Xoomei, matouqin (or horse head guitar) and long tune are all artistic heritages of the Mongolian minority in China. DOLAN, a group of musicians passionate about Mongolian folksongs, want to let people know about their traditional form of art, with an added modern twist. Their aim is to have Mongolian sounds resonate in the hearts of the younger generations by presenting traditional songs in a novel fashion.
Music is food for the soul, and there are neither boundaries nor borders to its beauty. This is exactly what DOLAN believes in.
Some people don't even want to try to listen to new types of songs simply because they don't understand the language. This puzzles me. The same crowd is sometimes hardcore followers of Bon Jovi or Michael Jackson. Do they speak fluent English? Not necessarily", said Sunbori, the leader and guitarist of the band.
"Appreciation of music has two dimensions. You can enjoy its beautiful lyrics, or you can simply love the tunes. If you can listen to a foreign song without understanding a word, you can do the same with other types of songs, including Mongolian folksongs", Chaoluomeng, the lead matouqin player, added.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Katy Perry: Billboard's woman of the year
Pop star Katy Perry was named Billboard's Woman of the Year on Tuesday, after a whirlwind 12 months in which she split up with her husband and turned their break-up into a hit single and film.
Perry, 27, channeled her split with British comedian Russell Brand in late 2011 into the chart-topping hit "Part Of Me" and a 3D behind-the-scenes film "Katy Perry: Part Of Me" that documented her personal and professional ups and downs.
The singer has won over a legion of fans, known as 'katycats,' on Twitter and Facebook with her quirky costumes and catchy bubble gum pop songs.
Forbes placed Perry at No. 3 on their highest-earning female musicians list in December 2011, estimating her pre-tax earnings at $44 million.
She has sold 48 million tracks in the United States alone, according to Billboard, including the hits "Firework," "California Gurls," "E.T." and "Hot N Cold" from her major-label 2008 debut "One Of The Boys" and 2010 album "Teenage Dream."
Perry has become a branding machine, lending her name to her own fragrance, nail polish and false eyelash lines. She is also the face of skin care line Proactiv and Popchips snacks.
Billboard's editorial director Bill Werde said in a statement that Perry was chosen for her achievements, calling her "one of the most exciting and inspiring artists in the industry."
"Katy Perry broke into the industry not even five years ago, and has already accomplished more than most artists can hope for in an entire career," Werde said.
Perry, 27, channeled her split with British comedian Russell Brand in late 2011 into the chart-topping hit "Part Of Me" and a 3D behind-the-scenes film "Katy Perry: Part Of Me" that documented her personal and professional ups and downs.
The singer has won over a legion of fans, known as 'katycats,' on Twitter and Facebook with her quirky costumes and catchy bubble gum pop songs.
Forbes placed Perry at No. 3 on their highest-earning female musicians list in December 2011, estimating her pre-tax earnings at $44 million.
She has sold 48 million tracks in the United States alone, according to Billboard, including the hits "Firework," "California Gurls," "E.T." and "Hot N Cold" from her major-label 2008 debut "One Of The Boys" and 2010 album "Teenage Dream."
Perry has become a branding machine, lending her name to her own fragrance, nail polish and false eyelash lines. She is also the face of skin care line Proactiv and Popchips snacks.
Billboard's editorial director Bill Werde said in a statement that Perry was chosen for her achievements, calling her "one of the most exciting and inspiring artists in the industry."
"Katy Perry broke into the industry not even five years ago, and has already accomplished more than most artists can hope for in an entire career," Werde said.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Tony Iommi denies report of Black Sabbath reunion
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi on Tuesday denied a report that the veteran British rock band was getting back together in its four man original line-up.
British paper The Birmingham Mail had reported that Iommi, singer Ozzy Osbourne, bass player Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward had begun rehearsing for a tour and a new studio album for release next year.
It quoted Iommi, 63, as saying the original foursome, which dates back to 1969, was looking forward to performing together again.
But in a statement on his official website on Tuesday, Iommi said he was just speculating and described the report as "absolute nonsense."
Iommi said the journalist had taken "a conversation we had back in June and made it sound like we spoke yesterday about a Black Sabbath reunion.
"At the time I was supporting the Home of Metal exhibition and was merely speculating, shooting the breeze, on something all of us get asked constantly, "Are you getting back together?"
"Thanks to the Internet it's gone round the world as some sort of "official" statement on my part, absolute nonsense," Iommi said, apologizing to his three bandmates.
Osbourne was fired from the band in 1979, leading to a revolving line-up for a number of years. The original members got back together for the 1998 album "Reunion" but split again afterward.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Glee: The 3D Concert Movie' not just about music
LOS ANGELES - Concert movies typically offer a peek into the private moments of a pop star's life. "Michael Jackson: This Is It" revealed the entertainer's perfectionist tendencies, and sly sense of humor. "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" showed the teen singer's drive for success.
