BBB-jingle 90"
(Tio Carolão &
Tio Bastião)

Petição on-line para Zerar Imposto de Importação de Instrumentos Musicais

Vimos por meio desta petição, pedir aos músicos brasileiros, que apóiem o Projeto de Lei que acaba com a alíquota de importação para instrumentos musicais.

Tendo em vista que a profissão de músico, na maioria das vezes, não tem seu valor devidamente reconhecido, sabemos que em sua grande maioria, os músicos brasileiros recebem como pagamento cachês abaixo do valor justo. Isso ocasiona sérias dificuldades para que os músicos brasileiros continuem (ou até mesmo comecem) a investir em equipamentos decentes para o seu desenvolvimento como instrumentista e assim dificultando a melhora da qualidade do produto vendido pelo músico: a música!

Sabemos que as indústrias nacionais de instrumentos musicais podem achar esse Projeto de Lei prejudicioso aos seus negócios, mas nós músicos não vemos assim.

Em primeiro lugar, os fabricantes nacionais de instrumentos musicais utilizam hoje 90\% de peças importadas. Então uma eventual queda das alíquotas de importação seria no mínimo interessante para eles.

Em segundo lugar, precisamos fazer com que os fabricantes nacionais percebam que nós músicos não somos idiotas e sabemos que os instrumentos fabricados aqui no Brasil não precisariam custar tão caro como custam.

Segue abaixo o link do Projeto de Lei como divulgado no Portal Legislativo do Senado Federal do Brasil (click here)

projeto de lei de autoria do Senador Cristovam Buarque

autor da petição on-line: Guilherme Rando em
http://www.petitiononline.com/grpl1205/

E. Meili - www.bluegrass.com.br - 23/06/2008

On-line Petition to Zero Import Duty for Musical Instruments

By means of this petition we herby ask the Brazilian musicians to support the Project of Law that will abolish the import duty rate (import tax) for musical instruments.

Considering that the music profession, in most cases, does not have its value duly recognized, we know that to its great majority, Brazilian musicians obtain their cache payments below decent rates. This has been causing serious difficulties for the musicians to continue (or even to start) to invest into decent equipments for their development as instrumentist and thereby creating a barrier for the quality improvement for the product sold by the musician: The Music!


We know that the national instrument makers may find this Law Project as being harmful to their business, but we as musicians do not see it this way.

In the first place, the national music instrument makers use nowadays about 90% of imported parts. Therefore a drop in import duties would be at least interesting for them.

Secondly, we have to make the national makers aware that we musicians are not idiots and we know that the instruments built here in Brazil do not have to be as expensive as they are.

Below you can find the link of this Project of Law as published (in Portuguese) on the website of the Brazilian Federal Senate at ...(click here)

project of law by Brazil's Senator Cristovam Buarque

On-Line petition author: Guilherme Rando at
http://www.petitiononline.com/grpl1205/

posted by: E. Meili www.bluegrass.com.br - June 23, 2008

Film award on Béla Fleck documenting his Africa visit, in search of the banjo history

There is a great link at www.throwdownyourheart.com for an award winning Béla Fleck movie on his visit to Africa, produced by his younger brother Sascha. Have a look at some statements below, taken from this link page:

Among the films packing in audiences in the festival's music-filled 24 Beats section was the world premiere of Sascha Paladino's "Throw Down Your Heart." The doc followed multiple Grammy Award-winning banjo player Bela Fleck -- the director's brother -- as he traveled through four African countries exploring their musical traditions and jamming with local artists with his banjo. Along the way he discovers perhaps the instrument's early roots, which traveled along with the slaves to America.

"Sascha was very smart by not letting me meet the musicians before taping because that magical moment can never be created again," said Fleck about meeting the African musicians, many of whom lived in small remote villages. "The biggest impact of my experience there was having to learn the music I was playing there [on the spot]. I've noticed that after that Africa trip, my music has broadened."

"One of our goals was to film what is great in Africa," said Paladino. "There are so many films about what's wrong with Africa, which we don't want to deny that exists, but we wanted to show some of the great things in Africa like its music traditions... and that's what we hope the film communicates."

from: Indiewire.com "Film & Music Abound Along with the Late Late Nights" By Brian Brooks (March 14, 2008)

posted by E. Meili
June 7, 2008 www.bluegrass.com.br

Hungarian Band wins European Bluegrass Festival
Bluegrass Festival, sponsored by the European Bluegrass Music Association on 1-3 May. Attendance remained at peak level, the little Dutch town of Voorthuizen bursting with bluegrass music for 3 days as bands performed throughout the village, and musicians jammed in every corner of the festival venue. The EWOB 2008 Festival featured 41 wonderful bands from 15 countries, including special USA guests Sally Jones & the Sidewinders, Appalachian Uprising, and Dick Staber & Judith Chasnoff, and EWOB's first groups from Norway (Ile Auto and The Holstein United Bluegrass Boys) and Spain (Lluis Gomez Quartet and Autopista 6).

