Readwrotes Blog

Kim Kardashian reacts to photographers at the Noon by Noor launch event in West Hollywood, Calif., Wednesday night. Noon by Noor is a fashion collection designed by Kingdom of Bahrain royalty Noor Rashid Al Khalifa and Haya Mohammed Al Khalifa. (AP/Chris Pizzello)       The Jakarta Post | Thu, 07/21/2011 3:04 PM

The Jakarta Post | Thu, 07/21/2011 9:47 PM JAKARTA: Wanting to reinvigorate dangdut, Anang Hermansyah has added some color to the genre by forming Tiga Kembang (Three Flowers), a trio of divorced dangdut singers. He wants dangdut to become the music of Indonesia all over again, he said. Cici Paramida, Ikke Nurjanah and Kirstina were Anang’s picks for the dangdut group. But, wanting such huge names, how did he make this dangdut supergroup happen? “I was hanging out with my friend Irvan Nat. Irvan said, ‘this song Goyang Sayang would be great if it was sung by those three, can this be arranged?’ Then Irvan Nat called each of them,” Anang said as reported by kapanlagi.com. But the song was not written for Tiga Kembang but for Krisdayanti and Siti. Because the latter project ended up not happening, the song was given to Tiga Kembang. Anang said Goyang Sayang was filled with nuance, the rhythm of the song upbeat and fresh. “I witnessed the development of dangdut and how it beca...

A 24-year-old Arab-American won the title of Miss USA in the annual beauty pageant held Sunday night in Las Vegas. Rima Fakih, a Lebanese immigrant, won the pageant after swimsuit, evening gown and interview competitions. During the competition, she nearly fell while walking in her gown, but she made it without a spill and went on to beat out contestants from all of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Fakih, who moved to the United States as a baby, is believed to be the first Arab-American and Muslim to hold the title of Miss USA. She told pageant organizers that her family celebrates both Catholic and Muslim holidays. Fakih represented the state of Michigan. According to pageant officials, she is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. After completing her reign as Miss USA, Fakih plans to attend law school. The Miss USA pageant is not affiliated with the annual Miss America pageant.

Maria Ozawa (JP) A movie starring Japanese pornstar Maria Ozawa, better known as Miyabi, is set to premiere on Thursday after the Film Censorship Institute approved its screening. Ody Mulya Hidayat of Maxima, the film’s producer, said Tuesday the movie, titled “Munculik Miyabi” (Abducting Miyabi), was rated under parental guidance suitable for youths. “The film went through the censorship institute almost uncut,” Ody said as quoted by tempointeraktif.com. He added there was no seductive stage act by Miyabi displayed in the movie. “It’s a comedy movie,” he said. Officials at the censorship institute have promised to help promote the movie, Ody said. The plan to produce the film sparked uproar last year. The controversy climaxed with interim tourism and culture minister Muhammad Nuh banning Ozawa from visiting the country for shooting.

Fri, 04/09/2010 12:12 PM  |  People Kawanku/Yudha JAKARTA: Actress Sheila Marcia, 20, who recently gave birth to her first child said that she was now allowing the biological father of her daughter to meet them. Sheila, released from prison for drug charges this February said that the father of her daughter had visited them three times in the past two weeks. She declined to reveal the identity of the father. "He has visited, he has a good will, and my mother and I have no problems with that," Sheila said Wednesday as quoted by detik.com. Sheila added that while she recognized the man had fathered her daughter, Leticia, she would not necessarily reconcile with him. "I'm not thinking about any man. I'm not thinking about a husband. What I think about now is Leticia," Sheila said. - JP

The Jakarta Post | Fri, 02/19/2010 12:13 PM | People JP/Nurhayati JAKARTA: Actress and singer Feby Febiola lashed out at the bill on marriage currently being deliberated in the House of Representatives, as it requires foreign men to pay a Rp 500 million (US$50,000) deposit to wed an Indonesian woman. She said it amounted to the Indonesian government putting a price tag on Indonesian brides. “I disagree [with the bill]. It sounds like it is selling Indonesian women,” Feby who married French Bruce Deltail, told detik.com on Thursday. According to Feby, not all foreign men who marry Indonesian women have the same characteristics that may cause problems down the line. “Not all foreign men who marry Indonesian women will cause problems later on. “If the bill is made into a law, it is really wont’ be fair. On the one hand, it may bring about good things, but on the other, it will be very harmful,” he said. The star of soap opera Tersanjung (Flattered) ...

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 10/16/2009 10:42 AM | People Courtesy of Waspada Online The criticism she has received for “misrepresenting” her home province of Aceh has failed to discourage newly crowned Putri Indonesia 2009 Qory Sandioriva. Qory, the first woman representing the strongly Islamic region of Aceh to win the title, made no apology for publicly rejecting the jilbab or Muslim headscarf during the pageant’s final night in Jakarta, playing it down as a “misunderstanding”. “Perhaps it was a mistake to make such a statement, but honestly I have never worn a jilbab all my life,” the 18-year-old French literature student from the University of Indonesia told Waspada Online during a visit to Medan, North Sumatra, a few days after her win. Her responses to the judges’ questions have upset many people, particularly religious leaders in her home province. In the contest’s final stage, she was asked why she was not wearing a headscarf like previous contestan...

