Review: Lullaby by Jewel

The american composer fills with an angelical voice and the subtle sounds of her guitar each song of the album

Who would have thought that Traditional Lullabies for kids will be the secret to create an album?

For Jewel, the formula absolutely worked out and the result is Lullaby, which despite of being released in may 2009 it has become a classic now.

With well-produced arrangements by Jason "Turtle" Freese and the use of a broad variety of instruments such as the accordion, triangle and the Mellotron, the 10 original Jewel's compositions plus 5 classic tracks give the album a touch of the traditional country music.

As you listen to the album you will discover the magic of the lyrics of each song and you will definitely just let it go by the subtle sounds of Jewel's voice.

The album includes the all-time classics Somewhere over the rainbow, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Brahms' Lullaby.

It has been now 15 years of the beginning of the Alaska born, Jewel, who started her career as a ballad singer with the chart topping hit You were meant for me.

Few years later she went into pop and released catchy songs like Intuition and Standing Still, but for the past 3, 4 years her direction in music has pointed to country music.

Lullaby can be listened by all ages and surely anyone can discover the touching power of the talented Jewel, three times nominee for the Grammy Awards.

Why should I listen to Opera?

Amazing voices+Beautiful Orchestra+Harmonic Lyrics

Opera...everytime you just listen someone talking about to this kind of music might sounds boring and not really appealing to your ears.

You might think, what is the point of listening to a bunch of people singing out load with this high tone voices and many times singing in foreign language or lyrics that you just might not understand.

But believe there is something deeper beyond this external and shallow point of view. I can say that there is something magic in this music genre.

First of all, I have to say I'm not a very huge fan or the biggest fan of this music, but every now and then I love to sit down and play randomly some opera songs I have or even some records and albums I got from Sarah Brightman, Il Divo, Josh Groban or Filippa Giordano.

And then, all of a sudden, the magic I was talking earlier comes...

As I said, I sit down or lay on my bed and started listening to these amazing voices, because this is a fact: all of the opera singers from any place of the world have an outstanding and powerful voice but only not because is an inner talent but also because they have acquired and practice for years the special technique of singing opera, which as far as I know it requires time, time, time and patience.

Then behind these extraordinary voices you got a beautiful orchestra playing behind, a complete ensemble of instruments from the family of the strings -violin, cello, harp-, woodwinds -flutes, oboes and clarinets-, percussion -drums, cymbals, triangle, tambourine and triangle- and sometimes the keyboards and even a big choir supporting the main interpreter.

In addition, you have these harmonic lyrics about a wide variety of topics and feelings, from love stories, tales about someone or someplace or even just about ordinary experiences in life.

Sometimes most of the lyrics are in Italian, but this is because this genre started back in this country in the 16th century, so many songs are written in this language, but nowadays a lot of current and popular artists have translated and sing these songs in english.

So, apart from these three facts I mentioned Opera music usually awakes in me a lot of inner feelings and emotions that makes me think deeply about life, love or any subject, that inspire me to write things in my diary. But also, this music makes me appreciate more the rest of the music forms and realize that sometimes opera music (and also classical music) is the roots and basis of any other genre.

This is my conclusion of why I listen to this music...have you found your own reason? You should try.

And talking about trying new stuff, I will share with you some of my favourite opera songs and artists, which to be honest, are a more modern type of opera performers, because well you must know that some of the most traditional opera singers include Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Maria Callas and Enrico Caruso.

And I respect them because they were the basis and roots of this genre but I tend to listen to something more contemporary.

Sarah Brightman - Nessun dorma

Jeanette Macari - La petenera

Filippa Giordano - Habanera

Opera Babes - Beyond Imagination

Il Divo - Regresa a mi

Even nowadays, current and popular artists or Dj's have used Opera music and classic singers or themes to create new records, here are a few examples.

Mark Brown feat. Sarah Cracknell (former lead singer of St. Etienne) - The journey continues

Chicane - Saltwater

Enigma - Modern Crusaders

It's all about...L O V E

'Bleeding Love' was named as the most played love songs in Britain

The former winner of X Factor's 2006 edition, Leona Lewis, might not only be happy that her first solo single Bleeding love was a former number one in Britain and stayed in the top of the chart for seven weeks.

She can proudly name herself as the "queen" of love songs in Britain since this massive hit was considered the most favourite love tune for britain's romantics.

As part of an investigation made by the Performing Rights Society (PRS), association which collects royalties on behalf of songwriters and composers, discovered that during Valentine's Day of the past years this has been the most played love songs by british people.

