Surya ensures Tamil Rakht Charitra a single part release

Vivek Oberoi would be a part of the history with him being the first mainstream hero ever to have a two-part release of his film. Rakht Charitra would be arriving in its first part this Friday while the second part would come exactly a month later. However, this is for the Hindi and the Telugu version. When it comes to the Tamil version, which is expected to be spearheaded entirely by Surya due to his immense popularity down South, Rakht Charitra would release in a single, albeit a longer version.
Confirms Ramu, "In the Hindi version, Vivek (Oberoi) features in both the parts of the film though Surya is only introduced in the first part while he becomes far more prominent in the second version. Hence, it was a given that the Hindi version of the film would release in both the parts. Telugu version too made sense to come in two distinct parts since the audience out there in Andhra Pradesh and adjoining regions are pretty much aware about the core story and the exploits of Paritala Ravi (played by Vivek) and Suryanarayan Reddy (Surya). Hence, for them it's the story that would matter most, more than the actors playing the part."
However, what tilted the balance in favour of a single part release of the Tamil version of Rakht Charitra was the bigger presence of Surya in it. It was apparent that since Vivek comes primarily from the B-town, the audience may have gone a little restless to see only him in the first part of the film and then wait for their local hero Surya to arrive only in the second part.
"Not that you would see only Surya in the single part Tamil version", reassures Ramu, "Vivek is an integral part of the film and while he anyways had an equal role to play along with Surya in the second part, there are scenes of his from the first part that have been integrated with the second part here. So now we will have a full length feature film with both the actors."
While both parts of the Hindi and Telugu versions would be a little over two hours each, the Tamil version is expected to be released with a three hours running length. Moreover, the editing of each of the three versions - whether Hindi, Telugu or Tamil, would differ as well so as to bring to fore the local flavour of the territories. This means that the trilingual features all the actors enacting their scenes little differently in each of the versions.
"I spoke in all the three languages - Tamil, Telugu as well as Hindi - but enacted the scenes differently", says Surya who is not quite looking at Rakht Charitra as his big Bollywood launch but is instead treating it as just another exciting film of his, "Yes, I know that in Tamil, the film is coming in only one part."
Though he stays on to be quite modest about his popularity in South being the sole reason for the decision being made, he humbly attributes the decision making to his director Ram Gopal Varma.
"Since the first part doesn't feature me for most of its duration, Ramu felt it would make sense to wait for some time and then club both parts together", says Surya, "Ramu feels that the film would find more patronage in Tamil version if crowds come in because of me."

I was misquoted on Salman-Katrina marriage: Salim Khan

A Marathi daily news report that matinee idol Salman Khan was married to actress Katrina Kaif created a flutter but it was quickly refuted by Kaif and Salman's father Salim Khan to whom it was attributed. During the course of his conversation with "Saamna" reporter on secular values of his family and how religion was not a bar with them, Salim was quoted as saying, "I mentioned how Arbaaz was married to Malaika, a Christian, Sohail to Seema, a Hindu, and Salman's girlfriend Katrina being a Muslim."
"The reporter has translated my comment into Marathi saying that Salman was married to Katrina," Salim said adding he was misquoted by the newspaper.
He said the paper wanted his comments for its special supplement to commemorate Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's birthday Friday.
"The Marathi word "jar" (if) was missing in the operative sentence which wrongly gave the impression that the two are married, " a senior journalist with the newspaper, who did not want to be named, said adding it was a "printing mistake".
Terming the report as "baseless", Katrina's spokesperson said the actress will be sending a notice to the newspaper demanding an apology.

Katrina Kaif hugs 'saviour' Ali Zafar

Pakistani popstar Ali Zafar got a fitting reward for a daring rescue act on the sets of the film 'Mere Brother Ki Dulhan' when he stepped into save leading lady Katrina Kaif from a mishap. The 'Prince of Pop' jumped in to rescue the Bollywood head-turner when her hair got stuck in a pedestal fan on the sets of the Yash Raj movie which is being shot at Nabha near here.
According to eyewitnesses, Zafar suffered minor bruises on his arm while Kaif who was terrified after the incident expressed her gratitude by giving the 'Tere Bin Laden' actor a big hug.
However, a spot boy who was also injured in the incident was not so lucky.
In the past, similar rescues on film sets have proved to be typically 'filmi', with the saviour and victim falling for each other. A case in point being Sunil Dutt's courageous act to save Nargis from raging fire on the sets of 'Mother India'. The couple had soon tied the knot.
But the 'Sajaniya' hitmaker is already married and is the father of a young child, while Kaif has been linked to Ranbir Kapoor after she reportedly split from Salman Khan.
The actress' first meeting with her co-star had turned uncomfortable after Zafar failed to recognise her when she went up to him at a party.

Kareena Kapoor fumes on 'nude' query

New Delhi media was in for a shock as Kareena Kapoor staged a walk out of a press conference in the city where she was present to promote her upcoming film ‘Kambakht Ishq’. Visibly upset and fuming with anger, she marched towards her suite when a female reporter questioned her if she would be willing to go totally nude for camera if the script demanded so. Informs an onlooker who was present at the venue, "The question shocked her. Just a few minutes back, she had patiently handled queries regarding her professional life. She had also commented around wearing a bikini in ‘Tashan’ and now ‘Kambakht Ishq’ mainly because the 'script demanded it'. Though averse to doing so in future projects, she admitted that she would keep the subject and story in mind and would do 'anything' that is required by the script."
Though it was a diplomatic stand on affairs, things went a little too far when an over zealous reporter popped the question - 'Would you mind going nude for a role?' "This was it", adds the source, "Kareena lost her cool at that very moment and rather than choosing to blast the reporter and create a scene, she simply aborted her stay at the press conference. The flabbergasted reporter didn't know what hit her. The event coordinator too felt disgusted about the entire incident and found himself in trouble as this situation was totally unforeseen."
The source continues, "There were problems for Kareena from the very beginning of the event. First and foremost the chosen venue itself wasn't conducive enough to handle a large media that had assembled. Around 100 odd reporters and journalists had gathered in a room that wasn't large enough to host a mega celebrity press conference like this. With the claustrophobic venue not helping the cause enough, queries like these were enough for Kareena to blow her fuse."
For media and the film, director Sabbir Khan came to rescue though. He handled the situation well by staying on at the venue and continued to interact with the reporters. "Yes, Kareena was justified in walking out but Sabbir too did all to ensure that promotion of ‘Kambakkht Ishq’ didn't get impacted", says a fellow reporter, "He realises that the film is just a few days away and didn't want any bad blood to spoil the show. He had a thin rope to walk on and did pretty well in rescuing the event from turning into a complete disaster."