The winners of the 2008 European Bluegrass Band Awards, chosen by the EWOB 2008 Festival musicians as their reigning champions:

#1 European Bluegrass Band 2008: Acousticure, Hungary

#2 European Bluegrass Band 2008: Petr Brandejs Band, Czech Republic

#3 European Bluegrass Band 2008: Four Wheel Drive, NL/G/B

In addition to the professional band awards, the EWOB Festival audience always elects its own favorite groups from the three days of showcase performances:

#1 Audience Popularity Award, EWOB 2008: Bluegrass Cwrkot, Czech Republic

#2 Audience Popularity Award, EWOB 2008: Blackjack, Czech Republic

#3 Audience Popularity Award, EWOB 2008: Sunny Side, Czech Republic

The US bluegrass scene will get a chance to experience Acousticure onstage in Nashville at the International Bluegrass Music Association's (IBMA) World of Bluegrass convention in October 2009, where they will perform as the #1 European Bluegrass Band.

ACOUSTICURE:
Zsolt Pinter: fiddle, guitar, mandolin, vocal
Geza Kremnitzky - mandolin, banjo, vocal
Peter Gyergyadesz - bass, vocal
Andras Toth - guitar, banjo, dobro, mandolin, vocal source: May 5, 2008 - www.ebma.org

Grammy 2008 - e os vencedores com sabor bluegrass são em ...

Categoria 8
Melhor Colaboração Pop com Vocais
Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On) Robert Plant & Alison Krauss [Rounder Records]

Categoria 36
Melhor Performance Vocal Feminino Country
Before He Cheats Carrie Underwood Track from: Some Hearts [19 Recordings/Arista Nashville]

Categoria 37
Melhor Performance Vocal Masculino Country
Stupid Boy Keith Urban Track from: Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing [Capitol Records Nashville]

Categoria 38
Melhor Performance Country por Duo ou Grupo Vocal
How Long Eagles [Eagles Recording Co. II]

Categoria 39
Melhor Colaboração Country com Vocais
Lost Highway Willie Nelson & Ray Price Track from: Last Of The Breed [Lost Highway Records]

Categoria 40
Melhor Performance Country Instrumental
Throttleneck Brad Paisley Track from: 5th Gear [Arista Nashville]

Categoria 41
Melhor Canção Country
Before He Cheats Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood) Track from: Some Hearts [19 Recordings/Arista Nashville; Publishers: Big Loud Shirt Industries, Mighty Underdog Music/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing]

Categoria 42
Melhor Álbum Country
These Days Vince Gill [MCA Nashville]

Categoria 43
Melhor Álbum Bluegrass
The Bluegrass Diaries Jim Lauderdale [Yep Roc Records]

Categoria 51
Melhor Performance Gospel
(Empate)
Blessed & Highly Favored The Clark Sisters Faixa de: Live - One Last Time [EMI Gospel]

Never Gonna Break My Faith Aretha Franklin & Mary J. Blige (Featuring The Harlem Boys Choir) Faixa de: Bobby: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [Island Def Jam]

Categoria 52
Melhor Canção Gospel
Blessed & Highly Favored Karen Clark-Sheard, songwriter (The Clark Sisters) Faixa de: Live - One Last Time [EMI Gospel; Publisher: K. Sheard's Melody]

Categoria 54
Melhor Álbum Pop/Gospel Contemporâneo
A Deeper Level Israel And New Breed [Integrity Music]

Categoria 55
Melhor Álbum Sulista, Country ou Bluegrass Gospel
Salt Of The Earth Ricky Skaggs & The Whites [Skaggs Family Records]

Categoria 56
Melhor Álbum Gospel Tradicional
Live - One Last Time The Clark Sisters [EMI Gospel]

Categoria 57
Melhor Álbum Gospel Rhythm & Blues
Free To Worship Fred Hammond [Verity]

Categoria 68
Melhor Álbum Folk Tradicional
Dirt Farmer Levon Helm [Dirt Farmer Music/Vanguard Records]

Categoria 69
Melhor Álbum Contemporâneo Folk/Americana
Washington Square Serenade Steve Earle [New West Records]

Categoria 70
Melhor Álbum Nativo de Música Americana
Totemic Flute Chants Johnny Whitehorse [Silver Wave Records]

Categoria 91
Melhor Álbum Histórico
The Live Wire - Woody Guthrie In Performance 1949 Nora Guthrie & Jorge Arévalo Mateus, compilation producers; Jamie Howarth, Steve Rosenthal, Warren Russell-Smith & Dr. Kevin Short, mastering engineers (Woody Guthrie) [Woody Guthrie Publications]

Categoria 109
Melhor Vídeo de Curta Metragem
God's Gonna Cut You Down Johnny Cash Tony Kaye, video director; Rachel Curl, video producer [American Records/Lost Highway Records]

fonte: 11/02/2008 www.grammy.com
E. Meili

Grammy 2008 - and the winners with a bluegrass flavor are in ...

Category 8
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On) Robert Plant & Alison Krauss [Rounder Records]

Category 36
Best Female Country Vocal Performance
Before He Cheats Carrie Underwood Track from: Some Hearts [19 Recordings/Arista Nashville]

Category 37
Best Male Country Vocal Performance
Stupid Boy Keith Urban Track from: Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing [Capitol Records Nashville]

Category 38
Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals - How Long Eagles [Eagles Recording Co. II]

Category 39
Best Country Collaboration With Vocals
Lost Highway Willie Nelson & Ray Price Track from: Last Of The Breed [Lost Highway Records]

Category 40
Best Country Instrumental Performance
Throttleneck Brad Paisley Track from: 5th Gear [Arista Nashville]

Category 41
Best Country Song
Before He Cheats Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood) Track from: Some Hearts [19 Recordings/Arista Nashville; Publishers: Big Loud Shirt Industries, Mighty Underdog Music/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing]