The list also includes international singers famous for their heart breaking love songs, like Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.

PRS also named the most performed singleton songs that includes a wider variety and contemporary artists like Katy Perry, Destiny's Child and Bon Jovi.

Top 10 most-played love songs

1. Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love

2. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You

3. Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On

4. Mariah Carey - Without You

5. Andy Williams - Can't Take My Eyes Off You

6. Elvis - Can't Help Falling In Love With You

7. Christina Aguilera - Beautiful

8. The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody

9. Bryan Adams - Everything I Do (I Do It For You)

10. Jason Mraz - I'm Yours

'Bleeding love' by Leona Lewis

'I will always love' you by Whitney Houston

Top 10 most-performed singleton songs

1. Katy Perry - Hot N Cold

2. Destiny's Child- I'm A Survivor

3. U2 - With Or Without You

4. Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive

5. Beyonce - Irreplaceable

6. Justin Timberlake - Cry Me A River

7. Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U

8. Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

9. Bon Jovi - It's My Life

10. James Blunt - Goodbye My Lover

Source: PRS For Music

'Hot n Cold' by Katy Perry

'Survivor' by Destiny's Child

Controversy around the Brit Awards Nominations 2010

It is almost 15 days for the big day and still a lot of controversy is around whether this year's nominations for the Brit Awards were fair enough.

Different media have been questioning the authenticity of the nominations as there were quite a few talented and successful british artists that were not in the nominees' list.

One of the most controversial cases is Susan Boyle, who became one of the most successful recording artists in less than a year.

Some media criticized the fact that Boyle was snubbed this year by the panel of more than 1,000 people from the music industry and media.

Others said that just the most popular artists were the chosen ones, so that left outside the nominations brand new acts like Paloma Faith, Chipmunk and Frankmusik.

Even though the fact their singles reached the UK top 40 by november 2009.

2010 Nominees

This year the race is though and five acts are the ones who will be struggling the most wanted awards of the year.

Florence and the Machine, Lady Gaga, Lilly Allen, JLS and Pixie Lott were the ones who got three nominations each this year, including best album, female and breakthrough artists.

Robbie Williams, who will also receive the outstanding contribution award, is in the running for Best British Male amongst Dizzee Rascal, Mika, Paolo Nutini and Calvin Harris.

The BBC sounds of 2010 winner Ellie Goulding will receive this year's Critics Choice Award.

Full nominees list

British Female Solo Artist

Bat for Lashes

Florence & the Machine

Leona Lewis

Lily Allen

Pixie Lott

British Male Solo Artist

Calvin Harris

Dizzee Rascal

Mika

Paolo Nutini

Robbie Williams

British Breakthrough Act

Florence & the Machine

Friendly Fires

JLS

La Roux

Pixie Lott

British Group

Doves

Friendly Fires

JLS

Kasabian

Muse

British Album

Dizzee Rascal - Tongue n’Cheek

Florence & the Machine - Lungs

Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum

Lily Allen - It’s Not Me, It’s You

Paolo Nutini - Sunny Side Up

British Single

Alesha Dixon - Breathe Slow

Alexandra Burke Ft Flo Rida - Bad Boys

Cheryl Cole - Fight For This Love

Joe McElderry - The Climb

JLS - Beat Again

La Roux - In For The Kill

Lily Allen - The Fear

Pixie Lott - Mama Do

Taio Cruz - Break Your Heart

Tinchy Stryder Ft N-Dubz - Number 1

Critics' Choice

Ellie Goulding

Delphic

Marina and the Diamonds

International Female Solo Artist

Lady Gaga

Ladyhawke

Norah Jones

Rihanna

Shakira

International Male Solo Artist

Bruce Springsteen

Eminem

Jay-Z

Michael Buble

Seasick Steve

International Album

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

Black Eyed Peas - The End

Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream

Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3

Lady Gaga - The Fame

International Breakthrough Act

Animal Collective

Daniel Merriweather

Empire of the Sun

Lady Gaga

Taylor Swift

Source: www.brits.co.uk

Fanfarlo's gig

The indie pop of Fanfarlo was a massive success in the stage

A variety of instruments and sounds, literally, collapsed over the stage. The music couldn't stopped and the fans became insane with every song...

It was Fanfarlo playing at Rough Trade Records in east London.

The band played for about 30 minutes their most popular songs from their first album Reservoir released last year.

The audience enjoyed the gig with songs like Drowning Men, Fire escape and Talking Backwards.

And the magic kept filling the air as the minutes were passing by and the audience realized how magic Fanfarlo's music was.

This was specially due to the wide variety of instruments the band used to play each of their songs.

