Groove in the desert

Ziggy Marley

Embracing both the spiritual and emotional side of life, Ziggy has definitively come into his own as an artist. The twelve-track album, released in early July, showcases Ziggy’s tightly rolled talents as a songwriter, musician and producer. The only thing more joyful than making it, says Ziggy, is the anticipation of the global tour he has planned including Dubai this weekend.

Written “all over the world,” with some songs penned during his youth, Love Is My Religion expands upon the personal, social and political themes explored in Ziggy’s debut CD, Dragonfly. Its musical center is clearly reggae, peppered by African percussion and other flavors.

In addition to his skills as a singer, songwriter and producer, Ziggy founded U.R.G.E. (Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment), a non-profit organisation that benefits a wide range of charitable children’s causes in Jamaica, Ethiopia and other developing nations. More recently he has thrown his support behind the Youth AIDS campaign.

Mika

Mika wants to set the bar for fantastical, 3 dimensional pop at his own height. Which is over 6’ and statuesquely sculptured, since you ask.

Mika is a songwriter, performer, producer and orchestrator and his debut album is both astonishingly musical and profoundly thoughtful, his tunes combine a heady euphoric rush with darker unexpected elements: daytime melodramas and night-time tales of love, loss, abandonment, hope and happiness. They all jostle together for attention, each one a pure pop golden nugget.

He says now that by the age of 9 he knew that songwriting was his destiny.

He was catapulted onto the stage of a Richard Strauss opera at 11 and after spending most of his life submerged in music, his debut album has been unleashed onto the world, brimming with brightly-hued melody, engaging hooks and a distinct lyrical style that speaks exactly and distinctly of its moment, he has finally been given an outlet for his unique vision.

Kanye West

In a short span of time, Kanye West went from hitmaking producer to just plain hitmaker, as his stellar production work earned him a solo record deal and soon his beats accompanied by his own witty raps on a number of critically and commercially successful releases. His flamboyant personality also made a mark.

His debut album, The College Dropout (2004), was continually delayed but just as 'Through the Wire' was breaking big-time at the tail end of 2003, another West song caught fire, a collaboration with Twista and comedian/actor Jamie Foxx called 'Slow Jamz' that gave the rapper/producer two simultaneously ubiquitous singles and a much-anticipated debut album.

In the wake of his breakout success, West earned a whopping ten nominations for the 47th annual Grammy Awards, held in early 2005. The College Dropout won the Best Rap Album award. Later in the year, he released his second solo album, Late Registration, which met with enormous success, hit the top of the charts, and won the Grammy for Album of the Year in early 2006.

Madness

Britain’s biggest selling singles band of the eighties are an enduring influence and a perennial favourite, with a legacy matched by few, if any, of their contemporaries. Twenty-one top-twenty singles in a seven year period from ’78-’86 was a significant achievement and set the tone for almost three decades of complete Madness.

In the early eighties, Madness were unrivalled in chart success, critical acclaim, innovation and style. Their energetic live shows, genre-defining videos and even a 1981 film ‘Take It Or Leave It’ were all popular.

The band’s sound had developed from their early ska roots, showing their love of Motown/Stax rhythms and three minute melodies almost ignored in Britain since the late 60’s.

Currently Madness are in the studio recording original material for their new album to be released this year 2007.

Joss Stone

Joss Stone has sold more than 7.5 million albums worldwide; won two Brit awards, been nominated for four Grammy Awards; appeared onstage with James Brown, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Patti Labelle, Mavis Staples, Donna Summer, and Smokey Robinson; sat for an interview with Oprah Winfrey; starred in two major ad campaigns for the Gap; and performed for more than 200,000 people at the 2005 Live 8 Concert — all before reaching the ripe old age of 19.

And yet, only now, on her third album, Introducing Joss Stone, does the Devon born soul singer and songwriter feel she is expressing her true musical vision.

Introducing Joss Stone is an electrifying mix of warm vintage soul, '70s-style R&B, Motown girl-group harmonies, and jazzy grooves.

Black Violin

On May 21st 2005 Black Violin, two classically trained musicians took home the title '2005 Apollo Legends' which catapulted them to international fame. These two gentlemen, KeV Marcus and Wil b along with their DJ TK have created the ultimate synergy between classical and Hip-Hop music, and with it an incredible opportunity to reach young children. Now Black Violin wants to make sure that America's young people get the same exposure to the arts, and therefore the same opportunity that they did.

Helena Paparizou

Helena Paparizou’s artistic talents and eagerness to excel in them were revealed at a very early age and she began singing, dancing and acting.

With several hit songs including 'Mambo!', released in November 2005 and two No 1 albums, 'The game of Love' and 'Iparhi Logos' both certificated platinum in Greece, the singer is undoubtedly Greece’s No1 and ultimate pop star.

Arash

Arash is one of Sweden's most famous artists. He has also had a great deal of success in other countries, topping the charts of all kinds of hit lists. Within a year's time he has released such singles as "Boro Boro", "Tike Tike Kardi", "Temptation", etc. His most recent victory was in Cannes when he was awarded Sweden's most successful debut artist 2005.

HIs first single, 'Boro Boro' was followed by the hit singles 'Tike Tike Kardi' and 'Temptation'.