Amante Ballo recommended sites:

Funky Lush - the funkiest, lushest, modern partner dance events in the UK

Ever wanted to go to partner-dance parties where the music was truly inspirational and where you could dance with great dancers, all in a friendly and relaxed environment? Well that's the idea behind Funky-Lush. Unashamedly aimed at the more adventurous dancer, Funky-Lush is a dance phenomenon that stimulates your dancing brain and brings out the best in your dancing.

Modern Jive Dancers' Association Forum

The MJDA caters for all kinds of modern partner dance style – in particular Modern Jive, West Coast Swing, Swing, Lindy Hop, Argentine Tango, Salsa, Lambada, Ballroom and Latin American and commercial and non-commercial dance organisations, irrespective of affiliation.

Importantly, the MJDA is independent of any dance organisation or dance teachers. At present, the MJDA provides one service, namely a discussion forum, at www.mjda.org/forum, and members are welcomed from all forms of modern partner dance.

Jango

Jango is a unique fusion of Modern-Jive with Argentinean Tango. It allows you to dance intricate footwork patterns as well as turns, twists, and arm styling. You will recognise many movements from modern-jive, but with a big difference: there is a very clear lead and follow of the footwork through out, which creates a strong connection and a smooth and elegant style. Jango was created by Amir who has danced Tango for the Princess Royal, performed with Nicole Cutler (of Strictly Come Dancing Fame), with London Swing Dance Society and for the Royal Opera. He is a graduate of the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, and has studied Tango around the world in Buenos Aires. He has been invited to teach and perform Jango for almost every major modern jive organisation in the UK, holding workshops for Ceroc, Blitz, Rebel Yell, Jive Addiction and many more.

Peter Phillips DJ, well known and respected for his awesome music across the UK modern jive circuit, also reknowned for his massive sound and light systems.

DJ Kenobe, smooth, sumptuous, lush latin dance swing jazz and nu-tango tunes, lovingly phunked up by the master of eclectic phat tunes.

UK-Disco, The Mobile Disco Directory.

Teachers

Will & Kate, Freestyle Champions, showcase supremos and resident Jango teachers (can be contacted via mail@amanteballo.com)

Bill & Becky Cooper, Ceroc teachers for beginners, intermediate, Dips & Drops and Ceroc with a Latin Twist

Amir, has taught or performed for most of the largest Jive organisations and events in the country, including Jango, Jive Spree, MJC, Rock Bottoms, Rebel Yell, Rebel Roc, Jive Bug, Ceroc Metro, Hipsters, Beach Boogie, Blitz, Jive Addiction, Leroc.

John Sweeney, freelancer teacher of Dips & Drops, Close Moves, Air Steps, Really Useful Moves, Modern Jive Fundamentals and of course Double Trouble for dance clubs all over the UK and Australia.

Venues:

Monday Meltdown, the Hammersmith venue of Jango with DJ Sheepman

Ceroc Thames Valley, home to the fabulous and friendly Bill and Becky Cooper

Ceroc Greenwich, run by Russell Saxby, Kelly & Dan Hudson

Ceroc & Modern Jive Australia, the dance company run by Nicky Haslam in Australia. If you are in town stop by and say hi!

Other dance related information sites:

Modernjive.com, the extensive Modern Jive Resource Centre run by John Sweeney.

Lynda's List, contact dancing events list for London and the South Coast.

Other information sites:

MobileMambo.co.uk introducing you to news and services from the mobile world.

The Amante Ballo Dance Music Knowledge:

Dance styles

Tango

The tango is a social dance which originated in Argentina in the late nineteenth century.  Since then, tango has developed into many different sub-styles (for example: tango Nuevo, vintage tango, Chinese tango and even Ballroom tango which many would argue is an entirely different dance altogether).  This variety of sub-styles can lead to some confusion and overlap - and fusions (for example: Jango) continue to evolve.   For many purists, though, Argentine tango is considered to be the closest to the ‘original’ dance.

Argentine tango is danced in a close embrace with both partners leaning in towards each other, and to traditional music.  Tango is an improvisational dance based on a walk, led by the man, incorporating flicks, embellishments and interruptions – some of which can be led by the lady.

Tango music has developed along with the dance and ranges from the very traditional, often melancholic, tango songs performed on traditional instruments such as the bandoleon, to the ultra cool modern beats of nu-tango. 

However you like your tango, it is an intense dance which oozes sophistication. 

Swing, Lindy Hop and Blues

Swing is a group of related popular dances which evolved from Lindy Hop.  The three main forms of swing are Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing and West Coast Swing. 

Lindy Hop began as a street dance in Harlem, New York between the late 1920s and the early 1940s.  It evolved from several different styles danced in the USA in the early twentieth century, and particularly from the Charleston.  As with many popular dances, lindy hop has several sub-styles (including Savoy-Style and Hollywood-Style).

Lindy can be danced with a partner in a closed hold or without a partner as a stroll and typically combines 6 and 8 beat patterns.  An up-beat, exuberant dance, lindy hop is danced with a bouncing action, kicks, flicks and finger-clicks! One of the more traditional but highly adaptable swing dances, lindy hop can be danced to old-style swing tracks as well as to more modern chart music.

West Coast Swing developed as a stylistic variation of Lindy Hop.  Typically danced in a slot, in a combination of different beat patterns, West Coast Swing is a smooth and stylish dance which can be danced to music from traditional swing and blues to modern chart. 

East Coast Swing is a simpler 6-count variation, also known as Triple-Step Swing, Rock-a-billy, Jitterbug, and Boogie Woogie.  Once again, it can be danced to a range of music including rock ‘n’ roll and blues.

Blues is an informal type of swing with no fixed patterns of moves and an emphasis on the connection between partners.  A very sensual form of dance, blues requires more body contact than many other dances. Although usually done to blues music, blues can be danced to any slow tempoed 4/4 music, including rock ballads and more modern chart music.

Salsa

Salsa began in New York in the mid twentieth century as a fusion of traditional African and Cuban and other Latin-American rhythms, including the Cuban mambo.  Salsa is a wildly popular dance form which cross-fertilizes moves with other latin american and swing dances.  As with many popular dances, a number of sub-styles have emerged including: Cuban, New York, Los Angeles Puerto Rican and Colombian styles.

