Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART(1756 - 1791) was an Austrian prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works. He is among the most enduringly popular of classical composers.

Composer

  • Mozart showed prodigious ability from his earliest childhood started to learn the piano when he was 3. 
  • Already competent on keyboard and violin, he composed from the age of five and performed before European royalty. 
  • At 17, he was engaged as a court musician in Salzburg, but grew restless and travelled in search of a better position, always composing abundantly. 
  • While visiting Vienna in 1781, he was dismissed from his Salzburg position. He chose to stay in the capital, where he achieved fame but little financial security. 
  • During his final years in Vienna, he composed many of his best-known symphonies, concertos, and operas, and portions of the Requiem, which was largely unfinished at the time of Mozart's death.
  • He composed The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Who is 50 cent?

50 Cent - American rapper

50 Cent

Curtis James Jackson III  was born on July 6, 1975. He is better known by his stage name 50 Cent. He is an American rapper and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003) and The Massacre (2005). These albums have been certified eight times and five times platinum , respectively, by the RIAA (The Recording Industry Association of America.) Get Rich or Die Tryin'  has sold over 15 million copies worldwide while The Massacre has sold 11 million copies worldwide.

Drug dealer

Born in South Jamaica, Queens, Jackson began drug dealing at the age of twelve during the 1980s crack epidemic. After leaving drug dealing to pursue a rap career, he was shot at and struck by nine bullets during an incident in 2000. After releasing his album Guess Who's Back? in 2002, Jackson was discovered by rapper Eminem and signed to Interscope Records. With the help of Eminem and Dr. Dre, who produced his first major commercial successes, Jackson became one of the world's highest selling rappers. In 2003, he founded the record label G-Unit Records, which signed several successful rappers such as Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo. Jackson has also engaged in feuds with other rappers including Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Cam'ron, Rick Ross, and former G-Unit members The Game and Young Buck.

Success

Jackson has pursued an acting career, appearing in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin' in 2005, the Iraq War film Home of the Brave in 2006, and Righteous Kill in 2008. 50 Cent was ranked as the sixth best artist of the 2000–2009 decade by Billboard  magazine. The magazine also ranked him as the fourth top male artist and as the third top rapper behind Eminem and Nelly.

More on 50 Cent on Wikipedia

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Who is Lady Gaga?

Her early life

Lady Gaga Concert
Lady Gaga's original name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. She was in New York City on March 28, 1986. She is the eldest child of Italian American Joseph Germanotta, an internet entrepreneur, and Cynthia. She is left-handed[17] and began learning to play piano aged four. She wrote her first piano ballad at 13 and began performing at open mike nights (is a live show where audience members may perform at the microphone) by age 14. Lady Gaga was raised a Roman Catholic.

At age 17, Gaga gained early admission to the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and lived in a NYU dorm on 11th Street. There she studied music and improved her songwriting skills by composing essays and analytical papers focusing on topics such as art, religion, social issues and politics.[18][28] Gaga wrote an 80-page thesis on pop artists Spencer Tunick and Damien Hirst; research that prepared her for her future career focus in "music, art, sex and celebrity.". However, she didn't finish her studies and to start her career as a singer and sonwriter.

Her career

Lady Gaga started her career by signing contract with Def Jam Recordings at the age of 19 and larter with songwriter and producer RedOne. She began experimenting with drugs soon after, while performing at neo-burlesque shows.
"Iwent to a Catholic school but it was on the New York underground that I found myself."
Her father did not understand the reason behind her drug intake and could not look at her for several months
Lady Gaga's real career started with Akon who recognized her vocal abilities, and signed her to his own label, Kon Live Distribution.

Gaga came to prominence following the release of her debut studio album The Fame (2008), which was a commercial success and achieved international popularity with the singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face". The album reached number one on the record charts of six countries, accomplished positions within the top-ten worldwide, and topped the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart while simultaneously peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. Achieving similar worldwide success, The Fame Monster (2009), its follow-up, produced a further two global chart-topping singles "Bad Romance" and "Telephone" and allowed her to embark on a second global headlining concert tour, The Monster Ball Tour, just months after having finished her first, The Fame Ball Tour. Her second studio album, Born This Way, is scheduled for release on May 23, 2011 after the arrival of its eponymous lead single "Born This Way", which achieved the number-one spot in countries worldwide and was the fastest-selling single in iTunes history, selling one million copies in five days.

Influence and success

Inspired by glam rock (a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles) artists like David Bowie, Elton John and Queen, as well as pop singers such as Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Amy Winehouse, Gaga is well-recognized for her outré sense of style in fashion, in performance and in her music videos.

Her contributions to the music industry have garnered her numerous achievements including five Grammy Awards, among twelve nominations; two Guinness World Records; and the estimated sale of fifteen million albums and fifty-one million singles worldwide. Billboard named her both the Artist of the Year in 2010 and the top selling artist of 2010; ranking her as the 73rd Artist of the 2000s decade. Gaga has been included in Time magazine's annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world as well as Forbes' list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential celebrities in the world. Forbes also placed her at number seven on their annual list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women.

Albums

  • The Fame (2008)
  • The Fame Monster (2009)
  • Born This Way (2011)
More on Lady Gaga

Monday, April 11, 2011

Who is James Blunt?

