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Peter Gabriel and Venezuelan conductor Abreu win Polar Music Prize 

By DPA
May 12, 2009, 10:25 GMT


Stockholm – British pop musician Peter Gabriel was Tuesday named co-winner of the Polar Music Prize 2009 for his ‘ground- breaking, outward-looking and boundary-busting artistry.’

Gabriel shared the award with Venezuelan conductor, composer and economist Jose Antonio Abreu and the music network El Sistema that promotes classical music among mainly poor children in the South American country.

The network offers participants a chance to achieve ‘personal development and social participation and inclusion through the collective practice of music, at the highest level,’ the jury said.

Abreu’s ‘achievement shows us what is possible when music is made the common ground and thereby part of people’s everyday lives,’ the citation said.

El Sistema prodigies include conductor Gustavo Dudamel, 28, soon to become music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. He holds the same position at the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in Sweden, and the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra in Venezuela.

Another El Sistema participant is Edicson Ruiz, who at 17 became the youngest double bass player to date in the Berlin Philharmonic.

Gabriel, a well-known human rights campaigner, was a co-founder of the British group Genesis in 1966. He left in 1975. He has since recorded 11 solo albums and also composed soundtracks for movies including Birdy (1984) and The Last Temptation of Christ (1989).

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden was due August 31 to present the awards, each worth 1 million kronor (122,000 dollars), at the Stockholm Concert Hall that is also venue for the annual Nobel Prize award ceremony.

The Polar Music Prize was created in 1989 by the late Stig ‘Stikkan’ Andersson, former manager of Swedish super group ABBA.

In 2008, the award was shared by American soprano Renee Fleming and legendary British rock group Pink Floyd.

Sir Paul McCartney was the first winner in 1992 when he shared the honour with the Baltic states, who had recently gained independence from the Soviet Union.

Former winners include blues legend BB King, Dizzy Gillespie, Witold Lutoslawski, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Quincy Jones, Mstislav Rostropovitch, Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Pierre Boulez, Bruce Springsteen, Ray Charles, Ravi Shankar, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Isaac Stern, Burt Bacharach, Robert Moog, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Miriam Makeba and Keith Jarrett.

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http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1476649.php/Peter_Gabriel_and_Venezuelan_conductor_Abreu_win_Polar_Music_Prize_

Always a fun debate. Discuss this on our forum.

April 14, 10:39 PM

On April 3rd, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland inducted the Class of 2009, which included performers Jeff Beck, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Metallica, Run-D.M.C., and Bobby Womack. It was an eclectic list to say the least. These inductees were chosen by 600 voters of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, and they all met the criteria that their first recording was released at least twenty-five years ago.
Any time there is a vote for anything – US President, student council treasurer, etc. – some people will not agree. So here is a list of artists who deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but aren’t … while Patti Smith, Brenda Lee, and The Lovin’ Spoonful are. Go figure.

Hall & Oates: With seven Number 1 singles and nearly 30 Top 40 singles, you’d think these guys from Philadelphia would get some respect. With over 40 million albums sold, they are the most successful recording duo in history. But their stigma is a lack of critical respect. Who says it’s not cool to like Hall and Oates? Critics can’t let their guard down and say Out of Touch is a great sounding single or that Abandoned Luncheonette was soul music meets alt country long before there was alt country. These guys still make music and tour. If you are judging them on Maneater or the hand claps in Private Eyes, you are missing the bigger picture. Maybe the HOF’s excuse is that they don’t know whether to use “and” or the ampersand for the duo’s name.
Electric Light Orchestra: From 1972 to 1986, ELO accumulated twenty-seven Top 40 hit single appearances in both the UK and the US, and they also hold the dubious distinction of having the most Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 hits of any band in US chart history without ever having a #1 single. Perhaps the HOF has forgotten them because they are uncertain exactly who to induct. Who officially makes up ELO? The band began as a trio (Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan, and Roy Wood) and ended as one (Lynne, Bevan, and Richard Tandy). In between, they were often a seven-piece. Their 2001 release Zoom was really a Jeff Lynne solo album with the ELO name on it. Why are they not in? A Jeff Lynne bias perpetuated by people like The Courier Journal’s Jefferey Lee Puckett exists. Lynne was not solely some Beatles derivative. He was responsible for dozens of catchy tunes and innovative arrangements. Eldorado holds up against any concept album from the 70s. His great success as a producer adds to the fact that Lynne’s omission from the HOF is as unjustified as Seth Rogen’s comedic success.

The Moody Blues: More than fourteen years after their stunning debut Days of Future Passed, they hit their commercial peak with Long Distance Voyager. Here’s another band that doesn’t get the respect they deserve for their 18 platinum albums. The less informed may think “Your Wildest Dreams is too schmaltz rock for me.” Well then give Question or Legend of a Mind a listen to respect their musical innovativeness.

