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| Lenny Kravitz - Black and White America |
As we hit the winter in South Africa, The Beat compiled a list of new CDs, out in the next month or so, that will keep the winter blues away, and keep you warm and snugly.
1. Lenny Kravitz - Black and White America
American Woman singer Lenny Kravitz is back with his ninth studio CD, Black and White America. The CD will be preceded with the release of his new single, Stand, which will hit airwaves 6 June. Marking his first release of new material in three years, Black and White America is a rich rock and funk-infused collection filled with Lenny’s signature guitar riffs, compelling melodies and the undeniable anthemic lyricism that has been his trademark over the course of his 20-year career. In addition to the album, Lenny Kravitz, who most recently appeared in the Oscar nominated film Precious, has announced that he has been cast in the role of Cinna in the much anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ worldwide smash hit novel, The Hunger Games.
2. Simphiwe Dana - An Evening with Simphiwe Dana
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| Simphiwe Dana - Live |
Never in the history of South African music industry had a debut artist captured the hearts and minds of those who love and cherish music and the arts in the same way that Simphiwe Dana has done since back in 2004. The release of her debut album, ‘Zandisile’, with its hair-raising and thumping ethno-soulful sounds of ‘Ndiredi’ (the hit single) gave pronouncement to the fact that Simphiwe Dana was indeed born to sing and perform. By the time she released her second album ‘The One Love Movement On Bantu Biko Street’, Simphiwe had begun shaking the political establishment with her uncensored statements and songs and had taken a center stage as a socio-political commentator on the plight of the poor and the dispossessed. Her 3 albums, including her latest offering Kulture Noir, have deservedly scooped-up over 10 awards and 6 nominations locally and abroad and her music is now part of the curriculum at prestigious universities such as Oxford University in England and other academic institutions. Her true artistic excellence, articulately expressed through her song-writing, has opened-up doors to a musical world that only a few world acclaimed South African musicians have managed to keep open, but Simphiwe in such a short space of time managed to do just that. It is with above accomplishment by this artist that Simphiwe Dana staged a one-night-only special concert ‘An Evening with Simphiwe Dana’ with a 27-piece orchestra. The concert was a refreshing encounter with the most accomplished and finest female talent this country has ever had. Simphiwe Dana presented her craft in an up close and personal live rendition of her most accomplished repertoire with a big band, accompanied by the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra and the Miagi Youth Orchestra backed by finest musicians and backing vocalists, and guest artists Madosini and Mthwakazi. Besides the opportunity for first rate entertainment, where one can experience the artists in an up close and personal setting, An Evening With Simphiwe Dana the evening was also unique opportunity to meet the artist in her relaxed manner, and it allowed her to take the audience through a personal music journey in a sort of semi autobiographical monologue probed. You will be amazed, very amazed.
3. Various - For Colored Girls (Soundtrack)
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| Soundtrack to For Colored Girls |
For Colored Girls sees an all female line up ranging from newcomers Janelle Monàe, Estelle and Laura Izibor to Grammy Award-nominee Leona Lewis, as well as the legendary Gladys Knight. The soundtrack, which features 13 brand new, unreleased songs, also includes the stand out tracks, “What More Can They Do” by Laura Izibor and “Four Women,” a cover of the Nina Simone original of the same title, which features Nina herself, her daughter Simone, Laura Izibor, and Ledisi. The collection also features music from Estelle, Janelle Monàe, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Lalah Hathaway, Zaki Ibrahim, and Anika Noni Rose. This is truly a great collection of songs that will inspire women across the globe.
4. Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys
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| Death Cab For Cutie - Codes and Keys |
By their seventh studio album, many bands are running out of creative steam and original ideas. But in the case of alt rockers Death Cab for Cutie, nothing could be further from the truth. Codes and Keys is singular in the band’s catalog when it comes to sonic exploration and lyrical ambition. If anything, the band has never sounded more excited to experiment with textures, words, sounds and even the process of recording itself. Unlike the studio process for 2008's Grammy-nominated Narrow Stairs – an album the band recorded to tape in real time, with minimal overdubs and studio trickery – Codes and Keys turned into what guitarist/multi-instrumentalist/producer Chris Walla has taken to calling a “construction project.”
