Munich, Germany – For the ninth time, Hubert Burda Media brings together pioneers of the digital age in Munich. ”Patterns That Connect” is the theme of Burda’s international DLD innovation conference in Munich from January 20 to 22, 2013. At DLD, creative minds, digital entrepreneurs as well as leading scientists, data scientist and artists discuss the most pertinent issues of today and tomorrow, and explore new (business) opportunities. Key DLD13 topics are e-commerce, digital security/privacy, education/social issues, and the future of entertainment.

Key agenda items include the future of e-commerce and the hot topic of digital security/privacy. Other sessions will focus on the changes in the educational sector. How and, even more importantly, what will we learn in the future? What are the strategic and logistical challenges in online retail? How are new mobile devices changing the behavior of consumers and media users? Will a customization of content be required in the future? Which technological innovations will change our society in the years to come? DLD13 speakers and attendees will discuss these and other questions from a variety of perspectives.

Speakers at previous DLD events included digital entrepreneur Marc Zuckerberg, Eric Schmidt, Sean Parker, Marissa Mayer; but also Lady Gaga, Nobel Laureates Martti Ahtisaari and Dan Kahneman, Scientists as Craig Venter as well as Deepak Chopra, Paulo Coelho and architects Zaha Hadid, Norman Foster and Rem Koolhaas. At the upcoming event in January 2013, Stephanie Czerny will once again bring together influential creative minds and pioneers from the global digital industry, the media, politics, business, finance, science, society, art and design in Munich. Confirmed speakers include:

E-Commerce

• Jack Dorsey, Co-Founder & CEO Square
• Tony Hsieh, CEO Zappos
• David Marcus, CEO Paypal
• René Schuster, CEO Telefónica Deutschland
• Peter Thiel, Partner at Founders Fund

Security/Privacy

• Eugene Kaspersky, security expert
• Sunil Madhu, Founder & CEO Socure
• Sanghvi Ruchi, CTO Dropbox
• Carson Sweet, Co-Founder & CEO Cloud Passage

Entertainment

• DJ Patil, data scientist
• Scott Belsky, Founder Behance and author of “Making Ideas Happen”
• Ben Horowitz, Partner at Andreessen Horowitz/Investor of “RapGenius”
• Aaron Koblin, Creative Director Data Arts Team Google
• Ynon Kreitz, CEO Maker Studios

Education/Social Issues

• John Maeda, computer scientist
• Zach Sims, Co-Founder Code Academy

DLD13 is themed “Patterns that Connect”, and this alludes to a wide range of topics: from binary codes as the basis for processing digital information; patterns in human behavior; algorithms that, as programming instructions, stipulate actions; to data visualization that shows patterns in data flows. Patterns break up complexities, make big data tangible and applicable through the identification of patterns, and are the link to structured design. DLD regards itself as a “pattern recognizer” of structures that will become important in the future. However, it also breaks up patterns to piece them back together in a new context.

‘Data brings us closer to the complex patterns of everything we do; it changes our perspective on our life, societies and values. DLD identifies and brings together the most important drivers in these various fields to discuss future opportunities,’ says DLD founder and director Steffi Czerny.

This year, the chairmen of the event, publisher Dr. Hubert Burda and investor Dr. Yossi Vardi, will welcome around 800 international attendees to the agenda setting at Munich’s HVB-Forum. Top-notch events during the conference include the Chairmen & Speaker Dinner at the Jewish Community Center on January 20, the DLD StarNight on January 21, and the presentation of the “Aenne Burda Awards for Creative Leadership”. Past award recipients were Arianna Huffington (Huffington Post), Marissa Mayer(former Google), and Mitchell Baker (Mozilla Firefox). The traditional closing event of the DLD Conference is once again the DLD FOCUS Nightcap at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 23.

For the second time, DLD Campus together with the Internet Business Cluster (IBC) will host the meeting of a digital pioneer and students: Peter Thiel, one of the initial Facebook investors, is scheduled to give a public lecture at the University of Munich (LMU).

The sessions are aired on live-stream by DLD Media. DLD is a “by invitation only” event. There are still a limited number of tickets available, so if you are interested in attending DLD13, please apply here.

Image Courtesy : Hubert Burda Media

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Macao, China — Throngs of fans lined up at Sands Cotai Central Saturday evening, hoping to catch a glimpse of the glittering array of celebrities walking the red carpet on their way to a VIP gala dinner at Sheraton Macao Hotel, part of Sands Cotai Central’s A Night of Stars event.

Celebrities gracing the red carpet, to the delighted screams and cheers of their fans, included Sammo Hung, Carol “Dodo” Cheng, Frances Yip, Chang Chen, Wu Chun, Ekin Cheng, Chilam Cheung,Karena Lam, Grasshopper and Sandrine Pinna, along with Vincent Kok and Sire Ma, who were masters of ceremony at the gala dinner – a celebration for the integrated resort’s VIP customers. Before the dinner, the stars participated in a handprint ceremony, with the resulting handprints to be incorporated into the Cotai Strip development’s own version of an ‘Avenue of Stars’ walkway.

