“Somos El Mundo” (the Spanish Version of “We Are the World”) debuted on Univision on Monday night to benefit Haiti and the song and video are currently available at iTunes.com/somoselmundo
This is the first time “We Are the World” has been authorized to be translated into another language. Featuring Shakira, Ricky Martin, Juanes, Luis Miguel, Vicente Fernandez, Gloria Estefan, and many more!
It has been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so as an SNL host alum, I’d like to say kudos to my friend Lorne Michaels and the cast of SNL for their interpretation of the “We Are The World – 25 for Haiti” recording session. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last 76 years, it’s that if you can’t laugh at yourself, you’re taking life way too seriously.
Most importantly, in its always irreverent way, SNL’s rendition is helping to keep media attention and the public’s consciousness on the devastation that occurred in Haiti. And while my thoughts and prayers also go out to the victims of the recent earthquake in Chile, the situation is Haiti remains extremely dire.
In Haiti, the TV cameras are beginning to leave and the rainy season is approaching. Shelter, food and medicines remain at an extraordinarily high premium and monies will continue to be needed to rebuild Haiti’s already shaky infrastructure. I have to look no further than to my close friend Dr. Allen Counter who just returned from Haiti and told me that there are still amputations happening on the street with Motrin and hacksaws to know the urgent need of the Haitian people.
“We Are the World” was created for this exact moment – to show the world the power of the collective to overcome adversity. I hope the song – whether it’s the original; the remake; the thousands of user-generated video responses on our YouTube channel; the Spanish version that Emilio Estefan is debuting tonight on Univision; one of the alternate-language versions we’re doing in the year ahead that we haven’t yet announced; or your own version – bring us together to help our fellow man in his time of need – whether that’s for Haiti, Chile, Katrina, or another time we need to “heed a certain call.” — Quincy Jones
Somos El Mundo (the Spanish version of “We Are the World”) will debut tonight on Univision at 10pm on the Cristina Show. For more information, visit www.somoselmundo.org
To learn more about how you can help Haiti and We Are The World 25, please visit www.world25.org
As taken from NBC.com:
“On Friday, February 12th, the all-star, 25th anniversary remake of “We Are the World” will debut on NBC as part of the network’s coverage of the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
Producer Quincy Jones and singer/songwriter Lionel Richie are working together to try to make lightning strike twice, to re-record “We Are the World.”
Stay tuned tonight for the big premiere that has everyone buzzing.
Stay tuned for exclusive news, photos, stories and more from the We Are the World 25 for Haiti studio session. Most importantly, stay tuned on how to give to the effort.
Tonight Quincy will appear on the globally televised “Hope for Haiti Now” telethon. “Hope for Haiti Now” will air across ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1, CMT, PBS, TNT, Showtime, Comedy Central, Bravo, E! Entertainment, National Geographic Channel, Oxygen, G4, CENTRIC, Current TV, Fuse, MLB Network, EPIX, Palladia, SoapNet, Style, Discovery Health, Planet Green, CNN en Español, HBO Latino and Canadian networks, including CBC Television, CTV, Global Television and MuchMusic. The event will be live streamed online globally across sites including YouTube, Hulu, MySpace, Fancast, AOL, MSN.com, Yahoo, Bing.com, BET.com, CNN.com, MTV.com, VH1.com and Rhapsody, and on mobile via Alltel, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and FloTV. “Hope for Haiti Now” will also air internationally on BET International, CNN International, National Geographic and MTV Networks International, which is available in 640 million homes worldwide. “Hope for Haiti Now” will be available non-exclusively to all terrestrial radio stations around the globe and SIRIUS XM Radio as a one-time-only radio broadcast via the MTV Radio Network and Westwood One. TO DONATE NOW, CLICK HERE!
“I am so shocked and saddened to hear about the devastation in Haiti. Please support the relief efforts any way you can.” – Quincy Jones
To donate to Yele Haiti, Wyclef Jean’s foundation, who are donating 100% of all donations to the people of Haiti, text “Yele” to 501501 or visit yele.org.
