Riley B. King, the legendary guitarist known as B.B. King, sadly passed away at his home in Las Vegas yesterday, at the age of 89.
The 89 year old singer had been receiving hospice care before he died peacefully in his sleep.
King arrived on the music scene in the 50s, and released his debut album Singin’ The Blues in 1957 which spawned five charting singles.
He won his first Grammy Award in 1971, bagging Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. He went on to win another 14 of the prestigious music awards and was last honoured at the ceremony in 2009 for Best Traditional Blues Album.
On top of that he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 1987, as well as a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998.
The blues star was performing well into his 80s, before he suffered with diabetes and realised his health had been in decline for the past year.
Throughout his musical journey, King had collaborated with everyone, from Eric Clapton to U2.
He truly is a legend that will never be forgotten.
Film director Asif Kapadia has spoken out to defend the Amy Winehouse documentary, saying he tried to make it as true to the late singer as possible.
The film has already attracted its fair share of controversy after the Winehouse family disassociated themselves from the work, with Amy’s father Mitch Winehouse threatening legal action over the way he has been portrayed.
However speaking at the Cannes Film Festival, Kapadia explained: ‘My angle was to make a film that was honest and truthful to Amy. There was a lot of tension, a lot of voices around her that made it difficult for her to deal with issues.
‘I think that is difficult for people to see because it’s turning the mirror around.’
He added that the story was ‘about her and her creative period, which was in her earlier years’.
Kapadia also said: ‘Sadly in the last five years of her life she didn’t make any music. She stopped living, almost, and was stuck in a roadblock when it came to creativity.’
Mitch Winehouse hit back about the film saying that it paints him as an absent father, as well as expressing anger over comments made by the singer’s former husband Blake Fielder-Civil – who has previously admitted introducing her to drugs.
‘Blake is saying in the film that the reason Amy was like that was because of me – not because he gave her crack and heroin and because he completely manipulated and coerced her into Class A drugs,’ he said.
‘I felt sick when I watched it for the first time. Amy would be furious.’
FLORENCE, ITALY – MAY 14: Stefan Savic of ACF Fiorentina battles for the ball with Aleix Vidal of FC Sevilla during the UEFA Europa League Semi Final match between ACF Fiorentina and FC Sevilla on May 14, 2015 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
By Ayyaz Malik
After both enjoyed good results in their first leg Europa league first leg matches, it was of little surprise some may argue that Sevilla and Dnipro qualified for the Europa League final. Sevilla who have had somewhat of a monopoly after winning this tournament on three occasions with in the last 10 years.
Dnipro who will be competing in their first final in Warsaw, beat Italian giants 2-1 over two legs. Napoli who are managed by former Europa League winning manager Rafael Benitez came into their match with the Ukrainian side knowing they needed to score after the 1-1 draw in Naples – but sadly they never looked likely as Yehven Selezynov headed home the only goal of the night.
In the other semi-final Spanish giants Sevilla easily dispatched of Italian side Fiorentina with a 5-0 aggregate win. Goals by Carlos Bacca and Daniel Carrico sealed what was an already convincing win for the La Liga giants. Sevilla will now look to continue their recent monopoly of the Europa league when they face Ukraine’s Dnipro. A forgone conclusion one might say, we say a match isn’t won on paper – but rather on the football pitch.
The final between Dnipro and Sevilla will be in Warsaw Poland on 27th May.
Bradford Council has announced the headline music acts for this year’s Bradford Festival which is to include multi-award winning British artist, Apache Indian.
Best known for ‘Boomshackalak’, Apache Indian is the first Asian artist to achieve significant success in the international mainstream pop charts with seven top 40 hits and over 11 million in album sales.
He has toured the world five times and has just has just released his single, *Election Crisis*.
Bradford’s colourful and multicultural festival will also feature the former Gipsy Kings percussionist, Edwin Sanz and legendary British keyboard player, Alex Wilson.
Supported by a band featuring some of the top salsa musicians in Europe, the duo will pay tribute to Sanz’s home town, the Venezuelan barrio, San Agustin.
The band wowed 2014 Glastonbury audiences with its masterful rhythms and driving beats.
Edwin Sanz is a hugely versatile musician playing a large variety of instruments including congas, timbales, bongo, drums, cajon, djembe and many others.
