This could be an April Fools joke.. but on the other hand, it could be a successful campaign. I’ve been on Twitter for some time and have seen the emergence of hashtags (or inserting the hash (#) in front of a subject keyword) as a powerful way to find stuff on a specific topic.

Now, K’NAAN has taken the idea of the hashtag to a whole new level with the idea of his new song (as publicised by the lovely Emmylou Benson at Universal Music):

K’NAAN TO RELEASE ‘TWITTER SINGLE’

ASSEMBLED FROM FANS’ TWEETS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(TORONTO, April 1, 2009) – Somali-Canadian musical trailblazer K’NAAN is about to collaborate with his fans in an unprecedented way –assembling a new version of his song “People Like Me” from their tweets on Twitter. On April 1, K’NAAN will invite his Twitter followers to download the special instrumental version of the song, created specially for this promotion, and submit their own lyrics for the story via his Twitter.  All fan tweets tagged with #knaansong will be considered for inclusion in the final song. Deadline for submissions is May 1. Following that, K’NAAN will assemble the best tweets and record the results. The final track will be made available to fans via free download on K’NAAN’s Twitter page at http://twitter.com/thedustyfoot and his official site at http://knaanmusic.com.  This will mark the first time Twitter will be officially used for the creation of a song.

K’NAAN’s latest album, Troubadour, was released on Feb 24 and debuted at #1 and #3 on the digital album charts in Canada and the United States, respectively: sure evidence of the electronically-oriented nature of many of his fans. This Twitter song collaboration is a logical extension of the new relationships being forged by artists and their audiences in an increasingly interconnected world.

More information can be found at http://www.amoctone.com/knaan/plmtweet/

knaanmusic.com
myspace.com/knaanmusic
getmusic.ca

For those not familiar with hashtags, Sudha Krishna recently pushed out some details via Twitter, HERE. You can read the Ultimate Guide to Twitter Hashtags, HERE.

Lumiere, one of the world’s finest restaurants, is slated to close soon and undergo a major transformation. Part of the transformation includes the installation of a DB Bistro Moderne which will open up next door in the space formerly occupied by Feenie’s. In the meantime, under the watchful eye of Chef de Cuisine Dale McKay and some input from super chef Daniel Boulud, Lumiere is still leading the pack with multi-course extravagance in the dining room and a nice set of tasting bites in the lounge.

A couple weeks ago, I took the opportunity to sit down for dinner at Lumiere with my wife, Mona, friend, Robert Delamar, and his wife, Midori. This was the second time in a month that I had a chance to enjoy the food at the famed restaurant and as usual I was impressed with all aspects of the dinner – from the company to the service and understandably, the food.

My friend Bob, talks about Lumiere’s history and our friend, David Sidoo on his blog, at Urbmob, HERE, in a posting titled ‘A True Baller.’ If you haven’t been to Lumiere yet, take the opportunity to at least enjoy the tasting bites before they close – the press release is at the end of this post.

Bob labels David Sidoo as a baller but one of the reasons we likely enjoy each others’ company is simple – Bob travels alot to LA, NYC and Japan on business. Having lived in Japan for a couple years, we definitely have a connection. Running a record label is definitely great for the jetset lifestyle.

Back to getting paid, Bob’s company is Urbmob – think Urban and Mobile. The company is a social network which allows artists, models and fans to share in revenues from the sale of ringtones, wallpapers and more with Urbmob’s trademarked Talent Rank service. Upload music and photos – they get transformed into ringtones and wallpapers for download. Pretty simple really, check out the blurb, below:

So you’re an aspiring artist, model or a fan hell bent on promoting your own stuff and you want to know how to monetize your insane talent. You also want your audience to recognize your talent and put you on TV, Radio, get into Magazines, and do your own events… Well you came to the right place. Welcome to Urbmob.

For artists, they post their stuff up, much like a MySpace profile and can sell their wares. Brilliant, unique and definitely defensible intellectual property. Check out the quick video blurb on their corporate site, HERE.

—

You can also check out the press release from Lumière with details on hours of service and special cocktails, after the jump.