The band focused on capturing the best take of their parts – at times separately, at other times in pairs – and built songs by layering these performances (and other musical ideas) on top of each other. “We've deconstructed little pieces of songs before like this,” Walla says. “[But] we've never pulled the thread out of the whole sweater and then made a new sweater out of it. Not like this.”
5. Jacques Viviers - Lewensdroom
'n Vierjarige seuntjie wat sing en dans en tegelykertyd daarvan droom om eendag die kalklig te steel... Dit is Jacques Viviers, 'n dinamiese popsanger wat nou – jare later – einste droom bewaarheid met sy debuutalbum, Lewensdroom. Die volwasse Viviers is 'n bondel verskeidenheid wat gemaklik deur enigiets van pop en ligte rock tot R&B en hiphop kan gly. Hy sing ook ewe gemaklik in beide Engels en Afrikaans. “Ek is 'n gebore kunstenaar wat daarvan hou om te vermaak deur sang, dans en toneelspel. My familie is almal geseën met sang, dans en musikale talent en dit was nog altyd iets waarvoor ek baie lief was." Viviers is die neef van die geliefde en gewilde radio-omroeper en rugby-kommentator wyle Gerhard Viviers (oftewel Spiekeries). Sy sangloopbaan het reeds as lid van die NKP Seunskoor begin. Hy het ook later saam met die Duitse Mannekoor opgetree. Lewensdroom met sy twaalf kraakvars snitte skop af met Skadu’s en word gevolg deur twee van Viviers se gunstelinge – Baby Disco en Meisie jy’s die een. Dit word gevolg deur die gevoelvolle ballade, Vat my saam, wat skitter in sy eenvoud. Op dié snit met sy roerende klavierbegeleiding stel Viviers waarlikwaar sy stemomvang ten toon. Van die oorspronklikste oomblikke op Lewensdroom is die liedjie Kry wat jy verdien, wat 'n unieke R&B-geur het. Liefhebbers van dié musiekstyl sal dit dadelik as een van hul gunstelinge uitsonder. Tesame met Ek mis jou is dit liefdesliedjies wat ver bo die resepmatige uitstyg. “R&B is baie na aan popmusiek en omdat ek as kunstenaar daarvan hou om regtig voluit te sing, het R&B my toegang gegee tot goeie en unieke stemkwaliteite,” sê die sanger wat al in verhoogproduksies soos Heart Beat en die balletopvoering Paquita te sien was. In laasgenoemde het hy die hoofrol van die Koning vertolk en is met luide applous begroet. Die verhoog is geensins 'n nuwe terrein vir Viviers nie. Hy het reeds as 'n energieke danser sy merk gemaak en is bekend vir sy voetvaardigheid in dansstyle soos disco, funk, high energy, hip-hop, Latin American en jazz. Viviers sing ook Engels op sy solo-debuut. Die hartroerende liedjie Louelle is die enigste Engelse snit tussen die ander elf liedjies op die album. Met Lewensdroom vestig Jacques Viviers hom as 'n kunstenaar wat van kop tot toon sy passie en drome uitleef, noot vir noot!
6. Snotkop – (Titel moet nog bevestig word)
Francois Henning, beter bekend as Snotkop, is terug in die ateljee en besig om sy volgende album op te neem. Die album, wat nog nie 'n naam het nie, sal vanaf einde Junie beskikbaar wees. Dit is die eerste Snotkop-CD wat onder meer deur Select sal vervaardig word en volgens Francois gaan dit tipiese Snotkop-musiek bevat met ekstra ritmes. Francois, The Beat wag in spanning om die eerste lekseltjie van jou nuwe CD te kry! Ons weet dit gaan sommer kookwater wees!
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