While the eclectic Afrobeat group Zap Mama has been through numerous line-up changes over the course of a career that now spans nearly two decades, the one constant has been Afropean singer and songwriter Marie Daulne. Born in Africa but raised in Belgium, she is clearly indebted to both cultures and has said that while growing up, she listened equally to reggae and French pop.In fact, she speaks both French and English and often sings in French. But don’t let that keep you away. Zap Mama, which recorded briefly for David Byrne’s Luaka Bop label, is very accessible as Daulne’s led the group from a trio of a capella singers to a vibrant world beat unit with a rotating cast of studio musicians.

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Ender Thomas, Chloe and Yanni at Sears Centre in IL (Photos By Andy Argyrakis)

Some artists find the most success when giving their career a complete makeover, and in the case of Yanni, he’s literally shifted from a late night PBS punch line (Yawni anyone?) to a Simon Cowell-styled talent scout of sorts. Along with the makeover comes the cutting of his lengthy locks, the shaving of that signature mustache and signing a record deal with Disney, also the home to Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers and plenty of today’s teen poppers.

And these days, the new age stalwart turned piano popper is finding a somewhat unexpected audience outside of the graying generation thanks to a recent talent search that plucked four fresh-faced signers out of obscurity and gave them a national platform on the Yanni Voices CD (produced by Jennifer Lopez/Mariah Carey mastermind Ric Wake), followed by an arena tour. (more…)

With school winding down and line-ups for the likes of Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza finally finalized, the festival season is indeed in full swing. But this summer wouldn’t be complete without the famed Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, Illinois’ ongoing summer soirée boasting the best in pop, rock, jazz, soul, classical and a slew of fine art performances. In terms of the top concerts, there are plenty to choose from, including a series of Ravinia debuts merged with some perennial favorites. (more…)

As a modern day leader in the rap and hip-hop scene, Akon can choose pretty much anyone who he’d like to work with. And chances are, like most in those genres, old school stars of the ’80s have likely rubbed off on the R&B side of their sounds. Though Lionel Richie (yup, that would be Nicole’s dad) doesn’t sound like an overt influence on the current entertainer, apparaently the two have become pals, so much so that they’ve decided to work together. (more…)

When acclaimed director Mimi Leder (Deep Impact) brings celebrated actors such as Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas and Rahda Mitchell together, one can’t help but expect great things from a movie. In The Code (hitting DVD June 23), veteran art thief Keith Ripley (Freeman) recruits Gabriel Martin (Banderas) to aid him in the theft of two Faberge eggs from an impenetrable vault, while at the same time repaying his debt to the Russian mob. The vault is near impossible to break into but the two cunning thieves will do whatever it takes to pull off the ultimate heist. (more…)

Picking a definitive musical movie is a tricky task considering America’s lengthy film lineage, but “The Wizard of Oz” is surely towards the front of the pack. For starters, it helped springboard the youthful Judy Garland into an international icon and has since been shown on television so many times that it’s been immortalized by multiple generations. Add in ongoing rumors that Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon is a perfect soundtrack match, plus its prequel play “Wicked” becoming a recent Broadway blockbuster, and attention remains at an all time high for this pop culture phenomenon. (more…)

Long before Medeski Martin & Wood or the jazzy jam scene in general, Return To Forever was tearing up the experimental circuit. In fact, it was twenty-five years ago since the super group comprised of keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Al Di Meola and drummer Lenny White last toured together, though as the DVD Live at Montreux 2008 (Eagle Rock Entertainment) indicates, the foursome’s innovative fusions are still in tact. (more…)

A beautiful love story that becomes an exciting adventure story, the new Pixar movie, Up, continues the studio’s tradition of delivering top-notch animated films that rely as much upon story and character development as they do upon their computer-generated graphics. Up, which opens May 29, starts slow as we see a childhood friendship between Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) and Ellie (Elie Docter), two young kids who dream about becoming international explorers, blossom into a romance.

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Set during WWII, The Edge of Love (coming to Image DVD July 14) explores the boundaries of relationships, the aftermath of trauma, and the nature of betrayal. Unfortunately, much like the several bombing scenes that occur in the film, the narrative is choppy and jarring. What could have been an interesting and deep plot becomes difficult to follow as a result of the poor storytelling. (more…)

Relapse, Eminem’s first studio album in five years, opens with “Dr. West,” a silly sketch in which Eminem (Marshall Mathers) addresses his addiction to pain killers and talks about how anxious and nervous he is, wondering if he’ll have to go AA meetings and what-not to stay sober. While it’s intended to be a goof, Eminem certainly has plenty about which to be anxious. And his battle with addiction is only the tip of the iceberg. The landscape for hip-hop and rap has changed drastically since the days when his albums were selling by the truckloads. Given the way album sales have dropped off, it’s hard to imagine the Detroit rapper will match his previous numbers with Relapse. The simple fact that Em’s been pretty quiet for five years doesn’t help matters, either. In fact, on Relapse, Eminem sounds out of touch from the get-go.

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