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 10/09/2009 4:59 PM | National Against Miyabi: Dozens of Islam Defender Front (FPI) members stage a protest in front of the Maxima office at Mangga Dua, North Jakarta, on Friday afternoon to protest the visit of Japanese porn star, Miyabi, to Indonesia. Maxima plans to produce Menculik Miyabi (Kidnapping Miyabi). JP/Indah Setiawati

The Associated Press , Los Angeles | Tue, 08/18/2009 11:25 PM | World The King of Pop will be buried on what would have been his 51st bithday, a spokesman for Michael Jackson's family said Tuesday. Jackson will be buried at a private ceremony at Forest Lawn-Glendale on Aug. 29, spokesman Ken Sunshine said in a statement. Guests will be limited to family and close friends, Sunshine said. "The Jackson family once again wishes to expres its gratitude to Michael's fans around the world for their support during these difficult times," the statement said. Details about the ceremony and the whereabouts of Jackson's body have been tightly guarded. The announcement came a day after the New York Daily News reported comments by Jackson's father Joe Jackson, that his son would be buried on what would have been his birthday. Sunshine said Jackson will be buried on the Holly Terrace at the cemetery's Great Mausoleum. The cemet...

By Kate Moody Mount Rainier, Maryland 22 July 2009 Since Michael Jackson's death in June, tributes to the pop singer have been coming in all shapes and forms. And his signature "Thriller" dance act has experienced a spike in popularity, with hundreds of fans signing up for the "Thrill The World" event this fall, a simultaneous performance of the dance by groups around the world. VOA visited Joe's Movement Emporium near Washington DC, where dozens of Jackson devotees attended a "Thriller" class to practice for the event. Dance students learn Michael Jackson's steps from the 'Thriller' video Michael Jackson's 1983 "Thriller" has been described as the most successful music video of all time. A quarter of a century after its release, the song, and its dance routine, still speak to music lovers worldwide. So when a student at Joe's Movement Empori...

Associated Press , White Plains, New York | Thu, 08/13/2009 11:27 PM | World Les Paul, the guitarist and inventor who changed the course of music with the electric guitar and multitrack recording and had a string of hits, many with wife Mary Ford, died on Thursday. He was 94. According to Gibson Guitar, Paul died of complications from pneumonia at White Plains Hospital. His family and friends were by his side. He had been hospitalized in February 2006 when he learned he won two Grammys for an album he released after his 90th birthday, "Les Paul & Friends: American Made, World Played." "I feel like a condemned building with a new flagpole on it," he joked. As an inventor, Paul helped bring about the rise of rock 'n' roll and multitrack recording, which enables artists to record different instruments at different times, sing harmony with themselves, and then carefully balance the "tracks" in the finished...

The Associated Press , London | Sun, 08/09/2009 12:10 PM | World A British tabloid reported Saturday that the godfather of Michael Jackson's three children claims to be the father of the singer's daughter Paris. The News of the World quotes Jackson's longtime friend Mark Lester as saying that he "gave Michael my sperm so that he could have kids - and I believe Paris is my daughter." The newspaper also quotes Lester, is a 51-year-old former child star known for his lead role in the 1968 movie version of the state show "Oliver!" as saying he's willing to take a paternity test. In a video interview with Lester broadcast on the News of the World Web site, Lester said he donated his sperm at a London clinic. He said Jackson was married to Debbie Rowe at the time. "She's the birth mother of the children so I naturally assumed the sperm donation would obviously have gone into Debbie and Debbie would have ...

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 08/04/2009 12:34 PM | National Singer Urip Ariyanto died of what is suspected to have been a heart attack on Tuesday, only a few months after his phenomenal rise to stardom. An assistant to Urip, who was more commonly known as Mbah (Grandpa) Surip, told kompas.com that the 70-year-old reggae singer fainted on Sunday evening after arriving from Yogyakarta for a concert. "Mbah Surip died after drinking iced water. It seems that the iced drink triggered his illness, causing him to suffer a stomachache and a fever," Farid explained. Previously a street singer, Urip ammassed a total of Rp. 4.5 billion in royalties from cellular phone providers, which have been selling his hit single Tak Gendong (I carry you on my back) as a ringtone. He had traveled across the country for concerts. His body is currently at a police hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta.

By Mary Morningstar Washington 04 August 2009 Michael Jackson Autopsy Results Delayed Indefinitely Michael Jackson (Nov. 2007 file photo) The Los Angeles coroner's office announced that the release of Michael Jackson's autopsy results have been delayed indefinitely. The Associated Press reported that Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said further investigation needs to be done. On July 28, Los Angeles police and Drug Enforcement Administration agents searched the Las Vegas home and business office of Jackson's personal doctor, cardiologist Conrad Murray, 56. They reportedly were looking for evidence that would support a manslaughter charge and violations of the California Business and Professions Code. That code states that physicians are prohibited from prescribing drugs to anyone with a chemical dependency problem. Jackson's Mother Gets Full Custody of Children Katherine Jackson with...

