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Posted: 18 Sep 2012 05:59 AM PDT

LONDON: Scottish singer-songwriter Annie Lennox has married for the third time, her spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

The former Eurythmics star, 57, wed American gynaecologist Mitch Besser on Saturday in London.

The ceremony was reportedly onboard a boat on the River Thames in a ceremony attended by Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth and comedienne Ruby Wax.

Her spokeswoman said it was "a private ceremony with friends and family present".

The "Sweet Dreams" singer posted a photograph of her wedding flowers on her Facebook page, winning more than 5,000 "likes" from fans.

Lennox's first marriage in 1984, to German Hare Krishna devotee Radha Raman, broke down after a year. She has two daughters with her second husband, the Israeli film producer Uri Fruchtmann, whom she divorced in 2000 after 12 years.

Lennox has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide with the Eurythmics and as a solo artist, winning a string of awards including four Grammys and an Oscar for a song that appeared on the "Lord of the Rings" soundtrack.

She performed at the closing ceremony for the London Olympics last month, as well as the star-studded concert outside Buckingham Palace in June marking Queen Elizabeth II's 60th year on the throne. -AFP

A fun time

Posted: 18 Sep 2012 03:50 AM PDT

Indie band Fun. offers listeners an alternative sound with veteran goodness.

THIS may come as a surprise to some of you, but American indie band Fun. has been around way before its hit single We Are Young took over the local airwaves.

Fun. was formed four years ago, but it is not too late to discover this three-piece outfit. Nate Ruess (lead vocals), Andrew Doss (piano), and Jack Antonoff (guitar, drums) are the guys behind those catchy tunes that Fun. comes up with. Its music is quite different from the sound it used to produce previously.

If you were like me, you would probably wonder why there's a full stop in the band's name.

"When we were looking for a name for the band, we just threw around words and 'fun' was conjured. Unfortunately, when we Googled the word, we found out that the name was already used by another band," said Antonoff, 29, in a phone interview. He was with the rest of the band members in Oregon in the United States, taking a break from their busy tour schedule and sharing stories with journalists about their musical and personal experiences so far.

"We wanted to keep that name because it was short, simple, and something people can relate to, so we just added to full stop behind to make it unique," said Antonoff.

Fun.'s latest album Some Nights launched the band into the mainstream music scene, garnering it even more fans than before. One of the hit singles off the album – We Are Young, which features singer Janelle Monae – reached the No.1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it the first alternative song to reach number one since Coldplay's Viva La Vida four years ago. The song was also featured in a Superbowl commercial in the United States, and in the hit TV series Glee.

"I think it's the earnestness and seriousness that was in the songs that captured people. People wanted something different," said Antonoff, who is also the frontman of indie rock band Steel Train. "The Some Nights album has more theatrical elements and more emotions."

If you think that there are some hip-hop elements in We Are Young, then you're right. For this sophomore album, the band worked with producer Jeff Bhasker, a key player in the international hip-hop scene.

Bhasker has worked with big names in the music industry such as Snoop Dogg (or Snoop Lion), Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Kanye West among others. This naturally infused some of the genre's elements into the band's new music.

"We had a different level of confidence with this album. It was simpler and therefore sounded bigger. We came from a place where we wanted it to be bigger," said Antonoff. "There was a lot of adapting, but it was good."

Aside from hip-hop, you can't help but notice that Fun. reminds us of another supergroup – Queen. The 1980s hit band's influence can be heard prominently in both singles off the album. Also, lead singer Ruess kind of sounds a little bit like the late Freddie Mercury.

"All of us are absolutely influenced by Queen. It's not like we purposely tried to sound like Queen, it just happened when we wrote the songs. The strong harmony in the vocals and the bigger guitar sounds (are reminiscent of Queen's work)," Antonoff pointed out.

It may come a surprise to many, but the song We Are Young, which seems to appear as a song resembling strength, joy and friendship, was actually intended as a "dark and sad" song.

"How our fans and listeners interpret our music means a lot to us, and if it means something in a certain way to them, it should matter to us as well." Antonoff shared. "And to think about it, it really makes sense."

Coming from different bands and different musical backgrounds, Antonoff said that the differences between the band members only strengthened their bond in friendship and in music. "It's like all of our past was brought forward to one place where we meet and put our heads together; like a three-in-one thing."

While he says that the band's next offering would most probably be in 2013, Fun. will be on full throttle touring and wants to completely focus on the tour without being distracted by thoughts of what comes next with its music.