Category 42
Best Country Album
These Days Vince Gill [MCA Nashville]

Category 43
Best Bluegrass Album
The Bluegrass Diaries Jim Lauderdale [Yep Roc Records]

Category 51
Best Gospel Performance
(Tie)
Blessed & Highly Favored The Clark Sisters Track from: Live - One Last Time [EMI Gospel]

Never Gonna Break My Faith Aretha Franklin & Mary J. Blige (Featuring The Harlem Boys Choir) Track from: Bobby: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [Island DefJam]

Category 52
Best Gospel Song
Blessed & Highly Favored Karen Clark-Sheard, songwriter (The Clark Sisters) Track from: Live - One Last Time [EMI Gospel; Publisher: K. Sheard's Melody]

Category 54
Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
A Deeper Level Israel And New Breed [Integrity Music]

Category 55
Best Southern, Country, Or Bluegrass Gospel Album
Salt Of The Earth Ricky Skaggs & The Whites [Skaggs Family Records]

Category 56
Best Traditional Gospel Album
Live - One Last Time The Clark Sisters [EMI Gospel]

Category 57
Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album Free To Worship Fred Hammond [Verity]

Category 68
Best Traditional Folk Album
Dirt Farmer Levon Helm [Dirt Farmer Music/Vanguard Records]

Category 69
Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album
Washington Square Serenade Steve Earle [New West Records]

Category 70
Best Native American Music Album
Totemic Flute Chants Johnny Whitehorse [Silver Wave Records]

Category 91
Best Historical Album
The Live Wire - Woody Guthrie In Performance 1949 Nora Guthrie & Jorge Arévalo Mateus, compilation producers; Jamie Howarth, Steve Rosenthal, Warren Russell-Smith & Dr. Kevin Short, mastering engineers (Woody Guthrie) [Woody Guthrie Publications]

Category 109
Best Short Form Music Video
God's Gonna Cut You Down Johnny Cash Tony Kaye, video director; Rachel Curl, video producer [American Records/Lost Highway Records]

source:Feb. 10, 2008 - www.grammy.com
E. Meili

50th Annual Grammy Award Nominations
The complete list on nominees in all 110 categories is available at the web site: http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/50th_Show/list.aspx
for recordings released during the Eligibility Year October 1, 2006 through September 30, 2007.
The final Grammy winners will be announced by The Recording Academy on February 10, 2008

Category 43 is for Best Bluegrass Album (Vocal or Instrumental.) and the 5 nominees are:

Cherryholmes - II Black And White Cherryholmes
[Skaggs Family Records]

Lefty's Old Guitar - J. D. Crowe & The New South
[Rounder]

The Bluegrass Diaries - Jim Lauderdale
[Yep Roc Records]

Scenechronized - Seldom Scene
[Sugar Hill]

Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular - Tony Trischka
[Rounder]

source: www.grammy.com
Dec. 7, 2007 - E. Meili

The Steel Drivers Put the Blues Into
Bluegrass Music
The SteelDrivers self-titled album will be released on Rounder Records in mid January. When that happens, the music community is going to get a surprise. Here's a band that puts the blues into bluegrass. This is a new experience and a new sound to acoustic music. Take a bit of rock-a-billy, blues, honky-tonk and traditional bluegrass. Put them into a big black cast iron pot on high heat and you get a hot mix of a new blues grassy sound.

source:
Dec. 02, 2007 Bob Cherry - www.cybergrass.com

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Raising Sand - RIAA Certified Gold Video for first single "Gone Gone Gone (done moved on)" to debut tomorrow.
Burlington, MA - Raising Sand - the widely praised and bestselling album by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, produced by T Bone Burnett - has been certified gold by the RIAA. A surprise hit of the season, Raising Sand has shown little sign of slowing down since a remarkable #2 debut on the Billboard 200 four weeks ago, and remains within the top 25 on the chart. Raising Sand is the highest charting and fastest selling album in the history of Rounder Records.

Plant, Krauss, and T Bone Burnett recently completed work on a music video for first single "Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)." The surreal clip conceived and directed by Rocky Schenck will have a world premier on CMT November 29, and is confirmed for a premiere on VH1 December 3rd. Shot in Nashville, the video adds a raucous element to the Everly Brothers song, with scenes bouncing between shimmering mylar glitz and a performance stage reminiscent of a vintage Technicolor movie. The video will enter regular rotation on both networks.

Called "the stuff of which music lovers' dreams are made...unique and mesmerizing" in the Boston Globe, and hailed as a "masterpiece" in Vanity Fair, the album has been praised across the board. Its "88 / Universal Acclaim" score among the highest ever on metacritic.com. Recent highlights include major features in USA Today, the New York Times, and the Los Angles Times and appearances on the Today Show and Charlie Rose. Krauss, Plant, and Burnett, along with the musicians featured on Raising Sand, will tour extensively throughout Europe and USA, kicking off in April.

For more information on Robert Plant & Alison Krauss please contact:
Nick Baily at Shore Fire Media | nbaily@shorefire.com | 718-522-7171
or Jen Sacca at Rounder Records | jsacca@rounder.com | 617-218-4503

Source:
Nov. 28, 2007 e-mail from Ken Irwin - Rounder Records

Beatles 4ever no Guinness World Records
Dia 08/09/2007, será realizado o maior evento relacionado aos Beatles que já se teve notícia no Brasil.

