B6 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, August 9, 2000 Arts & Entertainment By C arol B aldw in We invite you to listen to the great muse even Sunday at 5JO p.m. on the .jb# ' Radio Dial 1320 AM f, "That Night at the Optra" 'Quell* mtt all 'opera" The Italian Radio Program of Opera produced and presented by Giuseppe Fava Oakville Beaver Entertauwient Editor: Carol Baldwin 845-3824 (Extension 254); Fax: 337-5567; E-mail: baldwin@haltonsearch.com m enco flavour Johannes Linstead present his ow nstyle ofLatin music next w eek H P h o to s by Barrie E rsk in e Johannes Linstead will be performing his own style of Latin music at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts on Thursday, Aug. 17th at 8 p.m. The Oakville guitarist says his music has been influenced by Afro-Cuban rhythms as well as Spanish composers. His most recent CD, Kiss the Earth, has been on the Billboard chart for over six weeks, reaching Number 15 the week of July 31st. At his Oakville con cert, Linstead will be accompanied by a couple of other guitarists and percus sionists, as well as a keyboard player from Kenya, a flamenco dancer from Columbia, and a vocalist from Russia, whom, he says, "adds middle-eastern type vocals to some of the songs." "I had always traveled through Latin American - Puerto Rico, Cuba, ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Venezuela - and I always had that e's come a long way, from sound with me," he explains. "I love coveting his sister's cast-off the music, and I love palm trees and guitar to writing a couple of sandy beaches." songs for Leona Boyd and His first CD, Sol Luna Tterra, recording them with her. which was recorded independently "It's kind of stretching her style and released over three years ago, was more so than myself. So, she's going re-released last year on the Real Music to be basically playing my style," says label, followed by a second album Johannes Linstead. "It should be fun." Kiss the Earth this year. But the Oakville guitarist seems Kiss the Earth has been on the Bill unscathed by the experience. Sitting board chart for six weeks, reaching comfortably in the Oakville Centre Number 15 the week of July 31st -- lobby sipping herbal tea, the 30-year- quite an accomplishment for an old musician promises that, should he Oakville boy who began with his sis ever win a Grammy Award, he'll not ter's cast-off guitar. forget his roots and will continue mak Linstead enjoys the malleability of ing regular appearances at his home recording sessions but he also likes the town theatre. immediacy of live performances. For those who would like to hear "With recording you can really his "nouveau flamenco" music before sculpt everything that you want, his career pinnacles, the Oakville gui because you can always go back and tarist will be at the Oakville Centre on analyze and change things," he says, Thursday, Aug. 17th with a multi-cul noting that all his tunes are originals, tural group of musicians and a flamen whether they're heard on CD or live. co dancer. "But with live performances, I def "For the concert, we're going to initely like the spontaneity. You can have eight people," he says, explain improvise and go where the music ing that there will be a couple of other takes you. And there's also that live guitarists and percussionists, as well energy...just being in contact with the as a keyboard player from Kenya, a other musicians, you can feed off each flamenco dancer from Columbia, and other's energy." a vocalist from Russia. "She adds mid With seven talented people accom dle-eastern type vocals to some of the panying him during his Oakville con songs." cert, that energy is bound to create an Reminiscing about leaner times, enjoyable evening of Latin music. Linstead says he still remembers his As for the future, Linstead is hop first guitar, which he received on his ing to continue with his live perfor ninth birthday by a sister who no mances while he promotes his new longer wanted it. "She wouldn't let me CD, which he says is available at all touch it before that. So, I got excited major music stores. and started practising," he quips. Tickets for his Oakville perfor That practising ultimately led to mance, which begins at 8 p.m., are lessons for a few years, when he $23.99 ($19.99 for Big Ticket mem played mostly folk music, he says. bers and $17.99 for Big Ticket Plus "When I was around 12, I started members). playing classical style as well as rock. There is also a special dinner the And I played jazz in the high school atre package for $50, with dinner band," he recalls. being served at Paradiso. However, long before flamenco Tickets are available by visiting or was the rage, Linstead began playing calling the Oakville Centre box office his own style of Latin music, influ at 130 Navy St., 815-2021, weekdays enced, he says, by Afro-Cuban from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturdays rhythms and Spanish composers. from 2 to 5 p.m. E lv is r e tu r n s to s h a k e u p th e O a k v ille C e n tr e s ta g e By Iren e G entle SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Almost a quarter century after Elvis Pres ley left the building for good, tributes to his legend still scorch the musical landscape. His death at Graceland on Aug. 16th, 1977, ended a 27-year career that brought sexy, blackbased music to mainstream audiences. Today, the Elvis tribute is classic North Amer icana - kitschy, cool, and wooing audiences at various festivals around Ontario, including the Oakville Waterfront Festival. But on Aug. 14th and 15th, top-ranked tribute artist Stephen Kabakos will stand alone in backto-back anniversary concerts at the Oakville Cen tre for the Performing Arts. Tickets cost $30, with $1 from each ticket sold being donated to the Ian Anderson House, Ontario's first free-standing cancer hospice. The shows will be performed with a 13-piece band including the TVB (The Very Best) Players, the TVB Brass, and the Memphis Sound singers, a vocal quartet. Monette Gould will also provide back-up vocals. The concerts are the last that Kabakos will perform in Canada before being swept off to Memphis, Tennessee to take part in the global Images of Elvis World Competition. Top-ranked tribute artist Stephen Kabakos will impersonate Elvis at the Oakville Centre. He has ranked in the top five of the world's best in this competition for the past two years and hopes this year will be his time to grab the gold. If he does, he'll do it by being just a little dif ferent than the rest. "I'm always reinventing myself, and I'm putting forth an Elvis the judges don't normally see," said Kabakos. `That's the edge I try to go for." That means performing songs that don't often make it on a routine Elvis repertoire, such as Bridge Over Troubled Water and I Just Can't Help Believing. Naturally, it doesn't hurt that he can deliver the goods with the jittery heat of early Elvis, the smooth as molasses charm of the middle years and the weighty sensuality of the 1970s era. And all this with the genial good humour that shows he never puts himself ahead of the music. `The big plus is when I'm on the stage. I'm Stephen Kabakos and when I'm off the stage. I'm Stephen Kabakos," he said. "I do slip into char acter when the time is appropriate, and that's when the music is on." Then it's all about voice, movements, manner isms and working to nail the king as he was when the songs first hit the airwaves with the force and precision of a smart bomb. Achieving that takes more than just a pretty face and a few costume changes. "I do prepare. I practice my vocals daily and I'm in the gym as well because it's a workout," said Kabakos. "You have to keep the energy up. It's a high speed sprint for two hours." But an Elvis show wouldn't be an Elvis show without a few good costume changes, and Kabakos promises no less than six in the Oakville concerts. They serve to visually mark the evolution of Elvis's career, which spanned 22 years and at least four distinct vocal stylings. "You try to emulate those different voices, but it's a bit of a workout because you're still one guy," he said. Time has allowed the talented Kabakos to grow into the music and the easy relationship he has with his audiences. It's a rapport that he believes is built around the songs. "The Elvis fans want to come out and hear great Elvis music," said Kabakos. "I'm now getting that reputation where they're guaranteed to come out and hear Elvis the way it was." Later this year, Kabakos will be making another return engagement to Oakville, perform ing a Christmas concert. In that show, about an hour will be devoted to Christmas songs delivered the King's way. The remainder will be a regular Elvis concert. For tickets to his summer concert, visit or call the Oakville Centre box office at 130 Navy St., 815-2021, weekdays from noon to 5 p.m. or Sat urdays from 2 to 5 p.m. C hildhood M em ories for all Ages Come in and catch all of the new 2000 Beanie Babies at Never Grow Up. And don't forget to stop in to see what's new for the fall. Giveyour child memories that will last a lifetime at Never Grow Up, located at 155 Lakeshore Road East. FALL REGISTRATION 2 0 0 0 -2 0 0 1 SEASON CLASSICS Mondays From 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm August 14th August 21st August 28th n s v x G fa W U p C o lle c tib le B e a r s , D o lls , M i n i a t u r e s & Toys Come see the new Gunds, Beanie Babies and M ary Meyer animals. Wednesdays From 10:00 am to 12:00 noon August 16th August 23rd August 30th September 6th Fridays From 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm August 18th August 25th I · KITCHENS · BEDROOMS · BATHROOMS W tlt UNITS I Custom Designs, Custom Finishes, Top Quality Cabinetry, Competitively Priced, Free In-Home Service, Lifetime Warranty 1 5 5 Lakeshore Rd. E. 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