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Posted: 10 Oct 2012 11:37 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES - Thanks to Maroon 5's One More Night, South Korean rapper Psy's Gangnam Style must linger in second place on Billboard's Hot 100 hit parade for a third straight week.

Psy, 34, whose real name is Park Jae-Sang, rocketed to international fame when Gangnam Style and his signature pony dance went viral in July on YouTube, where it has notched up more than 400 million views.

But his dreams of conquering the most closely watched of all US pop music charts were dashed yet again as Night kept California pop-rockers Maroon 5 in first place on the strength of radio play.

"Again, the race was extremely close," said Billboard on its website Wednesday, adding that Psy remains a contender for the top spot next week despite strong new entries from the likes of Adele and Taylor Swift.

The Hot 100 reflects CD sales, digital downloads and radio play. - AFP

More merry melodies at No Black Tie

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 05:12 PM PDT

Kuala Lumpur's No Black Tie continues to bristle with exciting entertainment.

HOW time flies. It doesn't seem that long ago that a cosy club popped up in the Changkat Bukit Bintang area in Kuala Lumpur, a venue that lived and breathed live music. From local stalwarts to foreign luminaries, musicians worth their salt have all graced its stage.

If that's hard to imagine, harder still it is to fathom that No Black Tie (NBT) is now 14 years old. The club has come a long way, through the years providing a conducive live setting for everyone from Shelley Leong to Randy Bernsen, and Seven Collar T-Shirt to Steve Thornton.

And since 1998, very little has changed, least of all its philosophy. "No Black Tie is a haven for music lovers, a sanctuary for musicians, a home away from home for visiting international artistes and a venue of choice for KL's intellectual social elite," said owner Evelyn Hii in an interview.

Hii can take credit for what the club has been moulded into since music has always come first. "We do everything necessary to ensure that music is performed and delivered at its best by capturing its essence, so that our audience can fully experience and enjoy the artistry and individuality of the artistes that are performing for them," Hii explained.

NBT also throws the dog a bone, and it's not only the established who get a chance to play on its stage, but up and coming acts that are allowed to hone their craft, playing their own music. The live joint has also welcomed tribute shows, with Amy Winehouse and Michael Jackson shindigs titillating its audience in recent times.

By and large though, jazz (all kinds, to boot) is the order of the day, with an interesting mix of Malaysian and regional flavours nicely sowing up the clubs programming. Blues and rock have also been ushered through its doors, which attests to NBT's eclectic appeal.

"I am proud that No Black Tie continues to be the launching pad for many emerging artistes who are active in the music scene today. Our commitment to creating opportunities for musical collaborations between Malaysian and regional/international jazz artistes, and exposure and education for aspiring music students is ongoing."

NBT's model has clearly yielded results, and it was only a matter of time before the competitors observed and took note, and eventually took a leaf out of its book.

But Hii is unperturbed with newer venues sprouting and riding on NBT's coat-tails. Her take on it is: the more, the merrier. "I'm happy if No Black Tie has inspired this. We take great care and pride in making sure that the No Black Tie experience is a memorable one, with a music calendar offering great music."

Throughout this month, NBT has lined up a judicious serving of music, a mixed bag of jazz, blues and more, including the likes of international and local musicians such as Barnicle Bill Trio (Netherlands), Natasha Patamapongs (Thailand), Chika Asamoto (Japan), Valtinho Anastacio (Brazil), Elvira Arul, Melissa Indot and Poova.

Hii singled out the Tribute Concert for Salvador Guerzo, John Dip Silas Trio with Patamapongs, Asamoto and Musica Popular Brasileira (with Malaysian guitarist/singer Xiong, and Brazilian percussionist/singer Valtinho Anastacio) as the biggest nuggets of the month's festivities.

If there's been one niggle from the masses, it is that NBT's admission and F&B pricing could be more inviting, but Hii is only too aware that, like most things in life, quality comes at a price. "We constantly strive to maintain a standard of excellence for our guests in everything that we do, especially in music.

"We are bringing the world's finest piano, a Fazioli, into the club. This is our commitment to providing the best musical experience for our audience."

So what does the future hold for No Black Tie, say 10 years down the road? Hii was philosophical and succinct with her response: "Keep the music playing."

For more info, visit noblacktie.com.my or call 03-2142 3737.

Singer Sarah Brightman to be next space tourist

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 07:46 AM PDT

MOSCOW: British singer Sarah Brightman announced in Moscow on Wednesday that she will blast off next year as a space tourist to the International Space Station (ISS) in a voyage aimed at "realising dreams".

The soprano and crossover singer, 52, known for her roles in West End musicals such as "The Phantom of the Opera", would be the first tourist to go into space after a hiatus in the space tourism programme since 2009.

"I am planning to become a space flight participant," Brightman told a news conference in Moscow. The schedule for her flight "will be determined very shortly by (Russian space agency) Roscosmos and the ISS partners," she added.

Brightman added she had been approved medically and will do six months training in Russia.

The commercial flights to the ISS for space tourists are organised through US-based company Space Adventures, whose chairman Eric Anderson accompanied Brightman in Moscow.

"My journey is about realising aims and dreams," Brightman said, playing up her role as a UNESCO artist for peace and raising the possibility that she might "sing a song from space".

"This voyage is a product of a dream, my dream. Finally it can be a reality. I am more excited about this than anything I have done in my life to date."

Alexei Krasnov, head of human spaceflight at Roscosmos, said that the task of taking Brightman into space is "fully achievable in the nearest future" and confirmed that she had no medical problems.

The space tourism flights are expected to resume in 2013.

Previous space tourists visiting the ISS on a total of eight trips have included the Canadian founder of the Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberte, and Iranian-American entrepreneur Anousheh Ansari, so far the only woman.

Russia stopped taking space tourists in 2009 because of lack of room in its cramped three-person Soyuz space capsules that ferry astronauts to the ISS.

But Space Adventures said last year that it had signed a deal with the Russian space agency for three commercial passengers to book seats to the ISS per year as Russia plans to increase the number of Soyuz flights.

The last space tourist was Laliberte, who returned to Earth in October 2009 after an 11-day flight.

The first space tourist, Denis Tito, travelled to the ISS in 2001. All together, seven space tourists have taken part in missions.

Laliberte did not reveal the cost of his ticket, but his predecessor, US software pioneer Charles Simonyi, paid $35 million for his trip. -AFP

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Khamis, 11 Oktober 2012

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

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