New Julio Iglesias set to include Greek Theatre concert DVD February 1, 2013

New Julio Iglesias set to include Greek Theatre concert DVD

February 1, 2013

By: Reed Johnson, Los Angeles Times
A long, illustrious list of musicians have developed a fruitful connection (artistically and economically) to the Greek Theatre (hello, Neil Diamond).

Among the performers with a right to claim a special relationship to the iconic venue are Julio Iglesias, the silky Spanish Sinatra who has sold hundreds of millions of discs over a 45-year international career. It’s not surprising that the „deluxe” edition of his two-CD, 37-track upcoming greatest hits collection, to be released in April, is being packaged with a DVD, „Starry Night: Live from the Greek Theatre.”

The DVD recording is of Iglesias’ 1990 concert at the Greek, a key beachhead in his conquest of the North American record market, after he’d been storming across European pop charts for decades. The album’s title refers to Iglesias’ English-language album „Starry Night,” named for the Albert Hammond-Don McLean ’70s pop hit “Vincent (Starry Starry Night).”

In case you weren’t there at the Greek that twinkly evening, here’s what Times critic Don Heckman had to say about the concert by the master of the bilingual duet:

„Julio Iglesias is up to his usual tricks this week at the Greek Theatre – love, sex and easy listening. His opening performance Thursday night was a classic example of the laid-back smorgasbord of international music that has made him one of the most popular singers in the world.”

„Touching everything from pop ballads to bossa nova to French cabaret, singing in Spanish, English, Italian, French and Portuguese, the deeply tanned Spanish artist worked his overflow crowd with the relaxed charm of a performer dedicated to giving his audience exactly what it wants to hear.”

„Iglesias’ style – filled with dramatic hand movements, closed eyes and sudden, impassioned body movements – seemed exaggerated, perhaps because of his awareness of a swarm of cameras filming a cable television special. His singing, however, has become more personalized in the last few years, sometimes verging toward off-rhythm phrasing that can most generously be described as eccentric.”

„But Iglesias’ music is less about technique than it is about reaching out to an audience with passion and sensuality. ‘I want to sing until I die,’ he remarked at one point. And the squeals of response from his listeners clearly suggested that they intend to stay with him for the full run.”
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Album 1-Greatest Hits available in the US on April 9

February 1, 2013

Sony Music U.S.
INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR JULIO IGLESIAS REVISITS HIS BEST-LOVED HITS, INCLUDING SONGS IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, ITALIAN, FRENCH AND PORTUGUESE FOR THE NEW 1 – GREATEST HITS COLLECTION

DOUBLE-CD SET INCLUDES THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW EVER OF THE 45-YEAR CAREER OF THE WORLD’S BEST-SELLING LATIN ARTIST; INCLUDES DUETS PERFORMED WITH WILLIE NELSON, STING, DIANA ROSS, FRANK SINATRA, DOLLY PARTON, STEVIE WONDER, ART GARFUNKEL, AND MORE

Deluxe version contains two CDs PLUS DVD of Starry Night: Live From the Greek Theatre , the concert event of 1990

Available everywhere April 9, 2013, through Columbia/Legacy

The phenomenal 45-year career of international megastar Julio Iglesias, one of the world’s ten best-selling recording artists with global sales in excess of 300 million units, is the focus of an inspired new collection of his signature songs entitled 1 – GREATEST HITS. The title is set for release April 9, 2013, through Columbia/Legacy, a division of SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT.

Already certified multi-platinum in virtually every Spanish-speaking territory on earth, 1 – GREATEST HITS showcases newly-recorded versions (from 2006 and 2011) of the bulk of its tracks, representing Julio’s most-loved hits from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. These are the songs that have turned Julio into the world’s biggest-selling Latin artist and one of the most emblematic celebrities of all time. 1 – GREATEST HITS is the first new album from Julio since Romantic Classics in 2006.
The collection will be available in two separate configurations: The 2-CD version will include 37 tracks, comprising 19 tracks on CD One and 18 tracks on CD Two. The deluxe version will include the same two CDs, plus Starry Night: Live From the Greek Theatre, the DVD chronicle of Julio’s historic concert at the legendary Los Angeles venue in 1990.

“This album,” said Julio of the project he has been working on for three years, “is mainly dedicated to all the anonymous people who have been following me for 45 years, with generosity and affection, and who have allowed me to keep singing up until today. They’ll always be the great driving force of my career.”

