Destiny refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. It is a concept based on the belief that there is a fixed natural order to the cosmos.

Different concepts of destiny and fate

Destiny is seen as the final outcome, independently of the events that precedes, which are inevitable and unchangeable per themselves, but as a sequence, could be arranged and rearranged in order to arrive to the final outcome.

There is the often confusing argument that individuals can choose their own destiny by selecting different "paths" throughout their life, even though the different courses of action the individuals take nonetheless lead to a very predetermined destiny.

To escape the contradiction (the incompatibility of philosophical terminology) of this argument and fully support the concept of destiny, most believe it necessary to declare and accept this notion of choice (free will) as illusion. Another belief, known as Micaic Destiny, states that free will and destiny can coincide in harmony. This argument states that we all make only one unchangeable choice every moment. Simply because a certain choice will inevitably be made does NOT mean that we do not make our own decisions. This belief assumes that we have no power to accurately and precisely predict the future.

Destiny has been envisaged as fore-ordained by the Divine (for example, the Protestant concept of predestination) or unfolding through the exertions of human will, for example, in the American concept of Manifest Destiny: "By the 1850s it was generally believed in the United States that a superior American race was destined to shape the destiny of much of the world." The explicit racialism had developed from a 17th-century vision of Puritan New World destiny as a "chosen people" whose destiny it was to establish a "New Jerusalem".

A sense of destiny in its oldest human sense still remains in a soldier's fatalistic image of the "bullet that has your name on it", or "the moment when your number comes up", or the flowering of a romance between lovers who are "meant to be" together. In Greek mythology, the human sense that there must be a hidden purpose in the random choices of the lottery governs the selection of Theseus to be among the youths to be sacrificed to the Minotaur.

Destiny in literature and popular culture

Many Greek legends and tales teach the futility of trying to outmaneuver an inexorable fate that has been correctly predicted. This form of irony is important in Greek tragedy, as it is in ''Oedipus Rex'' and in the Duque de Rivas' play that Verdi transformed into ''La Forza del Destino'' ("The Force of Destiny") or Thornton Wilder's ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'', or in Macbeth's uncannily-derived knowledge of his own destiny, which in spite of all his actions does not preclude a horrible fate.

This aspect is succinctly told by W. Somerset Maugham from an Arab tale:

Death speaks: There was a merchant in Baghdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, “Master, just now when I was in the market-place I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture; now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me.” The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the marketplace and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, “Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning?” “That was not a threatening gesture,” I said, “it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.

Other notable examples include Thomas Hardy's ''Tess of the d'Urbervilles'', in which Tess is destined to the miserable death that she is confronted with at the end of the novel; Samuel Beckett's ''Endgame''; the popular short story "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs.

Destiny is a recurring theme in the literature of Hermann Hesse (1877–1962), including ''Siddharta'' (1922) and his magnum opus, ''Das Glasperlenspiel,'' also published as ''The Glass Bead Game'' (1943). The common theme of these works involves a protagonist who cannot escape a destiny if their fate has been sealed, however hard they try. Destiny is also an important plot point in the hit TV shows ''Lost'', ''Heroes'' and ''Supernatural'', as well a common theme in the ''Roswell'' TV series. Destiny is a recurring theme in the video-game franchise Kingdom Hearts, with ''Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep'' having its story based around the concept of Destiny, and the tagline for the game stating "Destiny is never left to chance."

Divination of destiny

Some believe that one's destiny may be ascertained by divination or proclaimed as the prophecy of a prophet or sibyl. In the belief systems of many cultures, one's destiny can only be learned about through a shaman, babalawo, saint or seer.

In the Shang dynasty, oracle bones and shells were consulted on questions of ritual and religion, leading to the earliest form

Destiny versus fate

Although the words are used interchangeably in many cases, fate and destiny can be distinguished. It depends on how narrow or broad the definitions are. Broadly speaking, fate is destiny. Narrowly and to be more accurate, traditional usage defines fate as a power or agency that predetermines and orders the course of events. Fate defines events as ordered or "inevitable". Fate is used with regard to the finality of events as they have worked themselves out; and that same sense of finality, projected into the future to become the inevitability of events as they will work themselves out, is Destiny. In other words, fate relates to events of the past and is proven to be true and unalterable, whereas destiny relates to the probable to almost certain future. Note that it is only almost certain and not absolutely certain, allowing for change to occur. This can be seen in our common language usage, e.g. "His calling, his destiny is to be a doctor." Will he definitely be a doctor? Well, it remains to be seen.

In classical and European mythology, there are three goddesses dispensing fate, the "Fates" known as Moirae in Greek mythology, as Parcae in Roman mythology, and Norns in Norse mythology; they determine the events of the world through the mystic spinning of threads that represent individual human destinies.

One word derivative of "fate" is "fatality", another "fatalism". Fate implies no choice, and ends fatally, with a death. Fate is an outcome determined by an outside agency acting upon a person or entity; but with destiny the entity is participating in achieving an outcome that is directly related to itself. Participation happens willfully.

Used in the past tense, "destiny" and "fate" are both more interchangeable, both imply "one's lot" or fortunes, and include the sum of events leading up to a currently achieved outcome (e.g. "it was her destiny to be leader" and "it was her fate to be leader").

Destiny and "fortune"

In Hellenistic civilization, the chaotic and unforeseeable turns of chance gave increasing prominence to a previously less notable goddess, Tyche, who embodied the good fortune of a city and all whose lives depended on its black and white security and prosperity, two good qualities of life that appeared to be out of human reach. The Roman image of Fortuna, with the wheel she blindly turned was retained by Christian writers, revived strongly in the Renaissance and survives in some forms today.

Destiny and philosophy

In daily language destiny and fate are synonymous, but with regards to 20th century philosophy the words gained inherently different meanings.

