International recording artist Ameera, releases her highly anticipated debut album New World, available across download and streaming services. The alter-ego of British born, vocalist and composer, Gemma Ameera, is known for her unique music, genuine nature and for residing among dense Rainforests in the Shires of Australia. ‘Ameera’ which means princess in Arabic, was a nickname given to Gemma whilst working as a songwriter in Dubai and after learning Arabic and falling in love with Middle Eastern culture, she kept it.

For the last 10 years, she has been living and working as a songwriter in Australia, earning herself a ‘Best Folk Song’ award at the Australian Independent Music Awards 2013. She uses her experience of toplining for artists and composing music for games, TV and short films to create her own sound. Whilst Ameera was composing ‘New World’ she decided to go back to finish her Bachelor of Music to pursue her dream of having a PhD in music composition.

She says: “Starting University again to challenge myself in theory, music history and cultures; has been the best idea I’ve had. My level of work continued to supersede song after the song you can never stop learning, no matter how much experience you gain.”

Take a minute to imagine if Hans Zimmer and Enya had a love child who lives somewhere between Middle Earth, and a Galaxy far far away, ‘New World’ would be their soundtrack.

The singer’s first single ‘Raindance’ from the album, just released, has already reached over 5,000 views on YouTube and over 7000 across all streaming services. Growing up across the world inspired her to create unique, uplifting and healing music that inspires a deeper connection and primal instinct in today’s modern world. 

Exploring multiple styles, sounds and textures from around the world the music Ameera makes can be commercially described as tribal, world, electronic, Celtic, cinematic, new age and soundscape and for that reason, Ameera created the genre 'New World' to capture her sound. The genre ‘New World’ is a natural evolution and progression of World Music.

‘New World’ was co-produced with Grammy-award-winning producer and friend Brandon Friesen (The Kooks, R3HAB, The Hu) and although originally set for release in 2020 ‘New World’ was pushed back after signing a publishing contract with Urband & Lazar/Kobalt. This would have seemed to be unfortunate timing to many artists in the industry, however, Ameera embraced the harsh restrictions of her hometown in Victoria and used the time to focus on finessing each track.

“I live in the rainforests in Northern Victoria and it’s so cold in winter, it snows here. My studio was freezing and since we were in lockdown I decided to move my entire studio into the living room. I focused on working between my University degree and the album. It saved me from losing it at times!”

Senior Business Support worker, Craig Mann, 34, from Birmingham has made it to the final of a national singing competition fronted by reality TV star, Jess Wright. The virtual talent contest, which will be streamed live to the nation, is hosted by PlayOJO, the fair online casino, in celebration of its recent partnership with Bandicoot TV, producers of The Masked Singer UK, to find the UKs best amateur singer.

Former TOWIE star, Jess Wright, will be joined by five vocalists who earned their place on the virtual singalong by privately proving their singing talents to Jess, by submitting videos hitting high notes via the PlayOJO website.

Craig, a Senior Business Support worker for an energy company, secured his place in the final with a heart-warming rendition of ‘Make You Feel My Love’ by Adele, which he will be performing during Thursday’s live finale. He was inspired to perform this track as it reminds him that there is always someone there to make you feel loved whether that’s family or friends, if you’re feeling alone.

Each finalist will have a chance to showcase their unique singing capabilities in front of Jess and the nation, culminating in Jess performing a live duet with the winner. The champion of the virtual singalong contest will also earn themselves a professional karaoke kit, to hone their vocal skills (and be the envy of their neighbors). Taking inspiration from The Masked Singer, contestants will be encouraged to dress in their craziest costumes, adding some theatrics to the evening’s entertainment, which will be beamed into homes around the country via the PlayOJO YouTube page.

Speaking about the virtual PlayOJO singing contest, Jess Wright said: “The talent from the submissions alone has been outstanding, so it’s been a real challenge to choose my final five, but I’m really happy with my decision. I can’t wait to hear their vocals live and even more excited to see their costume choices! Hopefully the pressure of judging it all live won’t go to my head... It’s all getting very real… Bring it on!”