For Immediate Release
April 1, 2008

Lumière Nights, Tasting Bar Bites

Vancouver, BC – Lumière’s Tasting Bar is just the place for a little nosh with lots of posh. From now until May, sample a three-course tasting menu for just $40 per person (exclusive of taxes and gratuities). Chef de Cuisine, Dale MacKay is behind the stoves to lead and inspire the talented brigade.

A delectable trio of dishes including a starter, main and dessert are offered to foodies in the know and hipsters, who sip, savour and go. Choose from a global card of dishes that feature Ahi Tuna Tartare with Black Truffle and Asian Vinaigrette, Fresh Herb and King Oyster Mushroom Risotto and Mango Citrus Pavlova with Spring Fruit Salad. If cocktails are your pleasure, sip away at the glam bar and envibe with such elixirs as the Bourbon Stiletto, Le Nouveau Martini Francais or the Passageway to Bermuda.

Lumière reservations can be made by calling 604.739.8185. Both the dining room and Tasting Bar are open Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30 pm.

Lumière is an eclectic blend of European sophistication and modern French cuisine that speaks a languare all its own. Lumière has captured the attention and tastes of food lovers from all over the world and is the first freestanding restaurant in Canada to earn the coveted Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux designation. Now entering its second decade, Lumière will continue to set the standard for exceptional culinary experiences. www.lumiere.ca

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Tasting Bar Menu

STARTERS

Ahi Tuna Tartare
black truffle and Asian vinaigrette

or

Seasonal Greens
pickled beets, candied walnuts, honey Chardonnay vinaigrette and parmesan

or

Beef Carpaccio
oven-dried tomatoes and shaved reggiano

MAINS

Fresh Herb and King Oyster Mushroom Risotto

or

Barbequed Peking Duck Broth
pork and duck wontons and Thai basil

or

Sake and Maple Syrup Baked Sablefish
braised shortrib and a soy-ginger froth

DESSERTS

Chocolate Fondant, Banana Sabayon, Peanut Emulsion, Malted Milk Ice Cream

or

Mango Citrus Pavlova with Spring Fruit Salad

or

Meyer Lemon Namelaka, Almond and Olive Oil Genoa, Toasted Marshmallow, Honey Lavender Ice Cream

$40 per person

Cocktail Menu

The Bourbon Stiletto
Bourbon, Amaretto, muddled fresh lemon, with a dash of orange bitters, garnished with cerises griottes
with Wild Turkey $10
with Makers Mark $15
with Pappy Van Winkle 20 yr $30

The Lemon-Basil Fauxito
Stolichnaya Vodka muddled with fresh basil, lemon and sugar, topped with soda
$10

A Cocktail Named Desire
Brandy, shaken with Kirsch, Maraschino liqueur and orange bitters, shaken and served neat
with St. Remy Napolean Brandy $10
with Alvear Brandy $15
with Hennessey Davidoff Cognac $40

Passageway to Bermuda
Gosling’s Dark Rum, fresh lime and orange, Orgeat Syrup, finished with Stewart’s Ginger Beer and Soda
$12

Margarita Superiore
Tequila, Grand Marnier Cuvee Louis Alexandre, blue agave syrup, lime and orange juice, shaken with egg white
with El Jimador $12
with Patron Reposado $30
with 4 Copas Anejo $39

Apple Cilantro Sipper
Cilantro muddled with Giffard Manzana Liqueur, Plymouth Gin and fresh lime of lime
$10

The Ginger Rogers
Freshly grated ginger root, muddled with lime, fresh mint leaves and Plymouth Gin garnished with a sweet surprise!
$10

Le Nouveau Martini Francais
An old classic with a new twist. Vodka and Chambord, shaken with fresh pineapple juice, topped with Cordoniu Cava Rosé
with Stolichnaya $12
with 42 Below $15
with Chopin $18

Te Puke Rendezvous
Plymouth Gin and Giffard Manzana Liqueur with muddled kiwi fruit, shaken with lime juice and aromatized with elderflower syrup
$12