For Arthur Schopenhauer destiny was just a manifestation of the Will to Live. Will to Live is for him the main aspect of the living. The animal cannot be aware of the Will, but men can at least see life through its perspective, though it is the primary and basic desire. But this fact is a pure irrationality and then, for Schopenhauer, human desire is equally futile, illogical, directionless, and, by extension, so is all human action. Therefore, the Will to Live can be at the same time living fate and choice of overrunning the fate same, by means of the Art, of the Morality and of the Ascesis.

For Nietzsche ''destiny'' keeps the form of ''Amor fati'' (Love of Fate) through the important element of Nietzsche's philosophy, the "will to power" (der ''Wille zur Macht''), the basis of human behavior, influenced by the Will to Live of Schopenhauer. But this concept may have even other senses, although he, in various places, saw the ''Will to power'' as a strong element for adaptation or survival in a better way. In its later forms Nietzsche's concept of the ''will to power'' applies to all living things, suggesting that adaptation and the struggle to survive is a secondary drive in the evolution of animals, less important than the desire to expand one’s power. Nietzsche eventually took this concept further still, and transformed the idea of matter as centers of force into matter as centers of will to power as mankind’s destiny to face with ''amor fati''.

The expression ''Amor fati'' is used repeatedly by Nietzsche as acceptation-choice of the ''fate'', but in such way it becomes even another thing, precisely a “choice” destiny. We find that in § 276 of ''The Gay Science'', where he wrote:

I want to learn more and more to see as beautiful what is necessary in things; then I shall be one of those who make things beautiful. ''Amor fati'': let that be my love henceforth! I do not want to wage war against what is ugly. I do not want to accuse; I do not even want to accuse those who accuse. ''Looking away'' shall be my only negation. And all in all and on the whole: some day I wish to be only a Yes-sayer.

Quote from "Why I Am So Clever" in ''Ecce Homo'', section 10:

My formula for greatness in a human being is ''amor fati'': that one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backward, not in all eternity. Not merely bear what is necessary, still less conceal it—all idealism is mendaciousness in the face of what is necessary—but ''love'' it.

See also

Notes

References

Cornelius, Geoffrey, C. (1994). "The Moment of Astrology: Origins in Divination", Penguin Group, part of Arkana Contemporary Astrology series.

Category:Determinism Category:History of ideas Category:Mythography Category:Synchronicity Category:Deities in the Hebrew Bible Category:Destiny

ar:قدر az:Tale ca:Destí cs:Osud cy:Tynged de:Schicksal es:Destino eo:Fato fr:Destin ko:운명 io:Fato id:Takdir it:Destino lt:Likimas nl:Noodlot (term) ja:運命 no:Skjebne pl:Przeznaczenie pt:Destino ru:Судьба sq:Fati sk:Osud sr:Судбина sh:Sudbina fi:Kohtalo sv:Öde tl:Kapalaran tr:Kader uk:Доля zh:命運

Coordinates	3°7′37″N29°15′30″N
name	Jim Brickman
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth date	November 20, 1961
origin	Cleveland, Ohio, USA
instrument	Piano, Vocals
genre	Adult contemporary (soft), New Age
occupation	Songwriter, Recording artist
years active	1994–present
label	BMG/Windham Hill (1994-2005)Savoy Label Group (2005-2008)Brickhouse Direct (2008-present)
website	www.jimbrickman.comwww.brickhousedirect.com }}

Jim Brickman (born November 20, 1961) is an American songwriter and pianist. He has been named the most charted male Adult Contemporary artist to date, with six of his albums receiving Gold and Platinum status. He is known for his solo piano compositions, pop-style instrumentals, and vocal collaborations with artists such as Michael W. Smith, Martina McBride, Donny Osmond, Delta Goodrem, Olivia Newton-John, Lady Antebellum, and others. He earned a Grammy nomination in 2003, SESAC "Songwriter of the Year" award, Canadian Country Music Award for "Best Vocal/ Instrumental Collaboration", and a Dove Award presented by the Gospel Music Association. His CD entitled ''Faith'' has been nominated for a 2010 Grammy Award for Best New Age Album.

Since 1997, he has hosted his own radio show called ''Your Weekend with Jim Brickman'', which is carried on radio stations throughout the United States. Brickman has also released three PBS specials, and hosts an annual fan cruise. He is founder of Brickhouse Direct, a company that provides strategic marketing and e-commerce solutions for clients in a variety of industries.

History

Early years

Brickman was born and raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio and attended Shaker Heights High School. He began playing piano at the age of five. Later he studied composition and performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music while taking business classes at Case Western Reserve University. In 1980, Brickman founded his own advertising music company called The Brickman Arrangement, writing commercial jingles for many companies across the country such as McDonalds, Pontiac, City of Cleveland, Ohio Lottery, and Isuzu.

Musical career

Brickman signed to Windham Hill Records in 1994 and released his first album, ''No Words'', featuring the song, "Rocket to the Moon", which became his first solo instrumental to be ranked on the ''Billboard'' charts. The songs "Angel Eyes" and "If You Believe" gained radio airplay from Brickman's second release, ''By Heart'', on the Windham Hill label in 1995. The following year, the CD's title tune, "By Heart", became his first top 20 adult contemporary (AC) hit. In 1997 Brickman released the album, ''Picture This'', adding a vocal performance, "Valentine", sung by Martina McBride. This song charted on both country and AC stations with the album selling platinum. By the end of the year, Brickman issued the first of many Christmas CDs, ''The Gift'', with the title song featuring Collin Raye and Susan Ashton, topping three different charts for which Brickman received a Dove Award from the Gospel Music Association. He has produced several other Christmas-themed albums, ''Peace'' (2003), ''Christmas Romance'' (2006), ''Homecoming'' (2007), and ''The Hymns and Carols of Christmas'' (2008); and his two albums ''Grace'' (2005) and ''Faith'' (2008) concentrate on arrangements of well-known Christian music.

