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Williams and Thicke lose Winslet on Blurred Lines copyright case the Pressures
Facing New Moms
Attorney Mark Levinsohn, far left, walks with the late singer, Marvin Gaye’s family members, from left, daughter, Nona Gaye, ex-wife, Jan Gaye, and son, Frankie Gaye, outside the Los Angeles U.S. District Court after a jury awarded his children nearly $7.4 million after determining singers Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams copied their father’s music to create “Blurred Lines,” Tuesday, March 10, 2015. Gaye died in April 1984, leaving his children the copyrights to his music. (AP Photo)
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jury in the United States has ruled that the writers of Blurred Lines - one of the best-selling singles of all time - copied a Marvin Gaye track. The family of the late soul singer has been awarded $7.3m (£4.8m) in damages. Thicke and Williams denied copying the hit, and their lawyer said the ruling set a “horrible precedent”. Meanwhile, the Gaye family’s lawyer told Rolling Stone he wanted to stop the sales of Blurred Lines. “We’ll be asking the court to enter an injunction prohibiting the further sale and distribution of Blurred Lines unless and until we can reach an agreement with those guys on the oth-
er side about how future monies that are received will be shared,” attorney Richard Busch said. Gaye died in April 1984, leaving his children the copyright to his music. His children - Nona, Frankie and Marvin Gaye III - sued Thicke and Williams in 2013. Nona wept as the verdict was read in court. “Right now, I feel free,” she told reporters after the ruling. “Free from... Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke’s chains and what they tried to keep on us and the lies that were told.” In court, Williams had told jurors that Gaye’s music was part of the soundtrack of his youth but he insisted it was not on his mind when he wrote the song. But the
musician recognised a likeness between the songs and agreed he was “channelling... that late-70s feeling” when he co-wrote the song. Thicke testified that he had contributed little to the writing of the song. “While we respect the judicial process, we are extremely disappointed in the ruling made today, which sets a horrible precedent for music and creativity going forward,” the pair’s lawyer Howard E King said. “We are reviewing the decision, considering our options and you will hear more from us soon about this matter.” The hit, which earned a Grammy nomination, generated more than $16m (£10.8) in profits and made more than $5m (£3m) for both stars.
Sarah Brightman to become first singer to croon in space
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oprano Sarah Brightman has performed on Broadway, London’s West End and at two Olympics, but there has always been one final frontier for the space enthusiast. The 54-yearold music icon announced Tuesday that she will jettison herself into orbit aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station on Sept. 1. In the process, she will become the first professional singer to croon outside Earth’s atmosphere. “I would like to sing something from space,” Brightman told reporters, according, of her plans to reteam with ex-husband Andrew Lloyd Webber to write a new song that’s appropriate for the historic first. “We’re trying to work out all the technical details, obviously it’s quite a complex thing to do.”
Equally hard is getting ready for the journey, run by the private company Space Adventures, training for which began in January in Moscow. The former “Phantom of the Opera” and “Cats” star described the centrifuge experience — simulating the g-force she’d experience at launch — like having “an elephant on your chest.” She’ll be part of a three-person mission that will spend 10 days onboard the space station, which is roughly the size of a six-bedroom house. Brightman says she’s looked to the stars ever since she watched the moon landing as a child. “I think that moment, it was pivotal in my life,” she said, according “I never really talked about it as it could never be a reality, it was all very abstract. But it was always my ambition to fly to space.”
