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Jon Batiste’s Beethoven Blues transforms classical works into unique interpretations of blues and gospel

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Jon Batiste, Beethoven, Beethoven Blues, theGrio.com

NEW YORK (AP) – When he won a Grammy Jon Batiste he was a toddler of, say, 9 or 10, moving between musical worlds – through the day he participated in local piano competitions and then “performed in nightclubs in the heart of New Orleans.”

Free from the rigidity of the genre, but additionally committed to exploring it, his tastes intertwined. He found himself transforming canonized classical works into blues or gospel songs, injecting them with a style-independent spirituality became famous. On November 15, Batiste will release his first album of solo piano pieces, a group of similar compositions.

Entitled “Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1),” the 11-song album finds Batiste in a way collaborating with Beethoven, transforming the German pianist’s immediately recognizable works into something seamless that spans musical stories. It begins with the lead single “Für Elise-Batiste” with a straightforward intro, known all over the world as one of the primary pieces of music that beginners learn on the piano, then transforms the song into a full of life blues.

“My private practice has always been about honoring, of course, but also demystifying the mythology associated with these composers,” he told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of Wednesday’s album announcement.

The album was created through a process called “spontaneous composition”, which he says is a lost art in classical music. It’s improvisation; Batiste sits on the piano and interpolates Beethoven’s masterpieces to make them his own.

“The approach is to think about what the approach would be if we were both talking to Beethoven, but also if Beethoven himself was here today, sitting at the piano?” he explained. “And combining, you know, my approach to artistry and creativity with my imagined approach to how a contemporary Beethoven would approach these works.”

He said there may be a divide in popular understanding of music, where “pristine, preserved and European” genres are seen as more beneficial than “something black, sweaty and improvised.” This album, like most of his work, destroys assumptions.

Contrary to what many might think, Batiste stated that Beethoven’s rhythms were African. “On a basic technical level, he does what African musical ingenuity delivered to the world, which is to play two and three meters at the identical time, almost on a regular basis. He plays in two different time signatures without delay, almost exclusively,” he said.

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“When you hear a drum circle, you know, the African diasporic tradition of playing together in time, you hear a lot of different time signatures playing at the same time,” he continued. “Overall, it combines the entire practice of classical and symphonic music with a deeply African rhythmic practice, making it refined.”

“Beethoven Blues” honors this complexity. “I am deeply repelled by classism and the cultural system we have created that demeans some and elevates others. And ultimately, what appeals to me the most is how excellence transcends race,” he said.

Given their spontaneous nature, when these songs are performed live, they are going to never sound exactly like they do on record and no two sets can be the identical. “If you came and saw me perform these works 10 times in a row, you would hear not only a new version of Beethoven, but also a completely new Beethoven concerto,” he said.

“Beethoven Blues” is the primary in a series of pianos – what number of will there be, in what timeframe and what’s going to they appear like? Well, he keeps his options open.

“The themes of the piano series will be based on, you know, what is current to me at this point in my development, what I am exploring in terms of my artistry. It could be another series based on a composer,” he said.

“Or it could be something else entirely.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Bobby Brown pays tribute to former mother-in-law Cissy Houston

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Bobby Brown is paying tribute to his late ex-mother-in-law, Cissy Houston. On Monday, October 7, the mother of Whitney Houston, a music icon on the proper, died on the age of 91. In light of the news, the New Edition star and his wife Alicia Etheredge-Brown expressed their condolences: according to People magazine.

“I send love and blessings to the Houston family on this great loss,” Brown told the publication. “May he rest in Peace and Power. The Browns.

Brown was married to Cissy’s daughter, the late Whitney Houston, from 1992 to 2007. Known for his or her turbulent relationship, the couple, as well as to marital problems, also struggled with alcoholism and addiction. Over the course of their 15 years of marriage, their individual struggles with addictions worsened and in April 2007, they divorced.

After multiple attempts at rehabilitation, Houston died in 2012 after by accident drowning in a bath on the Beverly Hills Hotel on the eve of that 12 months’s Grammy Awards. After her daughter’s death, Cissy remained very protective of Whitney’s legacy. So much in order that she criticized her former son-in-law for the “disturbing” way he talked about his relationship with Whitney in his “20/20” interview 2016.

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“I am deeply disappointed that this interview, intended to promote Bobby’s life story, seemed more like an expose of Whitney’s life,” Cissy said. Esencja Magazine after the interview. “My problem with Bobby has always been that he became her husband, but not her helper or protector.”

“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. (We have lost) the mother of our family,” Pat Houston said in a statement, noting Cissy’s “unparalleled” impact on music and culture. “Cissy’s mother was a strong and prominent figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction who cared deeply about family, service and community. “Her seventy-plus-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the center of our hearts.”

She continued, “We are blessed and grateful that God allowed her to spend so many years with us and we are grateful for all the valuable life lessons she taught us. May he rest in peace with his daughter Whitney and granddaughter Bobbi Kristina and other loving family members.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Mariah Carey wasn’t always sure about making a Christmas album. “Merry Christmas” turns 30 this month

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Mariah Carey, All I Want for Christmas Is You, Merry Christmas album, theGrio.com

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mariah Carey is comfortable that it has grow to be culturally synonymous with Christmas — thanks partly to its longevity her iconic song “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and its ubiquity yearly when the vacations come around.

However, the Grammy Award winner admits that she was initially unsure about recording a Christmas album when her label approached her. “I was a little apprehensive,” she says, reflecting on her album “Merry Christmas,” which saw her turn 30 this month.