Americano Royale
Campari and Cinzano Rosso topped with Monmousseau sparkling wine and an orange twist
$13

Ritz Royale
Brandy, Maraschino Liqueur and Cointreau, topped with lemon juice and Monmousseau sparkling wine
$15

2007: A Sake Odyssey
Granville Island Unfiltered Sake, muddled with fresh basil, lemon juice and simple syrup, topped with Monmousseau sparkling wine
$15

Media contact:

Judy Ahola
Director of Public Relations and Special Events
Lumière
2551 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC V6K 2E9
C: 604.816.4779
E: judy@lumiere.ca
www.lumiere.ca

Tucked away on Vancouver’s west side, Lumière delights those with a passion for the palate. Sophisticated Modern French cuisine. Gracious hospitality. Relais & Châteaux. Simply, Lumière.

Announcement

LOVERBOY returns full-force with the in-your-face new CD release JUST GETTING STARTED, the band’s first studio album in more than a decade. RockSTAR Music Corp. www.rockstarmusiccorp.com Loverboy’s label completed the exclusive deal with Wal-Mart for United States national hard copy distribution for the November 6 release. The CD will be available on all major online retailers.

Below is the link to the Loverboy-Wal-Mart EPK for the upcoming November 6 release of THE FIRST STUDIO.

http://video.clipstream.com/…

Please forward this to your friends

Michael

Michael Hektoen
RockSTAR Music Corp
Direct Line: 604.960.9880
MHektoen@RockSTARMusicCorp.com

www.rockstarmusiccorp.com
www.myspace.com/rockstarmusiccorp
www.myspace.com/loverboyrockstar
www.loverboyband.com
www.myspace.com/eliseestrada
www.eliseestradasource.com
www.liveonarrival.com
www.myspace.com/liveonarrivalband

Rosette plays at Sonar on the 29th of April, 2006

94.5 The Beat and NewMusicWest is proud to present Rosette with guests Syria and Marika

Check out the event details at Urban Mixer:http://vancouver.urbanmixer.com/events/rosette-at-sonar

Sonar
66 Water Street
Vancouver.
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Time: 8:00 PM
Picture this, you turn on the radio and you hear an infectious song. The vocals are sultry; the soul is reminiscent of your favorite Motown artist. The song ends, but you keep singing the chorus. The melody won’t escape your head.

More information about this event…

Rosette – I recall getting the demo cd when Delirous came out. As always, the songs are getting better and better. This one’s a hit. Click here to listen (I’ve trimmed the original down to a minute and a half for your consumption).

Update: (2005-11-03 09:27 AM) Site’s been really popular since I posted up the MP3. It’s great to see but what I can’t stand are people who are so rude to link directly to the MP3 and post the song as the background sound for their personal sites, etc. I don’t mind paying the extra $1000/month it takes to support the bandwidth of the song so long as the listening is legitimate and tied to my blog. I’ve had to change the song’s URL as a result – the song is still there, just new link to get at it.

Update: (2005-12-11 04:15 AM) Sorry folks, a few people have been abusing the download of the MP3 so I’ve had to remove it. You can thank the top two bandwidth hogs (last month’s bill was approx. $2k) for the removal (the rest pale in comparison but I have seen instances of people playing the song 15 – 20 times in a row): http://www.tdotwire.com/profile.php?user_id=51071 and http://www.zuup.com/mzxtee.

Below is the information off the promo sheet. Original here and you can visit Rosette’s website at http://www.rosetteonline.com http://www.rosettemusiconline.com.

Update: (2005-09-18 10:47 AM) I had a chat with Adam H yesterday, funnily, I’ve been citing the wrong website in all of my communication. I found out that Rosette has another website which is way more up to date, it’s right here –> http://www.rosettemusiconline.com. Check it out!

Get crushed by Rosette, a beautiful, beguiling mix of exotic backgrounds that have fused into a stunning 21 year old with the voice, the moves and the song writing talent of a new urban pop artist.

