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Bono and Geldof
for Africa U2's Bono and
Bob Geldof have teamed up to set up DATA. According to Bono Debts,
AIDS Trade in Africa (DATA) will work towards fighting three of
the most pressing issues facing Africa. Bono has been associated
in the fight against AIDS in Africa given the current anti western
climate. Bono has also
campaigned tirelessly in favour of cancelling Third World debt,
particularly in Africa. Bob Geldof
is no stranger to the African cause. He spearheaded Band Aid in
1984/85 when Ethiopia and Sudan were affected by famine. Meanwhile Bono
has plans for an AIDS benefit album following the cancellation of
the Mandela concert. It is learnt
that Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, Bono and the late Joe Strummer
of the Clash had been working on a track called 48864 - former President
Mandela's prison identification number. The record could not be
completed as Joe Strummer died a week before he went to Dublin.
In another
development, Bono was named 'Person of the Year' on February 21
by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. George Michael
has appeared on the BBC Sunday morning talk show 'Breakfast with
Frost' on February 23. Speaking on
the show, Michael said he was confused by Prime Minister Tony Blair's
stance on the Iraq issue. He urged the public to speak up against
a possible war which could weaken the power of the UN and NATO.
Michael also said that action in Iraq would "light the torch
paper" of Islamic fundamentalism. He did add though, that the
Iraqi leader was a dangerous man. Tatu, the Russian
duo hold on to the No. 1 spot on the UK singles chart for a fourth
consecutive week with the song All The Things She said. The group was
lucky since there was very little action on the part of the new
releases. In other words, the new releases over the two weeks have
not had power to attract enough buyers to make a significant gain
on the chart. In the past
two months, only three songs have been able to take control of the
No. 1 position. The highest
new entry of the week, Pain Killer by Turin Breaks entered the chart
at No. 5. The marketing tactic of the single is amazing as it was
available in the store for just a week. A song that
moved up the chart 12 places this week was Lifestyles of The Rich
And Famous by Good Charlotte. The US state punk band first entered
the chart two weeks ago with their debut single at No. 13. It dropped
to No. 20 last week and climbed back to the No. 8 position this
week. Continental
Popstar champ Kira hit the UK chart with I'll Be Your Angel at No.
9. The real name of Kira is Natasja DeWitte. The blonde female hails
from Belgium. She has been singing since the age of 13 winning various
talent shows. Her debut UK hit is a euro trance track. One of the
good bands to emerge in 1996 and fade away is back in the chart
this week at No. 10. Moloko's first big hit since 2000 is Familiar
Feeling. Their two previous
hits were TheTime Is Now and Pure Pleasure Seeker. With the group
fading, vocalist Rosin Murphy sang on Boris Dlugosch's Never Enough
in June 2001. Murphy's voice stands out on this track featuring
acoustic guitar and fiddles. Meanwhile,
Moloko will tour the UK in May. At the Brit
Awards held in London on February 20, the winners were Will Young
- Best British Breakthrough Artiste, Norah Jones - Best International
Breakthrough Artiste, Just A Little by Liberty X - Best British
Single, Robbie Williams - Best British Male Solo Artiste, Ms. Dynamite
- Best British Urban Act, Eminem - Best International Male Solo
Artiste, Blue - Best Pop Act, Pink - Best International Female Artiste,
Ms. Dynamite - Best British Female Artiste, Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Best International Group, Sugababes - Best British Dance Act,
Coldplay - Best British Group, The Eminem Show by Eminem - Best
International Album, Rush of Blood To The Head by Coldplay - Best
British Album and Tom Jones - Outstanding Contribution Award. Cerys Matthews,
the former Catatonia singer has married her record producer boyfriend
Seth Riddle at Reheboth Congressional Chapel in Trevine West Wales.
Cerys who has also duetted with Tom Jones came to the ceremony in
a trailer pulled by a tractor. Family and friends wore 1930s style
costumes. Cerys met Riddle while working on her debut solo album in Nashville, USA. Her album which is to be called Cock-A-Hoope, will feature a mixture of roots songs, rustic folks including 5 cover versions and 6 new tracks. UK
Top 20 Pooja
to the gods 'Pooja' blends
South Asian storytelling, video, Hindu rituals and stand-up comedy
to unravel this universal tale of superstition confronting contemporary
life. Rani Moorthy creates twelve characters who expose the oppressive
tragedy of archaic rituals and the absurd comedy of ancient fears
that lie within all immigrant communities. A mistimed
birth. A miscalculated horoscope. Since everything in an Indian
woman's life depends on the stars, there is drama, hysteria and
absurd comedy from day one. Pooja (meaning ritual in Sanskrit) tells
the story of Ranjana and her struggle with the forces of family
and horoscope. With her destiny pre-ordained by the time of birth,
she juggles century-old rituals to deflect foretold ills with the
pleasures of modern life. Marrying a banana tree at dawn and flirting
in the disco at night, Ranjana demands her own Poojas. Pooja premiered
in 1999, transferring to Manchester's Library Theatre in 2000. Revived
in early 2002 at Actors Studio Theatre, Kuala Lumpur, it played
to sell-out houses for Rani's debut in her city of birth. The daughter
of a migrant Sri Lankan Tamil family, Rani was educated and worked
in Singapore where she created lead roles in theatre (Medea, Long
Days, Journey, Miss Julie), hosted the hit TV comedy The Ra Ra Show,
and wrote and starred in the city's first English feature film. Rani moved
to Manchester UK in 1996 - the day the IRA bomb exploded. Her acting
credits include A&E, Coronation Street, Dead Meat and as Lady
Capulet in Romeo and Juliet. As a writer Radio 4 commissioned her
sitcom Stardust & Shakespeare, and she has written for BBC's
Doctors. Rani's play Manchester United & the Malay Warrior was
premiered by Rasa at Manchester's Contact (for Cultureshock 2002)
Dancing Within Walls, her next production is to be seen in 2003. |
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