Corneille: The Birth of Cornelius (Plus a Giveaway!)

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by.  The winners are Ken Robinson, Phillip Fry, Mrs. Mommy, Marina, and Ingrid.  Congrats!

It’s not too often I get to listen to adult music.  I try to ensure that all media (music, television) is geared towards children when my son is with me (which is pretty much all of the time).  But there is that 30 minute window of driving time where I pop in a CD or listen to the radio.

I recently joined Music Moms, a new division of Team Mom, where I get to sample the latest music!  They sent me Corneille’s brand new album entitled The Birth of Cornelius and I’ve been listening to it on my drives to work.  This soulful singer with R&B influences has an amazing voice.  His songs are smooth and his lyrics touching.  What’s even more amazing about Corneille, who was recently featured in People and Oprah’s O magazine, is his life story.  He is the sole survivor from his family and managed to escape the Rwanda genocide in 1994.  His musical influences include Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole and Prince.

I love this quote from him:

“Music has been the place where I could go to hide and forget about the world.  I couldn’t make sense of a majority of things that happened to me, so I used music as a shield.  But over time, music has become a vehicle to channel out everything that I’ve been keeping from myself for all these years.  And the new album is definitely the most honest, real assessment of everything that ‘s happened in my life, because I’m not trying to hide as much.”

I’ve found that the most heartfelt, soul-piercing music and lyrics come from a place of brokenness and healing.  Corneille’s new album is pure, unadulterated expression of his heart.  I highly recommend taking a listen.

Win It! Five of you will win a copy of Corneille’s latest CD, courtesy of Universal/Mowtown.  Simply head on over to the site and take a listen.  Come back here and leave me a comment with a song that touches you and why.  Comments will close on April 7, 2009 at 10 PM PST. One comment per person, please. US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

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Martina McBride: Playlist

I’m a country girl at heart.  You probably wouldn’t have guessed it but I grew up listening to country music, thanks to my dad!  He is the ultimate country music lover and instilled within me an appreciation for all genres of music.    One of my all-time favorite country music artists is Martina McBride.  Honestly, it’s been some time since I’ve had the opportunity to listen to what I want to listen to.  I have a husband who does not like country music and a little boy who wants to listen to Barney.  So receiving Martina McBride’s latest CD entitled Playlist was a treat for me!  I’ve been listening to it on my way to work and while I know almost every song on the CD, it’s been fun thinking back to the days when I used to belt out her tunes with my girlfriends.  She is the kind of artist you can listen to when you want something fun and upbeat or when you’re in a more serious mood.  Her music is inspirational and she talks about life and love.  Her voice is so beautiful and I just love the three new songs on the CD.  

 

Playlist is a compilation album featuring 14 previously released tracks and 3 unreleased songs.  My favorites?  The ballads of course…There You Are, I Love You, and Wrong Again!  You can purchase the CD directly from the Walmart site.  

Be sure to head on over to Walmart’s Souncheck to watch her perform songs from this latest release, download a free track and watch her exclusive interview.  

P.S.  No trees were harmed in the packaging of this CD (it’s derived from 100% recycled and recyclable materials).  There is no CD booklet but the disc is enhanced so you can access all of the information from your computer.

About Soundcheck:

Soundcheck is an original performance series where you get up close and personal with your favorite artists. Check out live performances and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from original in-studio sets – all filmed exclusively in HD. Log on to www.walmart.com/soundcheck for headlining acts, noteworthy new artists and all the latest music releases.

Profuse thanks to M80 and the Family Review Network for this review opportunity.  

Music Review & Giveaway: Linda Eder

*This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by.  The winner is adrienne Gordon.  Congrats! *

I just love music and I often go through phases where I’ll keep a CD I like in for weeks and weeks at a time!  It drives my husband nuts because he likes variety!  I like variety but when it’s good…it’s good!  Right now I’m rockin’ out to Linda Eder’s latest CD entitled The Other Side of Me. 

When I first started listening to her, my immediate impression was that she was a country singer.  I love country music, by the way.  As I continued listening I realized that she is actually more diverse than that and incorporates a variety of styles into her music, Pop and Country the most noticeable.  Linda Eder has a versatile style and her repertoire includes Broadway and Jazz (although not in this CD).