Photos of Q’s Limited Edition Audemars Piguet Millenary Timepiece have leaked on the internet… a formal announcement will come soon, but in the meantime, a couple photos for you to enjoy that have been floating around the web:
The Quincy Jones Musiq Consortium is a collection of leaders from all parts of the music industry and music education that have joined together to share resources, networks, and their passion to make music an ongoing part of the lives of children in the United States. The Consortium, encourages collaboration, shared services and advocacy while building a community in music education. The preservation of music education in the United States has been a cause very dear to Quincy’s heart for a very long time. This past week, The Quincy Jones Musiq Consortium Summit was held in New York, bringing music educators from across the country together with with a common voice and passion for music education.
Bob Lefsetz (of The Lefsetz Letter), reported, “the consortium is fighting on all fronts…Quincy opens doors.” You can read his experience at the summit here.
Valerie Strauss of The Washington Post also attended the summit and described it as “a gathering of educators and musicians who are onto something that could–really–transform music education in this country. The keys: Dozens of people from schools and non-profit organizations around the country are actually WORKING TOGETHER for this initiative, and it has the imprimatur of the famous producer Quincy Jones.” You can read Valerie Strauss’s article on the summit here.
For more information on The Quincy Jones Musiq Consortium, please click here.
Click the picture above to watch the video, or click here. Watch Quincy, QD3, Tyrese and other spokespersons of Operation HOPE’s 5MK (Five Million Kids) Initiative discuss the importance of financial literacy and education amongst today’s youth.
Tonight is the last night of the Bermuda Music Festival presented by Quincy Jones & friends. Our live streaming coverage in the media player will be broadcasting performances by Siedah Garrett, John Legend, Quincy & his big band, Naturally 7 and a special appearance from Chris Tucker. Please be patient for the footage to load as we are streaming in high quality. Stay tuned!
Follow Quincy on Twitter for up-to-the-minute tweets at www.twitter.com/quincydjones.
For more information, visit www.bmf09.com. For more great live streaming photos from Bermuda Music Festival 2009, click here. Photo Credit: Rob Loud for Gibraltar
For more information, visit www.bmf09.com. For more great live streaming photos from Bermuda Music Festival 2009, click here. Photo Credit: Rob Loud for Gibraltar
For more great live streaming photos from Bermuda Music Festival 2009, click here. Photo Credit: Rob Loud for Gibraltar
You can watch the stream of Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” movie premiere in Bermuda in the media player above. Quincy, along with Siedah Garret, Patti Austin, James Ingram and friends attended the premiere in Bermuda last night. Many of the BMF All Stars have worked with Michael Jackson in the past. Patti Austin collaborated with Michael Jackson on several projects including The Wiz and Off The Wall, while Siedah Garret wrote the #1 hit song, ‘Man In The Mirror’. Simply click ‘Play’ and choose the ‘On Demand’ feature to watch all the red carpet interviews from Quincy and the All Star Bermuda Music Festival cast sharing their fondest memories on Michael Jackson.
Recently, Quincy and Ludacris have been in the news together. Last week on Jay Leno’s “10 At 10″ Ludacris mentioned that the last book he read was, Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones. Ludacris also added, “He’s like my godfather…amazing book, make sure you read it.” You can purchase a copy of Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones on Amazon or by clicking here. To read Ludacris’s interview on Jay Leno’s “10 At 10″, click here or click play below.
This weekend, Quincy was honored by Ludacris at the Ludacris Foundation Benefit Dinner in Washington, DC. The foundation also honored other leaders with a track record of giving back in their communities, including Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), who received the foundation’s Congressional Leadership Award and BET CEO Debra Lee. For more information on the Ludcris Foundation Benefit Dinner, click here.
Quincy is pictured with Josh Kelley, DeOndra Dixon (sister of Jamie Foxx) and Michelle Sie Whitten (Executive Director of GDSF).
Quincy was in Denver this weekend for the 2009 ‘Be Beautiful Be Yourself Jet Set Fashion Show’, raising awareness and support for Down syndrome research and care. The Global Down Syndrome Foundation fundraiser raised $1.35 million benefitting the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus.
Quincy received the first ever Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award at the event. In a surprise moment for the audience, Quincy bestowed the Quincy Jones Exceptional Self-Advocate Award on DeOndra Dixon, Jamie Foxx’s younger sister, who has Down syndrome. Dixon is a Special Olympic medalist who has won an award for poetry, balances school and work and is a role model for young people with Down syndrome.