Peter Bennett, Head of Brand Marketing at PlayOJO said: “We’re so excited to be celebrating our partnership with The Masked Singer by hosting the Virtual Singalong Contest with Jess – talk about taking the Zoom quiz to the next level and beating the winter blues? I think we’ve surpassed all expectations with the talent entering the competition.

It’s going to be a great night of light-hearted entertainment and prizes and we can’t wait to hear everyone’s singing abilities and see everyone’s extravagant fancy-dress live on the night!”

The PlayOJO Virtual Singalong Contest, hosted by Jess Wright, will be livestreamed on the PlayOJO YouTube channel today.

As construction concludes on Birmingham Symphony Hall’s £13.2 million transformation, five talented Birmingham-based musicians became the first to rehearse in the new state-of-the-art performance facilities ahead of opening to the public later this year. Current government guidelines allow for the group of musicians to rehearse and perform for broadcast or recording purposes. Upon re-opening the new performance space, redeveloped with funds raised prior to the global pandemic, will offer local artists even more opportunities to perform as part of a daily programme of free and affordable events and activities.

The musicians rehearsing are part of a brand-new, free to access, all-female jazz ensemble created by the music charity responsible for Town Hall and Symphony Hall to improve the gender divide in the jazz sector. Later this month, Sarah Lopez (vocals), Jasmine Belle (alto saxophone), Scarlett Churchill (drums), Eliza Dunhill (trumpet) and Amy Coates (bass) will be filming a showcase of their musical and compositional talent in the main auditorium.

Nick Reed, Chief Executive for the music charity responsible for Town Hall and Symphony Hall said: “I am thrilled to share this first glimpse inside Symphony Hall following the completion of the Making an Entrance project. Over the past 18 months we have transformed the public spaces of our iconic concert hall to create new spaces for performance and learning, giving new opportunities for local musicians, and supporting our local community in musical discoveries. A new City Café greets visitors from Centenary Square, and expanded bars and relaxed seating ensure a warm welcome throughout the day.

“Despite the challenges of the last year we have maintained a vibrant digital programme throughout the pandemic, supporting local musicians and connecting over a quarter of a million people through our regular watch parties. It is fitting therefore that the very first activity in our new space was a rehearsal from our Women in Jazz ensemble who will feature as part of that ongoing programme.

“Music will play a powerful role in reuniting communities after the isolation and hardship of the past year. We hope that Symphony Hall will be a beacon for that reconnection and we are excited to welcome audiences back to our new spaces just as soon as we can. We are immensely grateful to all the funding partners who have supported the project, and the thousands of individual donors who have put their faith in the power of music.”

Anita Bhalla OBE, Chair of the Board for the music charity responsible for Town Hall and Symphony Hall said: “It’s important to recognise and thank all of the incredible donors, big and small, that have seen the value and importance of this project, which will make the music charity responsible for Symphony Hall more sustainable. This transformation will truly reflect our diverse, open and creative city and will be a proud contributor to the economic growth of the region as soon as it is able to do so. I’ll be so thrilled to see audiences come together and enjoy live music in these brand-new spaces later this year – after this last year of frequent isolation, it will make the perfect place to reunite and reconnect.”

The Mayor of the West Midlands and former vice-chair of the music charity responsible for both Symphony Hall and the Town Hall, Andy Street, said: “Symphony Hall is one of the West Midlands’ best landmarks and a real jewel in Birmingham’s crown, and so it is brilliant to see the venue swing open its doors to musicians again after undergoing a stunning transformation. As a born-and-bred Brummie and former vice-chair of Performances Birmingham, I know first-hand just how truly special Symphony Hall is. I am pleased that the West Midlands Combined Authority continues to play its part in helping the £13.2 million transformation happen, and I cannot wait until the public can start taking their seats again.”

The transformation of Symphony Hall’s foyers has been supported by the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP).