"We just want to keep our heads and hearts to touring and just really express what the Some Nights album is about. We don't want to give the live shows half of what we've got while focusing on the next album," Antonoff expressed.

n Some Nights is released by Warner Music Malaysia.

Bringing up the arts

Posted: 18 Sep 2012 03:35 AM PDT

Performing arts portal Kakiseni aims to strengthen the industry with a multi-disciplinary communication.

KUALA Lumpur is a riot of culture and colour, but if there's one thing that the vibrant city lacks, it is a roaring performing arts scene.

Some say it is on the verge of a silent retreat, while others remain blissfully unaware of the domain. The inquisitive, though, will be rewarded with the most colourful of experiences, but only if they know where to look.

Nestled in the heart of the capital city, the Chinese Assembly Hall in Jalan Maharajalela looks like any other colonial-era building from the outside. However, a little peek into the venue – which has been growing increasingly popular as a location for theatre and arts performances – brings meaning to the adage, "never judge a book by its cover".

The setting for the inaugural Kakiseni Arts Exchange 2012 was incandescent with white fairylights, made brighter with a throng of happy, glamorous local celebrities.

The event is billed as the first meeting point of over 30 multi-disciplinary artistes in 12 countries with the aim to come up with exciting new content in a "20-day bootcamp-like atmosphere." In that, Kakiseni, a performing arts portal, aims to spread and execute creative ideas.

The exchange features the talents of Brazillian visual artist Andre Mendes, video projectionist Fairuz Sulaiman, multiple award-winning fashion designer Melinda Looi, and producer and director Ida Nerina.

Not quite knowing what to expect, I hobbled into the vicinity like a deer in headlights. At the entrance, a young man came dashing out of nowhere and accidentally knocked a woman's smartphone off her hands. The well-dressed woman snarled, got up and hurled a string of expletives at the apologetic young man. Already, the place felt like it was the perfect setting for some drama to unfurl.

The hall inside reverberated with so much energy. Atop the trays of wine and finger food, Shelah the drag queen (aka actor Edwin Sumun), played host at the event, dishing out his signature gender-bender jokes that had everyone in stitches.

The night also saw the likes of comedian Kuah Jenhan, actress Carmen Soo and fashion designer, Kavita Sidhu, gracing the event.

Among the guests stood Low Ngai Yuen, Kakiseni's charismatic head, dressed in a white dress.

The multi-talented Low, who is a producer, director, actor, activist, mother, and wife, is said to have "glamorised" the performing arts industry by employing the star powers of popoular fashion designers and visual artistes for the projects. The move has been met with a mixture of reaction – performing arts "purists" call it a sell-out while others see it as a smart business move necessary to keep the scene afloat.

Low sees the inclusion as imperative for the industry's propulsion. "Performing arts is not exclusive. It's to be inclusive for its survival," said Low in an e-mail interview.

She explains the rationale behind the multi-disciplinary collaboration, citing Looi, a prominent figure in Malaysian fashion as example. Fashion and theatre are inter-related, she says. "Melinda Looi has designed costumes for three stage productions so far and who is to say that her fashion shows are not theatrical?" She adds that multiplicity strengthens the creative arts scene.

The current arts scene is in need of resources like funding opportunities and talent, content, and audience development programmes, as well as lower entry barriers and space/platform development strategies.

On Kakiseni's role in ensuring the progress of the local arts scene, Low says she hopes that the exchange will generate more quality content and promote a better accessibility for the public to the arts. "Kakiseni intends to bridge the gap – whether it's between the industry to availability of resources or the audience and the ease of information."

And what of the ever popular notion of the starving artiste who has grown synonymous with the performing arts?

"Ah, but the idea of a starving artiste is also a desired and a much romanticised one," Low counters in jest. "The idea of a non-profit making theatre outfit is a lot more noble than the ones that are profit-making.

"Just like any other profession, an artiste's journey is a hard one and it is not helpful that the general perception is that it is not 'real work'."

The obvious challenge to the industry remains – funding. "I sound so tired already," Low goes on, as if resentful of the obvious truth. The fact remains that a lot of works need to be done to generate the interest of stakeholders for the continuous growth of the industry, she says.

Despite the lowdowns, Low says it takes very little for performers and industry players alike to recharge, especially when one gets to talk to an audience. "It's worth it," she concludes.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Selasa, 18 September 2012

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

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