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Egypt: Celebrities sans Diplomacy

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:41:05 -0600

Bikya Masr reported two stories within a couple of days apart about celebrity blunders and lack of tact.

Egypt’s chief Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass called American pop-star Beyonce a “stupid person” during her brief tour of the Giza pyramids

during Hawass’ self-guided tour, he said “I showed her the Sphinx and I gave her a book on King Tutankhamen,” but then his anger and frustration made its way to the forefront.

“Then he stopped being diplomatic and said in anger, ’she’s a stupid person and she doesn’t understand a thing and she doesn’t want to understand’,” wrote Summer al-Gamal for Al Shorouk Newspaper.

Hawass is known for his outbursts. A number of foreigners have told Bikya Masr that he has employed Arabic to insult others at dinner events and gatherings, believing the non-Egyptians will not understand his Arabic. Beyonce, obviously, did not understand his jabs, Gamal said.

And speaking as an honored guest at the Cairo International Film Festival, Salma Hayek told how she was sexually harassed in Egypt when she was 17.

Hayek said she went on a touristic tour of Cairo, visited the Pyramids since her arrival earlier this month and expressed her happiness to visit Egypt for the second time in her life and that she thinks the country is very safe, saying she could accompany her daughter in the streets of Cairo without fear. In her native Mexico, where kidnapping is commonplace, this would be unheard of, the Frida, From Dust till Dawn and Fools Rush In star told the audience.

But, she recalled memories of her first visit to Cairo 26-years ago when she was 17, which immediately garnered the applause of the audience for revealing her age.

Music Review: Peter Gabriel - Third Album (Melt)

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:49:41 -0600

Without any doubt, this album was ahead of its time!

I'll first start with 'Games Without Frontiers.' This track perhaps is the best Electronic Pop track of the 1980s. Listen to this with your headphones and you will be blown away. When artists of the era were pumping their Modular Synths full of Reverb so that one note sounded like an entire orchestra exploding, Gabriel kept the cold and robotic raw tone of the electronics subtle and intricate. The sparse and frigid bass driven tone of this track is almost akin to some Drum and Bass tracks of the late 1990s. The mix of programmed rhythms and electronic sounds with acoustic drums and instrumentation gives this track a layered syncopation that often blurs the line between both and keeps the entire composition full without creating the cacophonous melodrama we have come to expect of 1980s Electronica. The composition of tonally disparate musical phrases and subtle production on this track is hands down superb and revolutionary. It's perverse to think that this track is filled with such experimentation yet it is somehow so catchy that your Grandmother might actually start whistling along. There are even Break Beats in it!

The stigma of Gabriel being known as an "Adult Contemporary, Light FM" artist has closed many people's ears to his work from prior to So. This third album however, is nothing of the sort and is perhaps one of the darkest pieces of music to come out of the decade. Gabriel speaks to you as the Modern Bureaucratic Man and dives deep into his perversions and eccentricities with a clever, decidedly British manner. On Third/Melt, whatever you want to call it, the listener is taken on a journey which is undoubtedly a commentary on the general psyche of the era but also a Futurist Art Piece grounded in an Historical, almost Folk understanding of our society.

To mix the Political, Psychological, Kitch, Provincial, Futuristic and Ancient fluidly into a cohesive album is no easy feat. Many artists have tried but so few have succeeded in their attempts. Just take a listen to Lauri Anderson, Talking Heads, Eno, Bowie, etc. They are all amazing artists but none have managed to mix the common with the obscure without sounding ironic or condescending in some way. Gabriel fuses them perfectly here.

- Michael Martarano

Music Review: Siouxsie & the Banshees - Kelidoscope

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:41:25 -0600

From the beginning to the end, this album journeys and transitions through The Banshees influences from Glam, Punk and Exotica to Electronica and psychedelia. Steve Severin's interest in Krautrock and Brian Eno, Budgie's Tribal and Disco Influences, Siouxsie's themes of personality crisis, obsession, alienation and all things macabre are mixed here perfectly.