Winner of the Rising Star award at the 2001 BBC Jazz Awards, Wilson is one of the very few Brits to be invited to Cuba to teach Latin music.
Hailed as India’s biggest cultural and musical exports, Raghu Dixit will bring his unique brand of infectious, happy music which ‘transcends age, genre, and language’ to the Bradford Festival’s Mela Day.
Raghu Dixit has performed for Her Majesty the Queen, appeared on Later with Jools Holland and played at the Glastonbury Festival.
The festival opens with multi-award winning blues and rock powerhouse, Chantel McGregor.
Born in Bradford, McGregor was the first female artist to win Guitarist of the Year at the British Blues Awards in 2013.
She clinched the same award in 2014 receiving numerous accolades from the music press.
Bradford’s high quality, multicultural arts and music festival runs 12-14 June in City Park.
Last year’s Bradford Festival attracted over 150,000 to City Park during the three day event.
Coun Susan Hinchcliffe, Portfolio Holder for Employment, Skills and Culture, said: “We are delighted to have secured so many great acts for the Bradford Festival.
“The programme is looking really good this year with talented local performers appearing alongside top British and international acts. “The festival is an important part of a busy programme of city centre events designed to increase footfall and support local businesses.”
Josep Guardiola, head coach of Munich reacts during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and FC Augsburg at Allianz Arena on May 9, 2015 in Munich, Germany.
Who would not like a job that involves travelling all over Europe and getting paid to do it? – and just for good measure watch a bit of football as well ( it’s a tough life one might think ) – but the job of a football manager isn’t a bed of roses.
Once upon a time a football manager had some form of longevity. The days of Sir Alex and Dario Gradi are unheard of now – football is changing and so are the expectations of the chairman who employ managers. These respective managers ( Ferguson and Gradi) lasted more than 13 years in their jobs respectively – and in Sir Alex’s case he was at United for more than 20 years – but this happening again is very unlikely.
Whether it be top or the bottom, the pressure managers are under is increasing and the longevity they are enjoying is decreasing. This fact has been prevalent at many clubs such as Chelsea who after Mourinho’s first spell were making changes as managerial similar to the changes that happen with the British weather. ( you know what I mean).
Many world class mangers came and went at Chelsea, world cup winning manager Luis Felipe Scolari soon left once arriving in England and Andre Villas Boas ‘the new special one’ was also shown the door just as quickly.
Chelsea’s rivals Manchester City have also been guilty of such a practice. As soon as the new Arab owners came then manager Mark Hughes left just quick as it arrived it seemed ( the takeover) – but unforgivably some may argue championship winning manager Roberto Mancini wasn’t backed in the transfer market – and ultimately paid the price ( his job) .
The Blues opted to appoint Manuel Pelegrini and the Chilean enjoyed a good debut season by winning two trophies – but like Mancini the 63 year old who is known as the engineer struggled this season as his City side lost their premier league crown with some three games to go.
Ferguson failure has lead the City hierarchy to reach a tentative agreement to bring in former Barcelona manager to manage them next season. Guardiola who oversaw one of the most successful Barca eras in their history is seen as the ideal man to help City’s failings in Europe.
The Catalan who has won the Champions League twice with his beloved Barca, is seen as the ideal choice as the Catalan has a great relationship with Ferran Sorriano and Txiki Begiristain, due to their time together at Camp Nou. Not to forget to mention a proven track record of success in Europe which something Pelegrini and Mancini don’t have unfortunately’
One thing is for certain if Pep is appointed one thing that is urgently needed is a massive overhaul. If anyone can do that Pep Guardiola can, he has done it before!
In what has been the most talked about and one of the most crucial verdicts for the Bollywood film industry Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has been found guilty of killing one person and injuring four others in a hit and run case that happened more than twelve years ago.
On September 28, 2002, Salman’s Toyota Land Cruiser rammed into a roadside bakery in Bandra West, close to his seafront home in Galaxy Apartments, leaving four people sleeping outside injured. One of them died later.
The 49-year-old actor is facing eight charges under the Indian Penal Code, the Motor Vehicles Act and the Bombay Prohibition Act. Here’s a list of charges that the actor faced.
