Marina Bay Sands is the world's most expensive hotel, it's boat-shaped ‘SkyPark' perched atop the three 55 storey towers. This three towers are connected with a one hectare roof sky park offering 360-degree views of Singapore's skyline and featuring beautifully sculptured gardens, restaurants and a swimming pool.
The SkyPark will be home to the world's longest elevated swimming pool, with a 475-foot vanishing edge, perched 200 meters above the ground. While the water in the infinity pool seems to end in a sheer drop, it actually spills into a catchment area where it is pumped back into the main pool. At three times the length of an Olympic pool and 650ft up, it is the largest outdoor pool in the world at that height.
Already proven as a talented, sought after songwriter and revered platinum-selling artist, Marsha Ambrosius is meeting the next challenge in her already impressive musical career by reinventing herself as a solo artist with her J Records debut disc LATE NIGHTS & EARLY MORNINGS.
Hailing from Liverpool, England, fans first got a taste of Marsha’s talent as the singing half of the duo Floetry. Their 2000 debut Floeticproduced signature singles like “Say Yes" and "Getting Late" as well as four Grammy nods. Following the 2005 release of their second studio album, Flo’Ology, the ladies veered creatively and personally. While the split was difficult, Marsha continued to build a name for herself as a songwriter and producer, creating “Butterflies” for the late Michael Jackson and other hits for artists such as Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, Jamie Foxx and Nas. She’s been nominated for a total of six Grammys and has been honored by BMI as their Songwriter of the Year.
Over the years, Marsha has stayed relevant as an artist via touring, writing/producing and mixtapes like 2007’s Neo Soul is Dead, 2008’s Yours Truly and 2010’s Yours Sincerely. She also appeared as a featured artist on projects from Patti Labelle, The Game, Busta Rhymes, Jamie Foxx and Earth, Wind & Fire, among others. Eventually, Marsha signed with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Records however a much-buzzed about solo debut never materialized due to creative glitches. Equipped with plenty of her own talent, she found herself being given songs from producers that were “great but not songs that made sense in relation to each other.” Marsha calls her sound “honest and consistent” and it was important for her to make an album with an overall cohesive sound. She explains, “I think with an album everything has to make sense, like ‘Where is this story going?’”
But that wasn’t the only situation posing a challenge for Marsha. A basketball player since childhood, when her music career took off, her diet remained the same as when she was regularly active. Constantly on the road touring and promoting wasn’t conducive to a healthy diet and resulted in her gaining 70 pounds in just one year. She finally got serious about her health and lost the weight safely and slowly over about a two-year period.
Now at a strong place mentally and physically, Marsha’s ready to present her sound to the world. The first single, “Hope She Cheats on You (With a Basketball Player),” is an anthem that women and men can relate to. Marsha explains, “It’s the reality of a bad break up. We wanna be decent human beings and say the right thing, you know, ‘I wish you well.’ But this is ‘Everything that could go wrong for him I want it to because my ego is bruised and I’m acting out.’” There’ve been many songs written about heartbreak, but Marsha’s approach to “Hope She Cheats on You” gets in your face rather than plays the victim.
LATE NIGHTS & EARLY MORNINGS is destined to be a classic, as Marsha offers a candid glimpse of her life and perspectives as a woman. Inspired by musical icons like Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Prince, she concedes there is an overall male influence in her songwriting, such as the assertive sentiments heard on hits like “Say Yes.” She explains, “My pen and my point of view has a certain aggression to it because I’ve listened to a lot of male influenced music, which I think makes me one of the most outspoken writers out here. Sometimes as a woman you don’t wanna say what’s on your mind for fear of being judged. But why wouldn’t I say it like that if that’s how I felt?” Musical peers recruited to contribute to the project include Alicia Keys, a reunion with Dre and Vidal (producers of “Say Yes”), Just Blaze and Focus.
