Tag Archives: Yoko Ono

Gael Garcia Bernal to Portray Salvador Dali in New Podcast “Playboy Interview”

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Gael Garcia Bernal’s art is about to imitate art life…

The 42-year-old Mexican actor and producer is joining a slew of stars who’ll portray famous figures across history in a new podcast series from Playboy and Audio Up.

Gael García Bernal

The two companies are launching Playboy Interview, an audio series that features teleplay-style re-enactments of the most iconic Playboy interview conversations.

In addition to Garcia Bernal, other stars set to take part in the program are Rosanna Arquette, Taye Diggs, Maya Hawke, Shea Whigham, Michael Shannon, Kevin Corrigan and Gina Gershon.

The series, which is set to debut in September, will see Arquette voice feminist pioneer Betty Friedan, Diggs will portray Muhammad Ali, Garcia Bernal plays Salvador Dali, Shannon is Tennessee Williams, Shea Whigham is John Wayne, Maya Hawke is Helen Gurley Brown, Kevin Corrigan is Frank Sinatra and Gina Gershon is Oriana Fallaci.

The first two episodes will feature “conversations” with Friedan and Ali.

The series is based on the classic Playboy Interview, which started in 1962 with Alex Haley’s conversation with Miles Davis and has run for more than 500 interviews including the likes of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Fidel Castro, Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Steve Jobs, Whoopi Goldberg and Maya Angelou.

“Working on the Playboy Interview was an incredible experience,” said Maya Hawke, who also portrays Ayn Rand in the second season, which is likely to launch in early 2022. “I got the rare opportunity to portray two of history’s most influential, controversial, and complicated women. I was allowed to inhabit the characters rather than being asked to impersonate them, which left me thinking about their respective perspectives for weeks after. And I felt inspired. Even if I don’t agree with them about everything, or anything – their strength, persistence, and insistence on being exactly who they are has reminded me to be exactly who I am.”

“Playboy is culturally iconic for many reasons, but their in-depth interviews and journalistic integrity is a large part of what has made the publication so cool,” said Gina Gershon. “I was so happy to work on a project that celebrates Playboy’s historic interviews with so many incredible individuals. I’ve always been fascinated by Oriana Fallaci, and was so excited to be able to take part in bringing her interviews to life. It was so much fun to explore this remarkable woman and share her point of view with the world.”

“We couldn’t be more excited to unveil the first season of the Playboy Interview podcast,” added Rachel Webber, Chief Brand Officer at PLBY Group and producer of the series. “Audio is the perfect format for these intimate and revealing conversations. Each brilliant performance by this incredible cast gives you chills, making you feel like you’re right there in the room as history unfolds.”

“This podcast is the culmination of a personal journey for me having spent seven years as Playboy’s editorial director,” added Audio Up’s Chief Creative Officer Jimmy Jellinek, who adapted, produced and directed all 10 episodes of season one. “Thanks to the explosion of audio as a medium, today we’re able to reintroduce these incredible conversations to a new generation. I have long thought the Playboy Interview would lend itself perfectly to formats off the page. In my wildest dreams I didn’t anticipate that something this magical would be the result.”

“We’ve paired the greatest conversations of the 20th century with the greatest actors of the 21st. Audio Up is in the business of pushing the boundaries of audio entertainment and this project exemplifies that mission in every way,” said Audio Up founder and Chief Executive Officer Jared Gutstadt.

Christina Aguilera Among Celebrities Urging U.S. Senators to Stop Gun Violence Now

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Christina Aguilera is calling for politicians to take action on the issue of gun reform…

The 40-year-old half-Ecuadorian American Grammy-winning singer has joined a roster of celebrities who’ve signed an open letter to U.S. Senators urging them stop gun violence now.

Christina Aguilera

Five years ago, amidst a string of deadly attacks at live music venues including the horrific mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., on June 12, 2016, the cover of Billboard‘s July 2016 issue featured an open letter to U.S. Congress signed by 200 artists and music industry executives calling for gun reform.

Unfortunately, the need for reform has only grown stronger as shootings have continued around the country at a terrifying rate.

So now, five years later, as venues prepare to reopen after their pandemic shutdown and music fans ready to return to concerts and festivals, we stand again with the music community to ask lawmakers to take swift action to stop the violence. — Hannah Karp, Billboard editorial director

An Open Letter to Senators: Stop Gun Violence Now

As leading artists and executives in the music industry, we are adding our voices to the chorus of Americans demanding change.

Music always has been celebrated communally, on dance floors and at concert halls. But this life-affirming ritual, like so many other daily experiences — going to school or church or work — continues to be threatened, because of gun violence in this country.

The one thing that connects the tragedies like the shootings in Boulder, El Paso, Las Vegas, Parkland and so many other places in America, to the one that happened in Orlando five years ago this June, is that it is far too easy for dangerous people to get their hands on guns.

We call on the Senate to do more to prevent the gun violence that kills more than 100 Americans every day and injures hundreds more: Take action on background checks.

Billboard and the undersigned implore you — the people who are elected to represent us — to close the deadly loopholes that put the lives of so many music fans, and all of us, at risk.