From a mandolin and violin to a trumpet and the add of different kinds of sounds like the soft whistle of birds, an energetic hands clapping and the fast move of feet going up and down.

The magic of this evening was also complemented as most of the members of the band sing along the leader of it, so it really gave each song something special.

Why don't let the whole team or members of the band sing along with the lead vocalist?

Fanfarlo did it and the audience were pleased with the results as they couldn't stop being excited when they performed the song Harold T. Wilkins.

*Photograph: Luis Dominguez.

The new sounds of 2010

Ellie Goulding, Marina and the Diamonds and Delphic topped the BBC Sound of 2010 list
A brand new year is beginning and with it promising British artists that might become the favourite and the most played around the country.
As it has happened in the past years, the BBC released by the end of last year a list of the 15 brand new artists of 2010 they consider the most talented and that might be the talk of the town.
This final list is a result of a very cautious selection and filters that 165 taste makers, broadcasters and music experts in the UK after listening and choosing from an extensive list of new acts.
This year Ellie Goulding, a female singer-songwriter from Hereford, topped the list with her magnificent and acclaimed style named "foltronika" which combines traditional acoustic music with a catchy electronic sound.
Goulding previously participated in different talent contests and started her career in her hometown Kington, Herefordshire. She also received the Brit Awards' Critics' Choice prize.
The second and third place were for the pop singer Marina and the Diamonds followed by Manchester based indie-electro band Delphic.
Other promising acts included in the list were Daisy Dares You, The Drums, Giggs and Two door cinema club.

Accuracy and success
This BBC selection always seems to be quite accurate as most of the acts named in past years have usually became the most popular and favourite for the people.
Just to name few examples, in 2009 Florence and the Machine, Little Boots and La Roux topped the list and undoubtedly they were amongst the favourites in Britain last year and also reached the top 10 of the UK charts.
Singles from these acts like Raise it up, New in town and In for the kill, were massive in the UK last year.
In previous years, Duffy, The Ting tings, Adele, Mika and Corinne Bailey Rae were the most outstanding in these lists and therefore the most successful.

Still the expectations are high for this year and the lights will surely be on these 15 artists but whether they become famous or not at the end, there is one thing they have in common: talent.

FULL SOUND OF 2010 LONGLIST
Daisy Dares You
Delphic
Devlin
The Drums
Everything Everything
Giggs
Gold Panda
Ellie Goulding
Hurts
Joy Orbison
Marina and the Diamonds
Owl City
Rox
Stornoway
Two Door Cinema Club
Source: BBC Online

The latin power in the UK

When it comes to popular music in the UK, Latin America stands itself

For the past ten years Britain has had a massive influence in the music that is broadcasted in radio or played in the clubs...the power of latin american music.
It is very common that nowadays in the clubs or even in pubs every time they played music that has some kind of latin american influence, people can do nothing but get excited and start to dance.
Everything started when singers like Ricky Martin, Bellini and Shakira tried to export some of their singles to the european music industry and the impact was positive.
In 1997, Ricky Martin reached the UK top ten with his song Maria, which was a clear example of what the popular latin american music is.
In the same period, the multi-cultural group Bellini became massive not only in UK but in across Europe with their song Samba de Janeiro which is mainly based in the traditional music from Brazil.
Shakira began to became popular with her album Donde estan los ladrones? with singles like Ciega, Sordomuda.
As years passed the latin american influence kept steady and even growing day by day as by the beginning of the new century UK artists like Lonyo and Basement Jaxx were touched by this influence when they released their singles Summer of love and Bingo Bango, both became quite popular amongst britons.

Growing more than ever
By 2004 and onwards the latin american movement became even bigger with the arrival of the musical genre: Reggaeton.
This was clearly showed when Daddy Yankee was dubbed the king of this genre - which fussion latin rhythms, hip-hop and reggae- and topped the charts with his first single Gasolina.
Even in the same year, and even though is not the same genre but at least is from Latin America, the youngest child of Bob Marley, Damian Marley released the single Welcome to Jamrock and became quite popular with was seen as an acclaimed contemporary reggae.
By that time Shakira and Ricky were well respected and popular in UK and some parts of Europe as well.
In the summer of 2006 Hips don't lie by Shakira -which has the collaboration of the icon Wycleff Jean- became an anthem across Britain.
In the same year another good example of good success was El Chombo, a guy from Panama that created this catchy song called Chacarron that people adored specially during Christmas time.
Lately, the name of Pitbull has became very popular in radio and clubs from the summer of last year, when he released the single I know you want me and later Hotel room service, which includes the collaboration of Nicole Scherzinger.
Shakira kept steady with her new album and the single She Wolf.
In the horizon, more artists around the world are becoming more and more interested in using the latin america sounds to create their new records.
So it seems my power, the power from latin america will keep stronger for a long time across the universe.