While her success in the industry is already solidified, Marsha knows it’s never easy to win over fans as a solo artist. Fortunately, she says, “It’s like being thrown in the deep end. ‘Okay I have to swim? Oh well.’ I’ve taken that attitude and it’s carried me forward.”
Like a cool breeze blowing through the soundscapes of contemporary musical composition, the material composed by Citizen Cope for his RCA debut The Clarence Greenwood Recordings marks a new high point for this compelling and evocative songwriter. “When you’re writing a song, you take in everything – the people you’ve met, what you’ve experienced” says Cope, whose real name is Clarence Greenwood. “You take in everything and it makes a story.” Recalling classic American forms ranging from dust-bowl fiction to the gritty urban poetry of the hip-hop generation, Cope displays a unique gift for narrative -- exploring universal themes through the eyes of himself and a memorable cast of characters.
These characters that populate The Clarence Greenwood Recordings are raging rebels with real dilemmas and serious passions. Cope’s songs are overflowing with poets, dreamers and crazy schemers living their lives in an insane universe. Cope says, “Besides other music, the material on The Clarence Greenwood Recordings is also influenced by folk tales and films. There are many different dimensions to these songs, and I feel a real spiritual connection to the people I write about.” Cope’s writing is the complement to a magnetic live persona that has won him acclaim both as a songwriter who could mesmerize a “pin-drop” audience in a coffeehouse setting, and as a bandleader who could enthrall hundreds at large venues. The sublime “Nite Becomes Day,” opens the album, introducing the listener to Cope’s personal brand of pop poetics. In his lyrics, Cope writes with urgency about human emotions and desires. “It’s the same thing that makes the moonlight meet up with the sunlight/Can’t fight it, can’t buy it/Love…I’m say it again,” Cope sings in a mellow voice that reveals his Memphis roots and urban sensibility. From the sublime to the surreal, the masterful “Pablo Picasso” has the crazed appeal of a R. Crumb underground comix. Documenting the misadventures of a deranged dude who falls in love with a dame painted in a wall mural, Cope sings about the delusional man with compassion. “I try to put myself into the reality of the character, no matter how crazy he is,” Cope explains. “It might sound corny, but for me music should be able to transcend all boundaries,” Cope says, “Society has a way of trying to set limits, but there are no limits in music. I don’t believe in style over substance, for me it’s all about the song. I like bringing together guys from different musical genres, be it go-go, hip-hop or rock, and just follow where the music takes us.” The best example of Cope’s approach to enriching his music can be heard on the minimally lavish first single “Bullet and a Target.” According to Cope, “I began writing this song with no real theme in mind, but I did want to express all the craziness we go through in this country. Drug addiction, a bad education system…all of these things are damaging to our psyche. I guess you could say, I was on the left side of my brain when I did that track.” Following in the melancholy balladeer tradition of Bill Withers and Randy Newman, the gorgeous track “Sideways” is perhaps Cope’s most enchanting song. The song has only one hypnotic verse, yet Cope sings it with a different emotional charge each time. Citizen Cope is a multi-talented sonic auteur that, in addition to providing lead vocals and production, plays a variety of instruments including guitar, keyboard and drum machines. “When I decided to begin work on this project, I was between record companies,” Cope explains. “It was in my heart to create music that would just cut away the excess and get to my inner-self.” Refusing to be pigeonholed, Citizen Cope has created a unique recording borne of his diverse background. Booking time at New York City’s famed Electric Lady Studios (aka the house that Hendrix built) and Central East Studios in Washington, D.C. (his former stomping grounds), Cope assembled a crew of stellar musicians to create this eclectic collection of post-millennial pop. From the bombastic drums played by Paul Buggy Edwards on the first single “Bullet and a Target,” to the stirring guitar of Carlos Santana (“Son’s Gonna Rise”), the soulful piano of James Poyser (“Nite Becomes Day”)and the beautiful bass of Me’shell Ndegeocello (“Sideways”), this