Linda Eder has been hailed as one of the greatest voices of our time and her nationwide concert tours include four sold out shows at Carnegie Hall.  These concerts have also received televised coverage on Bravo and PBS.  The Other Side of Me is her eleventh album and is available for purchase now!  Her tour is wrapping up but if you’re interested in checking out one of her concerts (she would be amazing to see), visit her site.  She even has a blog!  : )

Win It!  One lucky reader will win an autographed copy of The Other Side of Me and an autographed T-shirt OR hat.  Head on over to the site and listen to some of her songs.  Come back here and leave me a comment with your favorite!  Comments will close on December 15, 2008 at 10 pm PST.  The winner will be chosen on December 16, 2008.  One comment per person, please. US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

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Profuse thanks to One2One  for this review opportunity!

Holiday Review & Giveaway: Il Divo

*This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by!  The winner is Valerie Mitchell.  Congratulations!  *

Where did November go?  It seems like only yesterday we were taking my son trick-or-treating!  Lights are up, pumpkin patches have been replaced with tree lots, and carolers are belting Christmas classics while shoppers peruse the latest sales.  The holidays are here!  And it seems like every station I turn to is boasting traditional Christmas songs.  I have to admit that while I like Christmas music during the celebrated week, I don’t enjoy listening to it for the entire month preceding the holiday.    I prefer modern variations and new, uptempo, holiday-inspired songs.  

If you’ve never heard of the hugely popular operative quartet Il Divo, then you’re definitely going to want to check them out.  They have an amazingly unique sound, rich in culture and romance.  Simon Cowell (the creator of American Idol) brought the group together in 2004.  Since then they have enjoyed much success including two sold out world tours where they performed to over 1.5 million people in thirty countries.  What is so captivating about this group is their ability to merge language, culture, and music genre to create a POPera of sorts.  

Recently I had the opportunity to review their latest release entitled The Promise and The Christmas Collection.  Their voices are amazing, the lyrics are inspirational, and they sing in English, Italian, and Spanish!  Check out the music video Amazing Grace, which is a featured song on their latest release:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMVxzEueJ6A&hl=en&fs=1]

Both CDs are available for purchase now on Amazon.com.  

Win It!  One reader will win a copy of both The Promise and The Christmas Collection.  Head on over to their site and listen to some of their music (you’ll love it!).  Then come back and leave me a comment with the name of your favorite song.  Comments will close on December 14, 2008 at 10 pm PST.  The winner will be chosen on December 15, 2008.  One comment per person, please. US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

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Profuse thanks to One2One  for this review opportunity!

A Soulful Giveaway!

Update

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by.  The winner is Amber.  Congratulations!

We have just ventured off to the desert for a quick mini getaway and the drive seemed like the perfect time to pop in Seal’s new CD entitled Soul.  As soon as the soulful melody of A Change Is Gonna Come started playing, I knew this was going to be a favorite of mine.  I grew up with a father who played nothing but the “oldies” and soul is still one of his favorite music genres.  Waves of nostalgia swept over me as I remembered all of those car rides to school, made more pleasant by “good music.”  An album is a hit with me if it can evoke emotion and change my mood.

Seal has a way of taking classics like Here I Am (Come and Take Me) and It’s Alright and giving them a hint of modern edge while retaining the songs’ personality and originality.  Soul collaborated with legendary producer David Foster to create an album that bridges the old with the new in a reverent way.

Check out the videos recently posted on YouTube:  

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XjLafQUyUY&hl=en&fs=1]

 

Win It!  One very lucky reader will win a copy of Seal’s new CD, Soul AND an iPod Retro Mini Speaker if I can part with it! Simply leave me a comment wilth the name of your favorite Seal song and something delightful you found on Delight.com.  Comments will close on December 1, 2008 at 10 pm PST.  The winner will be chosen on December 2, 2008.  One comment per person, please. US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Follow me on Twitter.

Blog about this giveaway.  It doesn’t have to be a separate post.  Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

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Profuse thanks to One2One and Delight.com for this review opportunity!

If you’re not familiar with One2One check them out. They have cool opportunities for women.  And right now, if you spread the word about Seal’s new CD, you’ll be entered to win cool prizes like a SpaFinder gift card or a CD.  

To enter, embed the widget on your blog or any social media site. You get one additional entry for each location the widget is placed. All entrants must email the url of the location they put the widget to Arianne Segerman to be entered.  Contest ends Dec 1st.

If you’re not familiar with Delight.com, do check out the site!  This unique boutique stocks the perfect gift for everyone on your list.  You’ll find eco-friendly tote bags, gadgets for guys, kitchen gear that is smart and saves time, travel essentials, one-of-a-kind baby gifts, stocking stuffers for holiday gift shopping and unique jewelry and decor accessories with most under $50.