Jazz in June for Barbados
Barbados will have a jazz festival in June.
Musician and promoter Deryck Walcott, of Christmas Jazz fame, is producing the inaugural Sugar Isle Jazz Festival the first weekend in June.
Sugar Isle Jazz Festival has an exciting line-up featuring some of the best musical talent in Barbados and across the region.
On Saturday, June 2, The Plantation Garden Theatre will come alive with jazz, Caribbean style. The Golden Apple project featuring Rhesa Garnes on vocals will open the evening and an all-star Caribbean band with Len “Boogsie” Sharpe on pan plus musicians from Jamaica, Trinidad, Antigua and Suriname will close out the night with their jazz interpretation of some of the region’s biggest hits from entertainers such as Kitchener, Sparrow, Edwin and Bob Marley.
A hand-picked star-studded band will then pay tribute to one of the greatest R&B and pop artistes, Stevie Wonder, to climax the festival on June 3 at Kensington Oval.
Grammy Award-winning vocalist Jonathon Butler and American smooth jazz saxophonist Mindi Abair will play alongside some of the most-sought-after international musicians who have toured and played with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Earth Wind & Fire.
Walcott, who said he felt the time was right for this type of festival, noted the festival will showcase an excellent line-up of artistes and good music. (PR)
Britney Spears and Demi Lovato to judge X Factor USA
Britney Spears and Demi Lovato have signed up as judges for the US version of the X Factor.
The singers will join Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid on the judging panel when the show returns in the autumn.
Fox confirmed earlier this year that Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger would not be returning.
The programme's creator Simon Cowell had promised to shake up the show after ratings failed to match his predictions.
Speaking as the new judges were presented in New York, he said: "We're going to make this the best series we've ever made.
"We started off well last year but we are going to seriously kick butt with the addition of these guys."
'Totally stoked'
Britney Spears has sold more than 100 million albums around the world, and has had five number one singles in the UK.
She said: "I'm so excited about this whole experience. It's going to be so much fun and so different from anything I've ever do.
"'I'm ready to find the true star."
Disney star Demi Lovato, 19, appeared in the film Camp Rock and has released three albums.
Like Britney Spears, she has had personal problems since becoming famous and spent time in therapy after developing eating disorders. She has also admitted self-harming.
She said she was "totally stoked" to join the show.
"I'm excited to represent my generation and I'm ready to find the winner."
The viewing figures for the first series of the X Factor USA fell short of the 20 million originally predicted by Simon Cowell.
He recently admitted he'd been "too arrogant" and promised to revamp the programme.
Cheryl Cole had been hired as a judge but was dropped two weeks into the auditions.
The first series was won by 19-year-old Melanie Amaro, who got a recording contract worth more than £3 million.
Fox have yet to announce a new host after Steve Jones left the show in January.
Source-BBC
Kanye & Kim spotted kissing
Paps finally got their Kimye money shot this weekend.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were snapped kissing on the set of her photo shoot for Vogue Italia over the weekend in Los Angeles.
Kardashian, sporting a short ‘do like mom Kris Jenner, then went to work on the set.
On Saturday, the couple was spotted holding hands and laughing while seated courtside at the LA Lakers game.
Us Weekly is reporting that a source claims the couple has already been talking marriage.
Lauryn Hill’s Ex Rohan Marley Engaged; Talks ‘Marley’ Film
Rohan Marley, the 39-year-old son of the late reggae icon Bob Marley and father to five of Lauryn Hill’s six children, has just gotten engaged to model Isabeli Fontana, 28, of Brazil, she revealed to a magazine in her home country.
The couple met shortly after Rohan’s separation from Lauryn last year, when it became known that she was expecting a child with another man. Rohan also has two children from his first marriage to Geraldine Khawly.
Isabeli says she and Rohan are considering tying the knot in Ethiopia, where the Rastafarian movement was founded. ”Rohan told me we have to return to the roots so the marriage will last forever,” she told Brazil’s Veja magazine.
According to Veja, Rohan and Isabeli ”see each other very little” because she continues to live in Sao Paulo, Brazil while Rohan resides in New York.
The former University of Miami football player currently runs the Marley Coffee company and is currently on the big screen in the documentary, “Marley,” described as the definitive documentary about his legendary father. It begins with Marley’s nursery school teacher in St. Ann and ends heartbreakingly at the Bavarian clinic where he spent the last months of his life.
“The film, I think, did a great job capturing the human side of my father; who he is as a human being,” he told EURweb. “A human being really appreciative of life, who really loved to love, who really loved to do things to help people in many ways.”
Below, Rohan told us the most shocking thing he learned about the latter part of his father’s life while making the documentary. He also shares a poignant revelation about his father from the nurse who took care of him at the alternative cancer treatment clinic in Bavaria, Germany
Perkins Out for OKC
Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins did not practice Tuesday and his availability for Game 2 of the team's second-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers is uncertain after Perkins re-aggravated a hip injury in the series opener Monday night.
"If he's ready to go, he'll play," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "If he's not, we won't play him. But we'll see how he feels. We have all day tomorrow. We have treatments today, treatments tomorrow and he'll be a game-time decision."