Salsa is danced to music with a recurring eight-beat pattern, i.e. two bars of four beats with steps on three out of each four beats.  The fourth beat is skipped but may be marked with a tap, flick or other embellishment.  Typically danced in couples, salsa can also be danced Rueda Style, where dancers form a circle to dance a complex series of steps involving swapping over partners.  Salsa music is characterised by complicated percussion rhythms, often sounding like there’s a guy out back beating a large dustbin with a big stick, and is typically around 180 beats per minute.

Artist Biographies

Kylie Minogue Biography

Kylie Minogue is a phenomenon of truly international proportions. To date she has released nine albums, six long-play videos, in addition to the Greatest Hits double album and video package, live album and video and 39 singles throughout the world, all of which have been hits.

Kylie has been the guest of Royalty in Britain and Europe, and the subject of several invitations for Royal Command Performances as well as the Lennon Memorial Concert in Liverpool in 1990. She has embarked on four sell-out world tours, including the critically acclaimed “Intimate & Live” concert tour and more recently her Fever 2002 tour which resulted in packed arenas throughout the UK, Europe and Australia. In June of 1991, after the release of her 13th hit single, entitled Shocked, the British industry "bible" Music Week magazine declared that Kylie was the ONLY act in the history of the British pop music to have their first 13 releases all go Top 10. Kylie now has 30 consecutive U.K. hits, none of which failed to peak in the Top 20, 20 in the Top 10!

Today Kylie is one of the world's most successful female music artists, but she wasn't always known as a singer. Kylie started her career at age eleven when asked to act in the national Australian T.V. drama series “Skyways”, this was followed by more Australian television roles in the popular drama “The Sullivans” and later “The Henderson Kids”.

After her seventeenth birthday Kylie left school to take up acting as a full time profession. Her character "Charlene" in the Australian "soap" Neighbours is still today, arguably, one of the most popular characters ever to come out of Australian television. By the time Kylie was out of her teens she had won five Logies (the Australian equivalent of an Emmy); the youngest actress ever to do so. In 1987 she won the Silver Logie for "Most Popular Actress" and in 1988 she was the first artist ever to win 4 Logies on one night, including the Gold for "Most Popular Personality on Australian Television", and another Silver.

Kylie’s recording career began in 1987 when she released her first single, a remake of the '60's Little Eva hit "Locomotion". The song hit No.1 nationally around Australia and remained there for seven weeks, becoming the biggest Australian single of the decade. The success of “Locomotion” led to Kylie teaming up with famed British record producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman in London. Kylie’s eponymously titled debut album, released July 1988, contained the hit singles “I Should Be So Lucky”, “Got To Certain”, a re-recorded version of “The Loco-motion” and “Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi”. It sold over 5 million copies worldwide. Her duet with Jason Donovan, "Especially For You" debuted at #2 and shipped silver on release bringing Kylie's single sales in the U.K. to well over 2 million in under 12 months.

In October 1989 Kylie released her eagerly awaited second album "Enjoy Yourself" which shot to No.1 in the U.K. with pre-sales of over 600,000 copies. The album spawned 4 worldwide hits including the No.1 singles “Hand On Your Heart” and “Tears On My Pillow”. In December Kylie's first feature film “The Delinquents” was released around the world to rave reviews and became the top grossing movie in the U.K. Also that month, Kylie joined the likes of Bob Geldof, Lisa Stansfield, Bananarama, Bros, Cliff Richard, and Wet Wet Wet for Band Aid 2's 1989 recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas" to raise money for Ethiopia.

Two more albums - “Rhythm Of Love” and “Let’s Get To It” – and more classic singles – “Better The Devil You Know”, “What Do I Have To Do”, “Shocked” - followed before the release of “Kylie's Greatest Hits” in 1992. The album collected all 19 hits along with three new songs and debuted at #1 on the UK charts. On her move from PWL to the dance label Deconstruction, Kylie effectively made the difficult transition from "Pop Princess" to "Career Artist", a delicate move very few artists have been able to make successfully.

September 1994 saw the release of her album simply entitled "Kylie Minogue". Greeted with much critical acclaim the album debuted at no. 4 in the U.K. All three singles released from the album became worldwide hits. Kylie's third duet "Where The Wild Roses Grow", a "Murder Ballad" penned by Nick Cave and recorded with Nick and his band The Bad Seeds was released internationally in 1995, becoming her 25th consecutive hit peaking at No. 2 in Australia and 11 in Britain.

In 1994 Kylie had a lead role in the $40 million dollar epic Streetfighter with Jean Claude Van Damme, and in 1995 she starred in a short film entitled Hayride To Hell shot in Australia for the European Film Festivals. 1996 saw the release of a comedy called Bio-Dome for the producers of Dumb & Dumber in Hollywood with Pauly Shore and Steven Baldwin and in 1998 Kylie starred in an Australian independent film called Sample People; and alongside Molly Ringwald in Mushroom Pictures horror film Cut. Earlier in 1999 she also found time to appear in a Caribbean production of Shakespeare's The Tempest for which she received rave reviews.

Kylie’s sixth studio album “Impossible Princess” (aka “Kylie Minogue”) was released in March 1998. With all lyrics by Kylie Minogue, “Impossible Princess”, featuring collaborations with The Manic Street Preachers, Brothers In Rhythm and Dave Ball (Soft Cell, The Grid), became yet another No 1 for Miss Minogue (Australian Music Report). Kylie’s list of collaborations extend to the successful cult underground dance track “G.B.I.” recorded with leading Japanese artist Towa Tei (of Dee-lite fame); a track called “In Denial” with the Pet Shop Boys for their album, a duet with Ben Lee on “The Reflex” for a Duran-Duran tribute album, and the famous duet with Robbie Williams, “Kids” which debuted at No. 2 in the UK charts!

