Jo Hikk is country, southern rock, rock band from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Jo Hikk wasn't born yesterday... This established country rock act has been playing together for some time. In the last two years they have become one of Alberta's top drawing "live" acts in the club and concert scene. With a brand new album due out early 2008, Jo Hikk is now becoming one of Canadian country music's newest rising stars. The band is comprised of brothers Kelly (lead vocals, bass) and Kenny Sitter (guitar, vocals) with Al Rheaume (drums) and Serge Soucy (keyboards, vocals). Performing shows from Canada to Kandahar, Jo Hikk has shared the stage with some of music's biggest names. Known for their great vocal sound, energy and playful antics, Jo Hikk has a proven track record as a real crowd pleaser. As songwriters, the band has been developing their own material over the years and as a result, released a five song EP produced by Bob Foster (Jan Arden). The buzz generated by their original tracks attracted not only many new fans worldwide, but also the interest of several music industry professionals. Web link: www.johikk.com . (Headliners ...JG 192 + ...JG 193).

Fools Faith is rock / progressive / metal band from Connecticut, United States of America. Formed in the spring of '95, Fools Faith is a rare find in a musical world of mediocrity. Combining the best of '80's Metal with elements of today's sound, Fools Faith finds equal ground unparallel by today's standards. Signed to Escape Music (under the moniker of "Aftermath") in the winter of 2002, their debut release, "Natural Destruction", in 2003 was a critical success unmatched in their genre. With blistering guitars and tight vocal harmonies leading the way, Fools Faith has made a name for themselves by providing what so few are able to achieve, old-fashioned hard rock the way it was meant to be played. While still sticking to their roots, they have taken things a step further with an album of diverse material which leaves one unable to categorize them into a specific genre. With strong melodies, pounding rhythms and vocals unmatched in today's musical climate already setting them apart from their contemporaries, Their sophmore release "Undone" will only confirm what many across Europe already know, Fools Faith is setting the standards for what many have forgotten; how to successfully rock "old-school" style while blending. Fools Fatih features: Joey Dia - lead vocals, rhythm guitar; Andy Kadin - keyboards, backing vocals; John Gallicano - lead guitar, backing vocals; Marc Chandler - drums, backing vocals. Web link: FoolsFaith.com . (...JG 193).

BigDEZ is blues band from Paris (F) / Amsterdam (NL). The band started in 1996 in Paris. BigDEZ remains a 5 piece band with Phil Fernandez (guitar & vocal), Bala Pradal (organ & piano). Phil Fernandez took several trips to the USA helping him create a very unique style. Icy guitar licks with a smooth, yet powerfull voice. Phil learned how to play the play the blues during a multitude of jam session with such players as Luther Allison, Billy Branch, WC Clark... In 2001, things got a little more serious. Phil went several times to Austin to back up some local artists such as: Mike Cross, Tracy Conover, El Michael and the Texas legend, Uncle John Turner (drummer for Johnny Winter, Mike Morgan, Lightnin' Hopkins...). Back in France, Phil will led his band throughout Europe, in France, Netherland, Belgium, Spain... Touring endlessly to prepare their first album. In March 2003, the dream came true! The band flew to Austin, Texas to record "Sail on Blues". Only 3 days of hard work at The Congress House Studios will be necessary to put the music on tape - 9 originals and 2 covers show perfectly the maturity of this "frenchy blues band". This first album has received a great response from the public and the critics. The band has been promoting it in all the major Europeen blues festivals. But it was not enough and in 2004, the band reloaded with a new opus. The band returns to Austin to record "Night After Night". But this time it'll be with such guests as Preston Hubbard (Fabulous Thunderbirds), Sax Gordon Beadle, Mike Cross, Tom Robinson, Gary Slechta... In February 2008, a third and brand new CD is out - "You Can Smile". Keep in Touch! Web links: www.myspace.com/bigdezbluesband or bigdez.com . (...JG 193).

Vega je metal bend iz Splita. Do sada se diskografski oglasio dva puta - sa albumima "Iz sjene dubina" (sa 11 pjesama) i "S trnom u srcu" (sa 13 pjesama). Vezano za ovaj drugopomenuti album snimljen je novi video spot. To je drugi video uradak sa albuma "S trnom u srcu". Prvi video spot, "Sanjam da zivim", obozavatelji benda Vega su mogli vidjeti po raznim televizijskim emisijama. Novi video spot je snimljen za pjesmu "Udvoje protiv svijeta", a sniman je na lokacijama Volodera (Kutina). Vega su: Angelo Borovac (gitare); Luka Banovic (gitare); Drazen Markotic (vokali); Nikola Dzaja (bubnjevi); Hrvoje Grubisic (bas gitara). Web link: www.vega-metal.com . (...JG 196).