During his career, ''Valentine'' went platinum selling over one million records and four others have sold over 500,000 copies; ''By Heart'' (1995), ''Picture This'' (1997), ''The Gift'' (1997), and ''Destiny'' (1999), qualifying them as gold records in the United States. In November 2005, three of Brickman's albums, ''The Disney Songbook'' (2004), ''Grace'' (2005), and ''Greatest Hits'' (2004), held the top three spots on Billboard's new age chart. He also received a Grammy nomination in 2003, an SESAC "Songwriter of the Year" award, and a Canadian Country Music Award for "Best Vocal/Instrumental Collaboration". The 2008 album, ''Faith'', has been nominated for a 2010 Grammy Award for Best New Age Album.

Brickman writes a variety of music. Besides his piano compositions and love songs, he has also created arrangements of existing songs and several of his albums feature arrangements of children's music. He has collaborated with artists from all genres with songs like "Love of My Life" with Michael W. Smith, "You" with Jane Krakowski, "Never Alone" with country group Lady Antebellum, "After All These Years" with Anne Cochran, "Never Far Away" with Christian contemporary group Rush of Fools, among others.

His music is sometimes classified in the new age genre, although the diversity of his music makes Brickman skeptical of this classification.

In 2008 Brickman teamed up with American Greetings lending his music to some of their eCards.

PBS specials

Jim Brickman has filmed and released the PBS specials, ''My Romance: An Evening with Jim Brickman'', ''Love Songs & Lullabies'', and ''The Disney Songbook''. In June 2009, Brickman will come back to PBS with ''Beautiful World'', being filmed at the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort. Sharing the stage will be Jon Secada, Melinda Doolittle, Órla Fallon, Arthur Hanlon, David Klinkenberg, Mark Masri, plus Anne Cochran and Tracy Silverman.

Radio show

Making its debut in January 1997, ''Your Weekend with Jim Brickman'' is a three-hour radio show that has been heard across the US featuring adult contemporary music blended with celebrity interviews, lifestyle features, and entertainment reports. Brickman is also joined by entertainment reporter Kym Douglas who is the Fashion and Beauty contributor for The Ellen Show and the lifestyle expert for Good Day L.A.

In June 2009, Brickman switched syndicating companies from WestStar to Impact Radio Network (with assistance from Sun Radio Network) with more stations to be added.

Annual fan cruise

Since 2006, Brickman has been joined at sea with his fans for a week of activities including Q&A; with Jim Brickman, concerts at sea, and "Brick-aoke" where fans sing Brickman songs. In 2006 and 2007, Brickman and fans set sail to the Eastern Caribbean, followed by a cruise to the Mexican Riviera in 2008, traveling the Southern Caribbean in 2009, and in July 2010 sailed the coast of Alaska on the "Ultimate Cruise".

Brickhouse Direct

Brickman founded Brickhouse Direct (BHD) in 2003, a company that provides strategic marketing and e-commerce solutions for clients in a variety of industries. Brickhouse Direct has done work for a wide range of clients over the years including Universal Music, Concord Music Group, Carly Simon, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Sandi Patty, Casey Kasem, Dave Koz, Chris Sligh, Lenz Entertainment, Anita Renfroe and many others.

Discography

Albums

Year	Album	Chart Positions		RIAA
		! width="50"	CAN Country
1994		—	—	—
1995		187	—	Gold
		30	—	Gold
	48	19	Gold
1998		170	—	—
1999		42	—	Gold
2000		75	—	—
2001		54	—	—
2002		73	—	—
2003		87	—	—
2004	align="left"	134	—	—
		88	—	—
	142	—	—
		105	—	—
	—	—	—
		96	—	—
	—	—	—
		—	—	—
	—	—	—
	—	—	—
	—	—	—
	—	—	—
		89	—	—
	185	—	—

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions					Album
		! width="45"	! width="45"	CAN AC	CAN Country	CAN
		16	—	—	—	—
	24	—	—	—	—
	align="left"	3	68	16	—	—
	23	—	—	—	—
	—	—	16	15	42
	3	51	—	52	—
		8	—	18	—	—
	—	9	—	14	—	align="left"
		9	—	—	—	—
align="left"	10	—	10	—	—
	19	74	—	—	—
2000		15	—	84	—	—
2001	align="left"	1	—	—	—	—
		18	—	—	—	—
	4	—	—	—	—
		15	—	—	—	—
	1	—	—	—	—
	align="left"	21	—	—	—	—
	21	—	9	—	—
		—	59	—	—	—
	32	—	—	—	—
	20	—	—	—	—
	2	—	—	—	—
		3	—	—	—	—
	—	—	—	—	—
		14	—	—	—	—
	4	—	—	—	—
2008		—	—	—	—	—
		11	—	—	—	—	align="left"
	4	—	7	—	95

^A "Valentine" was originally only released to Adult Contemporary, but charted on the country charts as an album cut. It was remixed and released to country radio the following year. It also peaked at #50 on the Billboard Hot 100.

^B "Sending You a Little Christmas" also peaked at #15 on Hot Christian Songs.

^C "Escape" peaked at #17 on Hot Contemporary Jazz Songs.

Music videos

! Year	! Video	! Director
1997	"The Gift" (with Susan Ashton & Collin Raye)	Norry Niven
2007	"Never Alone" (with Lady Antebellum)	Vincenzo Giammanco

References

External links

The Official Jim Brickman Website

Brickhouse Direct

Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:Songwriters from Ohio Category:American pop pianists Category:Composers for piano Category:Cleveland Institute of Music alumni Category:Light music composers Category:New Age pianists Category:People from Cleveland, Ohio Category:People from Shaker Heights, Ohio Category:American country pianists Category:Windham Hill Records artists

bg:Джим Брикман de:Jim Brickman fo:Jim Brickman fr:Jim Brickman hu:Jim Brickman ja:ジム・ブリックマン

Coordinates	3°7′37″N29°15′30″N
name	Vanessa-Mae
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn
born	October 27, 1978Singapore
origin	Cavendish, Suffolk, England
nationality	British
instrument	Violin
genre	classical
occupation	musician
years active	1990–present
label	Sony Classical/SME RecordsVirgin/EMI RecordsEMI Classics
website	}}

Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson (born 27 October 1978), known professionally as Vanessa-Mae (in Chinese: 陳美, Chén Měi), is an internationally known British violinist. Her music style is self-described as "violin techno-acoustic fusion", as several of her albums prominently feature the techno style. She is currently a judge on ''Popstar to Operastar''.

Childhood

Vanessa-Mae was born in Singapore to a Thai father (Vorapong Vanakorn) and a Chinese mother (Pamela Tan). After her parents separated, her mother married Graham Nicholson, and the family moved to England when Vanessa-Mae was four years old. She grew up in London and holds British citizenship. She attended the independent Francis Holland School in London.

Professional life

Vanessa-Mae began playing piano at the age of three and violin at five.

She was particularly famous in the United Kingdom throughout her childhood making regular appearances on television (for example on ''Blue Peter'') mostly involving classical music and conservative style. According to ''Guinness World Records,'' she is the youngest soloist to record both the Beethoven and Tchaikovsky violin concertos, a feat she accomplished at the age of thirteen. During this time she attended the Francis Holland School in central London.

Vanessa-Mae made her international professional debut at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Germany in 1988, and also during 1988 made her concerto debut on stage with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London.

On entering adolescence Vanessa-Mae broke away from her traditional classical influences and became known for her flashy, sexual style appearing in music videos in stylish outfits. Her first pop-style album, ''The Violin Player'', was released in 1995. She appeared on the 1997 Janet Jackson album ''The Velvet Rope'' playing a violin solo on the song "Velvet Rope".

She performed in the interval of the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest in Birmingham.

In April 2006, Vanessa-Mae was ranked as the wealthiest young entertainer under 30 in the UK in the Sunday Times Rich List 2006. having an estimated fortune of about £32 million stemming from concerts and record sales of over an estimated 10 million copies worldwide, which is an unprecedented achievement for a young female violinist.

Vanessa-Mae announced in 2006 that she would be releasing a new album sometime between 2007 and 2008. The album was said to draw inspiration from great ballets and opera themes. A new album was expected in 2009, but the year ended without the expected release.

Vanessa-Mae was the special guest violinist for Il Divo's Christmas Tour 2009.

She plans to compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics as a downhill skier, representing Thailand.

Violins

Vanessa-Mae most often uses one of two types of violins, a Guadagnini acoustic violin or a Zeta Jazz model electric violin. The Guadagnini was made in 1761, and was purchased by her parents at an auction for £150,000. It was stolen in January 1995, but was recovered by the police two months later. She once dropped it and it broke, but it was repaired.

In addition, she uses one of two Zeta Jazz Model electric violins, one of which is white and the other one of which features decals of the U.S. flag. She has also been using a silver-grey Zeta Jazz Model electric violin since 2001. She also owns three Ted Brewer Violins two of which she uses on stage (a Crossbow and a Vivo2 Clear) and in publicity material. In addition to these violins, she sometimes buys violins and resells them later, giving the proceeds to charity.

Discography

Albums

''Violin'' (1990)

''Kids' Classics'' (1991)

''Tchaikovsky & Beethoven Violin Concertos'' (1991/1992)

''The Violin Player'' (13 February 1995) UK chart Peak Position – 11 (21 Weeks)

''The Alternative Record from Vanessa-Mae'' (1996)

''The Classical Album 1'' (21 October 1996) – UK Chart Peak Position – 47 (1 Week)

''China Girl: The Classical Album 2'' (August 1997) – UK Chart Peak Position – 56 (3 Weeks)

''Storm'' (UK: 27 October 1997; USA: 14 July 1998) UK Chart Peak Position – 27 (5 Weeks)

''The Original Four Seasons and the Devil's Trill Sonata: The Classical Album 3'' (UK: 9 November 1998; USA: 9 March 1999)

''The Classical Collection: Part 1'' (25 September 2000)

''Subject to Change'' (14 May 2001) UK Chart Peak Position – 58 (2 Weeks)

''Xpectation'' (Jazz collaboration with Prince) (2003)

''Choreography'' (18 October 2004) UK Chart Peak Position – 66 (1 Week)

Compilations

''The Best of Vanessa-Mae'' (2002)

''The Ultimate Vanessa-Mae'' (23 December 2003)

''Platinum Collection'' (19 February 2007)

Special edition albums

''The Violin Player: Japanese Release'' (1995)

''The Classical Album 1: Silver Limited Edition'' (1 January 1997)

''Storm: Asian Special Edition'' (1 January 1997)

''The Original Four Seasons and the Devil's Trill Sonata: Asian Special Edition'' (1 February 1999)

''Subject to Change: Asian Special Edition'' (1 July 2001)

''The Ultimate: Dutch Limited Edition'' (January 2004)

Singles

"Toccata & Fugue" (January 1995) UK Chart Peak Position – 16

"Toccata & Fugue – The Mixes" (1995)