As part of the exciting, movie-themed gala dinner, VIP guests were entertained with performances from Moulin Rouge; a live band playing film theme tunes; headline performer Frances Yip and celebrity look-a-likes dressed as Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Charlie Chaplin, Lady Gaga and others. The evening’s emcees, Sire Ma and Vincent Kok, also gave guests the opportunity to win thousands of dollars in cash prizes through games played on stage.

During the A Night of Stars evening, Sammo Hung joined a handful of lucky guests for a round of cards at Sands Cotai Central’s APEX Club. Hung’s participation in “Win Like a Star” provided an opportunity for Sands Cotai Central to donate HK$250,000 to the Sammo Hung Charity Fund, a non-profit organisation that works to improve the lives of those in need: the poor, the elderly, the disabled, orphans and those impacted by natural disasters (projects include the reconstruction of damaged or destroyed schools).

As a celebration of the star-studded evening, visitors to Sands Cotai Central were each given a commemorative golden star. Visitors lined up to receive the one-of-a-kind mementos which were distributed by Sands Cotai Central ambassadors throughout the ground floor of the property.

A Night of Stars is part of Stars of the Cotai Strip, which has included celebrity events and amazing prize draws at the Sands Cotai Central integrated resort. Parent company Sands China Ltd. aims to make Macao one of the top entertainment hubs in Asia by bringing in a steady stream of talented film, TV, music and sports stars to the city. A Night of Stars and the other dazzling celebrity-led events this month affirm the company’s resolve to see Macao develop into a world centre of tourism and leisure.

Stars of the Cotai Strip, which launched on December 3, will climax in a celebrity-filled New Year’s Eve extravaganza. The year-end event features a special The Voice of China Venetian Macao Rock with Stars Concert, including Paul Wong of the Hong Kong rock band Beyond at the CotaiArena and a countdown to a spectacular fireworks display to ring in the New Year.

To find out more details on the celebrities involved and the exciting events of Stars of the Cotai Strip logon to the Sands Cotai Central Facebook and Weibo pages.

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Most Hollywood stars usually support Democrats, but, like in everything in life, there are some exceptions: Clint Eastwood, Chuck Norris, Donald Trump and Kid Rock are all supporters of Mitt Romney’s campaign.

Clint Eastwood told Romney supporters in a Sun Valley fundraiser, “Now more than ever do we need Gov. Romney. I’m going to be voting for him.” In February, Eastwood told Fox News at the time that he was not affiliated with or supporting any politician. But now the ‘Mystic River’ director’s mind has changed.

Eastwood also said that he hoped Romney would be able to install a  “decent tax system that we need badly… so that there’s a fairness and people are not pitted against one another as who’s paying taxes and who isn’t.” Clint Eastwood has become a big supporter of Romney’s; he is arguably the most important celebrity in favor of the former Massachusetts Governor.

Former ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ protagonist Chuck Norris has also shown his support for Mitt Romney. In an opinion article he stated “I believe that Mitt has the skills and organization to defeat Obama and stop his fundamental transformation of America. We all know what four more years of increased socialistic decisions would do to our country.”

Kid Rock is also doing campaigning in favor of Romney, the artist’s anthem ‘Born Free’ has become Romney’s official campaign song.

The famous Donald Trump has also endorsed Mitt Romney, “Mitt is tough. He is smart,” Trump said, with Romney at his side, at a brief announcement at a Las Vegas hotel bearing his name.

The ‘Apocalypse Now’ star Robert Duvall is also hosting a fundraiser for Romney in September. The National Journal has published on its site Duvall’s fundraising invitation at Middleburg, Virginia, in which the general reception will cost $2,500, a VIP photo reception at the entrance will cost $10,000, and a dinner will cost $25,000.

Another famous Hollywood celebrity that is supporting Mitt Romney is Jerry Bruckheimer, the film and TV producer, creator of ‘CSI’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’ who donated the maximum individual donation amount allowed to Romney’s campaign in March. Bruckheimer hasn’t always donated money to the Republicans, in the past he has used it to donate in favor of Democrats.

In 2008 President Obama had most celebrities’ support; Musicians like Will.I.Am produced viral campaign videos for him. In 2012 he still has most of the celebrity support, but Romney certainly has more celebrity power than McCain did. President Obama is still way ahead of Romney: he has recently dinned with George Clooney, exchanged quips with Spike Lee in a New York City townhouse and met with Lady Gaga in a fundraiser organized by Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, in which the singer, one of the few people that has more Twitter followers than Obama, paid the maximum campaign donation of $35,800 for access to the event.

Image Courtesy of   Gage Skidmore

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Lady Gaga will release her first signature fragrance, Fame, at the end of August. The first ever black eau de parfum is an allusion to the dark side of fame and has three significant accords: dark, sensual and light.

The dark accord, which features incense, was inspired by the deadly plant belladonna. The plant produces fruits and berries which ripen to a shiny black color. These berries are considered sweet despite their deadly quality. Consumption of the berries can cause hallucinations, delirium, and convulsions.

The sensual accord has honey, saffron, and apricot nectar. All three of these elements have long histories as aphrodisiacs. Honey contains boron which stimulates the production of sex hormones. It is said that Cleopatra added the saffron to her bathwater to heighten sensitivity and pleasure. William Shakespeare uses the apricot in this context for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Also, all of these elements are, of course, sweet.

