Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:43 AM PST

Swedish superstar deejay/producer Avicii is the man to light up the Thirst festival.

Tim Bergling is a very difficult young man to track down. And by the time we finally spoke to the young Swedish deejay/music producer, we had to call him from Bahia in Brazil on a Monday (one month ago) after superstorm Sandy hit the Eastern seaboard of the United States. Bergling, better known in the dance arena as Avicii, had just come off a night playing a festival in Bahia alongside the likes of Tiesto and Roger Sanchez.

It has been a meteoric rise over the last three years for the young Swedish hotshot. Still only 23-years-old, the Stockholm-raised house music maverick has had the kind of exposure that most deejays and producers spend a career chasing.

Collaborations with David Guetta, Leona Lewis, Lenny Kravitz and Madonna and appearances at high profile American festivals like the Austin City Limits Music Festival, Ultra Music Festival, and Lollapalooza have cemented his reputation as the go-to guy for remixes and chart-topping hits.

Even though he released a slew of underground singles (including the classic Seek Bromance back in 2010) under the moniker Tim Berg, the last two years have seen him achieving mainstream crossover success with the singles Levels and Silhouette.

A climb up to No. 3 on British magazine DJ Mag just a couple of months ago has boosted Avicii's new status as one of the fastest rising deejays/producers on the planet.

"It has been one of the biggest moments of my career ... my life (so far). I'm touring everywhere," said Avicii, who revealed that he has played over 300 shows this year. He can add a few more this week in South East Asia, with appearances in Singapore and Jakarta before headlining the Heineken-endorsed mega-party Thirst at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur this Saturday alongside the likes of Above & Beyond (Britain), Justice (France) and Brodinski (France).

Amid the blur of gigs and headlines, he admitted that he's only been doing this properly for over three years.

"I've always been interested in music but I couldn't sing or play an instrument properly," he modestly revealed. "A friend then showed me a (computer) programme on how to write and produce and I just got into it. I even missed school a lot to concentrate on it. The next stage, of course, was to get on the decks. I got in touch with some management companies to do some shows (in Sweden). I'd never been a deejay before. I had to take lessons." With high profile collaborations and studio projects, Avicii steadily built a reputation for himself. However, you do wonder how he gains inspiration and finds time to write and produce his music.

"When recording, I only finish what I like. I never try to make a hit. Music-wise, I create around basic ideas. I can be very fast in my basic programming, it could be done in a matter of hours (to write a melody proper). I also work as much as possible on my laptop or in hotel rooms," he noted.

His hectic schedule continues until the end of the year, with a few more appearances in North America before he can take a short break. "In January and February, I'll take a break for the first time in a long time, maybe I will get down to work on a proper album or something like that. I do have some interesting collaborations in line, maybe even with John Legend," he revealed. This year, the Thirst festival scores a double first: with twin headliners in the shape of Swedish house supremo Avicii and French electronica pioneers Justice across two arenas, both playing their debut Malaysian sets. Also on the bill is an array of homegrown talent, which include Goldfish and Blink, LapSap, Mr Nasty and GuruGuru, Phil K Lee, Tommy Cham, Nick Haydez, Jee Hoe and Hypeembeats.

In another exclusive, the festival will feature a huge sculptural centrepiece in the form of Robert James Buchhol's Wish, fresh from its appearance at this year's Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas – a 17m installation with three LED lit flowers that will pulse in time to the music.

The Thirst festival takes place at the Sepang International Circuit this Saturday. Doors open 5pm. Tickets, priced at RM128, are available from Rock Corner outlets in the Klang Valley until Dec 7. Hotline: 03-8080 8700. More details at www.heineken.com.my.

A splash above the rest

Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:41 AM PST

Despite the poor weather, last weekend's Penang Island Jazz Festival drew a lively crowd willing to brave the elements.

CUBAN jazz outfit Estudiantina Ensemble was one of the last acts confirmed to play the Penang Island Jazz Festival 2012 and ironically enough, it was also the last group on the main stage last Sunday at the Bayview Beach Resort in Batu Ferringhi. After two days of incessant rain on the island, which arguably threw the festival out of its groove, it was heartening to witness Estudiantina Ensemble digging deep as it delivered a highly spirited set to end the ninth edition of this festival.

For some fans, nothing could rain on their parade as they stayed the distance.

On stage, this was the Estudiantina Ensemble members playing for their lives and loving it – the vocals in full flight, the guitars strummed with hearty zest, the trumpet blown louder, and the hand percussion cranked up an extra notch. It was well past 11pm on a Sunday and the masses were still kicking up puddles.