Aishwarya, Aamir patch up

Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Mr. Perfectionist Aamir Khan has finally ended their six years long cold war. The buzz is making rounds that the two actors patched up at the 10th wedding anniversary of Akshay Kumar and his wife Twinkle. The face-off started when Ash abandoned Aamir Khan's project Mangal Pandey at the last minute and then Aamir had to call up his good friend Rani Mukherjee, who finally appeared in the fi

Katrina rubbishes media reports on I-T raids

Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif, whose residence was searched by the Income Tax department two days ago, today said the reports saying that she disclosed 'unaccounted income' were false. A statement, issued by her chartered accountant, said, "Day before yesterday a search was conducted by the Income Tax Department at the residence of my client Katrina Kaif. My client is disturbed by the speculative reports circulating in the media that she has disclosed (to the department) unaccounted income running into crores, and unaccounted lockers were found."
The statement further said that no unaccounted income has been declared by her. "Katrina is fully cooperating with the IT Department, whom she holds in high regard," it said.
Other than Katrina, I-T department had conducted raids on the residences of fellow Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra, renowned photographer Atul Kasbekar; and on the offices of talent management companies Matrix and Bling.

Bollywood's honour roll: Kajol, Tabu, Irrfan get Padma Shri

Actors Kajol, Tabu and Irrfan Khan and singer Usha Uthup have been named for the Padma Shri awards, the fourth highest civilian honour on the occasion of Republic Day. Kajol began her film career with Bekhudi and then went on to become one of the most loved actresses in Bollywood, with a spate of blockbusters like Baazigar, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and so on.
Tabu, on the other hand, has been known for creating a niche for herself with films like Chandni Bar, Astitva, Maqbool, The Namesake and Cheeni Kum.
Irrfan Khan can undoubtedly be called as an International actor with several foreign projects like The Namesake, A Mighty Heart and Slumdog Millionaire to his credit.
Singer Usha Uthup, on jthe other hand, started as a famous pop singer in Bollywood in the 70s and became a rage for her unique heavy voice and singing style. Her songs like 'Ek Do Cha Cha Cha', 'Shaan Se', 'Hari Om Hari','Rambha Ho' and 'Dum Maaro Dum' are evergreen classics.
Meanwhile, veteran actors Shashi Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman have been honoured with Padma Bhushan. The Kapoor scion, who rose to prominence through his films like Jab Jab Phool Khile, Waqt, Silsila, Deewar, Kabhi Kabhie and Satyam Shivam Sundaram, is one of the doyens of Hindi cinema. The actor, who has also been active on stage, featured in many international and offbeat projects, particularly for the Merchant Ivory productions bannner. His foreigns credits include films like The Householder, Shakespearewallah and Heat and Dust.
Waheeda Rehman is known as one of the most beautiful women seen on the silver screen. She started her career with Man Ki Jeet in 1944 and then went on to feature in cult classics like Pyasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Saheb Bibi Aur Gulam, Guide, Reshma Aur Shera and many more.
Apart from these actors, the Padma Bhushan was also bestowed on legendary music composer Khayyam.

We transformed Susanna into an adorable monster: Robbins

When Bollywood director Vishal Bharadwaj wanted to adapt Ruskin Bond’s short story, Susanna’s Seven Husbands into his next feature film, 7 Khoon Maaf, he turned to his long-time friend, Hollywood scriptwriter Matthew Robbins to write the script. Robbins, on his part, found Bollywood’s “habit of breaking into spontaneous dances” baffling, but he also admired Bharadwaj’s style of cinema. “We have been in touch via mail over the years. One day, he sent me a copy of Bond’s novel. This sparked off a fresh round of dialogue between us and, in October 2009, I flew down to Mumbai to meet him,” recalls Robbins, speaking over phone from his home in Paris.
Robbins, 67, is best known for his work in Steven Spielberg’s directorial debut Sugarland Express (1974), the 2010 Katie Holmes starrer Don’t be Afraid of the Dark, besides contributing for Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Bharadwaj adds that Susanna’s Seven Husbands was a difficult story to adapt as there were seven stories to be woven into one script.
“Indian cinema is inferior in storytelling as we do not have many good writers. Robbins is a great screenplay writer and I requested him to come to Mumbai and help me out,” he explains, adding that he and Robbins met in 2005, participating at a filmmaking workshop in Uganda, organised by filmmaker Mira Nair.
Bharadwaj and Robbins reconfigured Bond’s novel for the film and infused some dramatic elements to the characters. “Susanne’s character in the book is very morbid but we have transformed her into a more adorable monster,” he continues.
In the film, Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes is accused of killing her seven husbands in dramatic fashion. The duo discussed the story, scene by scene, over cups of hot chai at Bharadwaj’s summer retreat in Mussorie. “The dialogues could wait, that was secondary. We focused on the planning, and developing all the emotions, especially Susanna’s. She is a creature of habit in the book, who becomes a veteran in bumping off husbands. We infused humour to balance her stark personality,” says Robbins, who returned to California to write a draft in English.
While writing the script, Robbins was aware that Priyanka Chopra would play the lead, so he tempered the role accordingly. “I saw her performance in Kaminey. She reminded me of a young Sophia Loren with charm and a mercurial temperament,” he remarks.
This isn’t the first time the two have planned a film. Their first project, Julia, set in Burma during WW II, was stalled due to the “scheduling going haywire” although the casting was in place. A few months later, both collaborated for Blood Brothers (2007), a short film about HIV/AIDS awareness. “This was again made through exchanges over Skype and email,” he recalls.
For 7 Khoon Maaf, Bharadwaj translated the English script into Hindi, using vernacular elements. Robbins has not seen the final script since “by the time it was ready, Vishal was moving at 100 kmph. The rough cut looked promising.”
Of Bharadwaj’s films, he has watched Maqbool, The Blue Umbrella and Omkara and has a high regard for Bharadwaj. But future B-wood projects are a no-no. “Vishal was a friend, that is why I agreed. Even though another Indian project sounds interesting, I would be at a loss since I cannot relate to the cultural context,” he concludes.