Steve Winwood i Eric Clapton su za dane: 25., 26. i 28.02.2008. godine, najavili tri koncerta koja ce odrzati u njujorskom Madison Square Gardenu. Mnogi ga vec nazivaju koncertom decenije. "Veoma sam uzbudjen pred nastupima sa Ericom. Band Blind Faith je davno djelovao i obojica smo od tada mnogo toga ucinili. Sa nestrpljenjem cekam nasa nova muzicka istrazivanja," rekao je Winwood. "Vec dugo vremena zelio sam ponovo svirati sa Steveom. Smatram ga prijateljem i nadarenim muzicarem. Ocekujem da cemo pruziti zabavu i nasim obozavateljima i nama samima", rekao je Eric. Obojica, i Winwood i Clapton, imaju duge i prestizne muzicke karijere sa bezbrojnim priznanjima. Njihovi putevi su se zdruzili 1969. kada su formirali Blind Faith, grupu koja se smatra pionirom fusion rock i blues stila. Usprkos priznanjima, grupa je bila kratkog vijeka i izdala je samo jedan album i 1969. godine je imala jednu turneju koja je 12.07.1969. startala u Madison Square Gardenu, a zavrsila 24.08.1969. na Hawaiima. Ovi, Madison Square Garden nastupi, bit ce njihovi prvi cjelovecenji koncerti nakon 40-to godisnje pauze. Steve Winwood ima ugovor sa Columbia Recordsom i pocetkom ove godinue izdaje novi album, a novi album Eric Claptona, "Complete Clapton", izdat je od strane Reprise Recordsa.

Beogradski power-pop bend Alfapop ce u cetvrtak 28. februara 2008. godine odrzati koncert u Klubu Zica (Beograd, Kraljevica Marka 5) sa pocetkom u 21 h. Bend Alfapop (Jovana Vujnovic - vokal, Jovan Joca Dragumilo - gitara i vokal, Ranko Radovanov - bas gitara) nastao je pocetkom 2008. godine, kao rezultat zelje njegovih clanova za stvaranjem jednog kvalitetnog, u Srbiji jos nevidjenog gitarskog pop izraza veoma zastupljenog na aktuelnoj svetskoj sceni. Alfapop cini multitalentovani trio, ciji su se clanovi bavili, i jos uvijek se bave, razlicitim muzickim zanrovima (ozbiljna muzika, reggae, ethno, rock...), kao i muzickom produkcijom. Sa grupom Tir na n'Og snimili su istoimeni album (One Records, 2006.), tri video spota i imali veliki broj koncertnih, televizijskih (RTV B92, RTS, TV Avala, TV Panonija...) i nastupa na festivalima (Exit, Belgrade Beer Fest...). Alfapop su se zanrovski opredejelili za power pop-rock obogacen snaznim i melodicnim vokalnim linijama koje u kombinaciji sa cvrstom i energicnom ritam sekcijom nikoga nece ostaviti ravnodusnim. Vise informacija o ovom bendu, mozete naci na njegovoj sluzbenoj web prezentaciji: www.myspace.com/alfapop .

Mnogi ce pozaliti sto te veceri nisu dosli na premjeru Nine Rain u Zagrebu, meksickog banda cuvenog Tuxedomoonasa - Steven Browna - u posve drukcijem, vedrijem i plesnijem izdanju. Tuxedomoon u Hrvatskoj imaju vrlo vjernu i brojnu publiku, te je dosta cudno sto nakon dva odlicna i vrlo dobro posjecena koncerta 2007. u Zagrebu (22.02.2007. Aquarius i 13.11.2007. Mocvara), ovaj nastup Brownovog sastava Nine Rain nije promatralo vise od stotinjak ljudi. Vjerojatni razlog tome lezi u uobicajenoj cinjenici da se svaki novi projekt-band nekog cuvenog glazbenika uvijek dozivljava s dozom odredjene zadrske s mislju da 'to vise nije to', a ako jest neka led s eksperimentiranjem i odlaskom na koncert probije netko drugi. Uz mnogo najava koje je Mocvara odaslala mnogobrojnim portalima i novinama, to je vrlo grozno razmisljanje... Nine Rain su nastali nakon privremenog razlaza Tuxedomoon 1993. kada je Steven Brown (klavijature, vokali, duhacki instrumenti) iz Njemacke pokupio tada mladjahnog elektronskog glazbenika Nikolas Klaua i preselio se u Mexico City...

