This week we saw a rare all-star musical event that will go down in history with the likes of Live Aid and Live 8 – the “Hope for Haiti” concert, raising $58 million for quake-stricken Haiti. Performers included Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, U2, Jay-Z and Shakira, with the standout performance coming from the ever-flawless Beyonce, singing an acoustic rendition of her smash-hit ‘Halo’. A further highlight came from newcomer Matt Morris, who performed Leonard Cohen’s (no, not Alexandra Burke’s) ‘Hallelujah’ together with Justin Timberlake. Morris’ heartfelt and pure vocals soared over the rousing classic, prompting many viewers, I’m sure, to run to their computers and Google who this unknown was, and why we hadn’t heard of him until now. In case you were wondering, Morris is signed to Timberlake’s record label, having grown up starring in “the Mickey Mouse Club” together, alongside the likes of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. All performances are now available to purchase on iTunes, and I would thoroughly recommend giving Morris a listen.
It was also announced that Simon Cowell, at the request of Gordon Brown, is co-ordinating a charity single to help raise further funds for those in Haiti. The single will be an all-star cover version of REM’s heart-wrenching classic ‘Everybody Hurts’ – a choice which, in my opinion, doesn’t deliver the message of hope that should come out of a venture like this. Yes, it definitely pulls on our heartstrings, but a song with a more positive tone could potentially appeal to a greater audience. The initial acts announced - Leona Lewis, JLS, Cheryl Cole and Rod Stewart - were certainly sub-par, bearing in mind Cowell’s worldwide celebrity status – it was recently reported that he was the most famous person on the planet, beating God (!) to the number one spot. However, since then, reports have tentatively suggested that the list now includes: Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi, Wyclef Jean, Take That, Mika, James Blunt, and Michael Buble.
On a cheerier note, “girl power” fans around the world– myself included of course – will be rejoicing with the news that a stage production based on the Spice Girls and their music is being created by Mamma Mia! producer Judy Craymer, with the help of music mogul Simon Fuller, who used to manage the girl group. It’s working title is ‘Viva Forever’. Craymer said she planned to "create a unique celebration of the band and its music, with its own flavour and joyful message". I can’t wait.
I will leave you with my tip for the week... Theophilus London. This Brookylnite’s sound is so fresh that he made it on to half of the ‘Sound of 2010’ lists with only one track and a few beats up on his MySpace page. Having performed at Mark Ronson recent NYE bash, and been billed to performed at this year’s Pre-Grammy party in LA, Theophilus is one to watch – he is destined for huge things. Check out his track “Humdrum town” on www.myspace.com/theophiluslondon
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| Theophilus London - the next big thing? |
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