Fans will immediately be struck with the new arrangements and vocals, and the sonic advancements that enable Julio’s unique and distinctive style to flourish and fill a room. Far from having the differences in sonics and production that normally affect compilations, the music possesses a uniformity and maturity of sound and interpretation.

The achievements and awards bestowed upon Julio Iglesias would fill numerous rooms. As far back as 1983, he received the first and only Diamond Record award from the Guinness Book Of World Records, for selling more records in more languages than any music artist in history, including Spanish, English, German, Japanese, Italian, Portuguese, and French topping the list. To date he has sold over 300 million records and received over 2,600 gold and platinum record certifications from around the world.

Ever since Julio conquered the UK in 1981 with his #1 Pop Hit of Cole Porter’s “Begin the Beguine (Volver A Empezar),” he has courted the English-speaking segment of his audience with an ever-expanding repertoire. The song became the focus track of his first Columbia LP in the U.S. in 1983, simply titled Julio. The album included “Hey,” one of many collaborations with co-writer Ramón Arcusa, and the opening track on the second disc of 1 – GREATEST HITS as re-recorded in 2011.

Julio released his first LP entirely sung in English in 1984, 1100 Bel Air Place, which featured his breakthrough duet with Willie Nelson, “To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before,” a Top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 that year and re-recorded by Julio in 2006. In addition to “To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before,” two other songs were also re-recorded in 2006 and are included on 1 – GREATEST HITS: “All Of You,” a duet with Diana Ross, and “My Love,” a duet with Stevie Wonder.

Julio’s next entirely English album arrived in 1990, Starry Night, produced by Albert Hammond and named for the Don McLean-penned title song, “Vincent (Starry Starry Night).” 1 – GREATEST HITS also includes “99 Miles From L.A.” (by Hal David/Albert Hammond) in its original version from Starry Night.

“When I Need You,” the Carole Bayer Sager/Albert Hammond standard from Starry Night, leads off the roster of five songs that were re-recorded in 2011. The others comprise two Willie Nelson compositions, namely “Always On My Mind” and Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” (from Julio’s 1994 album of the same title, Crazy); as well as “Crazy In Love” and a duet with Sting (also from Crazy) on one of his earliest ballads, “Fragile.”

Duets with America’s top pop artists have been a focal point of Julio’s attention for decades now, and CD One includes no less than nine standout duets. In addition to the four already mentioned, there are duets with Frank Sinatra (“Summerwind,” courtesy of Sinatra’s first Duets album in 1993); with Dolly Parton (“When You Tell Me That You Love Me”) and Art Garfunkel (“Let It Be Me”), both from Crazy; and Stephanie Spruill (Casablanca’s eternal “As Time Goes By”).

On CD Two, with the exception of one song (“La Cumparsita,” re-recorded in 2006), all of the selections were re-recorded by Julio in 2011. These go back to some of his earliest successes, for example, “Un canto a Galicia” from 1972, which was a #1 hit in Latin America and across Europe; “Hey” (title tune of his 1980 worldwide #1 album, which netted Julio his first Grammy Award® nomination in the Latin Pop Album category); 1981’s “De niña a mujer” (from the album of the same title), and so on.

1 – GREATEST HITS by JULIO IGLESIAS
(2-CD version: Columbia/Legacy 88765 438212 2)

CD One – Selections: 1. Begin The Beguine (Volver A Empezar) • 2. Crazy • 3. When I Need You • 4. Vincent (Starry Starry Night) • 5. 99 Miles From L.A. • 6. And I Love Her • 7. Always On My Mind • 8. Crazy In Love • 9. Fragile (with Sting) • 10. To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before (with Willie Nelson) • 11. All Of You (with Diana Ross) • 12. My Love (with Stevie Wonder) • 13. When You Tell Me That You Love Me (with Dolly Parton) • 14. Summer Wind (with Frank Sinatra) • 15. Let It Be Me (with Art Garfunkel) • 16. As Time Goes By (with Stephanie Spruill) • 17. Se Ora Avessi Un Po’ Di Te (Uno) • 18. Dizem Que Os Homens Nao Devem Chorar • 19. La Vie Defile En Silence (Como Han Pasado Los Años).

CD Two – Selections: 1. Hey! • 2. Por El Amor De Una Mujer • 3. Me Va, Me Va • 4. Un Canto A Galicia • 5. El Dia Que Me Quieras • 6. Me Olvidé De Vivir • 7. Corazon Partió • 8. De Niña A Mujer • 10. Amor, Amor, Amor • 11. Derroche • 12. La Cumparsita • 13. Nathalie • 14. Caballo Viejo/Bamboleo • 15. El Amor • 16. Caruso • 17. Devaneios (O Me Quieres O Me Dejas) • 18. Quelque Chose De France.
1 – GREATEST HITS by JULIO IGLESIAS
(2-CD+DVD version: Columbia/Legacy 88765 46961 2)

CD One and CD Two (same as above).