Under the IPC, the actor had been charged with
1) Section 304 part (ii) – Culpable homicide and not amounting to murder, which can extend to a prison spell for up to 10 years.
2) Section 279 – rash and negligent driving, which dictates six months in jail
3) Sections 337 & 338 – causing hurt by act endangering life and causing grievous hurt which leads to a punishment of up to two years.
4) Section 427 – mischief causing damage to property which also has a punishment extendable up to two years.
Under the Motor Vehicle Act, the actor is charged with
1) Section 34 (a), (b) read with 181 – driving vehicle in contravention of rules
2) Section 185 – under the influence of alcohol or a drug to such an extent as to be incapable of exercising proper control over the vehicle.
Salman Khan was also charged under sections of the Bombay Prohibition Act relating to driving under the influence of alcohol which attracts six months in jail.
Khan will be taken into custody immediately and it is believed will serve a five year jail sentence.
Twitter response
The much awaited verdict has received mixed reactions from Twitter users. Whilst some have shown support, where as others are content with the verdict.
Rumana: Just read this – Hit&Run cases: Alistair kills 7 ppl gets 3 yrs, Nanda kills 6 ppl gets 2 yrs. Salman-1 dead & gets 5 yrs #SalmanVerdict
HershDo: I can’t believe people are crying and praying for a person who has murdered. #SalmanVerdict
CANeha: Better live one day with a conscience that is proud of you than a hundred years with a guilt that prides itself on ur shame #SalmanVerdict
Fakalogy:The judiciary has done his job now its the responsibility of Police to make sure he doesn’t get any VIP treatment. #SalmanVerdict
BATMAYN: Money surely cant bring those poor lives back but sending him to jail would bring their lives back #SalmanVerdict
NutsBoutPreetika: Dis case wd NOT go unnoticed hd it nt been a celebrity involved! N wat abt d bloody rapists in d country,no punishment 4 em! #SalmanVerdict!
Snehal Gandhi: Whatever it is i can never hate salman khan . But galti ki hai to Saja to bhugatani padegi . #SalmanVerdict
Gajanan Damkondwar: Sooner or later karma will surely get you!! #SalmanVerdict
Arjun Assiduous: all sort of melodrama going on at Salman s home.. Would be nice if somebody care to look at the victims family #SalmanVerdict
Azim Sarfaraz: It would have been not that big of a fuss if Salman was not on the stand. #SalmanVerdict
Known as the Jaanemaan Girl (the song that put her on the map), Kee is back with a bang with her brand new single ‘Akhiyan’.
The talented singer/songwriter has teamed up with DJ Shayal to create the Punjabi-infused hip-hop anthem, with evokes a relentless beat and stunning vocals.
I caught up with the Coventry songstress, who has worked with talented artists including Raxstar, DJ Dips and Tigerstyle, to find out more.
Tell us about the new single- Akhiyan?
I collaborated with Shayal on this track. He is a very talented guy that is influenced by a lot of American artists. We didn’t plan to have a particular track it just kind of happened. Warda Lodhi, a lady from Dubai wrote the lyrics and it was just something different that we wanted to use. My music in the past has been quite mellow so we incorporated a sick beat to deliver something more edgy. We wanted to have a rap feature on the track and that’s why we decided to use an upcoming artist called Stax- who will be on the scene soon.
Akhiyan is something completely different to anything that I have released before. This track shows variety in my music and so far the response has been positive.
I have worked with Shayal on a number of other tracks and there will be more of this kind of music coming soon.
How would you describe your sound?
Melodic, Current, Fusion and Catchy.
What inspired you to pursue music?
I have people in the family who are in the business. My cousin used to be in the band called Excellency. I am also related to the Hunterz brothers and my uncle is a musician. It was only a matter of time until I picked it up and tried it out myself. I grew up listening to Bollywood music, which has influenced my style. I started writing songs at the age of 17 but it was in 2008, when I released my first single that I realised that this was something that I wanted to do. That’s when I took music to a more professional level.
How is it being a singer in a male dominated industry?
We need to get more females out there. Women are there but for some reason it isn’t having a strong enough impact. Women have more responsibilities in the sense that we play more roles than men do. It’s harder to juggle all that and find a balance. You have to take that in consideration and being Asian as well can be difficult.