disc is a mixture of sweet and rough, tender and tough. A self-taught musician who grew-up grooving to Sly Stone, Willie Nelson, Al Green and whatever else he could sneak from his big sister’s vinyl stash, Cope explains, “I grew-up in an environment where there wasn’t much to do, so I had to use my imagination to think of creative stuff. When I finally made a spiritual connection with the guitar, I just started plucking one string at a time until I could play.” Relocating to Washington, D.C for high school, Cope became a member of the arty hip-hop crew Basehead. Led by Michael Ivey, the group’s experimentation is often considered to have paved the way for the kitchen-sink aesthetic heard in Outkast, The Neptunes and Timbaland. “Of course, at the time the music I was making with samplers and drum machines was much more hip-hop based,” Cope explains. “Then one day I realized that if I wanted to play my grandmother a song in her living-room, I couldn’t. That was when I decided to make guitar my primarily instrument.” Receiving early encouragement from D.C. go-go legend Chuck Brown, Cope later moved to New York and recorded a self-titled disc for Dreamworks Records in 2001. “On my first record, I threw in a lot of overdubbed sounds that just wasn’t needed,” Cope recalls. “This time, anything that didn’t enhance the material or make the songs better, I just stripped away.” With The Clarence Greenwood Recordings, Citizen Cope has created an intimate, vibrant and enduring record – a startlingly mature and compelling document of a promising new voice.
Raymond Charles "Ray" LaMontagne (pronounced ) (born June 18, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter who lives on a farm in Maine with his wife and two sons. Reportedly, after hearing a Stephen Stills song, LaMontagne decided to quit his job at a shoe factory and pursue a career in music. He has since released three albums, Trouble, Till the Sun Turns Black and Gossip in the Grain. In the UK, Troublewas a top 5 hit, and the title track of the album was a top 25 hit. Till the Sun Turns Black was a top 40 hit in the U.S. A soft-spoken person who is known for his raspy voice, LaMontagne has won a number of awards for his music and has performed at several charity events.
Early life
Ray LaMontagne was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, in 1974 to a constantly traveling mother and a violent musician father who abandoned the family during Ray's childhood. Because of his father's background in music, LaMontagne refrained from most musical activity, instead spending much of his time reading fantasy novels in the forest. LaMontagne attended high school at Morgan High School in Morgan, Utah, but frequently ditched class, wrote stories, or got into fights with other students. As a result of these interactions, his grades were poor ? LaMontagne struggled to graduate. After graduation, LaMontagne moved away from his family to Lewiston, Maine in order to find a full-time job.
LaMontagne found a job at a shoe factory in Lewiston where he worked 65 hours a week. One morning at 4 a.m., LaMontagne heard Stephen Stills' song "Treetop Flyer" on the radio as it awoke him for an early work shift. After purchasing the Stills Alone album, LaMontagne decided that he wanted to quit his job at the shoe factory and start a career as a singer-songwriter. LaMontagne began touring in 1999, although he maintained a side job as a carpenter. In the summer of 1999, LaMontagne amassed 10 songs for a demo that he sent to various local music venues. Mike Miclon the owner of Buckfield Maine's Oddfellow Theater heard the demo and invited LaMontagne to open for folk acts such as John Gorka and Jonathan Edwards. A friend and business executive heard LaMontagne's recordings and introduced him to Jamie Ceretta of Chrysalis Music Publishing. CMP recorded his first album, and sold it to RCA Records in the US and Echo Records in the UK. In 2008, LaMontagne moved into a farmhouse in Phillips, Maine that once belonged to author Norman Mailer.
Musical career
Trouble
In a period of two weeks, LaMontagne re-recorded Trouble at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, California with producer Ethan Johns. RCA Records released the album on , 2004. The album featured performances by Nickel Creek violinist Sara Watkins on two tracks, along with Alex Davids and Stephen Stills's daughter Jennifer Stills on another. In the US, the album reached a low peak of #189 on the Billboard 200, but sold over 250,000 copies. Trouble has sold over 400,000 copies worldwide.