DVD – Starry Night: Live From the Greek Theatre – Selections: 1. Volver A Empezar (Begin The Beguine) • 2. Amor, Amor, Amor • 3. To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before • 4. Too Many Women • 5. La Polama • 6. Brazilian Medley: The Girl From Ipanema/Desafinado • 7. If You Go Away (Ne Me Quitte Pas) • 8. 99 Miles From L.A. • 9. When I Need You • 10. Bamboleo • 11. Moonlight Lady • 12. Pensami (Júrame) • 13. Hey! • 14. Mona Lisa • 15. Ae, Ao • 16. Can’t Help Falling In Love. (Previously released on VHS and internationally on DVD.)
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Julio Iglesias among first honored by Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame

February 6, 2013
Miami, Jan 29 (EFE).- Spaniards Julio Iglesias and Manuel Alejandro, Mexicans Jose Angel Espinoza „Ferrusquilla” and Armando Manzanero, Puerto Rican Jose Feliciano and Cuba’s Concha Valdez Miranda are the first artists to be inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The announcement was made by the directors of the Miami-based LSHOF, Desmond Child and Rudy Perez, both producers and composers.

In a gallery packed with journalists and people from the music industry, Perez noted the enormous effort that had been made over the years to win the support of the existing U.S. Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Child has composed songs for artists like Bon Jovi, Selena, Aerosmith, Ricky Martin and Cher, among many others, while Perez has created numbers for such singers as Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, Jose Feliciano, Julio Iglesias, Cristian Castro, Christina Aguilera, Luis Fonsi and Luis Miguel.

The six artists inducted into the LSHOF will be honored with the La Muse prize at the gala to be held April 23 at the New World Center de Miami Beach.

Alexander Kogan is to perform at the anniversary concerts of the Julio Iglesias 2013 World Tour

February 17, 2013

St. Petersburg – March, 4th (Concert Hall Octyabrskij)
Dnepropetrovsk – March, 8th (Ice Palace Meteor)
Rostov-on-Don – March, 11th (Theater of Music Comedy)
Moscow – March,14th (the Kremlin Palace)

Alexander Kogan

The music of recording artist Alexander Kogan is the fusion of two distant cultures: Russia, where he was born, and the USA, where he grew up. From this unity and experience emerges a unique talent: an artist who transcends time and genre; an artist without boundaries.

Raised on the music of both nations, his songwriting is informed by heroes and influences far and wide — Nat King Cole, Elton John, Sting, Sade, Oscar Strok, Leonid Utesov — and his broad tastes include contemporaries such as Adele and Bruno Mars.

Driven by artistic expression, he explores, he experiments, he reinvents. But lyrics and melody — for him, the essence of great songwriting — will always be by his side, fuelled by his ceaseless fascination for the world around him and the endless inspiration it provides.

Whether in Moscow, New York, Los Angeles, or London, he can be found working with world famous producers, as well as the most ground breaking up-and-coming talent, restlessly pursuing his passion for the only language understood by all cultures: music.
Alexander Kogan and Julio Iglesias

Long before Alexander was born, Julio had established himself at the pinnacle of popular music. Having sold millions of albums and thrilled audiences world wide for many years.

A lifelong fan of Julio’s, Alexander had the good fortune to meet Mr. Iglesias backstage. Alexander’s passion and enthusiasm made a lasting impression that developed into a friendship. One day there was a call — Julio asked Alexander to perform a duet with him on stage. It was a great success, resulting in Alexander’s participation in Julio’s current world tour.

Now, more fans can see the result of this exciting collaboration at the anniversary concerts in St. Petersburg, Dnepropetrovsk, Rostov-on-Don, Moscow, and other cities, where Alexander will appear as a special guest.

Alexander Kogan is excited to bring his new original songs and his band to his homeland. With an amazing mentor such as Julio Iglesias, Alexander understands that the bar is set high!

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An Amazing Evening in Saint Petersburg!

March 5, 2013
Julio Iglesias performed to an enthusiastic audience last night, in St. Petersburg.

The artist was very happy to feel people’s affection and emotion during the entire concert, performed in front of a sold out venue.

People of all ages hummed both the Spanish and English hits of the best – selling Latin artist ever.