"Red Hot" (May 1995) UK Chart Peak Position – 37

"Classical Gas" (November 1995) UK Chart Peak Position – 41

"I'm a Doun for Lack O' Johnnie (A Little Scottish Fantasy)" (October 1996) UK Chart Peak Position – 28

"Happy Valley" (1997)

"Storm" (October 1997) UK Chart Peak Position – 53

"I Feel Love" (December 1997) UK Chart Peak Position – 41

"Devil's Trill"/"Reflection" (November 1998)

"Destiny" (2001)

"White Bird" (July 2001) UK Chart Peak Position – 66

Filmography

''Live at the Royal Albert Hall, The Red Hot Tour'' (1995) (concert documentary)

''The Violin Fantasy'' (1998)

''Arabian Nights'' (2000) (actor in the series)

''The Making of Me'' (2008) (subject of episode 3)

References

External links

Official website

Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:British people of Chinese descent Category:British people of Thai descent Category:English classical violinists Category:English pop musicians Category:People from London Category:Singaporean classical violinists Category:Rock violinists Category:Virgin Records artists Category:British people of Singaporean descent Category:Singaporean emigrants to the United Kingdom Category:People educated at Francis Holland School Category:21st-century violinists

bg:Ванеса Мей ca:Vanessa-Mae cs:Vanessa-Mae cy:Vanessa-Mae da:Vanessa Mae de:Vanessa-Mae es:Vanessa-Mae eo:Vanessa-Mae fa:ونسا-می fr:Vanessa-Mae ko:바네사 메이 id:Vanessa-Mae it:Vanessa Mae lt:Vanessa-Mae hu:Vanessa-Mae ms:Vanessa Mae nl:Vanessa-Mae ja:ヴァネッサ・メイ no:Vanessa-Mae oc:Vanessa-Mae pl:Vanessa-Mae pt:Vanessa-Mae ru:Ванесса Мэй sk:Vanessa-Mae sl:Vanessa Mae fi:Vanessa-Mae sv:Vanessa-Mae th:วาเนสซา เมย์ tr:Vanessa-Mae uk:Ванесса Мей zh:陈美

Coordinates	3°7′37″N29°15′30″N
name	Buju Banton
background	solo_singer
birth name	Mark Anthony Myrie
alias	Gargamel
birth date	July 15, 1973
origin	Kingston, Jamaica
genre	Reggae, Dancehall, Reggae fusion, Roots reggae
occupation	Deejay, Singer
years active	1987-present
label	Gargamel Music
website	www.gargamelmusic.com
notable instruments	}}

Buju Banton (born Mark Anthony Myrie July 15, 1973) is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae musician. He has also recorded Pop and Dance songs, as well as songs dealing with sociopolitical topics. Banton has an international reputation for his anti-gay hit, "Boom Bye Bye". He is currently serving a ten-year sentence in a United States federal prison on drug conspiracy and firearms convictions.

Biography

Background

Buju Banton was born in Kingston, Jamaica in a poor neighborhood called Salt Lane. "Buju" is a nickname given to chubby children which means breadfruit and was given to him by his mother as a child. "Banton" is a Jamaican word referring to someone who is a respected storyteller, and it was adopted by Myrie in tribute to the deejay Burro Banton whom Buju admired as a child. It was Burro's rough gravelly vocals that Buju emulated and ultimately made his own. Buju's mother was a higgler, or street vendor, while his father worked as a labourer at a tile factory. He was the youngest of fifteen children born into a family which was directly descended from the Maroons of Jamaica.

Early career

As a youngster, Buju would often watch his favorite artists perform at outdoor shows and local dancehalls in Denham Town. At the age of 12 he picked up the [microphone] for himself and began toasting under the moniker of "Gargamel", working with the Sweet Love and Rambo Mango sound systems. In 1986, he was introduced to producer Robert Ffrench by fellow deejay Clement Irie, and his first single, "The Ruler" was released not long afterwards in 1987. This led to recording sessions with producers such as Patrick Roberts, Bunny Lee, Winston Riley, and Digital B, and in 1988, aged 15, he first recorded the controversial song, "Boom Bye Bye", which contained homophobic lyrics. The song was written in response to a widely reported man/boy rape case in Jamaica.

1990s

In 1991, Buju joined Donovan Germain's Penthouse Records label and began a fruitful partnership with producer Dave Kelly who later launched his own Madhouse Records label. Buju is one of the most popular musicians in Jamaican history, having major chart success in 1992, with "Bogle" and "Love me Browning", both massive hits in Jamaica. Controversy erupted over "Love Me Browning" which spoke of Banton's penchant for light-skinned women: "I love my car I love my house I love my money and ting, but most of all I love my browning." Some accused Banton of promoting a colonialist mindset and denigrating the beauty of dark skinned black women. In response, he released "Love Black Woman" which spoke of his love for dark-skinned beauties: "Mi nuh Stop cry, fi all black women, respect all the girls dem with dark complexion". 1992 was an explosive year for Buju as he broke Bob Marley's record for the greatest number of number one singles in a year. Beginning with "Woman fi Sex", Buju's gruff voice dominated the Jamaican airwaves for the duration of the year. Banton's debut album, ''Mr. Mention'', includes his greatest hits from that year. 1992 saw the unsanctioned re-release of "Boom Bye Bye", which almost destroyed his career. The song was the subject of outrage in the United States and Europe, leading to Banton being dropped from the line-up of the WOMAD festival that year. Banton subsequently issued a public apology.

Now on the major Mercury label, Banton released the hard-hitting ''Voice of Jamaica'' in 1993. The album included a number of conscious tracks. These tracks included "Deportees" a song which criticized those Jamaicans who went abroad but never sent money home, a remix of Little Roy's "Tribal War", a sharp condemnation of political violence, and "Willy, Don't Be Silly" which promoted safe sex and the use of contraceptives, particularly the condom, profits from which were donated to a charity supporting children with AIDS. He was invited to meet Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson, and won several awards that year at the Caribbean Music Awards, the Canadian Music Awards, and the Topeka ceremony.

