All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
Photo Gallery: Pitbull with Iggy Azalea at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage
Metallica, Mariah Carey and Jonas Brothers headline Global Citizen Festival
International advocacy organization Global Citizen today announced the lineups for the 10th anniversary Global Citizen Festival, taking place in New York City’s Central Park, presented by Citi and Cisco, and Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana, presented by Harith General Partners, on Saturday, September 24, 2022.
Since it began lighting up Central Park’s Great Lawn in 2012, the Global Citizen Festival has become the world’s longest-running global campaign calling for an end to extreme poverty that unites millions of voices, amplified by the world’s biggest artists, demanding world leaders take action NOW.
Globally, the disproportionate impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed nearly 100 million more people into extreme poverty and is reversing recent trends of shrinking inequality, leading to the loss of at least three years of progress. Without urgent action NOW this backsliding will only worsen. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has aggravated the situation further, with as many as 323 million people now facing acute hunger, and 1.2 billion people now live in nations experiencing a perfect storm of food, energy, and financial crises. If we don’t take action NOW, as many as 200 million more people may be plunged into extreme poverty by November.
The 2022 Global Citizen Festival will call on world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly and ahead of the G20 and COP27 in November to step up and invest $600 million into the future of women and girls, close the annual $10 billion climate financing shortfall, deliver $500 million to help African farmers respond to the global food crisis, and provide urgent relief from crushing debts to End Extreme Poverty NOW.
With two stages in international cultural capitals, New York City and Accra, Ghana, the 2022 Global Citizen Festival will be broadcast and streamed on ABC, ABC News Live, FX, Hulu, iHeartRadio, TimesLIVE, Twitter, YouTube, and more. ABC News Live’s broadcast will air on Saturday, September 24, and a primetime special, Global Citizen Festival: Take Action NOW, will air on ABC on Sunday, September 25 at 7:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm CT. Additional tune in details to follow in the coming weeks.
Performers on the Central Park stage will include Metallica, Charlie Puth, Jonas Brothers, MÅNESKIN, Mariah Carey, Mickey Guyton and Rosalía with more to be announced. Global Citizen Festival: NYC will be hosted by actor, producer, author, and Global Citizen Ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
Marking the 65th anniversary of Ghana’s independence and the 20th anniversary of the African Union, Accra’s iconic Black Star Square will see live performances from Usher, SZA, Stormzy, Gyakie, H.E.R., Sarkodie, Stonebwoy and TEMS with more to be announced.
“Decades of systemic and political failures have led humanity into the midst of converging and rapidly deteriorating crises – climate, hunger, health, war and conflict. The most marginalized populations are paying the price of the stagnant inaction of our leaders, and now millions of lives, and the future of our planet, are at stake. We refuse to just stand by and watch! We refuse to accept the starvation of multitudes when solutions are readily at hand. We demand a secure future for girls everywhere. We demand governments keep their promises on climate funding. We demand relief from debts unjustly crushing economies. And we demand action NOW, while there’s still time to change our collective trajectory.” – Hugh Evans, Co-Founder and CEO, Global Citizen
Global Citizen is calling for world leaders, major corporations and philanthropic foundations to take to the Global Citizen Festival stages and announce new commitments to End Extreme Poverty NOW, including:
Deploy Financing NOW and immediately meet the total goal of reallocating $100 billion in IMF Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), by making up the $40B shortfall.
SDRs are a type of reserve asset mostly sitting unused by the world’s wealthiest countries. These rights can immediately provide new and affordable financing relief for countries at high risk of financial and debt distress.
There are 69 eligible low-income countries who stand to benefit from the reallocation of SDRs, many of which are in Africa. During the pandemic, many of these governments spent more on debt repayments than on education, health and social protection benefits combined. This funding is needed NOW to ensure governments have what they need to invest in strengthening health systems and pandemic preparedness, and the nutrition, welfare, and education of their citizens. Denmark, Norway, Ireland, Belgium, Sweden, Luxembourg, Austria, Portugal, Korea, and Sweden can transfer their Special Drawing Rights to the developing countries that desperately need them right now.
Take Climate Action NOW and fulfill the $100 billion per year promises made in the Paris Agreement.
Africa accounts for just 3-4 percent of global emissions, yet finds itself on the frontlines of the effects of climate change. Extreme temperatures and droughts, such as those in Somalia, threaten to make a mockery of our attempts to end extreme poverty and protect the planet. African countries and businesses stand ready to invest in green jobs and infrastructure, but they need genuine partnership to deliver.
Having not contributed to the problem, it is unjust to expect that Africa shifts to renewable and clean energy without support from the wealthiest countries, who have indeed industrialized using fossil fuels over the past 150 years. Rich countries like Germany, Italy, the US, Canada and Australia must fulfill the promise that was meant to be delivered by 2020 and close the annual $10 billion shortfall.
Empower Girls NOW and provide critical investments into girls’ education, sexual and reproductive health and economic empowerment.
