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Tuesday, December 12, 2017 Lifestyle Music & Movies Iconic Gulf singer Abu Bakr Salem of Yemen dies aged 78

bu Bakr Salem, one of the most popular music” and considered one of the most popular singers of the Gulf who synthesized Yemen’s singers in the region, Salem had a rich repertoire Arich musical traditions, has died aged 78 in ranging from romantic ballads, folk music to Saudi Arabia after leaving an indelible mark on patriotic songs. He began his career in 1956 in music in the Arab world. Salem, who held Yemeni southern Yemen-an independent state prior to the and Saudi nationalities, died of a long illness country’s reunification in 1990 — where he creat- Sunday in a Riyadh hospital, his son Aseel Abu ed songs fusing traditional sounds from Aden to Bakr said in a Twitter post. “My father and mentor those of the southeastern province of Hadramawt has passed away,” he said. Salem was mourned in and later Sanaa. Salem’s patriotic odes to Yemen war-torn Yemen, both by the Huthi rebels and the celebrated landmarks in the country’s history- internationally-recognized government the insur- from the abolition of the monarchy in the north in gents are battling, and in Saudi Arabia. 1962 to the independence of the south in 1967, The Huthi rebels who control the Yemeni capi- and finally the unification of Yemen in 1990. tal Sanaa mourned “one of the rare Arab artists to His repertoire also includes songs paying trib- combine song, composition, musical arrangement ute to Saudi Arabia, where he is very popular and Lady Macbeth and poetry”, the insurgents’ media reported. The which granted him citizenship. Generations of government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Arab singers from the Gulf to Lebanon and Syria Hadi, based in the southern port city of Aden, also This file photo taken on January 4, 2007 shows and even Morocco have sangs his songs. Salem wins big at BIFAs paid tribute to Saleh, calling him in a statement “a Saudi-Yemeni singer Abu Bakr Salem performing gave numerous concerts across Gulf countries in giant of Yemeni, Gulf and Arab music”. Dubbed during the fourth night of the annual Muscat Festival the 1990s and the early 200s at the height of his ady Macbeth’ and ‘God’s Own loveless marriage to a much older man by music critics as the “father of Khaleeji (Gulf) in the Omani capital. — AFP career, drawing adoring crowds each time. Country’ were the big winners and begins a passionate affair with a ‘Lat the British Independent Film man her own age. Awards (BIFAs). The drama movie The most coveted prize went to the added to its two (BIFAs) victories ‘God’s Own Country’ studio as they announced last month - Best won the Best British Independent Film Cinematography and Best Costume gong on Sunday night . Leading man Rocker Homme under fire Design for Ari Wegner and Holly Josh O’Connor won Best Actor and Waddington respectively - by taking Francis Lee was awarded the Best home Best Actress for Florence Pugh, Debut Screenwriter accolade for the motion picture, which tells the story of for kicking photographer a farmer who develops an intense rela- tionship with a Romanian migrant ueens of the Stone Age front- is not okay, no matter what the rea- will accept my sincere apology,” he worker. ‘The Death of Stalin’ also man Josh Homme apologized soning,” she wrote on Instagram. wrote on Twitter. added to its previously announced Q Sunday as he came under fire She speculated that Homme may His explanation triggered a stream of awards - Best Casting accolade for for kicking a photographer, who said have been impaired by drugs or alcohol. negative reactions on social media, with Sarah Crowe, and Nicole Stafford and she spent the night in the hospital. The She posted another picture in which some people urging that he face charges. Cristina Casali’s Best Make Up & Hair rock guitarist and vocalist was playing Homme smiled as blood trickled down Homme, 44, known for his rugged, high- Design and Best Production Design Saturday in Los Angeles at an annual his face after he stabbed himself in the powered rock, is a founding member respectively - with Simon Russel Beale holiday festival of radio station KROQ forehead on stage. “ was where I was both of Queens of the Stone Age and winning Best Supporting Actor. when video shows him slamming his allowed to be, I was not breaking any Eagles of Death Metal, although he was , who appeared in foot into the face of a photographer in rules. I was simply trying to do my job,” not present in Paris when the latter ‘The Party’, won the equivalent award in the pit next to the stage. Chelsea Lauren wrote. Homme apologized and band’s concert was attacked as part of a This file photo shows the actress category. Other winners at Lauren, who shoots for Shutterstock, described the incident as an accident. 2015 assault by supporters of the Islamic “Queens of the Stone Age” the star-studded event, which took an agency that provides stock photos, He said he was a “in a state of being lost State group. Based in the desert of frontman Josh Homme place at London’s Old Billingsgate, said she spent the night in the emer- in performance” and also kicked equip- southeastern California, Homme is also a attending the premiere of Best Screenplay for Alice Birch and included Best Director and Best Debut gency room and Sunday was still suf- ment. “I would never intentionally cause prolific producer and collaborator, ‘Eagles of Death Metal’ at Naomi Ackie won Most Promising Director victor Rungano Nyoni for ‘I fering a sore neck, a bruise in the eye- harm to anyone working at or attending notably working with punk legend Iggy the Avalon Theatre in Los Newcomer. The plot of the movie - Am Not a Witch’. Emily Morgan was brow and nausea. “Assault in any form one of our shows and I hope Chelsea Pop on his latest album. — AFP Angeles, California. — AFP which also stars Cosmo Jarvis - follows also handed the Breakthrough Producer a woman in 1865 who is trapped in a prize for the same movie. British Independent Film Awards 2017 winners: Best British Independent Film: God’s Own Country Best Director: Rungano Nyoni - I Am Not a Witch Best Screenplay: Alice Birch - Lady Macbeth Best Actress: Florence Pugh - Lady Macbeth Best Actor: Josh O’Connor - God’s Own Country Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Clarkson - The Party Best Supporting Actor: Simon Russel Beale - The Death of Stalin Most Promising Newcomer: Naomi Ackie - Lady Macbeth The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director): Rungano Nyoni - I Am Not a Actress Kristen Witch Actor Garrett Bell attends the Debut Screenwriter: Francis Lee - God’s Own Country Hedlund speaks 75th Annual Breakthrough Producer: Emily Morgan - I Am Not a Witch at the 75th Golden Globe The Discovery Award: In Another Life annual Golden Awards Best Documentary: Almost Heaven - Carol Salter Globe Awards nomination announcement. Best British Short Film: Fish Story nomination. Best Cinematography: Ari Wegner - Lady Macbeth Best Casting: Sarah Crowe - The Death of Stalin Best Costume Design: Holly Waddington - Lady Macbeth Best Editing: Jon Gregory - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Golden Globes: Hollywood’s Best Effects: Nick Allder, Ben White - The Ritual Best Make Up & Hair Design: Nicole Stafford - The Death of Stalin Best Music: Carter Burwell - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Best Production Design: Cristina Casali - The Death of Stalin test of the Weinstein effect Best Sound: Anna Bertmark - God’s Own Country he nominations will be unveiled yester- the work of Kevin Spacey, James Toback, Best International Independent Film: Get Out — Bang Showbiz are aware of that.” The Golden Globes, televised by NBC, day for the Golden Globes, kicking off Jeffrey Tambor, Louis C.K., Brett Ratner, Bryan takes place at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Tan awards season expected to be over- Singer, Amazon Studios boss Roy Price or California, on January 7. — AFP shadowed by the sexual misconduct scandal numerous other scandal-hit big players. engulfing the movie industry. The announce- Spacey, who won best actor in 2015 for “House ments, which come two days before the influ- of Cards,” has no chance of a repeat following ential Screen Actors Guild nominations, are the a litany of allegations against him. But his first major bellwether of momentum going into alleged misdeeds against young men could also Key film nominees for the the Oscars race. Awards analysis website Gold harm the chances of colleagues such as Robin 2018 Golden Globe awards Derby is predicting that coming-of-age Wright, another previous winner, or of any fur- romance “Call Me By Your Name” will be the ther nominations to add to the show’s overall Best Drama top contender with six nominations. haul of eight. rench rock icon Johnny Hallyday will be “Call Me by Your Name” “In addition to best film drama, we’re bet- Comedy series “Transparent,” which has laid to rest in the Caribbean yesterday “Dunkirk” ting on nominations for lead actor Timothee also had numerous nominations and a win for as his first wife and many fans “The Post” F Chalamet, supporting actors Armie Hammer Tambor, will find itself in the same boat if HFPA bemoaned that he was being buried so far “The Shape of Water” and Michael Stuhlbarg, director Luca members feel squeamish enough to give the from mainland France. Hundreds of thou- “Three Billboards Outside Guadagnino, and the screenplay by James entire show a hard pass. Spacey was also sands of people thronged the center of Paris Ebbing, Missouri” Ivory,” said senior editor Daniel Montgomery. expected to front an awards campaign for “All on Saturday for his funeral, with at least 12 He added that Guillermo del Toro’s fairy tale the Money in the World” before Ridley Scott million people watching the grand ceremoni- Best Comedy or Musical “The Shape of Water” should get five nods decided to expunge the actor from his latest al of the “people’s tribute” to the star live on “The Disaster Artist” while four movies-”Get Out,” “Lady Bird,” movie, replacing him via last-minute reshoots television. France has not seen such an out- “Get Out” “The Post” and “Three Billboards Outside with Christopher Plummer. pouring of emotion for a singer since the “The Greatest Showman” Ebbing, Missouri”-are expected to pick up death of Edith Piaf. “I, Tonya” four each. Scandal-free nominees But hours before the burial in a seaside “Lady Bird” Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk,” much-loved Meanwhile the HFPA has a wide choice of cemetery on the French Caribbean island of for its masterful cinematography if not its scandal-free nominees from diverse back- St Barts, Hallyday’s first wife Sylvie Vartan Best Actor, Drama sparkling dialogue, is expected to pick up just grounds like filmmakers Jordan Peele (“Get said she was heartbroken he was being Timothee Chalamet - “Call Me by Your Name” two nominations, for best film drama and best Out”), (“Lady Bird”) and Dee buried there. “It is with a broken heart that I Daniel Day-Lewis - “Phantom Thread” director. Gold Derby said however that it is Rees (“Mudbound”). “Get Out”-a satire on must accept the idea that Johnny will be Tom Hanks - “The Post” Gary Oldman - “Darkest likely to win both awards at the ceremony racism and middle class white guilt-made per- buried today,” the 1960s pop star said in a Former wife of late French singer Johnny Hour” itself. The Globes is seen as a chance for haps the biggest and most unexpected impact statement to AFP. “It is very sad that Johnny Hallyday, French singer Sylvie Vartan stands Denzel Washington - “Roman J. Israel, Esq. Hollywood to demonstrate its intolerance of of any movie this year and will be a strong will be so long from all of us who loved him by a portrait at the La Madeleine Church prior sexual misconduct following a wave of allega- contender in the comedy category. so much,” she added. to the funeral ceremony in tribute to late Best Actress, Drama tions that emerged after movie mogul Harvey Martin McDonagh’s “Three Billboards Many of Hallyday’s mainly working class French singer. - “Molly’s Game” Weinstein was accused of a career of misbe- Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” starring Frances fans who lined the streets of Paris Saturday couple of French pop in the 1960s, but their - “The Shape of Water” havior that would make him the most egregious McDormand as a mother seeking to avenge the were also upset that the singer would be so marriage-which ended in 1980 — was often Frances McDormand - “Three Billboards Outside sexual predator in the history of filmmaking. rape and murder of her daughter, took the far away. Veteran pop star Michel Polnareff, stormy. Hallyday attempted suicide in 1966 Ebbing, Missouri” influential audience award at the Toronto an old friend of the man they called the because he was afraid she was about to - “The Post” Seismic effect International Film Festival in September. Steven French Elvis, had earlier said he found it leave him. A leather-clad showman who was Michelle Williams - “All the Money in the World” The Weinstein Company, which sacked its Spielberg’s “The Post,” a defense of the free “strange that his fans should be deprived of almost unknown abroad, the singer died of co-founder, was a long shot to land a sixth press widely seen as a rebuke to President Johnny” in this way. lung cancer on Wednesday aged 74. Vartan Best Actor, Comedy or Musical consecutive nomination in the prestigious best Donald Trump, is the favorite for many experts said that “Johnny will always be in my heart... Steve Carell - “Battle of the Sexes” film drama category, even before the scandal to take best film drama. “Coco” should be the Part of France’s heritage after 17 passionate years together, I can tell Ansel Elgort - “Baby Driver” broke. The wider fallout, however, is likely to comfortable frontrunner for best animated film- “He’s part of our heritage. I find it you first love never dies.” James Franco - “The Disaster Artist” have a seismic effect on the awards season, as unless its chances are harmed by Pixar co- unthinkable that all those like myself who are But the Caribbean island’s leader Bruno Hugh Jackman - “The Greatest Showman” numerous other powerful figures have been founder John Lassater’s recent admission of inconsolable now should be prevented from Magras told AFP that Hallyday had always Daniel Kaluuya - “Get Out” accused of sexual misconduct. “Guardians of inappropriate behavior towards employees. paying their respects” at his grave. Vartan, wanted to be buried there. His said the singer, the Galaxy Vol. 2” director James Gunn told “The Weinstein scandal, and everything that 73, did not accompany Hallyday’s white cof- who is credited with introducing France to Best Actress, Comedy or Musical AFP at the recent Academy Governors Awards followed, created a climate in which it is fin to St Barts, though their children David rock ‘n’ roll, told him “several times he wanted - “Victoria & Abdul that the scandal was the hot topic of conversa- increasingly important for Hollywood to send and actress Laura Smet will be among the to be buried in St Barts”, where the longtime - “The Leisure Seeker” tion whenever filmmakers and actors got the right message and do the right thing,” small group of mourners at the graveside. tax exile had a home. Marie-Helene Delcasse, Margot Robbie - “I, Tonya” together. The Hollywood Foreign Press wrote entertainment website The Wrap in an Hundreds of islanders kept a vigil through of the Friends of Johnny Hallyday and Rock - “Lady Bird” Association (HFPA) is said to be sensitive to editorial. “And there’s no question that the vot- the night at a “public wake” for the singer. ‘n’ Roll fan group, said “it will be difficult for Emma Stone - “Battle of the Sexes” — Reuters the message it would send out by rewarding ers in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Vartan and Hallyday were the golden fans to go and see him”. — AFP