International music celebrity Yanni has millions of fans worldwide, but what some visitors may not know is that in addition to the official Yanni.com website, there are a large number of international Affiliate Yanni websites offering exclusive news and original content about Yanni and his orchestra.  In addition to other responsibilities, international affiliates play an important role in Yanni’s world tours by orchestrating concert pre-show social events with fans.

Yanni – India is an international affiliate website offering official Yanni news and information, along with their perspective and exclusive content on one of the world’s favorite international concert artist. Recently I had the privilege of being introduced to some of the dedicated team members with India’s international affiliate website.

The people at Yanni – India are a great group of people, which was my earlier experience with the public relations representatives at Yanni – Wake Entertainment. Knowing the entire organization is an outstanding group is something every affiliate team member can be proud of, plus it speaks volumes about the quality and dedication of the people Yanni selects as his domestic and international representatives.

This international affiliate serves Yanni’s East Indian fans, along with all international website guests. Their website text is written in English, plus they provide a built-in Google dialect translator for many other languages.

Featuring official news, press releases, and exclusive content, Yanni – India provides streaming music, and website links to the world-class musicians in the orchestra. They also post a bulletin of official sites, and provides an exclusive presentation of Yanni’s extraordinary 1997 Tribute Concert.

The Tribute Concert at the Taj Mahal was aired on U.S. Public Broadcast Stations (PBS) nationwide. It was the first televised concert where I saw a live Yanni performance, and instantly became a fan myself. There is a pretty good chance the Tribute Concert in India was the same concert venue where you, and Yanni – India Team Members became fans too.

The Taj Mahal concert venue featured a variety of world-class musicians who provided outstanding instrumentals. I thought it was one of his most memorable concert events ever! Years ago I wrote a concert review article about the Tribute Concert featuring violinist Karen Briggs and woodwind specialist Pedro Eustache, both of whom performed amazing solos during the song Renegade.

The solos by Karen Briggs and Pedro Eustache during the song Renegade were delivered with increasingly more intricate and complex solo rhythms, which is what I remember most. While a lot has changed since then, some things remain the same.

Yanni is now preparing for his 2012 North American Concert Tour. Publicized as “An Evening With Yanni,” the 2012 tour covers a large number of live concert venues in the United States and Canada. Each exclusive concert will be equally extraordinary, like earlier events described by concert attendees who have written a concert review about the legendary Yanni and his orchestra.

There are over 23 International Affiliate Yanni sites, each providing exclusive news, information, and original content. Presently there are international affiliates from the countries; Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Haiti, India, Iran, Italia, Mexico, Poland, Puerto Rico, Russian, and Turkey. Many countries listed have multiple international affiliate sites supporting Yanni.

The Yanni Community Fan Club is an interactive social outlet with special offers, exclusive content, and newsletter upon membership, including participation in All Access: Yanni On Tour, previews and contests. Community Fan Club members can participate in forums, create their own blog with profile, and meet Yanni fans worldwide.

The Yanni Street Team is designed for those who have a presence on the internet. Street Team members are given exclusive information and assignments like sharing exclusive content on blogs and social network pages in their community.

Yanni – Wake Entertainment really delivers by constantly finding new ways to provide a fun and friendly environment for fans who want to share the excitement and get involved. The International Affiliate sites, Community Fan Club, and Street Team are just a part of the fan friendly programs that people can participate in at Yanni.com.

The dedicated people at Yanni – India and their area of expertise are; Webmaster and Moderator: Prajit Nair, Graphics, Design and Art: Akriti, Copywriter: Jerin George, Video Editing and Flash Graphics: Prajit Nair.

Visit the Yanni.com homepage and find news and 2012 Concert Tour information, and International Affiliates pages. For albums, DVD concert videos, gifts and merchandise visit the Yanni Store. Find out more about the Yanni Street Team, and free online Community Fan Club which offers pre-sale concert tickets, plus special offers for members. Visit the Yanni-India.in homepage and archive collection for Yanni in India.

Photos are courtesy Yanni.com & Yanni-India.in. Big Stock Photo – Taj Mahal – pius99.

Given the various live concerts currently scheduled in 2012, and future concert dates that will be scheduled in the days and months ahead, New Age Music World is happy to keep you informed about these live shows as they become available.

