Recent voice-overs range from a commercial for US television featuring Antonio Banderas and his new fragrance (glamorous!) A South African toilet duck commercial (not quite so glamourous) and a Christmas ad for Scalextric (SCX) for the UK TV (somewhere in between!) On the TV music side I’ve just sung an commercial for Telefonica for Spain and there’s a Crazy Bones sweet ad on British TV.
Thanks to Acoustic Music Records founder and label boss Peter Finger, Uncut Diamond is going to be released in Germany on his brand new Wonderland Records label with distribution via Rough Trade (Zomba) from January/Feb 2006. I’m really excited about seeing the response from Radio to the album and also the possibility of doing some dates in Germany in the new year. In addition to running the record company Peter is an outstanding international Composer,Producer and Guitarist and has been a key figure in promoting quality acoustic music in Germany.
Tomorrow evening, FC Barcelona will play a team comprising Israeli and Palestinian players in a fund-raising game aimed at supporting efforts at peace between the countries. The “Match for Peace” will be held at Camp Nou stadium on Nov. 29, a day after the end of the summit in Barcelona between European Union heads of state and leaders of Mediterranean countries. I voiced the English version of the TV Ad for the the agency Bassat, Ogilvy and the production company Errecerre. It’s a really nice ad so I’ll try to see if I can get a downloadable copy online soon -Tomorrow is also my son Sam’s Birthday and he’ll be coming with me to Nou Camp. His first time at a football match.
Last night we went to the match and were surprised to see Former James Bond star Sean Connery at the Nou Camp seen here along side Luis Bassat and the BCN President Joan Laporta. Shimon Peres was also present at the game. They showed the Ad I’d voiced on the big screen and Sam and his mate Emilio enjoyed seeing Ronaldinho and E’to in real life!!!2-1 to Barça and a win for peace!
Tonight Filmax’s new animated feature Gisaku opens at the Melia Auditorium, Sitges. The Film directed by Baltasar Pedrosa, produced by Julio Fernandez and with a soundtrack by Oscar Araujo is a leading contender for the European Animation award. I was lucky to have been involved in the English language version directed by Jim Phillips in which I dubbed one of the main characters Yohei. It was a pleasure to work with Baltasar and Jim and fingers crossed the feature does really well. Also at the festival are Jodie Foster to collect a lifetime achievement award, Quentin Tarantino promoting his new film ‘Hostel’, and Speilberg’s ‘Jaws’ special effects team to pick up the Special effects prize.
I’m pleased and surprised to say that the album has now sold in more than 10 countries, with the majority of sales coming from the US. While the numbers concerned are pretty small and I’m not giving up the day job yet!! , bearing in mind there’s been almost no promotion, it’s been really heartening. So thanks for your support. We’re currently negotiating with a great German label for a November release. Watch this space.
Uncut Diamond has been chosen to accompany the final scenes and credits of Fura dels Baus new production of Kafka’s Metamorphosis directed by Javier Daulte. It opens in Japan this week for the Expo 2005 going on to the UK, Italy and Austria and returns for Barcelona’s Grec Festival in Summer 2006. The electronic soundtrack was composed by Josep Sanou.
Alex and Carles Cases have co written a song for the new Ventura Pons film, ‘Wounded Animals’. Recording took place at Classic and New studios Barcelona and was sung by Miquel Planas. The screenplay, written by the catalan director is based in three stories from the book Sad Animals by Jordi Puntí. The leading actors include Jose Coronado, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Cecilia Rossetto, Marc Cartes, Cristina Plazas, Patricia Arredondo and Gerardo Zamora and Carles Cases composed the Soundtrack.
I had a new experience over the Summer when asked to direct the dubbing for a new animated feature film ‘Flying Heroes’written and directed by Accio Films founder Miquel Pujol. The Spanish-Irish co-production has the top prize for ‘Work In Progress’ at the Houston Festival and will be in the Cinemas in around a year from now. Work is now beginning on the musical soundtrack with a score by the Quadrophenia production team.
A year ago I was contacted by the Target production Company to voice an International TV and Radio campaign for the United Nations Millenium Goals ‘Six Billion Voices’ initiative. In July this year I narrated a new UN video ‘Only With Your Voice’ featuring the contributions of among others Richard Gere, Youssou N’Dour, Michael Douglas, Carlinhos Brown, Lenny Kravitz , Jane Goodall, Shakira, Paz Vega, VJ Armritaj and the Nobel Laureate Dr Elie Wiesel.
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