A R Rahman honoured with Crystal Award at WEF

A day after he won two Academy award nominations, Indian musician A R Rahman was honoured with the Crystal Award at the World Economic Forum. Rahman received the award at the opening ceremony of the Forum's annual meet here, attended by 2500 global leaders from business, government, art, culture and religion.
Khan, 44, clad in a embroidered black kurta, received the award which is given annually by the WEF to outstanding artistes who use their talent for social and charitable work.
While the WEF recognised Rahman for his music in 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'Bombay Dreams', it took note of his work in the field of child welfare.
Accepting the award, the 'Mozart of Madras', who has won several national and international awards, including the two Grammys and two Oscars, said that he gets "motivation" from the social work.
Jose Carreras, an opera artist from Barcelona, was also given the Crystal Award for his work for the patients of leukemia.
The award function was attended by several heads of governments, including Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, top CEOs, religious leaders and academicians.
A strong 130-member delegation from India is attending the five-day annual WEF meet.

Nicholas promotes TT in London

His Excellency Garvin Nicholas, High Commissioner for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago recently met with Richard Barnes, the Deputy Mayor of London, at the Mayor’s London Office.
Also in attendance at the meeting were Muniza Mirza, Mayoral Adviser on Arts and Culture, Lan Feng, Senior Co-ordinator, International Affairs and Beverley Awonaya, Public Affairs, Culture and Tourism, Trinidad and Tobago High Commission.
Barnes welcomed Nicholas and the two engaged in cordial talks about Nicholas’ time in London so far.
Nicholas spoke about the importance of meeting and forming a working relationship with Barnes in light of the large Caribbean diaspora in London. The Deputy Mayor acknowledged that indeed a significant percentage of Caribbean people live in London and practise a way of life which was reminiscent of the Caribbean.
Nicholas took the opportunity to raise a number of initiatives for promoting Trinidad and Tobago during the 2012 Olympic period by raising the profile of the Nottinghill Carnival and establishing a ‘village’ to showcase Trinidad and Tobago.
Barnes suggested Nicholas invite other Caribbean countries to be part of this showcasing, which Nicholas said would encourage a good working relationship among all and undertook to raise it with his Caribbean colleagues.
It was noted that 2012 is also the year in which Trinidad and Tobago as well as Jamaica celebrate their 50th year of Independence. Nicholas informed the Deputy Mayor of his plans to hold a number of events to highlight the occasion. These events included a church service, gala dinner and award ceremony to honour nationals living in the UK and other accredited countries.
Nicholas also spoke about the diversity of Trinidad and Tobago and all that it has to offer.

Island People launches ‘hyper-inclusive’ fete

Derrick Lewis, managing director of Island People (IP) told a crowd of IP partners, sponsors, entertainment personalities and the media on Friday that at “Yeah”, their new event for Carnival 2011, they will introduce the idea of hyper-inclusive — a premium inclusive area in an already inclusive event, known before as their Amnesia fete.
The reason? In response to the needs of their patrons after a recent survey where they answered “Yeah” to the possibilities of something new — sushi, premium drinks, affordable drinks, Machel, a new venue, exotic food and an exclusive price.
It’s going to be like “Amnesia” (IP signature event) evolved, according to Lewis, and it is also going to be Machel Montano’s premier performance for the Carnival season.
At the launch Montano’s manager/mother, Liz Montano assured that her son was putting the final touches on his album in Barbados, and will be fully ready for his grand re-entry to Carnival performances on January 22, when “Yeah” comes off at the newly renovated MOBS 2 in Chaguaramas.
Sharing the stage with Montano will be Kes The Band.
Lewis’ brother and IP director Dane, also took the opportunity to present a cheque of $10,000 to the Brian Lara Cancer Treatment Foundation in honour of their own mother who recently passed away from pancreatic cancer. It was accepted by Dr Nigel Camacho on behalf of the Foundation.
Special presentations were also made on the night to five foundation members of Island People.
Other IP events for Carnival 2011 include Girl Power-Outrageous, Shades of Dawn and The Insomnia Edition of The Young and the Restless.

Tribe ICE gets the fetes started

Partygoers came out in their numbers for the first large fete of the 2011 Carnival season held last Saturday at the car park of Jenny’s on the Boulevard, Port-of-Spain. Mas band Tribe’s Insane Cooler Experience (ICE) attracted thousands carrying their coolers which doubled as storage for cold drinks and platforms for several ladies who displayed their wining skills atop the iceboxes.
Several popular artistes performed but it was Benjai (Rodney Le Blanc) who stole the show with his performance on the night. He came out singing one of his older songs, “By the Bar” and teased the audience several times by declaring his performance was finished before he began singing, “Wine to the Side,” one of his two hits for the 2011 season. His second song, “Trini,” had the audience singing and declaring that the song is one of the strong contenders for the Road March title.
Kees Dieffenthaller took to the stage first to the cheers and screams of the audience. Backed by the DJ, he sang some of his old and new songs, including his popular 2010 offerings, “Wotless” and “Ah Thing” which he sang with Kerwyn Dubois.
He was followed by TC who hyped the crowd up with “Speakerbox” but they went wild when Shal Marshal took to the stage to perform, “MotoBike,” both songs off the Flagship Rhythm. Both artistes borrowed from other soca singers including Iwer George and Machel Montano before Shal was joined by Screws to sing their 2010 hit, “Police.”

