Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston: "When You Believe"

nzx93116

Rita MacNeil, Cape Breton singer, dies at 68: "Working Man"

CBC News

Acclaimed Cape Breton singer Rita MacNeil has died at age 68.

A notice on her website states MacNeil died on April 16 following complications from surgery.

Born in Big Pond, N.S., on Cape Breton Island, MacNeil was one of eight children.

She moved to Toronto at age 17, where she wrote her first song and began singing in folk clubs. MacNeil later moved to Ottawa, where she recorded three albums, but eventually returned to Big Pond, where she formed a trio.

MacNeil was famously shy, but said her parents helped her overcome that trait by constantly reminding her to believe in herself.

"You can be shy," she said. "You can work through all kinds of struggle. But somewhere deep down, you have to have belief or nothing's going to happen."

Turning point

Cape Breton's first lady of song made her mark during a six-week run at Expo '86 in Vancouver. At the time, MacNeil was well-known in her home province but a newcomer to the national stage.

"Word of mouth kind of grew," said Rod Mickleburgh of the Globe and Mail. He said review after review praised her performance, and that summer sparked a love affair between MacNeil and Vancouver.

He finally saw her on Canada Day, 1986, when she performed Working Man with Men of the Deeps.

From coma to rock concert

GlobalToronto

A 79-year-old woman woke up from a coma, following a stroke, and said she wanted to go to a Bob Seger concert.

 

Jackie Evancho & Sarah Brightman "Time to Say Goodbye"

AmericanBestTalent

Must-Read: Open Letter to Jay-Z

capitolhillcubans

www.sodahead.com

By Chris Gueits:

Open Letter to Jay

When you turned that 250 into half a man,
Your words inspired me, I am a fan.
I do idolize my favorite rapper
And know all his songs.
But you’ve contradicted yourself,
So you need this now.

It’s not about politicians or my parents,
I don’t agree with either, neither.
But before you turn Havana into Atlanta
With Guayaberas and a Guantanamera,
Do your own research.
The truth might hurt.

But look, don’t take it from me,
go talk to Aldo and El B.
That’s Cuba’s Jay, and they don’t play.
Literally. They don’t play
On a stage cause their freedom was slain.

Black Cubans? Ask ‘em about expression.
Talk to Jorge Luis or Guillermo
AKA Cuba’s Y2K MLK.
Meet Berta Soler and see how it’d be
If Voletta were dragged through the streets.
Need one more Cubano? Ask about Zurbano.

See it ain’t about your bread or your fame.
I salute that, you earned it. No shame.
It ain’t about politicians making noise, either.
Look deeper.

You like Cubans? The people.
They’re beautiful and brilliant.
Full of potential, they’re hungry.
Something like a Young Hov in Marcy.

So before that revolution has you shootin’,
Open your eyes,
So you won’t miss history’s sheep in disguise.

Happy Anniversary to you and Bey.

'American Idol' Cuban-born Lazaro finally says goodbye

The Clicker

By Craig Berman, TODAY contributor

Ladies and gentlemen of “American Idol,” you won’t have Lazaro Arbos to kick around any more.

The inspirational story who soon became mentor Jimmy Iovine’s nemesis, Lazaro looked to be indestructible as his fellow males fell before the voting masses one by one. He was even among the top three vote-getters a week ago.  But the last man standing on season 12 finally ran out of chances on Thursday, finishing in sixth place and officially ending the guys’ five-year winning streak.

This means he won’t have to spend another Wednesday listening to the judges patronizing his courage for getting this far despite his speech impediment before moving on to crush him for his vocal miscues. There will be no more Thursday nights marred by having to stand there and try to smile as Jimmy rips him to shreds on video.

“Last night’s performance hit me like an Ambien milkshake” was this week’s gem from the “Idol” mentor. He later closed his evaluation with, “If I had to chart him this week, I’d put him 10^th.”

“There’s only six singers,” a producer’ s voice chimed in.

“I know,” Jimmy answered.

That’s partially a burn, partially just a really bad joke.

Lazaro also won’t have to worry about butchering another group performance. Nor will any of the other contestants, which could be why none of them were crying at the results except for Amber Holcomb.

And Amber had reason to cry. She was the second lowest vote-getter despite Nicki Minaj’s very vocal sales pitch. Every season has a singer or two with a lot of talent who just doesn’t resonate with the viewers, and right now it’s looking like she has that honor this year.

“Amber, I don’t know what to tell you to change. Just keep on doing what you’re doing,” Jimmy said in his video recap of her Wednesday performance.

Or, you know, maybe try something different to avoid getting sent home next week.