On paper, it looked like business as usual for this eight-piece band, but Estudiantina Ensemble frontman and guitarist Ricardo Bekema would be the first to tell you that it was a struggle to give this year's Penang Island Jazz Festival (PIJF) a fitting send-off.

"The rain was really hard on the festival. It didn't let up over the weekend. Yet it was amazing to see so many fans still on their feet and staying back until the end to watch us play," said Bekema, who left the stage with a broad smile and a big wave of appreciation for the good-natured crowd.

It was a job well done for Estudiantina Ensemble, which plays music drawn largely from its traditional Cuban music heritage. In Penang, these chaps truly captured the hearts.

Across the two evenings at the PIJF main stage, there were similar stories to be heard. All 12 acts – local and international – had their work cut out for them as the bad weather threatened to put a damper on the festival. Surprisingly, festivalgoers had the stamina to stick around till the end, while the PIJF also kept to its schedule.

Day one was a sulk as storm clouds loomed above the festival grounds. Despite the downpour, Italian vocal group Mezzotono and Norwegian experimental jazz duo Albatrosh managed to round off inspired sets. Both acts – with totally different music styles – settled themselves nicely on stage and deserved the cheers that followed.

Whether snug under umbrellas or making do with raincoats, the crowd quickly regrouped and stood in the rain. They kept the positive vibrations flowing. "It's very difficult to concentrate on the music when you are wet, but we're already at the festival – no point going home. Let's get behind the musicians on stage," said Ooi See Bee, a media relations manager, who came up from Kuala Lumpur with a bunch of friends.

The love was two-way at the festival, especially when veteran American jazz diva Madeline Bell connected with the crowd. Be it slow or sultry, she sang the standards with stardust sprinkles.

In truth, Bell remains little known in the wider music circles. But with a cigarette to warm her pipes backstage, this 70-year-old entertainer wasn't too bothered about rewriting pop history. Her current smooth jazz approach also wasn't necessarily to everyone's taste, but what is beyond doubt is this soul veteran can still happily lose herself in the moment. Just let your worries float away, indeed.

Before hitting the stage, folk rock act The Deans came as a fired up choice in the line-up. This was an example of PIJF's open door music policy.

These young Irish chaps – on their first Asian tour – lifted the rain-sodden vibe at the venue and drew the cheers from the ladies, but arguably, the band's set never quite reached a boil.

"Diversity can be a double-edged sword. Sometimes you make an interesting discovery, sometimes you just go have a drink and wait out for the next act on stage," said Ishak Osman, a PR consultant from Penang, who admitted he was only keen on the jazz-minded acts in the festival line-up.

"Like all music festivals, you have the purists and casual fans. But I would say the Penang Island Jazz Festival is the boldest when it comes to festival programming in this country," he added.

Back to the first night, TheArtOfFusion, a band of European musicians led by Chilean-born Rafa Sotomayor, provided a riveting headlining set. With Sotomayor on the Hang (often referred to as Hang drum), this group unleashed the most potent sound to come out of this PIJF and left a lasting impression.

At full blast, this fairly new instrument (invented in Switzerland 12 years ago) underpinned by Afrobeat, dub and soulful jazz is more than capable of tearing up any dance floor ... or even the stage front area of the PIJF.

By the second night, it didn't really matter if there was mud or not. More important was the audience that came back in the numbers to listen to the festival's music.

Apart from Estudiantina Ensemble, the final night's highlights belonged to the solo acts – renowned British guitarist Martin Taylor and newcomer jazz singer Butterscotch.

In terms of solo jazz guitar-based romanticism, the bespectacled Taylor has crafted his own category. Poignant and beautiful, this was a bloke who told his stories through his nimble chords and signature tone. His was a fully realised set at PIJF, spanning significant songs from his catalogue, including his composition Green Lady, which featured in the Andrew Piddington movie The Killing Of John Lennon.

When it came to living out on the edge, the Butterscotch solo performance was something to remember from this fest. Cheeky and charming was her game.

The young jazz musician, who is handy on the guitar and piano, was in her element as she worked the crowd with a set brimming with jazz, soul, hip-hop and beatboxing clever.

Out came the flute quips, trumpet puffs and live scratching in her vocal range. In 45 minutes, she was a livewire of beats powering through the originals and jazz standards. As far as genuine talent is concerned, Butterscotch can also boast a soulful voice that is slowly gaining prominence outside her beatboxing.

For the most part, anyone who enjoyed this exhausting two days of music and rain will agree that they will be back for PIJF's bumper 10th edition next year.

Not the best of party conditions this time around, certainly, but indisputably those mud-encrusted wellies are a testament to PIJF's music spread that is still a splash above the rest.

