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Chicago: Jennifer Hudson’s childhood home looks like many in the violence-ridden Chicago neighbourhood where she grew up: It has boarded windows, chipped paint and crumbling front steps.

About the only difference between it and thousands of others in the notorious Englewood neighbourhood is that the Oscar-winning actress and singer grew up there – and her mother, brother and nephew died there, allegedly gunned down by Hudson’s brother-in-law, a known gang member.

While cities nationwide have seen a drop in homicides, Chicago slayings jumped by a whopping 60 per cent the first three months of the year.

In Englewood alone, there have been 15 slayings, nearly double the number reported during the same period a year ago.

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Story By: by NPR Staff

Lady Rizo is a Grammy-winning cabaret and burlesque performer.

The word “cabaret” is taken from the French to describe small, intimate spaces where performances take place. New York cabaret star Lady Rizo fills those small, intimate spaces to the rafters with a signature mix of elegance, blue humor and a voice that has been described as “the product of a night of unrestrained indulgence between Peggy Lee, Mel Brooks, Nina Simone, Dean Martin and Janis Joplin.”

Lady Rizo performs at Joe’s Pub in New York City in 2012.

“I exist between boundaries — because I am a comedian, and I consider myself a chanteuse and a singer. It’s really an equal mix,” Rizo tells NPR’s Scott Simon. “I like to not only sing songs but explore them in ways that tweak the dark humor of things.”

Born Amelia Zirin-Brown, Rizo co-created the cult performance troupe Lady Rizo & The Assettes in 2005. She coined the term “caburlesque” to describe her aesthetic.

“We thought about doing something highbrow,” Rizo says. “Then we were like, ‘Let’s forget about highbrow — lowbrow is where it’s at.’ And so we decided to make a burlesque show with live music, and I would host and get to explore this comedic side.”

About 16.8 million people — a slight dip from last year’s 17 million viewers — tuned in to the event that elicited countless trending topics on Twitter, status updates on Facebook, inches in newspapers and articles online.

Yes, it’s that time of year again when starlets show off their best assets in designer gowns, tiny statues are handed out and the world gets to critique who worked the red carpet. Awards season officially kicked off on television last Sunday night with the Golden Globes and the media was notably underwhelmed by the soiree while viewers seemed split on host Ricky Gervais’ toned-down performance.

So why not just change the channel?

Awards shows are among the few glamorous Hollywood events that are open to the public, said Mary McNamara, a TV critic at the Los Angeles Times.

But it’s not just about the glitz, the couture and the celebrity.

“When even reality TV is scripted, there’s something refreshing about seeing something that could be unpredictable,” said Daniel Manu, the site director of Television Without Pity. “You don’t know what (the winners) will say when they get up there. You might see a truly human moment from people who are usually … on point.”

Nobody expected lead actress in a drama winner Meryl Streep to curse upon realizing she left her glasses at her seat at Sunday’s Globes. And nobody knew how presenters Rob Lowe and Julianne Moore would recover when the teleprompter malfunctioned (by joking about doing a cold read in front of Steven Spielberg.)

“Someone is going to make a mistake,” McNamara said. “Somebody’s dress is going to be terrible. It’s a wonderful opportunity to vent about Hollywood and celebrity culture while also participating in it.”

And social media has only amplified our will to participate.

“People have been having Oscar parties for years,” Manu said. “Sitting around someone’s living room and making jokes.”

It’s just that nobody could hear them, he said. Enter Twitter.

“Without the Internet, the Golden Globes wouldn’t be fun to watch,” Manu said. “Fans and critics can instantly respond on Twitter and comment back to these shows. In a way, awards shows are more fun now, regardless of the host and nominees. Technology allows us to respond immediately. And snark immediately.”

The social media aspect also pressures viewers to watch the shows live. Nobody wants to be the guy tweeting about Ricky Gervais’ monologue halfway through the Golden Globes, Manu said.

“For social media, the Oscars and the Golden Globes, certainly, are giant piñatas,” McNamara said. “We whack away and send mean tweets and are hilariously funny and wicked.”