In the last two years, more than 47 million women and girls have been pushed back into extreme poverty, and the pandemic has forced millions of girls out of the classroom and into unpaid care work.
The US, UK, the European Commission, France, Germany and Italy can change this by pledging $600 million in financial support towards UNFPA, Education Cannot Wait and the Child Care Incentive Fund, launched this year by the White House. This will support new policies addressing the expansion of paid parental leave, including obligatory paternity leave, access to contraception and education.
Mitigate a Global Food System Meltdown NOW by providing $500 million for Africa’s farmers to make the most of the current planting season and fund the local production of fertilizers, tools, and equipment they need to produce more food.
Africa is currently experiencing horrific food shortages as a result of Russia’s unjust invasion of Ukraine. Yet the continent has enough arable land to feed the world, let alone its own citizens.
Germany, the UK, the European Commission, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Belgium need to band together and provide funding to agencies like the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program and CGIAR to urgently equip farmers with the resources they need. Failure to do so NOW will make the present hunger crisis far worse over the coming year, as food supplies diminish and prices soar even higher.
Throughout the campaign, Global Citizen will continue to defend and promote advocacy, ensuring marginalized voices are heard and leaders are held accountable to deliver on their promises. Global Citizen will elevate citizens’ voices, especially from the Global South; defend the right of anyone to speak freely, dissent, and organize without fear of reprisals or violence; and call on corporations to refrain from using litigation to silence activists on the frontline. Without such efforts to champion the causes of those in peril, the achievement of our campaign goals will continue to be deprioritized by those in power.
The 2022 Global Citizen Festival campaign is supported by governments and world leaders including: Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana; Hakainde Hichilema, President of Zambia; Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations; Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA; Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of Croatia; Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain; Frank Bainimara, Prime Minister of Fiji; Ingrida Šimonytė, Prime Minister of Lithuania; Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization; Ban Ki-moon, Former UN Secretary General; Elizabeth Cousens, President and CEO of the UN Foundation; Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; Stanley Kakubo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Zambia; Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senate Majority Leader; Meryame Kitir, Minister of Development Cooperation and Urban Policy, Belgium; Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico; Anne Tvinnereim, Minister for International Development, Norway; Government of Luxembourg; Kingdom of the Netherlands; Peter Sands, Executive Director of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director, Education Cannot Wait; Erna Solberg, Former Prime Minister of Norway; Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Ambassador to the UN; Ertharin Cousin, Founder, Managing Director and CEO, Food Systems for the Future.
“Ghana is honoured to host this year’s edition of the Global Citizens Festival. I look forward to welcoming each and everyone of you to Accra, capital of the country at the centre of the world. Together, let us join hands and help accelerate progress towards the realization of the SDGs. We owe to the next generation to live in a world free from poverty, disease and the degradation of the environment. The time to help make a change is now. We must align forces to make an impact in Africa, and help end extreme poverty. I have called colleague African leaders to join me in September, and help break these systemic barriers that have been affecting our people. Let us build a strong foundation for future generations.” – H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana
“While communities face injustices, crises and inequalities in the world, we simply cannot give up the fight and solidarity to end poverty. We need all voices in calling for a better future for everyone, everywhere. Now is the time for ambitious action. Together, with Global Citizen, we can keep the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals.” — Amina Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretary General
“This year we have strongly felt the impacts of climate change across international conflicts, global health, and economic crisis, raising the level of inequality higher than before. However, together our mission is possible. It is more important than ever that the world comes together to demand action from global leaders with a unified voice, NOW. Global Citizens must champion political and financial solutions, like climate and agricultural adaptation, that center the most vulnerable members of our global community and plant the seeds for dignified and prosperous futures.” – Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations & Ban Ki-moon Center for Global Citizens Co-chair
“All over the world we are seeing the ravaging effects of the climate crisis, and the disastrous results of political inaction – of not hearing or empowering the victims of poverty and disenfranchisement, of not allowing countries to work in collaboration to protect the global public good. NOW is the time for ordinary people to take action and fight, and for world leaders to listen and act, because their lives and livelihoods are at stake.” — Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados
“An urgent, collective, and concerted effort is required to make progress toward ending extreme poverty. I am encouraged by the call to action issued by Global Citizen and I call upon leaders from around the world to add their voices, as we cannot afford to sit back and watch the status quo continue. It is time to break down the systemic barriers that have kept people in poverty and indeed, time to act to protect future generations from climate change.” — Hakainde Hichilema, President of Zambia
“We live in perilously difficult times and it is our duty to fight hunger, poverty, discrimination, illness and effects of climate change. We need to pull together all our resources to ensure that the most vulnerable citizens can live in dignity and safety. I thus fully support the tireless efforts by Global Citizen to continue uniting us in this vital joint action.” – Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of Croatia
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that all countries must have equitable access to the tools and technologies needed to prepare for, prevent, detect and respond rapidly to outbreaks and other health emergencies. This is why the World Health Organization brought public and private partners together to launch the innovative mRNA Technology Transfer Hub based in South Africa, with more than a dozen low- and middle-income countries joining so far. I welcome Global Citizen’s support for this crucial initiative to diversify and expand manufacturing of life-saving vaccines, so that the world is better prepared to prevent and respond more equitably to infectious diseases and the next pandemic threat.” – Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization
The 2022 Global Citizen Festival and the End Extreme Poverty NOW campaign are supported by a coalition of the world’s leading brands and companies including Global Partners Accenture, Cisco, Citi, Delta Air Lines, Harith General Partners, P&G, Verizon and YouTube. Global Citizen Festival: NYC Campaign Partner, World Wide Technology, has deepened their commitment to sustainability by signing the UN’s Race to Zero in line with the Science Based Targets initiative, answering Global Citizen’s call on corporations to make science-based targets.