A Concert Tour Information – Live Music banner is in a right hand module. When you click on the 2012 concert tour banner, you can find your favorite artist’s concert schedule, or follow my direct links to their complete concert tour schedule. You can also find even more by reading about their newest release or interview. While I can’t keep up with every artist’s concert tour schedule, I now have a convenient place where you can check for live new age music by popular artists with concert venues in your area.

Popular artists with live concert tours include; Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, Jim Brickman, Blackmore’s Night, Mannheim Steamroller, Tangerine Dream, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Yanni and Yes. Many are touring, or have updated concert information listed at their websites. Some of these popular artists may even have a live concert tour dates already scheduled within short driving distance of your city, state, or country.

Live concerts given by popular artists who are seasoned entertainers have thrilled audiences for years, so everyone in attendance can expect a fun evening of entertainment provided by experienced music professionals. If you want to stay updated on the latest live concert information for a variety of popular artists, bookmark this site. I will do what I can to add more artist’s concert tour dates, and keep you informed on the most recent concert news and tour information. Concert tour dates frequently change, so for updates please visit the artist’s website for complete concert tour dates and information.

Read my Live Concert Information page. When you visit again, check the Live Concert Tours banner in my right hand module. Big Stock Photo – dws.

Al Conti is a nominee for the 54th GRAMMY® Awards

Northern Seas is Al Conti’s GRAMMY® nominated album that highlights his abilities as a top composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist who has produced a total of four exceptional story based releases so far. Plus, I read at the alconti.net website there is new Al Conti album currently in the works, so I will bring you more about Al Conti’s new album soon.

The storyline on Northern Seas chronicles the ancestral homeland and Nordic heritage of Scandinavia in a manner you will find glorious. The rich instrumental landscape captures the imagination by 10 songs in a fascinating mixture of new age and world fusion music, with a Celtic tonal expression on several songs.

I have an interview with Al Conti in the near future. In my interview, I plan to cover a variety of interesting topics about Al Conti, including his GRAMMY® nominated new age album Northern Seas, along with his story based album compositions that have earned him the reputation of top new age artist. Pending my Al Conti interview publication, below is his Northern Seas high definition promotional song video for Veil of Mist.

Visit alconti.net to sample or purchase at his music store. Photos are courtesy alconti.net.

The 54th GRAMMY® Award Nominations for the New Age Music genre

The 54th Annual GRAMMY® Awards will be televised live on CBS from Staples Center, in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012. The CBS Television Network will air the live awards program at 8 p.m. ET/PT. I know two of the five artists nominated this year, and have written album reviews for Al Conti’s Northern Seas album and Michael Brant DeMaria’s Gaia album, if you would like to read my album reviews of two nominated releases for 2012. I published an interview with Michael Brant DeMaria in January of 2011, and there is an earlier Michael Brant DeMaria interview in 2009, for more about Michael.

The GRAMMY® Nominees for Best New Age Album are shown below alphabetically. I have sampled all five albums and can say they are all great releases. You can sample or purchase each GRAMMY® Nominated album by clicking on the direct links to each CD or MP3 album at Amazon.com.

54th GRAMMY® Nominees for Best New Age Album;

1. Northern Seas by Al Conti - Shadowside Music. Sample Northern Seas at Amazon.

2. Gaia by Michael Brant DeMaria – Ontos Music. Sample Gaia at Amazon.

3. Wind, Rock, Sea & Flame by Peter Kater – Point Of Light Records. Sample Wind, Rock, Sea & Flame at Amazon.

4. What’s It All About by Pat Metheny – Nonesuch. Sample What’s It All About at Amazon.

5. Instrumental Oasis – Vol. 6 by Alejandro Zamora – Z-Records. Sample Instrumental Oasis – Vol. 6 at Amazon.

 Read more about the 54th GRAMMY® Awards at Grammy.com and here is the complete list of GRAMMY® Nominees.

Photos are courtesy of their respective artists & grammy.com.

After sampling Jon Anderson’s Open at iTunes, I can tell you Jon has indeed created a masterpiece! For those who haven’t heard, I can report it is true Jon has returned to his Yes origins, but in a much more dramatic way!