Rosette’s first single “Delirious�? was a top 10 Hit Pick in Canada and was in heavy rotation for months in major markets, going top 5 on several stations nationwide. “Delirious�? was retired as undefeated champion from Battle Of The Beats on The

Beat 94.5 in Vancouver after beating both R. Kelly and Britney Spears and was also number one several times on the “Hot 8 at 8�?. Rosette’s second single is an urban crossover ballad called “Crushed�?. Early feedback from radio programmers indicates that it will be Rosette’s biggest success to date and will get a ton of support from radio. “Crushed�? will impact Canadian airwaves just in time for the height of summer and will be her first video. The simmering and sexy “Crushed�? video interweaves Rosette performing live with the story of a girl’s love unrequited.

Rosette is not afraid to compete with the best America can offer and is re-writing the book on Canadian talent for the international audience. Signed to Shred Records she has been working with platinum selling, hit producers/song writers Sean Hosein, Dane DeViller, Steve Smith, Anthony Anderson, Steve Kipner, Kovas and Adam H, who collectively have worked with artists Kelly Rowland (of Destiny’s Child), Christina Aguilera, Stacy Orrico, Jessica Simpson and New School.

Rosette will be releasing more singles like the hype “Uh Oh�?, the club banger “Bodyrock�?, the fun “Bounce�? or the artist defining “I’m So Gone�?. Rosette is so here!

Publicity

National and Regional, Review copies to monthlys, weeklys and zines, Features elicited from Excalim, Chart, Access, Vice, Fuel, Canadian Musician, Macleans and in key Canadian cities, example, Vancouver –The Georgia Straight, The Sun, The Province.

Radio

Full servicing on “Crushed�? August/September, Live on airs, CD give-aways, ticket give-aways, press release, on air performances

TV

Send video to MuchMusic, YTV, Chartattack, Edge TV, umbreall.com, u8tv.com,Channel A, etc.

Tour

Solicit features from dailys, weeklys and as much TV as possible, local news and entertainment shows.

Radio Promo Tour

Cross Canada September

Record Stores

End Caps, Posters, In Store Performances, Artist Flyers, Listening Stations

Advertisements

Co-operative ads with record stores, record release parties, live shows

Artist Interactive Website

Artist info, Artist photos, CD Cover, Video clips, Online give-aways

Well this site does the opposite: http://www.ni9e.com/

Instead, they’ve decided to remove all the non-cuss words from NWA songs. Quite content rich, I’d say. Take a listen for yourself.

Okay.. so I unequivocably promise to blog again… To all my adoring fans, I’m back.. spread the word!

Let’s see…. where to start…

How about some media clips from March to keep ya company:

March 6th, 2005 – bouncin’ around at the Buffalo Club

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March 18th, 2005 – pretty cool art exhibition in Gastown

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March 19th, 2005 – that Improv Guy Show with Dan Joffre

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March 26th, 2005 – some live music down at the Buffalo Club, Cathleen ripping it up on stage

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Okay.. I’ve started… let’s do more… keeping with the theme of March, 2005…

Tea at Don’t Show the Elephant gallery and Café…

The evening I went out with Julie that I met at Dinnerworks, we started at Cioppino’s, then we went to Heron’s for dessert #1 then we went to Savoury Coast for dessert #2 I believe… then we went to blim for I screen, you screen. March 5th, 2005.

Some pics from Lily Kate or LilyKate when they just opened. I love the way the place has been designed. Nice, clean, good staff and those chairs.. they’re so light!!

My boy John and my girl Erica came in from Winterpeg. Took them out for dinner at Zakkushi. Wow… it’s been 3 months, can you imagine? That place used to be new! The weekend.. that’s a different story. I think I got alcohol poisoning thanks to Brady. I was pacing myself against his drink. I was having doubles. Unbeknownst to me, he was having singles.

Dan Joffre’s comedy show.. a must see. He’s pretty good, the tickets are pretty reasonable and the lineup of guest stars is great. Pretty professional act and Dan’s a nice guy to boot!

I think I should apologize for spraying on one of the guest stars accidentally when I was on stage. I’m surprised she didn’t tell me that she wasn’t interested in the extended forecast. All in the name of comedy!