Down syndrome is the most frequent chromosomal disorder in the United States accounting for 1 in 733 live births. There are more than 400,000 people in the US and millions worldwide with the condition. Despite the frequency it is the least funded genetic condition by the National Institutes of Health. In 2008 Down syndrome accounted for just 0.0006 of its $28 billion budget. For more information on this event, click HERE.
Quincy and Sergio Mendes introduce “Bienvenido Gustavo“
Quincy and T-Pain at Record Plant Recording Studios
And finally, a very special thank you to T-Pain and his team who recorded with Quincy for Quincy’s new album on Friday.
Former President Bill Clinton (along with Alicia Keys, Usher, President Paul Kagame and more) honored Quincy at the annual awards ceremony of the Clinton Global Initiative Forum in New York on Thursday night. During the ceremony, Quincy was given the Clinton Global Citizen Award.
“Quincy is a legend of our time,” Clinton said. “It is rare that an individual commits as much to philanthropic causes as he does to his own career. Quincy’s many musical talents, coupled with his entrepreneurial spirit, have led him to make a lasting change in the lives of thousands of people throughout the world. His determination, creativity and strong leadership serve as an inspiration to all of us.” To read more, click HERE.
The night before, Quincy attended the U2 concert at the Giants Stadium. As reported by MTV, “Bono interrupted “Beautiful Day” with a shout-out to another music legend. “I want to do something for Quincy Jones, who is here tonight.” Somehow, he then was able to fit a couple of lines from Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” into “Beautiful Day.” To read more, click HERE.
Yesterday Quincy had a very busy day in New York City. Quincy teamed up with Tommy Hilfiger and Jeffrey Sachs to announce a new partnership between The Tommy Hilfiger Foundation and Millenium Promise at the brand new Tommy Hilfiger Flagship Store on Fifth Avenue. Quincy, through his Foundation is on the Board of Directors of Millennium Promise. Millennium Promise fights extreme poverty in Africa, to learn more click HERE.
That same day, Quincy attended and spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new permanent site for the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. To learn more, click HERE.
Today Quincy shot a live podcast interview in his home to discuss the upcoming Bermuda Music Festival. Quincy will be hosting and performing at the Bermuda Music Festival. You can watch the podcast interviews with fellow performers Erykah Badu, John Legend, Wyclef Jean and Quincy using the player below, or by clicking here.
The full lineup for the Bermuda Music Festival includes Patti Austin, Erykah Badu, James Ingram, Wyclef Jean, John Legend, Michael McDonald, Kenny Rogers, Naturally 7, Siedah Garrett, Chris Tucker, and more! For more information on The Bermuda Music Festival, please visit www.bmf09.com.
Over the weekend, news broke of the artist lineup Quincy has put together for the 2009 Bermuda Music Festival. To read the press release, click HERE. Some of the artists that will be featured include Patti Austin, Erykah Badu, James Ingram, Wyclef Jean, John Legend, Michael McDonald, Kenny Rogers & Naturally Seven. For more info and to buy tickets, visit www.BMF09.com.
For a helicopter’s view of the island and the location of the concert, click here or on the following photo:
On July 28th 2009, Alfredo Rodriguez will make his debut New York performance since defecting from Cuba in January of this year.
Don Heckman, of the Los Angeles Times wrote on his blog “[Alfredo is] an astonishing talent…who calls up images of a youthful Art Tatum, leavened with an off-center, Thelonious Monk point of view, spiced with the surging rhythmic passions of his homeland;” Quincy Jones, in a 6/9/09 interview with La Opinion claimed, “[Alfredo] is very special and I do not say that easily because been I have been surrounded by the best musicians in the world my entire life … he is one of the best.”
Please come join us — details of the evening are below:
Alfredo Rodriguez Trio: Featuring Dafnis Prieto and Charles Flores. Admission: $20. Box office: 212-576-2232. Address: 116 E. 27th Street, New York, NY 10016. TWO SHOWS! One at 7:30pm and one at 9:30pm. Click on the time you want to pre-order tickets, or just buy tickets at the door! All seating is on a first come, first seated basis. Ticket purchase guarantees you admission to the show. Serving award winning Blue Smoke Barbecue.