Banton's lyrics often dealt with violence, which he explained as reflecting the images that young Jamaicans were presented with by the news media, but the reality of Kingston's violence was brought home in 1993 by the murders in separate incidents of two of his friends and fellow recording artists, the deejays Pan Head and Dirtsman. His response was the single "Murderer", which condemned gun violence, going against the flow of the prevailing lyrical content in dancehall. The song inspired several clubs to stop playing songs with excessively violent subject matter. Late in 1994, Buju was also affected by the death of his friend Garnett Silk. Buju's transformation continued, embracing the Rastafari movement and growing dreadlocks. He joined "conscious" deejay Tony Rebel, Papa San, and General Degree in the Yardcore Collective. His performances and musical releases took on a more spiritual tone. Banton toured Europe and Japan, playing sold out shows, and performed before 20,000 in Trinidad and Tobago.

'''Til Shiloh'' (1995) was a very influential album, using a studio band instead of synthesized music, and marking a slight shift away from dancehall towards roots reggae for Banton. Buju claimed to have sighted Rastafari and his new album reflected these beliefs. '''Til Shiloh'' successfully blended conscious lyrics with a hard-hitting dancehall vibe. The album included earlier singles such as "Murderer", and "Untold Stories". "Untold Stories" revealed an entirely different Buju Banton from the one that had stormed to dancehall stardom. It is regarded by many as some of his best work, and is a staple in the Banton performance repertoire. Reminiscent in mood and delivery to "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley, "Untold Stories" won Buju Banton many favorable comparisons to the late singer. This album had a large impact on dancehall music and proved that dancehall audiences had not forgotten the message that Roots Reggae expounded with the use of "conscious" lyrics". Dancehall music did not move away from slack and violent lyrics, but the album did pave the way for a greater spirituality within the music. In the wake of Buju's transformation to Rastafari, many artists, such as Capleton, converted to the faith and started to denounce violence.

In 1996, Buju contributed "Wanna Be Loved (Desea ser Amado)" along with Los Pericos to the Red Hot Organization's album ''Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin'' for the Red Hot Benefit Series. This series raises money to increase AIDS awareness.

''Inna Heights'' (1997) substantially increased Banton's international audience as Buju explored his singing ability and recorded a number of roots-tinged tracks, including the hugely popular "Destiny" and "Hills and Valleys". The album also included collaborations with artists such as Beres Hammond and the legendary Toots Hibbert. The album was well-received but had distribution problems. Also, some fans were disappointed, having hoped for another ground-breaking album like '''Til Shiloh''. Still, Buju's experimentation and soaring vocals impressed many fans and this album remains a highly regarded work.

In 1998, Buju met the punk band Rancid and recorded three tracks with them: "Misty Days", "Hooligans" and "Life Won't Wait". The latter became the title track of Rancid's 1998 album, ''Life Won't Wait''.

2000s

Buju signed with Anti- Records, a subsidiary of Brett Gurewitz's Epitaph records, and released ''Unchained Spirit'' in 2000. The album showcased diverse musical styles, and featured guest appearances by Luciano, Morgan Heritage, Stephen Marley, and Rancid. It carried little of the roots feel heard on '''Til Shiloh'' and virtually none of the hardcore dancehall sound which had brought him to public acclaim early in his career. It was a departure which left many fans uncomfortable.

Several singles followed in the start of the new decade, which were perceived as more mellow and introspective, as opposed to the dancehall approach of his early career. In March 2003, Banton released ''Friends for Life'', which featured more sharply political songs, including "Mr. Nine", an anti-gun hit. The album focused on political messages regarding the African diaspora, featuring excerpts from a speech made by Marcus Garvey. "Paid Not Played", also featured on the album, displayed a gradual return to the themes more popular in dancehall. The album also featured some hip hop influence with the inclusion of rapper Fat Joe.

2006 saw the release of the ''Too Bad'', an album more dancehall-orientated in style. One of the slower tracks from the album, "Driver A", went on to become a major hit, while at the same time reviving Sly & Robbie's "Taxi" riddim.

He performed at the Cricket World Cup 2007 Opening Ceremony with Third World and Beres Hammond.

The album ''Rasta Got Soul'' was released on April 21, 2009, a date which marked the 43rd anniversary of Emperor Haile Selassie's visit to Jamaica in 1966. Produced by Banton, with contributions from longtime collaborators Donovan Germain, Stephen Marsden and Wyclef Jean, ''Rasta Got Soul'' was recorded over a seven year period before its release. It went on to become his fourth Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album in 2010.

On February 13, 2011, one day before the scheduled start of his second court trial in Tampa, Florida, Buju Banton's ''Before The Dawn'' album was announced as the winner of the ‘Best Reggae Album’ category at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards.

Controversies

Anti-gay stance

Banton has attracted criticism over his anti-gay lyrics. His monster hit "Boom Bye Bye", released in 1988 (and re-recorded in 1992), contains lyrics inciting the murder of gay men (with "boom bye bye" being onomatopoeia for the sounds of gunshot). In 2009 gay rights group appealed to venues around the country not to host Buju Banton. Banton attributed his anti-homosexual point of views to the immaturity of his youth, he was 15 years old when the song was first recorded.

In 2007 Banton was allegedly among a number of reggae artists who signed a pledge, the Reggae Compassionate Act, created by the Stop Murder Music campaign, to refrain from performing homophobic songs or making homophobic statements, but he later denied that he had made any such commitment.