And the good news from what Anderson has said is this first song is only the beginning, stating he will produce more dynamic music with full orchestrations in the future so check back with me now and then. I will let everyone know the minute I hear the news about a new release.

There is more news about Jon I can tell you now since he has requested Christophe Lebled collaborate on a new project in 2012. Jon and Christophe Lebled’s new project album is a re-creation of the entire LP Olias of Sunhillow – Live in 2012. The first Olias of Sunhillow album as many of you may know was originally Jon Anderson’s first solo album where he sang and played every instrument completely by himself.

Open is an epic 21 minute opus structured in the progressive works of classic Yes songs like Close To The Edge, Gates of Delirium, Revealing, & Awaken. There are already some song reviews of Open at iTunes, and the reviews from Jon’s fans and Yes fans are very positive. In their reviews of Open, comments like: “magnificent, refreshing, excellent and compelling” are words used to describe Jon’s newest release. In all honesty I couldn’t have said it any better myself.

Open features the eclectic vocals of Jon Anderson united with a full brass section, strings and full percussion orchestrations by Stefan Podell. Together this song in four continuous movements, delivers a powerful proclamation of peace, love, light and freedom. The beautifully conveyed piece with dynamic orchestrations will leave you breathless.

Jon Anderson is on tour in the U.S. and Canada with early Yes member Rick Wakeman. The legendary Yes duo Anderson and Wakeman are touring in support of their release The Living Tree. Jon is presently touring solo too, with concert dates scheduled in 2011 & 2012. In December 2011 Jon will be performing select solo concerts in South America.

It’s the progressive nature of Jon Anderson’s music that keeps his solo career and Yes fans, wanting more. And more is what we will get. From what Anderson has said in press releases, more dynamic music like Open is what we can anticipate from this highly prolific artist.

Visit jonanderson.com for news and his solo tour schedule and 2011 tour with Rick Wakeman. Purchase Open at iTunes. Read my Jon Anderson interview in 2011 and my Survival & Other Stories album review on my Jon Anderson pages.

Photos are courtesy jonanderson.com.

The multitude of outstanding musical talents available today is apparent to me on a daily basis since I am regularly in contact with an ever increasing number of independent musicians, promoters and producers requesting I interview an artist or write and publish a review for their newest release. And the quality of new releases in 2011 truly has been outstanding!

The challenge in my role as a review publicist and interview host is not having enough time to fulfill the many requests for an interview or album review even though I feel my site visitors would be interested in a musicians newest release.

In an effort to offer some assistance to the musicians and provide an introduction for my visitors, there is a Press Review Tab located right below the header at Music World, and a press review icon located in the right hand module.

There you will find the new releases album artwork with a click on link to the artist’s website. You are invited to visit each musician’s website to find out more about them and to sample or purchase their newest release. More 2011 album titles will be added as they arrive so more new music will be featured here at Music World.

If you have just found my music blog, you can visit the Music World Homepage to read My Interviews with some of the top artist defining the music world today. You will find I publish reviews, interviews, and articles on a regular basis.

Here is where you can locate my Album Reviews in 2011, Reviews in 2010, Reviews in 2009 and Music Videos.

Visit my Norwegian friend and colleague B.T. Fasmer at the music site he hosts; NewAgeMusic.nu.

  Music World host John P. Olsen

The Winter Poem album cover has yet to be unveiled but this may be days from now knowing the release is about a month away. With Rolf Lovland and Fionnuala Sherry’s Secret Garden’s Inside I’m Singing from 2009 being their most current release, and a fine album, excitement is growing for Winter Poem when released November 7, 2011.

Fionnuala Sherry’s new solo album Songs From Before appears to be receiving a lot of attention too. This is Fionnuala’s contemporary instrumental album that is a revision on many of Ireland’s most beloved melodies which also contains some unreleased material too. Echoes Radio chose Songs From Before as Echoes Top 10 for June, CD of the Month in July, and then number 3 album in the top 25 in August at Echoes.

Secret Garden’s Eurovision Song Contest award was also a broadcast television documentary on RTE (Irish National TV) called “A Little Bit Eurovision” plus Fionnuala will be a special guest to perform live with Westlife on September 10, 2011. Westlife as you may know had won the UK Record of the Year Award on Top of the Pops with the Secret Garden song You Raise Me Up. With all of the current attention given to Secret Garden and Fionnuala Sherry, Winter Poem already sounds promising.