October 1999 saw Kylie release a collectible art book featuring contributions from many of the world's most respected artists, on the theme of "Kylie". Demand for the book was unprecedented with a second printing within the first month of release! June 2000 saw the much anticipated release of “Spinning Around” the first single from Kylie's debut studio album for Parlophone Records. In true style she caused a sensation by debuting at Number 1 in both the UK and Australian charts. Spinning Around also gave Kylie the honour of being one of only two artists (the other being Madonna) to have a number one in the eighties, nineties and noughties!

September 2000, Kylie released the follow up single, “On A Night Like This” repeating Spinning Around's success by debuting in the UK charts at #2 and Australian charts at #1. Kylie's most anticipated album yet, “Light Years”, was released at the same time to massive critical & commercial success debuting at #2 in the U.K. and reaching #1 in Australia (double platinum!)

Kylie performed to her biggest audience ever at the closing ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games! Kylie thrilled more than 4 billion viewers with her rendition of “Dancing Queen” and “On A Night Like This”. Less than two weeks later she headlined the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games.

Kylie ended a phenomenal year with the release of a fourth single from "Light Years", "Please Stay" on December 11th, as well as a prestigious appearance at the Royal Variety Performance. The top 10 hit "Please Stay" was Kylie's 33rd hit single and her 20th UK Top Ten hit.

In January 2001 tickets went on sale for Kylie's first major tour in nine years. The "On A Night Like This" tour sold out immediately for shows in the UK, Europe and Australia, where the tour became the most successful arena tour by a female artist EVER. The tour was no less successful in the UK, where the capacity doubled to accommodate the huge number of ticket applications.

The tour garnered rave reviews in the press, with the NME declaring that "the hits wheeled out tonight are pop at its most exciting" and the Guardian writing that the show was "utterly fabulous".

By now "Light Years" was platinum in the UK and 4 x platinum in Australia, where readers voted her "Best Pop Artist" in Australian Rolling Stone. Back in the UK, Kylie was nominated for a prestigious Brit Award for Best International Female. She later took time out to attend the LA premiere of the film "Moulin Rouge", in which she features as the Green Fairy.

In May, British Vogue put Kylie on its cover, an event that made the evening news in Australia. Later, at Vogue's "It's Fashion" party, Kylie was seated on the top table, next to Prince Charles.

September 2001 saw the Kylie phenomenon reach fever peak with the release of her global smash hit “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” from the multi-platinum selling album “Fever”. The album generated a further three smash hit singles “In Your Eyes”, “Love At First Sight” and “Come Into My World” and sold over six million copies worldwide.

Kylie garnered a host of major awards including Top of The Pops Awards for Best Tour for “On A Night Like This” and Top Song for “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”, 3 Italian Dance Music Awards for Best International Artist, Best Song and Best Video, an NME Award for Best Pop Act, and ‘Showbusiness Personality of The Year’ at the Variety Club of Great Britain Awards.

Kylie stole the show at the 2002 Brit Awards with an incredible performance of “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” and won two major awards for Best International Female and Best International Album. At the World Music Awards in Monaco, Kylie delivered another show stopping performance to an world-wide audience of a billion people and was honoured as Best Selling Australian Artist of The Year.

In the spring Kylie embarked on her most ambitious live tour to date. Kylie’s ‘Fever’ tour kicked off in Cardiff in April 2002 before moving on to Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Newcastle and London. Tickets to the 25 date tour sold out within minutes of them going on sale and The Manchester Evening News presented Kylie with a plaque in recognition of having the most number of shows by a solo artist to sell out the Arena EVER!

Kylie took her “Fever!” tour to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany and Holland, and then on to Australia in August where she sold out six nights at Sydney’s Entertainment Centre and a further six nights at the Rod Laver Arena in her native Melbourne.

Kylie was awarded “Woman Of The Year” 2002 at the Elle style awards while the record-breaking “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” garnered 3 Ivor Novello Awards for Best International Single, Best Dance Record and Most Played Record of The Year, and scooped an MTV Award for Best Choreography in a Music Video.

Kylie swept the board at the ARIA’s winning 4 awards including the first Special Achievement award! Just weeks later Kylie triumphed at the 2002 MTV Music Awards Best Pop Act and Best Dance Act and stole the show at Top of The Pops Awards with a stunning performance of “Come Into My World” and a second award for Tour Of The Year for “Fever 2002”.

November 2002 saw the highly anticipated release of the Fever 2002 Live DVD and the book “Kylie: La La La”. Written in collaboration with her artistic director Will Baker, “La La La” documents Kylie’s remarkable career and includes over 300 photos, most of which have never been seen before.

In 2003 Kylie’s lingerie range, ‘Love Kylie’, was launched in the UK in Selfridges to a massive media frenzy and incredible sales. Demand far exceeded supply with Selfridges doubling their orders to cope.

Kylie was awarded a Centenary Medal by the Governor General of Australia for “Outstanding Contribution to the Music Industry” and for the third year in a row won “Australian Performer of the Year” and “Showbusiness Ambassador of the Year” for the second consecutive year at the 28th Annual MO Awards in Australia.
In May 2003 Kylie appeared in the Rambert Dance Company project, “21” choreographed by Rafael Bonachella (“On A Night Like This Tour”, “Fever2002 Tour”) in a short black & white filmed piece.

In June Kylie is voted the sexiest pop pin up in the world by viewers of music channel VH1 and her “Agent Provocateur” commercial wins Best Cinema Commercial of the Year at the British TV Awards.

Kylie spent the summer of 2003 recording her ninth studio album, “Body Language” in London, Ireland and Spain. “Body Language” was released in various territories on 17th November 2003. It was preceded by the hypnotic single “Slow”, written by Kylie Minogue/Emiliana Torrini and Dan Carey which debuted at number 1 in Australia and the UK.

Source: www.kylie.com 2005

Ricky Martin Biography

The name Ricky Martin is a synonym of dreams, dedication, effort, and triumphs. His spectacular and brilliant career has surpassed the parameters of the music industry. This young Puerto Rican artist, member of a juvenile singing group of international fame at the age of twelve, experienced the rigors of discipline and the stage at a very young age. After this initial experience, he settled in New York where he started to prepare for what has been one of the most outstanding trajectories in the world of entertainment.

