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This eighth installment of the now highly acclaimed Buddha Bar series is presented to you by Sam Popat. The series grows stronger with each release and VIII is no exception. Popat injects new life into this double CD set and unlike the many that have tried to emulate the style of the Buddha Bar he carries you away with as much power, if not more, than those who have previously created the perfect sound in a perfect Bar. Wagram. 2006.

This, the first Buddha-Bar CD/DVD, follows the seventh successful Buddha-Bar CD (released in February 2005). The nature theme is one of the major concerns of the 21st century, and it corresponds to the Buddha-Bar spirit. Allain Bougrain Dubourg, known for his TV documentaries about nature across the world, and Arno Elias, whose talent as a composer is also widely recognized, produced twelve pieces of music that lead us on a visual journey through the wild world of nature. A marvelous spectacle of animal and plant life, from dolphins dancing in the waves to tropical forests, to a leopard attack, the DVD is bursting with emotion. The Buddha-Bar team hopes that the beauty of the wildlife depicted will remind us also of its fragility, and therefore, the respect we owe it.

DJ RAVIN returns to head up Buddha Bar 9. The theme this time is the English Springtime, to pave the way for the new Buddha Bar club opening in London later this year. A breathtaking, fresh and sun kissed selection, with surprising titles coming from places like Greece and Eastern European countries and also from Australia.

The latest from the groundbreaking BUDDHA BAR compilation series. Still the best and most reknowned lifestyle compilation series, BUDDHA BAR V mixed by David Visan will build on the positive word of mouth created by its fans to reach an even broader audience and they will be turned on to this unique & sophisticated style of music from the moment the music starts!! Featured artists include Angelique Kidjo, Frederick Rousseau, Operatica, and Gipsyland.

The Buddha Bar series has become a band name by now, and Buddha Bar, Vol. 4 does nothing to break the new tradition. Compiled by David Visan, the two-CD set is divided into "Dinner" and "Drink." The former is definitely music for the consumption of comestibles, pleasant and polite with exotic touches of world music, like Nitin Sawhney's "Moonrise" or Gotan Project's revolution of the tango with "Una Musical Brutal," but they're the mildest examples of the artists' output, never pushing themselves forward, but providing a backdrop for food and civilized conversation. "Drink" fares a little better, but has traces of anonymity -- Time Passing with "Party People," for example, or Chris Spheeris and "Dancing With The Muse" could both come from a modern TV ad -- although its less afraid of imposing itself, with the delightful Panjabi Mc, whose track is gleefully annoying, and Loving Paris, who offer "Loco," which is exactly that. Egyptian heartthrob Amr Diab comes across as glossier than usual in this setting, while salsa diva Celia Cruz contributing a version of "I Will Survive" is one of the musical standouts -- the song translates surprisingly well to her genre. Still, it's a disc without rhyme or reason, and bizarrely sequenced, with little sense of movement, just a random bunch of tracks slung together without a great deal of thought. Overall, a moderate success only.

On number six in this Buddha-Bar series, musical alchemist Ravin returns with a sublime selection of tracks, half of which are previously unreleased. Artists on this double disc include B-Tribe, 1 Giant Leap, Erik Satie, Cellar 55, Slow Train, Loopless, Sarah Vaughan, Bliss, Afterlife, and many more.