There is also a lot of pressure on how you are seen by others, looking a certain way, being a certain size, so there more pressure in that sense than what guys face.
What advice would you give to females wanting to pursue music?
From the get go make sure you master your art. Get professional vocal training. If you are serious and you want people to take you seriously then get everything done professionally. Create portfolios and get your songs recorded professionally. Although it is expensive you will learn the business. Look to the right people for advice and support.
Who’s the one to watch in the music industry?
I love Zack Knight. We were exchanging music and I ended up going through his whole Soundcloud. I was taken back by how amazing he is. I love how he switches from different genres. I would like to work with him soon. Everyone needs to know and hear about Zack. I am such a groupie.
Dream collaboration?
My dream is to be in Bollywood and doing Bollywood songs. I would love to work with director A.R Rahman because he is a musical genius. I admire his work. Bollywood has a lot of influences from European sounds and that’s where the money is. Eventually, to have a successful career would be to crossover and tour in India/Pakistan.
What’s next from Kee?
A remix is coming out soon on Akhiyan and that will be out in a few weeks. I have a couple of new tracks coming out in summer. An album is definitely coming and you can expect that by the end of the year.
‘Akhiyan’ is available to download now on iTunes and other digital platforms.
Eighty-eight students from around Bradford gathered at Karmand Community Centre on Thursday to celebrate their language success.
Students from Karmand Centre, West Bowling and Grange Interlink who had been on the ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) course learning English were awarded certificates during a presentation ceremony.
ESOL Instructors
The ESOL course is a 12-week programme that welcomes women aged 19 and above, from different backgrounds to help improve their English speaking skills. It is entirely funded by the Home Office.
ESOL Students Celebrate Success
During the 12-week course students are offered 5 hours of teaching time plus one day of integrating, where students are taken out on trips and taught how to use public transport, purchase tickets and get more information.
Not only have the students had the opportunity to learn English, but the funding for this course has also made it possible to help integrate students into society and educate them on good British values.
Robina B, Project Coordinator said: “The course has helped the students in so many ways. They no longer have to rely on their partner to take them to appointments or go to parent’s evenings. They have more confidence to do things for themselves.”
Naeed, a 36 year old student explained how the course has helped her. “In the beginning, it was hard to communicate and talk to people but I have learnt a lot.
This course has helped me become more confident and independent. I am now able to help my son with his homework without having to rely on others to interpret for me. I am looking to do other courses and tell people about how ESOL can help them.”
Saeeda Ahmed, an entrepreneur and ex member of Karmand Centre was a guest speaker at the presentation. She was joined by Shaun Luzio and Sohail Jannesari from the Home Office who also gave speeches.
Claire Rainey, Deputy Head of the Home Office Funding Team said: “It is in honour being here today to celebrate the student’s success. It shows what the European funding money can do. Community centres like this do a tremendous amount with the money that they get through grant agreements and this is just one example of how it can help. It goes to show that something as simple as learning English can make a huge difference.”
She also added, “ It is an amazing feeling to see how a relatively small amount of money has had a huge impact on so many women. Not only do they feel empowered but they have become more confident to go out into the community and integrate. For that reason, there should be more projects like this across the country.“
Since 2013, over 280 students have enrolled on the course. Many have applied for jobs whilst others have gone on to study in college and university.
Pinal Patel, 28, explains how enrolling on the course landed her the opportunity of volunteering at St Lukes Hospital. “The English integration course helped improved my speaking skills. I joined Karmand Centre last year where I made new friends and passed my Entry 3. With the help of my instructors, I became a volunteer at the hospital and I am now hoping to join a career in nursing.“
Thousands turned out in Bradford last weekend to mark the annual Sikh celebration of Vaisakhi, transforming the streets into a vibrant and colourful procession.
Each year the Vaisakhi celebrations involves a Nagar Kirtan – a Khalsa Parade involving the processional singing of holy hymns to six Sikh temples in the city of Bradford.
Marching through Bradford
The Nagar Kirtan, which started at Ramgarhia Gurdwara on Bolton Road, saw a parade of people walking from Gurdwara to Gurdwara, stopping along the way for blessings, free food and drink.