Beatles 4ever realizará um show com 16 horas de duração, apresentando ao vivo, todos os álbuns da discografia oficial dos Beatles lançada no Brasil, incluindo vestuário, aderêços e instrumentos correspondentes a cada álbum, que serão apresentados em ordem cronológica, do primeiro ao último.

O show terá início as 10 horas da manhã do dia 08/09/2007, com o álbum PLEASE PLEASE ME, e seguirá até seu término, as 2 horas da manhã do dia 09/09/2007 encerrando o espetáculo com o PAST MASTERS 2.

Venha você também participar conosco deste evento, que deixará sua marca na história. Beatles 4ever no Guinness World Records Para informações sobre local, horários e cálculos dos valores das apresentações, consulte o site: www.beatles4ever.com.br

fonte: 13/08/2007 e-mail de "Beatles 4ever" contato@beatles4ever.com.br

Beatles 4ever on Guinness World Records
On September 8, 2007 there will be a major event related to the Beatles ever to have been known as news in Brazil.

Beatles 4ever will set up a show with a 16-hour duration, to present live, all the albums of the official Beatles discography that was launched in Brazil, including dressing, set-ups and the corresponding instruments for each album, which will be presented in chronological order from the first to the last album.

The show will start at 10:00 am on September 8, 2007, with the album 'PLEASE PLEASE ME" and will follow to the end, at 2:00 am on September 9, 2007, closing the spectacle with the "PAST MASTERS 2".

Please come and participate with us on this event, which will leave its mark stone in history. Beatles 4ever on Guinness World Records. For information about location, schedule and calculation of values for presentations, consult the site www.beatles4ever.com.br

source: e-mail posted on Aug, 13,2007 by "Beatles 4ever" contato@beatles4ever.com.br
(translation. E. Meili)

Gil vai flexibilizar direito autoral em turnê pela Europa
O músico e ministro da Cultura Gilberto Gil vai colocar em prática, em sua próxima turnê artística pela Europa e pelo Magreb, o espírito do projeto com que pretende flexibilizar a legislação sobre direitos autorais no Brasil. O ministro defende uma revisão nas regras de proteção aos direitos autorais, que encara como limitadoras da liberdade de intercâmbio cultural na Internet. Gil, que vem mantendo as atividades de cantor junto com as de ministro, dá início no dia 6 de julho em Portugal a uma turnê de um mês que também vai passar na Espanha, na França, em Marrocos, na Suíça, na Itália e na Finlândia, apresentando seu novo espetáculo, batizado de "Banda Larga". O cantor-ministro vai permitir ao público filmar e fotografar o show, por qualquer meio, inclusive digital, para divulgação posterior legal e gratuita do conteúdo pela Internet.
fonte: Music News - UOL - 29/6/2007 -
Por Guido Nejamkis - Agência Reuters

26 de Junho - "Dia do Silêncio"
para Rádio Internet
Uma Mensagem aos Nosso Ouvintes
Há 6 anos, WAMU 88.5 lançou BluegrassCountry.org como extensão da nossa dedicação para fornecer uma programação diversa para aquela ampla variedade de audiências que nós estamos servindo. No decorrer do ano passado, temos estabelecido uma colaboração sem paralelo com WTMD em Towson, Md. para radiar sua música "Adult Album Alternative" em wamu.org por termos reconhecido a necessidade deste serviço dentro da nossa comunidade. Em WAMU 88.5, temos muito orgulho em explorar novos caminhos para melhor servir aos nossos ouvintes através de novos recursos e tecnologias.

Conexões relacionadas
Conte para eles os Assuntos Públicos
"O Futuro da Rádio Internet, "
O Show "Kojo Nnamdi", 8/5/2007. WAMU 88.5 junta-se ao "Dia do Silência" em 26 de junho. Agora, os nossos esforços de trazer serviços de música on-line estão na contra-mão. As recentes regulamentações do "Copyright Royalty Board" (CRB) de aumentar as tarifas dos royalties para as estações de rádio com música-on-line, estaria aumentando os custos, de longe, além das receitas para muitos provedores de rádio, forçando-os à se silenciar. Isto aleijaria a habilidade de milhares de estações de rádio na internet, tais como a BluegrassCountry.org, em continuar poder providenciando a excelente diversidade de programação para a crescente comunidade de ouvintes on-line. As novas tarifas estarão de imediato quase duplicando seus custos para transmitir música bluegrass em BluegrassCountry.org, e estaria quase triplicando estes custos até 2010, em comparação aos níveis atuais.

Terça Feira, dia 26 de junho, foi escolhido como o "Dia do Silêncio" para a rádio internet. Nós estaremos juntos com milhares de radialistas internet pelo país, em desligar as nossas transmissões de música on-line, à fim de simbolizar o que pode acontecer, caso as novas tarifas se tornem efetivas, tais como planejadas a partir do dia 15 de julho. Nós acreditamos que o aumento das tarifas de royalty estarão minando a nossa missão de serviço público e prejudicará a comunidade dos ouvintes, músicos e artistas cujo trabalho vem sendo destacado através de centenas de estações públicas de rádio on-line.

A "Conexão Relacionada" nesta pagina fornece mais informações sobre o efeito das tarifas de royalty para a transmissão pública de rádio e uma discussão informativa foi ao ar recentemente no programa "The Kojo Nnamdi Show" da WAMU. Eu agradeço de antemão à todos os nossos ouvintes dedicados pela sua paciência enquanto nós participamos no "Dia do Silêncio". É a nossa esperança de que um acordo seja encontrado que nos permita em continuarmos rendendo estes valiosos serviços on-line em cheio no futuro.