Ricky Martin moved to Mexico at the beginning of the 90’s, and it is in this country that one of his great passions became a reality. He participated in the TV series Alcanzar una estrella (To Reach a Star) that catapulted him to success in Latin America. His first record titled simply Ricky Martin reached the first spots in radio broadcasting with the songs ‘Fuego contra fuego’ (Fire Against Fire) and ‘El amor de mi vida’ (The Love of my Life) reaching over half a million copies in sales. This marked the beginning of a musical phenomenon.

Afterwards he recorded his second album ‘Me amaras’ (You Will Love Me), written and produced by the maestro Juan Carlos Calderon. This musical production places him among the great singers in Latin America. His first tour included more than 100 presentations throughout the Continent attracting massive crowds. Mass media in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Argentina, and all of South America were starting to review and talk about the magic of Ricky Martin. Ricky Martin surpassed all expectations. During his artistic journey and constant search, he is hired by the famous TV series General Hospital on channel ABC in the United States. This contract takes him to Los Angeles, a move that initiates his internationalization in non-Hispanic markets. During 1994, Ricky Martin’s characterization of Miguel becomes one of the favorites of the TV audience.

In 1995, two Events occur that mark the artist’s history: he is selected to participate in the prestigious Broadway play Les Mirables, and, while in his new home, New York, he is reunited with his old companion Robi Draco Rosa who will produce, with KC Porter, the album ‘A medio vivir’ (Living Halfway). This record will surpass all musical barriers achieving world success with the song ‘Maria’ and sales of more than three million records. With this musical production, Martin began a two-year tour that would take him to more than 300 cities in 50 countries. Ricky Martin had changed the history of music. In 1998 he records ‘Vuelve’ (Return), again produced by Robi Draco Rosa and KC Porter, a project that will strengthen his position worldwide. The song ‘La copa de la vida’ (The Cup of Life) becomes the hymn of Frace’s 98 World Soccer Cup, reaching more than 2 billion people during the inauguration ceremony of these games.

First places in China, Australia, Mexico, Germany, among many other countries. The entire planet would witness Ricky Martin’s incomparable success. ‘Vuelve’ breaks all records for the most sold album in Spanish, with sales surpassing 8 million copies. Ricky Martin was now acclaimed worldwide. Hundreds of awards, recognitions, more than 100 platinum and gold records, and thousands of spectators at his tours, were evidence of Ricky Martin’s greatness. With ‘A medio vivir’, Ricky Martin strengthens his sound using the fusion of tropical and Caribbean rhythms that will give his music authenticity and a new dimension. Every minute of the day, somewhere in the world, a song by Ricky Martin could be heard. Together with his musical career, Ricky Martin had the mission of extolling his country, his roots, and Latin America. The mission was accomplished and his contribution to Latin music has left a mark of incalculable value. Near the end of 1998 he travels to India, an experience that has deep influence on his way of seeing life, and that strengthens him as a human being. Ricky Martin then settles in Miami to record his first album in English with the collaboration of Robi Draco Rosa and Desmond Child.

In 1999, due to his worldwide popularity, and his contribution and growth to Spanish music, he is invited to present a music number in the 44th edition of the Grammy’s. It is the first time an artist presents a Spanish number as part of the main program. And even more important is the fact that he has not released an all-English album. Without a doubt, the 1999 Grammy’s drastically changed Ricky Martin?s career and the history of music. His brilliant performance of ‘La copa de la vida’ was one of the most memorable moments in Grammy history and in the entertainment industry. He was given a standing ovation, and the United States, along with every continent, was in the presence of the #1 artist in the world.

He has shared the spotlight with Pavarotti, Sting, Madonna, Carlos Santana, Christina Aguilera, Billy Joel, Placido Domingo, Elton John, and Paul Mc Cartney, among others. Bill Clinton, the former President of the United States, received him when he supported the cause of the people of Vieques in Puerto Rico. The newly elected President, George W Bush, invited him to perform at his inauguration. He has been active with many charity organizations, such as the Rainforest Foundation, the Carousel of Hope, and the American Heart Association. In his beloved Puerto Rico he is involved in many causes for children. He has always followed current Events closely. He recently donated more than a million dollars worth in musical instruments to the Department of Public Education of Puerto Rico. He made a donation to help open the Center for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Children. One of Ricky Martin’s dearest projects is his foundation for abused children.

In May 1999, his first English album, again simply titled Ricky Martin was released. This historical album revolutionized the music industry. In its first week of release, it established new sales records, becoming the #1 album on the Billboard charts (in English and Spanish). It broke not only the sales records, but also the broadcasting charts ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’ (Living the Crazy Life) quickly became one of the world?s classical hits.

He has been awarded recognition by the Grammys, CBS Special (One Night Only), MTV Awards, Brit Awards, American Music Awards, and MTV Asia Awards. The famous magazines Time, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, People, TV Guide, and Entertainment Weekly, along with the most important publications in the world, have graced their covers with his presence. The ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’ Tour filled the most important concert arenas and succeeded in bringing to more than two million people a blockbuster show that set a new style of international presentations. Among the famous personalities who enjoyed his concerts are Madonna, Janet Jackson, Bette Midler, Barbara Walters, Larry King, and Steve Perry. Ricky Martin has honored the Latin race, his flag, and his Language. He is the driving force of a new era. His English album sold more than 18 million copies.

At the end of 2000, Ricky Martin records his second English album, Sound Loaded, and makes it to the top charts with the single ‘She Bangs’. By now, Ricky Martin has surpassed the 40 million mark in album sales, a fact that makes him a music icon at a very young age.

Now, in 2003, Ricky Martin returns with a new album and a new dream. He just recorded a Spanish album five years after his last all-Spanish project. This work is a new challenge with a new production staff, under the very talented Puerto Rican musician, Tommy Torres. Almas del Silencio (Souls of Silence) reveals a renovation and an evolution in Ricky Martin’s sound. To accomplish a new style, he infuses his roots with international rhythms. The romantic songs were written by the world’s most sought out Hispanic singers/songwriters, such as Alejandro Sanz, Ricardo Arjona, Juanes, and Franco de Vita. Also, the best musicians, writers, producers, and friends were involved in the project. Among them are Estefano, Juan Zambrano, Emilio Estefan, Luis Fernando Ochoa, and George Noriega.