In fairness, she also could have been crying because season one winner Kelly Clarkson showed up to perform in a glowstick-heavy performance wearing some really scary eye makeup. But I’m guessing it was the results.

Kree Harrison and Candice Glover were the top two vote-getters this week. That was not surprising, considering they sang the best on Wednesday. Angie Miller and Janelle Arthur were in the middle.

With the judges’ least-favorite singer at the bottom, this was the least dramatic sing-for-survival performance of the season, even though they now have to use it or lose it next week. But Lazaro tried anyway, because them’s the rules.

“It’s a new dawn. It’s a new day. It’s a new life!” Lazaro belted as he covered “Feelin’ Good.”

The judges couldn’t have agreed more.

“Lazaro, we love you, you’ve been a treasure to the show,” Randy said. “But we’re not using the save.”

That won’t come into play until next week, when the competition really gets interesting now that the guys are gone.

Beyonce y Jay Z Bailando Salsa En Cuba [VIDEO]

usard1987

A new era: Beyonce & Jay-Z have persimission from Obama's goverment to tourist trip to Cuba

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Beyonce, Jay-Z Cuba trip questioned by two members of Congress

POLITICO.com

AP

By CAITLIN MCDEVITT 

Two members of Congress from Florida are looking into how hip hop royals Beyonce and Jay-Z ended in Cuba this week.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart sent a letter to Adam Szubin, director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the Treasury Department, on Friday asking for more information about the celebrity couple’s trip, which coincided with their fifth wedding anniversary.

An excerpt from the letter, which is posted on Ros-Lehtinen’s website, reads:

We write to express concern and to request information regarding the highly publicized trip by U.S. musicians Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (Beyoncé) and Shawn Carter (Jay-Z) to Cuba. We would like to respectfully request, within all applicable rules and guidelines, information regarding the type of license that Beyoncé and Jay-Z received, for what purpose, and who approved such travel.
As you know, U.S. law expressly prohibits the licensing of financial transactions for “tourist activities” in Cuba (Section 910(b)(1) of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act).

A rep for the stars didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Video de Beyonce y Jay-Z en Cuba

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Beyonce, Jay-Z In Cuba: Couple Spends Fifth Anniversary In Havana

huffingtonpost

209.81.92.75

By ANDREA RODRIGUEZ

HAVANA — Beyonce and Jay-Z caused a big stir in Havana as they marked their fifth wedding anniversary Thursday.

R&B's power couple was mobbed by dozens of well-wishers at the renowned restaurant La Guarida on Wednesday night, and police had to step in to keep the crowds at bay.

La Guarida staffers showed The Associated Press pictures of the two dining on typical Cuban creole favorites – fish, chicken, black beans and rice – accompanied by their mothers.

The privately run restaurant is famous as the filming location for the hit movie "Strawberry and Chocolate," and is a mainstay on Havana's tourist circuit.

Waitress Silvia Fernandez said Beyonce toured the eatery and looked at photos of past celebrity clients: Jack Nicholson, Jodie Foster, Danny Glover, Will Smith, James Belushi and more.

Their bodyguards' presence outside set the gritty, bustling neighborhood of Center Havana abuzz, and a crowd gathered downstairs shouting Beyonce's name until she went to a balcony and waved.

Police arrived and made sure she was able to exit without incident.

"She was beautiful, without a drop of makeup, very natural," waitress Silvia Fernandez said. "What happened with the people was incredible."

On Thursday the couple toured colonial Old Havana wearing dark glasses and surrounded by bodyguards and excited fans. Beyonce posed for pictures with local schoolchildren while Jay-Z puffed on a Cuban cigar, and then they popped into another restaurant that boasts a rooftop terrace with a sweeping view of the harbor.

209.81.92.75

Beyonce and Jay-Z declined to speak to reporters, and it was not clear why they traveled to Cuba. State-run website CubaSi called it a tourist trip.

Washington's 51-year embargo makes it illegal for U.S. citizens to visit Cuba for mere tourism, although tens of thousands of Americans travel here each year on academic, religious, journalistic or cultural exchange licenses. In the past, artists who were challenged by the government have said they visited for cultural purposes.

Beyonce, the multiple Grammy winner who performed at this year's Super Bowl halftime show and President Obama's inauguration, and Jay-Z, the rapper and entertainment mogul who recently went into the sports-agent business, were married April 4, 2008, in Paris.

Christina Aguilera’s Looks Through the Years

Fox News Magazine

Christina Aguilera debuted what many are calling a slimmer figure this week when she hit the red carpet for a screening of "The Voice" in Los Angeles.

The 32-year-old songstress arrived in a black and white dress that accentuated her toned curves and Christian Louboutin stilettos.