Zrinko Tutic jedan je od najcjenjenijih kantautora, skladatelja i producenata iz Hrvatske koji je tijekom dugogodisnje glazbene karijere napisao mnogobrojne hitove koje su pak otpjevale najpoznatije zvijezde domace estrade. Medju brojnim glazbenim imenima za koje je Tutic pisao nalaze se Severina, Doris Dragovic, Tajci, Maja Blagdan, Zeljko Bebek, Gibonni, Massimo, Goran Karan, Miso Kovac, Miroslav Skoro, koji su otpjevali hitove poput: "Tvoja prva djevojka", "Zeljo moja", "Hajde da ludujemo", "Sveta ljubav", "Zlatne godine", "Dvoriste", "Stranac u noci", "Benzina", "Dalmatinka", "Trava zelena" i druge. Kompilacija u izdanju Croatia Recordsa donosi i tri pjesme koje je otpjevao sam Zrinko, iznimno popularnu "Doris", te skladbe "Bjezi, bjezi djevojcice" i duet sa Jadrankom Stojakovic, "Manuele". Svakako nezaobilazan glazbeni uradak je zasigurno najljepsa domovinska pjesma, "Moja domovina", koju Zrinko Tutic potpisuje zajedno sa Rajkom Dujmicem, a tu je i skladba Hrvatskog band aida, "Za djecu Hrvatske".

Zagrebacka rock skupina Prljavo kazaliste i predsjednik Uprave Croatia Records, Zelimir Babogredac (na slici), potpisali su ekskluzivni trogodisnji ugovor. Ovim ugovorom decki iz Prljavog kazalista vracaju se svojim korijenima, u izdavacku kucu odakle su pohod na glazbeni tron krenuli prije 30 godina. Svoju veliku obljetnicu ove ce godine proslaviti novim, trinaestim po redu, nosacem zvuka, koji ce pod nazivom "Tajno ime" objaviti tijekom svibnja 2008. godine. Novi album najavit ce istoimeni single. Ova lijepa obljetnica biti ce okrunjena jos jednim izdanjem, box setom pod nazivom "Millenium Collection". Rock skupina Prljavo kazaliste jedna je od najpopularnijih grupa u Hrvatskoj i svoju bogatu glazbenu povijest pocela je pisati davne 1978. godine. Decki iz Dubrave svoj su prvi single objavili u bivsem Jugotonu, a vecinu materijala tijekom karijere objavili su za izdavacku kucu Suzy. Pod etiketom Croatie Records Prljavci su objavili albume "S vremena na vrijeme" i "Dani ponosa i slave", za Jugoton albume "Zlatne godine" i "Devedeseta", dok su posljednja dva CD-a izasla u izdanju Dallas Recordsa. U nesto izmjenjenom sastavu - Jasenko Houra (gitara, vokal), Mladen Bodalec (vokal), Tihomir Files (bubnjevi), Jurica Leikauff (klavijature), Mario Zidar (gitara) i Dubravko Vorih (bas gitara) - Prljavci se ponovno vracaju na mjesto odakle su krenuli prije 30 godina, u zagrebacku Dubravu i Croatiu Records, gdje ce ovu lijepu obljetnicu obiljeziti novim albumom.

Ohrid Choir Festival is inviting choirs to participate to the Festival of the choirs scheduled for the period 22 to 25 August 2008. The Festival shall be held in the following categories: Category A - children’s choirs (2/3 must be under 15); Category B - youth choirs (2/3 must be under 25); Category C - adult choirs (2/3 must be above 25). Ohrid Choir Festival will not be of a competitive character. However, an expert's jury that will write a critical analysis of the choir's performance will monitor the festival. There will be Grand Prix of the Choir Festival that will be rewarded to the best choir. The festival contains an official part and an unofficialI part. All the choirs are required to perform in both parts. In the official part the choirs are required to perform a program of their choice that would last between 15 minutes - 20 minutes. This performance will be held in a concert hall and will be monitored by an expert's jury that will write a critical opinion according to which a Grand Prix will be given. In the unofficial part the choirs are required to perform 20 minutes program on an open air location in front of a random audience. Web link: www.ohridchoirfestival.com .