Ed Watson, Interim Chief Executive of GBSLEP said: “I am delighted to hear musicians will be returning to the newly transformed Symphony Hall. GBSLEP’s investment of £6million from the Local Growth Fund is an example of how we are committed to growing the creative industries, improving experiences for people living here and visitors who come to the region. Access to the arts works as a leveller in society and by creating new public performance spaces, opportunities will grow for performers as well as those who come to visit the prestigious, world-renowned Symphony Hall.

“Creative industries, culture, tourism are all crucial catalysts of inclusive economic growth and account for £19.5 billion of GVA and 15% of jobs across the region which is why the creative and cultural sector is a key part of our growth plans at GBSLEP and the West Midlands Industrial Strategy. We will continue to work with our partners in the public, private and academic sectors to identify opportunities to create jobs and better places for all of us to enjoy.” Arts Council England invested £4.5million of National Lottery money in support of the great artistic and cultural opportunities for artists that the redevelopment will enable.

Pete Knott, Area Director for Arts Council England, said: “It’s fantastic to hear that the Symphony Hall will open as a rehearsal space following its redevelopment – as a key part of Birmingham’s cultural scene, we’re really proud to have invested in the building work through our National Lottery funded Capital programme.

“In what has been a challenging time for our sector, it’s great to see that Birmingham’s Symphony Hall is planning to offer local artists opportunities to rehearse, and we look forward to the new performance space fully reopening soon.”

For the first time, Birmingham’s world-renowned concert hall now boasts a dedicated entrance from Centenary Square – which in itself is undergoing major redevelopment to provide a high-quality public realm within the second city.

Universal Music Group has said it will join a livestreaming platform set up by K-pop's major record labels. As the world's biggest music label - represents superstars such as Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Lady Gag, it said it would invest in the platform launched last year by Big Hit Entertainment, the company behind K-pop superstars BTS. YG, the record label representing Blackpink, is also investing in the platform - called VenewLive.

Big Hit set up VenewLive as part of a joint venture called KBYK Live. Following the investment, a statement by the record labels said VenewLive now has with ambitions on a global scale.

South Korean - K-pop - music has grown massively in popularity on a global scale. Last year BTS became the first K-pop band to have a number one on the US Billboard charts. And all-girl group Blackpink, whose lavish videos regularly attract millions of viewers, set a new record last year for the biggest music video premiere on YouTube.

A total of 1.65 million fans tuned in for the unveiling of their new song How You Like That, breaking a record set by BTS in February. Big Hit said a BTS concert it streamed on VenewLive last year was viewed by 993,000 people worldwide.

Universal Music Group executive vice president Boyd Muir said: "This past year has shown that the need for reliable and innovative live-streaming has never been greater." Big Hit Entertainment was founded in 2005 by South Korea music producer Bang Si-Hyuk. In October, the company listed its shares on the Korean stock exchange.

It left the company with a market value of more than $8bn (£6bn).

Birmingham Hippodrome and Curve have released a first look behind-the-scenes of The Color Purple – At Home which is streaming for three weeks only from Tuesday 16 February -Sunday 7 March 2021 as part of Curve at Home. Tickets are on sale now. Building on the success of Curve’s first major stream, (Sunset Boulevard – at Home), Birmingham Hippodrome and Curve’s WhatOnStage Award-winning 2019 production of The Color Purple has now been especially reimagined for audiences to enjoy at home.

Marsha Norman’s poetic and powerful script along with the magnificent songs by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray celebrate life, love and the strength to stand up for who you are and what you believe in. This unforgettable story set in racially divided Southern America is staged by the team behind the 2019 production – Director Tinuke Craig, Musical Director Alex Parker and Choreographer Mark Smith. The 2019 production of The Color Purple, the first-ever co-production between Birmingham Hippodrome and Curve, played to sold-out audiences in Birmingham and Leicester with standing-ovations and a wealth of critical acclaim.

