Mainichi Daily News reported:

Europeana, a new digital library and archive of European culture, was taken offline a day after its Nov. 20 launch due to overwhelming traffic, with the beleaguered site now looking at a mid-December relaunch.

Over 1,000 museums, galleries and libraries in the European Union’s 27 member states have contributed more than 2 million digitized paintings, photographs, books, films and so on to the project, which provides an easily searchable archive of the material in an attempt to make European citizens more familiar with their cultural heritage.

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London, November 20, 2008 – World Wrestling Entertainment®’s recent November international tour grossed $15.1 million US dollars with sellouts in France, Germany, Belgium, and the UK, breaking its previous record of $14.5 million US dollars in April of this year.

“This is a clear indication of WWE’s continued international growth”, said Shane McMahon, Executive Vice President of Global Media. “Even though these are tough times in the global economy, WWE remains the best value in entertainment.”

BBC reported that the music show “Top of the Pops” which was cancelled back in 2006 will be making its return ala specials.  Host Fearne Cotton will return as the host along with Reggie Yates.

Here is an excerpt from an interview on BBC with Fearne:

What is your reaction to the news?

I am over the moon. It’s all very unexpected and TOTP is something that I really enjoyed being involved with before. To hear that we’re going to do two specials around Christmas time is going to be amazing. I cannot wait to get back in that studio.

How are they going to be different?

Well, the Christmas Day one we’re going to be really concentrating on who the Christmas number one is and building up to that excitement. That was something I always watched as a kid and wanted to know who’d got the Christmas number one. So that’s going to be very festive.

The New Year show is going to be taking a look back at the music moments of the year and all the big hits and summarising the whole year in music. It’s going to be a real celebratory show of the whole year.

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BBC News reported:

The band hinted they were trying to book the venue last month but have told their own website that they haven’t been able to get it.

On coldplay.com lead singer Chris Martin said: “We tried to get Knebworth but it just wasn’t possible. So we’re having to think of something else.

“In fact, I think we have thought of something else.”

He added: “Hopefully we’ll be able to announce it soon. And hopefully it’s not the same day that Oasis have booked it.”

Oasis are playing three dates at Wembley Stadium next July as well as dates in Manchester, Sunderland, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Coventry.

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PARIS – 13 NOVEMBER 2008 — EMI Music’s Blue Note label is proud to announce that its French team has signed a worldwide deal with charismatic bassist/composer/singer & band leader Avishai Cohen.

Born April 20, 1970 in Israel, this extraordinary and eclectic artist is widely considered to be one of the biggest new stars on the international jazz scene, reaching out to a broad audience around the world and becoming a much in demand musician in multiple genres. In 2003 he made a studio recording with pop-soul artist Alicia Keys, he has performed concert works with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and The Boston Pops Symphony and most recently was appointed Artistic Director for the Eilat Red Sea Festival.

Cohen has been called “a jazz visionary of global proportions” by top American jazz music magazine Down Beat, and declared “one of the 100 Most Influential Bass Players of the 20th Century” by Bass Player magazine. His debut release for Blue Note, which will be his 11th album as an ensemble leader, will be recorded in December 2008 in Paris with the release scheduled for spring 2009.

“To me, the Blue Note label means some of my favourite jazz albums of all times, whether it’s Wayne Shorter or Lee Morgan. I am very proud and excited to be a part of this family.” said Avishai Cohen.

“Avishai Cohen’s talent is one of a kind. His musicality, lyricism and energy combined with a true sense of melody in his compositions make Avishai a unique artist on the international jazz scene. His fan base is already strong in France, Israel and in the US and we are confident that his music will connect with both jazz fans and an ever wider audience worldwide,” said Jean-Claude Ghrenassia, Director, Artist and Repertoire, EMI Music France.

Avishai Cohen will be a featured artist in this year’s much-awaited Blue Note Rec Festival in Paris in April 2009, one of the events scheduled across the globe to celebrate the label’s 70th anniversary.

www.avishaimusic.com
www.myspace.com/avishaicohenmusic
www.myspace.com/bluenotefrance
www.bluenote.com

Millions of tracks, thousands of artists, yours to keep forever – one special price

Datz, the online music download store and community website, today announced the launch of the Datz Music Lounge; a revolutionary new way to buy and enjoy music. Music lovers can now have the music they want for a single one off cost.

