Music News | Music News Headlines – Yahoo! Maktoob News

Turkish-Armenian writer handed jail sentence for blasphemy

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:25:36 +0300

ISTANBUL, May 22 (Reuters) - An Istanbul court has sentenceda Turkish-Armenian author and blogger to more than a year inprison for insulting the Prophet Mohammad, local media reportedon Wednesday, weeks after a similar case caused alarm amongsecularists. Sevan Nisanyan, who has authored several books and who runsa blog on what he describes as "history, religion and a (little)politics", posted a link to the offending blog on his Twitteraccount following the ruling. The accompanying message read: "Let's share the article thatbrought a sentence of 13. ...

Denmark wins Eurovision Song Contest

Sun, 19 May 2013 05:03:18 +0300

Denmark won this year's Eurovision Song Contest in the Swedish city of Malmo early Sunday with the song "Only Teardrops" by Emmelie de Forest.

Google debuts music service for Android gadgets

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:15:36 +0300

Google on Wednesday rolled out a music service for smartphones or tablets powered by its free Android software, in a ramped up challenge to Spotify and Pandora.

French panel moots taxes on smartphones, tablets

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:36:17 +0300

A report by a French expert panel published on Monday recommended imposing taxes on smartphones and tablets but rejected a call for search engine Google to be charged for linking to media content.

Nazi version of Wagner opera shut down in Germany

Thu, 09 May 2013 18:24:08 +0300

A Nazi-themed production of Richard Wagner's "Tannhauser" opera has been cancelled in Duesseldorf after realistic death scenes distressed audience members, the opera house said Thursday.

Indonesian governor surrenders Metallica guitar

Tue, 07 May 2013 11:12:42 +0300

The heavy metal-loving governor of Indonesian capital Jakarta has surrendered a guitar that was a gift from US band Metallica to anti-corruption authorities, an official said Tuesday.

Jackson lawyer blasts 'ruthless' promoter at trial

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 05:44:19 +0300

Michael Jackson's mother accused the promoter of his doomed final tour of sacrificing the troubled star in a "ruthless" pursuit of profit in the months before his 2009 death.

Rolling Stones play surprise LA club gig

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 12:10:22 +0300

The Rolling Stones played a surprise show late Saturday at a small club in Los Angeles, days before their north America tour kicks off here next week.

Kurdish singer sparks identity debate on Arab talent show

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:16:51 +0300

By Isabel Coles ARBIL, Iraq, April 25 (Reuters) - A singer from Iraq'sKurdistan region has made it through to the semi-final of anArab talent contest, igniting heated debates over Iraqi identityand politicising the popular TV show. A panel of judges praised 24-year-old Parwaz Hussein and shewas voted through to the next round of "Arab Idol", in whichaspiring popstars from Morocco to Bahrain compete for arecording contract. ...

Jay-Z, Kate Middleton, Aamir Khan on Time's most influential list

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:44:28 +0300

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Jay-Z, Pakistan teenager Malala Yousufzai, Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence and SpaceX founder Elon Musk were on Thursday named among Time magazine's most influential people in the world. U.S. President Barack Obama got his eighth entry on the annual list of the 100 top global titans, leaders, artists, pioneers and icons, along with his wife Michelle, newly installed Pope Francis, British royal Kate Middleton, Beyonce, Justin Bieber's manager Scooter Braun and basketball player LeBron James. ...

Turkish pianist gets suspended jail term for blasphemy

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:32:17 +0300

An Istanbul court on Monday slapped world-renowned pianist Fazil Say with a 10-month suspended jail term for blasphemy in what the musician has said was a political case instigated by Turkey's ruling party.

Psy's 'Gentleman' video smashes YouTube records

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:01:56 +0300

"Gangnam Style" star Psy's new music video had received more than 44 million views on YouTube by Monday, re-writing the video-sharing site's records for single-day hits.

Over 10 mn YouTube hits for Psy's 'Gentleman'

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 09:13:03 +0300

"Gangnam Style" star Psy's new music video had been watched more than 10 million times on YouTube less than 24 hours after he unveiled his much-anticipated new dance in Seoul, the website showed Sunday.

BBC in death song ding-dong with Thatcher fans

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:35:48 +0300

The BBC came under pressure on Friday to ban the Wizard of Oz song "Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead" from its airwaves as it surged towards the top of the British charts following the death of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

Singer Chris Brown ordered back to court over community service

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 05:44:48 +0300

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - R&B singer Chris Brown must return to court in June after a Los Angeles judge said on Friday information was still being collected on allegations that the singer cut corners on his community service requirements. Brown, 23, is still on probation for a 2009 assault on his girlfriend Rihanna for which he was also sentenced to 180 days of community service and domestic violence counseling. Prosecutors said in February he had skimped on the community service requirements. ...

