360? Maybe Not

Live Nation may have signed huge deals with Madonna, Shakira, and Jay-Z, but the upstart music company is looking to the major labels to distribute its tunes. According to a report in the New York Post this morning, Live Nation has been in talks with the likes of Warner Music Group and the other big music companies to get the music out to customers.

Live Nation has made a splash in the business, signing so-called "360 deals" to handle everything from recording music to concert tours to merchandising for music acts. C.E.O. Michael Rapino has signed Madonna, Jay-Z, Nickelback, and Shakira to the deal but doesn't have a new album from any of them due out for at least 18 months, the Post said. Last week, Live Nation dumped three industry veterans originally signed to build a label within the company. The paper also posited the company could explore exclusive deals with major retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target. Any deal with a major music company could be awkward: for instance, distributing a new Madonna album with Warner Music, her former label.

news source : http://www.portfolio.com/news-markets?

Colombians demand hostages’ release on Independence Day

Leticia (Colombia), July 21 (IANS) With marches and concerts, more than a million Colombians have celebrated their country’s 198th Independence Day and demanded the leftist rebels free everyone they have been holding hostage, EFE news agency reported Monday. In Leticia, the capital city of southernmost province of Amazonas, a military parade was organised to mark the day Sunday that was witnessed by President Alvaro Uribe and his Brazilian and Peruvian counterparts Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Alan Garcia, respectively.

Colombian pop singer Shakira kicked off the parade, singing the national anthem. The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer also recalled that Sunday was a historic day as all the countrymen united to demand the release of all kidnap victims and peace in the South American country, which has been in the grip of a bloody internal conflict for more than four decades. “I’m delighted and happy to be in Leticia, happy to take part in this historic day for all us Colombians who have united in the largest demonstration we have had in our history,” she said. Shakira travelled back to her country Sunday from London, where she is recording her latest album, to take part in the concerts being staged in most Colombian municipalities and in several cities around the world, calling for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas to release all their hostages.

“It’s a very important event for us, for the nation, for our president and for the presidents of our neighbouring countries,” Shakira said.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe thanked the singer for her generosity in coming and being with the countrymen on the special day. Uribe also thanked his counterparts from Brazil and Peru for becoming part of the Independence Day celebration. “Here in Leticia July 20 has much significance, a message … for each square (inch) of the homeland, a message … for each (citizen), a message of commitment to liberty that is expressed here with the singing of the little parrots, parakeets and all the little birds of the Amazon jungle that are free 24 hours a day,” he added.

Garcia, in his remarks, said that he felt “satisfaction and joy” at being in the border city “to accompany the Colombian people and their president” on Independence Day. Residents of more than 1,100 cities across the country held marches Sunday for the third time in five months to demand that illegal armed groups and criminals release the thousands of people they are holding hostage. According to officials, at least one million people, in seven marches along an equal number of different routes, took to the streets in the Colombian capital wearing white T-shirts, releasing balloons into the air and chanting “Freedom, freedom, freedom”.

news source : http://www.thaindian.com/

Shakira in top 10 worst lyrics poll

Shakira's club banging number Whenever Wherever has landed at number eight in the top ten worst lyrics poll. While, the 1992 hit song Rhythm is a dancer has been voted the song with worst lyrics of all time in a poll conducted by magpiemusic.com. The line "I'm serious as cancer, when I say rhythm is a dancer" topped the poll of terrible lines.

The top ten worst lyrics are:

1. I'm serious as cancer, when I say rhythm is a dancer - Rhythm is a Dancer

2. I don't want to see a ghost, it's a sight that I fear the most, I'd rather have a piece of toast, watch the evening news - Life

3. Is that yo ass, or yo mama half reindeer? - Shake Ya Tailfeather

4. He was a boy, she was a girl. Can I make it any more obvious? - Sk8er Boi

5. I love you like a fat kid love cake - 21 Questions

6. Time is like a clock in my heart - Time (Clock Of The Heart)

7. You got a Prada bag with a lotta stuff in it - Gettin' Jiggy Wit It

8. Lucky that my breasts are small and humble, so you don't confuse them with mountainsI - Whenever, Wherever

9. She had dumps like a truck, truck, truck - Thong Song

10. Only time will tell if we stand the test of time - Why Can't This Be Love

news source : http://www.ndtvmusic.com/

Colombian pop star Shakira hails hostage rescue

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira on Thursday hailed the rescue of Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages from Marxist rebels as a "historic day" for the country. The 31-year-old Grammy-winner, famed for her hit single "Hips Don't Lie," said the hostages' dramatic jungle rescue had restored Colombians' faith in the country's armed forces and institutions. "This is a historic day for all, for our country that has undergone so much. Today we cry tears of emotion and joy and we can look to a future with that hope that peace will arrive,"Shakira said in a statement. "Ingrid is a symbol of the suffering of all those who have been robbed of their freedom," Shakira added. "This has renewed our faith in democracy, our institutions, our own forces." Colombian-French politician Betancourt, who was abducted by rebels in 2002 while campaigning for the presidency, was on Thursday reunited with her children in Bogota following her rescue.

