|
Pastime Paradise
"Pastime Paradise" is a song by American musician Stevie Wonder, from the 1976 album ''Songs in the Key of Life''. The song was one of the first to use a synthesizer (the Yamaha GX-1) to sound like a full string section. Built initially from synth tracks rather than from a drummer setting the basic rhythm, the song is augmented with rhythm performances from Ray Maldonado, Bobbye Hall, and Wonder, and a persistent "chinging" bell pattern by Hare Krishna musicians. A gospel choir from West Angeles Church of God and Hare Krishna chanting group culminate in a multicultural finale. Meaning Steve Wonder writes that listeners may understand the song in one of two ways. One way is the comparison and contrast of the difference between the negative attitude of someone with a flawed past, and the positive outlook of someone who wishes for a perfect future in this life or the next. The other way is a description of how selfish materialism and laziness cannot compare to a strong work ethi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop music, pop, Soul music, soul, Gospel music, gospel, funk, and jazz. A virtual one-man band, Wonder's use of synthesizers and other electronic musical instruments during the 1970s reshaped the conventions of Contemporary R&B, R&B. He also helped drive such genres into the album era, crafting his LP record, LPs as cohesive and consistent, in addition to socially conscious statements with complex compositions. Visual impairment, Blind since shortly after his birth, Wonder was a child prodigy who signed with Motown's Tamla label at the age of 11, where he was given the professional name Little Stevie Wonder. Wonder's single "Fingertips" was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1963, at the age of 13, making him the List o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gangsta's Paradise
"Gangsta's Paradise" is a single by American rapper Coolio. Interpolating Stevie Wonder's 1976 song "Pastime Paradise", and featuring American singer L.V., the single was released on August 1, 1995. Certified Platinum in October, the song was included on Coolio's second album ''Gangsta's Paradise'' in November 1995. The song was the number one biggest-selling single of 1995 on U.S. ''Billboard''. In 2008, it was ranked number 38 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. ''NME'' listed the song at number 100 in their ranking of "100 Best Songs of the 1990s" in 2012. Coolio was awarded a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance, two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Rap Video and Best Video from a Film and a ''Billboard'' Music Award for the song/album. The song was voted as the best single of the year in ''The Village Voice'' Pazz & Jop critics' poll. The song has sold over five million copies in the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany. Coolio performed this song live at ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martik
Martik Qarah Khanian ( fa, مارتیک قرهخانیان; born 17 July 1949), known mononymously as Martik (Armenian: Մարտիկ), is an Iranian Armenian singer and songwriter. Discography Studio albums * ''Martik 1'' 1977 Avang * ''Toro Yadam Nemireh'', 1983 OF-OZ Records * ''ABGD…(Sirelis)'', 1984 (Armenian Album) * ''Refaghat'', 1986 Taraneh Enterprises Inc * ''Parandeh'', 1987 Taraneh Enterprises Inc * ''Niloofar(Setareh)'', 1989 Taraneh Enterprises Inc * ''Khab'', 1990 Taraneh Enterprises Inc * ''Harir'', 1991 Taraneh Enterprises Inc * ''Bahaar'', 1992 Caltex Records * ''Mehmoon (with Shohreh)'', 1993 Caltex Records * ''Sadaf Va Sang'', 1993 Taraneh Enterprises Inc * ''Hoosa'', 1995 Taraneh Enterprises Inc (Armenian Album) * ''Navaye Eshgh'', 1996 Nava Entertainment * ''Atreh Lahzeha'', 1997 Taraneh Enterprises Inc * ''Ba Shoma'', 2002 Caltex Records * ''Sayehneshin'', 2015 Sole Records Single * Pastime Paradise 1976 * Sha'er 1976 (Ft. Googoosh) * Adam O Havva ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ray Barretto
Raymundo "Ray" Barretto Pagán (April 29, 1929 – February 17, 2006) was an American percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent. Throughout his career as a percussionist, he played a wide variety of Latin music styles, as well as Latin jazz. His first hit, "El Watusi," was recorded by his Charanga Moderna in 1962, becoming the most successful pachanga song in the United States. In the late 1960s, Barretto became one of the leading exponents of boogaloo and what would later be known as salsa. Nonetheless, many of Barretto's recordings would remain rooted in more traditional genres such as son cubano. A master of the descarga (improvised jam session), Barretto was a long-time member of the Fania All-Stars. His success continued into the 1970s with songs such as "Cocinando" and "Indestructible." His last album for Fania Records, ''Soy dichoso'', was released in 1990. He then formed the New World Spirit jazz ensemble and continued to tour and record until his death in 2006 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rainer Ptacek
Rainer Ptacek, also known mononymously as Rainer (June 7, 1951 – November 12, 1997), was a German-American guitarist and singer-songwriter based in Tucson, Arizona for much of his adult life. His guitar technique, which incorporated slide, finger-picking, tape loops and electronic manipulation, earned him the admiration of notable musicians such as Robert Plant and Billy Gibbons. Early life and career Ptacek was born in East Berlin to a family of Czech and German descent. His family fled East Germany for the United States when he was five years old. They eventually settled in Chicago, where young Ptacek was first exposed to blues music. He moved to Tucson in the early 1970s, where he began his own musical career, most often solo, but sometimes he plugged in and led a trio as Rainer & Das Combo. He co-founded Giant Sandworms with Howe Gelb in the late 1970s. When the band decided to move to New York and became Giant Sand, Ptacek opted to stay in Tucson to make sure that he woul ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", " 500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and "Windows" are widely considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis's band in the late 1960s, he participated in the birth of jazz fusion. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever. Along with McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, and Keith Jarrett, Corea is considered one of the foremost jazz pianists of the post-John Coltrane era. Corea continued to collaborate frequently while exploring different musical styles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He won 27 Grammy Awards and was nominated more than 60 times. Early life and education Armando Corea was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts on June 12, 1941, to parents Anna (née Zaccone) and Armando J. Corea. He was of southern Italian descent, his father having been born to an immigrant from Albi co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Youngblood Brass Band