Ricky Martin is a clear example of what can be achieved if one dreams, reaches high and works hard. This album, Almas del Silencio, arrives at a difficult time for the Latin music industry. One of this project?s main goals is to give Spanish music a new boost.

A prophet in his own country. Acknowledged the world over.
RICKY MARTIN HAS CHANGED HISTORY!!!

Source www.rickymartinmusic.com 2005

Basement Jaxx Biography

One phase of Basement Jaxx’s history came to an end on 17 October 2002. It was the night of the Muzik Awards, where they scooped Best Band (for the third time), Best Remix (for Missy Elliott's 4 My People), and Best Live Act adding to their Best Dance Act accolade at that year’s Brits. In dance music terms they couldn't get any bigger, so Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe asked themselves the question that every great band contemplates when they’ve climbed one peak and they’re eyeing up the next:
Where do we go from here?

Everybody knows that dance music has seen better days. The DJs are too old, the clubs too lazy, the promoters too greedy and the beats too tired. But everybody also knows that they still want to dance. They just need music that surprises and excites and busts loose from house music’s ever-decreasing circles. Music, in short, like Basement Jaxx’s third album, Kish Kash.

Kish Kash isn’t a traditional dance record but it is one you can dance to. A riotous collision of classic songwriting and writhing rhythms, it springs from both the electro-punk ferocity of Where’s Your Head At and Get Me Off and the more reflective moments in Basement Jaxx’s back catalogue, but never the middle ground. Featuring an array of guests, from Dizzee Rascal to Siouxsie Sioux, it demonstrates that Basement Jaxx are so far ahead of the pack they’ve forgotten what the pack looks like.

Felix and Simon met over an obscure Masters At Work record in Brixton, South London in 1994. Choosing the name Basement Jaxx (Simon had a studio in a basement and the music jacked), their initial ambitions were humble: to put on great parties and produce records which emulated their heroes on the US house scene.

Over the course of several EPs on their Atlantic Jaxx label, however, a more idiosyncratic, homegrown sound emerged in the edge-of-panic squeal of Fly Life and the bassbin psychosis of Set Yo Body Free. Their 1997 Atlantic Jaxx compilation was informed by soul, jazz, reggae, house and samba but also the more raucous British traditions of punk and rave. In Armand Van Helden’s charming assessment, they took house music and "fucked it up the ass".

Signing to XL, they released their debut album, Remedy, in 1999. An instant classic, it spun ragga, disco and R&B into anarchic new mutations and yielded the hit singles Red Alert, Rendez-Vu, Jump And Shout and Bingo Bango.

After touring the world Basement Jaxx hosted an intense, intimate club in a Brixton pub and called it Rooty. That became the title of their second album in 2001. Fiercer and rowdier than its predecessor, it featured Romeo, Jus 1 Kiss, Get Me Off and, most startling of all, the Gary Numan-sampling punk garage blitzkrieg Where’s Your Head At. The Traktor-directed video, which computer-grafted Felix and Simon's faces onto rioting monkeys was the stuff of particularly entertaining nightmares, not to mention MTV awards.

Kish Kash was born in the aftermath of another lengthy tour. Exhausted and homesick, Felix and Simon settled into their new Brixton studio and set about developing a fresh approach, less reliant on grooves and samples and more focussed on songwriting, often starting with just a voice and guitar."We kind of went back to school," says Felix. We got this new studio and had to learn how to use it." Adds Simon: "There was a greater sense that we didn’t know what we were doing but it was more enjoyable than before."

The recording process took place between March 2002 and August 2003. In the meantime they released the low-profile experimental Junction EP and remixed Missy Elliott, DJ Sneak and Justin Timberlake. The remixes were easy the tricky bit was deciding where to go next.

In the past, the pair had taken some of their cues from their dancefloor contemporaries but not this time. "We were listening to what other people were doing and realising it was all pretty stagnant and uninspiring," says Simon. "There was nothing to look up to in a way. We had to do something new." The variety of records they enjoyed while making Kish Kash had a less direct influence: Radiohead, The Neptunes, Timbaland and contorted art-metallers System Of A Down.

Kish Kash has an eclectic cast of characters, ranging from complete unknowns to cult heroes to household names, and from teenagers to 70-year-olds. "There’s no ageism on this record," Felix assures with a grin.

Dizzee Rascal, the East Ender who's turned UK garage/rap on its head, performs a manic turn on first single Lucky Star, to the unlikely accompaniment of a Bulgarian string loop. Felix and Simon flew in the Bellrays’ Lisa Kekaula from California to sing Plug It In but it didn’t work out so they wrote a new song for her on the spot, the adrenalised cyber-Motown stomp of Good Luck. "We thought we’d better write a song otherwise we’ve wasted all our money," says Felix sensibly. Strings on Good Luck came courtesy of seasoned arranger Wil Malone (Massive Attack, The Verve, Dido), who also scored the melancholic If I Ever Recover.

Plug It In was finally completed thanks to a chance encounter with Nsync member JC Chasez, who was in town looking for producers for his own album. His classic American R&B falsetto sparks off frantic rave stabs and grinding drums. Punk heroine Siouxsie Sioux was always first choice for Cish Cash, which once again makes sense of that "punk garage" tag. Simon had been a fan ever since he was nine, when he bought Siouxsie & The Banshees Happy House single and found, to his prepubescent delight, that Siouxsie sang "fuck off" on the B-side. "She has an individuality that’s sorely lacking in these days of blandness," says Felix.

New York-based singer-songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello popped in amid a UK tour to record Right Here’s The Spot’s horny house lurch and the duvet-soft final track, Feels Like Home, which was the very first song written for the album. "On the second day she felt ill and we had to make her a bed in the vocal booth," reports Simon.