Visit secretgarden.no and fionnualasherry.com. Read my interview with Fionnuala Sherry. Photo is courtesy secretgarden.no.

Shown below is Yanni and his orchestra’s current concert schedule. Visit yanni.com for news and concert information. Keep up with current news by signing up for their newsletter and visit his FaceBook page. Find more on our Yanni pages.

Yanni Concert Tour Dates 2011;

September 14, 2011 – Bucharest, Romania

September 16, 2011 – Budapest, Hungary

September 18, 2011 – Istanbul, Turkey

September 23, 2011 – Yerevan, Armenia

October 1, 2011 – Beijing, China

October 2, 2011 – Beijing, China

October 4, 2011 – Shanghai, China

October 7, 2011 – Guangzhou, China

October 10, 2011 – Chengdu, China

October 14, 2011 – Seoul, South Korea

October 26, 2011 – Muscat, Oman

Photo is courtesy yanni.com.

Rick Wakeman has likewise been performing during his concert tour earlier this year in the UK. In addition to Rick Wakeman’s 2011 UK concert tour he has also teamed up in a recent collaboration with Jon Anderson on their most current release The Living Tree.

In regards to the Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman concert tour, it’s anybody’s guess what the song lineup is at this point, but concert goers may hear classic song favorites like Starship Trooper & Owner of a Lonely Heart, and a number of songs from their current album together The Living Tree.

The new Yes album – Fly From Here is another brand new release and a popular album with Yes fans, who have waited ten years for another album. After ending their U.S. Summer Concert Tour, Yes will begin their European Fall Tour in November 2011.

The year 2011 turned out to be a rock solid year of concert tours and brand new music for fans of Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, Yes, and Progressive Rock music enthusiasts everywhere!

Visit the official websites; jonanderson.com and Rick Wakeman at rwcc.com. Visit Yes at yesworld.com.

Tour info is courtesy jonanderson.com.

Jon Anderson & Rick Wakeman Tour Dates 2011;

October 19 2011 – Potawatomi Casino Milwaukee, WI

October 22 2011 – Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead Munhall, PA

October 23 2011 – Lisner Auditorium Washington DC

October 24 2011 – Concert Hall New York, NY

October 26 2011 – Kleinhans Music Hall Buffalo, NY

October 27 2011 – The Palace Theatre Albany, NY

October 29 2011 – Tropicana Casino Resort Atlantic City, NJ

October 30 2011 – Temple Performing Arts Center Philadelphia, PA

November 1 2011 – Capitol Center for the Arts Concord, NH

November 2 2011 – The Ridgefield Playhouse Ridgefield, CT

November 4 2011 – Count Basie Theatre Red Bank, NJ

November 5 2011 – Sherman Theatre Stroudsberg, PA

November 6 2011 – Theatre at Westbury Westbury, NY

November 8 2011 – Hanover Theatre Worcester, MA

November 10 2011 – Grande Theatre du Quebec Quebec City, QC Canada

November 12 2011 – St. Denis Theatre Montreal, QC Canada

David Clavijo from Seville, Spain won the Best New Age Song category with his song titled Promises from his current New Age, World Music, and Chill Out album release The Landing (Special Edition). David Clavijo may have recognized he had produced an award winning album since earlier in the year he won fourth in the NewAgeMusic.nu Best New Age Album of 2010 awards.

The Independent Music Awards are determined by a two part tier of a judging panel and a voting process by fans and visitors who rate the nominees at The Vox Populi Jukebox. The nominated artists are then selected by this process to produce an award winner in each category. Below is the impressive song video for Promises, which shows the Cinematic aspects of his release. Congratulations David Clavijo!

Visit davidclavijo.com to sample or purchase. Find more at independentmusicawards.com. Visit our page for David Clavijo.

David Clavijo from Seville Spain seems to have a natural inclination of what multi influential New Age music is all about. I felt his performance on acoustic and electric guitars along with piano and keyboards are a fine line balance that blend together quite nicely by having these diverse instrumental strengths.