Jazz great Dave Brubeck dead at 91

Posted: 05 Dec 2012 04:24 PM PST

NEW YORK: Jazz pianist and composer Dave Brubeck, who tinkered masterfully with rhythm and style and won millions of new fans around the world for the quintessentially American musical genre, died Wednesday of heart failure at the age of 91.

A day shy of his 92nd birthday, Brubeck died in a hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut, his manager Russell Gloyd told AFP.

Brubeck won a slew of awards over the course of a career that spanned more than six decades. He was still playing as recently as last year.

He played at the White House for presidents and visiting dignitaries, and was designated a "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress.

Brubeck's 1959 album "Time Out" became the first million-selling jazz record of the modern era, as songs "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo a la Turk" defied the indifference of critics to become classics in the genre.

A big party had been planned for this Sunday to celebrate Brubeck's 92nd birthday, but he fell ill on Wednesday and his son called for an ambulance, which took him to the emergency room.

"They came up later and said we just can't keep this heart going," Gloyd said.

Brubeck's success cemented his reputation as one of the great popularizers in the history of jazz, after years of nudging the music into mainstream culture by relentlessly performing on university campuses.

His Dave Brubeck Quartet also toured the world on behalf of the United States government, becoming so popular in Europe and Asia that it was said that when Washington needed to fix up damage somewhere, they sent in Brubeck.

According to Brubeck's website, highlights of his career include the premiere of his composition "Upon this Rock" for then Pope John Paul II's visit to San Francisco, California in 1987.

His accolades included receiving the National Medal of Arts from then president Bill Clinton in 1994; a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Brubeck himself once described his approach thusly: "There's a way of playing safe, there's a way of using tricks and there's the way I like to play, which is dangerously, where you're going to take a chance on making mistakes in order to create something you haven't created before."

Over the course of his career he also experimented with integrating jazz into classical forms. In 1959 his quartet played and recorded with the New York Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein, and a year later he composed "Points on Jazz" for the American Ballet Theater.

In a 2010 article marking his 90th birthday, the Los Angeles Times said that even non-jazz lovers knew Brubeck.

"Through more than 60 years of recordings and performances at colleges, concert halls, festivals and nightclubs all over the world, Brubeck put forth a body of work, as pianist, composer and bandleader, that is as accessible as it is ingenious, as stress-free as it is rhythmically emphatic, as open-hearted as it is wide-ranging," the paper wrote.

Born on December 6, 1920 in Concord, California, Brubeck at age four was improvising tunes from the classical pieces he was taught by his piano teacher mother.

But he dreamed of being a rancher like his father, and went to university to become a veterinarian, only to transfer to the music department when a teacher noticed he spent all class staring out the window at the conservatory.

His raw skill at the keyboard concealed the fact he had not yet learnt to read music, and he was allowed to graduate in 1942 only after promising never to become a music teacher.

After World War II, Brubeck studied with French classical composer Darius Milhaud, who told him jazz was the best music for expressing the spirit of the United States.

He began his career in earnest in 1947, playing in San Francisco for the first time with Paul Desmond, whose delicate lyricism on alto sax would later help make the Brubeck quartet famous.

After nearly becoming paralyzed in a 1951 swimming accident, Brubeck assembled his first quartet with Desmond and built up a new and young audience by relentlessly touring universities at the suggestion of Brubeck's wife Iola.

"Jazz Goes to College" in 1954 sold more than 100,000 copies and led to Brubeck becoming the first jazz musician ever to appear on the cover of Time magazine.

Brubeck learned about it from his idol Duke Ellington, who showed up at his hotel room with the issue of Time, which called the quartet's work "some of the strangest and loveliest music ever played since jazz was born."

"It was the worst and the best moment possible, all mixed up, because I didn't want to have my story come first," Brubeck told a US television interviewer.

"He was so much more important than I was - he deserved to be first."

The choice of a relatively unknown white musician over a black star like Ellington sparked the ire of some colleagues and critics, many of whom felt his offbeat music didn't swing the way jazz should.

But it also made him a household name and paved the way for the success of "Time Out," which used rhythms unusual to jazz that Brubeck had heard in his travels around the globe.

Fuelled by pioneering drummer Joe Morello, the album hit the top of both the jazz and popular music charts. The group sold millions of records before disbanding in 1967.

Brubeck kept up a broad interest in all forms of music. He wrote a chorale for Pope John Paul II's 1987 public mass in San Francisco, and performed at the 1988 Moscow summit meeting of Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.

"Take Five," written by Desmond, remains the quartet's best known piece. Brubeck's own compositions "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke" have become staples of the jazz repertoire. - AFP

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Khamis, 6 Disember 2012

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

0 ulasan:

Catat Ulasan