For more info, visit alfredomusic.com or jazzstandard.com
Quincy was present at the Montreux Jazz Festival this Sunday where he introduced Chinese piano virtuoso Lang Lang and veteran Herbie Hancock. The two fused a fantastic mix of classic and jazz music and performed together as a kick-off to their upcoming tour. Stephanie Nebehay of Reuters News reported,
Producer and composer Quincy Jones, who co-produced the Swiss festival from 1991-93, is back in town for a few days and made a cameo appearance to introduce the pair. ”I’m happy to play a tiny part in this momentous occasion. As usual, Claude knows how to make it special,” he said. ”Herbie has been practicing up to five hours a day — as serious as a heart attack,” Jones said. “This is one of the highests of highs, it’s as good as it gets.”
For some strange reason, I have a history of meeting young performers when they reach age 12. There was Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Tevin Campbell, and, of course, Michael Jackson. In 1978 Sidney Lumet pulled me kicking and screaming into doing the music for The Wiz, starring Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael as the Scarecrow. Michael dived into the filming, learning not only his lines but everyone else’s. There was only one problem: there’s a scene where the Scarecrow starts pulling proverbs from his stuffing and talking about Socrates. Michael kept saying “So-crates.” It was really interesting to watch; either because of his age or his fame, no one wanted to correct him. After about the third time, I pulled Michael aside and told him the correct pronunciation. He looked at me with the big, wide eyes of a child opening a present under the Christmas tree and said, “Really?” It was at that moment that I said, “Michael, I’d like to produce your solo album.” It was that wonderment I saw in his eyes that locked me in, the idea that we could go into unexplored territory, a place that, as a jazz musician, gave me goosebumps.
Michael was so shy, he’d sit down and sing behind the couch with his back to me while I sat with my hands over my eyes—and the lights off. We tried all kinds of tricks to help with his artistic growth, like dropping keys just a minor third to give him flexibility and a more mature range, and adding more than a few tempo changes. I also tried to steer him to songs with more depth, some of them about real relationships—we weren’t going to make it with ballads to rodents. Seth Riggs, a leading vocal coach, gave him vigorous warm-up exercises to expand his top and bottom range—which I desperately needed to get the vocal drama going. We approached that record like we were going into battle. Off the Wall would sell 10 million copies, but anyone who tells you that they knew it was going to be a big hit is an out-and-out liar. We had no idea it was going to be as successful as it was, but we were thrilled. Michael had moved from the realm of bubblegum pop and planted his flag squarely in the heart of the musical pulse of the ’80s.
From then on, I called Michael “my little brother,” and like the world, I was devastated at the news that he had suddenly passed away. How could that be? This wonderful artist who commanded the stage with catlike grace, shattered recording-industry records, and broke down cultural boundaries around the world, and yet remained the gentlest of souls. He was a different kind of entertainer. He’d work for hours, perfecting every lick, gesture, and movement so that they came together precisely the way they were intended to. We achieved heights in the ’80s that I can humbly say may never be reached again, and reshaped the music business forever. How could Michael be gone? He was a part of my soul. -Q
“I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news. For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don’t have the words. Divinity brought our souls together on The Wiz and allowed us to do what we were able to throughout the 80’s. To this day, the music we created together on “Off The Wall,” “Thriller” and “Bad” is played in every corner of the world and the reason for that is because he had it all…talent, grace, professionalism and dedication. He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I’ve lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him.”
Quincy recently spoke at The 12th Shanghai International Film Festival where he was greeted by an audience of university students to discuss his career and give advice. AP Shanghai reported:
SHANGHAI (AP) – American music legend Quincy Jones delighted an audience of university students in Shanghai on Friday with stories about working with Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson – and a sprinkling of Chinese phrases he had picked up…He greeted the students at Fudan University’s Shanghai Institute of Visual Art with the Mandarin phrase for thank you – “xie xie ni” – and praised their “piao liang” – beautiful – campus…The multiple Grammy award-winner advised students to follow their interests and “never chase money,” but also to work hard and prepare well for any career.
For more on Quincy’s speech at The 12th Shanghai International Film Festival, read the article by clicking here.
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