During a tour to promote the album, LaMontagne played six songs for an episode of Austin City Limits, which first aired on October 29, 2005. On the third week of finals in the fifth season of American Idol, eventual winner Taylor Hicks performed "Trouble". Chris Sligh, an American Idol Season 6 Top-12 finalist, also performed the tune to rave reviews from the judges. An EP of LaMontagne's performance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival was released on , 2005. "Trouble", "All the Wild Horses", and "Burn" have been used as background music for the TV show Rescue Me. "All the Wild Horses" was featured on the show's soundtrack, which was released on May 9, 2006. In 2006, "Trouble" became a top 40 hit in the UK, and the album peaked at #5 in that country. LaMontagne performed on Top of the Pops on June 18, 2006. He received additional national exposure in the US in 2009, when the title track from Trouble was featured in a Travelers Insurance commercial on network television.
Till the Sun Turns Black
LaMontagne's second album, Till the Sun Turns Black, was released , 2006 in the US. Also produced by Ethan Johns, the album featured more instrumentation than Trouble, including the use of a horn section and string section on several of the songs. Singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata provided background vocals on the song "Barfly." The album peaked at #28 on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling 28,000 copies in its first week of release. The album also sold enough copies to be a top three heatseeker album in New Zealand.
According to his website, the first single from the album was "Three More Days". LaMontagne performed on The Tonight Show on October 6, 2006 to promote the album. His song "Till the Sun Turns Black" was featured on the television show "ER", and his songs "Lesson Learned" and "Within You" have been used on the CW drama "One Tree Hill". "Be Here Now" was also used in the official trailer for Away From Her, and was featured in 27 Dresses and an episode of Bones. "Empty" was used in the last episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent's 6th season, "Renewal." Ray LaMontagne recorded a live session at Abbey Road Studios for Live from Abbey Road in October 2006. He shared his episode with Shawn Colvin, Nerina Pallot and The Zutons.
Gossip in the Grain
LaMontagne released his third studio album, Gossip in the Grain, on , 2008 on RCA Records, and it achieved his highest-ever debut on the Billboard Charts at #3, with over 60,000 units sold. Working again with producer Ethan Johns, the album also featured LaMontagne's touring band: Jennifer Condos on bass, Eric Heywood on guitar, and Ethan Johns on drums. The opening act on much of his 2008 US Tour, fellow singer/songwriter Leona Naess, guests on three songs: "I Still Care for You", "A Falling Through", and "Gossip in the Grain". LaMontagne also announced a series of New England dates to start off his US tour in support of the album. The song "You Are the Best Thing" was featured in the movie I Love You, Man.He also performed the song live as musical guest on NBC's Saturday Night Live on March 7, 2009.
Composition and performance
LaMontagne is particularly known for his raspy voice, which he says he learned by singing through his gut and not his nose. LaMontagne stated that he is highly influenced by Stephen Stills, Richard Manuel, and Rick Danko. Critics have compared LaMontagne's music to that of The Band, Van Morrison, Nick Drake, and Tim Buckley. LaMontagne refers to himself as a "very private person", and rarely gives interviews. He also usually does not interact much with the audience between songs during his live shows and has been known to perform in the dark to separate himself from the audience.
Charitable events
In 2005, he performed at "From the Big Apple to the Big Easy", a fundraiser for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The concert was held at the Radio City Music Hall on , 2005, and also featured Dave Matthews, John Mayer, and Simon & Garfunkel among others. LaMontagne also played at the "Warren Haynes Christmas Jam" that year on , 2005. The concert raised funds for Habitat for Humanity in Asheville, North Carolina. LaMontagne performed at KYSR's Lounge for Life charity concert on October 5, 2006 at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California. He also auctioned off one of his guitars on eBay for its charity auction. Funds raised from the concert and auction went to breast cancer research.