Zoolander and Hansel upstage Valentino’s blockbuster show
Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller were a surprise addition to the splendidly serene Valentino show
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‘It’s Not Fair’
“Having a baby is amazing and not fitting into your jeans, it just doesn’t matter,” said Kate
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ifteen months after giving birth to son Bear Blaze, Kate Winslet told “Extra’s” Renee Bargh, “To be honest, I’m probably, kind of only just actually back to what I was before and, you know, that’s really okay.” In the one-on-one interview, Kate spoke out against the pressures new moms feel to lose weight. “I do think it is because the media do rush to put… women on the cover of a magazine, or even… grab a paparazzi shot of them… eight weeks post-baby and say, ‘Oh look, eight weeks postbaby, doesn’t she look amazing?’ You know, looking amazing eight weeks post-baby is having huge boobs because they’re full of milk, and a belly that still looks, you know, like you’ve got a baby inside it because guess what, that’s what actually happens,” said Kate. The star of “The Divergent Series: Insurgent” added, “It bothers me… I think it’s not right and it’s not fair. Having a baby is amazing and not fitting into your jeans… it’s kind of a pain in the ass for awhile, but ultimately, it just doesn’t matter. It just doesn’t matter, and that time of being at home with that little newborn and not having to… wear a pair of jeans or slip into a red carpet dress, it’s so fantastic… I wanted it to go on and on forever.” Kate has three children. Her oldest daughter, Mia, is 14, and Bear’s older brother, Joe, is 11. Believe it or not, none of them really understand how big a star their mother is. “I’ve been able to navigate the way quite stealthily so that, to be honest, they aren’t really exposed to it… It might sound ridiculous, but it’s really true. They’re fairly unaware of that side of it.” They do, however, know that mom plays the evil Jeanine in “The Divergent Series” and that makes Kate “the coolest mom in the school playground.” Kate told “Extra” she really enjoyed playing Jeanine, but had trouble relating to her. “I don’t sympathize with her in the slightest,” said Kate. “People keep asking me… ‘What did you channel to sympathize with Jeanine?’ Nothing… I don’t feel anything for her at all.” Next up for Kate is “Steve Jobs.” The film, directed by Danny Boyle, is about the late Apple co-founder, but Kate is quick to point out it’s not a biopic. “People don’t know much about it, actually, which is really quite cool,” said Kate. That film is slated for an October release. “The Divergent Series: Insurgent” hits theaters Friday, March 20.
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Fans open restaurant in Salman’s honour
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ive Salman Khan fans have set up a restaurant called Bhaijaanz in Mumbai. Any resemblance its name may bear with the fact that Salman’s next film is titled Bajrangi Bhaijaan could seem coincidental. ‘Bhaijaan’ has been a popular nickname the actor has acquired over the years. The restaurant located on Carter Road in Bandra is the brainchild of five friends -Rahul Kanal, Tabrez Shaikh, Sohail Siddique, Kursheed Khan and Zafar Sayed Yusuf. Its entrance draws inspiration from Salman’s Galaxy Apartment in Bandstand. His past films and favourite things add to the interior ambience. The actor’s choicest dishes find mention in the menu that has been assembled by Tabrez Sheikh, former chef of Radisson London. A huge painting of Salman as the Hulk hangs prominently inside while the walls carry some of his favourite dialogues, including Ek baar jo maine commitment kardi and Dosti ka ek usool hain madam no sorry no thank you.
Stephanie Sigman joins ‘Spectre’
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exican actress Stephanie Sigman has been roped in to play Estrella in the next James Bond movie “Spectre”. The 28-year-old has joined previously announced stars Monica Bellucci and Lea Seydoux in the film, reports aceshowbiz. com. The news was announced on the official James Bond Twitter account, where the post read: “We are pleased to announced that @SigmanStephanie has joined the cast of #Spectre as Estrella.” Sigman will play the mysterious character in the 24th James Bond film, with further details being kept under wraps. She has appeared in films like “Miss Bala” and “Pioneer”. Meanwhile, Daniel Craig will reprise the role of James Bond for the fourth time, alongside director Sam Mendes and returning co-stars Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes and Rory Kinnear as his MI6 colleagues. New cast members included in “Spectre” are Andrew Scott, Christoph Waltz and Dave Bautista. “Spectre” is slated to release on November 6.