Rush: Never much of a band for hit singles (and no, Geddy Lee’s Take Off with Bob and Doug Mackenzie Brothers doesn’t count), this Canadian band has always sold albums with ease to the tune of 24 gold records. Their most recent album, Snakes & Arrows, debuted at #3 on the US charts, and its subsequent tour placed them in the top 10 profitable touring acts in 2007 and 2008. Like them or not, Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart are three outstanding musicians. OK, so the complex song structure. Lee’s voice, and the length of their tunes may shy you away from them, but they are a quality band who is still relevant thirty-five years after their first release. (Oh and like you’ve never made that Spirit of Radio guitar sound with your voice. Right) Needless to say they are in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, but that’s a little like winning the Grey Cup and not the Super Bowl.

KISS: OK, these guys can only write banal and juvenile lyrics, and yes, they did record one of the most wretched songs ever, Lick It Up. But they also have some pretty fine stuff in their canon. Hard Luck Woman, Shandi, and Do You Love Me are good songs. Not good KISS songs – just good songs. If you look into the band a little closely, you may gain some newfound musical respect for Paul Stanley, who can play some nimble guitar and has the perfect arena rock voice. His partner, Gene Simmons, is arguably musically inept, but he is a master of promotion and marketing. They are still a spectacle after all these years – even with two other guys wearing Peter Criss and Ace Frehley’s make up. If part of HOF criteria is cultural impact, how can KISS not be in there? Seriously, it’s crazy. Are they being snubbed because the HOF does not know who to include as a member of KISS? Actually, that may not be such a crazy idea. Gene, check your ego, and welcome Peter and Ace back as members not hired help, and that may sway some voters’ minds. Like them or not, they are a fascinating band.

Peter Gabriel: Dress up like a giant flower and people hold it against you. Maybe Gabriel is too cerebral for the HOF voters. I’m trying to think of a reason he’s not in there and can’t think of one. He has matched great commercial success with much critical acclaim. He has done humanitarian work, promoted world music, worked on film scores, and made consistently quality music for more than thirty years as a solo artist. The video for Sledgehammer may be the best known music video of all time, and the song was massively popular worldwide. In fact, it hit #1 in the US, knocking his old band mates Genesis’ Invisible Touch out of the top spot – which leads us to …

Genesis: It’s hard to believe this band is not in the HOF. It’s the Phil Collins backlash taking effect big time. Collins, either with Genesis or solo, was on the radio constantly in the mid 80s. Invisible Touch had five Top 5 singles in the US. The thing is, that was far from one of their better albums. To fairly look at the band, you have to go beyond Collins, Sussudio, his appearances on Miami Vice, and his Disney collaborations. The last record he did with Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks, We Can’t Dance, was an excellent record if you discount the tepid I Can’t Dance single. Take a listen to Mad Man Moon, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, and Follow You Follow Me, and you may soon appreciate their staying power.

Well, who else belongs? Alan Parsons should get some HOF recognition for his work with his band The Alan Parsons Project and his engineering work (Abbey Road and The Dark Side of The Moon to name a couple). While not known to many Americans, The Jam were a British phenomenon that had 18 consecutive top 40 singles from 1977-1982. The Sex Pistols are in the HOF and The Jam isn’t. I don’t buy that. The Jam has influenced some of today’s most popular acts like Oasis and Green Day. Yes is another progressive rock band not given its due. Much like the Moody Blues, they enjoyed their greatest commercial success many years after their first release. If you watched MTV in 1983, you couldn’t help but see the video for Leave It. R.L. Burnside might get a look. This North Mississippi native played music for decades before receiving some well deserved acclaim late in life with releases on Fat Possum Records. And finally, Jethro Tull made the flute cool, and that takes some hard work. Despite what the Grammies say, they aren’t a heavy metal band.
There will always be debate on matters like this. Anyway, what would message boards be if people couldn’t complain? So, I will shake my head as to why Jefferson Airplane and The Velvet Underground are enshrined and ELO is not. I will remain miffed as to why progressive rock gets no respect. But much like Jim Marshall’s omission from the National Football League’s Hall of Fame, there’s always going to be some poor decisions that leave worthy candidates on the outside looking in.  

http://www.examiner.com/x-6592-Louisville-Music-Examiner~y2009m4d14-Glaring-omissions-from-the-Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Fame#comments

In the Jungle with Peter Gabriel
By Aaron Smith

The Jetset Vagabond

Who would of thought, while being in the middle of the Amazon Jungle, of bumping into Peter Gabriel and Tony Leven (bass player of King Crimson) – but that’s exactly what happened to me recently at Peter Schneider’s Amazon Lodge on the Momon River, some forty kilometers out of Iquitos. Peter Schneider who runs Latin America’s largest radio Station, Top Latino.net, which broadcasts in some 578 cities throughout 30 countries, invited me to his lodge to stay. I was after an interview with Peter Schneider, who is nothing short of a colorful character, for my book about, amongst other things, Iquitos. Having gone to school with Richard Branson and then later sent to Peru to pursue Alpaca for the family business, Peter S. fell in love with the country and is now based in Miraflores, Lima. His second home though is Iquitos and his jungle Lodge that he endeavors to visit at least once a month.