甫于六月去世的灵魂乐传奇大老雷查尔斯（Ray Charles）的最后遗作“真情伙伴（Genius Loves Company）”，一进榜就获得亚军的专辑收录了这位影响超过半世纪的伟大歌手与其他艺人像是诺拉琼丝（Norah Jones）、艾尔顿强（Elton John）、威利尼尔森（Willie Nelson）、娜塔莉高（Natalie Cole）....等等不同畛域知名歌手合唱的作品，这些与雷查尔斯合唱的歌手总计赢得过79座葛莱美奖，再加上这是雷查尔斯生前最后一张作品，因此一推出就让乐迷争相购买收藏。
好的音乐是没有类型限制，没有所谓的主流或是跨界之类的区隔，只要是传达歌者灵魂深处的情感的歌声就是好的音乐，能做到此一境界的艺人并不多见，Ray Charles肯定是其中之一，传奇巨星法兰克辛纳屈尊称他为“天才The Genius”，乐坛给予他“开创灵魂乐的先锋”的定位，乐迷推崇他是“当代最伟大的流行艺人”、“最真实的美国音乐原味”，听过他那综合了节奏蓝调与福音感觉的灵魂乐嗓音，你会发现，最虔诚的灵魂乐莫过于此。
2004年6月10号，Ray Charles因肝病的并发症病逝于加州，享年73岁。灵魂乐教母Aretha Franklin闻讯后，感慨的表示，‘一个伟大的灵魂将受到永远的爱戴…他有一副让人终身难忘的歌声。’出生于乔治亚州的Ray Charles，6岁时因发生青光眼症状导致终身失明，童年在一个乡村、蓝调、灵魂、爵士、Big Band音乐五味杂陈的音乐环境下长大，1954年，他所灌唱的歌曲“I Got A Woman”无疑就是他接受音乐环境薰陶的最佳写照，而这首歌后来就被乐界视为首支灵魂乐作品，1979年，他所灌唱的老歌“Georgia On My Mind”被选为乔治亚州的州歌，1986年入选摇滚名人堂，1988年获颁葛莱美奖的终身成就奖，表彰这位灵魂之父在他的演唱中将灵魂乐的真实本质全然的个人化，2004年，洛杉矶宣布将Ray Charles的录音室规划为历史地标。无论是百事可乐广告片中那位坐在钢琴边说出“you've got the right one baby, uh-huh!”的老顽童，还是在援非饥荒义唱曲“We Are The World”中与工人皇帝Bruce Springsteen神情专注的对唱，或是他赢得个人第12座葛莱美奖时的得奖作品“A Song For You”，Ray Charles歌声中的灵魂本质永远是那么触动人心，他的歌声启发了披头四、史提夫汪达、乔库克以及无数的灵魂乐手，简单的说，听Ray Charles的音乐，就像是听一个心无杂念的灵魂在唱歌一样，世上再也没有什么比这样的感觉更动人的了!
“打从我出生，音乐就在我的内在滋长，音乐就是我身体的一部分，像是我的血液一样。”Ray Charles曾在自传中作出如此的表述，而这样的精神一直贯穿到他生前的最后一张遗作“Genius Love Company”，藉由这一张与多位不同世代、不同类型音乐领域歌手合作的作品，我们更可以听见Ray Charles非常个人化的灵魂乐神采的穿透力。面对此张专辑中合作的歌手总计赢得过79座葛莱美奖的惊人资历，Ray Charles的神奇唱功依然是那么生动、自然，根本难以界定所首歌的类型，譬如在与Norah Jones、Diana Krall分别合作重唱乡村经典作“Here We Go Again”、“You Don't Know Me”时，你会听到在乡村乐与灵魂乐之间流动的福音音乐感觉;而在与蓝调国宝B. B. King合作的“Sinner's Prayer”中，你可以听到Ray Charles的钢琴与B. B. King的吉他Lucille精采的乐器对话;跟著自己所尊敬的音乐人Nat King Cole的女儿Natalie Cole合唱“Fever”时，你可以听到灵魂乐与节奏蓝调之间的微妙关系;当Ray Charles分别与创作歌手Elton John、James Taylor灌录他们的创作曲“Sorry Seem To Be The Hardest Word”、“Sweet Potato Pie”时，你可以在舒服悦耳的歌声中，感受到Ray Charles的知音情怀。
“Genius Loves Company”让我们感受到--流行音乐没有所谓的跨界与否的问题，完全在乎于你有没有唱出你的灵魂罢了!　　　　---------------copy自verycd

不论中外，吉他唱作人路线有如历久不衰依然受尽青睐，近年他方的英国陆续有不少新鲜上阵的唱作型女歌手，今次有被誉为“新Amy Winehouse”的Adele。年仅19岁的Adele生於英国Tottenham，自幼受爵士乐薰陶，如Ella Fitzgerald和Etta Jame都是她陪伴她成长的“音乐老师”。早于14岁已开始作曲，及后毕业于著名表演艺术学府BRIT School，亦即于Kate Nash、Amy Winehouse和Katie Melua等人份属校友。毕业后曾跟随不少音乐人作巡演乐手，如Jamie T、Amos Lee和Keren Ann等。
07年底分别推出了两张细碟《Hometown Glory》和《Chasing Pavements》，直至本月底首张专辑《19》才上市。尽管年纪轻轻，但她的唱腔并不幼嫩，混合骚灵的技巧及具爆发力的演译，唱功不容忽视。有人认为她的声线像Dusty Springfield和Jill Scott，那略带低沉而沙哑的嗓子颇适合唱爵士和蓝调。
据她所说这张专辑是关于18至19岁年青人的爱情，是一张比较失落的唱片。但从单曲《Chasing Pavements》和《Hometown Glory》的旋律中，渗透出的成熟韵味，并非年轻爱侣的小情小爱。
《Daydreamer》中以Acoustic吉他作伴奏，刻意放轻的唱腔结合旋律流露出简朴之美。同类型的《Melt My Heart To Stone》则较具节奏感，那充满感情的演译，更为动听。
喜欢写诗的她，在写歌词的时候亦有渗进其中，尽显才情。当Amy Winehouse过著荒唐日子之时，且看她会否藉此机会攀上更高位置。