As Patron of Global Citizen’s work in Africa, Tshepo Mahloele, Founder & Executive, of Harith General Partners, supports Global Citizen’s growth across Africa to reach more audiences and help achieve equity in places with high rates of extreme poverty. Global Citizen Festival: NYC is also honored to have the support of Mayor Adams, 110th Mayor of New York City.
Co-chairs of Global Citizen and of this campaign include: Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture; Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO of Cisco; Jane Fraser, CEO of Citi; Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines; Lorraine Twohill, CMO of Google; Marc Pritchard, CBO of P&G; and Hans Vestberg, Chairman and CEO of Verizon. Global Citizen’s co-chairs are private sector leaders making commitments in support of the UN’s Global Goals. They support Global Citizen’s campaigns while helping to drive deeper engagement within the private sector.
Policy partners supporting the campaign include: Action Against Hunger, ALLIED, BRAC, Ban Ki Moon Center for Global Citizens, Center for Environmental Peacebuilding, CGIAR, CIVICUS, charity: water, Conservation International, EarthRights, Education Cannot Wait, Focus 2030, Ford Foundation, Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia, Freedom House, Front Line Defenders, Fund for Global Human Rights, Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, Gerando Falcões, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, Global Health Advocates France, Legal Empowerment Fund, International Disability Alliance, IFAD, International Organization for Migration, International Rescue Committee, International Service for Human Rights, LISC, Namati, NPX, One Acre Fund, OutRight Action International, Pandemic Action Network, People’s Vaccine Alliance, Peace Boat, Re:wild, Rotary International, Science Based Target initiative, Social Gastronomy Movement, UN Foundation, UNFPA, UN Joint SDG Fund, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, World Benchmarking Alliance, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, World Health Organization, and WHO Foundation.
Global Citizen Festival has gratefully received in-kind support from leading media companies, including: AIM GROUP, Bandsintown, BellaNaija, Billboard, Boo! Media, Branded Cities, Captivate, Clear Channel Outdoor, DDP Outdoor, Global OOH, GSTV, The Hollywood Reporter, iHeartRadio, Intersection, Interstate Outdoor, JC Decaux, MX, New Tradition, OAAA, Orange Barrel Media, Penske Media, Rolling Stone, Seen Media, Six Flags Theme Parks, Spotify, Variety, VIBE, Volta, The Wall Street Journal and YFM.
Download the Global Citizen app or visit www.globalcitizen.org to take action on the campaign’s issues. For each action taken, users earn points that can be redeemed for tickets to the festivals.
The Tragically Hip’s ‘Fully Completely’ Gets Deluxe Box Set Treatment For 30th Anniversary
To commemorate the 30th Anniversary of The Tragically Hip’s iconic album, Fully Completely, the band announce that the deluxe boxset, which was previously released in 2014 only on CD, to be reimagined as a vinyl package. This is the first time the box set will be available on vinyl and will be released on October 7, 2022. This 3 LP vinyl set includes all the elements from the 2014 boxset including, the Fully Completely original album, the Live at the Horseshoe September 13, 1992 recording, with bonus studio session tracks Radio Show & So Hard Done By. As well as a Blu-ray of brand-new Dolby Atmos and surround sound mixes of the record. Atmos mixes will also be available digitally on Apple Music and Amazon Music. As well as, newly remastered from the original tapes, ‘Heksenketel’1993 tour documentary, plus a 56-page book and five exclusive lithographs by cover artist Lieve Prins.
To commemorate the 30th Anniversary of The Tragically Hip’s iconic album, Fully Completely, the band announce that the deluxe boxset, which was previously released in 2014 only on CD, to be reimagined as a vinyl package. This is the first time the box set will be available on vinyl and will be released on October 7, 2022.
To commemorate the 30th Anniversary of The Tragically Hip’s iconic album, Fully Completely, the band announce that the deluxe boxset, which was previously released in 2014 only on CD, to be reimagined as a vinyl package. This is the first time the box set will be available on vinyl and will be released on October 7, 2022.
The Fully Completely deluxe vinyl edition, is the first in a series of vinyl album rereleases for The Tragically Hip, the band heeding the call to experience the music in this analogue quality format. Fans can watch out for reissues of Yer Favourites which had previously been available only on CD as well as a brand-new boxset for Phantom Power (CD, vinyl, Atmos), leading into the bands’ 40th anniversary celebration in 2024.
Fully Completely is where The Tragically Hip reach the apex of their talent. Originally released on October 6th, 1992, the album went on to sell more than a million copies in Canada and is quickly approaching double Diamond status. Spawning multiple hit singles “Locked in the Trunk of a Car”, “Courage” (For Hugh McLennan), “At the Hundredth Meridian” “Fifty Mission Cap” and “Wheat Kings.”
At the 2017 Polaris Music Prize the album won the public vote for the Heritage Prize in the 1986-1995 category. Originally released on October 6th, 1992, the album was produced by Chris Tsangarides (Depeche Mode, Killing Joke, Concrete Blonde) and recorded at Battery Studios in London the summer of 1992.
Earlier this week, The Tragically Hip were announced as the Inductee to Canada’s Walk Of Fame for Humanitarianism in pursuit of social and environmental justice. They had previously received a star on the Walk Of Fame in 2002. For more than three decades, The Tragically Hip’s tireless activism and philanthropic pursuits have raised millions of dollars for multiple social and environmental causes, such as Camp Trillium, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Sunnybrook Foundation, WAR Child, the Special Olympics and the Unison Benevolent Fund. A quintessential band whose music captures the essence of being Canadian, they used their enormous megaphone in 2016 to shine a spotlight on the country’s systemic mistreatment of indigenous peoples. The legacy of the band’s frontman, the late Gord Downie, continues with The Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund, which aims to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
Critically acclaimed for more than three decades, The Tragically Hip has been at the heart of the Canadian musical zeitgeist, evoking a strong emotional connection between their music and their fans that remains unrivalled. A five-piece group of friends including Rob Baker (guitar), Gord Downie (vocals, guitar), Johnny Fay (drums), Paul Langlois (guitar) and Gord Sinclair (bass), who grew up in Kingston, Ontario, The Tragically Hip have achieved both mass popularity with more than 10 million albums in Canada and over 1.5 million sold in the U.S, as well as peer recognition through 15 Juno Awards – picking up the distinguished Humanitarian Award in 2021 which recognizes Canadian artists or industry leaders whose humanitarian contributions have positively enhanced the social fabric of Canada and beyond. Their studio catalogue includes their self-titled debut album The Tragically Hip (1987), Up To Here (1989), Road Apples (1991), Fully Completely (1992), Day For Night (1994), Trouble At The Henhouse (1996), Phantom Power (1998), Music @ Work (2000), In Violet Light (2002), In Between Evolution (2004), World Container (2006), We Are The Same (2009), Now For Plan A (2012), Man Machine Poem (2016) and Saskadelphia (2021). A National Celebration was the final show of The Tragically Hip’s Man Machine Poem Tour recorded on August 20th, 2016, at the K-Rock Centre in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, and is their last performance as a five-piece band. Through their career the band became a cultural touchstone in Canada, who despite their accolades and numerous recognitions, will always be proudest of the humanitarian work they have done over the years through numerous charitable organizations and causes.
Fully Completely Deluxe Vinyl Track Listing:
LP1- Side A
1. Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)
2. Looking for a Place to Happen
3. At the Hundredth Meridian
4. Pigeon Camera
5. Lionized
6. Eldorado
LP1 Side B
1. We’ll Go, Too
2. Fully Completely
3. Fifty Mission Cap
4. Wheat Kings
5. The Wherewithal
6. Locked in the Trunk of a Car
Live at the Horseshoe, September 13, 1992 Recording:
LP 2 Side C
1. At The Hundredth Meridian
2. Fifty Mission Cap
3. We’ll Go Too
4. Fully Completely
5. Pigeon Camera
LP2 Side D
1. Twist My Arm
2. Lionized
3. Wheat Kings
4. Eldorado
LP3 Side E
1. Looking For A Place To Happen
2. Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)
3. Locked In The Trunk Of A Car
4. The Wherewithal
LP 3 Side F
Bonus Studio Session Tracks
1. Radio Show
2. So Hard Done By
Fully Completely Atmos Mix on Blu-ray and available on digital platforms:
1. Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)
2. Looking for a Place to Happen
3. At the Hundredth Meridian
4. Pigeon Camera
5. Lionized
6. Eldorado
7. We’ll Go, Too
8. Fully Completely
9. Fifty Mission Cap
10. Wheat Kings
11. The Wherewithal
12. Locked in the Trunk of a Car
Heksenketel documentary:
Featuring concert footage and other clips of the band and crew as they travel across Canada from coast to coast during their 1993 ‘Another Roadside Attraction’ tour.
Royal Canadian Mint Honours Legendary Canadian Pianist And Jazz Giant Oscar Peterson On New $1 Circulation Coin
The Royal Canadian Mint is honouring one of the greatest musicians the world has ever seen by issuing a new $1 commemorative circulation celebrating the life and artistic legacy of Canada’s own Oscar Peterson. Called “the man with four hands” by jazz great and admirer Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson rose to the top of the music world through more than six decades of electrifying piano performances and unforgettable compositions such as Hymn to Freedom, Blues Etude and The Canadiana Suite. The coin was unveiled today before family and friends gathered in Toronto’s Roy Thompson Hall, a stage well known to Mr. Peterson. It will begin circulating on August 15, to coincide with his birthday.