Atenciosamente,
Caryn G. Mathes
WAMU 88.5 Gerente Geral
fonte: 26/06/2007 www.bluegrasscountry.org
(trad. E. Meili)

June 26 - "Day of Silence"
for Internet Radio
A Message to Our Listeners
Six years ago, WAMU 88.5 launched BluegrassCountry.org as an extension of our dedication to provide diverse programming to the wide variety of audiences we serve. Within the past year, we established a unique collaboration with WTMD in Towson, Md. to stream its Adult Album Alternative music on wamu.org because we recognized a need for this service within our community. At WAMU 88.5, we take great pride in exploring new ways to better serve our audiences through new resources and technologies.

Related Links
Tell Them Public Matters
"The Future of Internet Radio,"
The Kojo Nnamdi Show, May 8, 2007. WAMU 88.5 to Join Webcasters in "Day of Silence" June 26 Now, our efforts to provide online music services are in jeopardy. The recent ruling of the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) to increase royalty rates for online music radio stations would raise costs far above income for most webcasters, forcing many of them to go silent. This would cripple the ability of thousands of Internet radio stations, such as BluegrassCountry.org, to continue to provide an excellent diversity of programming to the growing community of online listeners. The new rates would immediately almost double what it costs WAMU to stream bluegrass music at BluegrassCountry.org, and would increase those costs to nearly triple their current levels by 2010.

Tuesday, June 26, has been chosen as a "Day of Silence" for Internet radio. We will join thousands of Internet broadcasters across the country in turning off our online music streams to symbolize what may happen if the new rates go into effect as planned on July 15. We believe the increase in royalty rates will greatly undermine our public service mission and harm the community of listeners, musicians, and artists whose work is featured through hundreds of online public radio stations.

The "Related Links" on this page provide more information about the effect of the royalty rates on public broadcasting, and an informative discussion that recently aired on WAMU's The Kojo Nnamdi Show. I thank all our dedicated listeners in advance for your patience as we participate in the "Day of Silence." It is our hope that a compromise will be achieved to allow us to continue to provide these valuable online services well into the future.

Sincerely,
Caryn G. Mathes
WAMU 88.5 General Manager
source: June 26, 2007 www.bluegrasscountry.org

..and
listen to the Sound Of Silence of June 26, 2007

..and
listen more about the Day of Silence of June 26, 2007

Bluegrass Music Week in Kentucky
Governor Ernie Fletcher has proclaimed the week of June 21 - 28 as "Bluegrass Music Week in Kentucky," and a series of events are planned to celebrate the importance of "Bluegrass in the Bluegrass."

source: June 23, 2007, Bob Cherry - www.cybergrass.com

The World International Blue Grass Band
Banjo player, former Blue Grass Boy, and author Butch Robins is forming a World International Blue Grass Band as a statement of cooperation, goodwill, and peace. The band consists of Kazuhiro Inaba from Japan (guitar); Arnold Lasseur from the Netherlands (mandolin); Jan Johansson from Sweden (fiddle); Hamish Davidson from Australia (fiddle); Sean McKerr from Ireland (acoustic bass); and Butch himself on banjo. His father, the late Calvin Robins, who was a close friend of Bill Monroe, was a major influence in introducing Butch to visitors from outside the US and encouraging him to make contact with different cultures. The World International Blue Grass Band will be playing shows in autumn 2007, including appearances at the IBMA's World of Bluegrass Business Conference, Award Show, and Fan Fest in Nashville, TN.
posted on May 18, 2007 by Richard Hawkins, www.ebma.org

The Ryman - Nashville, TN

Thursday June 21, Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs returns to the Ryman Auditorium.

Accompanied by friends and family, including sons Randy and Gary, the 4-time Grammy winner will play his first-ever headline concert on the stage where he made music history over 60 years ago. The concert will serve as the kick-off event for the Springer Mountain Farms Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman Series which runs every Thursday, June 21 through July 26th. The Grammy award-winning Nashville Bluegrass Band will open.
source: June 15, 2007 - www.cybergrass.com

EWOB 2007 Prêmios de Festival
Em 19 de maio, na terceira e noite final do festival europeu da EBMA "European World of Bluegrass 2007", foram distribuídos os seguintes prêmios.
Banda Bluegrass Européia 2007:
Primeira: G2 (Suécia)
Segunda: Meantime (Eslováquia)
Terceira: Kreni (República Tcheca)

G2 manterá o título de "Primeira Banda Bluegrass Européia" durante os próximos 12 meses e representará a Europa no "World of Bluegrass" da IBMA em Nashville, TN, em 2008.

Prêmio Audiência de Popularidade:
#1 4-Wheel Drive (Holanda)
#2 G2 (Suécia)
#3 Rawhide (Bélgica)
Rawhide também recebeu um prêmio especial por ter sida a única banda à se apresentar em todos os 10 festivais europeus "World of Bluegrass".