The other songs are equally full of personality. The finger-popping Supersonic features 65-year-old Totlyn Jackson, who once travelled around Jamaica with John F Kennedy. New Hero music signing Phoebe Tolmer fronts Tonight, a song originally called Slow Spanish because, um, "it’s Spanish and it’s really slow." Just days before the album was finished Simon received a visit from an 18-year-old singer called Millie. His parents had met hers at a party and given them his number so she could get some advice on the music industry. She did better than that and ended up singing on Hot And Cold. Elsewhere, Chicago jazz artist Allonymous, 70-year-old Brixton resident Joe Benjamin and "some bloke" called Anthony complete the cast of (almost) thousands.

Basement Jaxx records have always thrived on a sense of organised chaos, voices and sounds and ideas pingponging wildly around the mix. Kish Kash is simultaneously the most extreme and most cohesive example of that mentality. "I think this album sits together better than our other ones," says Simon. "They were a bit disjointed."

Felix sums up Kish Kash’s ethos thus: "We’re in such an analytical, media aware, emotionally aware society. It’s getting more complex so ultimately the thing to do is to make something simple that makes sense of all the complexities. When nothing makes sense you just want music for one moment to hold everything together."

Source www.basementjaxx.co.uk

Frank Sinatra Biography

On December 12, 1915, Francis Albert Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. He was thought to be stillborn until his grandmother revived him under cold water. He was the only child of Italian immigrants Anthony Martin and Natalie Della "Dolly".

Sinatra dropped out of high school at 15 and decided he would follow in the footsteps of his idol, Bing Crosby. In 1935 he entered a radio talent program called Major Bowes Amateur Hour. For the performance Frank partnered up with a singing and dancing trio called the Three Flashes and formed the Hoboken Four. They won first prize and went on to more performances with Major Bowes' traveling show. Within a few years, Sinatra was singing regularly on several radio stations. He got his big break while working as a singer and waiter at an Englewood, N.J. restaurant, the Rustic Cabin. There, trumpet extraordinaire Harry James found the young Sinatra and decided he would fit well as the lead singer for his band The Music Makers.

Sinatra quit James’ band after 7 months and joined Tommy Dorsey's swing orchestra. It was with Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra that the classic Sinatra crooning began and the idol began to form. By the early forties Sinatra had made a name for himself and he bought out his contract with Dorsey to pursue a solo career. Success followed him and so did swarms of adoring teenage girls just to hear his unique phrasing and emotional performances.

The first Frank Sinatra hit song was recorded in 1939 with the Harry James Orchestra. "All or Nothing at All," was actually released in 1943 after Sinatra had left James’ group and signed on with Tommy Dorsey’s Big Band.

In 1946, Sinatra signed a five-year film contract with M-G-M which diverted his primary focus away from music and toward acting. Just as on stage, Sinatra’s charisma came through on film and he went on to star in a variety of films that often featured his songs. The most successful of the early films was Anchors Aweigh with Gene Kelly in 1945 and On the Town in 1949.

The tough times began in the early 1950s. In 1951, Frank left his first wife Nancy and his three children for movie starlet, Ava Gardner. Their five-year relationship was a precursor to the more modern tabloid headline grabbers of today. In 1952, Sinatra suffered a severe blow to his career when his vocal cords hemorrhaged. At this point in his career the music was painful and the movie roles were poor. Professional abandonment came for Sinatra at age 37 when he was dropped by Universal, CBS-TV, Columbia Records and his agent.

The downhill road began to show incline thanks to Ava Gardner’s assistance in securing husband Frank the role of Angelo Maggio in 1953's From Here to Eternity. Sinatra himself loved the role and knew he was born to play it. He fought hard to convince the producers the same and even agreed to take a huge pay cut and take the role for only $8,000. His performance as Maggio opposite Burt Lancaster and Donna Reed showed that he could hang with the big boys of Hollywood. The fitting reward for his dramatic performance was the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work in the film.

His acting prowess wasn’t a flash in the pan as Sinatra went on to give a riveting performance as a heroin addict in the 1955 Otto Preminger film The Man With the Golden Arm. He received critical acclaim for his role in the 1962 Cold War psychodrama The Manchurian Candidate. Along with the dramatic roles, Sinatra maintained his involvement in more light hearted, entertaining musical feature films like Guys and Dolls (1955), High Society (1956), and Pal Joey (1957).

The Rat Pack was formed by Humphrey Bogart in 1955. The then "Holmby Hills Rat Pack" was meant to be a gathering of the guys for nights of drinking and fun. After Bogart's death in 1957, the Rat Pack as we know it today was born under the leadership of the Pack Master, Frank Sinatra. The new Pack was comprised of Sinatra's pals, namely Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. Later honorary members included Milton Berle, Shirley MacLaine, and Tony Curtis. Sinatra actually preferred the title "The Summit" for his group but the Rat Pack is the name that stuck. From the late 50s to the early 60s, the Rat Pack was booming. They hammed it up on stage and screen with a huge fan base to feed the growing attraction. They performed together with a relaxed yet intimate humor the likes of which is not often seen today. It was a unique and classy bunch of entertaining friends.

The Pack performed on stage together, partied together and made movies together. Ocean's Eleven (1960), Sergeants 3 (1962), Four for Texas (1963), and Robin and the Seven Hoods (1964) reflected the creative lifestyle of living it up till all hours of the night. More than just a party, the Pack had social influence, no one more than the Pack master himself with his increasing political and cultural power.

In 1953, Sinatra’s musical career was reborn when he signed on with Capitol Records. His collaborations with arranger Nelson Riddle produced some of the most popular albums of the time, such as Songs for Young Lovers, A Swingin' Affair, Come Fly With Me, Swing Easy, In the Wee Small Hours, and Songs for Swingin' Lovers. During this period Sinatra went through a vocal evolution from the crooning heartthrob to the more mature and interpretive artist. He covered the gamut of emotions with his albums and pulled it off each time. He described his bipolar accuracy with the quote “being an 18-karat manic-depressive and having lived a life of violent emotional contradictions, I have an over acute capacity for sadness as well as elation.”