Sincerely,

Christina Aguilera, Tori Amos, Sara Barielles, Aaron Bay-Schuck, Tony Bennett, Selim Bouab, Rob Bourdon, Scooter Braun, Cortez Bryant, Michael Bublé, Vanessa Carlton, Joseph Carozza, Steve Cooper, Tom Corson, Lee Daniels, Ellen DeGeneres, Brad Delson, Diplo, Mike Easterlin, John Esposito, Melissa Etheridge, Fletcher, Luis Fonsi, Becky G, Kevin Gore, Julie Greenwald, Josh Groban, Horacio Gutierrez, Joe Hahn, Halsey, Billy Joel, Craig Kallman, Alicia Keys, Kid Cudi, Carole King, Elle King, Adam Lambert, Cyndi Lauper, Kevin Liles, Dre London, Jennifer Lopez, Macklemore, Zayn Malik, Carianne Marshall, Ricky Martin, Paul McCartney, Julia Michaels, Guy Moot, Jason Mraz, Gregg Nadel, Yoko Ono, Mark Pinkus, Gregory Porter, Prince Royce, Bonnie Raitt, Dawn Richard, RMR, Paul Robinson, Maggie Rogers, Kelly Rowland, Mike Shinoda, Sia, Matt Signore, Britney Spears, Rob Stevenson, Sting, Barbra Streisand, Justin Tranter, Sir Trilli, Sharon Van Etten, Aimie Vaughn-Fruehe, Eddie Vedder, Andrew Watt.

If you’re interested in signing the letter, you can email guncontrol@billboard.com.

Dudamel to Participate in the London 2012 Festival

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The London 2012 Summer Olympics may be 37 days away… But, Gustavo Dudamel will be getting people into the Olympic spirit this week.

On Thursday, June 21, the 31-year-old Venezuelan conductor will help kick off the London 2012 Festival, a cultural celebration across Britain tied to the Summer Olympics.

Gustavo Dudamel

Dudamel, who won a Grammy this year for Best Orchestral Performance, will lead Venezuela’s Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar in a big open-air concert at Scotland’s Stirling Castle during the kick off event, which will include a fireworks display by Lake Windermere in northwest England.

The London 2012 Festival, which runs through September 9, will include 12,000 events and performances across the United Kingdom in celebration of the Summer and Paralympic Games. Organizers say there will be 10 million tickets for free and paid-for events in such fields as film, music, theater, fashion, dance and art.

Musical stars, including Jay-Z, Rihanna, David Guetta and Elton John, films from the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and Mike Leigh and art from Yoko Ono and others will all be part of the festival, which is being described as “the biggest festival the U.K. has ever seen.”

With a budget of around £55 million ($86 million), the celebration is seen as a chance to showcase Britain’s cultural heritage and get the country in the Olympic spirit.

One of the most star-studded events of the London 2012 Festival will be a BBC Radio 1 show being dubbed the “biggest-ever free live music event.” The lineup for the June 23 and 24 extravaganza, which will feature six stages in the Hackney Marshes area of East London, includes Jay-Z, Rihanna, Flo Rida, David Guetta, Jessie J, Lana del Rey, Leona Lewis, Florence and the Machine and more.

Click here for a complete look at the London 2012 Festival.

Vázquez Sounds Releases Cover of The Beatles’ “Let It Be”

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Following successful covers of music by Adele, Mariah Carey and more,  Vázquez Sounds is back with the band-of-siblings’ fifth cover…

This time 10-year-old lead singer Angie Vázquez and her teenage brothers Abelardo and Gustavo—who play the keyboard, guitar and drums—have just released the video of the band’s version of The Beatles’ “Let It Be.”

Vazquez Sounds

In the black and white video, the Mexican siblings—who became instant internet sensations with their cover of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”—offer a simple-but-impactful take on the popular Beatles tune.

In addition, the Mexicali siblings have been invited by John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono to join former RBD singer Anahi as ambassadors of peace her The Non Violence Project. As part of their responsibilities, the trio will promote the message of peace at its concerts and presentations.

Meanwhile, Vázquez Sounds’ cover of “Let It Be” will be available on iTunes on Tuesday, June 19.

Anahi Named Ambassador of Peace…

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Mexican actress and singer Anahi is making history… She’s the first Latin American artist to join the Non Violence Foundation, an organization founded by Yoko Ono.

The 28-year-old former member of Latin Grammy-nominated pop group RBD made the announcement via her Twitter account. She’ll serve as an “ambassador of peace” for the organization, which promotes peace and non-violence throughout the world.

“It’s very important to me to be a part of this great cause,” wrote Anahi on her Twitter account. “Thank you for @NVPMexico and @yokoono for inviting me.”

Anahi joins a roster of high-profile musicians and artists involved with the organization including former Beatles members Ringo Starr and Sir Paul McCartney, as well as U2 frontman Bono. 

Along with spreading the message of love and peace in Mexico, Brazil and throughout the world, Anahi has designed a non-violence sculpture as part of the group’s “Pistols for Peace” traveling exhibition, which opened in Guadalajara, Mexico today.

Click here to learn more about the project and join the organization’s “Imagine One Billion Faces For Peace” campaign.