His life

James Blunt at Spaceland, Los Angeles, CA
James Hillier Blount, famous as James Blunt, is an English singer, songwriter and musician, and former army officer. He was born on 22 February 1974 at an army hospital in Tidworth, Wiltshire, England. He spent his childhood living in England, Cyprus, and Germany, while his father, a Colonel in the British Army Air Corps, and military helicopter pilot, was posted at various times. James Blunt has two younger siblings. His father instilled in him a love of flying, and he earned his pilot's licence at age 16. The Blount family has a long history of military service, dating from the 10th century. He became an officer in the Life Guards, a Cavalry regiment of the British Army, and served under NATO in Kosovo during the conflict there in 1999. While posted to Kosovo, Blunt was introduced to the work of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF or "Doctors Without Borders"). Since then, Blunt has supported MSF by holding meet-and-greet auctions at many of his concerts. He also fights for environmental causes.

His career

James Blunt's debut album, Back to Bedlam and single releases, including You're Beautiful and Goodbye My Lover, made him famous in 2005. His repertoire can be best described as a mix of acoustic-tinged pop, rock and folk. After recording on the independent American label Custard Records, Blunt won two BRIT Awards (the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards), two Ivor Novello Awards (named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello- These are awards for songwriting and composing), and by 2006 was nominated for five Grammy Awards. The following year, he released his second album All the Lost Souls (2007). Blunt's third studio album, Some Kind of Trouble, was released in November 2010. Worldwide, Blunt has sold over 15 million albums.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Who is Michael Jackson?

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson (also refered to as the king of pop) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actor, choreographer, poet, businessman, philanthropist and record producer. He was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, an industrial suburb of Chicago.

Early Life

His mother, Katherine used to work in a store. His father, Joseph Jackson, was a minor and also a musician in a band called The Falcons. He was a violent and authoritarian father. Michael, his five brothers (Tito, Jackie, Marlon, Jermaine and Randy) and his 3 three sisters (Maureen, Janet and La Toya) were strictly educated and did not have much freedom. Michale reported that his father used to whip him and sometimes abused him verballyJackson, saying that he had a fat nose on numerous occasions.

The Jackson 5

Michael and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers – a band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine. When he was eight, Jackson began sharing the lead vocals with his older brother Jermaine, and the group's name was changed to The Jackson 5. They participated in many contests and won all the prizes. The band toured the Midwest extensively from 1966 to 1968, frequently performing at a string of black clubs known as the "chitlin' circuit". The Jackson 5 recorded several songs, including "Big Boy", for the local record label Steeltown in 1967, before signing with Motown Records in 1968. Rolling Stone magazine later described the young Michael as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts," writing that he "quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer.
In June 1975, the Jackson 5 signed with Epic Records, a subsidiary of CBS Records and renamed themselves the Jacksons. Younger brother Randy formally joined the band around this time, while Jermaine left to pursue a solo career. They continued to tour internationally, releasing six more albums between 1976 and 1984, during which Jackson was the lead songwriter, writing hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel," and "Can You Feel It"

Solo career

he teamed up with Quincy Jones, who agreed to produce Jackson's next solo album, Off the Wall. It was the first album to generate four U.S. top 10 hits, including the chart-topping singles "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You." In 1982, Jackson released what proved to be by far the biggest album of his career, and arguably the biggest pop album ever by any artist - Thriller. It was the first album to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It," and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."
Later, he debuted his signature dance move, the moonwalk.
On January 27, 1984, Michael and other members of the Jacksons filmed a Pepsi Cola commercial.  In front of a full house of fans during a simulated concert, pyrotechnics accidentally set Jackson's hair on fire. He suffered second-degree burns to his scalp. Jackson underwent treatment to hide the scars on his scalp, and he also had his third rhinoplasty shortly thereafter.
A release of  Bad (1987), was highly anticipated. Although  Bad was a great success in its own right, it did not top Thriller as a commercial or artistic triumph. Then a series of success and tours followed.

The media

The media couldn't remain indiferrent to these successes.They reported extensively on  his private lifewhich they displayed for the public. There were a lot of reports and comments on his physical transformations and disease. The rumors were revived in May 2009, when the singer went on numerous occasions in institutions specializing in the treatment of skin cancers.
His private life was also under a lot of speculations. The media were interestd in his a brief marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, his union with his nurse, Deborah Rowe who gave him two children, a boy, named Prince and a little girl named Paris, allegation about child sexual abuse.

The end of an eventful life

On March 5, 2009, the center of financial problems, Michael Jackson finally announced a series of 50 concerts in London starting in July 2009. This event would mark his return on stage for the first time since 2002. Nevertheless, many pessimistic voices expressed in the media about the singer's ability to provide these concerts. In May 2009, Michael Jackson decided to postpone the first concerts to better prepare''shows.''
Unfortunately, while his fans were looking foward to attending the event, the joy of finding Michael in concert will nevr occur agian. Michael suffered a heart attack on Thursday, June 25, 2009. Despite resuscitation performed by the emergency medical team, he has unfortunately not survived. It's the end of a beautiful and great musical history ...