The Datz Music Lounge lets you download as many tracks as you want over the course of a year for a one off cost of £99.99 (RRP). Members of The Datz Music Lounge can keep all the tracks they have downloaded forever. Every song is in MP3 format, free from DRM and 100% legal. Music can be transferred to an iPod, MP3 player or a mobile phone.

Featuring millions of songs from thousands of artists, the catalogue of hits includes everything from classic artists to modern stars. In addition a wide selection of new music released in 2009 will be available to Datz Music Lounge members, enabling them to enjoy the hits of the future as well as an incredible back catalogue.

The Datz Music Lounge has been created by leading music download site Datz.com along with leading record labels to encourage people to find new ways of enjoying legal digital music. Record labels whose catalogues will be part of the Datz Music Lounge at launch include Beggars, EMI Music, The Orchard & Warner Music with more joining over the coming months

Michael Richardson, Managing Director of Datz says: “We wanted to find a safe and legal way for users to download music to keep. With literally thousands of artists and millions of tracks all in unlocked MP3 format, the Datz Music Lounge provides safe, carefree downloading for all music enthusiasts. Datz Music Lounge gives people a way to bolster their back catalogue, try new music and rediscover artists they love. All the music is theirs to keep forever and they can download anything they like for one year after they join The Datz Music Lounge. Not only does The Datz Music Lounge fundamentally change the way people can enjoy music, it also provides one of the greatest offers of all time.”

Matthew Crosswaite, SVP Sales & Commercial Development - UK & Ireland, EMI Music said: “The Datz Music Lounge offering is a new and innovative way for consumers to gift digital music via high street retailers - just in time for the peak season. The product is subscription based and will be a valuable and insightful tool for understanding how consumers explore and react to EMI’s deep and rich back catalogue.”

Greg Scholl, president and chief executive officer of The Orchard, added, “Datz Music Lounge is exciting and innovative, and showcases both The Orchard’s significant music catalogue, and fundamentally differentiated marketing and merchandising capabilities. Being selected as their partner for vital independent sector is an honor, and we are proud to call Datz a client.”

Music is downloaded DRM free to a PC or Mac in MP3 format. The user can then transfer the music to any music playing device. Users can purchase the limited edition Datz Music Lounge gift box, available from leading high street retailers or online at www.datzmusiclounge.com. Simply insert the Music Lounge CD and USB key into your computer and start building a record collection over the following 12 months, safe in the knowledge that the music is 100% legal, 100% original and 100% yours to keep forever.

Sales of Walt Disney Records’ release, through EMI Music, of the High School Musical 3: Senior Year Official Soundtrack on October 20th have already gone Platinum in the first week, making it the fastest selling soundtrack in the UK since the official sales chart began in 1994.

In 2006 and 2007, High School Musical 1 and 2 OSTs were officially the biggest selling albums in the world, selling over 14 million units each. In the UK, sales reached over 2 million in total, and in 2008, records look set to be beaten again as the first week of sales of High School Musical 3 already doubles those of the to-date most successful High School Musical 2.

The High School Musical phenomenon leapt onto the big screen for the first time, as High School Musical 3: Senior Year officially opened in the cinemas on 22 October, and is similarly breaking all cinematic records. It took £2.5 million in pre-orders in the UK alone before opening and has since taken £8.3 million in the box office opening weekend

America’s favourite high school students (Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman) hit Senior Year. Amidst a basketball championship, prom and a big spring musical featuring all of the Wildcats, Troy and Gabriella vow to make every moment last as their lifelong college dreams put the future of their relationship in question. A crew of Sophomore Wildcats (Matt Prokop, Justin Martin and Britain’s own Jemma McKenzie-Brown) join in the fun as the film’s incredible new music and exciting dance numbers take maximum advantage of the big screen.

For the first time, a CD and music DVD special edition were released simultaneously with the standard edition. The special edition offers the standard OST CD plus an additional DVD disc containing over 35 minutes of exclusive behind the scenes content. The UK version of the album contains a bonus track The Boys Are Back (US5 version).

