Sunday January 11h, 2004
New CD's this past week:
None to report
Music news stories this week:
Tasha’s World wins a Silver Harp
Tuesday (January 6th) the 3 winners for the Silver Harp award were
announced. Every year the Silver Harp is presented to three Dutch
groups/artists who are considered the Best Newcomers by Dutch music
industry organization Conamus.
One of the recipients this year is Tasha's World. In 2002 the debut album
Tasha's World was released in Japan, followed by a European release a year
after that on Dome Records.
The award ceremony will take place February 10th in Bussum, The
Netherlands and bee broadcast live on Dutch TV. Tasha (real name Natascha
Slagtand) will perform two songs with the Metropole Orchestra.
Previous winners of the Silver Harp include Spargo, Mai Tai and Junkie XL
The video of the song "Tasha's World" is currently receiving heavy
rotation on MTV and The Box in Holland, and is also receiving exposure on
MTV Base in the UK.
Beyonce Puts Off Second Solo LP To Reunite
Destiny's Child
Fans excited about the prospect of a new Beyoncé solo album this year are
going to have to wait.
When the Destiny's Child singer recorded her debut, Dangerously in Love,
she just couldn't hold back her creative output and recorded 45 songs.
There was so much leftover material, she planned on issuing a quick-hit
second album early this year.
However, a spokesperson at Beyoncé's record label said on Wednesday
(January 7) that she's putting aside her solo aspirations to concentrate
on the next Destiny's Child album.
Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams have set the month of March
aside to being recording their fifth studio album. That will give Beyoncé
time to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl and revel in her 2003
accomplishments at next month's Grammy Awards (see "Jay-Z, Beyonce,
Outkast, Pharrell Nab Most Grammy Nominations"). Williams, meanwhile, is
currently starring in "Aida" on Broadway
Ashanti Lands First Big-Screen Acting Role
Like another singer who's crazy in love with the movies, R&B chanteuse
Ashanti is making a play for the big screen.
The Inc. princess has landed a supporting role in the flick "Coach
Carter," which stars Samuel L. Jackson as a high school basketball coach.
It's the first movie acting role for Ashanti.
"Coach Carter" centers around real-life Bay Area high school basketball
coach Ken Carter, who favored academics over athletics when he benched his
entire undefeated basketball team for poor classroom performance in 1998.
According to her spokesperson, Ashanti will play the part of Kyra, a
girlfriend of one of the basketball players (portrayed by Rob Brown of
"Finding Forrester") who finds herself pregnant.
Ashanti's rep said the singer will start filming in February and that her
recording schedule will be adjusted to accommodate her work on the flick.
Ashanti is in the midst of approving tracks for her upcoming remix album,
scheduled for release sometime this year, and is writing songs for a new
studio album as well.