‘Rapture’ for small Queen’s Hall audience

One wishes one could report the Queen’s Hall filled to capacity and overflowing last Saturday, for The Classical Music Development Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago concert “Rapture” featuring our own Natalia Dopwell, soprano, American tenor Marcos Vigil, British pianist Simon Mulligan and the UTT musicians – but, sadly, the Hall was only one third full.
Nevertheless, both singers and musicians gave of their best to give true music lovers an excellent start to the New Year. It was perhaps, unfortunate that the concert came fast on the heels of Christmas with all the expense that festival can entail in TT, and before the January pay day (with Carnival so late this year, one ought to be able to spare a blue note or two come February). But such are the demands of the artistes’ schedules that we must take what we can get in the way of serious classical music, when we can get it – and be thankful.
“Rapture” began with Antonin Dvorak’s “Terzetto in C for two violins and viola” – a work unfamiliar to this reviewer who would like to hear this work again reminding one, as it does, of sobbing gypsy violins and East European folk melodies.
Visiting American tenor Marcos Vigil came next with Adam Walters on the French horn and Simon Mulligan at the piano for the awesome “Canticle III Still falls the rain”, Benjamin Britten’s setting of a wartime poem by Edith Sitwell. Soprano Natalia Dopwell accompanied by Eleanor Ryan on violin sang two Irish Country Songs by Howard Boatwright, the first the somewhat wistful “Black is the colour of my true love’s hair” and then lightened the mood with the slightly saucy (and well acted) “One morning in May”.
This reviewer had no idea that Ludwig Van Beethoven had set seven Welsh songs to music accompanied by piano, violin and cello, and sung, somewhat surprisingly, in English, alternately by Marcos Vigil and Natalia Dopwell, except for the last song “The Dream” sung as a duet. One feels there’s no need to comment on these professional artistes’ perfect diction – although one detected a faint hint of a US accent here and there…
The UTT musicians completed the first half of the programme with “Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks!”. This (I borrow shamelessly from Eleanor Ryan’s programme notes when this piece was performed at a Saturday afternoon concert in NAPA) is Franz Hasenohrl’sadaptation for French horn, clarinet, bassoon, double bass and violin of Richard Strauss’ tone poem of the impish, mythical Till Eulenspiegel thumbing his nose at authority all over medieval Germany.
After the intermission Simon Mulligan played the gorgeous, rippling “Ballade No 3 in A-flat major” by Frédéric Chopin. What a pleasure it was to hear the Queen’s Hall Steinway played by a master of the instrument.
We venture into the more familiar when Natalia, accompanied by the strings and Christopher Rawley, bassoon, sang the “Laudate Dominum” from “Viesperae solemne de confessore” by Mozart; this (the “Lacrimosa” excepted) is Wolfgang Amadeus at his most sublime and Natalia did not fail him.
Handel dominated the rest of the programme first with the strings playing the Sinfonia, then Marco Vigil giving full voice to “Comfort Ye” and “Every Valley” from The Messiah.
Natalia, backed by the UTT Strings sang “Oh, Had I Jubal’s Lyre” (probably the best known piece from Handel’s oratorio Joshua).
Oboeist Roy Carter and Simon Mulligan on piano accompanied Natalia as she sang “Domine Deus” from Vivaldi’s “Gloria” leaving the rest of the programme to Handel, first Marcos Vigil and the strings performing “Gentle airs, melodious strains from the oratorio Athalia.”
The last piece on the programme might well be described as a duet between Natalia and Paul Archibald on trumpet performing “Let the Bright Seraphim” from the Handel Oratorio Samson.
The applause merited an encore with Stephen Foster’s “My Prayer” – however, there was no standing ovation, or the enthusiasm that normally greets a concert at Queen’s Hall.
This may be due to the unfamiliarity of most of the music to an audience accustomed to hearing but one or two unknown compositions with the rest being – if not old favourites, at least some with which they have a nodding acquaintance.
However being so starved for “live” serious music, one cannot fault the singers or the musicians. One treasures memories of “Rapture”; the music sends one to the Internet to broaden one’s knowledge of the world of serious, classical music.
Our thanks to The Classical Music Development Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago for bringing Natalia back to sing for us, and introducing us to American tenor Marcos Vigil and pianist Simon Mulligan – and giving the UTT musicians a chance to play in an auditorium that does full justice to their playing.

Panorama judging begins on Feb 15

As a result, all of the above bands will automatically proceed to the National Semi- Finals on Sunday February 20, 2011. The 16 Large Bands will join the other 28 semi-finalists – 14 in the Small and 14 in the Medium Bands categories for the “Savannah Party” at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port- of-Spain. Starting time is 9 am. A separate panel of judges will adjudicate each category.
According to the rules and regulations governing Panorama 2011, “No Large Conventional steelband shall be permitted to participate in the preliminary competition with more than 100 players, however, in the semi-final and final, Large Conventional Steelbands shall be permitted to perform with 120 players maximum.” Single Pan Bands will have its own competitions. Preliminary judging in this category will commence from Friday February 4 and continue until Sunday February 6, 2011 inclusive.
Venue for the East Bands is the Larry Gomes Stadium Car Park, Malabar, Arima, North is Victoria Square, Park Street, Port of Spain, South/Central is the Pleasantville Community Grounds, Pleasantville, San Fernando. Tobago will have the use of the facilities at the Roxborough Complex, Roxborough.