This isn't The Banshees of The Scream and Join Hands. It's an entirely new band with the same name and the beginning of a long lasting triad who's ability to play off each others talents and weaknesses produced some of the 1980s best music.

There is a hangover feeling to much of this album, slightly sick, slightly burnt out, but most importantly, the sense of starting over. It's the only album Siouxsie and the Banshees have recorded prior or since that shows off their ability to make magic from the tragic and shows off their ability to be truly innovative within their limitations. Just consider where their music went after this period. Yes, JuJu is the "critics" choice, but Kaleidoscope is the music geek's choice by far and the last album where you will hear Siouxsie's voice without a gigantic wash of reverb.

She is in her best form here, at times sounding sinister and at times, as in Hybrid and Lunar Camel sounding completely sweet and young. This album is like a big gigantic Siouxsie Crush! It's not an easily classifiable album, nor should it be. Covering so much ground and producing some of their best songs, this album is just like the title, a kaleidoscope. But keep in mind, they knew very well what they were doing here! This is not an amateur transitional album. It's a forceful, intelligent and gigantic leap forward from their brooding primal angst.

My three personal favorites are Clockface, Desert Kisses and Paradise Place.

Clockface, if you ask me, is the quintessential New Wave song. No words, just vocalizations, dissonant instrumentation and just completely odd.

Desert Kisses is lush. The fusion of Synthesizers with Vocals is seamless in the chorus and only really noticed when listening with headphones. It also features one of Siouxsie's best lyrics.
"Sinking down, the world is flat. There's no one here to question that."
It completely captures the sense of Philosophical isolation and hopelessness.
You can try as you will to keep yourself intact, to keep on going despite your illusions but there's nobody there to help you...WOW! In one simply executed lyric it speaks volumes about a complete Philosophical rut!

Paradise Place is probably one of Budgie's best performances as a drummer. Specifically because of the transition from a frantic almost a-rhythmic beat into a straight up Disco beat. Mix that with Siouxsie's mantra of OOOHs, guitar and bass that are so drunk and hypnotic it leaves you with an odd feeling of excitement and weakness. Completely brilliant!

To sum it up, this ensemble of rotating guitarists and the strong triad of Siouxsie, Steve and Budgie make Kaleidoscope the strangest and most interesting album the Banshees have ever recorded. Buy it!

- Michael Martarano

Music Review: Lady GaGa - The Fame

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:37:22 -0600

Ha! Well, I admit that I ignored Lady GaGa until this fall but figured I'd see what all the fuss was about and gave The Fame a thorough listen.

To start, I'd like to say that she is actually a solid musical talent. She plays piano and writes her own music which for a Pop act is very rare.
I also watched a few of her performances and was impressed that she did not lip-sync even though it sacrificed her singing quality at times. But hey, doing acrobatic choreography and singing at the same time is not easy at all. It's actually very hard to do and I admire any artist who can manage that without panting and losing their breath entirely.

The songs on this album are a mix of Hits and misses.
Pokerface and Paparazzi stand out as my favorites. These two tracks have a good foundation of analog sounding Synthesizers and very well executed progressions and choruses.
However, there are some real stinkers on here. One of them in particular is 'Ech, Ech (Nothing Else I Can Say)'. This track sucks and remind me too much of Menudo, The Jets or New Kids on the Block for me to stomach. Perhaps it's ironic. But still, being a listener of Classical Music I find that when irony sacrifices composition and expression it completely misses the point. Instead of phrasing an ironic structure or sound, producing an entire piece around an ironic concept diminishes the overall value of it.

My hope for this artist is that she progresses and develops her music and lyrical writing more and that 'The Fame' is written based on a concept and not her soulful expression and ideas. Pop has a way of going stale and entrapping artists in a particular style or sound. A fate which Lady GaGa may be facing if she doesn't push herself beyond this sound. If she is intent on staying "FAMOUS" or whatever, she has two options, kick it up several notches or keep cranking out Discopop Dance Songs. I hope she chooses the first option and faces her career with guts instead of doing what her new Pop contemporaries have been doing for the past decade and selling the same product over and over with increased PR in order to keep market value up.