Ahhh! Trevor – this man knows how to entertain. It’s 5PM, I’m in to say hi, Trevor asks me what I’m doing for the evening. I say, well, I’m going to grab a bite. We wind up at Tojo’s. Apparently they have an eight course dinner in store for us with a sake pairing. To top it all off, the president of Yoshinogawa has come in from Japan to be the one to pair our meal with equisite sake. Of course we’re early by an hour and a half so we have some time to kill. We wound up at Cru enjoying a bottle of their finest. I think it was a Lafite but it’s been a while now. All eight courses? delectable!

Okay.. that’s enough for now.. more soon…

Firstly, I’ve consolidated some of my blogging from Asian Avenue and Black Planet from 2002 and 2003 onto this site so if you look really far back, you’ll see some really old content.

Secondly, I’ve been catching up on stuff for the month of January. At least I didn’t leave it to June this time!

The Invaders at the Media Club

Tuesday, the 18th of January was a particularly hard day, alot of travelling and bouncing around from the early morning onward. Lots of meetings, too including a good meeting with my friend Ali Solehdin of Idelix, and then Lorraine Murphy’s conversation series event entitled Getting “Hi” in Vancouver.

The Getting “Hi” Event was okay. I really feel that Jesters is an overrated venue and that one should aspire to minimize activities that go on there. It’s a dark, dingy room, after all. Brock Tully spoke on being nice to one and other but the real nugget I got was that once someone decides to say hi or be friendly with no strings or hope that the other person will reciprocate, something happens but I forgot so I guess I didn’t get the point. Either way, it’s a good plan of course there’s the situation, you’re walking down Robson Street, you spot a cute member of the opposite sex who smiles at you. Do you go over and introduce yourself? In most cases, I won’t – so something for me to work on.

Anyhow, after a long and engaging day, I went to see the invaders down at the Media Club. The Media Club is kinda dingy and was really empty at the time of the event but I think that’s because people are sick of Tsunami Relief Events. It was good to sit front row center while the boys played, it really woke me up and allowed me to go out and work some more…

Some clips from the Invaders:

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Shine for White Lies

Shine does 80′s Night on Thursday. The evening is called White Lies. On the 20th, I wasn’t really in any mood for anything but sitting at home but I got a call from Mel at Shine and she was having a technical emergency so why not, come down, help a woman in distress out and say hi to the gang. I recall stumbling home at 5am but got to see some UM members down at the club which is always nice to see.

A clip of Mel teasing her hair before the start of the night:

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Buffalo Club Antics

I’m glad that Megan McKay now works at the Buffalo Club. She deserved to be treated better and they’re a good, tight-knit group. The venue is great for live music and I’m really looking forward to the Speed Dating event on the 13th of February.

Some clips of Megan being hazed:

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VEF on Venture Capital

This was a really good topic but sadly, I was double booked. My mentee from Leaders of Tomorrow, Terence, was scheduled to meet me down at Jester’s for the YEA event. I had a chance to go say hi, at least, and I had dinner at the kids’ work table in Science World with Karam of Lang Michener. Karam’s a really great guy, always fun loving and a good personality. I feel like family anytime we hang out, it’s great!

Chip Wilson (Lululemon) speaks at YEA

My first impression of of YEA is that the group is really young. I didn’t meet anyone that I recognized so I basically hung out solo until Terence arrived (I got there early with the thought that I could snag a seat but the place was uber-packed). I had a brief chat with the local chair to get more information and had the feeling that I was at the wrong place. Firstly, I’m no longer in my first five years of business. I’m now in my 12th. Secondly, I guess I’m no longer classified as young, being 29 and all. Oh well, pretty soon I’ll be walking with a cane, I’m sure.

Being that the group was so young, everybody was intimidated by one and other. I prompted Terence to introduce himself to Chip, who was very receptive to the idea. In disucssion, I mentioned to Chip that I was a venture capitalist. Funnily, Chip decided to make Venture Capital the focal point of his presentation. Very cute, very charming.

