The Star Online: Entertainment: Music
The Star Online: Entertainment: Music |
- Reaching out to veteran artistes
- Carla Bruni resumes music career with memories of the Stones
- Justin Timberlake album set for March release
| Reaching out to veteran artistes Posted: 30 Jan 2013 05:03 AM PST Yayasan Artis 1Malaysia is geared up to assist the veteran artiste community. BARELY three months after its launch, Yayasan Artis 1Malaysia is making progress in more ways than one. For the uninitiated, Yayasan Artis 1Malaysia (YA1M) is the brainchild of Datuk Irwan Shah Abdullah, or better known as DJ Dave. The artistes welfare foundation was formed to help out with the medical needs of the veteran entertainment community (musicians, entertainers and artistes) that do not have insurance coverage nor a pension fund. "Most artistes are not involved in politics but in their own way are very influential. The government has recognised the roles played by artistes and we are very appreciative of the government initiatives in supporting the creation of Yayasan Artis 1Malaysia," explained DJ Dave about the newly-introduced foundation. With a career spanning more than 40 years, the 65-year-old entertainer has seen it all in the local music scene. With multiple hit albums and memorable tunes such as Nora, Maafkanlah, Ingin Bersua, Di Desa Kasihku Tertumpah, Kawan Setia and all time favourite Menjelang Hari Raya, DJ Dave has made the most of his music career. But not everybody has been as fortunate as DJ Dave in terms of career stability and a business life outside the music-making. He said the idea of YA1M started when he realised that several of his fellow veteran artistes were facing financial difficulties in terms of health care and medical expenses. "They (veteran artistes) had once entertained us but are now left to bear the hardship. I feel very sad when I see some of my old friends who are now left alone and they have to pay (medical) bills. It's hard when they can't sing any longer or are bedridden. "I feel that it is my obligation, being in this profession and as an entertainer, to get people to help these artistes. I saw how it becomes a challenge when their children, relatives and friends have to dig deep and pay their medical bills and even funeral expenses," he added. DJ Dave is the foundation's president, while composer-producer Datuk Mohd Nasir Mohamed is the vice-president. YA1M membership is open to actors, singers, lyricists, comedians and musicians. He added that he set up the foundation in June last year. It was officially launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in November. As for funding, the government has allocated a sum of RM5mil to the foundation for the welfare of the veteran artistes (aged 60 and above). The foundation is also working out an insurance scheme created specifically for the artistes. "The aim of the foundation is to provide monetary assistance on a case-by-case basis on matters involving death, sickness and critical illness." To ensure the smooth operation of YA1M, the Perak-born singer revealed that the foundation's committee is working closely with the government to obtain tax exemption and grants to purchase medical insurance for artistes in need, particularly those who are aged. In addition to financial support, the foundation also provides artistes with health check-ups, talks and other consultation services. To get the ball rolling, DJ Dave also contributed RM50,000 to the foundation. The funds were raised from his concert Journey Through Song: Ingin Bersua held at Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur last June. He also hopes the foundation will be sustainable on a long-term basis. And to do that, he said it (the foundation) has to keep busy, organising talks and charity concerts to raise funds for the foundation. On the secret of how he keeps fit at his age, DJ Dave said it all boils down to time management and discipline. "I try to keep myself as fit as possible by playing badminton three times a week," explained the proud father of two. |
| Carla Bruni resumes music career with memories of the Stones Posted: 30 Jan 2013 04:36 AM PST PARIS: Carla Bruni is to resume her musical career with an autumn tour and a new album that sees France's former first lady reminiscing about her time spent hanging out with the Rolling Stones. The first dates for the tour, November 22-24 at the 1,500-seat Casino de Paris, were published on Wednesday, hot on the heels of the release of the first extract from "Little French Songs", the Italian former supermodel's fourth album which is due to be released on April 1. A former girlfriend of Mick Jagger, Bruni has penned a song entitled "Chez Keith et Anita" (At Keith and Anita's place), which depicts the drug-fuelled lifestyle of Stones guitarist Keith Richards and his longtime girlfriend Anita Pallenberg. Against a breezy, jazzy-pop backing track that she also wrote, Bruni, 45, sings in French: "Someone is rolling a joint/Oh no! I don't smoke/We're at Keith and Anita's place." It goes on: "A hotel Sofitel/in Singapore or Brussels/Oh it's good to be alive/Here at Keith and Anita's place." According to Stones' historians, Bruni had a passionate affair with Jagger when she was a 23-year-old model at the top of her profession. Jagger was married to Jerry Hall at the time, while Bruni had been dating Eric Clapton. When the relationship ended, Bruni was left distraught, she was quoted as saying last year. "I thought I'd never get over it. I used to wake up every morning in despair. I thought I'd never fall in love with someone else." The new album will be Bruni's first since since 2008's "Comme Si De Rien N'Etait" (Simply), whose proceeds went to a charitable foundation. As the partner and now wife of former president Nicolas Sarkozy, Bruni opted to put her musical career on hold until he left office following defeat in last year's election. During her time as first lady, her performances were restricted to a handful of television appearances and a solitary 2009 live outing, at New York's Radio City Music Hall in honour of Nelson Mandela's 91st birthday. Bruni's previous albums all received reviews which could best be described as mixed and label Naive opted not to renew her contract, although that did not prevent her being picked up by top French record company Barclay. - AFP |
| Justin Timberlake album set for March release Posted: 29 Jan 2013 11:02 PM PST REUTERS - Singer-turned-actor Justin Timberlake has set a March date for his comeback album - his first in more than six years. RCA Records said on Tuesday The 20/20 Experience, the former N'Sync boy band member's follow-up to 2006's FutureSex/LoveSounds and only his third album ever, would be released on 19 March. In recent years, Timberlake, 31, has focused more on films and business ventures ranging from restaurants to a clothing line, and reviving social networking site Myspace, of which he is part owner. He remarked in a recent video that creating music involved "physical torture" for him. Suit & Tie, the first single off his forthcoming album, fell short of sales expectations for its first week. The song, featuring rapper Jay-Z, sold 314,000 downloads last week. Industry experts had expected about 350,000 downloads. Top menswear designer Tom Ford collaborated with Timberlake (pic), designing suits worn in the Suit & Tie video as well as styling the production and the release's artwork. Timberlake will perform his first concert in five years during a private Super Bowl-weekend event in New Orleans on February 2 at an invitation-only concert. Timberlake posted on Twitter about the forthcoming game, saying among other things: "This is gonna be a GREAT Super Bowl!" and "Oh wait ... I don't have tickets. Dammit! Anybody know anybody?? LOL!" |
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