What matters is that you find peace and share it with others. Acceptance. Acceptance. Acceptance. Accepting yourself as perfection. Accepting others. Accepting that life is in divine order— Marla Mervis, Usui Reiki Master When I first became a Thai Yoga
Therapist, I had to complete 120 hours of healing sessions. Many of my clients commented that my hands emanated a lot of heat. At first, I took it as a good sign that my touch and energy resonated with them. Then I began to notice energy increasing in my body. So could my clients. A yoga colleague told me about Reiki (pronounced “Ray-Key”) and when I researched, I found a concept called “source energy” that accounted for the heat. Apparently, some people are naturally attuned to source energy. Well, it was a fleeting thought, soon lost in my whirling, bustling urban life.
Months later, I attended an event at Bhakti Yoga Shala in Santa Monica where the universe connected me with Marla Mervis, a traditional Usui Reiki Master. My interest in Reiki sparked brightly. I attended one of her monthly Reiki Circles at the Rose Temple in Veniceand was warmly welcomed by a group of seekers, interested Reiki and its benefits. The evening provided me a with a direct experience of Reiki. A male practitioner placed his hands on various points on my body called Chakras. These energy centers or vortexes connect our physical and energy bodies. I closed my eyes as his hand hovered over each vortex. There was the heat my clients had described. When he came to my third eye (Ajna Chakra) the seat of intuitive perception, I started to cry.
Suddenly a flood of insights entered my mind in a dream-like procession. I had obsessive thoughts and overwhelming fear of taking a huge leap in my life—into the world of self-employment as a Yoga Instructor/Thai Yoga Therapist. Suddenly I knew I needed to make this personal shift for greater happiness and fulfillment, but it would take time. A new certainty formed in my mind; opportunities would arrive. Be patient. Learn the energy. I had been practicing Reiki without knowing it consciously. Now I understood its power. I felt incredible gratitude. I wanted to introduce as many people as possible to Reiki and Marla’s work, so I interviewed her.
An Interview with Marla Mervis, Usui Reiki Master
ST: Reiki is a healing modality that originated in Japan around the 1800s, but there seem to be different types of Reiki available today. Could you describe the variety of Reiki offered in the United States and what modern Reiki practices are look like today?
MM: Reiki is a hands-on-healing modality that balances, realigns, reduces stress, brings focus and enhances creativity. Reiki activates your own healing powers by reducing stress. This includes physical, emotional, and spiritual stress. Any dis-ease in the body, Reiki can help release it. The Reiki Practitioner directs the Reiki through their hands to where it is needed. It is very comforting and relaxing. Many feel recharged or at peace. It is also recommended for those in good health to further boost their potential and to maintain a balanced energetic flow. In addition to being a healing modality, Reiki is also a spiritual practice. It allows us to remain in connection with our spiritual life and experiences. Reiki allows us to connect with our power by enhancing intuition and discovering our inner vision and inner peace. By opening to Reiki energy, we can change our perceptions and thoughts, offering positivity. Therefore, we are living in an empowered state.
ST: What type of Reiki do you practice and how does it differ from others?
MM: The Reiki System I practice is called the Usui System of Natural Healing or Usui Shiki Ryoho. It has evolved through the years. However, it is a system that has transferred through the lineage: Mikao Usui, Chujiro Hayashi and Hawayo Takata also referred to asThe Grand Masters. Although there are many different types of Reiki, the essence is the same. Reiki brings light and love to the mind, body, and spirit. This allows the release of disease and stress, so that one can become their highest potential.
ST: What or who prompted you to become a Reiki practitioner and Master Teacher?