Her style... Yes, there is allot of fuss about it, rightfully so! It's impressive and I am confident that if anything, her style will continue to change with each album she records. David Bowie being one of her primary influences will likely ensure that.

In summery, this album is a good first start and hopefully not the best she can do.

My advice to Miss GaGa is stay away from drugs and keep your focus on your music and develop your skills as a Musician.
I'd hate to see you go down in a blaze of glitter and flash bulbs before you truly have the chance to change the landscape of Popular Music.

Music Review: Glassworks - The Best Introduction to Philip Glass

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:33:21 -0600

Firstly lets talk about his influence! From Coldplay, Lauri Anderson, Aphex Twin, Portishead, Radiohead, Peter Gabriel, and Brian Eno to numerous other copy cats and com-posers who have used his arpeggiations to build drama and intensity in otherwise minimalist tracks. Philip Glass has forever changed the landscape of both Compositional and Popular Music.

Glassworks shows off Philip Glass's talents as a composer and at the point of its release, this form of composition had not become old hat. This was a truly shocking piece of music. Unlike Steve Reich whose compositions never escaped the academic trademark, Philip Glass went Pop with this music. This album marks that point. It's not a "composition" in the standard sense of Classical music. It's a collection of individual works tied together with brilliant production and an overall idea about the direction the music takes.

Glassworks opens with one of the Twentieth Century's best piano solos 'Opening' to open up into 'Floe' a GIGANTIC and fast whirlwind composition that gives the listener the sense of speeding forward at rocket speed. It doesn't get more Modern than that! Texturally it's anything but subtle. Instead of using instruments to create fluid transitions between each movement, Glass works in layers that build, change and stop. The brass and flutes are going full force and mallets churn the foundation of each phrase. It's a call and response kind of interaction between each primary part of the composition. Somewhat like a gaggle of Geese or Human Chants and Tribal Music. Each horn interacts and puffs up its chest to show it's self at some point. It's very human, natural and primal and it just might give you goosebumps.

Island meanders a bit but is basically the perfect end to Side One of the Record...Yes, it clearly there to be the end of Side One, something that is lost in the CD version. Note the order of the songs...it's designed for a Record.

Side Two opens with Rubric, probably Glass's best piece of music. It shows off every alement we have come to recognize him by; Brass, Electric Organ, Chimes and Mallets. Unlike Floe in being bombastic, it is energetic and driving while maintaining a certain subtlety. Listen to how each instrument starts their call and then moves, changes, stops and reverses its wheels. It's bloody outstanding work! The horns on the top of the pact call forward each passage and gain intensity both in meter and in pitch towards the end. Again...rocket speed! This time you do launch off only to stop dead in your tracks with Facades.

Facades is a similar String track to 'Island' and meanders. Philip Glass is not the best composer for Strings. Somehow they restrain him and if anything create a tense suspense in his music. By the mid point though, the horns do take over and the track starts to open up.

Closing is a variation of Opening. Don't mistake that Piano for the same as what's in Opening. It is different and for the end of this masterpiece, the Horns cry. Where Opening is melancholic, Closing has a sense of despair to it.

It's important to know that The Philip Glass Ensemble was actually quite small in size compared to your standard orchestra but with the wall of sound they created here you'd never know it.

- Michael Martarano

Melody king of Kashmir Ghulam Hassan Sofi remembered

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:16:59 -0600

Jammu/Srinagar,November 10 (Vijay Kumar) - Rich tributes were to legendry Kashmiri Singer Ghulam Mohamm Sofi who died last night in Srinagar after a prolonged illness. The Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages organized an impressive function held here this afternoon at Kundanlal Saigal Hall. Zaffar Iqbal Manhas , Secretary Academy presided over and was attended by cross section of society including galaxy of local writers and artists of Kashmiri and other regional languages of the State. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, his Cabinet colleagues and Advisors also mourned the demise of Sofi,

Paying glowing tribute to late Sofi, ShZaffar Iqbal Manhas , stated that the best way to pay tribute to our legends who devoted their whole life for development of Culture is to comprehend their thoughts and to carry forward their ideology and mission.