But "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie," opening Friday, is an 83-minute romp with the fictional characters who populate the Fox TV series. It's multi-purposing at its finest: Stars Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Kevin McHale, Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, Heather Morris and the rest maintain their "Glee" personae while performing hits from the show during the concert tour that traveled the country earlier this summer.
And that's what sets it up for success, says director Kevin Tancharoen.
"It would have been completely disconnected from what made (the show) extremely popular if it had turned into, 'Oh, look at Lea Michele and Cory Monteith and Harry Shum Jr. be superstars and rehearse and do press and record and go on tour,'" Tancharoen said.
"That's why I think it's different from those other concert films," he continued. "Those are all rock stars and musicians, and these are characters who mean something different to everybody else. They are extremely talented and they all sing very well and perform very well, and that's another big part of the show that was very popular, so we kind of wanted to mix all that stuff together to make this 3-D concert experience."
In addition to on-stage performances of songs such as "Teenage Dream" and "I'm a Slave 4 U," the film also shows its stars giving backstage interviews in character. In one segment, Michele's character, the spotlight-loving Rachel Berry, explains her pre-performance ritual of drinking "lukewarm hot water."
But "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie," opening Friday, is an 83-minute romp with the fictional characters who populate the Fox TV series. It's multi-purposing at its finest: Stars Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Kevin McHale, Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, Heather Morris and the rest maintain their "Glee" personae while performing hits from the show during the concert tour that traveled the country earlier this summer.
And that's what sets it up for success, says director Kevin Tancharoen.
"It would have been completely disconnected from what made (the show) extremely popular if it had turned into, 'Oh, look at Lea Michele and Cory Monteith and Harry Shum Jr. be superstars and rehearse and do press and record and go on tour,'" Tancharoen said.
"That's why I think it's different from those other concert films," he continued. "Those are all rock stars and musicians, and these are characters who mean something different to everybody else. They are extremely talented and they all sing very well and perform very well, and that's another big part of the show that was very popular, so we kind of wanted to mix all that stuff together to make this 3-D concert experience."
In addition to on-stage performances of songs such as "Teenage Dream" and "I'm a Slave 4 U," the film also shows its stars giving backstage interviews in character. In one segment, Michele's character, the spotlight-loving Rachel Berry, explains her pre-performance ritual of drinking "lukewarm hot water."
Monday, September 17, 2012
From Murrieta to Beijing
They became one of the most successful bands in the United States on the back of just one album. They also performed on The Tonight Show, twice during the past nine months, and the top-rated TV show Glee has paid tribute to them.
Though the band didn't anticipate success so soon, they keep moving forward and are now about to play their first concerts in China, two nights in Beijing and Shanghai.
"We kind of found out at the last minute that we were being added to the bill, and so we took the opportunity. I didn't know the rock show was still happening, so we're just happy to be playing," says Tyler Glenn, the lead vocalist and keyboardist.
For the 75-minute shows, the band will perform 15 songs, including the hit song Animal and some new tunes. They promise a gig full of energy.
"It's such an eye-opening opportunity, to see that our music travels to places we didn't think it would get to," says Glenn in an interview with China Daily.
Not so long ago, Glenn and Chris Allen, the band co-founder and guitarist, who are in their late 20s, attended Coachella Festival as fans. But in April they were part of the lineup, with big names like Arcade Fire, Kanye West and Duran Duran.
Their dream started in Murrieta, California, where their fathers worked together. Named after the sign that sits atop the US hamburger chain In and Out, the two started making music as Neon Trees in 2005.
Though the band didn't anticipate success so soon, they keep moving forward and are now about to play their first concerts in China, two nights in Beijing and Shanghai.
"We kind of found out at the last minute that we were being added to the bill, and so we took the opportunity. I didn't know the rock show was still happening, so we're just happy to be playing," says Tyler Glenn, the lead vocalist and keyboardist.
For the 75-minute shows, the band will perform 15 songs, including the hit song Animal and some new tunes. They promise a gig full of energy.
"It's such an eye-opening opportunity, to see that our music travels to places we didn't think it would get to," says Glenn in an interview with China Daily.
Not so long ago, Glenn and Chris Allen, the band co-founder and guitarist, who are in their late 20s, attended Coachella Festival as fans. But in April they were part of the lineup, with big names like Arcade Fire, Kanye West and Duran Duran.