Wrongful death trial to revisit Michael Jackson's chequered life

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 04:34:03 +0300

By Jill Serjeant LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Jury selection began on Tuesday in a Los Angeles civil trial that will revisit the chequered life and sudden death of superstar Michael Jackson before a planned comeback that he had hoped would revive his tattered personal and musical reputation. Jackson's elderly mother Katherine is suing AEG Live, the promoters of a never-realized series of 2009 London concerts, for the wrongful death of her son, alleging they were negligent in hiring Dr Conrad Murray to care for the singer while he rehearsed for a planned series of 50 shows. ...

Bieber has four weeks to pick up pet monkey: Germany

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 17:54:18 +0300

Canadian teen heartthrob Justin Bieber has four weeks to produce the necessary papers to pick up his pet monkey Mally from the German customs office, authorities said Monday.

US court deals blow to digital music resales

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:05:58 +0300

A US federal court has dealt a blow to a music website offering sales of "pre-owned" digital music, ruling that it violates copyright law by making illegal reproductions.

Man jailed for attempted murder of "Turkish Pavarotti"

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 18:26:34 +0300

An Istanbul court on Friday convicted a man for "intentionally" attempting to murder internationally renowned Turkish singer Ibrahim Tatlises, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.

Tunisia detains two over anti-police rap video

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 20:25:00 +0300

Tunisian authorities have arrested two people for insulting security forces in a rap video they uploaded to the Internet, the interior ministry said on Tuesday.

Former Vienna Philharmonic chief was Nazi paramilitary

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:44:36 +0300

A former head of Vienna's prestigious Philharmonic Orchestra was a member of Nazi Germany's elite paramilitary SS and collaborated with the secret police, while half of its musicians were members of the Nazi party, historians have said.

Bieber ends London gig without hitches after 'rough week'

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 04:50:19 +0300

LONDON (Reuters) - Pop star Justin Bieber wrapped up his final London show without hitches on Friday after a week riddled with paparazzi run-ins and a trip to the hospital. Bieber, 19, sang and danced his way through his fourth night at London's O2 Arena on the European leg of his "Believe" world tour, back to his normal self after collapsing on stage from shortness of breath on Thursday. The Canadian-born singer was treated by doctors backstage and given oxygen on the third night of his London shows. ...

Pandora chief out after latest losses

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 01:52:05 +0300

Pandora Media's top executive announced plans Thursday to step down after the Internet radio giant's earnings report showing greater losses even as it captured more listeners.

Baghdad beats: Iraqis bid to revive traditional music

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:55:58 +0300

Hussein Abdullah clutches his oud, long the symbol of Iraqi music, and sighs. "Iraqis do not care for their musical heritage," he laments. "On TV, all you see are singers who have no voice."

Arab rappers take revolts to next level

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 07:29:42 +0300

Sitting on the fringes of upheaval in the Middle East, Lebanon's capital Beirut has become the scene of experimental music-making by Khat Thaleth, a group of rappers out to take the revolts that started during the Arab Spring to the next level.

Global music sales rise for first time since 1999

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 21:19:37 +0300

The music industry announced Tuesday the first lift in global sales since 1999, suggesting that the long-awaited fightback against the digital revolution has begun.

Chicago bluesman Magic Slim dead at 75

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 07:04:55 +0300

LOS ANGELES, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Guitarist Magic Slim, amainstay of the Chicago blues scene who followed in thefootsteps of such greats as Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, diedon Thursday at age 75, his manager said. Slim, the son of Mississippi sharecroppers, gave up thepiano and turned to guitar after losing his right pinky fingerin a cotton gin accident at age 13. He died at a Philadelphiahospital where he had been under treatment for various ailments,manager Marty Salzman said. ...

UPDATE 4-Three die in shooting, fiery crash on Las Vegas Strip

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 05:41:19 +0300

LAS VEGAS, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Three people died in the heartof the Las Vegas Strip early on Thursday when one or more gunmenin a Range Rover sport utility vehicle opened fire on aMaserati, killing the driver and touching off a fiery multi-carcrash. The driver of the Maserati died in the pre-dawn shooting,and his car veered out of control and smashed into a taxicarrying two people, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police spokesmanOfficer Jose Hernandez said. ...

Singer Morrissey will not get meat-free concert in Los Angeles

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:58:31 +0300

LOS ANGELES, Feb 21 (Reuters) - British vegetarian rocksinger Morrissey's concert in Los Angeles next week will be alittle more meaty than the former Smiths frontman had initiallyhoped. The longtime animal rights activist said earlier this week he had urged the Staples Center arena to close the concessionsof fast-food chain McDonald's and to halt the sale ofmeat by other outlets at the venue for his March 1 performancethere. ...

INTERVIEW-Adam Ant delivers first new album in 18 years

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 22:08:56 +0300

LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Flamboyant and wild, Adam Antstormed the British pop scene in the 1980s dressed as a pirateand highwayman, but crashed out of the music world in 1995,exhausted and battling mental illness. The British singer/songwriter spent these years raising hisdaughter and in and out of psychiatric care with bipolardisorder before slowly re-emerging with concerts leading to therelease this year of his first album in 18 years. ...