T’Shan Williams returns to lead the magnificent original company as the courageous heroine Celie, with Danielle Fiamanya (Winner – The Stage Debut Awards 2019) reprising her role as Celie’s Sister, Nettie. Carly Mercedes Dyer joins the cast as the vivacious Shug Avery, following her acclaimed performance as Anita in the 2019 Made at Curve production of West Side Story. Drawing inspiration from jazz, ragtime, gospel and blues, a band of incredible musicians will combine with the company’s soulful vocals in bringing the score to life, including Push Da Button, Too Beautiful for Words and I’m Here.

Recorded in Curve’s transformed auditorium and fully lit using the theatre’s state-of-the-art lighting rig, The Color Purple – at Home will offer audiences the chance to see Alice Walker’s seminal novel as they’ve never seen it before. The Color Purple – at Home is supported by Leicester-based music licensing company PPL PRS and De Montfort University whose sponsorship will enable Curve to offer free tickets to specific local community groups and young people. Birmingham Hippodrome is able to offer tickets to similar groups in Birmingham through the support they received through the Culture Recovery Fund.

A Made at Curve production created in association with Birmingham Hippodrome, tickets for The Color Purple – at Home are available to book now and are priced at £20 per household. The streamed production will be available to audiences in the UK and Ireland only and Curve will offer a range of accessible performances throughout the run, including captioned and audio described.

As part of the run of streamed performances, Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome will offer 2,000 free tickets for NHS workers to enjoy the production at home, with tickets distributed through local NHS providers.

Ahead of a special event at the Wolverhampton Literature Festival that will see writer Will Self talk about the intricacies of remembering fiction read in the past, University of Wolverhampton academics have identified the top five most popular novels for research into the ways we remember fiction.

The Novel Memories research was inspired by the BBC engagement project Novels That Shaped Our World that is run by BBC Arts and celebrates 300 years of the English language novel and aims to stimulate reading. The most popular novels participants selected are: ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee; ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ by George Orwell; ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ by C.S. Lewis; ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, and the most popular was Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’.

Professor Sebastian Groes and Dr Tom Mercer found this top five when analysing the responses to their Novel Memories survey in which people are asked about how they remember fiction in relation to the 40 most popular novels included on the Novels That Shaped Our World list. Professor Groes said: “We first asked about factual memories of the fiction itself; if participants remembered scenes, characters, quotations and speeches, and if they had sympathy for the protagonist. We also asked if they had a clear memory of the ending, and interestingly, while over half of participants could remember how the story ended, 43 per cent could not.

“We then posed questions regarding contextual circumstances; what emotions the books trigger, and what mood they were in when they read the novel.”

For the top five novels, the researchers can tell which locations (home, school, university, commute, or holiday) are associated with them and they have some textual examples of people describing these locations and their memories. They can also identify the best remembered scenes and quotations. The researchers are also interested to learn how people’s perspective changed when they revisit a novel they have read in the past.

Dr Mercer added: “It seems that memories of fiction overlap, to a large extent, with the ‘reminiscence bump’; a period of time between the ages of ten and 30 years when we have more personal memories as these formative years help us to develop a strong sense of self and it may also be the period where we encounter our favourite novels.

“A key conclusion is that we remember fiction by the feeling it leaves in us, not by detailed and rationally-remembered memories of specific passages, dialogue and even the ending. But, interestingly, this feeling is shaped by the emotions we experience in our lives at the time of the reading experience. Nearly half of the time we do not any remember specific scenes, though in two thirds of cases people have sympathy for the protagonist and over 40 per cent stated that they were in a happy mood when they read the novel in question.

“This confirms ‘emotional bias’. People attach strong positive emotions to these well-remembered novels, partly because of their emotional state at the time of the formation of the memories.”

They note that adaptations to screen seem to have an interesting effect. Pride and Prejudice was used as a case study and almost all participants had seen an adaptation, with half of them having no problem separating the novel from the adaptation. However, a third of respondents either were unsure about their ability to separate the novel from the adaptation or felt the two had become ‘blurred’. The researchers could then look into which adaptations specifically are mentioned and cross-check this with the age of the participants.

Groes and Mercer have invited writer Will Self to discuss these findings.