“Lady Gaga talks about how her music has a sweet center and a dark shell and a lot of her music has refrains that have a rough passage that go toward a sweet-spot melody in the middle,” said Steve Mormoris, senior vice president of global marketing for Coty Beauty. “She referenced that a lot and we tried to capture this type of duality in the fragrance, with the incense and something sweet like apricot.”

The light accord features a combination of jasmine sambac and crushed tiger orchid. Jasmine sambac plants open at night and close during the day. Tiger orchids have a distinct fragrance. The flowers are capable of permeating an entire garden without the assistance of any other plant. When crushed, the flowers give off an even stronger scent. To sum it up, the light accord has the qualities of a lady. Ask any of her legions of fans and they will assure you that Gaga is, indeed, the ultimate lady.

Lady Gaga has also stated in a previous interview with Australian radio show, The Kyle and Jackie O Show, that the fragrance contains blood and semen although “it doesn’t smell like it. You just sort of get the after feeling of sex from the semen and the blood is sort of primal.” She also told the hosts that the blood used was taken from her own blood sample. Imagine that: Walking around with Lady Gaga’s DNA covering your entire body in a fine mist. Little monsters worldwide must be thrilled!

The parfum is priced as low as $19 for a 10-ml rollerball and as high as $79 for a 100-ml bottle, so that all of Gaga’s little monsters will be able to smell like Mother Monster regardless of their financial status. Gaga’s fans will also appreciate the design of the bottle. The bottle is shaped like an egg and features a gold claw cap. The claw is a signature to Gaga’s brand and one which fans have come to expect to see.

This is only the beginning of Gaga’s dark-themed product line. The entertainer will also be releasing a black soap (August), black shower gel, and black body lotion (November) as part of the Fame collection. These products are also reasonably priced so that all little monsters will be able to enjoy them.

Fame will be sold at several well-known retailers—three thousand to be exact—in the United States including Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, and Sephora.

Image Courtesy of  vipflash / Shutterstock.com

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Washington, U.S.A. – The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) closes its 25th Anniversary year by saluting women’s contributions to rock and roll in “Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power.” Organized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the exhibition highlights the flashpoints, the firsts, the celebrated, and the lesser-known women who have influenced the genre from its inception through today. The only east coast venue, “Women Who Rockopens” Friday, September 7, 2012, and closes January 6, 2013.

Moving through the rock and roll eras beginning in the 1920s, the exhibition highlights 70 artists and more than 250 artifacts ranging from photos, performance videos, and album covers, to more personal memorabilia such as costumes, instruments, and set lists.

From rock-and-roll foremothers such as Ma Rainey and Billie Holiday, to pioneers such as Wanda Jackson and LaVern Baker through 60s girl groups, 70s disco, 80s punk, and contemporary stars including Lady Gaga and Janelle Monae, “Women Who Rock” illustrates the essential roles women have played in moving rock and roll and American culture forward.

Visitors of all ages have a chance to see iconic items—handwritten lyrics by Janis Joplin, Patti Smith,Janet Jackson and Madonna, alongside clothes worn by Mary Wilson of the Supremes, Cher, Melissa Etheridge, and Rihanna among many others—demonstrating women’s musical creativity and power to inspire through rock and roll.

In addition to being the writer and/or voice of some of our favorite songs, many women rockers were also playing instruments in their bands. “Women Who Rock” features guitars played by Wanda Jackson,Nancy Wilson, Bonnie Raitt and Taylor Swift, a drum played by Meg White and Lady Gaga’s childhood piano.

Founded in 1981 and opened in 1987, NMWA is the only museum solely dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women in the visual, performing and literary arts. The museum’s collection features 4,000 works from the 16th century to the present created by more than 1,000 artists.

Image Courtesy of  Lady Gaga

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On February 29 at Harvard University, Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, officially unveiled Born This Way Foundation (BTWF), a new non-profit charitable organization, before a crowd of policy makers, non-profit organizations, foundation leaders, students and youth at the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Ask with Forum.

The day opened with Oprah interviewing Lady Gaga about her commitment to empowering youth before a packed audience at Sanders Theatre. Lady Gaga then took the stand in a mock trial to testify before a panel of expert “judges” about what she hopes to accomplish with BTWF. Panelists included Deepak Chopra, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, sister of Jamey Rodemeyer Alyssa Rodemeyer, Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree, Psychologist Susan M. Swearer and E! News correspondent and LGBT parent and spouse David Burtka.

“The culture of love is not going to change overnight but youth are the answer to creating a braver, kinder world,” said Lady Gaga. “This might be one of the best days of my life.” BTWF will address issues like self-confidence, well-being, anti-bullying, mentoring and career development through research, education and advocacy.

BTWF will create an environment that allows youth to safely express their individuality and one that provides them with the skills needed to encourage self-expression and promote civic engagement, and the resources and opportunities needed to implement solutions whether it be “online, on-the-road, or down the street.” With a focus on digital mobilization to create positive change, BTWF will lead youth into a braver new society where each individual is accepted and loved as the person they were born to be.

The Born This Way Foundation also announced today that Lady Gaga has made a $1.2 million personal contribution to BTWF, dedicating $200,000 to cover the foundation’s overhead costs. Barneys New York has raised more than $750,000 for the foundation through product sales from Gaga’s 2011 Holiday Workshop, and has donated an additional $100,000.

