Kingsfall, the Dallas-based rockers who were named the 2009 Famecast Fenoms and the Bandwars winners earlier this year have added another notch to their belts. After a mini-tour of the south west, they appeared at The World Famous Whisky a Go Go on Sunset Blvd., where they played to a packed house of Musexpo delegates from around the world. One of only 28 artists to attend this prestigious event, Kingsfall impressed fans and industry execs alike:

“Kingsfall is a great band and yes they were hot at the Whiskey!” (Bill Davidow - Virlouise Records)

“What an honor and pleasure it was to have Kingsfall at MUSEXPO in LA. They were brilliant. They reminded me of a more mainstream Coldplay with an American edge. Josh was fantastic…he’s a star”. (Sat Bisla – CEO Musexpo / A&R Worldwide)

“Kingsfall ruled!” (Carla Potter -The Brat Agency - Auckland, New Zealand)

“Loved the Kingsfall show! It was truly was one of the highlights of the week for me!!!! This is a great band!” (Michelle Bakker - The Brat Agency - Auckland, New Zealand)

“Kingsfall is a great band and they sounded good at the whiskey. The lead singer has charisma; his voice is strong and distinct. The songs sound fresh and they all look good.” (Susan Elaine Wheeler/CEO Creative Perspective Solutions)

“While I’ve never met a manager who wasn’t passionate about their artist, the artist’s talent doesn’t always warrant it. This is not the case with Kingsfall. I thought the CD was excellent. Congratulations on representing an artist that could really break out.” (Paul Menes - Entertainment Attorney - Sedgwick Detert Moran & Arnold LLP)

“I was blown away by Kingsfall … Such talent & more important passion!” (Monte Malone - Director of Artist Development - A&R Worldwide/Musexpo)

Kingsfall will continue the momentum, playing shows through the south, before taking on their next big challenge … The World’s Largest Music Festival. Summerfest 2009 will welcome Kingsfall on June 28th as one of the few unsigned bands invited to perform alongside top name artists like Kid Rock, Lynryd Skynyrd, Bon Jovi, Puddle of Mudd, Skillet, and The Fray.

About Kingsfall:
Kingsfall spreads a message of hope with tenacity and aggressiveness. Their self titled debut CD is receiving airplay and rave reviews from industry leaders, critics, manufacturer’s and fans alike.

Based in Dallas, this exciting and energetic band with their own distinct sound has been compared to Mutemath, Coldplay, Third Eye Blind and Switchfoot, who they opened up for this past year at Baylor University. Other national acts that they have shared the stage with are The Afters, Sugarcult, and Love-drug.

http://www.myspace.com/kingsfall

The music of Sara Tavares is full of ‘sunshine soul’ and “Xinti” (“Feel It”), her new album, is suffused with it. Brimming with Cape Verdean guitar licks, Angolese rhythms and warm Portuguese vocals, Sara never sounded more intense. This is a startling collection, packed with surprises that display how progressively richer and more expansive Sara Tavares’s vocal repertoire has become since her previous album “Balancê”. Her songs are lyrical, sensual and more textured. They are intimate but also wrapped in irresistibly funky rhythms drawn from the Cape Verdean / African diaspora. Themes of love – spiritual and human – embrace philosophical reflections that describe, says Tavares, “the soul taking flight.”

Charlie Gillet about her live gig last saturday in the Barbican:

“I was bowled over by Sara Tavares’ live performance, having already been bedazzled by her guitar playing during a session recorded for World on BBC 3 two days earlier.”

XINTI TOUR DATES
24 April Barbican, London - UK (double bill with Oumou Sangare)
30 April HIFA, Harare - ZIM
6 May Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam - NL
8 May De Roma, Antwerpen - BE
9 May Ancienne Belgique, Brussels – BE
12 May Oude Luxor, Rotterdam - NL
13 May Fabrik, Hamburg - DE
15 May Kesselhaus, Berlin - DE
16 May Brotfabrik, Frankfurt - DE
17 May BASF Geselschaftshaus, Ludwigshafen - DE
19 May Konzerthaus, Dortmund - DE
1 June Africa Festival, Würzburg- DE
3 June Sala Galileo, Madrid - ES
5 June Auditori 2, Barcelona - ES
18 June Arena de Évora, Évora - PT
26 June Bulgaria Hall, Sofia – Bulgaria
4 July Festival Delta, Lisboa - PT
1 July STIMMEN-Festival, Lörrach - DE
18 July Oeiras - PT
6 Aug Festival Sons do Atlantico, Lagoa - PT
24 Sept Gewandhaus, Leipzig – DE
25 Sept Dunkers kulturhus, Helsingborg - SE
26 Sept Kulturhuset, Stockholm - SE
28 Sept Savoy Teater, Helsinki - FI