Farhan performs at UN concert
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ndian actor-producer Farhan Akhtar performed at a star-studded event here organised by the UN’s body on women empowerment where leaders made a clarion call to end gender inequality by the year 2030. The event ‘Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality’ was a UN Women-hosted celebration for 20th anniversary of the historic Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. It was attended by President of Liberia Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The event saw electrifying performances that brought the message home and the audience to their feet, including a song and poem by Akhtar, UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador and Founder of Men Against Rape and Discrimination (MARD). “Gender violence and gender inequality is not just a women’s issue. It’s also a man’s issue. It’s not just because we have mothers, wives, sisters and daughters. We’re here because it’s a human rights issue and we are all human beings,” he said in a message. Akhtar, 41, had also attended the US premiere of the documentary “India’s Daughter” in the city on Monday with his wife Adhuna. Following the screening, he had posted on Twitter that he humbly appeals to the concerned ministry that they lift the ban on this film. “It’s only effect is that of introspection.” Akhtar, who also met the UN Chief and head of the UN Women tweeted that he “represents millions of Indian men who are concerned about gender equality.” The event, attended by about 2,000 people, commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing that set the ground-breaking agenda for women’s rights in 1995, UN Women said in a statement.
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Neil Zaza set to tour Nagaland & Manipur
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ierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri, the joint creative directors at Valentino, have always been popular for their mastery of couture techniques and their ability to combine that with a strong fashion sensibility. Today however, a huge surge of love for them swept across the catwalk after they allowed their blockbuster collection of gossamer dresses to be upstaged by Hansel and Derek, aka Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller, who closed their show. Predictably the crowd erupted. Fashion folk go out of their way to show they can take a joke, even when they’re not sure whether the joke’s working in their favour or not. It’s 14 years since Zoolander was released, which makes it only marginally younger than some of the models. Derek and Hansel appear to have aged surprisingly well, although Hansel’s modelling skills have not improved - his shoulder-robing is hopeless and his coat ended up on the catwalk. The audience was instructed to tag its Instagrams and Tweets #Zoolander2, confirming years of waiting are finally to end with a sequel slated for
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2016. There will be plenty of new material. The advent of social media has made the circus surrounding shows more freakish than Stiller could possibly have imagined when he wrote the first Zoolander. The paparazzi outside the Valentino show for instance, were almost more numerous than those inside - and even more uncouth, as they stampeded in herds after their street style quarry. Meanwhile, like a beautiful deed in a crazy, chaotic world, the Valentino ateliers produced dress after stunning dress. What began as a relatively straightforward monochrome statement of beautifully engineered high-waisted, checker-board print dresses and 7/8th trousers, leather trimmed capes and pussy-cat bow blouses, gradually blossomed into the kind of wardrobe Sleeping Beauty must have
dreamed about - and she had a long time to dream. Highlights included princess-line dresses composed of patchwork guipure and Chantilly lace; velvet dresses with dropshoulder voile inserts and feather print silk skirts. What makes these two designers so exceptional is their ability to juggle any number of highly crafted plates - viz a black leather and voile shift dress, with leather fringes - without any of them crashing to the floor. Think tough doing battle with tender, and deciding to draw up a peace accord. Or Sir Simon Rattle conducting traffic and avoiding a multiple pile-up. But perhaps the very best looks were the (seemingly) simple: a floor length liquid, ivory coloured dress with a double layer yoke at the back.…and that moment when Hansel’s pale blue coat slithered onto the floor.
eil Zaza is a melodic instrumental guitarist who has become well known for his technical accuracy and adaptation of classical works by Bach and Mozart into his own blend of neo-classical, melodic, guitar instrumentals. He has also shared the stage with notable guitarists such as Joe Satriani and Michael Angelo Batio. He holds an annual concert called One Silent Night at the Palace Theater in Cleveland with the backing of the 60 piece Cleveland Rock Orchestra and features his adaptation of popular Christmas songs to his melodic style. Zaza is known for dramatic entrances, often suddenly appearing from behind projector screens to provide his signature brand of neo-classical guitar virtuosity. Asa Vero from Nagaland will be the supporting artist for Neil Zaza’s India Tour 2015. Artist is managed by Sky Entertainment and the Event is managed and promoted by SOMA (school of music and arts) for Dimapur, Kohima institute of
TOUR DATES
• Dimapur: April 10 • Wokha: April 13 • Kohima: April 14 • Senapati: April 15 • Imphal: April 16
Music for Kohima, King’s sound for Wokha, JK construction for Senapati and 7 sisters entertainment for Imphal. The event is sponsored by Wings of Love, AFC Dimapur and Citi Soft solutions.
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