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is also committing $1 million in support, with $500,000 going to the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard to lead research efforts, and the remaining $500,000 directly allocated to BTWF to support online and on-the-road efforts to engage young people in civic life and deter bullying.

“Like everything my daughter has done, this is a grassroots initiative asking for the response of the community to help build this movement and shape it,” said Cynthia Germanotta. “Therefore a safe and trusted online community will allow users to share stories about themselves and their lives. Supporters can draw courage from the words of others as they explore Born This Way Foundation’s online community.”

The John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The California Endowment and Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society are partnering with BTWF to explore the best ways to reach youth and create a new culture of kindness, bravery, acceptance and empowerment.

“MacArthur’s partnership with the Born This Way Foundation will apply what we have learned about the power and potential of digital media to reach and engage millions of young people,” said Connie Yowell, MacArthur’s Director of Education. “In classrooms and communities, online and even on-the-road, this effort will enable teachers, parents, students, and communities each do their part to promote positive civic and online participation.”

To engage youth on-the-road, the Born Brave Bus, with design assistance provided by the innovative youth from YOUmedia’s teen library space, will travel the country to serve as a place where kids can go to feel connected and learn about civic engagement opportunities. The bus, along with onsite mentors, will also accompany Lady Gaga’s next North American concert tour, providing additional resources and a safe space to convene.

“A thorough review of decades of academic research has inspired this strategy and over the next several months, we will be rolling out programs based on that data,” said Dr. David Washington, Sr. Advisor to Lady Gaga & BTWF for Philanthropy & Policy. “BTWF has brought together renowned researchers, practitioners and youth organizations and is committed to leveraging this brain trust in order to make a significant difference.”

Visit www.bornthiswayfoundation.org and join the youth-powered movement to build a braver, kinder world.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/10363713@N08/

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Pop stars of today presumably live in a different world than the rest of society. Competing every day through wild outfits, outrageous lyrics, and explicit music videos, the image they portray is one of a vivid imagination.

Most recently, the beloved Nicki Minaj has come out with a new single off her highly anticipated album, “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded”, set to be released on April 3. The new single, “Stupid Hoe”, has already been banned from BET, whether due to explicit lyrics, lewd images, or plain lack of talent, the network has yet to say.

Minaj, however, tweeted that her video was never meant to air on TV, as she did not want any networks censoring her production which she refers to as art. The song was released approximately a month before the video was released.  It did not receive much of a response until the video release, most of which was not positive.

“I really hate this song, so I’m not even mad that the video was banned,” said hardcore Bahamian fan, Mia. ”She has the nerve to call that art. Nothing about that is art. That is what, in my estimation, is foolishness. Nicki needs to do better,” said another fan.

It is hard to not agree with her diehard fans, as watching the video was quite close to torturous. Understandably, Minaj was trying to keep up with the rest of the industries cutting-edge videos and attempted to create something different. Directed by Hype Williams, it is difficult to pinpoint where exactly the duo went wrong.

With the leopard print suits, the distorted eyes, the painful-looking leg positioning, and the over-the-top Barbie makeup, they really just went wrong everywhere. Currently, on Youtube, the video featured on the Vevo network has collected 170,911 likes against 353,468 dislikes.

The video and song also seem to possibly be directed towards fellow femcee, Lil’ Kim. It has been made public that the two have quarreled for some time now. Lil’ Kim released a a single last Valentine’s Day aimed at Minaj entitled “Black Friday”, and the album cover featured what appeared to be a decapitated Minaj in the background behind Lil’ Kim. If “Stupid Hoe” was aimed at Kim, it seems Minaj fell short of a diss and only ended up hurting herself.

Overall, I enjoy Nicki Minaj and her music. However, “Stupid Hoe” was nothing short of a disaster. If this song was a diss towards Lil’ Kim, or any other artist in the industry, hopefully they will be able to see the light and learn to play nice.

If you have not had the opportunity to listen to or watch “Stupid Hoe” yet, follow the link below.

Image Courtesy of  Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

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Multi-platinum selling group Far East Movement (aka FM) on January 20 premiered the much-anticipated music video for ‘Jello’ through VEVO. The hypnotic high-energy hard-hitting ‘Jello’ (co-produced by The Stereotypes and FM and featuring Rye Rye) serves as the first song off ‘Dirty Bass,’ FM’s hot sophomore album out this spring.

Far East Movement’s maverick exploration of the bass end of the spectrum and pioneering club sound has incurred the wrath of self-described ‘music purity advocacy group’ Ban Low-frequency Oscillating Woofers or B.L.O.W.  The B.L.O.W. (http://www.bloworg.org) organization has filed a petition denouncing FM’s low-frequency-powered music.

Cherrytree Records released an official statement in response: “While we respect B.L.O.W.’s right to their opinion, we at Cherrytree… support Far East Movement’s right to create in the low frequency spectrum and appeal to everyone to please join us in opposing B.L.O.W.’s stance by backing Far East Movement’s right to artistic, sub-bass expression, banging new track ‘Jello’ and forthcoming new Cherrytree album ‘Dirty Bass.’”