The hit songs kept coming and the persona and success ballooned during Sinatra’s so called “come-back” in the late ‘50s. Yet, it’s hard to call it a comeback when he ended up surpassing where he had been in the first place. It was more like a come back followed by unbelievable yet well-deserved achievement. He was back at the top of the music, movie and even TV world. Entertainment was synonymous with Sinatra. Here the legend took form as a result of the way he handled himself during such fruitful times. Always cool and collected, he carried himself in a way that most in the limelight do not. He worked hard to maintain the standards he set with sold-out concerts, hit records, and popular films and television specials. "The Chairman of the Board" added successful businessman to his resume with many successful deals including the co-founding of his own recording label in 1961 dubbed Reprise Records.

The up and down love affair/marriage with Ava Gardner ended in divorce in 1957. Sinatra the bachelor was back and he pursued such Hollywood sex symbols as Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, and Lauren Bacall. He ended up marrying the little known actress Mia Farrow (30 years his junior) in 1966. They divorced in 1968 and in 1976 Sinatra married his fourth and final wife, Barbara Jane Blakely Marx, Zeppo Marx's widow.

Sinatra announced his retirement from both recording and acting in 1971. He was far from finished, however, and in 1973 released the television special and album, Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back. In 1980 he appeared in the urban crime drama The First Deadly Sin. He appeared sporadically on TV (Who’s the Boss and others) and in film throughout the ‘80s.

In 1988 Sinatra launched a hugely successful Rat Pack reunion tour with Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dean Martin but when Dean pulled out due to the strenuous schedule, Liza Minnelli provided a very qualified replacement. The release of two albums featuring Sinatra with other popular artists of the times, Duets (1993) and Duets II (1994), proved his style of music was still in demand. The two Duets albums outsold any of his albums. Frank proved he could cross-generational barriers with as much ease as he sang a song.

Many people overlook the generosity of Frank Sinatra throughout his life. He was a favorite of the media due to his alleged mob ties and the focus usually centered on what he did wrong instead of the many things he did right. In 1971, the Motion Picture Academy awarded him the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for his many charitable deeds. He received the Kennedy Center Life Achievement Award in 1983 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985. In 1987, Sinatra was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the N.A.A.C.P. If any of those accolades can be topped, they were in 1997 when Frank Sinatra received the highest honor the U.S.A. can bestow upon a civilian in a Congressional Gold Medal for his countless accomplishments as a singer, actor, and humanitarian.

Frank Sinatra passed away as a result of a heart attack on May 14, 1998 at the age of 82. Most people wish for success during their lives and to be happy in their occupation. Frank succeeded in just about every thing he attempted professionally. He regretted not being physically able to serve his country but he gave back and served in his own way. He lived a full life that many people admire, whether fans of his music or not. It’s easy for great music or theatrical performances to live on, but for a persona to persist as long as Mr. Sinatra’s shall is a true testament to his legacy.

Source www.spiritofsinatra.com

Michael Buble Biography

This kid can really swing.

That, in a nutshell, sums up the extraordinary appeal of a 25 year-old Vancouver vocalist with a gift for making the some of the greatest songs of all time, entirely his own. His name is Michael Bublé (pronounced Boo-blay) and the evidence of his singular swingingness is on abundant display with his irresistible new Reprise/143 Records debut album.

More than a tribute to the gold standard of music’s most enduring songs; more than an homage to a bygone era of songwriting and performing: the thirteen tracks of Michael Bublé announce in no uncertain terms the arrival of a major new talent with a flair for infusing familiar and beloved music with a fresh, original and utterly unique sensibility entirely his own. Michael Bublé can, indeed, swing.

It’s a precocious fondness evident virtually from the cradle, when Michael first began absorbing the sounds of Ella Fitzgerald, Keely Smith, Sarah Vaughan and Rosemary Clooney, with a liberal sprinkling of Stevie Wonder, Elvis, Bobby Darin, Vaughan Monroe and Ol’ Blue Eyes. “My grandfather was really my best friend growing up,” reveals Michael.

“He was the one who opened me up to a whole world of music that seemed to have been passed over by my generation. Although I like rock & roll and modern music, the first time my granddad played me the Mills Brothers, something magical happened. The lyrics were so romantic, so real…the way a song should be for me. It was like seeing my future flash before me. I wanted to be a singer and I knew that this was the music that I wanted to sing.”

It was, in fact, his grandfather who proved instrumental in moving Michael toward a career in music.

“He asked me, as a favor to him, to learn the songs that he loved so much,” Michael continues. “It was kind of a guilt trip, but he didn’t have to do much convincing. I started practicing and entered a local talent contest. I won the competition but was later disqualified for being underage. That was when my granddad, who was a skilled plumber, started offering to do free work for musicians in town in exchange for letting me perform a few numbers with them on stage.”

A star was born, even as leaky faucets all over Vancouver were being repaired.

By age 17 Michael already had a wealth of experience under his belt and knew decisively where he was heading.

He garnered another first prize at the Canadian Youth Talent Search, recorded and released a series of independent albums and racked up invaluable chops as part of a U.S. road company for Red Rock Diner and a musical revue aptly titled Swing.

It was former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, himself a devoted fan of classic pop, who introduced Michael to fellow countryman David Foster, the multi-Grammy® winning producer, performer and Warner Bros. Records label executive. By the time the young singer performed “Mack The Knife” at the wedding of Mulroney’s daughter, the creative chemistry between the fledgling artist and the accomplished producer was complete.

Michael was duly signed to Foster’s own 143 Records through Reprise and work began in the spring of 2001 on his major label debut.

“We were walking a fine line in the studio,” explains Michael. “The last thing we wanted to do was a tribute album or a lounge act. We wanted to treat this music with the love and respect it deserves, but the important thing was to capture a spirit and energy and that wasn’t confined to any particular musical era.

While Foster, with invaluable assistance from the producer’s longtime collaborator Humberto Gatica, initially focused on the singer’s consummate facility with pop standards, it quickly became clear that Michael’s formidable skills reached far beyond the Thirties and Forties.

“We didn’t end up where we thought we were going,” Michael continues. “David and Humberto brought in a very wide range of material and I really started sparking to what was being presented. We were always careful to keep within my stylistic range, but we discovered, in that range, all kinds of music made the lineup.”