Lady Gaga has hip surgery, calls injury 'bump in the road'

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 21:53:01 +0300

LOS ANGELES, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Lady Gaga said she hasundergone surgery to repair an injured hip that forced the popsinger last week to cancel the remainder of her concert tour. The "Born This Way" singer thanked fans in a blog post onher littlemonsters.com fan website on Thursday, saying thesetback was "just a bump in the road." "As they wheeled me into surgery...I thought about all ofyour pain and perseverance, your unique family situations,school environments, health issues, homelessness, identitystruggles," wrote Lady Gaga, who often engages with her fansabout their personal problems. ...

'Scary Spice' Mel B joins 'America's Got Talent' panel

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 21:20:35 +0300

LOS ANGELES, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Former Spice Girl Mel B willjoin the judging panel on summer TV talent show "America's GotTalent," broadcaster NBC said on Thursday. The 37-year-old Briton, known by the nickname Scary Spicewhen she was part of the chart-topping 1990s British girl band,will replace Sharon Osbourne who quit the series in a disputewith NBC over their decision to drop her son Jack from anotherreality show. Mel B, whose full name is Melanie Brown, will join "shockjock" Howard Stern, who has agreed to return for his secondseason, and comedian Howie Mandel. ...

INTERVIEW-A year on, Pussy Riot claim a victory in Russia

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:40:34 +0300

* Pussy Riot protested against Putin in church a year ago * Putin has since tightened grip, two band members in jail * Freed band member says protest achieved main aims MOSCOW, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Yekaterina Samutsevich has fewregrets about the day a year ago when she marched into a RussianOrthodox church with four other members of the Pussy Riot punkband, pulled on a balaclava and reached for her guitar. ...

UK's BRIT Awards slammed as celebration of bland

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:53:13 +0300

* BRIT Awards show dismissed by critics as bland * Reviews suggest tone may reflect straitened times * TV audience highest for 10 years, despite criticism LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - "Sensible" and "sober" are wordsnot normally associated with rock and roll, but they summed uphow music critics viewed Wednesday night's BRIT Awards ceremonyat the London O2 Arena. Viewing figures for commercial broadcaster ITV1, which airedBritish pop's biggest night live, were the highest for a decade,so organisers, advertisers and the acts who performed wereunlikely to care too much about what experts thought. ...

Russian police detain Pussy Riot sympathisers in cathedral

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:49:10 +0300

MOSCOW, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Russian police on Thursdaydetained two women who emulated Pussy Riot activists by donningbalaclavas in Moscow's main Orthodox cathedral on Thursday, thefirst anniversary of the feminist group's protest in the samechurch. Security guards seized the two middle-aged women as theyplaced flowers at the altar of the Christ the Saviour Church andthen pulled off their masks. The women were then handed over topolice officers, who led them away. ...

Actresses walking Oscar's red carpet to exude sophistication, not sex

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:29:54 +0300

LOS ANGELES, Feb 21 (Reuters) - When actresses sashay downthe red carpet before the Oscars ceremony on Sunday, they areexpected to be wearing gowns exuding glamour and sophistication,not flesh-exposing jaw-droppers. Performers at this month's Grammys were issued a "wardrobeadvisory" ahead of the big music awards show, telling them to cover up and keep buttocks, nipples and genitals under wraps.The advisory appeared to work, as no one bared too much skin. ...

Conductor Gardiner: U.S. resists "historic" performance

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:59:52 +0300

LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - When Sir John Eliot Gardineralmost two decades ago brought out a major recording of theBeethoven symphonies played on old-fashioned instruments, somereviewers carped about fast tempos, harsh or even rude soundsand a general uncouthness. Nowadays, and after he has issued what some number cruncherssay is 250 CDs, "historically informed performance", with theoh-so-clever acronym HIP, is mainstream in many parts of theworld with the notable exception, Gardiner said, of America. ...

FACTBOX-BRIT Awards 2013 winners

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 02:16:45 +0300

LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The BRIT Awards, Britain's toppop music honours, were handed out at London's O2 Arena onWednesday. ...

UPDATE 3-Singer Emeli Sande wins big at predictable BRIT awards

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 02:08:20 +0300

* Scottish singer Emeli Sande wins best album and Britishfemale * Ben Howard takes British breakthrough act and male solo * Frank Ocean beats Springsteen for international male solo * Music industry frets over falling album sales (Adds winners, quotes, colour, end of awards show) LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Scottish singer Emeli Sande wonthe coveted best album honour at the BRIT Awards on Wednesdayfor "Our Version of Events", confirming her status as favouritegoing into British pop's big night of the year. ...

Jennifer Hudson, Zeta-Jones to sing in Oscars musical tribute

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:25:57 +0300

LOS ANGELES, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Oscar winners Russell Crowe,Jennifer Hudson and Catherine Zeta-Jones will perform at theAcademy Awards in a tribute to the resurgence of big-screenmusicals, organizers said on Wednesday. The performance, which will also feature Oscar nominees AnneHathaway and Hugh Jackman from "Les Miserables," is part of theseveral musical acts at the annual Hollywood awards on Sunday. ...