The ‘Jello’ music video, directed by Matt Alonzo, shows FM infiltrating a press conference for the B.L.O.W. organization. FM, in disguise, sneak into the conference and turn it into a ‘Dirty Bass’ celebration demonstrating why a ban on Low-frequency bass is absurd, and convert the B.L.O.W. organizers into bass supporters. The video features cameos from comedian Andy Milonakis and multi-talented Jay Park along with the song’s guest vocalist, dance-rap sensation Rye Rye.

2011, was an amazing breakthrough year for FM with two Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 songs (‘Like a G6,’ ‘Rocketeer’), multiple award nominations, national TV performances and big tours with superstars Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Lil Wayne, LMFAO and cutting edge acts La Roux, Robyn and Kelis.

2012, the band returns with ‘Dirty Bass,’ a dynamic universal party sound that furthers the ’808′ heavy bass, dance and electronic blends that bring booming trunk bass to international dance floors. FM shaped the ‘Dirty Bass’ sound with producers The Stereotypes and assistance from RedOne, David Guetta, Bangladesh, Dallas Austin and Martin “Cherry Cherry Boom Boom” Kierszenbaum.

Far East Movement are kicking off the year on the CherryTree Pop Alternative tour visiting Canada the beginning of February before hitting Europe to tour through March.

Image Courtesy of    https://www.facebook.com/fareastmovement

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Tony Bennett made music history with the Grammy-nominated CD Duets II when it debuted at the top of the Billboard Album charts, making Bennett the oldest vocal artist ever to achieve the number one spot. Recently nominated for three Grammys, including Best Traditional Pop Vocal, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s), the critically acclaimed album followed the 85-year-old singer’s Grammy-winning 2006 Duets CD, which had, in turn, been released in honor of his 80th birthday.

Tony Bennett: Duets II, a presentation of THIRTEEN’s Great Performances, features the singer’s greatest hits, performed by Bennett and today’s biggest stars, including John Mayer, Michael Buble, k.d. lang, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Queen Latifah, Norah Jones, Josh Groban, Faith Hill, Alejandro Sanz, Carrie Underwood and more.

The sessions, filmed to capture the magic of these performers singing with the master of the Great American Songbook, airs on Friday, January 27, 2012, at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).

Great Performances is a production of THIRTEEN for WNET, one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers. For nearly 50 years, WNET has been producing and broadcasting national and local arts programming to the New York community.

The album took more than six months to record, with each track recorded face-to-face with his singer partners in studios around the world, from LA to Nashville to London.  Among the many highlights is Amy Winehouse’s last recorded track (“Body and Soul”), which was produced in London’s famous Abbey Road Studios in March. Other tracks were recorded in New York in late July: the Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart classic, “The Lady Is a Tramp,” with Lady Gaga, and the Alan and Marilyn Bergman classic, “How Do You Keep the Music Playing,” with Aretha Franklin , and “Stranger in Paradise,” with Andrea Bocelli , recorded at the singer’s Italian home (see full track listing below).

The CD received kudos from all quarters. The Wall Street Journal noted that the singer was “…constantly reaffirming his position as pop music’s greatest living patriarch,” and Associated Press observed, “Tony Bennett is as timeless as the songs he sings on ‘Duets II.’”

The musical segments are highlighted by insights on the process from the performers, making for an up-close look at one of the year’s most celebrated recordings. The sessions were filmed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe (“Chicago,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” “Collateral”), providing a personal, behind-the-scenes look at Bennett’s latest collaborations and his artistic approach with each song.

Entering his seventh decade as a recording artist with more than 100 albums and 15 Grammy Awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Bennett has earned his legendary status many times over. He remains the Columbia recording artist with the greatest longevity at the label. His 2007 primetime special, “Tony Bennett:  An American Classic,” won seven Emmy Awards and was directed by Academy Award winner Rob Marshall.

He has performed for Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama. He also worked with and marched alongside Martin Luther King in his 1965 civil rights march and was honored with the Martin Luther King’s Salute to Greatness Award.

In addition to performing, he is a visual artist as well, with three of his original paintings featured in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian, including his portraits of Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. His humanitarian efforts are renowned, and the United Nations honored him with their Humanitarian Award in 2007.

He has published three books — his autobiography, The Good Life, and two collections of his paintings,Tony Bennett: What My Heart Has Seen and Tony Bennett in the Studio: A Life of Art and Music. Bennett founded, in association with the Department of Education in New York City, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts — a public arts high school in his hometown of Astoria, Queens. With his wife, Susan, he established Exploring the Arts, a charitable organization that supports arts education in NYC public high schools. Exploring the Arts supports 14 public high schools throughout New York City.

In the fall of 2007, a documentary of Bennett’s life and career, produced by Clint Eastwood, “Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends,” aired on THIRTEEN’s American Masters on PBS.