The result is an album that effortlessly mixes such perennials as “For Once In My Life,” “Fever” and “The Way You Look Tonight,” with a rousing version of Van Morrison’s “Moondance,” a surprisingly evocative rendition of the Lou Rawl’s hit “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine,” and a rendering of the Bee Gees classic “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart,” performed with the Bee Gees themselves, that takes its place among the very best versions of the much-covered song.

“I think all these songs have something in common,” Michael asserts. “They have a heart and a soul and the challenge of any singer is to connect with those qualities and make them real for the audience. Of course, these particular standards have been favorites of mine for as long as I can remember. But the newer material has that special something as well. It’s a timeless quality.”

But Michael also brings a quality entirely his own to these thirteen stellar tracks.

“Michael hasn’t just learned this music,” concludes Foster. “He’s lived it. He brings a youthful energy to it, tough and tender at the same time and like nothing else I’ve ever heard. The great thing is, he’s tapped into a repertoire that can last him fifty years. He’s at the beginning of a very long career.” A half a century of swing. It just doesn’t get any better than that.

Source: http://emol.org/artists/buble

Louis Prima Biography

I've Got the World on a String... the Life of Louis Prima

From his humble New Orleans origins, Louis Prima would eventually emerge to be one of the centuries' most prolific entertainers. More than just a band leader, singer, composer, and trumpet player, Prima embodied the essence of an era. Whether it was his sudden tempo shifts into the patented Prima "shuffle beat," the altered lyrics of standard tunes to fit Prima's Italian dialect and risqué sense of humor, or his own brand of Dixieland Jazz mixed with tarantellas and rock 'n' roll, Louis Prima's sound was unmistakable. He may be best known today for songs of his that have been reworked by contemporary artists... David Lee Roth "Just a Gigolo" and more recently Brian Setzer Orchestra "Jump, Jive, 'N' Wail." This, however, isn't the first time a musician has made it big off a rendition of a Prima tune. Way back in 1938 he wrote "Sing, Sing, Sing, " which was a classic hit for Benny Goodman. A number of years later, Prima would find success for himself when he teamed up with Keely Smith and Sam Butera, but the road to stardom was long and arduous.

Louis Leo Prima was born on December 7, 1911 in New Orleans near notorious Storyville to second generation Sicilians, Anthony and Angelina. Along with older brother Leon and sister Elizabeth, Louis was encouraged to take music lessons as a child. Despite being a talented violin player, Louis didn't enjoy playing the instrument. His older brother Leon gave up the piano in favor of the cornet after being heavily influenced by some fellow local jazz musicians... Joe "King" Oliver and Louis Armstrong. Before too long, his younger brother would follow suit and set the course for his career. While playing in the orchestra at the Saenger Theatre in 1931, Prima was becoming a local favorite. Visiting orchestra leader, Guy Lombardo was impressed by Prima's talent and talked him into moving to New York in 1934.

After six months of struggling to find employment despite Lombardo's extensive connections, he landed a job playing opening night at the Famous Door, so named for the signatures on the door by the establishment's famous investors. The club was an after-hours musicians' hangout and Prima consistently packed the place and garnered outstanding reviews. It was also during this time when he wrote the classic "Sing, Sing, Sing" for Benny Goodman. In 1935, Prima headed to Hollywood to help kick off the west coast version of the club. While he was out there, he appeared in a number of musicals including "Rhythm On the Range" with Bing Crosby and "Rose of Washington Square" with Tyrone Power and Alice Faye.

By the mid-1940s, he was performing sold out engagements all across the country. It was then when he found a new recipe for success with "Angelina," (written for his mother). The lyrics were littered with Italian-American slang phrases, mostly with sexual connotations, revolving around a waitress in a pizza parlor. Even though the nation still harbored some hostility towards Italy as a result of World War II, it became a hit and was followed by similar titles such as "Please No Squeeza Da Banana," and "Josephine, Please No Lean on The Bell." After his tune "Civilization" climbed the charts to reach the Top Ten in 1947, the music industry began battling over jukebox rights causing many big bands to disband. At this time television was gaining in popularity so it was even harder to make a living as a musician. Prima persisted by primarily concentrating on recording.

While auditioning for a new female vocalist in 1948, Prima discovered the woman who would help him achieve the most success of his career, 16 year old Dorothy Jacqueline Keely, better known as Keely Smith. What made Keely stand out was her smooth phrasing, clear tones, deadpan persona, and general lack of movement while she sang. This would serve as a perfect contrast to Prima's deep, bellowing voice and exaggerated hyper-activity. They developed a routine that played off of their differences, poking fun at the vast gap between their ages. Prima would try to break Keely's demeanor by cracking jokes and adlibbing. With Keely in place, Prima made a musical transition incorporating the beat of the latest craze, rock 'n' roll.

Together with Sam Butera & the Witnesses, Prima and new wife Keely took Las Vegas by storm in the fall of '54 playing as many as five shows a night in the Casbar Lounge of the Sahara. The new combination was a phenomenal success. The on stage interaction between Prima and Keely was not without many off color remarks and sexual innuendoes which earned the act the reputation of being "The Wildest Show in Vegas." It was a true variety act that undoubtedly took the audience by surprise . . . and often the performers as well. Sam Butera once remarked "being associated and performing with Louis Prima and Keely Smith was like a dream come true. They were the greatest." They enjoyed success with hits such as "That Old Black Magic," "Hey, Boy! Hey, Girl!," "Lazy River," and "I've Got You Under My Skin."

In 1961, Prima's marriage with Keely dissolved as did their professional relationship. He continued performing with Sam and the Witnesses, but they never lived up to the days they had with Keely. The final highlight of Prima's illustrious career came in 1968 as he provided the voice for King Louie the Orangutan in Disney's "The Jungle Book." He continued playing across the country with new wife Gia Maione until 1975 when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After an operation, he slipped into a coma that lasted almost three years until his death on August 24, 1978.

The original lounge lizard and consummate showman will live on through his impressive musical legacy. He can be heard in everything from the epic film "The Godfather," to television commercials for the Gap. Prima's music will continue to be discovered by generations to come. And as long as people are looking to have a swingin' good time with a twist of humor, there will always be room the one and only Louis Prima.

Source: http://hcmagazine.com