Perkins initially suffered the injury in the final game of the Thunder's first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks. With eight days off between series, Perkins was able to recover in time to play the Lakers.
Perkins initially suffered the injury in the final game of the Thunder's first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks. With eight days off between series, Perkins was able to recover in time to play the Lakers.
But less than two minutes into the third quarter Monday night he went up for a dunk and grimaced on his way back down the court. Perkins came out of the game 15 seconds later and went back to the locker room to be examined.
Perkins averaged 5.1 points and 6.5 rebounds this season. He had four points, one rebounds and two blocks Monday.
The Lakers lost to OKC 119 to 90
Euro 2012: Rio Ferdinand to be left out of England squad
England manager Roy Hodgson is set to omit Rio Ferdinand from his squad for Euro 2012 while fellow defender Kyle Walker misses out through injury.
Ferdinand, 33, has not played for the national side since the 2-2 draw with Switzerland in June last year.
The 23-man squad will be named on Wednesday.
It is understood that Chelsea defender John Terry, who was stripped of the captaincy for a second time in February, will be included.
Former England captain Ferdinand has been hampered by back problems in recent years but made 30 Premier League appearances this season, the most times he has featured in a campaign since 2007-08.
James Anderson named England cricketer of the year
England fast bowler James Anderson has been named cricketer of the year for the 2011-12 season by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
In the last year, Anderson took his 250th Test wicket and rose to fifth on the list of England's all-time wicket-takers in Test cricket.
The 29-year-old Anderson beat off competition from Stuart Broad and Alastair Cook to win the award.
Broad won the fans' moment of the year award for his hat-trick against India in last summer's Trent Bridge Test Match.
Charlotte Edwards won the women's award at the ceremony at Lord's.
Meanwhile, England captain Andrew Strauss will be presented with the ICC Test Championship mace tomorrow.
Strauss led England to the top of the Test rankings on the annual cut-off date of April 1 and will accept the mace and a cheque for just over 108 thousand pounds on behalf of the England and Wales Cricket Board.
The ceremony will be led by former West Indies skipper and chairman of the ICC cricket committee Clive Lloyd.
Derrick Rose out 8-12 months
Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose will be out approximately eight to 12 months after undergoing surgery to repair his left ACL, said Dr. Brian Cole, who performed the surgery on Saturday.
The 23-year-old Rose tore the ACL on April 28 during the first game of the Bulls' Eastern Conference quarterfinals series against the Philadelphia 76ers. Without Rose, the Bulls became only the fifth No. 1 seed to lose to an eighth seed as the Sixers won in six games.
Derrick is doing great," Cole said Tuesday at a press conference at Rush University Medical Center. "The surgery went extremely well. Really no surprises. It was pretty routine.
"We're at this point very optimistic. ... We think of recovery as the long process that's in stages. But the short answer is the time frame we believe an athlete of this caliber generally requires is about eight to 12 months. Sometimes shorter, sometimes longer."
That means Rose is likely to miss at least the first two months of next season, or he could miss the entire season.
Bulls general manager Gar Forman said Rose was ready for rehabilitation
"There was a period when he was down. But I think his spirts are good under the circumstances, and I think he's ready to aggressively attack this."
Source-ESPN
Halle Berry Addresses Pre-School Blow Up with Paparrazi
Halle Berry explained that she had every right to go off on those snooping photographers stocking her at her daughter’s school.
The actress lost her head when paparazzi posted up outside of her daughter Nahala’s pre-school. But she told Mario Lopez folks better watch out when it comes to her baby.
“I hate that I lost my cool, but you know, I’m human. That happens and when it comes to my daughter. I’m ferocious.”
Even if she is a celebrity, Berry admitted it would be nice to have some privacy.
“You know, I don’t know … I’ve been struggling for years,” she lamented as they discussed the celebrity privacy issue. “There are no laws here that protect our children and as a mom, coming to the school … not only my child, but all the children that are there. It’s just wrong, wrong, wrong.”
She even halfway joked about going to the president to do something about the issue, expressing that the children’s lives are essentially in danger.
Maybe one day the government will care.
Also, Berry was pleased to be a part of the recent EIF/Revlon Run/Walk for Women, which raises money for cancer research.
“I’ve lost so many people. I know people struggling right now with cancer.”
Former prime minister hangs up his political boots
FORMER Bahamas prime minister Hubert Ingraham says he will resign as leader of the main opposition Free National Movement (FNM) on May 26, when the party holds a special convention to formally elect a new leader.
Speaking at a “Thank You” meeting over the weekend, Ingraham, who led his FNM into defeat in the May 7 general elections, said that he has spent more than half of his 64 years in politics.
“I ran again this time to head the government for a fourth time; the Bahamian public rejected my message and denied my request. I accept their determination and in the Westminster tradition of electoral democracy which we adhere to, I have determined to end my public life which has spanned more than half my own lifetime,” he said.
Ingraham told the party faithfuls that he hopes they would “accept my determination to retire from public life and to return your seat to you”.
He said he would be supportive of whoever emerges as the party leader, adding, “I leave with my reputation intact; I gave you decent, honourable and incorruptible service. I did my best for you and I leave you now much, much better off than when we began”.