The full song program follows:

“The Lady Is a Tramp” (Lady Gaga)
“One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)” (John Mayer)
“Body and Soul” (Amy Winehouse)
“Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” (Michael Buble)
“Blue Velvet” (k.d. lang)
“How Do You Keep the Music Playing” (Aretha Franklin)
“The Girl I Love” (Sheryl Crow)
“On the Sunny Side of the Street” (Willie Nelson)
“Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)” (Queen Latifah)
“Speak Low” (Norah Jones)
“This Is All I Ask” (Josh Groban)
“Watch What Happens” (Natalie Cole)
“Stranger in Paradise” (Andrea Bocelli)
“The Way You Look Tonight” (Faith Hill)
“Yesterday I Heard the Rain” (Alejandro Sanz)
“It Had to Be You” (Carrie Underwood)

Image Courtesy of  Tony Bennett

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On Sunday, December 4, 2011, The Trevor Project will honor Lady Gaga with the Trevor Hero Award and Google Inc. with the Trevor 2020 Award during “Trevor Live” at the Hollywood Palladium. The annual show benefits the life-saving work of The Trevor Project, a recent honoree of the White House as a Champion of Change for leadership and innovation in suicide prevention.

The event’s presenting sponsors are Audi of America and ING. ”Our young people are at the center of a health crisis, and vocal leaders like Lady Gaga and technology leaders like Google Inc. have stepped up to help change our culture,” said David McFarland, Interim Executive Director and CEO of The Trevor Project.

“Our honorees are working with The Trevor Project to make a better today and a brighter tomorrow for youth. We are proud to honor Lady Gaga with the Trevor Hero Award and Google Inc. with the Trevor 2020 award for their work to help young people express their true selves with pride.”

The Trevor Hero Award honors Lady Gaga for being an inspiration to youth and increasing visibility and understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) community. As an ally for LGBTQ people, Lady Gaga has recently founded the Born This Way Foundation to bravely empower youth to be proud of who they are, to accept and embrace one another’s humanity, and to love themselves and one another.

“We are honored and humbled to be recognized with the Trevor 2020 Award,” said Yolanda Mangolini, Director of Global Diversity & Inclusion and Talent & Outreach Programs at Google Inc. “We applaud The Trevor Project for their commitment to providing services and creating safe spaces for LGBTQ youth in need, and look forward to a continued partnership.”

The Trevor 2020 Award honors Google Inc. for the company’s support of the LGBTQ community and for increasing visibility and understanding of LGBTQ issues. Google Inc. has become a leader in championing LGBTQ workplace equality over the past decade by advocating for equal policies and benefits for their LGBTQ employees, expanding the presence of their LGBTQ employee resource group globally and supporting the community and LGBTQ youth organizations.

Trevor Live at the Hollywood Palladium is the signature annual event of The Trevor Project, a recent honoree of the White House as a Champion of Change for leadership and innovation in suicide prevention.

Celebrated director, producer and choreographer Adam Shankman returns as Special Guest Director for Trevor Live, benefiting the nation’s leader in providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ young people.

About The Trevor Project

The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning young people under 24. Every day, The Trevor Project saves young lives through its free and confidential lifeline, in-school workshops, educational materials, online resources and advocacy. Honored by the White House as a “Champion of Change,” The Trevor Project is a leader and innovator in suicide prevention.

Learn more at TheTrevorProject.org.

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The astonishing pop star gave an incredible performance last night at the 2011 VMAs.

After finishing the song ‘Love On Top’, The 29 year old singer dropped the microphone intentionally, looked at the audience and began to unbutton her jacket, and rub her belly. Revealing to the world her pregnancy.

The camera spotted Jay-Z and Kanye West in the audience, showing their euphoric reaction.

The couple expects their first child, after being married for three years, back then in 2008 when they exchanged vows, and celebrated with a private party at Jay Z’s apartment in New York.

Beyonce had already said a couple of times that she planned on having a baby by the age of 30. Turning 30’s next month, the star did manage to achieve what she said!

The lovely revelation was kind of expected.  In June, on an interview with Piers Morgan, the star revealed her desired to get pregnant.

“I feel like a woman. I feel like I’m very aware of who I am. I feel great and I feel like 30 is the ideal age [to start a family], because you’re mature enough to know who you are and to have your boundaries and your standards, and not be afraid, too polite — but you’re young enough to be a young woman,” she said. “I’m so looking forward to it.”

Beyonce added, “I always said I’d have a baby at 30. But I also said I’m going to retire at 30. … Only God knows.”

In the interview Beyonce also commented about Jay-Z.

“Jay and I have kind of made a decision that we want to be known for our music and not our relationships or scandals. But he is amazing,” she said. “I definitely had a very natural friendship and connection with him. We’ve been together for a very long time and I’m very happy. Love is the foundation of everything, everything I do. My music is inspired by love — from my family, my husband, my sister.”

The night ended with a fabulous closure with many awards. Lady Gaga provided one of the biggest talking points of the evening, with her performance ‘You And I’. On the other hand, Adele and Katy Perry won four and three Moonmen gongs correspondingly.

Watch Beyonce’s performance and pregnancy revelation!

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Next November, Lady Gaga will release a photo book that includes her newest photo shoots and snaps of the singer. The popular artist states that this new photo book is absolutely “intimate”.

It is the first time the public will see a book with these special features. The editorial Grand Central Books is going to publish a new brand with the most special moments in Lady Gaga’s career. The photo book will provide the most random and behind-the-scenes moments of her life. It will include the latest images of her last album “Born this way”.

One of the most renowned photographers in the fashion industry, Terry Richardson, will release more than 350 pictures of the artist.