Federal drug charges

In December 2009 Drug Enforcement Administration agents remanded Banton to custody in Miami, where the U.S. Attorney charged him with conspiracy to distribute and possession of more than five kilograms of cocaine. A six-day trial in Tampa, Florida was declared a mistrial on September 27, 2010, after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision. During the trial, audio recordings were presented of Banton and a drug-dealer-turned-government-informant discussing drugs, drug prices and smuggling. Banton was also seen on a video recording meeting the informant in a police-controlled warehouse tasting cocaine from a kilogram bag. The informant was reportedly paid $50,000 for his work on the case. The singer was released that November on bond, and a new trial was scheduled for February 2011 after prosecutors won reindictment.

He was allowed to perform one concert between trials, which was held on January 16, 2011 to a sold-out crowd in Miami.

On February 22, 2011, Banton was found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense and using communication wires to facilitate a drug-trafficking offense. He was found not guilty on the charge of attempted possession of five kilograms or more of cocaine. Four months later, he was sentenced to ten years and one month in a federal prison for the cocaine trafficking conviction.

Discography

1992: ''Stamina Daddy'' (later repackaged as ''Quick'')

1992: ''Mr. Mention''

1993: ''Voice of Jamaica''

1995: '''Til Shiloh''

1997: ''Inna Heights''

2000: ''Unchained Spirit''

2003: ''Friends for Life''

2006: ''Too Bad''

2009: ''Rasta Got Soul''

2010: ''Before The Dawn''

References

External links

Buju Banton @ Reggaeville

Buju Banton Wins 2011 Grammy Award For Best Reggae Album

Buju Banton Federal Drug Charge

Official website

discogs.com entry

Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:Dancehall musicians Category:Jamaican male singers Category:Jamaican Rastafarians Category:Jamaican reggae singers Category:Jamaican songwriters Category:People from Kingston, Jamaica Category:Reggae fusion artists Category:Jamaican drug traffickers

de:Buju Banton es:Buju Banton fr:Buju Banton it:Buju Banton ht:Buju Banton hu:Buju Banton nl:Buju Banton ja:ブジュ・バントン pl:Buju Banton pt:Buju Banton fi:Buju Banton sv:Buju Banton

Coordinates

3°7′37″N29°15′30″N

{{infobox musical artist | name

Jennifer Rush | image Jennifer Rush.jpg | caption Rush performing in 1988. | image_size | background solo_singer | birth_name Heidi Stern | Born September 28, 1960 | origin Queens, New York, United States | instrument Vocalist | genre Pop, Rock, Soft Rock, AOR | occupation Singer-songwriter | years_active 1979–present | label Sony Records, CBS, Columbia | associated_acts | website Official website }}

Jennifer Rush (born September 28, 1960) is an American/German-based pop/rock singer, best known for the million-selling single "The Power of Love", which she co-wrote and which went on to be covered by Laura Branigan and Celine Dion.

Career

Born Heidi Stern, in Queens, New York, she spent her childhood in both New York and the State of Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany. It was in Flensburg, Germany, that she first discovered her passion for music. She recorded her first album ''Heidi Stern'' in 1979, but it did not get much attention. Trying to establish her career as a singer, in 1982, she moved to Wiesbaden, Hesse, Germany, with her father Maurice Stern, an opera singer. Over the next several years she scored hits around Europe with songs "25 Lovers", "Flames of Paradise", "Ring of Ice", "Destiny", "If You're Ever Gonna Lose My Love", "I Come Undone" and "Madonna's Eyes".

Jennifer's mother Barbara was a pianist, and her brothers are musicians Bobby Stern and Stephen Stern. In 2010, Jennifer revealed that she adopted her artist name "Jennifer" upon the insistence of her record company, CBS, who felt Heidi did not sound 'international' enough.

Her single "The Power Of Love" was the biggest hit of 1985 in the United Kingdom, (as well as becoming a significant hit in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Portugal, South Africa and Sweden) and was listed in the Guinness Book Of Records as "the best-selling single by a female solo artist in the history of the British music industry". It held that status until 1992, when it was outsold by Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You". "The Power of Love" topped the charts for more than eight weeks in Australia, South Africa and numerous European countries. Number one in several countries, Rush's version reached only number 57 in the United States ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. After several cover versions by other artists, the Celine Dion version made a U.S. chart impact in 1994.

Rush remained successful in Europe and notably in Germany where her next two albums reached number 1 for 14 weeks and 9 weeks respectively. In the UK however, her chart career saw only a few sporadic bursts of success.

It was Rush's 1987 album ''Heart Over Mind,'' featuring compositions by Desmond Child and Michael Bolton and guitar work from Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi), that finally brought her Top 40 success in her home country, with the Elton John duet "Flames of Paradise". She also recorded duets with Michael Bolton, Plácido Domingo and Brian May.

While she continued to achieve platinum and multi-platinum sales of albums and singles in both English and Spanish, recognition eluded her in her home country. Rush built on her success through the 1990s in Europe (again, especially in Germany), releasing four albums, the last being 1998's '' Classics '' (along with new songs, re-recording her biggest hits with the Hungarian Philharmonic Orchestra). After that she took some time off in New York, dedicating time to her daughter. A series of greatest hits compilation albums followed in the new millennium.

She released a boxed set ''Stronghold - The Collector's Hit Box'' in August 2007. This compilation included all Rush singles from 1982 to 1991 (with her first record company), and in their "extended versions" as available. It also included all the B-sides and other rare or unreleased tracks (among them four James Bond theme songs, recorded live in 1984 and only released in a very limited edition by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra).

In 2006 she moved to London with her daughter. On March 6, 2009 Rush announced on her official website that she had signed a worldwide recording contract with Sony Music / Ariola. This meant a return to the recording label where she made her international breakthrough in the 1980s and released the first five studio albums of her career. ''Now Is the Hour'', produced by Berlin-based producer team Valicon, was released on March 5, 2010 in Germany, and on March 8, 2010 in the UK. It was her first album with completely new material in over thirteen years.