Zdenko Runjic, hrvatski skladatelj, aranzer, autor stihova i estradni poduzetnik, covjek koji je svojim brojnim hitovima zaduzio hrvatsku glazbu, tijekom dugogodisnje glazbene karijere napisao je preko 600 zabavnih melodija za najznacajnije hrvatske pjevace. Ipak, u bogatoj paleti prekrasnih dalmatinskih pjesama, najveci pecat ostavila je njegova suradnja s Oliverom Dragojevicem za kojeg je napisao preko 200 pjesama. Zdenko Runjic potpisao je tridesetak samostalnih diskografskih izdanja prodanih u visemilijunskoj nakladi. Dvostruka kompilacija Zdenka Runjica koja nosi naziv "Svirajte nocas za moju dusu..." donosi 42 pjesme koje odisu morem, Dalmacijom, ljubavi. Iz bogate palete skladbi bilo je tesko odabrati ono najbolje od Zdenka Runjica, pa ova kompilacija donosi samo jedan mali dio onoga sto je tijekom karijere napisao ovaj pjesnik prepoznatljivog mediteranskog izricaja. Dvostruka kompilacija "Svirajte nocas za moju dusu..." izasla je sa etiketom Croatia Recordsa.

Formed in the beginning of 1998 by Patrice Louis (guitar) and Thierry Dagnicourt (keyboards), ShannoN remarkably plays a melodic hard rock that sticks to its skin. During the spring of 1998, the band enroles ex - JannyLee's singer Olivier Del Valle behind the mike, then Claude Thill (ex - Der Kaiser) and Maxence Pilo (ex - Heavenly) join the band to finally complete the line-up. Inspired by the US Melodic Hard Rock from the 80's / 90's, ShannoN is now ready to become one of the newest leaders and brightest hopes of the genre. Their debut and eponymous album released in November 2003. Strongly encouraged with the success of their self-titled album, not only in France, but largerly abroad, the band has taken the path to the studio to record a follow-up, even more motivated than ever. The writing process is now finished and recording studio sessions come to an end for the new album. The group just has secured a record deal to get their 2nd opus ("World Of Desire") out in 2007... ShannoN's Line Up: Olivier Del Valle (vocals); Patrice Louis (guitars); Thierry Dagnicourt (keyboards); Nicolas Fixy (bass); Benjamin Bergerolle (drums). Web link: www.shannon-rock.com . (...JG 192).

Rodjeni Zupanjac, Pero Galic, ozbiljniju pjevacku karijeru zapocinje ratne 1992. godine osnivanjem grupe Opca opasnost. Oni vec 1993. godine snimaju svoj prvi album. Nazvali su ga "Treba mi nesto jace od sna" i na tom albumu se nalazi i njihov najveci hit - "Jednom kad noc", nakon cega ce grupa Opca opasnost objaviti jos dva albuma. Pero Galic je prvi put nastupio na Dori 1999. godine i to s pjesmom "Samo nebo zna", sto je ujedno bio i pocetak njegove kratke samostalne karijere. Vec 2002. godine postaje clanom grupe Divlje jagode s kojom snima album "Od neba do neba", koji ukljucuje i veliki hit - "Marija". Pocetkom 2008. godine Pero nastavlja solo karijeru, te u suradnji s istaknutim autorima, kompozitorom Denisom Dumancicem i tekstopiscem Fayom, snima pjesmu "Otvori mi oci" s kojom izravno ulazi u finale ovogodisnje Dore, buduci da je Denis jedan od "pozvanih" skladatelja. Pero Galic priprema i svoj prvi samostalni album, takodjer u suradnji s Dumancicem.

After a more than a twenty years of study in the main subject of lives, in various educational establishments, mainly in Germany - Hans Oliver has broken off the study. He has reached to the examination that he will not understand even after other hundred semesters what they would like to teach him. This first of all understood, he ignored from now on all borders. He built a ship and travelled around with it all over the world seas. In the end, he ran aground in Montenegro where he also even today lives, plays guitar and writes songs. Here on the street he found the band called Day After. With support of these three well talented musicians: first of all by the singer Nina Petkovic, by the fabulous guitar player Bojan and last not least by the baseman Zoran, they founded the new project - Cattaro Kid". Cattaro is the latin name for the beautiful city and UNESCO's World Heritage - Kotor, Montenegro. Web link: www.cattaro-kid.com . (...JG 192).