With swimsuit season on its way, the “Your Body” singer may be ready to show off hers, and it wouldn’t be the first time Aguilera has undergone a transformation.

Check out Aguilera's many looks through the years:

(Reuters)

Teen Choice Awards

Performing "Genie In A Bottle" in 1999.

(Reuters)

Latin Grammy Awards

Arriving at the red carpet in 2000.

(Associated Press)

MTV Video Music Awards

Entering Radio City Music Hall in 2002. 

(Reuters)

MTV Movie Awards

Arriving at the taping in 2006.

(Associated Press)

DVD Signing

Attending an event in 2008.

(Associated Press)

67th Annual Golden Globe Awards

Greeting photographers in 2010.

(Reuters)

"Michael Forever" Tribute Concert

Performing at the Millennium Stadium in 2011.

(Associated Press)

ALMA Awards

Waving to fans in 2012.

(Reuters)

40th Annual American Music Awards

Hitting a red carpet in 2012.

(Reuters)

Los Angeles Show

Performing in 2012.

(Reuters)

"The Voice" Season 3 Premiere

Entering House of Blues in 2012.

(Reuters)

"The Voice" Season 4 Premiere

Attending the screening in 2013.

Read more: http://magazine.foxnews.com/celebrity/christina-aguilera%E2%80%99s-looks-through-years?intcmp=HPBucket#ixzz2OVtLqEpE

Justin Bieber defends scuffle with paparazzi: ’I’m human’

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Read on Today >>

Lingerie-Clad Penelope Cruz Sizzles in Music Video

Video from The Sun

(FoxNews.com)- Penelope Cruz strips off to a lacy basque in a sultry new pop video.

The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star shows off her amazing figure – and her singing talents – as she warbles a Spanish love song dressed in the black underwear.

And she writhes about on the bed in the smouldering black and white video as she sings the duet with Grammy award winner Miguel Bosé.

Read the full story and more at foxnews.com >>

Willie Colón: Estoy esperando que haya democracia en Cuba para ir a tocar

MIAMI, Florida, 20 de enero de 2013, Redacción, www.cubanet.org.- Con un profundo cariño hacia Venezuela se manifestó Willie Colón, el famoso trombonista y uno de los padres de la llamada Música Salsa. Su identificación con el país sudamericano viene, según dijo al canal NTN24 desde Nueva York, porque Venezuela fue el primer país que lo aceptó como solista y le otorgó su primer Disco de Platino con el álbum Fantasma. Además, el gran artista vivió allí y tiene grandes amigos venezolanos de los que desgraciadamente, expresó, no puede ni mencionar sus nombres, porque las fuerzas chavistas son capaces de romperles los cristales de sus casas.

Colón recordó que su controversia con Chávez en Twitter viene desde hace mucho tiempo, pero que ahora ha decidido ser más activo en el tema debido a que considera que el pueblo venezolano se merece información  o una fe de vida de su presidente, secuestrado en Cuba desde el 9 de diciembre pasado, dijo.

También el músico comentó que los seguidores de Chávez lo han insultado a través de las redes sociales, a él y a su familia, llamándole drogadicto y utilizando otros improperios.

El emblemático instrumentista declaró abiertamente que no piensa actuar en Cuba mientras estén los hermanos Castro en el poder, que podría incluso haber actuado en Venezuela y llevarse de allí sacos de dinero, como han hecho sus colegas Rubén Blades, los de Calle 13, Andy Montañez. “Resolví no tocar en Venezuela mientras no haya democracia”, aseguró el salsero de origen puertorriqueño.

Venezuela, recordó, es un país estratégico por sus grandes reservas de petróleo y estos momentos está en la mira todo el mundo, especialmente de Latinoamérica. No es justo, dijo Colón, que este gran país se desangre suministrando sus inmensas riquezas naturales a los países del ALBA

El tweet más polémico de Willie Colón sobre la crisis del país suramericano fue este: “Venezuela tiene dos presidentes, uno maduro y otro podrido”, aunque explicó su autor que en ningún momento intentó molestar a Venezuela, sino que su intención estaba a tono con la situación real de ese país. No obstante, apostilló, y con respecto a su tweet, Hugo Chávez, en sus discursos y en redes sociales habla mucho peor (que lo que Colón pudo decir).

Mala in Cuba

BrownswoodRecs

Filmed and recorded at Brixton Electric in November 2012, this short video features Cuban singer Danay Suarez performing 'Noche Sueños' alongside Mala.
Taken from the acclaimed 'Mala in Cuba' album.
For more information, visit http://www.malaincuba.com
With thanks to Havana Cultura // http://www.havana-cultura.com

’A way out of the landfill’: Paraguay kids play Mozart with violins made from trash

Jorge Saenz / AP

Ana Meza, 16, plays a violin made of recycled materials during a practice session with "The Orchestra of Instruments Recycled From Cateura" on Dec. 11 outside Asuncion, Paraguay.