Peter Gabriel arrives to the lodge

Amazon Lodge is an architect designed complex that blends in to the jungle. Twenty two, clean, self-contained lodges are connected by covered walkways through manicured gardens, decorated with Shipibo Indian handicrafts. Tortoises and native hens roam free, as well as Rigoberto, the tame, resident Tapir. You can also feed the wild Macaws who hang outside the dining room that has a great balcony with river sunset views. A pool with water slide, jacuzzi, kids playground, games room, cable TV in all the cabins, English speaking staff, kayaking, jungle excursions and three tasty buffet meals a day, all inclusive, is good value from $70 dollars a day. There is even a resident shaman for those interested in drinking Ayahuasca and experiencing a different kind of jungle trip. Whether you are an Indiana Jones adventurer, spiritual quester or those just wanting to finish that trashy novel poolside in a hammock with an umbrella drink, Amazon Lodge caters for all – and that’s exactly what I was doing when a late 50’s man with a goatee came up and sat in the hammock adjacent to mine. I had of course been tipped off that the legendary Peter Gabriel and band were coming to the lodge but was also warned he was a diva and totally unapproachable. Mr. Gabriel leaned over and extended an open palm, ‘Hi, the name’s Peter.’ – So much for unapproachable.

We chatted about his grueling tour of Latin America and how the twenty four hours they would spend at the lodge represented the only down time on the whole tour. They had snuck into Iquitos at 4am that morning on Gabriel’s personal jet and were excited about being in the jungle. A little later Tony Levin (a teenage icon for me), flopped into the hammock on the other side of me – handlebar moustache, shaved bald head and khaki-green jungle fatigues, he looked the part. Casually shaking hands I resisted swooning and becoming an obsessed fan, remaining ice cool was imperative. I managed to present a gift to Gabriel and band from Bill Curtis and his American Amazon Music Company, a selection of his handmade, exotic, Amazon-timber guitar picks that carry a lifetime warranty, Gabriel’s guitarist Richard was suitably impressed and said they felt beautiful to touch.

I figured that Peter Schneider being a long time, big player in the Latin American music scene and that both him and Peter Gabriel were friends of Richard Branson, that the band’s arrival at the lodge was no coincidence and due to an ‘old boys’ contact. But that is exactly what it was, a sheer coincidence and nothing more, Peter Gabriel had just booked the lodge out of the blue – it makes you wonder of the mysterious ways of the universe.


Hammock conversation swung around to indigenous Indian culture and the icarros of the Ayahuasca shamans. Knowing that in recent years Mr. Gabriel has had a growing interest in World music as well as humanitarian issues, having recently been awarded the Amnesty International’s 2008 Ambassador of Conscience Award, as well as working with the likes of Richard Branson and Nelson Mandela, I asked him if he was aware of the ceremonies. Having a limited knowledge he was keen to know more, so I did my best to explain what I knew from my own personal research and experiences. Intrigued, he, his daughter Melanie Gabriel, and the rest of the band sat in on an Ayahuasca ceremony with me that evening with the local resident shaman, Havier. Unfortunately due to their tight schedule they couldn’t afford the headspace of an Ayahuasca journey as they were playing a gig in Mexico City in forty eight hours.


Peter and band bird watching

Early the next morning I headed out with Mr. Gabriel and the band on a bird watching tour up the river, in between snapping photos of the passing wildlife, we continued to talk about Ayahuasca and the many medicinal Amazonian plants and mysteries and legends of the jungle. Leaving just after breakfast, we exchanged emails and Mr. Gabriel promised to review my upcoming book. As the fast boat wound through the water ways back to Iquitos I smiled as I considered how everyone has an approachable, friendly side and I was glad that someone with the fame and fortune of Peter Gabriel was able to maintain this over the years.

http://www.livinginperu.com/travel-730-abancay-jungle-with-peter-gabriel

Musician and activist Peter Gabriel is to present Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon with a petition signed by more than 1,000 people asking him to act on the hundreds of unsolved murders of women in the Mexican border city Ciudad Juarez.

Gabriel is due to perform in Mexico City on March 27, and is expected to make his appeal to Calderon then, El Pais reports.
Peter Gabriel is a prominent human-rights activist, and in 1992 founded the nonprofit group Witness, which uses video and online technologies to bring human-rights violations to light.

He’s not the first celebrity to wade in on the issue of Ciudad Juarez’s dead women. Jane Fonda, Sally Field and Salma Hayek are just some of the Hollywood stars who have petitioned the Mexican government to bring to justice more of those responsible for the murders.
As we reported last October in connection with the documentary “Bajo Juarez”, although the situation in Ciudad Juarez has persisted for more than a decade, inspired numerous media and Hollywood movie projects, and become an international scandal for Mexican authorities, human-rights groups say that many of the cases remain unsolved.

Amnesty International also says that “those responsible for the systematic failure of investigations have not been held to account.”

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza/2009/03/peter-gabriel-t.html