Ahead of her performance at Sunday’s American Music Awards and her upcoming holiday tour, which begins in November, Carey spoke to The Associated Press about the recommendation she would give to young artists rising to fame and using her song “Always Be My Baby, Ari Aster Horror comedy 2023, “Beau’s scared.”

The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: What was it like celebrating the just about twentieth anniversary of “The Emancipation of Mimi” and reflecting on the legacy of the album?

CAREY: I believe “The Emancipation of Mimi” is certainly one of my albums that pushed some boundaries, and I used to be really comfortable about that because obviously I had to return back. And yes, it was a comeback. But it’s certainly one of my favorite albums. Celebrating it this 12 months and celebrating “Mimi” was really fun because I had never done those songs. I never do them. And this time I did it.

AP: Because of this type of underdog feeling, did you are feeling a creative freedom and strength that you could not have felt before?

CAREY: Yes, I feel like people were able to embrace me again. And you realize how I felt about it? I mean, I feel just like the album “Charmbracelet” was also a excellent album, though not everyone knew it. Well, you realize, when “We Belong Together” got here out after “It’s Like That,” which didn’t do as well, but still did pretty much. Whatever.

AP: “It’s Like That” is a great song.

CAREY: It’s a good song. And I really like doing it. You know, I am going through different stages with these albums. That’s interesting.

AP: Your first Christmas album, “Merry Christmas,” turns 30 this month. This was obviously a formative record for you and your profession. Do you remember anything from its beginnings?

CAREY: So the record company said, (*30*) And I said, “I don’t know if I should at this point.” Because, you realize, I used to be very young, I used to be just starting out, and I felt that folks made Christmas albums later in life. But now people have began doing it at any time, like at the height of their profession. I mean, how did I feel? I used to be a little concerned, after which I said, “I love it.” And I arrange a studio and just had a great time.

AP: Chappell Roan made headlines when she talked about how she was battling sudden fame. As someone who has been in the general public eye for therefore long, do you’ve gotten any advice for young artists who’re battling this issue?

CAREY: Well, I’ve been through a lot of drama, and it is not fun since you grow up pondering, “I want to be famous.” I mean, it was really always like, “I want to be a singer. I want to write songs.” But “I Want to Be Famous” was right up my alley. I believe it was probably because I didn’t feel like I used to be ok due to the things I went through growing up. And that is not a good technique to feel, you realize?

But my advice is this: try as hard as you may to enter this industry with love to your talent and what is actually real for you. You know, if it’s like, “I would like to be famous. I would like to run with these people, whoever they’re, famous people,” that is probably not the most effective idea.

AP: Have you seen “Beau Is Afraid” by Ari Aster? with Joaquin Phoenix?

CAREY: Yes. I needed to approve it. I assumed it was an interesting way they used my song “Always Be My Baby.” It was interesting. I mean, it didn’t really fit the movie, but you realize, I got nervous, like, “You know, OK, that’s fine.” This was completely different. I mean, I wasn’t reluctant, but I assumed, “This is something completely different than I’ve ever experienced.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Whitney Houston’s Epic 1994 South Africa Performance to Be Released as Concert Film

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Whitney Houston, theGrio.com

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Whitney Houston The epic South African concert, which took place on the heels of President Nelson Mandela’s groundbreaking election, will hit cinemas this fall.

Houston’s 1994 performance was fully remastered and released in cinemas under the title “The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban)” according to a press release released Tuesday by several associates, including Houston’s heirs, Sony Music Entertainment and Trafalgar Releasing.

The limited theatrical release will begin on October 23 and can include: a never-before-seen performance by the late singer from Durban, South Africa. The project will precede a brand new live album, The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban) , which will probably be released on November 8.

“She loved South Africa, she loved the people and she loved Nelson Mandela,” he said. Pat HoustonThe singer’s sister-in-law and executor of her estate in Houston, who’s executive producing the concert film. “This concert is one of the most important concerts of her career. On this important 30th anniversary, we are thrilled to be able to share this film not only with her fans, but also with the people of South Africa and their next generation.”

In 1994, Houston performed three concert events in South Africa, including Durban at Kings Park Stadium, Johannesburg and Cape Town. Her performances took place within the newly unified post-apartheid country following Mandela’s historic election victory.

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The concert events attracted over 200,000 attendees in a show crammed with celebrations of freedom, hope and unity. Proceeds from her concert events went to quite a few local kid’s charities in South Africa through her foundation.

Houston’s performance has been remastered in 4K for the film, together with enhanced audio. The concert film will probably be shown in nearly 900 theaters in greater than 25 countries.

“It was my first time in South Africa, and I don’t think I was really prepared for how this trip would change me forever,” said Rickey Minor, a three-time Emmy Award winner who served as Houston’s musical director for 25 years. “The energy was electric and the audience was incredible as we celebrated the end of apartheid. Whitney shared her love and shone her light.”

Earlier that yr, Houston won three Grammy Awards, including album of the yr for the soundtrack to “The Bodyguard.” She won record of the yr and best female pop vocal performance for the smash hit “ I will always love you.”

Houston was certainly one of the world’s best-selling artists thanks to her effortless, powerful vocals rooted within the black church but made palatable to the masses by her pop persona. She sold greater than 200 million records worldwide over her 25-year profession and won six Grammy Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards and two Emmys before her death in 2012.

Houston’s live album will feature a few of her biggest hits from ” I need to dance with someone (who loves me)How will I do know?I even have nothing “And” The greatest love of all It will also feature the unreleased song “Love Is”.

“The message of hope and unity from the performance in Durban, South Africa, is still as relevant today as it was 30 years ago,” said Marc Allenby, CEO of Trafalgar Releasing. “Fans will be thrilled to see how powerful it is on the big screen.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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