Adele: "Rolling In The Deep"

This song has Grammy Nomination written all over it... Experience the voice of a woman many don't know about and others underestimate.

Willow Smith: 10 Going On 21

Ever so often, there comes a song that in my opinion epitomizes the diversity and beauty of the music business. However this song has a twist and it's not too far fetched from the formula used to promote a singer to become a future star. Willow Smith is that singer, daughter of movie mogul and rapper Will Smith and super sexy mom, heavy-metal singer and actress Jada Picket Smith. With already one hit song under her belt, "Whip My Hair", "21st Century Girl" is that song I think will last my months on Billboard's Hot 100, Dance, Pop and R&B charts. The twist? She is only 10 years old but check out Ryan Seacrest's interview with Willow when she was 9 years old. It is amazing how much children can learn if taught well by their parents.

The music business can make children sound older. The twist about this song is that it doesn't make her sound older, it makes her sound believable as a singer. Trust me, when this single hits it will take a few people by surprise. When hearing Willow Smith's music prowess you too will see what Jay-Z sees and why he wanted to work with her in the studio. But some may question about this hoopla surrounding young Willow Smith. Think back and you might be surprised of how many singers had their start at the same ages or at younger ages:
By age 13, Stevie Wonder had a major hit, "Fingertips (Pt. 2)", a 1963 single taken from a live recording of a Motor Town Revue performance, issued on the album Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius. The song, featuring Wonder on vocals, bongos, and harmonica, and a young Marvin Gaye on drums, was a #1 hit on the U.S. pop and R&B charts and launched him into the public consciousness.Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson started in the music business at the age of 11 with his brothers as a member of the Jackson 5. In the early 1980s, he defined the art form of music video with such ground-breaking videos as "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and the epic "Thriller." Jackson's sound, style and dance moves inspired subsequent generations of pop, soul, R&B and hip-hop artists. Charlotte Church was born Charlotte Maria Reed in Llandaff, a district of Cardiff, Wales. She was brought up as a Roman Catholic by her mother, Maria, who was separated from Church's biological father, Stephen Reed. Church was adopted by her mother's second husband, James Church in 1998. Her break came at 11 when she sang "Pie Jesu" over the telephone on the television show "This Morning" in 1997, followed by her performance on ITV's Big, Big Talent Show in 1997. This led to concerts at Cardiff Arms Park, the Royal Albert Hall and opening for Shirley Bassey in Antwerp. She also received a vocal scholarship to Howell's School Llandaff in Cardiff where she started in 1998 after leaving The Cathedral School, Llandaff. She balanced performing and school with help from tutors for when she was on the road and said in many interviews that she was "just like every other girl her age".
During his childhood, Justin Bieber was interested in hockey, soccer, and chess; he often kept his musical aspirations to himself. As he grew up, Bieber taught himself to play the piano, drums, guitar, and trumpet. In early 2007, when he was twelve, Bieber sang Ne-Yo's "So Sick" for a local singing competition in Stratford and placed second. Mallette posted a video of the performance on YouTube for their family and friends to see. She continued to upload videos of Bieber singing covers of various R&B songs, and Bieber's popularity on the site grew.
Tisha Campbell’s first TV appearance was at the age of 6, in a 1974 episode of the PBS show The Big Blue Marble. As a child, she competed in, and won, many talent shows, going on to appear in such children’s programs as Kids Are People Too, Unicorn Tales, and Captain Kangaroo. At age 18, she traveled to London to star as Chiffon, one of The Supremes-like “Greek Chorus”, in the film version of Little Shop of Horrors along with future Martin co-star Tichina Arnold. After graduating from the Arts High School in Newark, she moved to Hollywood, where she became a star on the short-lived series, Rags to Riches.


Here is a snippett of a tune I can see as a Grammy contender. Enjoy!

Grammy and Its' History

Grammy evening is my Superbowl, and I could hardly wait for this year's Grammy Awards. Before I get into a few of my favorite highlights on Sunday night, I want talk about music's history and popular opinion about it. The history of music and how it must have moved the first person writing it and transfering that emotion to the first person that heard it is one of the most interesting subject to people around the globe.

Some say that Adam's poem to his wife Eve was an ode and the first song written. Others quibble about that statement with their opinion that Solomon's Song Of Solomon was the first and the most beautifulest ever written. (his undying admiration for a girl whose heart was promised to a lowly shepherd boy. Solomon continued in pursuit, thinking his riches could give him the advantage. Solomon lost and true love won out) Some people say that David's arias were so exquisite that God himself allowed for them all to be recorded as the Psalms. Whatever the opinion about music, one thing that can be stated: music moves the entire world.

We live in an age where each of us can fill our entire days with only the songs we love. I see the Grammys as THE platform that sheds light on music we know and love, and shedding light on the songs we haven't heard. The Grammys is like a big brother defending a waif, like an attorney defending the little guy with no monetary means to have a fair trial. Grammys boasts not just to be a platform for Hip Hop, or for R&B, or for Rock, or for Pop...etc. And many people annually voice their disgust or exhilaration about some of the Grammy winners but allot of this I think is due to personal taste and not in lieu of the musical ability. I think that when people say "I'm not watching Grammys" is mostly because they know of other kinds of music that shouls have been heard, or they just want only the music they love nominated.

Grammys is the defender of music or should be. I also liken the Grammys to that of a city of refuge: a place where criminals, outlaws and other types of lawbreakers could run to for shelter when after paying their time for their crime to society but when released they still had to flee because some people did not think the time they served was long enough to met justice. My reason for saying this is that some music and musicians are treated this way in the music business and the heart of the reason why is how music moves people to feel. It can be so emotional. A few winners last made Grammys, in my opinion a true music-lover's dream at witnessing musicians awarded for the MUSIC ability. Why do I say this?