COP launches ‘Patriotic Series’

The Congress of The People launched ‘A Patriotic Series’, on January 7 at the COP Flagship House, Tragarete Road, Port-of-Spain to mark this country’s 50th anniversary of independence in 2012.
This event was entitled “An Evening of Cultural Expression.”
The main goal of this series is to bring awareness of the importance of our independence and foster a sense of patriotism.
Among the artistes who performed, were Ravi B, Black Sage, Brother Valentino, Shiv Shakti Dancers, Black Stalin, Carib Woodbrook Play Boyz, and Pasea Youth Tassa.

St Hilary’s Day celebrations at Trinity Cathedral

The annual St Hilary’s Day service hosted by the principal and staff of Bishop Anstey High School (St Hilary’s) on January 13, will this year take place at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-of-Spain and not in the School Hall, as is customary. Guests must be seated by 8.15 am on Thursday coming, the anniversary of the day on which Bishop Arthur Henry Anstey founded this Anglican high school for young women.
Says Principal Patsy Ann Rudder, “This is the launch of the school’s celebration of 90 years of excellence and we are hoping to attract as many Hilarians and supporters as possible so that the Cathedral will be filled on this important occasion. The annual teachers/students cricket game follows at the school compound.”
Last Saturday the 90th anniversary organising committee, comprised of chairman Carolyn John, Rudder, Wanda Bernard (president Hilarians), Lorraine Granderson, Debbie King and Wendy Ann Rocke, hosted a small media luncheon to launch the year-long celebration. Top priority is being given to the effort to raise funds for “crumbling” sections of this school which has provided a rounded education for some of this country’s top women contributors.
When one listened to the principal during a slide presentation of every area needing immediate attention at a figure of “millions”, it was terrifying to hear that in this place of learning, it was not known that a fire had occurred, and extinguished itself, in an air condition unit until after the fact. Also it was distressing to hear that the school is another casualty of the “uncaring planners” of the grand National Academy of the Performing Arts which takes up not only breathing space from the 700 plus students and has taken away the Princes Building playing field, but has left major problems of flooding and drainage at the school.
A year-long programme of fund raising has been planned for each month of the year inclusive of the annual signature events, such as, the February 5 all-inclusive Carnival fete at a cost of $650, which will all be given a 90th anniversary spin. The entire programme will be published at a later date, as soon as architects and other personnel have done a priority listing to arrive at an overall figure. “These repairs are just to make the school a safe place and provide an environment conducive to teaching and learning, and bring the school into the 21st century. We have to help ourselves,” stressed the principal.

Buju concert to be broadcast on LIME Mobile TV

FANS of Buju Banton who cannot reach Miami to attend his ‘Before the Dawn’ concert this weekend, can catch watch it in Jamaica on LIME Mobile TV.
There is tremendous anticipation around the event this Sunday, given that Banton is awaiting a trial date in Tampa, Florida on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five or more kilogrammes of cocaine and aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm during a drug-trafficking offence.
This will be his first concert in more than a year following his arrest in December 2009 and subsequent mistrial.
“Right now the buzz is all about the Buju Banton concert but we know that realistically a lot of Buju’s most loyal local fans cannot make it to Miami for the show so LIME is bringing Buju to them,” said LIME spokesman, Stephen Price.
The concert will also feature reggae stars including Stephen Marley, Gramps Morgan, Wayne Wonder, Tarrus Riley & Dean Fraser, Shaggy, Nadine Sutherland, Freddie McGregor and Everton Blender.

Holy Shire! Peter Jackson Recovering From Ulcer Surgery Read more: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b222794_holy_shire_peter_jackson_recovering

There's never a magical ring nearby when you really need one.

Peter Jackson is resting in a Wellington hospital tonight after undergoing emergency surgery to repair a perforated ulcer, according to the New Zealand Herald, which also eerily noted that J.R.R. Tolkien suffered the same thing not long before passing away in 1973.

Happily, the Oscar winner is expected to make a full recovery. And yes, this does put a slight hitch in The Hobbit's production schedule.

Read more: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b222794_hoA rep for Jackson, Melissa Booth, confirmed that the director was admitted to the hospital Wednesday night after experiencing acute stomach pains.

He's resting comfortably now, she says, and they're expecting only a short delay (not including the two years it took to secure financing and line up the cast) before cameras can start rolling on The Hobbit. Filming was expected to start in New Zealand next month.

So long as the Lord of the Rings visionary is healthy and strong for the start of what's going to be a looong shoot, Jackson can take all the time he needs. But we still wish him a speedy recovery!

American Idol: Randy Jackson Just Doesn't Know!

By lowering the age limit to 15, American Idol may have opened the door for the next Justin Bieber, but it also has created the potential for more broken hearts than ever before.

And you know how fragile little teenage hearts can be.

Take Emma Henry, whose family drove 16 hours from Colorado to be at the Idol auditions in Milwaukee, for example...

MORE: American Idol gets caught in a "Bad Romance"

First off, according to her mom, Emma was facing the judges while suffering from a cold.

She sounded good, though, and her gravelly, slightly hoarse tone was a perfect match for Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors."

Based on that not-perfect-but-interesting tone, Steven Tyler was all about it. But Jennifer Lopez, of all people, objected, saying Emma had a promising quality but wasn't quite there yet.

And Randy Jackson agreed with J.Lo for the most part.

"I really, really honestly believe you'd get swallowed up in this whole thing," he told Emma. But in the end, he was no match for the 15-year-old waterworks.

"Please, I want this so bad!" Emma pleaded. "This is what my life is about. I don't want to go home now, I've tried so hard!"

And with that, she was off to Hollywood, even if, as Jennifer and Randy suspect, she may not be ready.

Jennifer Hudson's Brand New Single 'Where You At'

 Jennifer Hudson has debuted a fresh song called "Where You At" which was written by R. Kelly and produced by Harvey Mason Jr. She bares her broken heart in this ballad track, "I stood there in the freezing cold, and I waited for ya, but you never showed. -- Thought you were my hero, but as it turns out you're a no-show."

"Where You At" is the first official single from Jennifer's upcoming sophomore set "I Remember Me". She said, "This song to me is like what I always wanted to do vocally. As an aspiring writer, just the subject of it means so much to me. It's simple and it's something we say every day."

She plans to release the new album in the United States on March 22. The title is based on her poem which was later composed into a song and co-written by OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder. Also making contribution to the album are Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Rich Harrison, Ne-Yo and Stargate.

"I'm excited about this album because it's almost like a renewal for me, reflected through the chapters of my life," she said. "I've called it 'I Remember Me' because of the journey I've been on. I've learned that life constantly surprises you, no matter your plans. My fans have been so loyal, I feel like they have been on this journey with me and I can't wait for them to hear the new album."

Of the content of the album, she revealed, "We got some good up-tempos for you. It's a bit of everything. I think this album brings all of that to the table. I was allowed to be far more involved in the recording process and the song selection. And this time, I only recorded what I loved. If I didn't like it, I was not putting my vocals on that song."

Heidi Montag Tries to Mend Doomed Career With New Song 'Heartbeat'

A year after releasing her debut album "Superficial" which unfortunately flopped in the market, Heidi Montag comes back in the hope of fixing the failure with a new song. The reality TV star of "The Hills" drops a track called "Heartbeat" which is filled with synthesized beat.

On the same day, her husband Spencer Pratt has a never-before-heard song hitting the web. According to TMZ, "Spence recorded it at an L.A. studio last year ... and he was so ashamed of the final product ... it never saw the light of day ... until now."

Boasting about spending $2 million for her first album, Heidi Montag was left embarrassed in 2010 when the record sold only 1,000 copies in the first week of release. A year prior to her music debut, Spencer Pratt recorded a theme song for reality TV series "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!" in which they were among the cast. But the song received lukewarm response as well.

The Decemberists Lead Hot 200 as New Entries Flood Top 5

The Decemberists debut at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 200 this week. Their latest studio album "The King Is Dead" leads the U.S. albums chart with 94,000 copies sold in its first week of release, exceeding its initial prediction of around 70,000. It marks their highest-charting effort and their best-ever sale week.

The sale figure of the No. 1 album might still be quite so-so, but it manages to halt the string of Hot 200's record-breaking slow weeks. The other thing about this week's list is that all hold-overs are forced to move out of the Top 5 as new entries come flooding the chart.

"Kidz Bop 19" collection bows at No. 2 with 70,000, The Script's "Science & Faith [US Version]" enters at No. 3 (49,000), Social Distortion's "Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes" lands at No. 4, (46,000), and Gregg Allman's "Low Country Blues" starts at No. 5 (36,000).

Those surviving the Top 10 in this week's new-release crowded chart are Bruno Mars' "Doo - Wops & Hooligans", Taylor Swift's "Speak Now", Nicki Minaj's "Pink Friday" and Mumford & Sons' "Sigh No More". Meanwhile, coming back after being kicked out of the list is Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream".

Elsewhere, Bruno Mars leads Digital Songs chart with his second single "Grenade" (204,000). Trailing behind him is Wiz Khalifa's "Black and Yellow" with 201,00 downloads. Last week's champ Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" falls to No. 3 with another 183,000.

1. "The King Is Dead" - The Decemberists (94,000)
2. "Kidz Bop 19" compilation - various artists (70,000)
3. "Science & Faith [US Version]" - The Script (49,000)
4. "Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes" - Social Distortion (46,000)
5. "Low Country Blues" - Gregg Allman (36,000)
6. "Doo - Wops & Hooligans" - Bruno Mars (34,000)
7. "Teenage Dream" - Katy Perry (33,000)
8. "Speak Now" - Taylor Swift (31,000)
9. "Pink Friday" - Nicki Minaj (28,000)
10. "Sigh No More" - Mumford & Sons (27,000)

'The Dark Tower': Javier Bardem Offered Lead Role, Jennifer Carpenter Shortlisted

Javier Bardem is apparently the strong contender to play Roland Deshain in "The Dark Tower". After he was mentioned as frontrunner along with Viggo Mortensen, he is now reported to have been officially offered the lead role. Deadline Hollywood says formal negotiations haven't yet begun but the filmmakers have shown great enthusiasm that they have found the right actor.

Shortly before it is reported that Bardem is getting close to get the role, New York Post ran a quite different story. According to the site, Christian Bale is the frontrunner since he "has pulled ahead of" Bardem and Mortensen as Stephen King's choice for the depicter of the gunslinger.

Also, a source told the site that "Dexter" star Jennifer Carpenter appears on the shortlist for the role of Susannah. She is allegedly joined by French/Moroccan actress Ghita Tazi in the competition.

"The Dark Tower", based on Stephen King's novels, is planned to be made into three films with the TV series filling the gap between each movie. Ron Howard will direct the first film and the first season of a tie-in television series, with Akiva Goldsman writing both. The first movie installment is planned to come out on May 17, 2013 in the U.S.

Academy Award winner Javier Bardem has just gotten a chance to snatch his second Oscar after he was nominated for Best Actor for his role in "Biutiful". He recently wrapped the production for an untitled Terrence Malick project.