Here are some good examples of this massive influence, enjoy them:
1) Maria by Ricky Martin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdX07v0f9M4

2) I know you want me by Pitbull
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2tMV96xULk

3) Hips don't lie by Shakira
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLQgjEhH400

4) Samba de Janeiro by Bellini
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx1iclqbNyM

5) Metrosexual by Amandititita
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSJESyo5rnE

The hottest singles of 2009

Lady Gaga became the queen of the UK charts during 2009

Another year has gone, with it loads of songs that might never be forgotten either they reached the UK charts or they weren't that popular.
But when it comes to see which singles were the hottest and therefore the most selling in the UK, artists like Lady Gaga, Black eyed peas and Cheryl Cole are the first thing that comes to mind.
According to the Official Charts Company, Lady Gaga's single Poker Face was the favourite for the britons as it shifted 800,000 copies in 2009 claiming the top of the biggest selling singles in 2009.
The american singer also got into the third position of this list with her first single Just Dance.
Another american success were the Black Eyed Peas who made in the top 10 of the official singles of 2009 with their songs I gotta feeling, Boom boom pow and Meet me half way, all of them from their third album The E.N.D.
Former winners of X Factor Joe McElderry and Alexandra Burke also got in the list with their singles The Climb and Bad Boys.
Their former trainer Cheryl Cole made it to the number four with her first solo single Fight for this Love. She is also currently in the top ten of the single charts with her song Three words in which she has the collaboration of Will I Am from Black Eyed Peas.

TOP 10 OFFICIAL SINGLES OF 2009
1. Poker Face - Lady Gaga
2. I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas
3. Just Dance - Lady Gaga
4. Fight For This Love - Cheryl Cole
5. The Climb - Joe McElderry
6. In For The Kill - La Roux
7. Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas
8. Killing In The Name - Rage Against the Machine
9. Bad Boys - Alexandra Burke featuring Flo Rida
10. Meet Me Half Way - Black Eyed Peas
Source: BBC News online

The record cover prize of 2009
Not only songs, albums or artists can be awarded for their compositions but also the artwork of their cover's albums can have its own award. Its name: the Best Art Vinyl Prize.
This year the irish band Muse has named the best record cover of 2009 with their latest album The Resistance, which includes an eye-catching sleeve.
The artwork of this cover was in charge of the London design firm La Boca.
The second place was for the Manic Street Preachers and the record cover of their latest album Journal for Plague Lovers.
Massive Attack and Green Day were also remarkable amongst the 50 record cover competitors in 2009.
The winning sleeves will be presented in an exhibition in the Selfridges department store in central London.

The biggest selling albums of the decade

James Blunt's Back to Bedlam was considered the biggest selling album of the decade

Last decade some remarkable albums, records and artists made history as they became the hottest and most popular in the UK amongst people.
According to the Official Chart Company, during the past ten years the album Back to Bedham by James Blunt became the one which registered the highest sales in the UK.
You're beautiful was the responsible for this success as it topped the charts in the summer of 2005.
The second biggest selling albums in this country was acquired by Dido with No Angels in 2000. This album included the massive songs Here without you and Thank you.
The controversial Amy Winehouse made it to the number 3 with her acclaimed album Back to Black from which she released five singles. Each reached the top 20 in the singles chart of the UK.
Her most memorable songs from this album were definitely Rehab and You know I'm not good, both stayed in the Top 10 for weeks.
Leona Lewis and David Gray get the 4th and the 5th positions with their albums Spirit and White Ladder.
For Lewis, former winner of X-Factor show in 2006, the fame became when she released the single A moment like this but her single Bleeding love was responsible of making her massive all over the world. In UK this song became, indeed, the most selling song in 2007.
Back in 2000, David Gray was the biggest singer in the UK when he released the pop ballad Babylon.
I'm sure this song was the one who gave him this 5th position in the biggest selling albums of the past decade.
Now, a new decade has begun, let's wait what the results would be in 10 years and which albums become the hottest records in the music industry.

UK TOP FIVE ALBUMS OF THE DECADE
1. James Blunt - Back to Bedlam (2005)
2. Dido - No Angels (2000)
3. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black (2006)
4. Leona Lewis - Spirit (2007)
5. David Gray - White Ladder (2000)

Source: Official Charts Company