Sunday night, the Best New Artist favorite front-runner was Justin Bieber, but children and teens do not make up the entire world that listens to music. Heck, even I was re-thinking my prediction of that category and was almost about to change it until I decided to distant myself emotionally and go with the musician I thought exuded raw music talent.

Big Winners I chose: Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga and Esperanza Spalding Miranda Lambert and Eminem






































The winner of Best New Artist was the person I chose, Esperanza Spalding. When her name was read, I cheered out loud. Now, many people do not know who she is, and most of those are young people. Esperanza Spalding is such a talent of music and just a popular good-looking female. She is like Alicia Keys but of the bass guitar. Still not convinced she should have won the award? Please just give her a fair listen.
A Grammy Award (originally called Gramophone Award) — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The annual awards ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and some of the awards of more popular interest are presented in a widely viewed televised ceremony. It is the music equivalent to the Emmy Awards for television, the Tony Awards for stage, and the Academy Awards for film.

For the complete list of the nominees and winners click here. Don't look if you have a weak stomach. I think the Grammys are getting back to the core of honoring the music and the music ability of each musician, and not just because a musician is popular.

FEMME FATALE Stronger Than Yesterday

If you've been living under a rock, this blog will make no sense. However, if you are an avid twitterer, you will notice a trend in support for Britney Spears under the pseudonym and name of her CD, 'FEMME FATALE'. * #HIAM = title of her new release, is also a strong contender on Twitter's trend list. Don't be surprised to see usurp tons of trends on it's to the top the closer we get to Britney's "Hold It Against Me" video release.

During the Superbowl this past Sunday, an event that has the potential of spawning so many trends and dominate Twitter's trend list, the phrase #FEMME FATALE flexed it's muscles by rounding off the top 10 trends and rose to the 9th position.

This might sound like a little thing but think about this: How many people on average tweet? And, How many people tweet during the Superbowl and events like it? Those numbers are huge. Literally thousands of tweets are tagged each second. No doubt almost all of Britney Spears' fan-base probably watched the Superbowl and multitask tweets, video chat and jamming her music as background filler. However, I noticed something unique about Britney Spears' fans: They are loyal. Her fans are so loyal in showing their support in the wake of her CD 'FEMME FATALE', despite turmoils that tried to chip away at her character and career as most of the world were potatoes on couches distracted with the Superbowl. How did Britney's fans keep her in the top 10 trend on Twitter? Simple. Most of her 6+ million fans sent tweets with the CD title included.


At the beginning of the Superbowl the trend FEMME FATALE disappeared from the top 10 trend list but around halftime the trend peaked at number 9. (at present, the FEMME FATALE trend sits at 4th position) Britney Spears announced her 7th studio album is titled 'Femme Fatale' due for release March 29th. There have been 12 video teasers, plus a 30 second video teaser, of the new release "Hold it Against Me". Below are those teasers of this new video. Look fast! These are some of the most exciting shots of Britney and an uber excellent way of letting her fans know that she alive and stronger than yesterday, as cliche as that may sound. I can hardly wait to see how the choreography is worked in during the Dub Step part of the tune, which will debut on MTV February 17th. If you think that my listening to Briney Spears is something new, think again. I have been listening to her from the start. Her first single "Baby One More Time". This should be epic!

::NOTE:: After this article was posted a few things have happen: #Femme Fatale and #HIAM are almost and if not have completely disappeared from twitter's top ten trends. Trending for Britney Spears to this date is BRITNEY FATALE at number 8.

Teaser #1



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Teaser #12



Hold It Against Me (30 second video)



Hold It Against Me (audio)

What Kind Of Music Makes Film, Movies And TV Shows Commercial Quality?

I had the rare privilege of listening to Lam Rim's latest CD 'Lost In Sane' released February 3, 2011. You can hear all of the tracks on Lam Rim's Music site.
This CD takes a closer look into how people digest love and pain. Lam Rim are: Fernando F. Krogmann: Drums, Joâo Mirat: Vocals, piano, guitars and programmings, Noël Rayo: Guitars, backing vocals. Additional musicians: José Vera: Bass guitar and Lucia Imán: Vocals on “I cry...”. All songs written by Joâo Mirat and special collaboration with lyrics by my buddy Orlando Robson. Orlando is an excellent writer and lyricist and I know this project will not be the last time we hear from him.



















All tracks are a bit melancholy. My favorites tracks and songs I can hear soundtrack a few of my favorite television shows: Grey's Anatomy, The Good Wife and CSI Miami are "Why Don't You...?" "Broken Bones" and "I Cry".





The track I think would be perfect on a soundtrack for the Disney cartoon, Phineas and Ferb, is "I Feel Fine". If that thought is a stretch to imagine, then the comedy How I Met Your Mother would be a close contender for "I Feel Fine".



When it comes to the cinema screen, I can hear "I Cry" on soundtrack for the movie 'I Am Number 4'.



Speaking on terms of bands covering Lam Rim's work, I think the track "Why Don't You...?",
I really think the teen group Big Time Rush
could sing this track and reach a younger audience. I think this song is age appropriate simply because the lyrics alone will strum the hearts of millions of teenage girls following BTR.


I haven't begun to scratch the surface of the hundreds of thousand of video games and the myriad of commercials this CD could also soundtrack. The possibilities are endless.

I think this CD has it all, especially when it comes to commercializing, movies, film and television shows a sound and quality that only Lam Rim possesses.

What kind of music makes film, movies and commercials a higher standard of quality? Give Lam Rim's 'Lost In Sane' a listen and that question will be answered. Great work youguys!

**NOTE** Lam Rim's CD will hit digital stores in March, because it takes time for iTunes and other venues to process the applications of new albums, so it takes about a month. Until then, CD can be ordered from the band's web site.