Selos: EWOB 2007
enviado por by Richard Hawkins (trad. E. Meili)
fonte: www.ebma.org

EWOB 2007 Festival awards
On Saturday 19 May, third and final night of the EBMA's European World of Bluegrass 2007 Festival, the following awards were made.
European Bluegrass Band 2007:
#1 G2 (Sweden)
#2 Meantime (Slovakia)
#3 Kreni (Czech Republic)

G2 will hold the title of #1 European Bluegrass Band for the next twelve months, and will represent Europe at the IBMA's World of Bluegrass in Nashville, TN, in 2008.

Audience Popularity Award:
#1 4-Wheel Drive (Netherlands)
#2 G2 (Sweden)
#3 Rawhide (Belgium)
Rawhide also received a special award as the only band to have performed at all ten European World of Bluegrass Festivals.

Labels: EWOB 2007
posted by Richard Hawkins
source: www.ebma.org

São Paulo Country Band DVD-CD album on IBMA award reference list
The IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) just published their reference list of the eligible recorded products for this year's IBMA award. The DVD & CD project "Acustico Country - Puro Bluegrass" recently launched by The Sao Paulo Country Band has been included for good reference as "Banda Sao Paulo Country". The voting procedure will start now and will go thru a 3-step selection process by voting ballots coming from professional IBMA members with final results for winners being announced during the IBMA award show in Nashville-Tennessee, at the Grand Ole Opry House on October 4, 2007.
Read more at www.IBMA.org
posted by: E. Meili - May, 19, 2007

A Banda São Paulo Country com repertório do DVD, agora ao vivo em Shopping Center

Esta foto é da apresentação do dia 28 de abril no auditório da Livraria Cultura no Shopping Center Market Place - no Morumbi.>mais em: http://www.saopaulocountry.com.br
trad. 5/5/07 E. Meili

São Paulo Country Band now performing their DVD rep live in Shopping Center

After launching their DVD "Acústico Country - Puro Bluegrass" The São Paulo Country Band is enjoying an increased demand for shows in the city.

This picture is from their performance on April 28 at the auditorium of the book store Livraria Cultura at the shopping center Market Place - Morumbi.
posted on May 5, 2007 by E. Meili

Entrevista com Béla Fleck após a primeira turnê dos Flecktones rumo ao sul (México-Brasil-Chile-Argentina-Austrália)
EM: Quando e como apareceu sua idéia de fazer, o que eu chamo de "turnê rumo ao sul"? Eu entendo que isto foi a sua primeira visita ao Brasil, Chile e Argentina?

BF: A idéia veio do nosso promotor no México. Eu estava tentando há muito tempo. Então fiquei emocionado em saber que alguém veio investir em trazer a gente.

EM: Sabendo que o Rick Battaglia não conseguiu estar presente para sua engenharia de passagem de som no Brasil por ter perdido o passaporte dele alguns dias antes, quando vocês estavam tocando no México e não havia tempo hábil para ele conseguir novo passaporte com visto para o Brasil. Isto ficou resolvido para sua próxima etapa no Chile e vocês conseguiram ter o Richard à bordo de novo?

BF: O Richard conseguiu se acertar para o próximo show e ficou muito embaraçado por ter perdido o Brasil.

EM: Vocês estavam originalmente agendados para um show em São Paulo, em 20 de março, as 9 da noite no Auditório Ibirapuera. A venda antecipada do show tinha começada um mês antes e os ingressos se esgotaram em poucos dias. Aí veio a notícia de um show adicional marcado para as cinco da tarde. Isto veio como surpresa para vocês ou estava mantido como reserva no colarinho dos promotores para acomodar uma audiência maior no mesmo dia, caso aconteça?

BF: Eu entendia que neste local normalmente não se costuma fazer 2 shows. Estávamos excitados de alcançar platéias maiores em nossa turnê. Não tínhamos a menor idéia se alguém ia aparecer no Brasil!

EM: Tendo assistido os dois concertos de vocês no dia 20 de março, fiquei impressionado pelo repertório quase completamente diferente nas músicas apresentadas por você e os Flecktones, entre os dois shows e oferecendo ambos igualmente como um dos melhores concertos já atestados pela nossa audiência com certeza. Entendo isto como um grande plus que mantém a sinergia dos Flecktones no mais alto nível. Como vocês acertaram o repertório das músicas nos outros países? Vocês levaram em conta algumas considerações especiais regionais para vossa audiência nova?

BF: Nós só queríamos mostrar uma geral daquilo que nós fazemos. Nós sempre mudamos o set-list de forma que, em caso de dois shows em uma noite, não repetimos nada. Isto nós faz sentir refrescados e vivos.

EM: Em São Paulo vocês convidaram o nosso encantador bandolinista Hamilton de Holanda para dar uma canja, o que acabou resultando em uma versão matadora da peça "Big Country". Vocês convidaram outros músicos para tocar em seus outros shows durante a turnê?

BF: Hamilton era o único convidado na América do Sul. Nós adoramos ter convidados sim, quando eles são aqueles certeiros!.

EM: Eu sei que, mesmo não ter visto uma grande exposição no cenário da mídia de São Paulo antes do concerto dos Flecktones, acabamos de presenciar dois concertos esgotados. Você viu alguns parámetros comparáveis em seus outros concertos dos Flecktones durante a sua turnê?

BF: Na Argentia tivemos um teatro de 3000 lugares esgotado antecipadamentee. Na cidade do Mexico tivemos 3200 pessoas em 2 shows. Foi muito emocionante.