“The Mint is passionate about celebrating stories of exceptional Canadians on its coins and I am delighted that Oscar Peterson, the first Canadian musician to appear on a circulation coin, is being celebrated as one of the world’s most respected and influential jazz artists of all time,” said Marie Lemay, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. “Mr. Peterson’s music and legendary performances have brought joy to millions of music lovers in Canada and around the world and we are proud to honour him, through this coin, for his exceptional contributions to Canadian music and culture.”
The Oscar Peterson commemorative circulation coin was designed by artist Valentine De Landro, an accomplished comic book artist, illustrator, and designer from Ajax, Ontario. His design features Oscar Peterson at the piano, with his hands in full motion, from which emerges a flowing musical scale showing two closing bars of his famous Hymn to Freedom. Mr. Peterson’s name completes the design.
“Throughout Oscar’s career he received many awards and honours, each of which meant a great deal to him. During the nearly fifteen years since his passing, there have been more. All of them humbling. All of them a source of pride. The addition of this commemorative circulation coin bearing his likeness is something neither he nor I could ever have imagined,” said Kelly Peterson. “Knowing that Canadians now, and for generations to come, will hold this coin and be reminded of Oscar Peterson or be inspired to learn about him for the first time evokes emotions challenging to describe. I am deeply, profoundly honoured. Oscar was a great pianist and composer. He was a staunch advocate for human rights. Above all, he was always a proud Canadian. As his music is timeless, so too now will he be a part of the Canadian consciousness forever.”
Growing up in Little Burgundy, the neighbourhood that was the hub of Montreal’s black community, Oscar Peterson was taught, by his father and his older sister Daisy, the value of a music education from a very early age. Raised on the classics, he quickly mastered the piano and honed his craft through popular music to become one of the most acclaimed jazz musicians of all time. Over a more than 60-year career, he made over 400 recordings and his famous Oscar Peterson Trio performed around the world. He won eight Grammy Awards and was inducted in Canada’s Music Hall of Fame in 1978. A first-time Juno Awards nominee in 1977, he won Best Jazz Album, as The Oscar Peterson Four, in 1987. He was also made a Companion of the Order of Canada by the late Ramon Hnatyshyn, Governor General of Canada.
In 1962, he composed Hymn to Freedom, which became an anthem of the 1960s civil rights movement whose musical and social influence continues to resonate today. His Canadiana Suite was an epic and moving tribute to the country he loved and always called home.
The impact of Oscar Peterson’s work and life story transcends generations: inspiring countless artists who themselves became music icons, and still attracting new generations to his music and to his craft. Numerous music schools and scholarships have been founded in his honour. Mr. Peterson died in 2007 at the age of 82.
“When I was a child traveling the world with my dad, I remember being curious about the figures on each country’s currency. It was an opportunity to learn about the history of where I was visiting. One thing that has always been important to me is that as Canadians, we take the time to explore our history – all aspects of it,” said Céline Peterson. “Knowing that Canadians at home and anyone who visits from abroad will hold the opportunity to learn about a formidable figure in our nation’s history in the palm of their hand, brings me an immense amount of joy. My dad being given this recognition by the Royal Canadian Mint is something I never would have even thought to imagine because to me, he is and always will be, dad.”
The Oscar Peterson circulation coin is limited to a mintage of three million coins, of which two million feature a purple accent, Oscar Peterson’s favourite colour. It will reach Canadians through their change as bank branches and businesses replenish their inventories of $1 circulation coins.
The coloured and uncoloured circulation coin can be purchased together as part of a six-piece Collector Keepsake coin set. They are packaged in a richly illustrated collector card that contains one of each currently circulating coin, from five cents to two dollars. Other collector products adding to the celebration of Oscar Peterson’s legacy include special wrap rolls of 25 one-dollar circulation coins, in coloured and uncoloured versions, as well as 1 oz. fine silver and pure gold versions of the circulation coin design.
These collectibles can be ordered as of today by contacting the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US, or online at www.mint.ca/oscarpeterson. They are also available at the Royal Canadian Mint’s Ottawa and Winnipeg boutiques, as well as through the Mint’s global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.
Eric Clapton: The Complete Reprise Studio Albums – Volume 1 12LP Boxed Set Available September 30
Eric Clapton, one of music’s most influential and successful recording artists, joined Reprise Records in 1983, launching a prolific period that spans 30 years and encompasses some of his most celebrated work. An upcoming limited edition, 12-LP boxed set revisits Clapton’s first six albums for Reprise along with an LP exclusive to this collection that features rarities from the era, including a previously unreleased remix of “Pilgrim” by co-writer and long-time Clapton producer Simon Climie.