He said that Late sofi was an icon of Kashmiri light music and had contributed a lot for its development. Sofi had remained associated with Academy for more than 60 years, he said.

Veteran singer Ghulam Hassan Sofi, the melody king of Kashmir who had enthralled generations, died in Srinagar after a prolonged illness. He was 77.Visually impaired Sofi died at SMHS Hospital and was later buried at his ancestral graveyard at Maletang in Dalgate area of the city.

Born on July 8, 1932 at Dalgate, Sofi began his career from the local station of All India Radio, known as Radio Kashmir, in early 1950’s and became very popular with the masses.

He also sang for Doordarshan Kendra, Srinagar, and the Cultural Academy besides working as an instructor in the Song and Drama Dvision from 1967 to 1994.

Sofi, who also performed outside the State, was a recipient of Sangeet Natak Academy Award. He had also received life time achievement award from the Union Information Ministry and Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah award from the State Government in 2006.

Other who spoke about Sofi includes Shamima Janbaz, SOCA , Dr.A S Amn Sr.Editor Punjabi, Dr Javaid Rahi Chief Editor Gojri, Syed Iqbal Malangami Chief Editor Pahari, Abid Ahmed Editor English and others.

Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah also condoled the demise of noted Sufi Singer Ghulam Hassan Sofi who passed away at Srinagar after brief illness.

Describing Sofi a great and renewed Kashmiri Sufi Singer, Omar said that he lived in the hearts of people for his excellent artistic work. The Chief Minister said that in the demise of Sofi Jammu and Kashmir has lost a veteran singer. Omar while expressing sympathy with the bereaved family has also prayed for the peace to the departed soul.

The Minister for Rural Development, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Mohammad Sagar has condoled the demise of Gulam Haassan Sofi, the legendary singer of the State.Describing him as one of the leading singers that the State has produced post independence, Sagar said that Sofi through his melodious rendering of songs created niche for himself in the annals of history, which would be remembered for generations to come.Sagar prayed for eternal peace to the departed soul and expressed sympathy with the bereaved family.

Ghulam Hassan Mir has also condoled the demise of veteran Kashmiri singer Ghulam Hassan Sofi. Sofi breathed his last this morning after being ill for some time.Describing Sofi as an epitome of Kashmiri culture and language, the Minister said the renowned vocalist through his performances kept the Kashmiri language alive and relevant.In his message to the bereaved family, Mir said Sofi would long be remembered for his philosophical and mystic recitals including the famed Afsoos Duniya Kansi Na Loub…… He said the void left in the Kashmiri music circles with the departure of Sofi would be very difficult to fill.The Minister has prayed for peace to his soul and conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.Mir has also expressed sympathy with the fans of Sofi and members of Kashmiri music fraternity.

The Political Advisor to the Chief Minister, Devender Rana today paid condolences to the family of noted Sufi Singer Ghulam Hassan Sofi who passed away at Srinagar. Describing Sofi a great and renowned Sufi Singer, Rana said that the State has lost a great artist who lived in the hearts of people. He prayed for the eternal peace to the departed soul.

A condolence meeting was held in the premises of Directorate of Information, Mubarak Mandi Jammu in which rich tributes were paid to Ghulam Hassan Sofi, renowned Sufi Singer of Kashmir.His contribution for promoting and projecting Sufiyana Kalam of great Sufi saints of Kashmir, Awliy-e-Kiramas of Kashmir was remembered in the meeting. The meeting was chaired by the Director Information, Khawaja Farooq Renzu, all Joint Directors of Information, all Deputy Directors and Information Officers besides the media personalities and distinguished writers participated.