The Youngblood Brass Band is an American brass band from Madison, Wisconsin that was established in 1998. The band has released six albums and has toured throughout the United States and Europe. History The band came together in 1995 as the One Lard Biskit Brass Band, subsequently releasing the album ''Better Recognize'' locally. The Youngblood name dates from 1998, the year the group put out their first album, ''Word On The Street''. In 2000 Youngblood released ''Unlearn'', which featured appearances by Talib Kweli, Mike Ladd, DJ Skooly and Ike Willis. ''Unlearn'', which like ''Word On The Street'' was released independently, garnered the band significant attention and led to them being signed to Ozone Music NYC. The band's first album for Ozone, called ''center:level:roar'', came out in 2003. In 2004, sousaphonist and primary arranger Nat McIntosh left the group. As McIntosh’s music was a "main component of the band's sound since inception", his departure marked a change in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album '' Horses''. Called the "punk poet laureate", Smith fused rock and poetry in her work. Her most widely known song is " Because the Night", which was co-written with Bruce Springsteen. It reached number 13 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in 1978 and number five in the UK. In 2005, Smith was named a Commander of the ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' by the French Ministry of Culture. In 2007, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On November 17, 2010, Smith won the National Book Award for her memoir ''Just Kids''. The book fulfilled a promise she had made to her former long-time partner Robert Mapplethorpe. She placed 47th in ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of 100 Greatest Artists published in December 2010 and was also a recipient of the 2011 Polar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scarface (rapper)
Bradley Terrence Jordan (born November 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Scarface, is an American rapper and record producer best known as a member of the Geto Boys, a hip-hop group from Houston, Texas. He grew up in Houston and is originally from the city's South Acres (Crestmont Park) neighborhood.Rodriguez, Lori.SHIFTING DEMOGRAPHICS / Latinos bringing change to black neighborhoods / Newcomers are finding acceptance comes gradually" ''Houston Chronicle''. Monday May 2, 2005. A1. Retrieved on February 4, 2009. In 2012, ''The Source'' ranked him #16 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time, while About.com ranked him #6 on its list of the 50 Greatest MCs of Our Time (1987–2007). Early life and education Scarface attended Woodson Middle School in Houston, Texas.Lomax, John Nova. "South Park Monster." ''Houston Press''. Thursday June 6, 20023 Retrieved on February 6, 2011. He dropped out of high school and worked as a drug dealer. As a teenager, he attempted s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Curtain Falls
"Curtain Falls" is a song by English boy band Blue. The song was co-written by the band and StarGate, who produced the track. Stevie Wonder is also credited as a writer due to the sampling of his 1976 song "Pastime Paradise". "Curtain Falls" was released on 8 November 2004 as the first single from Blue's first greatest hits album, ''Best of Blue'' (2004). Commercially, it peaked at number two in Italy, number four in the United Kingdom, and number eight in Germany. In France, the song was re-recorded in French and re-titled "Quand le rideau tombe"; although it was released as a single there, only the English version charted. Track listings UK CD1 # "Curtain Falls" (album version) # "Best of Blue Medley" UK CD2 # "Curtain Falls" (album version) – 4:03 # "Long Time" – 4:14 # "Too Close" (Blacksmith R&B club rub) – 5:41 French CD single # "Curtain Falls" – 3:38 # "Quand le rideau tombe" – 3:20 # "Curtain Falls" (video) – 3:58 Credits and personnel Credits are taken fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blue (English Band)
Blue are an English boy band consisting of members Simon Webbe, Duncan James, Antony Costa and Lee Ryan. The group formed in 2000 and released three studio albums before announcing a hiatus In late 2004. In January 2011 the group reformed and represented the United Kingdom at the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest in Düsseldorf with the song " I Can", coming in 11th place with 100 points. In 2013 it was confirmed that the group would be joining ''The Big Reunion'', in which six groups from the past (including Liberty X, Atomic Kitten and 5ive) reform for a one-off gig. On 27 March 2013, the group announced they would embark on their first headlining tour later on in the year, their first tour in nearly ten years. In April 2015, Blue were dropped by their record label Sony due to the poor performance of their fifth album ''Colours''. In 2022, Blue returned with singles "Haven't Found You Yet" and " Dance with Me", both from their sixth studio album ''Heart & Soul'', which was r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Basta (Noggano)
Vasiliy Mikhaylovich Vakulenko (russian: Василий Михайлович Вакуленко; born 20 April 1980), better known by stage name Basta, and also known as Noggano, is a Russian rapper, producer and radio host. In January 2023, Ukraine imposed sanctions on Vasiliy for his support of 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Biography Basta's father was an army officer who had served in Belarus during the 1980s. He studied at the local musical college, but did not graduate. Basta first began to write rap songs between the ages of 15–16. In 1997, he joined the rap group Psycholyric, which he later renamed Kasta. In 1998, he recorded his first solo single "Моя Игра" (Moya Igra/My Game). Subsequently, Vakulenko assembled his own band, "Уличные Звуки" (Ulichnye Zvuki/Street Sounds). In 2004, he was noticed by Bogdan Titomir, who invited him to accompany him to Moscow. In Moscow, Basta met other performers Smoky Mo and Guf (future founder of the Centr). Later ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
.jpg "Click for more on -> Stevie Wonder")
.svg "Click for more on -> Ray Barretto")