Triwik Kurniasari , THE JAKARTA POST , JAKARTA | Sun, 07/12/2009 11:09 AM | Headlines Michael Jackson has a special place in the heart of many Indonesian musicians, including prominent singer Glenn Fredly, who hailed the American entertainer as an inspiration. As a tribute to the King of Pop, Glenn put on a gig Friday night. More than a hundred of music lovers were overcome with nostalgia when Glenn and fellow singers performed at a show called "Tribute to Michael Jackson with My Everything ... Glenn Fredly" at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Jakarta. Michael Jackson was pronounced dead on June 25 shortly after being rushed to hospital in Los Angeles. Authorities are investigating the cause of his death. Clad in a red shirt, black pants, a black tie, a black fedora hat and a pair of sneakers, Glenn opened the show with his hit single "You are My Everything". With his excellent and powerful voice, Glenn then delivered 12 pop...

By VOA News 11 July 2009 Fans in crowd hold up Michael Jackson photos during memorial at Steel Yard Stadium in Gary, Ind., 10 Jul 2009 More than 6,000 fans from around the world gathered in pop icon Michael Jackson's hometown for an upbeat memorial service Friday. The tribute in the Steel Yard stadium in Gary, Indiana, included performances of Jackson's hits and a speech by the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Children and teenagers from the crowd also performed some of the "King of Pop's" famous dance moves, and videos of Jackson's performances played on the big screen. Jackson spent his first eleven years in Gary, but left when the Jackson 5, a singing group of him and four of his brothers, hit big. Since then, he has rarely returned to the city. On Tuesday, an even larger crowd of fans gathered for a memorial service in Los Angeles. Among poignant tributes paid by well-known performers and family ...

Daughter Paris Michael Katherine's remarks provide an emotional high point at the memorial. By Chris Lee 5:56 PM PDT, July 7, 2009 With all the mourning and music, celebrity performers and soaring speeches by African American leaders at Staples Center on Tuesday, it was easy to overlook a quieter spectacle taking place. Michael Jackson's memorial served as a grand unveiling for the singer's children. While their father was one of the most photographed men of the last half-century, his sons Prince Michael II, 7, and Prince Michael Jr., 12, and daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11, have remained in the shadows for most of their young lives, surfacing only in paparazzi photos and until recently, wearing fanciful masks whenever they were in public. On Tuesday, however, the children arrived before the eyes of the world without disguises. They sat in the front row throughout the memorial, flanking their grandmoth...

By Elizabeth Lee Washington 04 July 2009 Handout image obtained on June 30, 2009 from WireImage shows Michael Jackson during rehearsals for planned shows at Staples Centre in Los Angeles, 23 Jun 2009 Prescription drugs are suspected as a cause in Michael Jackson's death. If the autopsy's toxicology report confirms that suspicion, Jackson would be just one of many who fall victim to prescription drug abuse. Because medications are regulated differently from country to country, there are few global statistics on addiction to prescription drugs. In the United States, teenagers and young adults are reported to be most susceptible. While the shock of Michael Jackson's death still reverberates around the world, one question remains unanswered: Did he die of a prescription drug overdose? His nutritionist Cherilyn Lee says she repeatedly rejected Jackson's demands for a powerful sedative and told hi...

By VOA News 03 July 2009 Handout image obtained on June 30, 2009 from WireImage shows Michael Jackson during rehearsals for planned shows at Staples Centre in Los Angeles, 23 Jun 2009 The head of a concert promotion agency says a tribute to late pop star Michael Jackson will likely be held at the Staples Center arena in Los Angeles. Randy Phillips, head of the promotion company AEG Live, said Thursday that the family is considering holding the event on Tuesday but has not made a final decision. He said admission will be free. AEG Live was the company producing a series of "comeback" concerts featuring the late star, which were set to begin this month in London. Now it is expected to produce the memorial event, after Jackson's sudden death on June 25. Also Thursday, the biological mother of Jackson's oldest two children hinted that she may press for custody. Debbie Rowe told a Los Angeles television ne...

By Kelley L. Carter and Arienne Thompson , USA TODAY A free public memorial for Michael Jackson will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, but the date has not been finalized. Randy Phillips, CEO of AEG Live, which will produce the memorial, said the family is considering holding the event Tuesday. Phillips said Jackson's mother Katherine will make the final decision. Jackson's brother Randy is coordinating all memorial plans. PR firm Sunshine Sachs & Associates, hired to speak on behalf of the family, is expected to make the formal memorial announcement sometime tonight or tomorrow, Phillips said. AEG Live was in the process of producing and promoting Michael Jackson's This Is It tour at the time of his death. The company is considering producing a Michael Jackson tribute concert at London's O2 Arena, the venue in which Jackson was scheduled to perform. Phillips also said AEG has 100 hours of HD Jackson video footage for a possible documentary film and...