The role of known Sufi Singer who has received various awards including the awards from Directorate of Information was recalled.While paying condolences to the family members of the deceased, the department decided to publish collection of Sufi Singer and sacred Kalams recited by him for the archives of the Department so that it is remembered and preserved for the new generation. It was prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul. His nobleness and kindness was also remembered.

www.scoopnews.in

Asin - Birthday Bash

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:16:10 -0500

After giving year 2008’s biggest bollywood block buster, young and versatile Asin is celebrating her 25^th birthday today, a big birthday bash has planned by the beautiful girl, who has stolen all hearts just giving one hit in Hindi film Industry. Asin’s name is as unusual as its meaning, “A” in Sanskrit stands for “without” and Asin means without sin.

The actress has invited all the biggies of the bollywood to attend her birthday party today and why not when its time for her new release “London Dreams” to be released this Friday on 10/30/09 with superstars Ajay Devgan and salman khan who were last seen together in “Hum dil chuke sanam” opposite another diva Aishwarya Rai. No doubt asin has been too selective as far as her choosing of roles nad films is concerned.

Asin’s next would with abhishelk Bacchan directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. After asin entered bollywood, we are very sure the fight for being the no.1 in the industry has gone tougher for toppers like Katrina Kaif and Piggy Chops. “Be ware Girls this sizzling siren might wash you all away”.

visit asin pictures and more news :www.asinonline.com/

Unwanted guests at Hrithik's party!

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:12:29 -0500

Actor Hrithik Roshan threw a party to celebrate mom Pinky Roshan's birthday on Sunday. But the party saw some unwanted guests!

While the party was good and saw many big faces from the Bollywood, there were some party poopers too. Trouble brewed when Hrithik's neighbours called in the police complaining it was too noisy.

Though the authorities paid a visit to Hrithik's place, they refrained from taking any strict action. Hrithik just had to turn down the volume.

The night saw the best of Bollywood arriving at Hrithik's residence, all dressed in their party best. Kareena Kapoor seemed to have clearly made her peace with Hrithik as she was there with beau Saif Ali Khan.

Actress Katrina Kaif had filmmaker Karan Johar by her side. Farhan Akhtar, Genelia D'Souza, Amisha Patel, Sonali Bendre and newly engaged Shilpa Shetty too attended the party with London-based businessman fiancÃ© Raj Kundra.

Review: What's Your Raashee?

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:11:42 -0500

For a director well-known in Bollywood and elsewhere for his successful epic flicks, Ashutosh Gowarikar has tried his hands on some thing very different for a change and failed miserably. It is sad to see that a notable director of such talent (note his award-winning epics such as Lagaan and Jodha Akbar) has wasted his creativity on something as a catastrophic rom-com like What’s Your Raashee?

For starters, the run time of the movie (211 minutes) is just ridiculous. We all know that the guy likes to make lengthy movies but even he should know better that a rom-com is by no means equivalent to an epic. Even by Bollywood standards, (oh please!). If the length of the movie doesn’t get to your nerves then just wait for it. Along comes an exhaustive array of songs that seems to never end. You can hear the audience groan in exasperation.

Moving on to the plot. One guy. 12 different girls, each from the 12 different zodiac signs. A cheesy storyline of boy-meets-several-girls-to-choose-himself-a-suitable-bride-to-save-his-family-from-a-financial-catastrophe. You have now got yourself the gist of What’s Your Raashee’s tacky plot. Harman Baweja and Priyanka Chopra play the leads. And yes, Chopra dons the 12 different charachters making cinematic history for being the first ever actress to play so many charachters in a single movie.

Was she another disappointment? Thankfully, not quite. I didn’t expect this at all but Priyanka Chopra played each charachter so gracefully, so delicately and so convincingly that she took me completely by surprise. Chopra’s 12-charachter avatar was the only saving grace of the movie in general. If by any chance the movie wins an award, I am certain that it would be Chopra bagging the award for best actress. I wouldn’t be surprised. Not the slightest bit.

The terribly long run time, the exhausting ensemble of songs and more songs, and an extremely poor storyline speaks for itself. Need I say more? But just to spell it out loud, Gowarikar has let all of us down. Such a shame, wouldn’t you say?