EM: Você sabe que o nosso coffee-break com você no Hotel Pestana em São Paulo, quando levei os nossos 2 "picking" amigos Edson Moreira Araújo (banjo) e Ricardo Dias (bandolim), representou o nosso "Picking-Evento" do mês e ambos também assistiram os dois concertos. Edson que há anos sempre foi um Béla-maníaco, desde a sua era de New Grass Revival, aínda não acredita de ter tocado o seu banjo e que você no final até pagou o cafezinho! Eles estão curiosos em saber como você, Victor, Futurman e Jeff estavam se sentindo após o nosso inesperado e descontraído coffee-break, assinando posters e tocando banjo?

BF: Curtimos bastante!

EM: Victor Wooten, que também desfruta de uma grande base de fãs entre os baixistas no Brasil, fez para a nossa audiência, durante ambos os concertos, algumas observações muito bonitas sobre a música brasileira. E também o cenário de choro no Brasil oferece uma sinergia rica para encontrar sua vasta e progressiva experiência musical do New Grass Revival até os Flecktones (ou antes ou no meio!) Estou certo em assumir que nós poderemos ver Béla Fleck & the Flecktones no Brasil de novo em breve, mas desta vez para ficar mais tempo do que um dia só, e pronto para viajar pelo pais todo?

BF: Espero com certeza!

EM: Estou recebendo hoje a grande notícia de uma apresentação inédita do New Grass Revival (Sam, Bela, John, Pat) ontem no MerleFest. Foi colocado pelo Jeremy Raven na lista bgrass-L, que estava escutando, enquanto escrevia, ao vivo pelo fone celular às 5 horas da tarde (hórario central?) vocês tocando seu "White Freight Liner Blues". Deve ter sido no palco "Watson" no horário nobre?

BF: Sim, Era uma surpresa para nós todos.

Fonte:
Entrevista em inglês, on-line por Erio Meili (www.bluegrass.com.br) com Béla Fleck - 30 de abril, 2007
Trad. E.Meili

Béla Fleck interview after Flecktones first southbound tour (Mexico-Brazil-Chile-Argentina-Australia)
EM: When and how did your idea come up to make your, what I call a "southbound" tour? I understand this was your first time visit to Brazil, Chile and Argentina?

BF: This idea came from our promotor in Mexico. I have been dying to come for a long time, so I was thrilled that someone was ready to bring invest in bringing us.

EM: I know that Rick Battaglia was not able to be present for your sound check engineering in Brazil because he had lost his passport a few days before when you were performing in Mexico and there was no time left to get him a new passport and visa for Brazil. Was this settled for your next stop in Chile and was Richard able to come on board again?

BF: Richard made it for the next show and was very embarrassed about missing Brazil.

EM: You were originally scheduled for one show in Sao Paulo, for March 20 at 9 p.m. in the 800 seat Ibirapuera auditorium. The pre-selling of tickets here started one month before and the concert was all sold out in just a few days. Then we got the information that a second concert was to be scheduled for the afternoon at 5 p.m. Did this come as surprise to you or was it kept by the promoters as a possible valve to accommodate a larger audience for the same day if necessary?

BF: I understood that they don't normally do 2 shows in that venue. We were thrilled to reach more people on our trip. We had no idea if any one would show up in Brazil!

EM: Having assisted to both concerts on March 20, I was impressed by the nearly complete different repertory of tunes you and the Flecktones were presenting between both shows and offering them equally as the best concerts ever witnessed by our audience for sure. I understand this to be a great plus and keeps the Flecktones synergy at the highest level. How did you set up your repertory of tunes in the other countries? Did you take some special regional considerations into account for any of your new audience?

BF: We just wanted to show the overview of what we do. We always change the set list so that if we do 2 shows in one night, we repeat nothing. This keeps us feeling fresh and alive.

EM: In Sao Paulo you invited our mandolin wizard Hamilton de Holanda do sit in for a few tunes which resulted for example in a unique killer version of your Big Country tune. Did you have other musicians invited for your other concerts during the tour?

BF: Hamilton was the only guest in South America. We do love having guests if they are the right ones!

EM: I know that, even without having seen any big exposure prior to the Flecktones concert within the Sao Paulo media scenario, we still were witness of two sold-out concerts. Have you seen any comparable parameter for the other Flecktones concerts on your tour?

BF: In Argentina we had a 3,000 seat theatre sell out in advance. In Mexico City we had 3200 people over 2 shows. It was very exciting.

EM: You know our coffee break with you in the Pestana Hotel in Sao Paulo, when I brought along our two picking friends Edson Moreira Araujo (banjo) and Ricardo Dias (mandolin), represented our picking event of the month and both friends also assisted both concerts. Edson, who has been a Bela-maniac for years, since your New Grass Revival era, still does not believe it to have been picking your banjo and at the end you even paid the coffee bill. They wonder how you, Victor, Futurman and Jeff were feeling after our unexpected and easy-going coffeebreak, signing posters and picking banjo?

BF: We had a good time.

EM: Victor Wooten, who also has been enjoying a big fan base among bass players in Brazil, made some very nice observations on Brazilian music to our audience during both concerts. Then the choro scenario in Brazil offers a rich music synergy to meet with your broad and also progressive musical experience from New Grass Revival to Flecktones (or before or in between!). Am I correct to assume that we shall see Bela Fleck and The Flecktones soon again in Brazil but this time staying for more than a day and ready for touring the whole country?

BF: I sure hope so!