Oscar's snubs and surprises: Nolan left out again

NEW YORK – In handing out 120 nominations, the Oscars inevitably spurn others. "Snub" is the word of choice for these oversights, and Christopher Nolan is well acquainted with its meaning.
Two years after seeing his "The Dark Knight" earn neither a best picture nomination nor a directing nod, Nolan was passed over for directing "Inception," another film both acclaimed and popular at the box office.
Composer Hans Zimmer, nominated for his original score for "Inception," said Nolan was robbed of the honor.
"I think he was held up at gunpoint," Zimmer said. "My instinct tells me that because it was a commercial success, suddenly they took the idea of artfulness away from him.
"I think if the Academy wants to stay current ... they need to go and look at these things very carefully. I've worked with a lot of directors. There are few directors that are in the class of a Chris Nolan. ... It's not right."
This time, at least, "Inception" was included among the best picture nominees, which now number 10, a change made last year partly because of the outcry over the rebuff of "The Dark Knight." And "Inception" still counted eight nominations, including a best original screenplay mention for Nolan, yet nothing for Lee Smith's bravo editing.
Though many of the nominations announced Tuesday by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences were as expected, the most glaring omission was that of "Waiting for `Superman'" in the best documentary category.
One of the most talked about documentaries of the year and a widely expected Oscar favorite, the education system examination was left out, perhaps because some experts deemed it an inaccurate exaggeration of charter schools.• BARDEM DISPLACES DUVALL: Earning an acting nomination for a performance in another language is never easy, but Javier Bardem managed to get into the best actor field with a nomination for the Spanish-language "Biutiful." Bardem's third nomination (he won for "No Country For Old Men" in 2008) likely took the spot pegged for Robert Duvall's bearded hermit in "Get Low."
• A KING'S DOZEN: "The King's Speech" was a heavy favorite going into Tuesday's announcement, but its leading 12 nominations is still a surprisingly high total. Though a performance-based film, it still earned nods for cinematography and sound editing. (With 10 nominations, "True Grit" also proved especially strong, further highlighting the Golden Globes' questionable judgment in snubbing it altogether.)
• THIS YEAR'S INDIE DARLING: The Ozark Mountains drama "Winter's Bone" had long been a cause celebre for those who root for the smaller movies. Rather than sneak into the awards, it garnered a commanding four nominations, including best picture and best supporting actor for John Hawkes. Its star, the 20-year-old Jennifer Lawrence, is the fifth youngest best actress nominee.
• GOSLING, MANVILLE MISSING: Many would say the two best performances of 2010 were Ryan Gosling in "Blue Valentine" and Lesley Manville in "Another Year." Both were left out, though Gosling's co-star, Michelle Williams, was nominated for best actress. Some questioned why Manville wasn't pushed in the perhaps more fitting supporting actress category.
• OTHER SNUBS: Expected by some prognosticators to be nominated were Andrew Garfield in "The Social Network," Julianne Moore in "The Kids Are All Right" and Mila Kunis in "Black Swan." Ben Affleck's "The Town" didn't squeak into the best picture category, and Disney's "Tangled" was booted from the best animated film category by "The Illusionist."
• NEVER IN THE CONVERSATION: The Oscar race often arrives at favorites in a curious, buzz-reliant way. There were many who never caught on with the Academy, but nevertheless are among the snubbed: Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island," Tilda Swinton in "I Am Love," Pierce Brosnan in "The Ghost Writer," Greta Gerwig in "Greenberg," Rebecca Hall in "Please Give" and surely many others.

'Jersey Shore' headed to Italy for fourth season

LOS ANGELES – "Jersey Shore" is headed to the Motherland.
The popular MTV reality TV series starring a group of hard-partying Italian-Americans will film its fourth season in Italy, the network said Tuesday.
"While the stateside 'Jersey Shore' locales have become iconic for our audience, it's really the constantly evolving dynamic amongst the cast that keeps them coming back each season," MTV programming vice president Chris Linn said. "Europe is a fresh spin on a show that continues to reach new heights for us."
The ongoing third season, filmed last summer, features the ongoing feud between Jenni "J-Woww" Farley and Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola, as well as the introduction of new cast member Deena Nicole Cortese, the wild "partner in crime" of Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi.
The cast also includes Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino.
The fourth season is set to premiere later this year.
The first and third season are set in Seaside Heights, N.J., and the second season sent the fist-pumping pals to Miami.

Jackson's doc pleads not guilty in star's death

LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson's doctor pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the pop superstar's death as the case moved rapidly toward a trial that will likely be televised.
"Your honor, I am an innocent man," Dr. Conrad Murray told Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor in a soft voice. "I definitely plead not guilty."
Lawyers for Murray, who is accused of giving Jackson a lethal dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol and other sedatives, said they would be ready to go to trial within the 60-day statutory time limit, which would make for an unusually speedy trial.
Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said the prosecution would be ready to go as well for the trial he estimated would last six weeks. The judge scheduled the trial to begin March 28 and set a pretrial hearing for Feb. 7.
"Dr. Murray is looking forward to finally telling his side of the story," defense attorney Ed Chernoff said outside court.
Asked why the defense wants to begin the trial so quickly, Chernoff said, "Dr. Murray has been waiting 22 months for his opportunity to do this. It's the first chance we have to force the issue."
Pastor said he was inclined to allow television coverage of the trial and will hear attorneys' views on that and other issues at a Feb. 7 hearing.
District attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said outside court that her office has a policy of not opposing cameras in court. Cameras were allowed at the hearing Tuesday for the first time, marking a shift in Pastor's previous ban.ne of Murray's lawyers said earlier he would not seek a plea bargain, and the defense had no qualms about going to trial in spite of strong prosecution evidence at a preliminary hearing aiming to prove the doctor's gross negligence killed Jackson.
"We're going to go to trial," defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan said in an interview. "I think our case is really solid. We were very pleased with the way the evidence went at the preliminary hearing... This should result in an acquittal."
Gibbons declined to comment on whether a plea bargain had been discussed saying it would be unethical to address such a matter.
Defense attorneys not connected to the case said Murray would be well advised to plea bargain.
"If I were advising him, I would be talking to the district attorney to see what they would be willing to accept," said criminal defense attorney Steve Cron. An offer of probation with community service and temporary suspension of Murray's medical license would be worth considering if it were proposed, he said.
Pastor has suspended Murray's license to practice in California pending trial.
Legal experts said several defenses are available to Murray. Among them is the suggestion by his lawyers that Jackson, desperate for sleep, self-administered a fatal dose of propofol while Murray was out of the room. That theory would mean Jackson either injected propofol into an IV line or swallowed the drug, which is meant to be administered intravenously during surgery.
Prosecution experts are likely to challenge that scenario. They also could say Murray was negligent in leaving the drug on a night stand where Jackson could reach it.
"They've got to explain why Dr. Murray was giving him propofol in the first place, in a setting where it is not normally given," said Cron, who has been watching the case.
Murray may have to testify in his own defense to provide the answers, Cron said. Chernoff said the defense has not yet made a decision on that possibility.
"My guess is he will have to explain some of these things and present his persona to the jury as a reasonable, competent doctor," Cron said.
If convicted, Murray could face a maximum of four years in prison.
In a six-day preliminary hearing, a portrait emerged of a doctor trying to help his famous client overcome debilitating insomnia with propofol, which is not intended for home use. Jackson had used it before and demanded it, calling it his "milk."
A coroner testified that Jackson, 50, died of a propofol overdose in combination with other drugs on June 25, 2009. His death was classified as a homicide.
Murray's behavior before and after Jackson stopped breathing was detailed by household staff and paramedics. It was backed up with phone records, e-mails and, most importantly, a transcript of Murray's nearly three-hour interview with police.
Murray said he gave Jackson a low dose of propofol after spending 10 hours trying to get him to sleep using other drugs. When the star appeared to doze off, Murray said he left the room for two minutes to go to the bathroom then returned to find Jackson not breathing.
He delayed calling 911 for between 25 minutes and an hour while he tried to revive him, testimony showed.