Kerry Katona is currently promoting her MTV documentary “Kerry Katona: Whole Again” and was on ITV1.  According to reports, Katona was speaking in slurred speech and was incoherent, shocking the hosts of the show.

Kerry Katona’s publicist Max Clifford said he would not have put her on the show and worries about her well-being.

Phillip Schofield, one of the morning presenters, offered his take on the whole morning and the interview.

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MUNICH, 20 OCTOBER 2008 — EMI Classics is proud to announce that its artists won eight  awards at Germany’s ECHO Classics Awards ceremony in Munich on October 19th. Counter tenor Philippe Jaroussky received the highly-prestigious Singer of the Year award. His extraordinary performance of the aria Alto Giove from the opera  Polifemo, by composer Nicola Porpora to a packed Munich Philharmonic hall was one of the evening’s highlights.
EMI Classics and Virgin Classics 2008 ECHO award-winners include:

• Philippe Jaroussky, Singer of the Year: Carestini -Story of a Castrato (Virgin Classics)
• Nigel Kennedy, Instrumentalist of the Year - Violin, Polish Spirit (EMI Classics)
• Emmanuelle Haim, Ensemble/Orchestra of the Year – Ancient Music: Bach, Händel: Magnificat / Dixit Dominus (Virgin Classics)
• Belcea Quartet, Chamber Music Ensemble of the Year: Béla Bartók: String Quartets 1-6 (EMI Classics)
• Martha Argerich, Concerto Recording of the Year – 20th/21st Century, Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No.1 (EMI Classics)
• Natalie Dessay, Opera Recording of the Year – 19th Century, Bellini: La Sonnambula (Virgin Classics)
• Sabine Meyer, Chamber Music Recording of the Year – 20th/21st Century, Wind Music, Various Composers: French Clarinet Sonatas (EMI Classics)
• David Fray, Solo Recording of the Year - 20th/21st Century, Bach, Boulez: Klavierwerke (Virgin Classics)

Host also double-nominated for Best New Act & Most Addictive track

Awards’ presenters to include SugaBabes, Solange Knowles, Tokio Hotel & Grace Jones

London, Monday 13th Octover 2008 – MTV Networks International today announced that Katy Perry will host the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards. This is the first time that she has acted as Host at any awards ceremony. Perry has also been nominated in two categories in this year’s Awards – Best New Act and Most Addictive track. The finalists were also revealed for Europe’s Favourite Act. The 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Liverpool Echo Arena, Liverpool – European Capital of Culture - on Thursday 6th November and are sponsored by edc by Esprit, Sony Ericsson and Dell.

“Katy Perry has been one of the freshest and most successful new artists to emerge on the international music scene this year which is witnessed by her nomination in two categories in this year’s Awards,” commented Richard Godfrey, Senior Vice President, Music and Production & Executive Producer, 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards. “We want to pursue a much more informal and relaxed role for the host at this year’s Awards but with a definite musical twist and we think Katy will be perfect.”

Katy Perry will be joined on-stage by her fellow band members who will act as the official MTV Europe Music Awards House Band. Sharing the stage with Katy they will perform musical interludes together with other performers and awards’ presenters.

The twenty-three old California-born musician rose to fame following the digital release of “Ur So Gay” in 2007 and followed in 2008 by “I Kissed A Girl” which celebrated over five million worldwide sales. Her latest single “Hot N Cold” is approaching 1 million sales worldwide since it was released with her debut album “One Of The Boys” performing strongly around the globe with over 1.1 million sales worldwide.

“I was so excited when I heard that I was nominated for two awards, but when I was asked to host the show I wet myself, Fergie-style!” added Katy Perry. “To follow in the footsteps of previous hosts Christina Aguilera, Tom Jones, P. Diddy and Snoop Dogg at this prestigious event is an incredible honor — do they know what they are getting into?  I just hope that I don’t spill my cocktail!”

Every year MTV invites leading names from the world of celebrity and music to step up onto the stage to present awards to the winners. For the fifteenth MTV Europe Music Awards the presenters will include Grace Jones, Solange Knowles – sister of Beyoncé who is both peforming and nominated at this year’s ceremony - Sugababes, Tiziano Ferro, Tokio Hotel – nominated for Best Act Ever - and Travis from Gym Class Heroes.