EM: I am just receiving today the great news of a New Grass Revival performance (Sam, Bela, John, Pat) at Merlefest yesterday. It was posted by Jeremy Raven on the bgrass-L list who, while writing, was listening to it live on his cellphone at 5 p.m. yesterday (central time?) to your White Freight Liner Blues. Must have been at the Watson stage at Saturday prime time?

BF: Yes, it was a surprise to all of us.

Source:
On-line Interview by Erio Meili (www.bluegrass.com.br)
with Béla Fleck - April 30, 2007

MerleFest 2007, apresentado pela Lowe's, deixou um recorde de impacto econômico
em 30 de abril, 2007: Wilkesboro, Carolina do Norte - Momentos mágicos cumprimentaram um grande público no MerleFest 2007, no vigésimo festival anual de celebração da músico do falecido Merle Watson e seu pai Doc Watson. O colégio da comunidade Wilkes apresentou o evento entre o dia 26 e 29 de abril em seu campus em Wilkesboro, NC. O Merlefest chamou novamente uma enorme bem comportada e apreciável audiência. A participação total alcançou uma estimativa de 76,558. Enquanto isto possa refletir uma redução de 4,6 % em freqüência paga para o período dos quatro dias, devido a visitantes comprando mais ingressos avulsos por um dia do que ingressos validos para 3 ou 4 dias, o fato maior foi uma redução não intencional da participação não paga. Porém a bilheteria de sexta e sábado estava acima, sendo que sábado foi o segundo maior dia de freqüência na história do MerleFest. O colégio Wilkes Community apresentará o MerleFest 2008 nos dias 24 à 27 de abril, 2008. Uma estimativa preliminar calcula que o impacto econômico regional do MerleFest 2007 deverá ser recorde com um impacto total de 17.144.109,70 dolares americanos. Isto foi acelerado por um aumento significativo dos gastos pelos freqüentadores. O recorde anterior era de 15,7 milhões de dólares em 2006. A receita do MerleFest permitiu ao colégio Wilkes Community de fazer inúmeras melhorias em seus bens, incluindo o jardim memorial Eddy Merle Watson para o entendimento do teatro Doc & Merle Watson, fibras óticas para o Campus e assegurando bolsas para seus estudantes. Durante seus primeiros 19 anos, o MerleFest tem contribuído 7.28 milhões de dólares para o colégio Wilkes Community. MerleFest 2007 ofereceu alimentação, artesanato, atividades para famílias e crianças e apresentações de quase 90 shows de música do gênero Americana, incluindo o Doc Watson e o Richard, filho do Merle; Alison Krauss & Union Station com Jerry Douglas; Blue Highway; Sam Bush; Carolina Chocolate Drops; Cherryholmes; Elvis Costello; John Cowan Band; Donna The Buffalo; Jerry Douglas; The Duhks; Béla Fleck; Paul Geremia; John Hammond; Doyle Lawson Del McCoury Band; Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; Peter Rowan & Tony Rice Quartet; Darrell Scott; o Legendário Earl Scruggs com a Família Pam Tillis; The Waybacks; e muitos outros. Muitas tiradas ao vivo do MerleFest 2007 estarão disponíveis para venda, algumas talvez já na quita feira, dia 3 de maio para um download do web www.festivalink.net.
fonte: e-mail do MerleFestnews (trad. Erio Meili)

MerleFest 2007, presented by Lowe's, sets economic impact record
WILKESBORO, NC: Magical moments greeted large crowds at MerleFest 2007, presented by Lowe's, the 20th annual festival in celebration of the music of the late Merle Watson and his father Doc Watson. Wilkes Community College presented the event on April 26 - 29 on its campus in Wilkesboro, NC. MerleFest again drew an enormous, well behaved, and appreciative audience. Total participation reached an estimate of 76,558. While some of that reflects the 4.6% decrease in paid attendance for the four day period due to guests buying single day tickets rather than 3- and 4-day, the largest factor was an intentional decrease in unpaid participation. Ticket sales, however, were up on both Friday and Saturday with Saturday attendance being the second largest single day attendance in MerleFest history. Wilkes Community College will present MerleFest 2008 on April 24 - 27, 2008. A preliminary estimate calculates that the regional economic impact of MerleFest 2007 will set a record with a total impact of $17,144,109.70. This was driven up by significantly increased spending by MerleFest attendees. The previous record was $15.7 million in 2006. Proceeds from MerleFest have permitted Wilkes Community College to make numerous capital improvements, including the Eddy Merle Watson Memorial Garden for the Senses, the Doc & Merle Watson Theatre, fiber-optic wiring for the campus, and the endowment of scholarships for its students. Over its first 19 years, MerleFest contributed $7.28 million to Wilkes Community College. MerleFest 2007 offered food, crafts, family and children's' activities, and performances by nearly 90 Americana music acts, including Doc Watson and Merle's son Richard; Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas; Blue Highway; Sam Bush; Carolina Chocolate Drops; Cherryholmes; Elvis Costello; John Cowan Band; Donna The Buffalo; Jerry Douglas; The Duhks; Béla Fleck; Paul Geremia; John Hammond; Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver; Del McCoury Band; Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; Peter Rowan & Tony Rice Quartet; Darrell Scott; the Legendary Earl Scruggs with Family & Friends; Pam Tillis; The Waybacks; and many others. Many live sets from MerleFest 2007 will be available, some perhaps as early as Thursday May 3, for sale as downloads from www.festivalink.net.
source: MerleFestnews e-mail