Pete Cashmore, founder and CEO of Mashable, wrote in a column for CNN that he actually watched the recent Globes live because of social media. “I didn’t plan to watch the Globes, but as Twitter and Facebook lit up with buzz, I couldn’t help but be drawn in,” he wrote.

Even people who approach awards shows with the “I would never watch” attitude are still somehow in the know, McNamara said. Maybe they didn’t watch it live, or they watched parts on YouTube after the fact. Either way, they’re aware of what happened.

“TV is a true democracy,” she said. “If you want (an awards show) to go away, don’t watch it. If the ratings fall, it won’t be on TV. … Nothing is easier to get rid of than a TV show.”

Comic actor Johny Lever doesn’t do vulgar jokes even if it means losing out on plum projects.

"I don’t like double-meaning jokes. I cannot imagine saying dirty lines," said Lever in an interview with tabloid! prior to his stand-up act in Dubai on Friday.

His principle also extends to letting directors know about his stand.

"I remember telling director Priyadarshan that I don’t do vulgar jokes and he got slightly offended. But a week later, he understood what I meant and we got along well. Sometimes I even ask them to change certain lines that I am not comfortable saying — and so far, there have been no problems," said Lever, who has displayed impressive comic timing in hits such as Baazigar and Housefull 2.

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You realize Paige has no memory of her life with Leo — not their marriage, their love, nor their “Vow.” And that’s when it happens:

Tears ready behind your eyes. Before you know it, they’ve rolled down your cheeks and into your popcorn.

From “Love Story” and “The Notebook” to “The Vow,” which opens in theaters today, Hollywood has long sought to cash in at the box office by tugging at viewers’ heartstrings.

And while some moviegoers will buy tickets to a poignant love story looking for a sort of cathartic experience, Mary Beth Oliver, a professor of media studies at Penn State University, says it’s unclear if movies actually serve such a purpose.

People certainly go to the movie theater with the intention of having a good cry and letting out certain emotions, Oliver said. However, she added, there are many reasons why films make people feel better, and the movie itself might not even be one of them.

“A lot of it has to do with who you’re watching the movie with,” Oliver said. “If I go to the movies with my best friend, and we cry all over each other and comfort one another, I end up feeling better. But really, it was … the support my friend gave me that made me feel better. But I attribute it to the movie.”

While movies might not actually make viewers feel better, they do “allow us to experience strong emotions in safe places,” said John Sherry, an associate professor specializing in mass media effects at Michigan State University.

“Good writers and producers know how to arrange the elements of the film to hold you in a non-critical experience state where you are engaged with the main character, and that character’s experience,” Sherry said. “Done well, you experience the main character’s emotions along with her.”

And there’s a reason why movies make for such great dates.

“The way that we react to the emotional experiences in movies gives insight to how we might handle those emotional moments in real life,” he added.

When two people are just getting to know one another, and impress one another, they might think twice before expressing such emotions, said Richard J. Harris, a professor of psychology at Kansas State University.

Harris, who has studied couples’ experiences with watching romantic movies, said more women than men give themselves permission to respond to sad or romantic movies. But holding back emotions can actually affect a viewers’ overall experience, he said.

“The enjoyment of a movie is more based on the emotions you feel, rather than the emotions you express,” Harris noted. “But expressing [those emotions] can actually help you enjoy [the experience] more.”

It’s like a fan allowing themselves to get caught up in the competitiveness of a sporting event.

“When people watch a sporting event, and they’re all rooting for the same team, they’ll yell, cheer, hug each other,” Harris said. “That stuff enhances the enjoyment (of the experience).”

Even “The Vow’s” stars, Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, said they’ve had movie-induced sob sessions in the past.

Tatum told the Los Angeles Times that “Finding Neverland” and animal movies, like “War Horse,” always seem to move him to tears while McAdams admitted to crying so loudly during “The Way We Were,” that she woke her sister up out of a sound sleep.

Story By: by Anastasia Tsioulcas

Sidi Toure.

