“Q: Soul Bossa Nostra” will be the first Qwest release in nearly 15 years. Stay tuned for exclusive details, photos, videos and more.

7 years in the making, Q’s new album “Soul Bossa Nostra” is scheduled to release this summer. As the first single off the record, Quincy selected Akon’s rendition of Shuggie Otis’ “Strawberry Letter 23” – a song made famous by the Brothers Johnson in 1977. Quentin Tarantino also featured the song in his film Jackie Brown in 1997.

Akon was quoted as saying, “When Quincy called and told me about this album, I said you have to let me do “Strawberry Letter 23” and the funny thing is that’s the song he was thinking about already. We brought a new modern feel to this classic and I think everyone’s going to really enjoy it.”

To download the song on iTunes, click on THIS LINK. To stream the song, visit Quincy’s Myspace Page.

Quincy is auctioning off a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – lunch with the music mogul himself – to benefit the Center for the Advancement of Women, a nonprofit institution dedicated to research-based education and advocacy for women.

The winning bidder and a guest will enjoy an unforgettable meal as they meet Quincy Jones over lunch at one of his favorite restaurants in Los Angeles or New York. The winner will have the opportunity to learn about Mr. Jones’ history as a living legend of the entertainment industry — and chat about what’s next for this truly fascinating man.

You can find full details at: http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/mothersday/catalog_items/121074

We’re thrilled to announce the release of Quincy’s new album, Soul Bossa Nostra, a dazzling confection of today’s top pop, R&B and hip-hop artists and producers coming together to celebrate Quincy’s musical legacy. The roster includes Usher, Ludacris, Akon, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, T-Pain, Robin Thicke, LL Cool J, John Legend, Snoop Dogg, Wyclef Jean, Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, Three 6 Mafia, David Banner, Bebe Winans, Mervyn Warren, Jermaine Dupri, DJ Paul, and Scott Storch, among others. To read the full press release on PR Newswire, please click here.

A “family celebration,” Soul Bossa Nostra will be released May/June, 2010. The first single from Soul Bossa Nostra, available March 24th, will be Akon’s interpretation of the 1977 Brothers Johnson classic “Strawberry Letter 23.” Quincy is “honored that everyone wanted to be a part of this celebration of these songs. They all made them their own, and knocked them out of the park.” He continues, saying, “Each of these songs had incredible artists and unique stories from when we originally recorded them. I think that these new interpretations will not only introduce these songs to a whole new generation of music fans, but inspire them to seek out the original recordings and show that these songs really stand the test of time…that’s the ultimate mark of a great tune.”

The album will also include Jennifer Hudson (produced by Scott Storch) performing acclaimed songwriter Rod Temperton’s “You Put A Move On My Heart,” from Jones’ 1996 album Q’s Jook Joint; Ludacris and Naturally 7 (produced by Naturally 7) on the title track “Soul Bossa Nostra,” a hip-hop revamp of Jones’ 1962 single “Soul Bossa Nova” which was re-born as the Austin Powers theme song and was sampled by Ludacris on his 2005 single “Number One Spot” for which he garnered a VMA; and Usher, Robin Thicke, LL Cool J, Tyrese and Tevin Campbell with Barry White’s original vocals (produced by Jermaine Dupri) on “Secret Garden,” originally recorded on 1989’s Back On The Block.

Commented singer/producer Akon, “Quincy Jones is a musical legend and an incredible mentor. Just being around him and watching him work over the years has taught me how to develop as an artist and grow as a producer. When Quincy called and told me about this album, I said you have to let me do “Strawberry Letter 23″ and the funny thing is that’s the song he was thinking about already. We brought a new modern feel to this classic and I think everyone’s going to really enjoy it.”

To read Billboard Music’s article on Soul Bossa Nostra, please click here. To read Entertainment Tonight’s article on Soul Bossa Nostra, please click here.

“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.

Quincy’s daughter Kidada Jones has been tapped to design a line of gold jewelry for Disney’s new film “The Princess and the Frog.” Says Quincy, “I couldn’t be more proud.” To shop Kidada’s creations for Disney Couture Jewelry, click here. To read more, click HERE.

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

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: