lifestyle TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

MUSIC & MOVIES Malaysian rapper remanded for ‘insulting Islam’ Malaysian court yesterday remanded a rap artist in Namewee was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Hong Kong blockbuster film were modified to erase a half- custody for a music video entitled “Oh my God” Airport while returning from overseas late Sunday. man, half-pig character. Pork and its by-products are for- Awhich allegedly insults Islam because it was partly Amnesty International yesterday criticized the arrest, call- bidden under the religion. In July several groups filed filmed in a mosque. Namewee, whose real name is Wee ing it a “another sign of the increasing repression by the police reports claiming Namewee’s music video had insult- Meng Chee, will be held for four days, a Penang district Malaysian authorities against government critics including ed Islam. police chief, Mior Faridalathrash Wahid, told AFP. He said artists”. “Amnesty International calls for Namewee to be In response he posted a YouTube video explaining that the rapper was being investigated for defiling a place of released immediately and unconditionally if he is being he had no intention of insulting any religion and that the worship with the intention of insulting a religion. The rap- detained purely for the peaceful exercise of his right to song was written to “promote harmony”. The original music per, who is also a film director, could face up to two years in freedom of expression,” said a regional deputy director video is no longer available online but an edited version jail, a fine, or both penalties if convicted, according to local Josef Roy Benedict. without footage of the mosque scenes was uploaded to media. The word “Allah” and sounds of the Islamic call to “The organization also calls on the government to YouTube over the weekend. Namewee has ruffled political prayer were said to have been used in the four-minute repeal or review all laws that unduly restrict the right to and religious feathers several times over the years. He first Mandarin-language music video. freedom of expression.” Malaysia generally practices a hit the headlines in 2007 when he posted a video that fea- The video featured footage of Namewee and other moderate brand of Islam. But Muslim moderates and fol- tured him rapping to Malaysia’s national anthem using singers, dressed in outfits representing various cultures lowers of other religions have expressed concern at a allegedly seditious lyrics. — AFP File photo shows Malaysian rapper Wee Meng Chee, better and religions, performing inside a Penang mosque and a steady rise in conservative Islamic attitudes. Earlier this known as Namewee, speaking during an interview with church as well as Hindu, Buddhist and Taoist temples. year cinema posters and a billboard advertisement for a AFP at his office in Kuala Lumpur. — AFP

A picture taken on December 4, 1988 shows then ’s minister for A picture taken on December 4, 1988 shows then Belgium’s minister for econom- This file photo taken on July 15, 2008 shows US music producer economic affairs Willy Claes (left) and composer and harmoni- ic affairs Willy Claes (left) and Belgian jazz composer and harmonica player Jean- (right) gesturing next to jazz harmonica player Toots Thielemans (far left) at the ca player Jean-Baptiste Frederic Isidore Thielemans known as ‘Toots’ Baptiste Frederic Isidore Thielemans known as ‘Toots’ (right) posing after a con- end of the “Quincy Jones’ 75th Anniversary Celebration” night on the Auditorum (right) posing after a concert at the Theatre de la Monnaie, on the occasion cert at the Theatre de la Monnaie, on the occasion of the minister’s 50th anniver- Stravinski stage at the 42nd Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux.—AP/AFP photos of the minister’s 50th anniversary, in . sary, in Brussels. Belgian jazz legend ‘Toots’ Thielemans dies at 94 elgian legend “Toots” Thielemans has died after a 70-year in 1969 and many others. Thielemans also accompanied non- career as the world’s most famous harmonica player dur- jazz artists such as , , Stevie Wonder and Bing which he made music with some of the biggest Nick Cave. He also played the closing theme on the popular names in jazz. Jean-Baptiste Frederic Isidore Thielemans, children’s TV program . In 2001, Belgian King known affectionately as “Toots”, died in his sleep in a Brussels Albert II made him a baron, sealing his status as one of the hospital early yesterday, his manager Veerle Van de Poel said. country’s best-known figures on a par with Tour de France He was 94. “It comes as a bit of a shock and surprise as he was great Eddy Merckx. doing very well after suffering a fall last month,” Van de Poel In recent years, Thielemans had to cope with failing health told AFP. but he refused to let this put him off and in 2012 he played a Born in 1922 in the working class Marolles district of concert in Brussels to mark his 90th birthday before setting out Brussels, Thielemans got his big break when he joined Benny on a world tour. However, age and poor health caught up with Goodman on a European tour in 1950 before moving to the Toots, and he gave up touring in 2014. “We have lost a great United States where he teamed up with other jazz greats, musician, a heart-warming personality. All my thoughts are including , and . He with the family and friends of Toots Thielemans,” Belgian Prime took up the harmonica as a hobby and then during World War Minister Charles Michel said in a tweet. For musician and pro- II, as described on his official website, he became hooked on ducer Quincy Jones, who famously took Michael Jackson’s jazz. The nickname followed, taken from US musician Toots career to new heights with “Thriller”, Toots was one of the all- Mondello, a swing jazz saxophonist, and Toots Camarata, a time greats. “I can say without hesitation that Toots is one of trumpet player, composer and arranger. “He brought a rather the greatest musicians of our time,” Jones is quoted as saying banal instrument intended for campsites to almost sacred on Thieleman’s website. A jazz festival held in his name was heights,” said jazz historian Marc Danval. Gypsy-jazz great due to take place next month in the Belgian town of and Ray Ventura were major inspirations. A where Thielemans resided. — AFP chronic asthma condition also influenced his unique style of play.

‘One of the greatest’ Buoyed by the commercial success of his now standard These file photos taken on February 29, 2012 shows musician Toots Thielemans playing harmonica at a press conference “Bluesette” in 1962, he played harmonica on the soundtrack for for the Toots90, to present the events organised for the 90th anniversary of the artist, in La Hulpe, Belgium. the hit Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight film “Midnight Cowboy” Lindsay Lohan wants Schwarzenegger DiCaprio, girlfriend to meet Putin, Russian says he wants unhurt after world to be fitter TV host says fender-bender rnold Schwarzenegger says being a bodybuilding roubled US star Lindsay Lohan has demanded a champion, movie star and governor of California is not meeting with President Vladimir Putin in return for in Hamptons enough-he wants people to be fit too. “To me, it was Tappearing on a Russian chat show, its host said, con- A firming US media reports. Andrei Malakhov, who hosts the not only important to be a bodybuilding champion and to do uthorities say actor Leonardo DiCaprio and his top-rating “Pust Govoryat” or “Let Them Talk” show, told movies and to be the governor, but also to use my power of Danish supermodel girlfriend weren’t injured LifeNews Russian website late Sunday that Lohan “really influence to promote health and fitness all over the world,” when their vehicle was involved in a minor does have a desire to meet the Russian president.” “I don’t A Schwarzenegger told reporters at the unveiling of the inaugu- accident in the Hamptons over the weekend. Police in know what she wants to discuss with him — saving Amur ral Arnold Classic Asia Multi-Sport Festival in Hong Kong. the village of East Hampton say the accident occurred tigers or the problems of people with drug addiction,” he The event, which will run until Sunday, features a range of around 4:30 pm Saturday on Montauk Highway on said. activities such as fencing, bodybuilding, rugby, yoga, Long Island’s east end, where the 41-year-old Oscar- US entertainment news site TMZ earlier said that Lohan weightlifting, arm wrestling, chess and solving Rubik’s cube winning actor and 24-year-old Nina Agdal were travel- sent Russian Channel One television a list of demands puzzles. “It doesn’t matter-you maybe like gymnastics, I maybe ing together. including a meeting with Putin and photos with him as like bodybuilding, but your exercise is as important as my A department spokeswoman tells Newsday the well as a private jet, a one-year visa and a fee of 500,000 exercise. So what we want to do is celebrate and bring every- accident, first reported by the New York Post, was “just British pounds ($650,000, 580,000 euros). “The actual fee one together,” he said. Schwarzenegger has held similar minor” and no one was taken to a hospital. Officials was a little lower,” Malakhov told LifeNews. “I also want to events elsewhere around the world. — Reuters had not released any other information yesterday. earn 80 million a year and have dinner with the Queen, but DiCaprio is a frequent visitor to the Hamptons, where dreams and reality are different things. You need to look at he has rented homes and frequents hotspots. The the situation soberly-unlike Lindsay Lohan,” Malakhov was couple was spotted at a popular restaurant in quoted as saying. Montauk in June. — AP He posted a link to the LifeNews report on his official Twitter account, along with a message calling Lohan a “naughty girl.” A spokeswoman for Channel One earlier on Sunday confirmed to RIA Novosti news agency that Lohan had been asked to appear on the show, but said the condi- tions had not yet been discussed and the TMZ report “did not correspond to reality.” Lohan, a 30-year-old former child star who appeared in hit films “The Parent Trap,” “Freaky Friday” and “Mean Girls” has struggled with drug addiction. Russian television wants to interview her about her rela- tionship with Russian-born Egor Tarabasov, whose father is reportedly a businessman from Moscow. Lohan has accused Tarabasov of violent abuse. Putin in 2010 met Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio at a summit on protect- ing tigers but has failed to set a date for a meeting with British singer Elton John to discuss gay rights. — AFP

Arnold Schwarzenegger Lindsay Lohan