Audio for this feature is no longer available.

When Malian singer-guitarist Sidi Touré recorded his newest album, Koïma, he probably couldn’t have imagined what was about to erupt in his beloved home city of Gao — the former capital of the powerful Songhaï empire, which 500 years ago was one of the largest Islamic empires in the world.

The timing of Koïma‘s release on April 17 couldn’t come at a more uncertain time. A recent military coup in Mali has upended the country; indeed, Tuareg separatists this past weekend unilaterally declared Gao to be the capital of their independent unrecognized state, Azawad.

Koïma‘s title literally means “go hear” in Touré’s native language of Songhaï, and it’s a fitting idea for this sonically rich yet intimate project. Touré’s music doesn’t preen or shout; instead, it beckons listeners to come closer. Accompanied only by a secondary female singer, guitar, the single-stringed fiddle called a soukou and a calabash gourd for percussion, Touré weaves beautifully textured songs; each takes a snapshot of an individual Songhaï musical style, from takamba dances to the holley played in possession rituals to the gao-gao played at joyful times like weddings. Touré immediately draws listeners into Gao’s ancient landscape, from Koïma to the city’s mud-built mosques and royal tomb, a place tucked between the flowing Niger River and the undulating sand dunes of the Sahara Desert.

But “Koïma” carries a second meaning, as well: It’s the name of a towering sand dune in Gao which Touré describes as having “his feet in the waters of the Niger and with his head touching the sky” — and, according to local folklore, Koïma is the place where the world’s most powerful sorcerers gather. (Though nearly all Malians identify as Muslim, pre-Islamic traditions still permeate local life.) Touré’s reverent love of this dune, and more broadly of the musical traditions he’s taken on, shines through every track of this album. What lies ahead for Gao is unknown, but in the meantime Koima serves as a beautiful tribute to a magical place.

The U.K.’s Capital FM Radio posted audio yesterday from a recent conversation with Bieber on the program Vodafone Big Top 40 in which Bieber announced the country-pop singer-songwriter will join Believe’s all-star guest list.

When asked whether the Swift collaboration would have a country flavor, Bieber replied in the affirmative and explained that “Believe” will reflect a diverse range of styles.

“It doesn’t stay in a box,” he explained. “Everything is so different and that’s why I’m so happy with this album.”

Other “Believe” guests include Drake, Kanye West, Timbaland and Diplo. On Monday, Bieber announced on Twitter that the album will also include a duet with Usher. “Believe” is expected to come out this summer.

See the full article at RollingStone.com.

Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone.

The Monkees frontman and token Brit who captivated audiences with his talent and charisma was the quintessential teen heartthrob.

News of Jones’ passing (he died of a heart attack at age 66 Wednesday) prompted nostalgic outbursts from fans, all wanting to reminisce about the Tiger Beat and 16 Magazine covers, the hours logged in front of the TV, and the moments spent bopping around to “Pleasant Valley Sunday.”

CNN.com commenter rosemeow wrote: “Sad feeling, when pieces of your childhood start falling away. There goes another piece of mine.”

Whether the grief stems from the feeling of closing a chapter in one’s own life, or the larger question of mortality, the death of a former teen idol can have a profound effect on fans.

Like Michael Jackson, who died in 2009, and Whitney Houston, who died last month, Jones was someone younger generations looked up to as “the first person who made them interested in music,” said Phil Gallo, Billboard’s senior correspondent.

For many people, The Monkees were the first group they could claim as their own, as opposed to the music that belonged to their parents, Gallo added. “That really affects people,” he said.

And then there was Jones’ teen heartthrob status.

“If you talked to any girl who liked The Monkees, invariably, (Jones) was her favorite,” Gallo said. “It’s the lead singer. It’s the cute one. The one who’s got the nice personality.”

But that fandom isn’t limited to the girls who would’ve gladly traded a limb for a date with Jones.