Speaking with Chip was definitely the highlight. I enjoyed learning about the ups and downs, his work with Westbeach (especially being fired by the company he started, kinda reminds me of Mark Blumes from Mark’s Work Wearhouse… actually, it’s all really fitting considering that Mark came asking me for money a few years ago to do something, so maybe I spoke too soon and there is hope of me financing something of yours in the future, Chip)….

Jester’s wasn’t the optimal place for the event. Alot of people solely interested in Chip showed up so the room had at least 60 attendees and was very hot. Secondly, no natural light.

Some clips from Chip’s speech:

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And then there’s Fidgital

Thanks to Lisa, I actually remembered this event. Funny how one who promotes events can forget so easily. I guess I’ve become too dependant on all things digital and, well, I can’t live without my PDA.

Anyhow, Fidgital did a big album remix party at the Buffalo Club on the 27th. They always do a good job entertaining but it always seem that they’re really last minute with their events. Paddi Rice from Executive Search Dating, whom I saw earlier that day, decided to join me at the venue for a drink. We chatted for a while, No Luck Club opened up with their unique scratch-machine business and then Fidgital finally played. Some good pictures (better than what my cellphone can take) are up at: http://www.fidgital.fuzzythumb.com.

Some clips of the event:

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We initially started in Adam’s place – he’s turned it upside down and into an editing studio. He’s been really busy lately with Univesal Records and Banana Toonz. They like the way he puts things together when it comes to his producing and editing plus the way he relates to radio programmers and DJs when it comes to radio tracking. Adam’s been doing so well that he’s been able to steal someone as senior as Gregor Heieis (Roxy, Shark Clubs, etc.) away to work for him.

In the studio

Adam promoed some of the new stuff he’s working on – he’s been working hard on this up and comer’s new album, Bianca who’s signed to Universal. I had a chance to listen to some of the tracks unedited as well as to mess around. Mike Reno from Loverboy also sang some great backgrounds on one of the tracks. In one of the samples I took, I’ve asked Adam to isolate Mike’s vocals – he’s got a fantastic voice.

Some clips from the studio session:

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Dinner

Dinner was great. Adam was in the mood for sushi but being it was Sunday night, not much in terms of good sushi was open so Adam and I went down to Hapa Izakaya at my suggestion. Overall, it was a hit.

After-dinner Drinks

We went down to the Cactus Club in Yaletown for a drink, thought I should slum it for a bit. I still dislike the place – it’s the eyesore of Yaletown as far as I’m concerned. I think if someone wants lowest-common-denominator, they should have to leave Yaletown. What’s next? MacDonalds on Mainland?

Anyhow, we chatted about the future, Adam’s going to be recording this Korean Band’s first English album in March so he should be off to Seoul quickly. We touched on India – he really wants to do something out there so I’m keeping my eyes open. I dropped him a copy of a demo done by my friend’s band in Bangalore, R.U.S.T. (R U Still There).

Its funny (I’m reminiscing), we did the open call audition for New School three years ago. To this day, Adam still gets e-mail from people signing up on his website (adamhentertainment.com- a site, which I whipped up in ten minutes way back when) wanting to attend and audition.

Adam Hurstfield (aka Adam H) is one of the most talented artist/producers around. He’s worked with music greats such as George Clinton and Max-A-Million and has toured to the far corners of the globe with top selling albums in Japan, Europe and South America. You can read his bio (probably outdated by now) by clicking here. I’ve always enjoyed his music, his great attitude and overall, his comraderie. When I asked him to create a soundbyte for Clear Choice a long while back, he met the challenge by throwing back some concepts to me in a matter of minutes.

To hear the chimes, you can click on the links below:

Clear Choice Technologies Chimes wav file
SSID Chimes wav file
SSID Chimes (vocal) wav file

I got more than I could ever ask for during the creation of the SSID Chimes. Adam, the consomate promoter and workaholic gave me a little taste of what Adam’s up to next. Here’s the working session (approx. 15 minutes) as well as a more polished version of the track (approx. 2 minutes) he was working on. He also showed me the stuff he was working (approx. 2 minutes) on for with Banana Toons. You’ll probably hear J.Lo spin this out in the future as some of it was written with her in mind.