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May 2000 Issue 78 |
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May 2000 Issue 78 |
CONTENTS
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Festival to Rock Beijing’s World
Glittering stars to play outdoor concert series British alternative giants James unofficially headline Heineiken Beat 2000, the capital’s second open-air music festival performed live over the weekend of May 13 and 14.Foreign bands Femi Kuti and the Positive Force, Zap Mama and Bamoleo will perform over the two days, with three concerts each evening from 5pm to 11pm. Two Chinese bands - Zero Point and Zang Tianshuo - will also perform. The festival offers people the chance to relax in beer gardens equipped with video walls showing the concerts live. There will be sideshow entertainment including interactive dance machines and wandering performance artists imported from Britain. Interspersed with the concerts will be a lucky draw and a chance to try your hand at throwing the best shapes in the house to dance music melded by the hands of Beijing’s top DJs. “Young people in Beijing are curious about international trends and are looking for new high quality musical experiences,” said Jacqueline Speek, Marketing Manager China Heineken Hong Kong. James and the other headline acts at the festival suggest Beijing is at long last dipping its toe in unchartered alternative music waters. James Formed in 1982, the band have produced more than 14 hit singles, including “Sit Down”, which became one of the British pop anthems of the “90s, and “Laid” produced by Brian Eno, which sealed their success in the USA. “James” music exists in past/future territory somewhere between eccentric, romantic, tender, crazy and ecstatic. Their best songs rank among the best of British pop music,” Brian Eno said of the band “James” live popular performances, known for an up-close-and-personal intimacy, inspire loyal audiences to jump around and sing along with every chorus. Their recent UK tour culminated in a sell-out show at Wembley Stadium, the country’s largest music venue. Bamboleo The Cuban band will kick off the Sunday concert series. Formed in 1995, by some of the most talented young musicians in Cuba, Bamboleo are at the forefront of the timba movement, receiving accolades from master of funk George Benson when he jammed with the band. Led by two striking vocalists, two shimmying, hip-grinding, head-shaven women, the group presents a fusion of Afro-Cuban thythms, jazz, timba and funk. Femi Kuti and the Positive Force In the depth of his music and its ability to touch people there is a similarity with last year’s favorite, Gilberto Gil. One of the most renowned artists in Africa and holder of the award for best artist, Femi is fast becoming a worldwide celebrity.Son of Fela, a legend in African music, Femi’s afrobeat is the most exciting new sound to emerge from Nigeria for years “ an American dance-influenced, soul-infused style for a new generation. Femi and his team of dancers will stun the audience with their incredible combination of dance and music energy. Zang Tianshuo Starting his career as rock pioneer Cui Jian’s keyboard player, Zang’s single ?riends”, released in 1987, rocked all over China, brought him fame as a solo artist and established Zang one of the founder members of China rock generation. His constant pioneering work with thepromotion of Chinese rock sees Zang writing hit songs for TV plays and as regular guest on TV talk shows. Zap Mama Global a capella queens famed for their melding of ethnic harmonies with the roots throb of bass and drums. With space-divacostumes they are an “afrocentric spice girls” creating music which treads a fine line between the soul of the past and the technology of the future. Zap Mama’s first album was released on David Byrne’s Luaka Bop Records in 1992. The subsequent world tour created a following that put them at the top of Billboard Magazine’s best-selling World CDs and prompted a Grammy nomination. Zero Point A leading force of China’s pop rock, Zero Point formed in 1996, creating a distinct style with mass appeal among new pop fans. Since 1996, they have released five long players including The Best of Zero Point and their latest album 00:00:00. There Asia-wide hit singles “Love’s too Hard” and “Dream” won them Beijing Music Radio’s “10 Years of Pop Music” Best Musican Prize. |
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