of the Vietnam War and the hearts of public worldwide.

Write this down: Friday 25 November 8.30pm World Television Premiere of 'Notes from the hard road and beyond'.

Joss Stone performs “People Get Ready”

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msC8HkU3dpI

Emmanual Jal performs “War Child”

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIpeI2ZVKjA

Websites

SBS

http://www.sbs.com.au/

World Movies

http://www.worldmovies.com.au/

Studio

http://www.stvdio.com.au/

Sinead O'Connor Releases New Single With Reggae Producer Kemar 'Flava' McGregor, by Eva Rinaldi - 15th November 2011

Grammy Award-winning pop singer Sinead O’Connor recently released a new single, titled “How About I Be Me.

Since its release on iTubes last Tuesday she's being continuing to build upon her worldwide fan base, with a growing amount of news media paying attention.

The single which is described by the label and artist as a melodic dance-club reggae anthem told from the female perspective – was produced by Jamaican beatmaker Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor, and will be included on McGregor’s upcoming various-artists compilation, “Club Dance Riddim,” scheduled for digital release this fall.

O’Connor’s new single tells the story of a woman’s desire to speak freely about her lovemaking needs, and to openly celebrate the pleasures of physical love. As one would likely understand, the only one I speak freely about lovemaking is my man. Love (and God) are the two most important things in the world for many people, along with your children, of course. Love is often the catalyst for children, which is beautiful things, with many believing its a gift from God.

"The song is about how it is generally considered unseemly for women to express their desire for adult, consensual, respectful and healthy sex, and how sex generally is a difficult subject for us all to discuss – yet underneath it all, we all want it, ideally with ‘Mr. or Mrs. Right,’ but there's nothing wrong with loving ‘Mr. or Mrs. Wrong’ while you're waiting," said O’Connor. Fortunately I'm able to discuss the matter quite openly.

When quizzed her own feelings about the essence of love, O’Connor confirms her belief that physical lovemaking represents a consecrated spiritual union deeply and naturally connected to the human experience.

"My own feelings about sex are simply that sex – depending entirely on who you're doing it with – can be a very strong connection to whatever you want to call ‘God,’ but only if it really is with someone you love," O’Connor said. "How do you know if you love? You just know. Love doesn't mean stay forever necessarily, it just means love. It ain't just ants in your pants." O’Connor’s new single represents the continuation of her longtime penchant for reggae music, as she plans to collaborate with McGregor to produce additional reggae tracks with her during 2012, McGregor said.

Sinead O’Connor has sold in excess of 10 million albums worldwide, and she won the “Best Alternative Music Performance” category at the 1991 Grammy Awards for her second album, “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got.” Her first album, “The Lion and The Cobra” was nominated for “Best Female Rock Vocal Performance” at the 1989 Grammy Awards.

Her last album, “Theology,” ranked within the top-twenty albums charts in the United States, Ireland and the United Kingdom, and was listed on the top 100 charts in France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Canada.

Her production is easy to like, and not all that hard to love either. Grab your special one today and find out together.

Websites

Sinéad O'Connor

http://www.sineadoconnor.com/

Flava McGregor Records

http://www.flavamcgregor.com/

Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr

www.flickr.com/evarinaldiphotography

Eva Rinaldi Photography

www.evarinaldi.com

Music News Australia

www.musicnewsaustralia.com

Splash News

http://www.splashnews.com/

Puss In Boots Australian Premiere Coming Up At Sydney's Entertainment Quarter, by Eva Rinaldi - 15th November 2011

The Puss In Boots Australian premiere is sneaking up on us cats (and dogs), so we thought we would give you an update that is quite the cat's meow.

It's close to pur fect time, with the holiday season coming up down under in Australia.

You can just imagine the line up of teen girls for this one (and no doubt bringing along their mums and friends for the ride).

Sydney media are going to be glued to the red carpet and big screen, and hopefully no kitty litter will be required for some of the more excitable media and fans.

Some media promotional blurb reads "A story about the events leading up to the sword fighting cat's meeting with Shrek and his friends", but that's making it sound too simple.

Vet's and the like will advise you that cats don’t like being sprayed in the face with water. It may go without saying, but most users of a litter box also don’t care to be smacked in the head with a guitar.

Fortunately, we have cartoons like “Puss in Boots” to swing the point home.

Some people know him as Frisky Two Times, some as the Chupacabra. But, most refer to him as Puss in Boots (voice of Antonio Banderas), a feline unlike any other, both because of his famous footwear and his well known cat fighting skills.

After appearing as a sidekick in three “Shrek” movies and numerous holiday specials, it’s great to see an expanded presentation of Banderas’ most beloved role, with Puss bearing more of a resemblance to the famous Zorro. His wicked sense of humour is loved by millions.

DreamWorks Animation and Paramount Pictures have done Puss justice with this production, and we hope the numbers are good for their beancounting friends. Trust us, this is not a dog of a film.

The puss personality lends itself to fast-paced or is that fast footed adventure and hilarity, to put you and your cat in stitches.

Puss in Boots is a well known entity, but this cat flick also comes across as fresh and very cool for cats.

Round up the kids of all ages and lick up the action at Puss In Boots. It's truly the cat's meow. 4 out of 5 paws.

*Movie premiere is 27th November at Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park, Sydney.

Director: Chris Miller

Writers: Charles Perrault, Brian Lynch

Staring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Zach Galifianakis