THE COMPLETE REPRISE STUDIO ALBUMS – VOLUME I will be available on September 30 with pre-orders available now. It contains newly remastered versions of six studio albums pressed on 180-gram vinyl: Money and Cigarettes (1983) as a single LP, and Behind the Sun (1985), August (1986), Journeyman (1989), From the Cradle (1994), and Pilgrim (1998) as double-LPs. Behind The Sun and August were originally released as single LPs; both are now 3-sided double albums to avoid long LP sides and to maximize the audio quality.
The final LP in the collection, Rarities (1983-1998) brings together eight rare recordings from this era, including live versions of “White Room” and “Crossroads” that were both featured on the B-side on the 1987 single “Behind The Mask.” Another B-side, “Theme From A Movie That Never Happened” (Orchestral), appeared in 1998 on the GrammyÒ winning single, “My Father’s Eyes.” A cover of Albert King’s “Born Under A Bad Sign” (an outtake from GrammyÒ winning album From The Cradle) is available today on YouTube. Click HERE to listen now.
All the music included in this collection was mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering and the lacquers for the LPs were cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering.
VOLUME I spans 15 years and touches on some of Clapton’s biggest studio albums. It begins with Money and Cigarettes, the guitarist’s eighth solo studio album, which he co-produced with Atlantic Records’ legend Tom Dowd. Released in 1983, it reached the Top 20 in the U.S. and the U.K. and introduced the hit single “I’ve Got A Rock ’n’ Roll Heart.”
Clapton worked with Phil Collins to produce his next album, Behind the Sun, which peaked at #8 in the U.K. The album would earn platinum-certification in the U.S. thanks to hits like “Forever Man” and “She’s Waiting.” Collins returned to co-produce the next album, August, as well. Certified gold in the U.S., it featured a trio of Top 10 singles – “Miss You,” “Tearing Us Apart,” (a duet with Tina Turner) and the #1 smash, “It’s In The Way That You Use It.” Clapton co-wrote the latter with Robbie Robertson and co-produced the track with Dowd. The song was also featured in The Color of Money, the 1986 blockbuster film starring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise.
Journeyman, Clapton’s 1989 follow-up, reached #2 in the U.K. where it was certified platinum. An international sensation, the record was certified platinum in Canada and gold in Argentina, Australia, France, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The album was certified double platinum in the U.S., scoring #1 hits on the Mainstream Rock charts with “Pretending” and the Grammy winning single “Bad Love.” The album had two more Top 10 hits in America with “Before You Accuse Me” (#9) and “No Alibis” (#4).
Following the runaway success of his 1992 live album Unplugged, Clapton returned in 1994 with From The Cradle. A blues covers album, it featured his versions of song recorded by some of the bluesmen who influenced him, including Robert Johnson, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters Freddie King and more. The album was certified triple-platinum in the U.S., where it topped the Billboard 00. It also reached #1 in the U.K., making it his only #1 album in the U.K. to date. In addition, From The Cradle won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.
The final release on VOLUME I is Pilgrim, Clapton’s 1998 Grammy Award winning 13th solo studio album. It reached the Top 10 in more than 20 countries, including the .S. (#4) and the U.K. (#3). A passion project for Clapton, the album was certified platinum in America thanks to hi singles like, “My Father’s Eyes,” “Circus,” “Born In Time” (penned by Bob Dylan) and the title track.
In the fall, Clapton will play a series of concerts n the U.S. with special guest Jimmie Vaughn. The tour begins on September 8 in Columbus, OH and ends on September 19 in New York City. Tickets are on sale now.
Early 2023 will see the release of The Complete Reprise Studio Albums – Volume 2, a companion vinyl boxed set that features Clapton’s Reprise studio albums spanning 201-2010, along with an exclusive LP of rarities from that era. More details on this release will be announced soon.