news source : http://afp.google.com/

Strategy for protection of women’s rights stressed

CHITRAL: A workshop on creating awareness of women’s rights among representatives of local support organisations (LSOs) has been held at Booni, some75km from here. The event was held under Easy and Equitable Access to Justice Programme (EEAJP), which is a project of Legal Aid Forum for Human Rights (LAFHR). Niaz Ali Shah, the project co-ordinator, briefed the participants on objectives of the programme. He said the LAFHR worked for welfare of the needy, helpless, oppressed and aggrieved people, especially women. He said the LAFHR had arranged for trial of some 230 cases of poor women in different courts of Chitral free of cost besides conducting 20 seminars on women’s issues.

Representatives of different LSOs from the area took part in open discussion on violation of women’s rights. They said women were facing numerous problems in this male-dominated society. The participants called for framing a strategy and mechanism for protection of women’s rights. They said women were an important component of the society and they could not be ignored when it came to making decisions regarding their issues. They said parents usually ignored education and nutrition of their daughters. Shakira, a social activist, said women should be encouraged to participate in developmental activities. Others said Islam had protected women’s rights better than other religions. They said women should remember their duties with the rights.

They said women should come forward for development of the country without compromising on their cultural values. Ghulam Ali Shah of the Free Legal Aid Centre, Booni, highlighted legal ways for protection of human rights. He said the law allowed women to live a life of their own choice. He said women could marry whoever they wanted to and were entitled to inheritance of family property. He said the practice of forced marriages should be abolished. A large number of social activists and other attended the event.

news source : http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/

Heidi Montag Releases Another Song

The Hills star Heidi Montag released another single, “Fashion.” The Hills star Heidi Montag has released a new song that is destined to hit the floor along with her last single and video release, “Higher.” AOL News reported that The Hills star everyone loves to hate has stuck to her roots with “Fashion.” After creating a line and having a show, “Heidiwood,” Montag has found her niche: skimpy clothes, “music,” and her boyfriend and fellow Hills costar, Spencer Pratt, who says the new single is “the greatest song of my life.”

AOL says “Fashion” is a “chunky slice of Euro pop,” and that her “heavily digitized voice [is] reminiscent of Cher’s hit song, ‘Believe.’” Montag asks, “Don’t you wanna see these clothes on me?” and then continues to list off several top designers in a French-like accent. Montag’s song can be heard on AOL and People. People reported, “Heidi has started her own record label with Super Producer RedOne. RedOne will write and produce with Heidi an entire album of 13 songs.” RedOne has been credited for Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie,” and is currently collaborating with Michael Jackson. People even revealed that Akon will make a cameo appearance in the album.

news source : http://www.thecelebritycafe.com/

Live Nation bosses out of sync on strategy: report

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A battle has broken out among Live Nation Inc's top executives over the concert-promotion company's strategy to reshape the music industry by making big, expensive deals with artists, the Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site on Wednesday. Live Nation Chief Executive Michael Rapino has tried to slow the pace of multimillion-dollar deals with artists, while Chairman Michael Cohl wants to accelerate it by striking deals with as many as 15 more artists, the Journal reported.

Live Nation struck a $120 million deal with Madonna and a $150 million deal with Jay-Z, the paper reported. It has held talks for a similar deal with South American pop star Shakira, according to several people involved, though no agreement has been reached, the Journal said. The disagreement between the two executives in recent weeks resulted in Cohl threatening to leave Live Nation, and the board at one point was prepared to intervene, the Journal reported. The executives are speaking again and Cohl has changed his mind about leaving, the Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. A Live Nation spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

Music companies are trying to sign up artists to such "360-degree" deals which can include recording, publishing, touring, digital and other rights. The deals are all-encompassing as a way for music companies to try to make money even as their traditional business of selling music is undercut by free, and often pirated, music on the Internet. A 12-year global contract signed earlier this year with Irish rock band U2 includes merchandising and licensing rights, sponsorship and strategic alliances, digital rights, fan clubs and Web sites and other marketing and creative services.

news source : http://news.yahoo.com/