Rajveer Randhawa, who was in the congregation at Wakefield Road’s Gurdwara Guru Nanak Dev Ji said:
“The turnout has been quite good but we would have liked to have seen more people show up. It’s an annual event and a time for celebration and with so many Sikhs living here in Bradford it would have been nice to show how much of a united community we are.”
Holy Scriptures being read
With Rajveer’s comments it made me question whether people had used the excuse of not turning up because of the rainy weather or that perhaps people had become too busy with their own lives to focus on the celebration of their religion.
Panj Pyaree Leading the Nagar Kirtan
I thought to myself, that the excuse of a bit of wind and rain shouldn’t dampen on their spirits considering the sacrifice Sikhs made for our religion thousands of years ago. Plus this wouldn’t be an excuse you would see in other religions.
So why is it that modern Sikhs have treated this day as just another day in their calendar?
What is Vaisakhi?
Vaisakhi is a Sikh holy day that falls around April 13 or 14. The festival marks several important dates, including the spring harvest festival, the Punjabi New Year in the Nanakshahi calendar, and creation of the Khalsa when Guru Gobind Singh Ji baptised five Sikhs and bound them to a strict code of conduct in 1699.
During Vaisakhi, a Nagar Kirtan would be held as a way of bringing the message of God to the doorstep of the community. The procession would make their way along the streets singing hymns from the sacred book of worship known as Guru Granth Sahib.
How Vaisakhi was celebrated during my childhood
When I was growing up, I remember waking up on the morning of Vaisakhi day and wishing all my family members a ‘Happy Vaisakhi’.
I can admit that I never felt as strongly about its significance while growing up. During school we never learnt about Vaisakhi so in a way, it was never made easy to talk about it with my friends. My parents did a great job and engaging my brother and I in our religion when we were younger without being overly forceful.
In fact, during the build up to Vaisakhi my brother and cousins would go to Punjabi school (held at my local Gurdwara) to learn about the history and traditions. We would be so excited to tell our proud parents about what we had learnt.
Everyone in the class would then practice for a special presentation that would include a prayer recital in front of the Gurdwara’s congregation.
On the actual day we would go to the Gurdwara and pray. Everyone would be in high spirits gushing to greet you. Then, everyone would take the time to do sewa (selfless service of others), because in our religion it is important to give up our time, talents and energy to help others.
That same evening we would then go our relative’s house and greet them with mithai.
On the Sunday closest to Vaisakhi day, Bradford would hold the Nagar Kirtan procession through the city. This would unite thousands of Sikhs and non-Sikhs to celebrate this holy day.
Every year I would march with the procession and join with my community and share in an open and inclusive expression of my faith. Whilst doing the march, I would feel spiritually recharged and united with my community during this joyous occasion.
Crowds of people would be wearing blue and orange because in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh decreed that we should wear orange to brighten the world with a joyful colour.
I think this integral part of celebrating our religion has now been lost as many young people and adults don’t seem to attend the Gurdwara as much as they used to. This then leaves the next generation unaware of what our religion represents and thus they will not be able to impart their knowledge onto their own children.
Vaisakhi Now
With Vaisakhi being the equivalent to Christmas, I think that it should be a day that Sikhs should take as a holiday. Despite being religious or not, it should be a time to reflect on their religion. It should be a day of spiritualism and celebration with the community.
Nowadays, it seems that people are even too busy to go to Gurdwara on Vaisakhi day, which is a real shame. Only a handful of people turned up to my Gurdwara on Tuesday (Vaisakhi Day). Going back a few years, it would be filled with floods of people rejoicing in high spirits and doing sewa.
I feel the Nagar Kirtan sometimes overshadows the true significance of this date. People attend the walk for the free food or for a catch up with their friends.
Instead, the free food and the volunteering help of others should act as a reminder to be selfless and charitable towards all.
When growing up, Vaisakhi was probably the most significant celebration of the year for our family. Vaisakhi day resonates with me on a personal level because I feel the values of Vaisakhi are universal values that we can all share.
Years ago, Vaisakhi was more than a celebration of the Khalsa movement, it was a celebration of community, friendship and generosity. I hope that if people put aside their ‘so-called’ busy schedules for just one day it can be a celebration to restore all things mentioned above.