Lady Gaga had been looking forward to work with him again since the photographer joined her “Monster Ball” tour. She told Vogue magazine that he was driving her crazy following her the whole time; he used to follow her when she was changing, inside the bus and even when she used to pee.

Sources on the internet said that the book will also include eccentric photos, such as Lady Gaga “peeing in a cup.” Terry Richardson is famous for doing a lot of gross things in his career. Gaga said in an interview that she is ready to follow any Richardson instruction because she loves her fans:

“He loves her fans as much as I do,”Gaga said.  “My favourite thing, honestly, is that he loved the fans. He shot the fans the same way he shot me; with no pretence.”The book has taken a lot of work and perseverance. Richardson was given free access to Gaga’s life for almost ten months.

Lady Gaga has always been famous for her public appearances and concerts. She recently had shot her last video clip “You and I”, which was extremely different from her other music videos. Gaga, discussing the video said, “It does take place in Nebraska, and I’m walking all the way from New York City to find this guy, and as I’m walking my feet start to bleed and I begin to get very tired, and all these strange things start to happen in a cornfield in the middle of nowhere.”

This same month Gaga said to US shock jock Howard Stern that she had a cocaine habit in the past:

“I think that I was lonely and there was something about the drug that made me feel like I had a friend,”Gaga said.

With the original title: “Lady Gaga” the publishing company will send her book to every store starting on November 22.Grand Central Books said “Lady Gaga will be one of the most stunning, provocative and coveted books of the 2011 holiday season.” Fans all over the world should be ready to see the most extravagant sites of their favourite singer.
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This time Gaga takes her little monsters to a complete different setting for the shooting of her new video, Nebraska.

The new video will be produced for the song ‘You And I,’ which has already a deep meaning and message for Gaga, ” It is when you’re away from someone you love, it’s torture.”

On an interview to Omaha radio station, 94.1 she was commenting about the video shooting parallel when her song was being released on radio for the first time. “I’ve got to tell you, I don’t think there’s anything hotter than being in a cornfield in Nebraska.

“It was so sweet, and I looked out and it’s so beautiful, that tall corn. … Then all of a sudden you start to see these monsters pop up. I love this place so much, and it really comes from a genuine place. The person who I wrote this song about has been my buddy and my best friend since I was 19 years old, and he’s from here,” referring to her friend pal Luc Carl. “And I love this state so much.”

She also described the plot of the video: “Well, it was actually kind of perfect the way it worked out ’cause the premise of the video is that I’ve walked all the way from New York City to Nebraska to get him back,” she said. “I’m walking with no luggage and no nothing and it’s just me and my ankles are bleeding a little bit and there’s grass stuck in my shoes and I’ve got this outfit on and it’s real sort of New York clothing and I’m sprinting.

“And the [video is about the] idea that when you’re away from someone you love, it’s torture,” she continued. “I knew I wanted the video to be about me sprinting back and walking hundreds of thousands of miles to get him back.”

Based on her personal insight to what this video means to her, we can assume that she is adapting her personal experiences and feelings from her past into the screen.

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MTV’s Video Music Awards, usually abbreviated as the VMAs, has recently announced the nominees for the lively award show.  Sometimes called the “Oscars for youth” and owning similarities to the Grammys, the VMAs bestows a simple statue of an astronaut on the moon upon winning artist; the moon man acts as one of the earliest symbols of MTV.

But before an artist can even dream of gripping their own space figurine, a VMA victory will only be a potential achievement with a marked nomination.

A list of potential winners of the music networks coveted honor include the likes of pop artists such as Lady Gaga and Beyonce (all in the run for the “Best Female Video” award) to Cee lo Green who is nominated. Katy Perry, who nabbed a whopping 9 nominations, leads with the highest number of nominations followed by soulful British singer who was named a nominee for 7 awards.   Awards up for grabs also include “Best Collaboration”, “Best New Artist” and “Best Rock Video”.

With the first VMA ceremony held in 1984 at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, an expanding group of winners within an array of awards has been rising for some time. In 1984 style icon and entertainer Madonna performed “Like a Virgin” while Cyndi Lauper won the “Best Female Video” award for “Girls just wanna have fun”.

The long-standing award ceremony was and continues to be, home for a multitude of memorable moments such as Michael Jackson’s first VMA performance in 1988 with “Bad”.  The VMA awards have even hosted its fair share of fashion faux pas like when Lil Kim showed up to the 1999 VMA award grounds with very little fabric to cover her petite body and with pasties instead to act as attire.

While the ceremony is typically broadcasted live in mid-September, the 2011 MTV VMAs will be held on August 28, 2011 in the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California.  You can find a complete reading of this year’s VMA nominees on MTV’s website. Additionally, voting is now open on the music channel’s site- so go and vote for who you believe deserves their very own moon man.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2011/

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This girl won’t take a break!

She has just finished her asian tour and she is still working on her next single (after the failure with “The Edge of Glory”) witch will be introduced soon.

She even announced on her Twitter account details about her upcoming worldwide tour “Born This Way Ball” and posted to her followers that she is coming back to U.S. for performances of “The Edge of Glory”. But that’s not the only reason of her return.

Lady Gaga will be a guest judge on the talent show “So You Think You Can Dance”, next to the permanent judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy, broadcasted on Fox.