Their dream started in Murrieta, California, where their fathers worked together. Named after the sign that sits atop the US hamburger chain In and Out, the two started making music as Neon Trees in 2005.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Emmy show aims for laughs, including for the dead
This year's Primetime Emmy Awards will feature a healthy dose of irreverence -- and that may even extend to remembering TV performers who have died.
"I think the in memoriam segment doesn't need to be a bummer. It can be a celebration of what is left behind," Mark Burnett, who is producing the 2011 Emmy show, told reporters on Friday.
"I am going to look at it a little differently...You are there to honor people's work, and so we can be very sad about it or uplifting about what is left behind," said the reality TV producer behind hits such as "Survivor."
The "in memoriam" segment honors TV actors, actresses, directors and other industry players who have died in the past year and, more often than not, can be a section that brings sadness to what is supposed to be a joyous awards show.
Burnett said he planned plenty of fun and spoof moments during the September 18 televised ceremony on Fox, when the most coveted awards in TV will be handed out to the year's top comedy, drama, reality show, actors and writers.
But Burnett said the fun and laughter would be affectionate, rather than snarky.
"Fox is edgier than other networks...You are allowed to jump off the cliff at MTV. At Fox you are allowed to lean over. What we need is to have a little fun with it. And the way you can do that is to have spoof moments -- a lot of small, very funny moments that have good natured fun with the last year in television," Burnett said.
"I think the in memoriam segment doesn't need to be a bummer. It can be a celebration of what is left behind," Mark Burnett, who is producing the 2011 Emmy show, told reporters on Friday.
"I am going to look at it a little differently...You are there to honor people's work, and so we can be very sad about it or uplifting about what is left behind," said the reality TV producer behind hits such as "Survivor."
The "in memoriam" segment honors TV actors, actresses, directors and other industry players who have died in the past year and, more often than not, can be a section that brings sadness to what is supposed to be a joyous awards show.
Burnett said he planned plenty of fun and spoof moments during the September 18 televised ceremony on Fox, when the most coveted awards in TV will be handed out to the year's top comedy, drama, reality show, actors and writers.
But Burnett said the fun and laughter would be affectionate, rather than snarky.
"Fox is edgier than other networks...You are allowed to jump off the cliff at MTV. At Fox you are allowed to lean over. What we need is to have a little fun with it. And the way you can do that is to have spoof moments -- a lot of small, very funny moments that have good natured fun with the last year in television," Burnett said.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Adele, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne to perform at VMAs
NEW YORK - Chris Brown and Lil Wayne are returning to the MTV Video Music Awards stage, while Adele will make her first appearance.
The trio are the first performers announced for the Aug. 28 ceremony in Los Angeles, at the Nokia Theatre. The announcement was made Thursday.
Brown's star, once tarnished because of his attack on Rihanna, is shining bright this year, and MTV has taken note.
"He is having a moment with multiple hits this year, and he always delivers on the VMA stage," said Amy Doyle, executive vice president of music and talent at MTV, on Wednesday.
She called his 2007 performance at the VMAs one of the most memorable: "He will give an energetic, bombastic, jaw-dropping performance."
Adele, who is nominated for seven VMAs, is also scheduled to perform. Only Katy Perry has more VMA nods with nine; Adele is tied with Kanye West with her seven.
Doyle predicted Adele would "bring chills down everybody's spine, if not bring them to tears, too."
Adele has the year's best-selling album with "21," but Doyle notes that her live act hasn't been seen much: Adele was forced to reschedule some concerts earlier this year because of a throat problem.
Lil Wayne's appearance will come a day before the scheduled release of his much-anticipated new album, "Tha Carter IV." Like Brown, he has also performed before on the VMAs.
The trio are the first performers announced for the Aug. 28 ceremony in Los Angeles, at the Nokia Theatre. The announcement was made Thursday.
Brown's star, once tarnished because of his attack on Rihanna, is shining bright this year, and MTV has taken note.
"He is having a moment with multiple hits this year, and he always delivers on the VMA stage," said Amy Doyle, executive vice president of music and talent at MTV, on Wednesday.
She called his 2007 performance at the VMAs one of the most memorable: "He will give an energetic, bombastic, jaw-dropping performance."
Adele, who is nominated for seven VMAs, is also scheduled to perform. Only Katy Perry has more VMA nods with nine; Adele is tied with Kanye West with her seven.
Doyle predicted Adele would "bring chills down everybody's spine, if not bring them to tears, too."
Adele has the year's best-selling album with "21," but Doyle notes that her live act hasn't been seen much: Adele was forced to reschedule some concerts earlier this year because of a throat problem.
Lil Wayne's appearance will come a day before the scheduled release of his much-anticipated new album, "Tha Carter IV." Like Brown, he has also performed before on the VMAs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)