'Biutiful,' 'Dogtooth' up for foreign-film Oscar

LONDON – A disturbing modern Greek myth, an Algerian independence tale, a sibling journey from Canada and a Danish study of friendship and fate are up against gritty Mexican drama "Biutiful" for the Academy Award for best foreign language film.

The nominees, announced Tuesday, are "Dogtooth," by Greece's Yorgos Lanthimos; "Algeria's "Outside the Law," directed by Rachid Bouchareb; "Incendies," from Canada's Denis Villeneuve; "In a Better World," by Denmark's Susanne Bier; and "Biutiful," by Mexico's Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

"Biutiful" must be considered the front-runner. The story of a dying Barcelona hustler preparing for his final reckoning, it boasts an intense central performance that has gained Javier Bardem a best actor Oscar nomination and seen Hollywood stars lining up to praise him.

Gonzalez Inarritu, whose 2006 film "Babel" received seven Oscar nominations, said he was delighted by the nominations for the film and for Bardem, who won a supporting actor Oscar for 2007's "No Country For Old Men."

"After spending four years fighting for this movie ... this is a smile on the lips," he told The Associated Press. "We feel rewarded with the recognition, a beautiful love letter."

Tough and wrenching "Biutiful" has been championed by Hollywood heavyweights including Sean Penn and Julia Roberts, who hosted an industry screening to lobby for Bardem, her "Eat Pray Love" co-star.

Gonzalez Inarritu said that given the film's "tough nature ... this recognition has double value for me."

Another uncompromising nominee is the disturbing, dystopian "Dogtooth." Described by some as a darker version of "The Truman Show," it is set within a villa where a domineering father and his acquiescent wife raise three children in an artificial universe in which the outside world takes on sinister dimensions.Actor Christos Stergioglou, who plays the father, said he was "in a state of shock" at the nomination.

He said the film "shows what stupidity can lead to — when you want to control everything, even under the pretext of love and protection."

"It is both a very serious and ridiculous subject."

The story of three Algerian brothers swept up in the North African country's fight for independence, "Outside the Law" has already sparked controversy in France, where some objected to its depiction of the brutal war that led to Algeria's independence in 1962.

A conservative French lawmaker called the film anti-French, and its Cannes Film Festival screening in May was held amid tight security. Bouchareb has said he was surprised by the strong reaction and insisted he did not make the film to divide.

"The film is not a battleground and was not made to trigger a standoff," Bouchareb, a Frenchman of Algerian origin, said at Cannes.

Danish director Bier is Oscar-nominated for a second time for "In a Better World," the story of two families in gray, rural Denmark that become fatefully intertwined as their sons develop a risky friendship. Her 2006 movie "After the Wedding" also received a foreign language Oscar nomination.

Bier said the nomination "means a lot for a small Danish film because now it will get a whole lot of attention and will be seen by a lot more people."

She said being Oscar nominated is "being part of a very exclusive club."

"The fact that one gets nominated several times means that there's some kind of solidity in what one does," Bier told the AP by phone from the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. "It is like being knighted."

That sentiment was echoed by Quebecois director Villeneuve, whose "Incendies" follows adult twins as they travel to the Middle East to uncover their mother's war-ravaged past and a brother they never knew they had. The movie was named best Canadian film by critics in Toronto and Vancouver, but has been little seen outside its home country.

Speaking from Sundance, Villeneuve said he was "exhausted, overwhelmed and happier than ever" at the nomination.

"You just go back when you are 10-years old watching the Academy Awards and you see all the directors that you admire," he said. "I don't believe actually that I'm talking about that."

Villeneuve said the film, based on a play by Lebanese-born Wajdi Mouawad, aims to show that "everything is linked. We are victims and everybody is responsible."

"I think we have to build bridges with other cultures. It's a tiny small bridge and I think it's important for filmmakers to build bridges," he said.

The foreign language film nominating process has been criticized in recent years as many critically acclaimed films and festival award winners have failed to be nominated. Part of the problem stems from a rule that limits each country to submitting only one film for consideration.

This year's list, chosen by panels of Academy members, omits some of the most heralded foreign language films of the year. Snubbed movies include Cannes Film Festival prize-winners "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives," from Thailand, and France's "Of Gods and Men."