MM: I have always been invested in assisting others to feel better by using my hands. Since birth, I have been on a journey for spiritual and personal growth. So when I found Reiki which is a Healing Modality, and a spiritual discipline, I fell in love. Reiki has allowed me to continue my soul searching and help others along the way. I love teaching Reiki as it allows me to empower others. You can give Reiki to yourself, which makes it truly powerful. It’s a symbiotic exchange because when you are giving Reiki to others, you are also receiving a session.
ST: What has been your greatest joy in assisting people through your Reiki?
MM: One of my first experiences as a Reiki practitioner was at an Aids Clinic in New York City. A group of us, visited many rooms to offer Reiki Treatments. Within a relatively small amount of time, I was able to witness the immediate transformation. The patients breathed deeper, smiled, and their bodies gently unfurled from their tight coils. It was such a blessing to share the Reiki healing and it proved to me how powerful Reiki can truly be. I have witnessed people find love for themselves and in turn be able to provide love to others more intimately through the subtle, yet powerful healing of Reiki, Somewhere along their life’s paths, they felt so unloved and unlovable. Reiki gave them an alternative and allowed love and light to flow freely inside and through them. I deeply love my Reiki Circles and Reiki Shares. Just being able to feel the vibration in the room created by all the participants is divine. There is a distinct shift when people first arrive, and at the end of the evening. Stress is gone, and in its place, there is peace. It is a warm reminder of the ever present healing love from the universe.
ST: If you could impart three important life lessons to others on their spiritual path, what would they be and why?
MM:Love yourself. DO IT!!!!!!!!!No matter how you feel, let love become present in your life. It is so important to remember that we are love and when we focus on love, it exponentially grows and heals us from the inside out. Remember that although you are on this physical plane, you are so much more! You carry the spirit of God in you. So, it really doesn’t matter if the laundry is done or if the dishes are cleaned promptly. What matters is that you find peace and share it with others. Acceptance. Acceptance. Acceptance.Accepting yourself as perfection. Accepting others. Accepting that life is in divine order.
ST: From your vast experience, both personally and professionally, how do you see Reiki being used as a healing form in conventional Western medicine?
MM: Reiki is complementary to any healing modality. Reiki is recommended highly before and after surgery since it has the ability to increase the healing process. Reiki is becoming more acceptable and used in hospitals across the country. Living Light Reiki in New York City offers regular Reiki Circles at a hospital to Breast Cancer patients, in addition to Aids Clinics, where I had the powerful first hand experience of sharing Reiki with patients who reported feeling better. Also, I have witnessed Reiki being offered at both Hospice Care and Chiropractors offices. Many nurses are Reiki Practitioners, which definitely effects Western Medicine.
ST: For those who doubt the science behind Reiki’s healing powers, what message would you offer them?
MM: You don’t have to believe to receive. You just need to be willing. The energy is very intelligent and when receiving a session, it will find a way to heal you on whatever level you are open to receiving it. The rule is simple: the more open to receiving, the deeper the experience can be. I understand why people have doubts. However, by the laws of science, we know that we are all energy and there is a vastness of energy available to us. So my advice is to allow the Reiki to permeate and rejuvenate us. Give it a go!!!!
A few days ago, the international urban art festival See No Evil finished in Bristol! The project, which once a year brings together a selection of the world’s best street artists, again resulted in a huge outdoor gallery with lots of new, colorful painted murals based on and around Nelson Street…
The See No Evil arts project represented hundreds of elements and styles of the street art world descending on one busy city centre. The building owners each give permission for the painting to take place including; a restaurant, youth centre, office blocks, student living accommodation, police station and a bridge/overpass. After the buildings have been painted and the final pieces finished, the event climaxes with a New York style Block Party that brings together all the aspects of the street art scene, welcoming the public to share their work.
Luckily, top urban art photographer Ian Cox followed the entire festival and took loads of impressing photos. He just sent over a few of them, for what reason I’m able to give you a beautiful overview of the new See No Evil Bristol murals! Make sure to check out his Facebook-Page for more insights and further documentaries. And now be impressed!