THE COMPLETE REPRISE STUDIO ALBUMS – VOLUME I
Track Listing
Money and Cigarettes (1983)
“Everybody Oughta Make A Change”
“The Shape You’re In”
“Ain’t Going Down”
“I’ve Got A Rock ’n’ Roll Heart”
“Man Overboard”
“Pretty Girl”
“Man In Love”
“Crosscut Saw”
“Slow Down Linda”
“Crazy Country Hop”
Behind the Sun (1985)
“She’s Waiting”
“See What Love Can Do”
“Same Old Blues”
“Knock On Wood”
“Something’s Happening”
“Forever Man”
“It All Depends”
“Tangled In Love”
“Never Make You Cry”
“Just Like A Prisoner”
“Behind The Sun”
August (1986)
“It’s In The Way That You Use It”
“Run”
“Tearing Us Apart”
“Bad Influence”
“Walk Away”
“Hung Up On Your Love”
“Take A Chance”
“Hold On”
“Miss You”
“Holy Mother”
“Behind the Mask”
Journeyman (1989)
“Pretending”
“Anything For Your Love”
“Bad Love”
“Running On Faith”
“Hard Times”
“Hound Dog”
“No Alibis”
“Run So Far”
“Old Love”
“Breaking Point”
“Lead Me On”
“Before You Accuse Me”
From the Cradle (1994)
“Blues Before Sunrise”
“Third Degree”
“Reconsider Baby”
“Hoochie Coochie Man”
“Five Long Years”
“I’m Tore Down”
“How Long Blues”
“Goin’ Away Baby”
“Blues Leave Me Alone”
“Sinner’s Prayer”
“Motherless Child”
“It Hurts Me Too”
“Someday After A While”
“Standin’ Round Crying”
“Driftin’”
“Groaning The Blues”
Pilgrim (1998)
“My Father’s Eyes”
“River Of Tears”
“Pilgrim”
“Broken Hearted”
“One Chance”
“Circus”
“Goin’ Down Slow”
“Fall Like Rain”
“Born In Time”
“Sick And Tired”
“Needs His Woman”
“She’s Gone”
“You Were There”
“Inside Of Me”
Rarities Vol. 1 (2022)
“Stone Free”
“Crossroads” – Live
“White Room” – Live
“Theme From A Movie That Never Happened” (Orchestral)
“Pilgrim” – Remix *
“32-20 Blues” – Live
“County Jail Blues” – Live
“Born Under A Bad Sign” *
* previously unreleased
Indigenous Pop Songstress VIOLET VOPNI Says You’re Now In The “Friendzone”
Meeting a friend’s other friends can sometimes be incredibly awkward, but when there’s a party, that takes it to a whole other level. Winnipeg-based Indigenous pop songstress Violet Vopni’s new single “Friendzone” addresses a sort of universal awkwardness between any two people where one might have feelings that the other doesn’t — and the story behind the song is rich in novel experience.
Featuring head-bopping beats, a bubbly groove, and a wailing guitar solo, “Friendzone” navigates the journey of walking into a party, detecting some strange and possibly flirty vibes, and setting some friendly but firm boundaries. “Your friends are hard to read/ Are they hitting on me?/ Let’s skip the pleasantries/ Just tell me,” Vopni sings.
The chorus asks, repeatedly, “Are you cool with the friendzone,” while inspiration for the song sprang from the time Vopni’s girlfriend took her to what she now refers to as a “Michelle Party.” Michelle being the host, and Michelle being a host known for intricately decorated themed “rooms” set up in her home.
“I’ve been to some crazy house parties, but I wasn’t expecting to see Michelle’s various themed rooms – from Nintendo, to Classic Horror, to a fully operational sex dungeon, to a stripper pole,” Vopni recalls. “Not only was the décor 1000% on point, but the rooms were being used as intended by people I had just met.”
Eventually, Vopni was able to relax and have fun at the party once she realized that all the other attendees were going to respect her boundaries. “These people became some of my closest friends, and eventually I loosened up about what was going on in the rooms,” Vopni explains. “I realized that nobody was going to make me go in any of those rooms and do anything unless I wanted to, and that was a comfort.
“But everyone did flirt with me in ostentatious and overt ways the first time I met them, and that was a new and scary experience for me.”
Years later, Vopni realized that the experience would be interesting fodder for a song, and she also realized that, though not everyone will have been to a party with a sex dungeon, they can at least relate to wanting to keep someone in the “friendzone.”
Violet Vopni is an Indigenous and Icelandic singer/songwriter from Manitoba. Her journey as a lyricist and composer began in 1995 when she wrote her song “Dreaming,” which was released in 2020 through alt-metal band Helfreya. Vopni’s songs range from upbeat pop to smooth jazz to heartbreaking ballads and everything in between. She draws inspiration from her relationships with lovers and friends, as well as her ancestral history as a Metis woman. Vopni advocates for those affected by mental health and addictions, and her single “Joseph,” which has amassed nearly 400k streams on Spotify, shares the story of her great-grandfather who was born in 1900, fought in WWI, and struggled with alcoholism throughout his life.
Her song “How Many Times” has been featured on CBC’s Up To Speed, the Indigenous Music Countdown, and Manitoba Music’s Song of the Week. Vopni has released three albums, Unacknowledged and Shieldmaiden in 2020, and The Things We Don’t Know in 2021. “Friendzone” is the first single from her album that is set for release in 2023.
Venezuelan Alt-Folk Artist SUNRAY MINOR Releases Sunny, Shimmery “Life of the Party”
Sometimes there’s nothing like a house party among close friends to crystallize one of your life’s chapters and put everything into sharp, prismatic relief. Montreal-based alt-folk artist Sunray Minor captures all the important characters and warm relational dynamics of his youth in his sunny, shimmering new single, “Life of the Party.”
With beautiful guitar fingerpicking, smooth crystalline vocals, and an easy-flowing narrative, “Life of the Party” combines a savoring of the here-and-now with a tinge of melancholy, the knowledge that all of this will eventually pass; “and to think everyone of us will die, someday/ I’m just glad we took this night to celebrate our lives, hooray!” goes the sincere, unironic chorus.