By The Associated Press

CATEURA, Paraguay -- The sounds of a classical guitar come from two big jelly cans. Used X-rays serve as the skins of a thumping drum set. A battered aluminum salad bowl and strings tuned with forks from what must have been an elegant table make a violin. Bottle caps work perfectly well as keys for a saxophone.

A chamber orchestra of 20 children uses these and other instruments fashioned out of recycled materials from a landfill where their parents eke out livings as trash-pickers, regularly performing the music of Beethoven and Mozart, Henry Mancini and the Beatles.

A concert they put on for The Associated Press also featured Frank Sinatra's "My Way" and some Paraguayan polkas.

Rocio Riveros, 15, said it took her a year to learn how to play her flute, which was made from tin cans. "Now I can't live without this orchestra," she said. Keep reading >>

"Play it, Sam": ’Casablanca’ piano sells for $602,500 at auction

By Chris Michaud , Reuters

NEW YORK -- A piano used in the classic film "Casablanca" sold for just over $600,000 on Friday, falling far short of predictions that it could fetch $1 million or more.

The 58-key upright piano on which actor and singer Dooley Wilson performed "As Time Goes By," the signature song of the 1942 film's star-crossed lovers played by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, sold at Sotheby's for $602,500 including commission. 

Sotheby's shows the piano used in the movie "Casablanca."

The auction house had assigned the iconic prop a pre-sale estimate of $800,000 to $1.2 million, given some astonishing prices attained by movie memorabilia in recent years. 

In the film, the character Sam (Wilson) plays the signature song "As Time Goes By" during flashback scenes set in Paris, as well as in Bogart's club in Casablanca, where he and Bergman rekindle their romance.

Bergman's memorable lines included the imploring: "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By.' "
More >>

How Do You Keep The Music Playing-Tony Bennett & Aretha Franklin

tonybennettVEVO

Tony Bennett & Aretha Franklin performing How Do You Keep The Music Playing.

Bieber Escapes Castration Attmept For $2,500-Per-Testicle Bounty

Pat Dollard

Excerpted from ABC News: Justin Bieber was the target of a grisly murder plot hatched by a convicted killer imprisoned in New Mexico, police told ABC News today.

Dana Martin, 45, an inmate at the Southern New Mexico Corrections Facility, is accused of masterminding the plan, which called for castrating Bieber and his bodyguard in New York, and two unnamed victims in Vermont, before strangling them, according to a New Mexico State Police affidavit.

Martin, who was sentenced to 978 years in jail for rape and murder in 2000, had an image of Bieber tattooed on his leg and plotted to kill him after his attempts to contact the 18-year-old pop star failed, according to the affidavit, which also alleged he orchestrated the plot to achieve notoriety.

Former inmate Mark Staake and his nephew, Tanner Ruane, set off for Vermont on Nov. 14 to carry out the plan, intending to continue on to New York, according to the affidavit. They intended to catch Bieber between his Nov. 28 and 29 Madison Square Garden concerts.

The three now stand accused of two counts each of conspiracy to commit murder and two counts each of conspiracy to commit aggravated battery, according to Lt. Robert McDonald of the New Mexico State Police. New Mexico is awaiting Staake and Ruane’s extraditions from the East Coast. McDonald did not know whether they had retained legal representation.

Martin wanted Ruane to attack the victims with Fiskars “Durasharp” gardening clippers, and offered to pay Ruane $2,500 for each testicle he got, the affidavit alleged.

It added that Martin wanted the intended victims strangled with a paisley necktie, just as Martin had done in a prior crime.

He referred to the murders as “the whole putting down of the ‘dogs,’” the affidavit said.

Staake, who was released in October after serving time for burglary, and Ruane left Albuquerque for Vermont, where they had plotted to kill the two unidentified victims, according to the affidavit.

However, before committing any killings, the pair missed a highway exit in Vermont near the border crossing into Canada and got stopped by a border patrol agent, according to the affidavit. Staake was arrested in Vermont on outstanding warrants.

Ruane was released, but New York State Police later arrested him after officials eavesdropped on a phone call in which Ruane and Martin allegedly made references to the murder plots, the affidavit said.

The car in which Ruane and Staake had been stopped was found to contain the pruning shears.

When prison authorities confronted him, Martin allegedly detailed the plan and gave them a hand-drawn map of where Ruane and Staake had traveled.

A representative for Bieber released this statement to ABC News: “We take every precaution to protect and ensure the safety of Justin and his fans.”