“When I was a kid, I wanted to BE Davy Jones,” actor Kevin Bacon tweeted. “Big part of what led me to showbiz.”

iReport: Share your memories of Davy Jones

A lot of the people who are grieving this loss are in their 40s and 50s, Gallo said, adding, “It’s a case of, ‘Wow, he’s one of me.’ People think of him as, ‘He’s from my lifetime. He’s my age.’ “

And though it seems like a far departure, that’s how today’s youths will view pop star Justin Bieber.

Sure, the magazines have changed — now it’s J-14 and Twist — and Jones’ fitted button-down shirts have been replaced by purple hoodies. But the significance of teen idols remains the same. (Ironically, so does the hair.)

In 2008, one year before Bieber earned his teen heartthrob status, Yahoo! Music named Jones the top teen idol of all time, ahead of Jackson and David Cassidy, who shared the honor with Bobby Sherman and Donny Osmond in the early 1970s.

Taking a page out of The Monkees’ book, Bieber has taken advantage of this time in the limelight, releasing a memoir, a movie, appearing on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” and touring, all while making music.

Jones guest-starred as himself in a 1971 episode of “The Brady Bunch,” appropriately titled “Getting Davy Jones.” The now iconic episode, in which Jones performs “Girl” for Marcia at her prom, was beloved by fans.

“There’s something about The Monkees and what that told us about pop culture and how music and TV and, eventually, film can work together,” Gallo said. “This is sort of a lesson that people can still learn from, and it keeps getting repeated five decades later.”

The Beatles — the group that inspired The Monkees — released “A Hard Day’s Night” in 1964. Three decades later, ’90s superstars, The Spice Girls, came out with the movie “Spice World.”

“The teen idol marketplace is really a two- to five-year window,” Gallo said, and that was understood back when The Monkees were at their peak.

But the thing that makes The Monkees different is that their music managed to transcend generations, Gallo said. “Oldies radio or commercials or … on TV shows, (their music) kept getting used in the ’70s and ’80s, so when they had a comeback, there was an audience for it.”

After first finding fame in the late ’80s and mid ’90s, New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys, respectively, experienced a comeback of sorts when they toured together.

As former fans become parents, and introduce their children to The Monkees, Gallo said, their audience will grow. Not to mention that Smash Mouth’s version of “I’m a Believer” appeared in 2001′s “Shrek.”

CNN.com commenter papanez wrote: “Davy and The Monkees were very special to me. I enjoyed them back in the ’60s, I had a blast introducing my daughter to them when she was little, and I very much enjoyed their reunions.”

“There will come a day that somebody is going to play The Spice Girls or *NSYNC for their kids and say, ‘Let me tell you how great music used to be,’ ” Gallo said.

“It’s kind of hard for us to fathom, but in the same ways someone says ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’ is a great song and, ‘They don’t write (songs) that way anymore,’ I’m sure somebody will say that about ‘Backstreet’s Back’ one day.”

The 48-year-old star formed his own basketball team with other rejects, calling themselves the Cherokee Rejects. Brad, who was 14 then, and his friends had their T-shirts emblazoned with the tongue-in-cheek name.

"It was Brad’s idea and he got his dad Bill to be our coach," said a school friend of Pitt’s.

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Published April 10th, 2012 – 06:55 GMT

Prominent Algerian singer Warda has answered back to all requests made that she should resign from her singing career with a new duet with Saudi singer Abadi Al Jawhar. Warda and Abadi, who is known as “Ukhtaboot Al Oud” (The Oud Octopus), recorded the song in complete secrecy in recording studios in Cairo and filmed it in the form of a music video.

According to the internet website MBC.net, the song is Warda’s way of telling everyone who suggested she resign that she still has so much to offer and is careless of any criticism made about her with regards to this matter.

In the recent months, Warda has been facing numerous attacks against her by composers and singers stating that she should quit her singing career and stay home to maintain the popularity she achieved throughout her journey in the music world.

Warda is more than ever insisting on continuing her career and will continue to do so until she feels the time has come for her to stop.

The new duet is titled “Zaman Ma Huwa Zamani” (A time that is not mine).