XINTI RELEASE
Benelux, Portugal: 11 May
Germany: 11 May
UK: 18 May
France: September
North America: September

www.saratavares.com

With the gold medal, for the second year in a row, George Delikouras finished the 2009 Athens Eurolymp week. The sailor of Piraeus Sailing Club won 7 out of the 9 races and finished first with a total of 9 penalty points ahead of Zoltan Pegan (twice World Champion in the Challenger class and Beijing 2009 Paralympian) who collected 18 penalty points. In the third place Sakis Kostaris also form Piraeus Sailing Club with 27 penalty points.

The participants in the 2.4mR class were 6 in total. From Greece there were 5 yachts plus 1 from Hungary. The regatta was organised by the Hellenic Yachting Federation and included all the Olympic sailing classes plus the Paralympic 2.4mR. In total 210 athletes from 12 countries competed in this year’s event creating a record for the Athens Eurolymp week. ERT that was the communications sponsor, covered the event throughout the week with briefings at the 21:00 and midnight news. PRISMA+ will broadcast an extended story this week in the show “ENTOS, EKTOS” at 19:00. Almost all the sports newspapers and sports portals covered the event with daily feeds.

More info about the regatta at: www.sailability.gr and www.eio.gr

Photos from the regatta

Madonna has reportedly split from her toyboy model lover Jesus Luz just days after reports that she’d moved him into her luxury New York apartment.

According to The Mirror, The Material Girl sent Jesus packing after the couple argued over Madonna’s refusal to meet the 22-year-old model’s family in his home country of Brazil.

“It was a huge wakeup call for Madonna that Jesus really isn’t the man for her,” says a source. “Things were moving too fast and they were practically living in each other’s pockets.”

The insider continues, “Jesus felt so rejected when Madge was dragging her heels over the family meeting in Brazil. Mother’s Day is a big deal for him as it’s tradition for all of the Luz matriarchs to be celebrated, including his 37-year-old mother.”

“But for Madonna the reality of the situation has come crashing down - it just seemed inappropriate to be spending Mother’s Day with him.”

In other Madge news, Madonna is flying to Malawi this weekend where she is expected to adopt a second baby from the African country, this time a 3-year-old girl named Mercy.

The Australian singer reportedly impressed Indian directors with her Bollywood moves after only three days of rehearsals for the film Blue.

The pop singer said she was thrilled to work with India’s double Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman, after recording one of his songs for the move. She met Rahman at the Baftas in London last month where she presented him with an award for Slumdog Millionaire.

The movie is about a sunken treasure ship and is said to have been inspired by the Hollywood production “The Deep”.

Although little is known about the plot, Minogue will reportedly appear in the film playing herself, acting one scene with action hero Akshay Kumar and performing a set-piece song-and-dance routine.

Speaking to reporters, Minogue said she had been overwhelmed by the response she received in India.

“My over riding memory of India is the warmth and professionalism of the people I dealt with whilst making Blue,” she said.

“I arrived here as a stranger but I left considering myself as family.”

“I don’t feel that I’m necessarily at the forefront of a Hollywood-Bollywood crossover because I don’t consider myself Hollywood.

“But I do think this could be the start of something. The fact that I’m here shows it could be the start of something.”

Kumar, who last year starred in a music video with Snoop Dogg said he felt Slumdog Millionaire had “opened many doors for not only India, but for our own film industry”.

He added: “Only weeks ago Kylie was on stage honouring our Rahman at the Bafta Awards, now she’s performing a song composed by the very same man.

“And I’ve heard Kylie moves as sweet as she sings, so it’s back to the rehearsal room for me!”

Minogue is just one of the first Western stars to appear in a Bollywood film - later this year Sylvester Stallone will become the first major American star to appear in a Bollywood film, titled Incredible Love. The move is also rumoured to feature Arnold Schwarzenegger. It will also be the first time an Indian production is shot at Hollywood’s Universal Studios.

Source: Telegraph on line