Discography

Singles

1982 "Tonight" (as Heidi Stern)

1983 "Into My Dreams" (France #7)

1983 "Come Give Me Your Hand / Witch Queen Of New Orleans"

1983 "Witch Queen Of New Orleans / Come Give Me Your Hand" (Sweden only, made in Netherlands)

1984 "25 Lovers" (France #9, West Germany #25)

1984 "Ring of Ice" (West Germany #22)

1985 "The Power of Love" (#1 in Australia, Austria, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, UK; Denmark #9, France #25, Netherlands #4, Spain #2, Sweden #3, Switzerland #3, West Germany #9, US #57)

1985 "Si tu eres mi hombre y yo tu mujer" ("The Power of Love" Spanish version)

1985 "Ring of Ice" (Re-issue, UK #14, South Africa #1)

1986 "Madonna's Eyes" (France #5, UK #84, South Africa #12)

1985 "Destiny" ( West Germany #4, UK #96, Austria #5, Switzerland #5, Netherlands #23)

1986 "If You're Ever Gonna Lose My Love" (West Germany #24, Austria #15, Denmark #4)

1986 "No me canso de pensar en ti" ("If You're Ever Gonna Lose My Love" Spanish version)

1986 "If You're Ever Gonna Lose My Love / Madonna's Eyes"(Sweden only, made in Netherlands)

1986 "The Power of Love (Remix)" (UK #55)

1987 "I Come Undone" (Switzerland #9, South Africa #10, West Germany #11, Austria #28, UK #94)

1987 "Flames of Paradise" (Duet with Elton John) (UK #59, US #36, Canada #17, West Germany #8, Switzerland #7, New Zealand #14)

1987 "Heart Over Mind" (France #9, Austria #24, West Germany #25, Switzerland #29)

1988 "Another Way"

1988 "You're My One and Only" (France #3, West Germany #27, Switzerland #21, UK #90)

1988 "Viva de mi vida" ("You're My One and Only" Spanish version)

1989 "Keep All the Fires Burning Bright"

1989 "Solitaria mujer" ("Keep All the Fires Burning Bright" Spanish version)

1989 "Love Get Ready"

1989 "Till I Loved You" (Duet with Placido Domingo) (UK #24)

1989/1990 "Higher Ground" (Austria #30, Germany #54, UK #98)

1990 "Wings of Desire"

1990 "We Are the Strong"

1991 "Ave Maria (Survivors of a Different Kind)"

1992 "Never Say Never" (Germany #46)

1993 "Vision of You" (Germany #56)

1993 "Vision de Ti" ("Vision Of You" Spanish version)

1993 "A Broken Heart" (Germany #90)

1995 "Tears in the Rain" (Switzerland #26, Germany #45)

1995 "Out of My Hands"

1995 "Who Wants to Live Forever" (Featuring Brian May – promomotional release only)

1995 "Das Farbenspiel des Winds" (Pocahontas' "The Colours of the Wind") (Germany #80)

1997 "Credo" (Austria #32, Germany #75)

1997 "Sweet Thing"

1997 "Piano in the Dark" (promo release only)

1998 "The End of a Journey"

1999 "Ring of Ice" ("Classics" version – promo release only)

2010 "Before the Dawn" (download only, no extra tracks)

2010 "Echoes Love" (download only, with one extra remix)

Albums

"—" denotes releases that did not chart or that no info is known, or that the album was not released on that market. {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Album ! colspan="9"| Peak chart positions |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="45"| UK ! width="45"| US ! width="45"| Germany ! width="45"| Norway ! width="45"| Sweden ! width="45"| Switzerland ! width="45"| Austria ! width="45"| South Africa ! width="45"| Greece |- | 1979 | align="left"| ''Heidi Stern'' | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |- | 1984 | align="left"| ''Jennifer Rush'' | 7 | – | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | – |- | 1985 | align="left"| ''Movin''' | 32 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | – |- | 1987 | align="left"| ''Heart Over Mind'' | 48 | 118 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 2 | – |- | 1988 | align="left"| ''Passion'' | – | – | 3 | – | 10 | 4 | 24 | – | – |- | 1989 | align="left"| ''Wings of Desire'' | – | – | 12 | – | 18 | 13 | – | – | – |- | 1991 | align="left"| ''The Power of Jennifer Rush'' | – | – | 40 | – | – | 34 | 37 | – | – |- | 1992 | align="left"| ''Jennifer Rush'' | – | – | 35 | – | – | 38 | – | – | – |- | 1995 | align="left"| ''Out of My Hands'' | – | – | 15 | – | – | 28 | 30 | – | – |- | 1997 | align="left"| ''Credo'' | – | – | 26 | – | – | – | 37 | – | – |- | 1998 | align="left"| ''Classics'' | – | – | 34 | – | – | – | – | – | – |- | 2007 | align="left"| ''Stronghold - The Collector's Hit Box'' | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |- | 2010 | align="left"| ''Now Is the Hour'' | – | – |21 | – | – |61 |51 | – | 6 |}

DVDs

''The Power of Love'' – The Complete Video Collection'' (2004)

References

External links

Jennifer Rush's Official Website

Official Fan Community

Unofficial Discography

Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:People from Queens Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:American expatriates in Germany Category:American female singers Category:American pop singers Category:American singer-songwriters

de:Jennifer Rush es:Jennifer Rush fa:جنیفر راش fr:Jennifer Rush it:Jennifer Rush nl:Jennifer Rush pl:Jennifer Rush pt:Jennifer Rush ru:Раш, Дженнифер sv:Jennifer Rush