Through the song’s meandering telling, we learn that Kenny now has a baby son – “And he looks just like Charlie Brown.” And that Will has lost his job, “but I never saw him frown.” And that the twins – who remain unnamed – are still disagreeing about everything, from politics to cigarettes. Diane made her famous apple pie, which everyone is devouring. The party gets too loud, and the cops are called. And then, as he’s saying goodbye, the narrator drunkenly kicks the neighbor’s garden gnome. “Either way it’s getting late and I best be getting home,” he sings.
The song is filled with real-time little noises of ambiance, imparting an air of charming imperfection and immediacy to the recording. “’Life of the Party’ was recorded all on the first night I rented the studio, and is actually the only song on the album that remained mostly untouched from those sessions,” Sunray Minor says. “We recorded it off of a live take, and you can really hear the studio in that song, most of the background noise is just us walking around and touching the space. I also played an acoustic guitar from the 1940s called the Kay Craft.”
“Life of the Party” is one of 10 songs on an ambitious, four-part epic-narrative of an album, One Day, Maybe, slated for release on August 7th. Inspired by Pink Floyd, the Beach Boys, and the Beatles, the record took four years to make, and Sunray Minor has also written a corresponding novella that will be released alongside the album. Visual artist Elena Terife brought the stories to life for the cover art, and Sunray’s cousin Valentina Tross created the art for the back cover.
“It’s a story where I am the main character and I’m searching through life and the world for someone I think I love – her name is Loretta – and in my head she’s the person that is supposed to save me from all my problems,” Sunray relays. “After reaching every corner of the world, I realize that the solution isn’t with her but instead within myself. I experience so many things along the way however – death and rebirth underwater, a party full of spirits, and a graveyard bash.”
Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” But On BRASS HORNS
Accompanying himself on trumpets, a solo Horn, flugelhorn, and soprano trombone, Seb Skelly performs a cover of Tears for Fears song Everybody Wants to Rule the World, a tune that is currently in the Top 50 on the US Spotfy Charts, some 38 years after release.
Harmonic Spectrum: How An Autistic Jazz Pianist Uses Music To Understand His Mind
Check out the Scottish documentary by Austen McCowan and Will Hewitt of Melt the Fly about Sean, who navigates between the pulls of solitude and partnership. ‘My music tells me more about myself than what I can guess.’
7-Time Blues Music Award-Winner RORY BLOCK Set to Release Her New Album, Ain’t Nobody Worried, October 7 from Stony Plain Records
In a storied career of many accolades and firsts, celebrated seven-time Blues Music Award-winner Rory Block will release perhaps her most-ambitious album yet, with Ain’t Nobody Worried, coming October 7th on Stony Plain Records.
As the third volume of her “Power Women of the Blues Series,” Ain’t Nobody Worried follows the logical course of its predecessors. Produced by Rory Block and Rob Davis for Aurora Productions, Ain’t Nobody Worried was recorded and mixed by Rob Davis at Kentucky Studios, Sandy Hook, Kentucky; and mastered by Toby Mountain of Northeastern Digital. Rory Block sang all the vocals, played all the guitar parts, slide, bass and percussion.
“The inspiration for this recording was born during the dreaded shutdowns,” recalls Rory Block about the album’s genesis. “Being quarantined led us to the idea of Home Broadcasts, which soon blossomed into two concerts per week over two years with an incredible following of viewers from around the world. We were all hungry for togetherness and music and found ourselves clinging to the idea that some form of normalcy still existed, somewhere, almost certainly in music. After covering just about every blues, folk and Old Timey song I ever knew, the idea popped into my head to reach into the iconic songbook of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. That meant music that was on the radio over 50 years ago. It could be called historic, early American music. Viewer requests for their own favorites strengthened and expanded this idea, turning the concerts into a major potpourri of material. It was challenging, satisfying, and inspiring. The consensus was that it was time to hear these incredible songs again.
“While it was challenging, and I never had enough time to really learn the songs properly, no one minded or expected my acoustic versions to be replicas of the originals. We wanted to remember, celebrate, and cling to the emotions and memories these great songs embodied. We wanted to sing along. We wanted it to be a sentimental journey with an unexpected twist. That’s what this record is all about.
“I started referring to it as ‘The Campfire Sessions.’ That meant ‘Hey, pass me the guitar… lemme try that one!’ I was the person saying pass me the guitar- and that was just alright with everyone.
“In keeping with my latest ongoing project, ‘Power Women of the Blues,’ and inspired by the enthusiasm generated by the Home Concerts, I chose hit songs performed or written by female artists whose music changed the world. I could do multiple volumes easily as there are, as always, just too many great songs to choose from.
“There will be those who will question why I would decide to do songs by legends such as Gladys Knight, Mavis Staples, Mary Wells and others. Why attempt to resurrect such untouchable greatness? I suppose the answer is the same reason I dare to do Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith and other early blues legends. I do not do these songs to create a better version than the original. Those versions are enshrined in the halls of Musical Heaven. I do these songs because I play the music I love the most. Creating new versions honors the original artists. And, as I learned during the Home Concerts, it’s time we thought about these amazing songs again.”