Her appearance, according to Lythgoe, is caused by the low rating data that the show is lately generating . “Her help is going to be invaluable”, said.

Are producers desperate?

This same year Gaga appeared on American Idol finale witch was a huge success.
And in it beginning, this show also suffered rating problems, solved by the addition of judges like Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.

It will work with “SYTYCD”?

Is just matter of time to know.

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There is no doubt in denying that Lady Gaga knows what hooks her fans in, so when it came time for her to promote her newest album, she pulled out all the stops.

As a reward for her shameless self-promotion, her newest album, Born This Way, had the highest ranking first week album sales in the past six years: 1.11 million copies of her new album were sold in its first week of distribution.

“Whenever an album sells so much in one week, people ask if it’s an indication of something broader,” said Keith Caulfield, Billboard‘s associate director of charts/retail. “She is a true pop superstar, ostensibly the biggest in the past three years. Every single is a hit. Every video is a water-cooler moment. All eyes are on Gaga.”

Lady Gaga is the first person to reach the million mark since Taylor Swift, who sold a million copies of her newest album Speak Now in its first week of distribution in November 2010. She is the only person to have actually sold over a million copies since 2005, when 50 Cent’s The Massacre sold 1.14 million.

Whether it was arriving to an awards show in an egg, dancing around in a latex outfit, having a threesome with Justin Timberlake and Andy Samburg in a Saturday Night Live short or going on morning and late-night talk shows, she was able to gain an astounding amount of publicity. Google Chrome even featured an ad that was all about the Mother Monster.

It probably didn’t hurt that she sold the whole album on Amazon for 99 cents, either. Amazon frequently offers deals on new and hit albums by selling them for $2.99. An average album costs between eight and 12 dollars on the website. There was such a response to the sale that the Amazon servers slowed.

“We saw extraordinary response — far above what we expected,” says Amazon spokeswoman Cat Griffin. “We’ve never seen this much interest in one album in such a short period.”

Ean Mering of Pomegranate, a digital media network agency, said a low-price strategy could have future benefits.

“This pricing approach will prove to be a great case study,” said Mering. “This is good move that could open up Gaga to audiences who would not previously have purchased a $7.99 record.”

“Amazon’s promotion was a great way to catch people who might have turned to other means (like cloud systems or illegal downloads) to listen to the new album,” said Alicia Dennis, music editor for interactive pop-culture magazine Zimbio.com.

Dennis, however, thinks this is just “an anomaly” and could not be easily reproduced by other artists in the music industry.

“This kind of promotion could definitely boost sales for other artists, but they’d have to have Lady Gaga’s hype working for them as well, and no one does hype like Lady Gaga.”

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When we first met Lady Gaga as her first single “Poker Face” was dropping, we were introduced to a cute blonde who was comparing flirting and encounters with men to poker. We saw as she danced her butt of through elaborately choreographed routines, and from right off the bat, we could tell that she had her own way of doing things. Since 2008, she has become a fashion icon (in her own right) as well as an inspiration to many people. She has an enviable amount of self-confidence, and she used this for her inspiration for her latest album “Born This Way.”

The Mother Monster stayed true to herself for her third studio album. The album has electric dance beats with a little added rock that would fit in at any dance club and, once again, with songs like “Judas,” has people flipping out over her shock value (see the video if you’re sure who Judas is, but definitely hold onto your hat.)

Something new this album provides is a more direct line between Gaga and her fans. With songs like “Born This Way,” “Hair” and “Edge of Glory,” we can hear her screaming out to the world that everyone is great and we need to love ourselves. This is a beautiful thing.

To me, it feels like we rarely hear artists singing about their experiences with wanting to fit into the crowd in song-form. A lot of stuff that is coming from the music industry is just about drinking and partying. In a single song, she calls out at least six different races, the LGBTQ community and even the disabled, telling them not to be ashamed or feel bad. They were born this way, and, according to Gaga, “God makes no mistakes.”

Another topic featured on the album is the hot topic debate over homosexual marriage. In the song “Americano,” Gaga describes falling in love with a girl but not being able to marry her except for on the west coast on a Wednesday. Lady Gaga has been extremely outspoken regarding her support of the Gay Community, and it shows her dedication to the cause and that she isn’t some celebrity who’s trying to join a cause because it’s fashionable. We also get to see another side of Gaga as well, because this song is infused with Spanish influence, and Gaga herself sings in Spanish (she also sings in German in the song “Scheiße” if you’d prefer that.)

The only thing I didn’t like about this album was that it sounds essentially like something you would expect from an early Madonna. When the song “Born This Way” first came out, a lot of people criticized it saying it was a rip off version of Madonna’s “Express Yourself” (even though people seem to forget that song was a knock off of The Staples Sisters’ song “Respect Yourself.”) In a way, this factor takes away from the album. The first time I listened to it, I just sat and compared it the whole time. I think this could be a potential turn off for a lot of people.

All in all, “Born This Way” is an empowering album. It has classic love songs (such as “Fashion of His Love”) on it, while it digs down into deeper topics such as religion, politics and self image. Gaga has done a good job of trying to make her albums sound different from one another, and this album is successful at doing that. If you can’t get over the Madonna thing, Madonna has already given her approval to Lady Gaga on the album. The Queen of Pop has spoken.

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